C.C. Snow's Blog
October 20, 2016
New Book available for pre-order
Pre-order available on AmazonTroy’s story is almost here!
Synopsis:
Elle Lazzaro knew all about men like Troy Weston—rich, spoiled, and entitled. Her heart bore the scars of her experiences with them.
The first time she met him, she got fired.
The second time they met, he tried to seduce her.
She did not want to play his games.
Only he was deadly serious.
But even as she took a step toward love, her past threatened to destroy everything.
The novel will be on sale for $0.99 until the release date (November 10, 2016) as a thank you to the readers who have been supportive of me.
Happy reading!
October 12, 2016
Troy’s story coming soon
I took a few weeks off to rest my brain, but Troy Weston has been kicking around in my head like a spoiled brat.
Jake’s story was meant to be a standalone, but readers wanted to know about Troy, so his story is coming soon.
The first draft is done. I need to start editing and revising, but look out for the pre-order on Amazon in the next week.
And dear readers, thank you for your continued support of me.
August 12, 2016
My journey editing my own work
I just submitted the final version to Amazon. Whew! (Wipe forehead.)
I hope readers enjoy this book. I definitely sweated over this one.
I’m taking a break from writing on this blog for a little while. Readers, please feel free to contact me via email if you have any questions or feedback for me.
Many authors use a professional editor, but I haven’t gone that route yet. I’m taking the idea of being indie to the extreme, I guess. I’m probably wrong, but I think editing my own work makes me a better writer. As I read through my drafts, I notice patterns in my writing that I need to address. It also forces me to think about my weaknesses. I admit I should have spent more time editing Resisting the Billionaire, but I was impatient–definitely a weakness I’m working on.
For Deserve, I forced myself to read it over and over until I felt like it flowed seamlessly.
If I decide to continue to write, I’d probably need to look for some beta readers, but I’m not there yet. I’m too stubborn for my own good sometimes. And did I mention I’m an introvert? Yeah, sometimes it sucks to be too shy to seek the opinions of others.
Some lessons I’ve learned in making edits to my work:
Even the smallest tweaks can make a big difference in the flow of the story
When you’re sick of your own writing, take a break and rest your eyes
Try to read through it carefully for grammatical and spelling errors, but then read through it rapidly for emotional impact, continuity, etc…
Rinse and repeat the above step
Read your work on the device you normally use to read other books. I tried to edit it on my word processing software and I definitely missed mistakes
Until later…
August 4, 2016
Available for Pre-order soon
I am done with my first edits and have put my book on pre-order on Amazon. (Happy dance!)
This is my cover. It took me a long time to come up with a title that encapsulated the emotional journey both characters went through, but I’m very pleased with my final decision.
Deserving of You is longer than my last one and is heavier in subject matter, but I hope my readers will love the characters as much as I do.
I’m still mired in the nitty gritty of making final edits, but as soon as I submit my final draft, I deserve a long period of hibernation!
July 25, 2016
Next Book
Woot! First draft is done…almost. I have maybe a page of two left of Maggie and Sean’s story. Then I need it to age in a dark cave for a few days or a week before I take it out and start my edits.
I subscribe to Chuck Close’s theory: Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. But in the process of writing this book, I also realize I can’t always push through my blocks by ignoring weaker aspects of the story. I have pages and pages of unusable material because I thought I could write my way out of a stalled plot point.
Nope. Can’t do it. Best thing to do is to stop and rework the story to make sure it’s true to the characters.
I’m very happy with my story. It’s not dark. I’m not a dark person and can’t go there, but there is some suspense–found out I can’t write about a cop without a villain. I love my heroine and hero. Maggie is a firecracker, but with a core of sweetness. Sean is a bit of an emotional idiot and gave me a very hard time. Actually, he made my life hell for weeks when he fought me, but I now understand why he refused to go to in the direction I was pushing. Now I just want to cuddle next to him. Sigh.
I will work on my cover next. Will try to put the book on pre-order and release in mid-August? Maybe even earlier if I can get through edits quickly.
July 16, 2016
What the world needs now…
During the last few weeks, as the world seems to be falling around us, a song keeps playing through my head.
From the beautiful mind of Burt Baccarat:
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone.
Lord, we don’t need another mountain,
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross,
Enough to last till the end of time.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No, not just for some but for everyone.
Lord, we don’t need another meadow
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh listen, lord, if you want to know.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No, not just for some but for everyone.
No, not just for some, oh, but just for everyone.
Love and prayers to everyone in the world who has suffered a crime of hate. We need to hold tight to each other. Love will always be stronger than hate. Always.
July 4, 2016
Pirating my books…really?
I received the shock of my life (hyperbole…sort of) today when I learned through one of the groups on Goodreads that my books have been pirated. I’m too chicken to check on all of the sites, but the one I looked at indicated my books have been downloaded thousands of times. Trust me, I haven’t seen any of the royalties.
Makes me sick to my stomach. I spent months crafting a story, losing sleep, skipping meals, and someone is taking advantage of my hard work.
Granted, I made a mistake when I published on Amazon not to activate DRM (Digital Rights Management)– all new to me, because I wanted my readers to be able to share with their friends. I didn’t expect them to upload my work on some random site so that strangers can access it for free.
I’m so angry and disappointed. Now I understand why new authors give up. The deck is stacked against us because there are too many scammers willing to cheat us.
