Benedictine Oblate and Third Novel News

Hear ye, hear ye! The news express is making a quick stop straight from Emmyland.

From all the recent emails I've received recently, it looks like I'm officially on my way to becoming an official Benedictine Oblate. Cue the happy crying, fangirl squealing, and other celebratory actions a young woman of my age should've outgrown by now... but hasn't. lol. The Oblate novitiate period is a year-long process of discernment. To say that I'm excited would be an understatement. Did you not see the "fangirl squealing" part? lol.

Seriously, I could not be happier. My spiritual life has gotten a much life boost. I honestly feel like a different person and have been much happier. The Lenten week of depression only lasted the entirety of Holy Week before disappearing. I've already planned on spending more time in adoration with this book by St. Alphonsus Liguori this week. I look forward to discerning whether this is something God is calling me to do over the next year.

We have a (tentative) publication date for the third novel: May 14, 2018. That's 4 years (what?!) and 2 weeks after the publication of the first novel. It is the first non-Will and Lina book and something that was re-written over the past couple of months. It started out as one thing and with one idea and it morphed into something else. Not only that, a sequel will have to be written to finish the story. I tried to avoid it but I couldn't; these characters have a mind of their own.

As with my other novels, I decided to take the self-publishing route. Why? Because, really, it's the best options for these types of books. The YA/NA market is hard to break into, especially with books with my specific intent to write books that aren't smutty or insulting as the ones that dominate the current market. No, self-publishing is the right path for these books... for now. The autobiography I'm ghostwriting will (hopefully) be going to an actual publisher and is headed down a more traditional route.

If you're new to these parts, my novels tend to be YA/NA (young adult/new adult) aimed at young women between the ages of 17 to 26. I've had guys read my previous two novels (When Two Worlds Collide and London Calling) and I haven't heard too many complaints but, yeah, it's not aimed for y'all. I just have to put that warning out there. ;)

Alright, that's it. I've had an uber long day and I'm "functioning" on less than 5 hours of sleep which tends to make me a little silly and giddy. You guys are better off not seeing that side of me. lol.

I hope y'all are having a great week thus far!

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

Free Copy of My First Novel?! Yep!

Photo credit: Danica Clark Photography.

Happy Pentecost, everyone!!

Just a quick blog post to let y'all know that the Kindle version of my first novel -- Will and Lina: When Two Worlds Collide -- will be a free book deal on Amazon on June 5-7. The Kindle version of the sequel, Will and Lina: London Calling, will be on sale for 99 cents June 7-10. I've been told that the books are quick reads so if you're looking to kickstart your summer reading, feel free to try them out.

Special author's note: I wrote the first novel in the early days of my reversion and the sequel years later... and I think you can tell. I grew up along with the characters in the novel so both of these novels have a special place in my heart. And if you're wondering, London Calling is my favorite of the two (for personal reasons).

If you've already read the novels and enjoyed them, thank you! If you read them and didn't like them... I'm really sorry! lol. If you end up reading them and have questions, please check out the following blog posts in which I answered FAQs or gave you some background info (and playlists!) of things mentioned in the novels.

• Readers Want to Know: Will and Lina Q&A: Find out if Will is based on a real person (the most commonly asked question), if Lina is based on me (the second most commonly asked question), and other questions asked by readers.
• Questions about the Will and Lina Series: Find out which characters are based on real people and which aren't.
• Novel Playlists and Sequel News: Listen to the playlists I listened to when I wanted to get into a "character's headspace." edit: language/content warning (if you're sensitive to it) on some of the songs on the first Will playlist and Candace's playlist. You'll understand once you get to know the characters. 
• "This is..." Novel Playlist: Spoiler alert, this playlist is mentioned in the first novel, WTWC.

Since my birthday was on Tuesday, I decided to give myself a writing break -- from the blogging world, from the third novel (which I'm seriously loving right now -- is that weird? That I'm loving what I'm writing?), and most everything else. I hope to return to the blogging and novel-writing world at some point this upcoming week. :)

I hope you are all having a lovely end of the weekend!

