Kanda Land is going through final author edit and review! Next step is going to be looking for Literary Agents or publishers.

Currently, the book has 714 pages. To this end, I am considering publishing it as a trilogy. What do y’all think? Three pretty cloth-bound books, or a one and a half sized Jane Eyre novel?

Let me know what you think would be cool.

Also, because I’m so faithful to my followers, here is a fun little snippet from later in the book:

A Firepit Kind of Night

Laura went home the next day; Kira and E dropped her off and they hung out at her house for a while and smoked. They even started a fire pit when it was starting to get dark at four-thirty.

The air was crisp and cool. It was still November, at the brink of December. In fact, the day after tomorrow was December 1^st.

E pulled her jacket snugly around her from the evening chill.

“I could fuck with some hot chocolate right about now.” Kira comments.

“Ooh, that sounds good.” E agrees and furrows her brow.

Kira looked at Laura for a moment and then addressed E, “You ready to head back? Laura looks like she’s ready to head in.”

“Yeah, I might fall asleep.” Laura said.

“Go get your rest, babe. If you want to hang out tomorrow text us. We might go to the falls.”

“I’ll let you know. I still have to take my car in to the shop. She’s been sitting broken in my garage for nearly three months now.” Laura’s mouth tips slightly into a frown. “I shouldn’t leave her like that.”

“Well, let us know. You’re part of our gang.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Thanks for being mom on our trip.” Kira said it sincerely. Laura smiled.

“Anything for my goons.”

E smiled too and a puff of joy came with it.

They sat for only a second more and then they got up hesitantly and said their goodbyes. They each hugged Laura for a long time. After being together for all this time, they didn’t know how to be apart for even one night. Of course, they’d been apart that night that E was with Rowan, but, they’d still had a center of home together.

What would happen when they split? Would this bond of these few months trickle away again like it had after high school? Would all of this beauty and joy leave? …It won’t, right?

Kira turned back around as she and E were headed back to her car. “You sure you don’t want to stay another night? I’ll let you take the bed.” She said. She didn’t want their fabric falling apart again.

Laura smiled warmly, “You miss me already?”

“Well, yeah.” Kira looked kind of sad.

“Go on home. I’m too tired to try and settle down anywhere else tonight.”

“Okay.”

E took her, “Come on, I’m cold. Bye Laura, love you.”

“Love you, babe. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” The two called and Laura watched them walk in the dark back to Goldilocks and she smiled nostalgically. She’d miss them, too. That was a trip she could never forget.

The headlights went on and she pulled her hand out of her pocket and waved. Their hands came out of either window to wave back and she grinned and then laughed. “Go on, goons!”

“Love you!!!” they both shouted and then waved again and Kira pulled out of the driveway and Laura watched her tail lights disappear into the black night. She went inside once the last of the red glow disappeared behind the last tree. It was quiet. It was already too quiet. She could picture them still laughing in the car. She smiled and then turned to head in after a moment.

Laura

Laura walked into her quiet house and closed the door, locking it for the night.

Her mom was in the living room.

“Hey Laur.” Her mom said, a fog hanging about her from a joint she held.

“Hey.”

“How was the drive? Did you guys have a good time?”

“We had a good time. The drive was long, but not too bad. It was actually really fun.”

Her mom nodded. “Good. Come and sit with me.”

She sat and her mom pointed to a joint on the small end-table next to her. The ‘end table’ was actually a plant stand within which was mounted a small cement circle that was studded with stained glass and little glass stone jewels. It had tall, curvy legs—all the legs were like stretched, fancy “S”s, extra swirled at the feet. It had been handmade by Laura and her mom.

She picked up the joint and lit it and took a hit. She and her mom often smoked together, like in the mornings and in the evenings.

They were quiet for a moment.

“So,” Laura exhaled a swirl of smoke, “did you finish that piece?”

“I did.” Her mom leaned over and retrieved a little ornament from a bin next to her recliner. She showed her the butterfly, formed with metal wire, the wings beaded within them, and stained glass was melted to fill the body and head and tip of the antennae. The piece was finished off with a gold ribbon tied to the top of it to hang it by.

“I love it.”

“It’s for you.”

Laura frowned with thankfulness; her lip pooched. “Mom, you’re so sweet.”

“I just thought of you and I know you like butterflies. And purple is your favorite color.” She goes to take another drag but stops short, holding her joint an inch from her lips and furrows her brow, “Right?”

Laura nods. “It is.” Her mom relaxes when she says it and puffs on her joint.

Laura took the butterfly and held it. “I’m gonna hang it in my car.” She set it in her lap after admiring it a little more.

“I hope it reminds you that I love you.”

Laura smiles. “It will. I’ll always remember. I love you too.”

---

That’s all for today, folks 🙂

Thanks for reading,
–A.M.