New Subscribers: Welcome to The Giggler! We’re on a never-ending quest for amusement and unadulterated fun here. Sometimes my newsletters are all about insights from my life as a voice actress and writer, other times I post original short stories or progress from my adventures in learning to draw, and recently I’ve started sharing updates regarding my husband and his fight against ALS. Today I have exciting writing and VO updates!
Thank you all for being here. ❤️
Today’s Newsletter Recording:
Hey, Gigglers!
Wow, it’s been nine weeks since I last sent an update! In that time, Kealoha and I have settled into our new home on Maui and established a routine that feels great, plus I have two updates to share regarding my writing and voice acting!
But first, I know many of you have been wondering about my husband. I’m so happy to say that Kealoha is doing well, staying strong, and enjoying our new life on Maui. To me, we’re living in a new and gorgeous place that feels like paradise. To him, he’s back home. 🥰 Thank you, once again, for all of your love, prayers and support. I’m so glad we decided to share the scary, heavy news of his diagnosis with you. You have made us feel so loved and helped to lighten our burden. Kealoha is incredible and every day I’m inspired by his strength, faith, and attitude. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues healing. 🙏🏼💕
📝 Writing News
Once we got settled here on Maui, and once Kealoha made his initial improvements, I was finally able to sleep and relax a bit. This seems to have flooded me with creative energy again, because I’ve managed to write FOUR new picture book manuscripts over these last nine weeks!
It’s been killing me not sharing any of what I’ve written with you because I know you’d love these humorous adventures, but as I’ve decided to pursue traditional publishing for these books (instead of self-publishing them), I can’t share anything yet.
If you’re unfamiliar with the publishing world, basically there are two main roads to publication: you can publish your books yourself, or you can publish through a publisher. I’ve self-published three books (two picture books and my spy novel Over the Top Secret, plus twenty romance novellas under a pen name— one of which became a bestseller on Amazon for a week!). Self-publishing is a total blast and gives you complete creative freedom to run the show exactly how you want, from book layout and cover design to illustrations, editing, release dates, marketing, etc.
If you choose to go the traditional publishing route, you submit your manuscript for consideration to publishing houses which, should they decide to publish your work, handle all the business and a lot of the creative choices. There are smaller presses open to unsolicited manuscript submissions, but typically most presses and especially the BIG presses (like Scholastic and Penguin Random House) only accept submissions from Literary Agents, who have already done the vetting for them by choosing to represent authors whose work they deem worthy of publication.
Though I plan to continue self-publishing my Over the Top Secret series, I’d like to pursue traditional publishing for my children’s books. For now, it feels like the right path for these stories. I’ve never had anything traditionally published before, which makes this goal a fun new challenge!
I’ve done a ton of research into agencies and agents that represent picture book authors. Most agents seem to be looking for author-illustrators and not plain old authors anymore, but I’ve recently determined a handful of agents looking to grow their list of author-only clients. Of that handful, two seem like they’d be a fit for me… which means it’s time to jump into the querying trenches.
WISH ME LUCK, FRIENDS!
🎙️ Voice Over News 🎧
When I went on hiatus from voice acting to focus on Kealoha’s health, I had no idea how long my time away would last, or if I’d even come back to voice acting. Then one day recently it hit me out of the blue, like a lightening bolt— IT’S TIME.
Initially I was a little nervous to move forward with VO again because I love it so much, and what if I have to give it up again? I don’t want to disappoint my agents or the production houses I work with by doing a bait and switch. “I’m back! Just kidding!” I’ve had to take breaks before, as previously I was dealing with my own health issues which robbed me of my voice at times. But I’m much healthier now, and if I’ve learned anything over these last few years, it’s that we only ever have right now. So I’m going for it! Kealoha was and always has been especially encouraging. I’m so blessed to have such a supportive husband. 💜
As soon as I decided to get back in the booth again, everything fell into place quickly, with zero resistance (which feels like a surefire sign that I’m right where I need to be). I brought my recording gear back from Vegas, set up my booth here in Maui, and when I messaged my agents and casting director contacts to let them know I’m ready to audition again, BAM! My inbox was flooded with auditions, and even from contacts I’d dreamt of auditioning for in the past!
It feels invigorating to have all these creative pieces of me coming back to life. I’m so grateful that VO and writing are not lost to me! I’ve learned to cherish the present, and Kealoha and I are ready to handle whatever comes next.
Finally, some things I’ve been enjoying lately:
📚🎧 Listening to audiobooks with Kealoha during sunrise/sunset ☀️
🎶 Zelda ambience music in the background while I work
🎙️Voiceover!
🪐 Binge watching the AppleTV+ show FOUNDATION — so good! 😱
🏝️ Watching Survivor while eating coconuts 🥥 (lol)
Giving Kealoha big hugs and lots of kisses 🥰 I feel it bears repeating, especially if you’re new here: My husband was DYING of an “incurable” “terminal” disease. Now, not only has the disease stopped progressing, Kealoha is HEALING. I am in constant awe of his strength. We are eternally grateful for your prayers and well wishes. THANK YOU, with every cell in our bodies and every ounce of our spirits. God is good.
Until next time,
Alexa (AKA The Giggler)
P.S. Recently, I was approached by an Instagram book reviewer and asked to review and promote Over the Top Secret. I’ve received a handful of spammy offers to promote my work before and almost all of them felt like they were AI generated so I’ve ignored them. This time, however, I decided to see what would happen if I moved forward with one of these promo offers. I figured they’d charge me and then copy paste my book description with the cover image. 🤪 Turns out the promo actually included a review! And though it totally could be AI generated by someone who fed my book to AI and asked for a summary, it really doesn’t feel like it. (Plus, I’ve tried using AI to help me with blurbs and such in the past and it is shockingly terrible at generating summaries!) Y’all— the reviewer actually compares my book to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series! Is this a dream?! Either way I take it as a win!
What do you think? Real or fake? Check it out:
Heck yeah! Glad you’re back!!!! Can’t wait to hear your voice in a video game and a tv show and a movie — basically everything!!!