Introducing, Finding Madeline

I am happy to announce that Finding Madeline, my first independently written novel, will be released this summer! Before I go into detail about the fun stuff that will be leading up to the release, I need to tell you a little bit about how the book came to be.

If I’m being completely transparent, this is a book I never thought I would write. It’s a story I never thought I would tell publicly because I felt it wasn’t one worthy of being told. At least, that’s what I thought until my friend, and writing mentor, Crystal Crawford, told me otherwise.

We were talking at Crystal’s kitchen table one Sunday afternoon after worship like we usually do, and on this particular day, we were talking about our experiences in middle school. I was telling her one story in particular when she said, “Your experience would make a great middle-grade novel.” I laughed. I expected her to start laughing too, but she just said, “I’m serious.” Never in a million years did I think any of my middle school experience would influence my writing. Like I’ve already said, I didn’t think it was a story worth being told. I thought my middle school experience was just like a lot of other peoples’. There was drama, there were bullies, there were all the typical awkward in-between things that everyone associates with middle school. That’s when I realized what Crystal was talking about. I write because I want my stories to help people in the same way that other peoples’ stories have helped me. This story had the potential to do just that.

I wouldn’t write a memoir, not by any means. What I could do was pull from my experience and what I felt when I was in middle school to create a book that other kids, who are currently in the same position I was in, could read and know that they aren’t alone.

A lot of love went into the writing of this book. I can promise you that. It’s different from anything else I’ve ever written but I couldn’t be happier with it and I can’t wait to share it with all of you.

Now, for all the fun stuff.

To tide you over until the book release, I will be revealing the cover here, and on all of my social media platforms, very soon. I will also be releasing snippets from the book and on social media leading up to the late summer launch. As for what is available right now, the blurb is already up on the books page and the Finding Madeline inspired playlist has already been posted on the bonus content page. There is also a quiz on the quizzes page where you can find out which Finding Madeline character you are.

I can’t wait to share more with you as we get closer to release day and share the excitement with you. Thank you for coming along on this ride with me.

Happy Reading,

Emily Fertic