It's Indie Author Month over on ALove4Lit! Which, considering the month I have planned, was pretty spectacular timing! Go check it out, I'll wait.
February 2013 has just twenty eight short cold days in it, but it shaping up to be one hot month! In January my friend and publishing co-op mate Larry Kollar released two books, The Accidental Sorcerers and The Crossover (I did the covers!) and now it's my turn! That is right, I have 2 books planned for release in indie Author Month; and so far Larry and I have joint custody of March.
Here is my approximate schedule. When it says Heroes and Vallenez is soon--it means soon! And the date of the POMI release? Yeah that is set it stone. I know you guys have been waiting and I'm sorry. (Bad author, go to your room!)
This is the biggest month I have ever had, so to celebrate I am going to have a giveaway of equal stature! So sit down, and get those twitter fingers of yours ready to go!
I am giving away a Kindle Fire...and if I get 500 entries, which since everyone has 24 chances to win should be cake; I am going to make that Kindle Fire a Kindle HD! And yeah there are ebooks too! You want this prize, and you want to tell everyone you know.
Because doing that earns you more chances to win. Now while you are thinking about that GLORIOUS giveaway let me clue you into another big freaking deal happening this month. On 2/15 I am having G+ chat with friends and fans and if you want to win a Kindle, you should maybe plan on coming to that too. Just sayin' more on this soon ;) But I'd clear my schedule if I was you....
When The Crossover launches on Wednesday, you might not realize that the late-January release involved a lot of November and early-December banging of heads on desks, nightly IM sessions across three time zones going past 1 a.m. (at least in the EST), emails and Dropbox drops. It wouldn’t be too far off to say that there was more pain and suffering over the front of the book than doing the rest of it.
Those of you who follow my Writing Wibbles column might remember that The Crossover was originally called Chasing a Rainbow. Angela Kulig suggested that I search that title on Goodreads. There are hundreds of books with that title, or a really close variant, so we embarked on the first head-desking exercise: coming up with a better title, or at least one that wasn’t already used far too often. The word “Rainbow” was out, it just didn’t ring well. Coming up with a cover became a side project, but one that continued to nag at us. Finally, one night, we were IMing. Angela said “crossing something,” and the title came to me in a flash.
But that was only the beginning.
With the title out of the way, we turned to trying to come up with a book cover. Angela got to where she started dreaming about the cover and the difficulty she was having, finding something suitable. One night, she suggested we find a rainbow photo, monochrome-ify it, and go from there. I was on vacation at this particular time, and it’s a good thing the cottages had wifi. I found a shot on Wikimedia Commons, and I cropped out a piece and started working with it.
We went through several iterations, with different comments each time:
“Darker.”
“We need a different title font.”
“Not that font.”
I learned a lot from this exercise. One thing I learned was how to bang my head on the table at 1 a.m. without waking up everyone else. But it was a good exercise. I learned a ton and a half about titling placement, and what works as cover art. Finally, I heard:
“I think we need a different picture.”
So Angela went out and found one. I wasn’t sure at the very first, but the more I looked at it, the more it grew on me. To me, it harkens back to the abstract fantasy covers of the 1970s.
This all goes to show, it’s always valuable to have someone else involved with producing your book, someone who knows what she’s doing and where to find what she wants.
Angela here! You might think I'm on of those broads that is always changing her mind--and you'd be right; but no amount of awesome content will sell your book as fast as a good cover will.
I am super glad its December. November is always a weird month for me, and NaNoWriMo is a big
part of that. It always seems to me a comedy of a great many errors; chalked
full of the best intentions and a seven course Turkey dinner.
SEVEN COURSES.
Or at least it seems like that when you are the only one
cooking.
Also, I have five children; therefore I must look at 3,547,369
crayon turkeys made from their hand prints during the month of November alone.
So it comes as no surprise to anyone who knows anything about my life that I
tend for fail spectacularly at NaNoWriMo every year. Except for ME! It always shocks ME!
As it stands I tend to have no problem finishing novels in any
other month of the year (and two in September) heck I will COMPLETE four books
in December—complete four because I am wrapping up the three books I started in
November.
Yeah, I started three books in November. I always do that to
myself. I don’t go into it thinking HEY I am going to totally screw myself over
by attempting something that might be mathematically impossible. Yet it happens
every time anyway.
I started my book (which is secret btw) three days late, two
days after that I decided I had to finish the Hollows Series right now or I am
going to DIE. DIE. Which if fairly humorous because the second book in the
series hasn’t even been released yet, and since Larry Kollar can’t quit his day
job and do nothing but edit my books I am not really in a rush.
But after convincing myself of the need to write that book—which
is titled Ice Bridge Forest—it occurred
to me that I’d need the second book in the Granted series before the 4th
book in the Hollows series.
So damn it all, that was the train of thought that lead to my
ultimate destruction.
Oddly, that is what it’s like in my head every day.
Well it is FINALLY available! Amazon really held that one hostage for a while. I wanted it to be free FREE but the best I could do now was free to borrow for Amazon Prime members and .99 otherwise. Smashwords has been giving me fits and unfortunately they are the easiest way to get a free book out there. Someone suggested I just make the book a google doc and just post it wild on the internets--but I think that is asking for someone to take it and call it their own.