Thank you for hearing me vent. I don’t have any recourse, but I’m asking readers everywhere to think twice before you download something for free that isn’t offered explicitly by the author. I’ve never pirated a movie or book– I’ve borrowed plenty from friends and the library– because I respect the people who put their blood and sweat into their work.
CC out… going to have some ice cream and think about what I need to do.
June 29, 2016
No more doubling up on stories
I learned a valuable lesson about not writing two concurrent stories this week. After almost getting to the end of one of my stories, I realized I had compromised too much of the plot points in Story A to make Story B work. (Scrunching my nose in disgust)
It’s hard enough to devote enough energy to two characters. I couldn’t do justice to four of them. Kudos to experienced writers who can.
So, it’s back to Sean and Maggie’s story, but this time, I’m cutting out any extraneous plot points unrelated to them. Juggling Cael and Sean’s issues at the same time was giving me an ulcer anyway. So…Cael’s story will have to come later in the timeline.
I’m going to continue to work on different stories at the same time– it’s a compulsion– but it’ll have to be separate universes. Maybe I’ll work on Troy Weston’s story.
June 23, 2016
Boy meets girl
Excerpt (pending edits) from when Sean sees Maggie for the first time in years.
As I pull up to the curb at the terminal, my eyes restlessly scan for a redheaded sprite. When I don’t see Maggie, I get out of my car and stand on the walkway. At six-one, I can see above most of the fray. The traffic at JFK is always crazy, but it seems everyone has decided to travel to New York today.
My gaze peruses the crowd. A boyishly slender figure draws my eye, but it’s a skinny teenager with a red baseball cap. I check my phone to verify that I’m at the right terminal.
My eyes sweep the area around me and latch onto the sight of a woman bent over her luggage. A corner of my lip hikes up in appreciation at the sight of her luscious ass tilted in the air. I have seen my share of derrieres, but this one is spectacular. Under the stretchy material of her navy skirt, I can make out round, firm globes. By my estimation they would more than fill my big hands. I never considered myself an ass man, but this pretty backside would make me into a convert.
My cock throbs with interest and I grimace. The contrary fucker hasn’t shown any life in weeks and now it’s lusting after a random woman at the airport. I shake my head in disgust.
The woman bends deeper, digging for something in a side pocket and her skirt hikes up further, displaying smooth, creamy thighs. Blood rushes to my dick and I know I will be sporting a semi if I don’t do something quick.
I jerk my gaze away, willing my body to behave. Cael will kill me if I greet his baby sister with a boner.
At least you know you don’t need the little blue pill.
“Sean!”
I hear my name a fraction of a second before a slight, but powerful weight crashes into my middle, driving an “oomph” out of my mouth. Slender arms wrap tightly around my middle, pressing soft breasts press against my chest. Reflexively, I place my hands on the woman’s small back.
The most delicious scent wafts up to my nose and I take in a lungful. Cinnamon and sugar. It makes my mouth water.
On the heels of my fantasies about the mysterious woman, my cock hardens.
I look down to see a mop of dark red curls dancing in the breeze and my jaw drops in horror.
Fuck me. I shift my hips away.
“Freckles?”
Laughing happily, she pulls back and tilts her head, green eyes sparkling. Cael’s green eyes. Pink lips part to reveal small, even teeth. “Don’t call me that awful nickname!”
I blink to make sure I’m seeing clearly.
This woman can’t be little Maggie! Last time I saw her, she was a skinny awkward teenager. Her eyes were too big for her little face and her limbs were too long for her body.
The woman before me is gorgeous. The years have softened the angles of her cheeks and jaw and her eyes are still large, but now they make a man want to dive in and plumb their depths. Her orange-red hair has darkened to auburn. The wild curls have been tamed into a chin-length cut that makes her look like she just rolled out of bed. She wis still slim, but her body has rounded out in all the right places. The little waif has turned into a siren with porcelain skin and subtle curves that tease and tantalize a man.
“Wow! I didn’t recognize you.” I ease away from her and gulp when I see what she’s wearing. A stretchy navy skirt.
Fuck me. I just ogled and lusted after my best friend’s baby sister.
June 13, 2016
Crisis of faith
I’ve been delinquent in writing this blog. Sorry. After my first book came out, I had a crisis of faith. There were several reasons.
Reviews- I understand why other authors suggest you don’t read them. Some of my readers have been really amazing, but a few bad reviews does really send your confidence plunging. I will have to develop a thicker skin. After all, there are many books out there that millions of people love and I hate.
Hijacked- I thought I was doing well with Cael & Olivia’s story, but it got hijacked by Cael’s best friend, Sean. Sigh. I should never have jinxed myself. I fought it for a week, but I have surrendered. Sean gets his story first. Pushy asshole.
So, I’m back on track.
I want to give sincere thanks to the readers on Goodreads and those who also reviewed me on Amazon. I appreciate your support and feedback! Bad and good. Seriously.
As for Sean…here’s his story so far:
Son of US Senator. Defied father’s wishes and joined NYPD. Laden with ghosts from his past.
My heroine is Maggie, Cael’s little sister. Spunky and funny. Deeply hurt by life’s tragedies, but resilient and hopeful.
The story is not going to move heaven and earth, but I’ve already shed a few tears writing this one, so I hope my readers will love these characters as much as I do.
