Maggie Clare's Blog, page 9

Books and Beer!

Dear Maggie,

Will you be doing any book signings this summer?

A Fan in Fairfield

Dear Fan,

Yes! During the summer season, my book signing and conference schedule ramps up. This year, for the first time, I’ll be bringing along the Maggie Clare collection to select events. Generally, I’m signing at Comic Cons, and the fans who stop by my table are speculative fiction readers hoping to grab signed copies of the HORIZON series. Mixing in the Maggie books likely wouldn’t be very productive. However, this...

The Countdown Begins!

Dear Maggie,

What do you do in the weeks leading up to a new release?

Sincerely,

Busy in Biloxi

Dear Busy,

There is so much to do in the weeks leading up to a new release, especially for an indie author! Once the book has been edited and formatted, and the cover art complete, it’s time to move into production and promotion mode. With my romance series, my goal is to get the book into readers hands, and garner sales and reviews.

I’ll use my social media platform to show off the beautiful cover art, gi...

The Space Between…

It’s another month with five Mondays, and that means a crossover blog post on both Monday Musings and Dear Maggie. In both my literary worlds I’m at an in-between phase with my projects. Dreamwalker is out on submission, and I’m not ready to dive in to writing the sequel or another speculative novel yet. Meanwhile, Maggie’s Moving Target is due to release on June 21st. Since I’m producing this romantic suspense series as an indie author, there’s a lot of busy work happening right now, and I don’...

Please Judge My Book by the Cover!

Dear Maggie,

Do you design your own book covers?

Sincerely,

An Artist in Astoria

Dear Artist,

I have a fantastic cover artist, Steven Meyer-Rassow, who is in charge of all my design work. It’s definitely a collaborative effort, but he does all the heavy lifting. When I knew I was writing a multi-book series, the first thing we did was ‘brand’ the look of the covers. Each one features a different couple and a different scene, but the overall style follows a particular pattern.

When we’re working on a...

Sneak Peek!

Dear Maggie,

Are you ever going to release a new book?

Sincerely,

Impatient in Immokalee

Dear Impatient,

Yes! The next book in the Tactical Solutions International series will be released on June 21st! The title is Moving Target, and it features Teagan Tate, drummer from the rock band Madison Grace and Fiona’s friend from Sing for Me, and Maria Ruiz, former Marine and TSI employee who we met in Lost and Found when she was part of Lissa’s security team. I can’t wait for you to get to know these two an...

Wedding Bells!

As I write this, I am sitting alone in the Airbnb we rented for our son’s wedding. Because we were all coming and going from different places at different times, I’m the last one to fly out later today. The house is quiet, and I am spending my last few hours prepping for my work week, tossing in one last load of laundry, and packing. Just a few hours ago, all our kids were gathered here. We ate, drank, laughed, cried, and celebrated. Now it’s a beautiful memory.

Because our son is in the Navy, i...

Books, Books, Books

Dear Maggie,

I have book questions! Are you an avid reader? What’s the last book that gave you a total book hangover? Can you read multiple books at once?

Sincerely,

Reader in Raleigh

Dear Reader,

Yes, I am an avid reader! I suspect most writers are. We’re storytellers so we appreciate good storytelling! I can read multiple books at once as long as they are different genres. Here’s what my reading habits are like …

I’m generally reading an ARC (advanced reader copy) to review for Book Club Babble, a ...

When You’ve Been Married a While…

Dear Maggie,

I think you’ve been married for a long time. Do you have any good advice on building and maintaining a healthy marriage?

Sincerely,

Newlywed in New Orleans

Dear Newlywed,

First off, congratulations! My oldest son and his girlfriend will be getting married next month, and we are all so excited for them. In fact, he just recently asked me this very question, and I was truly flattered. Since I’ve been married for quite a while, I do have some words of wisdom and a few tricks of the trade t...

Dating Advice for My Kids

Dear Maggie,

What dating advice do you give to your kids?

A Mom in Montgomery

Dear Mom,

Before I answer this terrific question, let me enthusiastically announce that my oldest son just got engaged! Yes, I am gong to be a mother-in-law very soon, and I am so excited! His lady love is a beautiful human being inside and out, she truly understands our son, and they are just adorable together. Essentially, she is everything we could have hoped for in a daughter-in-law. Maybe my dating advice actually wor...

Deadlines and Determination

Dear Maggie,

You can’t possibly feel creative all the time, so how do you stay motivated to write?

Uninspired in Union City

Dear Uninspired,

I definitely do not feel creative all the time, and I definitely have days where I am not at all motivated. But writing is my career as well as my art, and if I want it to stay that way, I have to create content even when I personally feel uninspired. That’s not a very sexy answer, but it’s true.

There are some concrete things that keep me tapping away at the ...