*UPDATE* IT IS NOW FREE ON AMAZON. CLICK THE COVER.
Here is the blurbish! Drowning might not be the way most adventures start, but it is the only way at
Skeleton Lake. When Death is your only companion, darkness is always on the
horizon.
In the prequel to SKELETON LAKE, Cassie chooses the wrong
brother. That leads to a series of events that take all of her choices away. For
in a world of beautiful bones and false flesh, sometimes life after death is
killer.
I also decided to delay my giveaway; I was going to do one for Halloween but I looked up and realized EVERYONE was doing one so I thought I start tomorrow.
Check on the book trailer for The Skeleton Song below!
Skeleton Lake has been re-released and is currently FREE in the Amazon Lending library so if you have an Amazon device and Amazon Prime you can read it for zilch nada. You can also buy it on Amazon for just $2.99 for the Second Edition. Click the cover for more details. This is the PERFECT Halloween book!
It had been an idea I had been toying with for a long time; and the decision came after Smashwords was being a bugger. It was totally a sign.
THE TOTALLY FREE NOVELLA The Skeleton Song will be made available really soon. No, sooner than that.
Look for a big fat Hollows Series giveaway on Halloween. You will want to win, you will want to tell your friends. If you would like to be a part of the giveaway sign up here. I know it's last minute. You can sign up for any day 10/31-11/2 we can have multiple people on each day.
I apologize in advance to all the nook (etc) readers out there; but as it stands an overwhelming majority of my sales come from Amazon and it isn't forever. Also Amazon has apps for tons of devices. So you don't have to be left out.
Also, I have a request. Please do not buy the paperback version of my book. Some how it has reappeared on Amazon. It is being sold by my old publisher even though it should have been removed months ago. I was given the rights back and I thought everything was go but there seems to be this one hiccup. It is also first edition still.
P.S. If you enjoyed Skeleton Lake before, please take a moment to review it on Amazon (and Goodreads if you haven't done it yet). Since the book was removed by my publisher and republished by myself all my reviews were lost.
When Larry first talked about WHITE PICKUPS I had to no idea what to expect from it. He told me it was paranormal, which would have made it right up my alley but I thought pffftt it doesn't LOOK like a paranormal book--oh but it is.
I bought the book myself here, and it is AWESOME. Hence it's inclusion in the week of awesome. I don't even know what to say about it. I felt kind of blind going into it and I think that only added to the experience.
From Goodreads: At summer’s end, mysterious white pickup trucks take to the roads and compel nearly everyone to “drive off.” Some of those who remain gather in a suburban Atlanta subdivision, and struggle to cope with a world whose infrastructure is rapidly crumbling. One of the few who are mentally and emotionally prepared for the end of the world is Cody Sifko, a youth who quickly becomes the inspiration for the others. When a strange homeless woman names him “Father of Nations,” is she seeing his future or her own delusions? As winter and a hate group try to destroy Laurel Hills, can Cody overcome personal tragedy and seize his destiny?
Fans of the various appocolypses will really appreciate Larry's truckapypse!And Larry's women. Some guys, don't get women right at all so I am often weary of main character women from males--but it was awesome.
I am going to stop talking now because I keep saying awesome, and instead let Larry answer the most AWESOME interview questions of all time.
Fess up, do you really drive a white pickup?
No, but there are two at the in-laws' farm. One has a buggered transmission, and the other overheats at the drop of a hat. So I drive them as little as possible.
In the event of a real zombie Apocalypse; which of your author friends do you think would be the slowest runner?
I'm guessing John Wiswell, because of his health. But he's worth saving, if at all possible.
When was the last time you fired a shotgun?
Not too long ago. I have a 12-gauge pump in the gun case next to my laptop desk. (No, I've never been tempted to shoot my laptop. The TV, on the other hand...)
If you were stranded on a deserted island, with no zombies and a cold drink; what Indie book would you wish you had with you?
Something long, especially if I could have only one! I've got a stack of them in my Kindle, waiting for a chance to be read.
What color do you think I should dye my hair next? Shocking blue, Purple Haze, or Wildfire?
Wildfire. I like redheads, even if I married a "dishwater" blonde. (Thus proving that looks aren't everything.)
How many books do you plan on releasing in 2013?
Three: Pickups and Pestilence, a novella that needs a name besides "Chasing a Rainbow," Accidental Sorcerers (a YA classic fantasy novella)
How may books will you release if I pester you to death about it?
Five: the above plus a sequel to Accidental Sorcerers (unnamed), and Wings: Unfurled (first of a YA contemporary fantasy trilogy) if I can get it written. I'd planned to start it about two weeks ago, so I better get crackin'.
Favorite book so far in 2012?
You mean besides mine? ;-) So far, it's the first book I read this year, Bachiyr: 33 A.D. by David McAfee. He mixed vampires and Jesus, and pulled it off. That took some brass.
If they turned your book into a movie, who would you absolutely hate to see cast in it?