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

Will and Lina Novels on Sale; Proceeds Being Donated

Copyright: Danica Clark Photography

Just a quick post to let y'all (not on social media) know that the Will and Lina novels are either already on sale (When Two Worlds Collide) and will be going on sale tomorrow (London Calling). I do this for the publication anniversary for both novels. London Calling will be celebrating 2 years of publication on Thursday. As per every May and December, I will be donating the proceeds. I had it in my heart to donate the royalties from this sale to the Monks of Norcia and their earthquake relief fund. Only the Kindle versions of the novels will be going on sale for 99 cents each but I will also donate anything earned from the paperback version (not on sale) as well. The sales go for a week each; Amazon has a "countdown deal" on the novel's individual pages so you know how much longer the sale will be going on for.

Will and Lina: When Two Worlds Collide (1st novel)
- Kindle: https://smile.amazon.com/Will-Lina-When-Worlds-Collide-ebook/dp/B00K2RBYJ2/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1482275622&sr=8-2
- Paperback: https://smile.amazon.com/Will-Lina-When-Worlds-Collide/dp/1505373727/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1482275622&sr=8-2&keywords=Will+and+Lina

Will and Lina: London Calling (2nd novel; on sale tomorrow morning)

- Kindle: https://smile.amazon.com/Will-Lina-Calling-Melissa-Cecilia-ebook/dp/B00RC56PAK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1482275622&sr=8-1

- Paperback: https://smile.amazon.com/Will-Lina-Calling-Melissa-Cecilia/dp/1505487404/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482275622&sr=8-1&keywords=Will+and+Lina

I do have news about a future novel that I hope to share before the week is over. It's not part of the Will and Lina series but I do love the direction it's going in... and I love that the idea came to me while I was praying the Rosary novena a couple of weeks ago. ;)

Alright, that's it for now. I'm trying to finish Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights from John Paul II's Love and Responsibility by Edward Sri. I'm hooked but haven't found the time to read it in large chunks of time so... gotta make that time. ;)

I hope everyone is having a lovely start of the week. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

Novels on Sale; Earnings Being Donated

Novel cover

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the release of my debut novel, Will and Lina: When Two Worlds Collide, so I decided to put it on sale for 99 cents. This is for the Kindle edition only; they won't let me put the physical book on sale. ALL earnings from this sale (which will end next Sunday) will be donated to Caritas Nepal for the earthquake relief.

Since my 30th birthday is coming up on the 30th of this month (exciting!) I'll be putting the sequel, Will and Lina: London Calling, on sale that week. All earnings from that sale will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. I love kids so nothing would make me happier than being able to donate to a place that will help as many children as possible. I'll post a reminder blog post once London Calling goes on sale. :)

Anyway, I'm just giving y'all the heads up. I hope y'all are enjoying your weekend thus far!

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

Why I Decided to Be a (Catholic) YA/New Adult Author

Recently I've been re-reading the books that I read as a teenager and a young adult. Yes, I'm still technically a young adult at 29 but I'm talking about my early to mid 20s. If you're following me on Goodreads, you know which books I've re-read... and have re-rated. Part of the reason why I'm re-reading the books is due to nostalgia and the other part is research. Both When Two Worlds Collide and London Calling are considered New Adult books so I'm curious to the kinds of stories other YA/New Adult authors write. The research has led me to the decision to be a "Catholic author."

Most of the books I'm re-reading were read prior my reversion... and I have to remind myself of that fact whenever I read something that makes me cringe. I made it only 28 pages into the first book in a series I used to like because I couldn't stomach the protagonist of the series. It's unlike me to not finish a book but I couldn't continue. The main character becomes mortified over the fact that she wasn't aware that she was being sexually harassed by her best friend's older brother... but she's upset over the "clueless" moment rather than the act itself. She also comments that she wishes that her crush would actually sexually harass her. A few pages later she expresses disappointment that the only guy to ever "feel her up" was a blind man and not someone else worthy of the act. *headdesk* Please. Stop.

