Here’s my final panel schedule for Balticon later this month at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore:
1:00 PM
Autographs with Jack Campbell and Andrew McDowell
2:30 PM
The Importance of Book Design
5:30 PM
Best Resources on Writing
11:30 AM
Recognizing Predatory Publishing Practices
1:00 PM
Dealing with Literary Rejection
Hope to see you there! And if you are reading this and are a mother, I wish you a Happy Mother’s Day.
A lot has been happening over the last few months. First off, this week I gave a presentation on word and page count for the Maryland Writers’ Association Frederick County chapter. I meant to record it for my YouTube channel. Sadly, I did not. Oh well. Maybe I’ll do that next time I give it.
For those of you who’ve followed me for a while, you may remember me discussing this topic before. For those of you who haven’t, here’s that post:
Kindle and Nook preorder links are now available for Beneath the Deep Wave! The latter is also on Goodreads!
Sally Cronin featured another of my blog posts from last year in her Posts from Your Archives series. Thanks, Sally!
A new poetry anthology is available featuring six of my poems, courtesy of poets Robbie Cheadle and Kaye Lynne Booth, who not only featured me but also allowed me to discuss my experiences with poetry as part of their Treasuring Poetry blog series a year ago. Many thanks to them, and also to Merril D. Smith for featuring a video of me reading one of my poems, which I’d written in college, as part of the anthology’s blog tour.
Check out my Poetry page for purchase links!
That’s right! It’s coming out in August. Here is the cover:
Beneath the Deep Wave is available for preorder from some vendors as an eBook, but not yet in Kindle, Nook, or print. More sales links will be posted when available. In the meantime, here’s a synopsis, and be sure to read and review Mystical Greenwood before Beneath the Deep Wave comes out. That way you’ll be caught up and won’t have to deal with spoilers!
And would you believe it, this is my 100th blog post! That’s a milestone. Many thanks to Sally Cronin, also, for sharing one of my previous posts in her Posts from Your Archives series. It’s been a good start, I think, to the year. I’ve taken further steps to balance the scales beyond social media. For this year’s Lent, I’ve given up watching videos on the computer, so my only YouTube usage has been on the TV. I’ve also been trying to limit my email logins to three per day.
I hope to see you next month at my presentation on word and page counts. See my events page for more details! I’m also hoping to be on panels at this year’s Balticon. I’ll post more details when I have them.
Here are the latest additions to my collection of inscribed books.
I purchased Marissa D’Angelo‘s novel The Cursed Spirit and Captain Michael J. Dodd’s Chesapeake Bay Odyssey at the 2022 Maryland Writer’s Conference.
I got a copy of Who Can Best Work and Best Agree when Charles Matulewicz visited Odenton Lodge #209 (yes, I am a Freemason).
I purchased Lewis F. McIntyre‘s A Gathering of Eagles, F. J. Talley‘s Twin Worlds, and Millie Mack‘s Take a Dive for Murder at the 2023 Maryland Writers’ Conference.
Check out the others:
If you’re a poetry lover and are looking to read some holiday-themed poetry either now or later in the year, check out this anthology from Southern Arizona Press featuring mine!
You can also mark it to read on Goodreads!
Many thanks to Zee Kelley for promoting Mystical Greenwood.
Happy Presidents’ Day to all my fellow Americans!
Many thanks to Lisa Haselton for interviewing me on her blog:
Interview with YA author Andrew McDowell
If you’re an author looking to do an online interview and promote one of your books, be sure to check out Lisa’s site!
As I revealed last month, the sequel to Mystical Greenwood is going to be published in August 2024. The title has now been unveiled. Here it is:
Stay tuned for more information!
If you missed my presentation on manuscript and book format last month at the Maryland Writers’ Association Annapolis chapter, here it is on YouTube:
It was a hybrid meeting, both in-person and online, and it was my first time recording a presentation on Zoom. Here’s the handout:
For those of you who’ve been following me for some time now, if some of this sounds at all familiar, I did a post on this subject many years ago:
With the holidays approaching, I hope you’ll consider buying either Mystical Greenwood (remember, the second One with Nature novel is being edited!) or one of the anthologies that features my work, such as the Christmas anthology I mentioned that features one of my short stories, “The Red House.”
It’s on Goodreads too! This was a short story written during my high school years that I’d thought lost, along with “Crossing the Estuary” in Fae Dreams. But I rediscovered both, thankfully, and here they are.