Nicholas Cage. I liked most of the films I've seen him act in, but just don't see him fitting in this one.
Anything else we should know about you?
If I get no more ideas, I have enough to keep me writing through the end of 2014. At least. So if you like White Pickups, you can look forward to seeing plenty more!
The Week of Awesome continues on with THE VIOLET FOX by Clare Marshall
I have to say, the Violet Fox is type of heroine I wanted to be when I grew up. Of course, I became a writer, but I can still appreciate a bad ass girl in a cape. Her bravery, and ability to save her own people as well as her own neck are the things legends are made out of; and her fierceness was somehow refreshing and sharp at the same time.
If you want a book that reads like polished A list piece from a top publisher this is your book. Clare is a phenomenal writer and editor and you don't notice at all. Trust me, you will find no better complement than that.
ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY WRITE
90,000 WORDS IN ONE SITTING One of my good friends from back home asked
me, “How do you write so much?!” My first thought was, I really don’t write
that much. Okay, let’s back up a bit. I have three
novels that are in progress right now, one sitting at 37,000 words, another at
12,000 words, and a children’s chapter book at about 5,000 words. In completed
unpublished works, I have six novels or novellas, ranging from 30,000 words to
about 110,000 words. They need to be re-written, or divided into smaller novels
before they ever see the light of day. I have some plays and short stories I’ve
written as well, but I don’t really count those. I don’t spend all day writing. I think part
of the reason people think I have a lot of words under my belt is because I’m
young. I’ve always known that I wanted to be a writer, so write I did. When
I’ve been grabbed by a story, I devote time and I try to see it through. I see it this way. A novel is about 60,000
words (less than that is generally considered a novella. Within is 50,000
words, so it’s a novella!). It takes me about an hour to write 1,000 words. I
can write more than than in an hour once I get going. So, if you were extremely
diligent, you could write a 60,000 word novel in 60 days. Of course, it doesn’t always happen that way.
Life gets in the way sometimes. Distractions are abundant, especially in the
face of a deadline. I find that I tend to put a project down when it’s 90%
complete. I don’t know why I do this. It’s like I need the last push, one last ra-ra
team before the race ends. I told myself to finish The Violet Fox in
December 2011, but it didn’t actually get finished until May 2012. I put it
down to focus on building my freelancing clientele, and I was successful in
doing that. Contests and writing initiatives like the
3-Day-Novel Contest (where I first wrote Within) and NaNoWriMo are great
opportunities to get words down on paper (or on the screen). For the
3-Day-Novel contest, you have to write 100 pages (about 25,000 words) in three
days. For NaNoWriMo, you have to write 50,000 words in a month. I haven’t
actually completed NaNoWriMo yet. I started one year but life got in the way.
It would be nice to use it unofficially to finish up some of the works I’ve got
in progress. Writing is only part of completing a novel.
Research is another part. Even if you’re writing a fantasy novel, you still
have to develop a world. I keep a separate document of world-building
information for The Violet Fox handy when I write, in case I need to reference
something. I also have an advantage that others may not
share. I work from home. I don’t have to waste time sitting in traffic. I’m
usually very busy with clients, but I set my own schedule. This allows me to
set aside the time I need to work on my writing, or the marketing of said
writing. So how can you improve your word count? 1. Time management How long will it take you to write 1,000
words? 500 words? Choosing a smaller word count like this will give you a small
goal to work towards. Once you figure out your writing speed, you can judge the
amount of time per day or per week you have to set aside to complete the novel. 2. To-Do Lists. Making a to-do list is the first step.
Following through on it is another. I find that writing down 3 things I want to
do in one day works for me. Three things is manageable. Writing down 10 or 20
things and then trying to accomplish them can make you feel stressed, which
will discourage you completely. To tie in with the first point, writing down an
estimated time it will take to complete the task next to the task itself also
helps me manage my day. 3. Stop talking, start writing. Stop talking about how you’d like to write a
novel and set aside the time to do it. You are only a writer if you write. Oh. And one more thing. Surrounding myself
with positive people who encourage me to write more also boosts my word count.
Don’t take your built-in support--your family and your friends--for granted.
They are your foundation for continuing your writing journey. That, and sweet, delicious energy drinks.
Mmmm....
Congratulations! You've spotted The Violet Fox. Report her to the authorities for a chance to win!
Instructions:
1. Copy the URL of this blog post
2. Paste it in the appropriate CATCH THE VIOLET FOX Rafflecopter entry option (Catch Me #1 for CATCH THE VIOLET FOX #1, Catch Me #2 for CATCH THE VIOLET FOX #2, etc).
3. Spot the Violet Fox 5 times for more entries into the grand giveaway!
Stay tuned. Those who are vigilant with their spotting of The Violet Fox may be eligible for extra prizes ;)
It's Indie Author Month over on ALove4Lit! Which, considering the month I have planned, was pretty spectacular timing! Go check it out, I'll wait.
Here is my approximate schedule. When it says Heroes and Vallenez is soon--it means soon! And the date of the POMI release? Yeah that is set it stone. I know you guys have been waiting and I'm sorry. (Bad author, go to your room!)
