T.C. Pulley's Blog: Rants with the Author

Updates!! Book 3 and More!

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I've updated. Life happens right? So I figured it would be a good idea to let everyone know what I am up to.

Book 3 is almost done and ready for editing. I just have the last few chapters to finish up and I'm guessing its between 2-3 chapters left.

When book 3 is being edited I will be working on the next project! Getting an audiobook for book 1!!

I am excited to get to work on this and I think it will take the story and everything else to the next level!

I also have a small project that has been coming together over years and its a mixture of my short stories and poetry in one collection. I hope it will be finished relatively soon, but I won't neglect P.O.W.E.R.S. though to do it. I can't wait to get this done and share with you all.

NaNoWriMo 2020!!

Hello everyone!! It's been a while since I posted, but here's to hoping I can jump back on the horse!! It's November 1st and that means another NaNoWriMo is upon us!!! This will be the first time I have participated in this grand event and I plan on working on book 3 of the P.O.W.E.R.S. series with it!!

To start off, I already have 8,869 words already typed up in book 3 and by the end of the month, I should have added 50,000 more to it!!! Here's to another month of writing and hope to have book 3 done soon after!!!

Updates!!

Hello everyone!! It's been a while since I've updated things! There's a lot of things going on and I am so excited!

First off, Book 2 has a projected release date! Well... month. I'm planning on having it ready to be published in June! So we are taking our next step in the series and I am so excited to see how everyone responds to it!!

Next I have some special things I am making to sell for the book. Adorable character little buttons and specialized character bookmarks. I also have some other things in the works, but it will be a little while before I can bring those up.

I have also started a Patreon account! That is where the buttons will be available first as well as the first chapter of the upcoming book in the series. Not to mention some fun character writings and videos like episodes of ParaHumanRadio and Amanda Tidbits!!

Lastly, at least for now, I will be trying to make some appearances at some conventions in the future as well as some more book signings! Thank you everyone for sticking with me and hope to see more of you soon!!

New Year 2020

It's a brand new year and I have so many things planned!!

While book 1 in the P.O.W..E.R.S. series has only been out for 4 months now, book 2 is already in the editing process and will be released this year. (The only thing that could delay that is issues with the cover...so here's to hoping that doesn't happen).

I will also be uploading some things onto my youtube channel ParaHumanRadio this year as well. There will be fun episodes of the show "ParaHumanRadio" as well as a new creation called "Amanda Tidbits." I hope everyone will enjoy them as much as I have creating them.

Also, along with working hard on the P.OW.E.R.S. series I have a few other ideas that are manifesting and demanding to be worked on as well. One such this is a collection of poems and maybe some of my short stories as well. I have no guarantee on that one, but it may be released this year along with book 2 of the P.OW.E.R.S. series.

I am so excited and so blessed with the love and support I have been given by everyone who has taken an interest in my writing. Here's to hoping with this new year we can grow together and learn together and make even more new connections!! Happy New Year!!!

First Book Signing! After

Hello everyone! It's November 4th, two days after my first official book signing! What a day! There is so much I want to say so lets get started from the top.

I woke up early with a feeling of excited anxiety buzzing around inside of me. I have been a sales associate in the past and know a few things about selling and convincing people to buy a product, but its entirely different when you're selling something you made that is close to your heart. It's easy to take rejection when you don't have any emotional involvement, but as I went to the store, I worried what would happen if I sat there the whole time and didn't sell a single book? Would I be able to handle that kind of reaction on my first time out and about?? I was going to find out.

I cannot praise the Half Price Books store that worked with me enough. They had a table ready for me front and center and while I had given them posters to use, I hadn't even thought of little stands to hold them up, but they had it covered! I had a table right in front with my posters where everyone could see. It was the best thing I could've hoped for!

As I sat down and got myself ready, I couldn't stop myself from shaking. This was a big deal not only in the fact that its the very first book signing, but I have social anxiety myself and I was stepping WAY out of my comfort zone, but I knew I couldn't let it stop me. I put on my old sales smile and started greeting people who walked in asking if they were looking for a new book to read.

The first few people avoided me completely. The "don't make eye contact" kinda thing. It hurt, but hey, I understand. If you know what you want and don't want to listen to sales pitches, you do it. Everyone does. No need to take it personal. Then I got a few people to look at me and they shot me down with a brief no and walked away. Ok, so that one hurt a little more deeply, but I kept my smile and kept at it.

