I'm an AUTHOR

and people are reading my book...oh my!

REACH is OUT

November 1st will always be a day I remember. It’s not a day that will be remembered by many, but it is the day that I became a published author! Writing a YA dystopian scifi and releasing it days before a divisive election might not have been the best timing from a marketing standpoint, but that’s ok. It was TIME for this book to fly into the world and find its’ readers.

So far, REACH has made some sales and received a ton of social media love and support on release day. Any additional love and support of REACH is so appreciated, because marketing is tough, and I truly believe the best marketing is word of mouth. So, if you read REACH and loved it, please tell a friend :)

Book 2 Alert

REACH book 2 is tentatively called RISING (like “rising star”, and how REACH is a play on “reach for the stars”). I wanted every title to be based on the cliche star phrases that we love but are absolutely also cliches.

I have finished my first draft of book 2 and booked edits. I’m hoping to move fast and release book 2 in late April or early May 2025. I won’t begin drafting book 3 until after doing some big picture edits to book 2, but the plan is to release book 3 in November of 2025 and have my FIRST completed series as an author in ONE year!

I can totally do it, right?

RomComs

Romantic comedies are a favorite genre of mine, and while I love the high stakes of a dystopian world, sometimes we need a little lighthearted fluffiness. (They are also really fun to write.)

I have big plans for TWO romcom series. These series won’t be complete in 2025, but because writing them goes faster, I’m hoping for a June release for my first ever ROMCOM.

The title is a work in progress, but I will give you a hint. S_ _ _ _ _ _ _ H _ _ _ _

There may or may not be another one coming in 2025, but for now, enjoy untangling that word puzzle. (Please send me guesses!) There’s a hint in this newsletter, and you can find it below.

The other thing- I got to beta read a friend’s romantic comedy, and if you love sweet romance with Christian themes and the amnesia trope you need to check out Madelyn Smith’s first book Winning My Queen, in order to prepare for the book I beta read: Loving Our Collision.

Viral Reel

It turns out that the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a viral topic.

I happen to love shipwrecks and find this one particularly fascinating. This was the first time I’ve ever gone ‘viral’- and it IS related to my upcoming romcom. However, the virality of this has me planning ahead for next year. Why not combine all the things I love… diaries, historical fiction, shipwrecks, lighthouses…

Ok, say no more. But be on the lookout for something unexpected around this time next year.

oliviamccarthyauthor

A post shared by @oliviamccarthyauthor

You should be able to see the reel by clicking the image above. The pictures are my own and were taken at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point this summer.

What I’m Reading

Currently, I’m reading Jessica Flory’s book Ocean’s of Sand

And also Rebecca Lemke’s Gene Shifters series, starting with Blood of Beasts

Character Worksheet

As promised, here’s a free writing resource for you to use. (Did I make this because I can never remember what my characters look like…yes, but don’t tell anyone!)

Feel free to print and fill out for each of your characters! Villain, hero, comedic relief, and more all can be used to intentionally drive the plot and heighten the emotionality in your writing. If you didn’t know, I LOVE character studies.

Thanks for being here!

Joyfully,

Olivia