A new month, a new year, a new decade. Many exciting adventures lie ahead and I have huge hopes for this year on many fronts. Of course one of them is centered on securing an agent and bringing Eliza’s story a few more steps closer to publication. As 2019 wrapped up, I sat and listened to the entire novel through the Text to Speech function on Word. This helped me identify typos, punctuation errors and run-on sentences. The voice was a bit robotic, but it served its purpose for now and I was able to test out my new wireless headphones Santa Jim put under the tree.

Eliza is now in the hands of a critique partner for a deep dive into review for ways to craft an even more compelling story and characters.  So now what do I do while I sit on my hands and wait? Nibble my fingernails – yes, they’re looking ragged. Scroll through endless social media posts – yes, looks like friends all had wonderful, perfect holidays. Pack up the Christmas decorations – yes, all the storage boxes are back in the basement.

Next?

Give some thought to a potential second novel. Sounds crazy, but from what I’ve researched, agents will want to know you have more than one book in you. They are more willing to take a chance on you if they know you can produce. This weekend I tossed around a few ideas in my head. I’ve got a character and situation in mind which would be another historical fiction. I think the premise would be interesting to explore through a sequence of events to tie characters together through two stories/two time periods which fit together into one. More work to be done with the idea and an initial outline is in order, but I think it could be compelling.

One place to start my research will be to read comparable books with a dual timeline approach. Last night I posted through some “reading” Facebook groups for favorite historical fiction dual timeline titles. Wow – what a response.

In less than 24 hours, 116 people suggested 73 different titles! Some of them are I believe time-travel more than my intent of looking for a true dual timelines, but all sound interesting. I guess I’ve got my work count out for me starting with the most often recommended titles:

1.  Outlander by Diane Gabaldon. Book One is on special on Kindle right now for $5.99. I’ve already read the first one in the eight-part series and can always catch up with the story on Netflix. Plus, I tend to think Outlander is more time-travel vs. dual timeline.
2. A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner, or almost any title by Susan, including a couple of mentions for her latest, Last Year of the War. I read Marigolds last spring and loved it. I had it mind when I began to think of a dual timeline and how a single object can serve as a connection between two stories. Highly recommend.
3. 11/22/63 by Stephen King. I had never heard of this one before and after reading the description and endorsement from five different people, I’m intrigued to find out how King worked a time-travel/dual timeline from sleepy Maine to the eventful day in Dallas.*
4. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Also time-travel and something in my head makes me think I started to read this one years ago. Will have to give it another shot, plus it’s a romance. Sounds like a beach-side read.*
5. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. This one sounds great! Post WWII to escape from the over-done pile of WWII novels combined with WWI Europe which is getting a resurgence now with the movie, 1917, out in theatres.
6. The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. Checking in at close to 600-pages, there is a reason I abandoned this book. I tried to push to 100 pages and found the movement too slow and the stories too involved to follow in a coherent manner.
7. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. Hmm. Time-travel, set in Scotland, strong female main character. Written ten years after the first Outlander, sounds too similar to me, but many folks suggested it, so I may have to look at it closer.
8. Timeline by Michael Crichton. Also sounds more like time-travel, but a Crichton novel is always a thriller, so worth a fuller review.
9. Blackout and All Clear, two novels by Connie Willis. A two-part series around historians in 2060 who travel back to 1940 WWII events.
10. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen. A German re-telling of Sleeping Beauty during WWII – yes, another WWII novel. May skip this one.

Anyone read any of the above? What might your recommendations be for me to read and learn how to craft this new idea?

*Bonus – these were questions tonight on the Jeopardy Champion of Tournaments and I could answer!

I invite you to follow my blog for those in-depth reviews and to follow my journey toward writing my first historical fiction.  More information in my Novel Synopsis. You can sign up from this page with the pop-up, or send me a note through the CONTACT page and I can email you an invitation to follow. I’m on social media, too:

• On Facebook @ Janis Robinson Daly – Author — Follow me on Facebook where I also post info on the Amazon Deals I find on books I recommend
• On Instagram @janisrdaly_writer
• On Twitter @janisrdaly_writer

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Are you an avid Kindle reader? You may want to check into a Kindle Unlimited membership – totally worth it! Click HERE for more info and a free month trial.