A big reason why I decided to become a (Catholic) YA author is because I've heard friends lament over the fact that they can't find contemporary YA novels that aren't saturated with questionable content that goes against Church teachings... or outright drags them through the mud. I've had friends who have teenage daughters express disappointment over the content that it out there for their daughters. I had these comments in mind when I edited the first Will and Lina novel and wrote the second one. Spoiler alert: I infused Faith into the books for obvious reasons... though I tried to do it in a way that wasn't preachy.

When I started writing, I didn't set out to be a "Catholic author." I just wanted to write books... even if no one but my friends read them. As my novels progressed, I knew that no one could deny that I was a Catholic writer. Catholicism is infused into the stories, even if it's not immediately obvious. I'm nowhere near the likes of Catholic authors like G.K. Chesterton, Evelyn Waugh, J.R.R. Tolkien, Flannery O'Connor, Dean Koontz, or even Regina Doman (who has written great YA novels). However, I've made the decision to be the kind of author that young women (and, really, anyone) could read without having to worry about content that would go against Church teachings. Sure, some characters do some really shady things (for those who've read the first novel, one word: Candace) but even through the bad times, there's a light present.

I know the fact that I've chosen to be identified as a Catholic YA author means I've already alienated many readers, but I'm okay with it. I'd rather lose readers who would rather not "deal" with Catholicism in their novels than risk leading others down the wrong path (a path away from God) for the sake of making money or becoming popular. If it goes against Church teachings it's either not going into the novels or will be dealt with according to our beliefs. If I would never say it to my nieces, nephews, or my godson, it won't make it into the novels. There's already too much garbage around and I refuse to contribute to it.

For those of you who are worried that the novels will be preachy, I can tell you that I hope to never do that. Like I said, Catholicism is infused into the novels but sometimes the themes are not glaringly obvious. Sometimes the theme is on mercy and redemption. Sometimes a character is Catholic and they attend Mass in the story before they do something else. See? Nothing too "believe this, you heathen!" about it. lol. I'm not going to shove my beliefs down people's throats but I'm not going to shy away from the fact that I believe certain things. Seriously, just ask anyone who's read one or both of my novels.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this. Originally I was going to write about all the cringe-worthy things I'd read in YA novels but 1) it wouldn't have been very charitable of me and 2) I'd really rather use my money to pay for grad school than to pay off lawsuits from miffed authors. lol. ;)

I hope y'all had a great weekend and have a stellar week. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

Readers Want to Know: Will & Lina Q&A

Hello, my darlings. I'd like to thank those who asked questions regarding the Will and Lina series. I had a lot of fun replying to them and it was fun to see which question was asked the most... mainly by women. I bet you can guess which one it is. ;)

Now, without further ado, the questions... and answers.

Question:
1) I loved Will! Is he based on anyone? Does he exist?!
- I'm sorry to burst bubbles but Will is not based on anyone. You'd be surprised at how often I got this question. lol. My closest friends had a good time trying to figure out who Will was based on during the writing process but no one came close because he doesn't actually exist in real life… or at least I don't know a real life Will. I wish I did but I don't. No, don't cry for me, Argentina… I'll be fine. ;)

2) Lina is based on you, right? She sounds like you!
- Yes and no. Some of Lina's experiences and personality traits were my own because, as a writer, it's easier to write what you know but Lina became her own person during the writing process. I've had friends read both novels and they go “oh, that's so you!” (example: Lina's response to Will's slip up in chapter 12 of When Two Worlds Collide) but there are some obvious differences as well. I'm definitely a lot goofier than Lina. A lot… like, an embarrassing amount. I will dance and sing in the aisles of grocery stores without realizing it until it's too late; Lina would never do that.

3) Were *chapters 4 and 5* (in London Calling) based on your real life experience with your *family member*?
- Yes. I definitely drew from real life experiences to write those chapters. I think they were the most autobiographical chapters in the series. Of course, some things were changed so it's not exactly what I went through but it's very close to what I experienced. They were, surprisingly, not the hardest chapters I had to write though.

