I want to love you like my new favorite book.
I want to run my fingers along your spine and admire your beautiful cover art.
I want to spread your pages open and devour you line by line. I want my fingers stained with your ink, a lingering scent and taste that I adore.
And when you’re open and vulnerable, I want to handle you with care. I want to learn every word written across your pristine paper, know and admire every typo, every misprint, and love you more for these things others call flaws.
You are my favorite story to get lost deep inside of because you make me feel something.
Many things, really.
And I’ll read you, my fingers smudging your pages over and over again, until the first light of morning brings ecstasy, and I’m released from your magic spell.
– J.A. Steckling
Since the first draft of my first novella is now complete, I’m doing a palate cleanser by working on a new novella.
This is ritual for me when I finish a story. I take a break, usually 2-4 weeks, where I try not to think about it at all prior to going back for the second version.
The first novella’s details can be found here.
The new novella is meant to be the first in a series.
I’ve also had a lot of epiphanies about how to fix stories that stalled out years ago, including my extreme horror collection that was lacking some necessary cohesion to bring the story to life better despite the changing perspectives.
My first horror poetry collection is done and will be released very soon. I’ve got to create the cover art and decide on my publishing method.
That’s all I’ve got this month!
J.A. Steckling 