I’m continuing to edit the sequel to Mystical Greenwood. Remember, the holidays will be coming, and books make great gifts! Be sure to browse my publications. Happy reading!
Many thanks to Craig and Roland of The Hidden Gems Author Podcast for featuring me in their 89th episode! I discuss with them the challenges I’ve had to face as an author due to my Asperger syndrome.
You can also listen to the episode on Podbean! If you’re an author with a writing-related subject you want to discuss, be sure to check them out!
And many thanks also to Sally Cronin for featuring an excerpt from Mystical Greenwood on her blog! Maybe that’ll entice you buy it! If you’re an author looking for more promotional opportunities, be sure to check out Sally’s site!
Plus, I have more great news! A few weeks ago, after so much time, I finally completed a draft for the next book in the One with Nature series! Not only that, but Fae Corps is also aiming to publish it next August!
If you’re planning to attend the Maryland Writers’ Conference, I hope to see you there. I am also giving a presentation on manuscript and book formatting later this month. You can attend in person or via Zoom. You can promote it on Facebook too!
Greetings, everyone. This month I’ve got some recent appearances as well as some upcoming ones to share.
First, here’s a sermon I gave at Nichols-Bethel United Methodist Church in which I discuss my journey, personally and in writing, with social media, as I have mentioned gradually in past posts, as well as with physical clutter, with references to The Social Dilemma and The Minimalists. Even if you aren’t Christian or religious, I hope you’ll be inspired to consider placing more value on the people in your lives than in your physical possessions and digital presence. If you have trouble with the volume, there is closed captioning.
Be sure to check out Minimalism, and, if you have Netflix, The Social Dilemma and Less Is Now.
Also, here’s another poetry anthology from Southern Arizona Press featuring my work!
I am scheduled to appear on a new episode of the Hidden Gems Author Podcast. Stay tuned. I will be sure to share a link.
Also, I will also be giving a presentation at the Annapolis chapter of the Maryland Writers’ Association next month on manuscript formatting. You can promote it on Facebook too. You can attend either in person or via Zoom. Hope to see you there!
Yes. Even more stuff has happened since last month. First off, the online magazine Words of the Lamb has published not only my micro memoir / testimony but also three of my poems:
Many thanks to Sally Cronin for once again featuring me on her blog:
Smorgasbord Posts from Your Archives 2023 #Potluck – #Writing #Spotlight by Andrew McDowell
And to Lisa V. Proulx for a wonderful interview:
During the last week of April, I chose to take a hiatus from most of my social media sites. Despite all my efforts to cut back on how many times I logged in, I was still feeling anxious and stressed about them. I feel now that it was because it wasn’t only time I should’ve been focusing on, but my actual activities/habits on them as well.
I’ve watched a lot of TED talks lately, including on social media, and some of the speakers discussed something known as FOMO, or the fear of missing out. Some of my shares/posts/tweets online were kind of like that; they had become more of a compulsive obligation. That is something I will need to change.
So, I’m once again examining and reconsidering my social media habits and how I can make them feel more productive and positive. For the time being, I do not think I will be as active as I was before. It’s also in the back of my mind that I might eventually quit a couple of social media sites, but that hasn’t been decided yet.
A few things have been happening over the past month. To start, many thanks to author and blogger Sally Cronin for featuring a blog post I did last year in her archive series:
The holiday anthology featuring my short story isn’t out yet. However, my sonnet “Knights in Shining Armor” was featured by Southern Arizona Press in their new poetry anthology Castles and Courtyards.
I hope you’ll read and review it, along with my other published work! If you’re a poet looking to get your poems featured, be sure to check out SAP’s current submissions!
Additionally, I recently learned that a micro memoir piece that I wrote has been accepted by an online religious literary magazine, WOTL!
If you’re interested in giving a presentation at the 2023 Maryland Writers’ Conference, the Maryland Writers’ Association is accepting submissions! It’ll be in person in October, so you know.
At the beginning of this year, I made a resolution to be more positive. It hasn’t been easy, but after the Easter holiday, I was resolved to keep faith in myself and continue toward that resolution. Even after Easter, though, I have still found myself feeling low and battling self-doubt, which makes me question my previous accomplishments.
Nevertheless, I know need to keep going, and I may have to reevaluate my Internet and social media habits even further as well. I’ve tried being more productive and mindful of my time, though I’m not sure I’m satisfied yet. But at least I’m aware of this, and I know I need to once again remember to believe in myself.
Andrew McDowell