4) How long did it take you to write the series?
I started When Two World Collide in 2008 and I finished writing it around early 2013. I worked on it on and off for years because I was in school during the first 4 years of it. I used to put it on hold for months (during the school year). I started London Calling on November 1st, 2013 and finished the rough draft about 27 days later. I fleshed it out and edited it during November 2014, after I quit the SLP program. I pulled all-nighters for that one. :)

5) What inspired you to write the books? Did you draw from your real-life experiences?
- Back when I was 23 (seems like ages ago for me), I was only two years into my reversion but I wanted to write something for young women that wasn't smutty so I thought about writing a novel. The original version of the Will and Lina story was only one novel long and it ended completely different than the series did. Actually, both characters were quite different as well; Will was a huge jerkface and Lina was a lot more reserved and cautious. But as I got older and my faith evolved, so did the characters and the plot. I did draw from real life experiences (those closest to me will know which ones) but a good portion of the plot for both novels were random ideas that popped into my mind that made sense for the story. Except for maybe 4-5 chapters (out of 37), London Calling was entirely made-up by my imagination.

6) Are there any fun facts you can share with us about either of the novels?
- Sure!
For When Two Worlds Collide: Professor Normandy is based on my former English Literature professor, Professor Maria Bates. I arrived at her name this way: Bates --> Norman Bates --> Normandy. I decided to write a character based on her because Prof. Bates was very encouraging of me applying to transfer to Oxford University (yes, THE Oxford) to study English Language and Literature.

For London Calling: Aunt Lizzy is not based on a real person but she is loosely based on Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice and Mrs. Jennings from Sense and Sensibility. That was my nod to Jane Austen.

7) This isn't series related but are you working on something else right now?
- Yep! I'm working on my first non-Will and Lina related novel right now. I have a couple of sentences written out but I'm mostly brainstorming how I'm going to tackle it at the moment. I can't say much about it except that I may just write it for fun and not publish it. I'm unsure at the moment. We'll see how it's received by friends. ;)

And that's it. Other questions that were asked but not shared on here have been answered privately because of the spoilers. The only spoiler-y question I posted was number 3 because it was asked by a couple of people. I tried to make it as "un-spoiler-y" (oh, hush; I know it's not a word) as possible for the blog post.

Again, thank you to those of you who asked questions. :D If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I may not post them on here but I will answer them privately for you. :D

That's it for now. I should go try to drink tea and get some rest. While I was working on this blog post, I started feeling a little sick and I think it's related to what I was eating for lunch. Blah. I'll be fine. :)

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

2014: The Year This Nerd Became Brave

As I was looking back at this past year, I noticed that I did a lot of things (I packed more in a single year than I had in the past 6 years combined) because I made an unofficial resolution to be brave. If you know me, you know that the words "brave" and "Emmy" were rarely used in a single sentence... until this year. There is a lot I can cover but here at the major highlights:

1) I had two novels published in the span of 7 months.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you guys about this since the print versions (as well as the novel sequel in eBook) version were just released a week ago but my biggest professional highlight was finally getting my novels published. I had worked on Will and Lina: When Two Worlds Collide since 2008 (the original draft is nowhere near what it ended up being; one day I'll reveal how the story was original supposed to end) and I wrote the entire first draft of Will and Lina: London Calling last November. This year I edited them (with help from Kiera), worked on the covers, and I made my dreams come true by publishing years worth of hard work. The fact that I had the guts to say "Okay, I want to do this so I'm going to do it" and of not letting my nervousness get the best of me was a huge deal. I've always loved writing (obviously; I've been blogging for 7 years now!) but it wasn't until this year that I really worked hard at letting my "babies" out into the world. Even though I did stress myself out a little with deadlines and formatting issues, finally seeing my novels published was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done... and it's something that I know I will continue to do in the future.

