My First Progress Report? Really?

It occurred to me the other day that this is a “Journey” blog, yet I never post To Do Lists or Progress Reports or What I’m Up To When I’m Not Eating Cupcakes posts. It’s been almost a year since I started this site and you guys don’t know how far I’ve come in that time. I say, “For shame!”

So here’s what I’ve been up to lately when I’m not eating cupcakes:

• When I started this blog I had a handful of chapters written years ago and a few small journal pages of convoluted notes that hinted toward a general story idea. I had no title. I had no ending. I had no idea whether I wanted to traditionally- or self-publish. Frankly, I had no idea what I was doing.
• NOW, I am a handful of chapters away from being finished with my first novel. I have a title, Blood in the Paint, which I fully intend to self-publish. I have an ending (a doozy of an ending, if you ask me). I still don’t know what I’m doing though. Well, I’ve done a lot of exhaustive research on what to do, I just haven’t done it yet. But I will.
• I used to want to write a prologue. Then I found out that apparently prologues are the antichrist. No big deal. I drafted a prequel novella instead. Completed it a couple of months ago, just need to type it up (I wrote it in a notebook while hiding at work from the stupid bookstore people). That has a title, too: Blood in the Past. I also scheduled a February editing date with Red Adept Publishing’s editorial service.
• I started my own self-publishing press company, Blood Read Press (pronounced “red”), under which I’ll be publishing my novels. I’ve heard that reviewers and bookstores take you more seriously when your publisher isn’t “CreateSpace.” Go figure.
• I said novels, plural, because it’s a series now! And I already have ideas for the remaining installments.
• I have book covers already in the works! The magnificent Kit Foster is working on them and the first drafts look amazing. See that header up there? He did that!
• My prequel is slated for released in March 2013, with the novel to follow that Summer. Visit the My Books page to learn more about them. And leave your email here to be informed of their exact release dates and any related giveaways. I promise not to spam you. I swear on a sacred stack of cupcakes.

So that’s my deal. What’s yours?