Then my reinforcements began to arrive. People who know me and knew I could use the moral support. Some already had their copies and some were buying them from me then and there. It made me feel better to have those familiar faces around and I kept trying to pull other people to the table to get them interested.

Then it happened, I made my first sale to someone I didn't know! Someone who didn't know me from anyone else, but listened to my clumsy tongue tied spiel about my story and told me he would love to read it! I was floored! This was amazing!! I was filled with confidence and hit the ground running. I made a few more sales to people I didn't know, on top of the people who were coming to support me. In this moment I knew, I was reaching new people who had no idea about my story and now, they may share it with others. I was so happy I was nearly in tears.

What can I take from this and offer to other people who are wanting to do the same thing? People who want to make their dreams into reality? No matter how hard it is, no matter how much it hurts, don't give up. Every time you get knocked down, get up and dust yourself off. There will come a chance to get your foot in the door and get your name out there. Network. Talk with everyone you know, even if you think they don't care. You may just discover the least likely person will be the one that helps you go the farthest. It may start slow, but if you keep at it, you will get there.

If I can help one person with this, then its worth it. Thank you for reading!!

First Book Signing (Before)

It's official! My first book signing ever is going to happen November 2nd at the Half Price Books in Avon, Indiana (address 9867 E US HWY 36)!!

I can't believe this is happening. I'm kind of in shock. I can't thank Half Price Books enough for letting me do this and I can't wait to see everyone out there. I wanted to become a writer since I was in middle school and have been steadily working toward that goal. There have been many ups and down along the way and I expect there will still be more trials to come, but no matter what, I am sticking to it. I am writing what it close to my heart and while it may not be everyone's cup of tea, there are people who like it.

This is the first big step in trying to get my name out there. It's not easy being self published, because I have to do my own marketing, my own event planning, and I have to put my own money forward to try and make it back, but despite that, I am happy. This kind of word suits me. I never was one for taking the easy road for anything.

Currently, I still feel like I'm dreaming. If I am, I'm not gonna be happy is someone wakes me up! Haha! I hope to see some familiar faces, and make new friends! I am beyond myself with excitement!!

P.O.W.E.R.S. Book 2!

So while it is true that the first book hasn't been out that long, I am excited to say that book 2 is already in the process of being edited. So that major cliff-hanger I left in book one will be answered in relatively quick order!

I highly doubt that the other books will follow as quickly and this is because of the process it took me to get the first book in the series published. Originally, I submitted my manuscript to two different publishing companies and each took 5 months each before sending me a rejection letter (though each told me to keep pursuing my writing and not to get discouraged). While I waited to hear back from each of these companies, I had to do something to keep my severe anxiety from getting the better of me. My answer to that was to begin writing book 2. In fact, I had the manuscript for book 2 finished about a month before I was able to self publish book one.

I have been so tickled and excited to hear wonderful reviews and opinions of book one that I find myself dying to get the ball rolling for the rest of the series. However, after book 2 is published (which in all honestly at the earliest will be in six or so months from now), it will take a little longer for book 3. I am truly blessed by the love and support I am receiving as I continue this wonderful journey and I can't thank you enough for everyone that has had a part in it.

Here's to more fun and adventures together as our story progresses!!

One Month

The book has been out for a month and what a month it has been! I have learned so much and the most important is just how amazing the support system I have is. Without those supporting me I don't know if I would have had the courage to get published, but I am so happy to have the book out there. Sharing this with the world has been so rewarding,

P.O.W.E.R.S. is unique because it is actually the story of a table top role-play game that has been going on for almost three years now. The framework is mostly set out for me but there is a lot of tinkering I have to do to make this a tellable story and put into book form. Some things have to be changed and adapted as I go, but for the most part I try my best to stay very close to what actually happened.

With that in mind, the manuscript for book two is already finished and is now in the process of being edited. While that is being done, I am already working on formatting book three to be put into the works. So yes while I left book one with a major cliffhanger, I plan on having book two out to accompany it very soon. This story is a joy to write and I honestly cannot wait to see what people think of it as things develop and we get further and further into the world of P.O.W.E.R.S. ! Thank you all for the support and I can't wait to see where this adventure takes all of us!!