2) I learned that sometimes the best thing is to do is let go so you can move forward.
Some of my biggest triumphs of the year in the "bravery" category had me walking away from things that I did not want to let go of. I walked away from a career path that I was loving but had to let go of because the school environment was making me physically ill. I let go of the fear of financial instability by admitting that I was at my happiest pursuing Theology and Religious Studies degrees and I would much rather do that than Speech-Language Pathology (though, mark my words, I will finish that someday.) I know jobs for Theology M.A.s are hard to come by but I'm not worried. This is what I want to do with my life -- what I feel called to do now that I've stopped trying to control the outcome. I let go of my fear of illness, which I developed when my father was first diagnosed with cancer several years ago. Yes, my platelets and iron are still on the low side and, no, I don't know when/if I'll get better... but I'm not worried about it. I know God will take care of me and, if this is just a cross I have to carry, then I will do it to the best of my abilities. I've found myself so much happier just letting go, moving forward, and not looking back. Oh, and please don't start singing that song from Frozen; I can't stand it.

3) My anxiety became manageable for the first time since I was first diagnosed with anxiety/panic disorder at 15.
I owe a big "thank you" to my therapist (whom I saw from March through the first week of August) because she helped me immensely. After that horrible incident in February, I was in full-on PTSD mode. In cognitive-behavioral therapy I not only learned that I had PTSD, I also learned how to deal with it. Since then I've still had some anxiety come and go (which is normal; that won't disappear altogether overnight), but it's no longer an issue when it comes to making plans. I've gone out so much this year (mainly to Disneyland with friends; it's kind of our thing) and my social life is so much better than it has been in years because I finally said "well, flip that table, anxiety. You're not the boss of me!" I can take public transportation (by myself... a huge feat I hadn't done since 2005.) I can drive long distances. I can do so many things because I refuse to let anxiety run my life... and it's been wonderful.

4) My biggest act of bravery was being honest with myself across the board.
It took a lot for me to sit down and, basically, be honest with myself. There were so many things that I had been in denial of for a number of reasons. It took a lot of courage for me to admit that school was causing me more harm than good because I had invested so much into it. To leave the SLP program (as well as stick up for myself against unfair professors) without even finishing the semester was uncharacteristic of me. I felt like a failure for a while... but then I realized that I wasn't. I tried and it didn't work out because it wasn't meant to be. I gave it my all and I pushed myself as much as I could and I'm proud of myself for that. To be able to say "okay, I tried this and it didn't work" and "okay, I need to make these changes to better my life" and then actually implement the changes was what made my year incredibly satisfying.

I look back at 2014 and I go "man, I went through a lot" because I did. I went through health issues, finance instability, career/academic disappointments, and a number of other things that were major turning points in my life. I see all the tears, pain, heartbreak, and disappointment that I felt... but none of it compares to the warmth, love, laughter, happiness, and achievement that I've also felt. Yes, the year stunk like a poopy diaper but I'm genuinely happy. I'm happier than I've been in a long time and I feel much freer than I have since before my dad died 5 years ago. I'm incredibly excited at all the brand new opportunities that I have in life all because I decided to be brave. I didn't run away and hide; I stood up and said "I'm sorry but I'm not going to let you define me." To quote the gif (from the web series Emma Approved): Holy Oprah, what just happened?! Who is this girl and how can I get her to stay? ;)

Anyway, I won't make traditional New Years resolutions because I don't want to limit my growth as a person. There is still a lot left to do but it'll all happen in God's time. In the meantime I'll just try to keep building on the courage I've gained this year and I hope that it will also translate in my faith which, sadly, took a back seat to school and work for the majority of the year.

Thank you all for sharing this year with me. You've helped enrich my year way more than y'all will know. I hope y'all stick around for the (undoubtedly) amazing adventures that 2015 has in store for all of us. Verso l'alto! :D

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

Novel Sequel (London Calling) is Now Available!

This is going to be a quick post because I have a lot of things to do in a short amount of time. Long story short: mom has shingles and I had to take her to urgent care -- and then drive her back when her supervisor was being difficult about her return to work -- so my afternoon/evening has been spent doing that and I still have other things to take care of. Anyway...

