Two New Projects -- One Very Unexpected

So it's been a while. Why? you ask. Well, because, over the last month or so, I have been emerged in one of the coolest creative periods of my life so far.  And today I wanted to jump in here and give you all an update on what's happening.  First off, Book 2 has been put on hold for a minute.  There are some kinks between myself and my publisher needing to be worked out.  However, that being said, I'm still planning on a Spring/Summer 2015 release.

The good news is that these kinks have given me a really cool opportunity to fully outline and get back to work on a book I've been working on since I finished my first draft of Book 2 last spring. Having spent the last eight years + on the Cobbogoth series, I'm really excited about this project, because it's pretty different, but still fantasy.  Actually, it mixes a few of my favorite things -- love, myth, and Victorian England.  I know, exciting, right?!!!  This project is presently called The Blessing Curse.  I've finished the outline and am about half way done with the first draft. You guys, I am SO seriously enjoying myself!  When I have a complete draft, I'll tell you a  little more about it, because I think it's going to be suh-weet!

Lastly, the final project I've been working on is something I've wanted to do for the last fifteen years. And . . . (drum roll!) . . . I feel like I have finally learned enough about technology, myself, and an instrument in order to do it.  So, I'm embarking on a new journey of writing/composing/recording my very first music album! Woo-hoo! So pumped about this! I think the reason I've been loving it so much, is because, unlike with my writing, there is absolutely no pressure for it to actually be good.
:-) At this point, I'm just doing it to have fun.

Now, you may be asking yourself how this all came about.  Let me just say that I'm more surprised than anyone.  In fact, after being a singer all my life, I actually thought I'd lost my voice due to some health issues I've had the last three years.  However, one of my dear friends asked me to sing at her wedding last summer, and that kind of gave me the motivation I needed to see if I couldn't get my voice back.  I'm sure you already know this, but the voice is a muscle just like your triceps and quads, and, as we all discover as the years fly by, if you don't use it, you lose it. :-(  Well, during a break in my edits for Uncovering Cobbogoth back in February, I started teaching myself the guitar--something else I've always wanted to do. Surprisingly, I took to it like a duck to water, and playing everyday, combined with singing the songs I was playing, my voice started coming back.  Woo-hoo! It's still not full capacity yet, but I'm learning a few tricks here and there that will strengthen it and give me more control over my voice, inspire of the current health issues.

Anyway, back in August, my husband and I bought me my very own new guitar, and all of the sudden, songs just started coming to me.  I've always fiddled around with writing music, because my mom did it all during my upbringing, but most of my previous songs were pretty embarrasing, and honestly, I've been through piano, the violin, the trumpet, and despite singing my entire life, I just couldn't seem to figure out what my genre would suit me best.  It wasn't until I fell in love with artists like Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile, Of Monsters and Men, Mindy Gledhill,  and SHEL that I realized what kind of music I love best and that worked best with my voice and style. So I've decided to do a sort of folksy "Storyteller's" album, which totally makes sense, right? :-)

So now, since I'm really excited about this unexpected project . . . (Another drum roll, please) . . . here's a very rough version of one of my first songs to let you see what I've been up to.  :-)  This is one of the first songs I wrote after getting my new guitar.  It's called Wings, and I think it's my favorite one so far because I wrote it for my very own darlin' lover-man. (Yep. I really call him that. And I am not ashamed!)

Now, a little about this song, I have plans to add 2 and 3 part harmonies to the "da-da-dee-dum" part and chorus, but for some reason, I just couldn't figure out how to sing three parts at once for this video.  ;-)  Just kidding.  I really like the harmonies though, and they will be on the iTunes recording when I finally get that done . . . sometime in the future. Like I said, this is a "no pressure" creative project.  :-)

Anyway, be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below! And thanks for sharing this new creative adventure with me.

P.S. I close my eyes a lot when I sing.  Sorry.  :-}