Hello! It’s been a long time since I blogged, but
I might as well get right to it...
Some quick facts: The series is currently untitled, and I
only use REMA as a work-in-progress title. The book is planned to be in color,
but I will not color it. Colorist is to be announced. The first prose novel,
for those few who read it, is being divided into two parts. I’m about halfway through the roughs and can say for the first time in a decade it truly feels Rema is in its destined
final form. As an author, it is such an amazing relief!!! Every page drawn is like
“yes! Finally!!” Is anyone really surprised Rema is ending up being a GN series,
given my history? Well, I guess I am a bit surprised, but here I am!
The journey to complete this puzzling story is far from
over, but many micro steps were taken to get Rema here, pulled along by many
friendly forces. I’m compelled to give some thanks!
First, I have so much gratitude to my agent Judy Hansen,
whose patience with me knows no bounds. Many thanks also to the wise, talented
editors who gently rejected the novel version so I could find my way to THIS
version, and to my colleagues, friends, and family who always had faith in me
(especially Kazu, who was hinting at Rema’s comics potential way back when
it was an online novel). I'm so grateful to Rema's new editor, the brilliant Cassandra Pelham, who gave this story more chances than I can count. I know for sure this book is in good hands. :)
Developing Rema has been such a long, intuitively-guided
journey, I have so many people to thank that it would require an entire book in
and of itself. More than anyone though, I want to thank the handful of readers
who have followed Rema’s progress through the years – from when it was a
webcomic in 2003, to when it was an online novel in 2012, and through its quiet
travel home to Scholastic.
Your enthusiasm for Rema’s characters and world have
carried it through many rough spots, and part of the reason I’m so passionate
to work on it is because of you. So many times when I felt down about Rema’s progress,
I would get a message or an email from a Rema reader, and every time it was
like my energy was revived.
I haven’t met many of you, but I feel we share this
world in this imaginary space, and I never felt alone while creating it. As I
illustrate the action and romance in comics form, I think of how you might feel
about the pages and I can’t wait to share them with you. 2019 seems so far
away, but it will be here before we know it. I truly hope the graphic novel
series will be, finally, worth the long, long wait!
In the mean time, I will be posting WIP snippets on my
twitter account, and you can add the temporarily titled Tabby Charon #1 to your
goodreads list, if you’re so inclined. Until next time, I hope your days are
filled with love and peace!