Hey!
I’m Erin.
And I’m so excited to be starting this with all of you!
JACKAL, my debut novel comes out on 10.4.22. That’s a little under four months away! So, think of this as my countdown to release day. First order of business, please allow me to introduce myself:
My name is Erin E. Adams and I’m a novelist. Reader, those are words I couldn’t type this time two years ago.
In the summer of 2020, like most of us, my life was in flux (to say the least). After a decade of being a professional actor, the industry had come to a standstill. My day job had furloughed me. My anxiety was in overdrive. I didn’t know what the next day would bring. But I knew I had time. Lots of it. And I finally had an idea of what to do with it.
I started writing because I loved storytelling. I stopped writing because I was afraid.
In my early twenties, writing was way too much responsibility. I’d survived my playwriting thesis and, post-graduation, I was supposed to be embarking on my next big project. Despite many valiant attempts, I stalled. I did this because deep down I knew that it was entirely up to me if something got written and finished. That was terrifying. I chose to pursue acting instead. Also risky, I know, but there is something about the collaborative nature of theatre that makes even lofty dreams seem achievable. So, I acted. For years. I got really good at it.
I started writing again because I got sick of hearing “no”. As an actor, I ate rejection for breakfast. “You need more credits. You have too many credits. We’re going in a different direction. Not this time.” No matter the amount of daily intake, it doesn’t make rejection any less bitter. To relieve the sting, I said “yes” to myself. The act of making a story exist in the world was what I needed. I was providing the affirmation and that was enough.
JACKAL showed up nightmare-first. I knew I had a story to tell about something in the woods. It was up to me to figure out what it was. There was something in the trees, sitting just out of sight, waiting for me to finally turn and look at it. Lucky for me, this was an idea that wasn’t easily ignored. Pieces of the book kept showing up, demanding to be written in notebooks, on napkins, in voice memos, and in fragmented word documents. I’d go for walks and snatches of prose would keep pace with me. All the while, two competing narrators vied for my attention. Both told me the same story from dramatically different perspectives. The book forming in my head was ambitious. It would demand every skill I had and more. I had no idea where to start, but one thing was clear.
This story wasn’t going away until I finished it...
Best,
E
NEXT UP: A Spoiler-free Sneak Peak of JACKAL…
June Giveaways
Goodreads Giveaway for an ARC of JACKAL: Closes 6.30.22
Fall Debut Giveaway: Win Six Debut Books! (open internationally) Closes 6.15.22
How Can You Support Before Publication Day?
Request JACKAL at your local library!
What I’m Reading this Month
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin