My 2022 NaNoWriMo Project

It seems that November always arrives at the least convenient moment. I’m already behind schedule on one writing project, and I can feel National Novel Writing Month thundering toward me like a herd of caffeinated horses. That’s when I hear a voice screaming: I WANNA DO SOMETHING NEW!

My old pal Reason tells me to pick one thing and stick with it. Unfortunately, Reason has already been gagged and tied to a chair and the Happy Child has taken control of my body. Therefore, for NaNo 2022:

• I’ll continue to work on my current project, Shadow of a Doubt because I have an end-of-year deadline for editing.
• I’ll also start the new project I’ve been dying to begin.

Oh, did I mention I’ve been nibbling away at a third novel too? 😂

MUAHAHAHAAAA….

Happy Child is skipping circles around Reason, who cannot free herself from that damn chair. I don’t much care if I hit the 50,000 word mark.

I just wanna have fun, so that’s what I’ll do.

Announcing my NaNoWriMo 2022 Project

Note: This is a draft and subject to change.

Mars hasn’t had a murder in 70 years. Until today.

After her parents perished in an accident, Loretta Ryder marveled as the Martian community rallied around her. In giving her a home and a purpose, and in providing her with an outstanding education, Mars fulfilled the promise that the founders had made more than a hundred years before.

Community. Justice. Scientific Exploration.

In gratitude, Loretta chose a career of public service. As a member of the Martian Diplomatic Corps, she resolves disputes and manages security concerns for her district. She may not be a skilled pilot, like her friend Kacy, or a successful politician, like her adopted father Cayden, but her talents as a mediator and weapons trainer have earned her a certain respect among her peers. Now, Loretta has set her sight on a new goal, becoming the youngest Arbitrator in Martian history.

Mars is at an inflection point. Soon, citizens will vote to extend or extinguish the century-old Martian Charter. With tensions running high, and with rabble-rousers demanding a new constitution, providing fair and impartial leadership has never been more important.

Tensions escalate further when a botanist is found dead in her laboratory. As the murder rocks the peaceful scientific community, news of a rising terrorist threat comes to light. As an arbiter, words and patience have always been Loretta’s most powerful weapons. Yet when words fail and when all promises have been irrevocably broken…

A single, desperate act will spark a revolution, one destined to change humanity’s future among the stars.