The novel sequel is now out! WHOOO! So excited! Yes, Will and Lina: London Calling is available in both print AND Kindle editions as of today. I would've posted this earlier except... well... you know. Anyway, here are the links to a couple of places where you can find them.

Print
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/5165372 (it'll go live tomorrow)
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Will-Lina-Calling-Melissa-Cecilia/dp/1505487404/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1 (they were temporarily out of stock but they have copies once more)

eBook
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Will-Lina-Calling-Melissa-Cecilia-ebook/dp/B00RC56PAK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419290102&sr=1-1

If you're getting the Kindle version, please note that, yes, the table of contents looks wonky because they (CreateSpace) forgot to take it out when they sent the file to Kindle. There shouldn't be any table of contents on Kindle editions (for obvious reasons). I've been told by those who have their copies that that is the only issue (which I will be taking care of tonight). Everything else is formatted correctly so don't worry about it. Just skip it and go onto the story. ;) If something looks off, let me know and I'll fix it asap; that's the beauty of Kindle, I can fix it and you'll get the corrected version automatically updated to your Kindle app/device.

And that's it for now. I'll hopefully blog again tomorrow. We'll see. ;)

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

Novel Sequel: Good News and Bad News...

I'll start with the bad news first because it's good to get it out of the way.

Bad news: the novel sequel is NOT available today because of formatting issues. Siiiiiigh. I'm bummed because I was so looking forward to today but, unfortunately, these things happen. I tried my best to have everything in order on time but some of the issues were out of my control. I literally did not have anything to do with one of the issues (which involved a novel cover); it was all on the people who are helping me get the books published. I've been told that I'm not the first author to have encountered a publication date delay so that makes me feel slightly better.

Good news: New release date is only delayed until Monday, December 22nd. Hooray! Everything should be fixed and ready for a Monday release date. I am going to go bananas on their butts if any more formatting issues come up. I'm actually going to work all weekend (save for a couple of hours on Sunday; gotta keep some of the time reserved for the Lord) to make sure these issues don't happen again. Yes, I get a semi-quick confirmation (usually 15 hours or so) when things are ready to be published so... I'll let y'all know.

And that's it for now. I'm going to go back and do some more work. A self-published author's work is never done. ;)

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D

Will and Lina Giveaway Winners AND News

First let me just say a big "thank you" to those of you who took time out of your busy schedules to post a little something about the first novel on various websites. I was not expecting y'all to be as kind as you were in your reviews... especially you men. Y'all were not my target audience but it seems you fellas didn't hate it, so thank you. lol. That's as "brag"-y as I get, folks. You can find reviews in various places; I'm not linking them. ;) lol.

The contest closed at midnight and we have the two winners. Y'all know the expression "the early bird gets the worm"? Well, two regular blog readers (aka those who submitted their reviews in early) ended up the winners! Congrats Stephanie Z. and Stephen C.! I've already gotten touch with y'all so now we shall just wait for Amazon to release the sequel so I can send it your way. ;) For those of you who didn't win, don't worry; I'm sure I'll hold another giveaway before you know it. ;)

I have a lot to do today so I'll keep the news short and sweet: Will and Lina: When Two Worlds Collide is officially available in print! Excited panda dance time. As of now, it's only available through CreateSpace AND Amazon since they are the ones printing the physical copies of it. I was told that you will be able to get copies elsewhere in the next 3-5 days. I will link those when I get them.

As for tomorrow's release of the sequel (London Calling), yes, it's still on but I don't know the time it'll be released because it varies every time. Amazon has to upload the file, send me the notification, etc. As soon as I get word, I will make another blog post and share the link. There is a chance that it won't go "live" (aka ready to purchase) until Saturday morning (even though I'm submitting it tomorrow). Hopefully I'll get word early tomorrow. We'll see... wish me luck 'cause I had some major issues with the first one being properly formatted. :)

And that's it for now. I have a million (yes, of course that's an exaggeration) little things I need to do before I can get some sleep.

As always, thanks for reading and God bless! :D