Catherine Bybee's Blog, page 24

I'm on Tour...

I'm back from the RT Booklovers Convention and running.

Highland Shifter has been out for a little over a month now and I'm on a blog tour across the net. There are interviews, guest blogs, character interviews and giveaways so don't miss out.

My entire schedule is HERE

For this week here is where I'll be

April 16th at Lia Davis

April 17th Close Encounters with the Night Kind

April 18th Sexxy Blogger

April 20th Romance Book Junkies

Off to Convention

I'm on my way to Chicago for RT. I'm looking forward to meeting new people and connect with old friends.

I will be at Club RT twice and the Expo Signing. At the Expo I will sign post cards for those of you who have downloaded my work, or you can pick up a signed print copy of Wife by Wednesday or Highland Shifter.

I will NOT be at the Book Fair on Saturday. Sadly, RT doesn't embrace self published work in this platform. Only at the Expo.

So if you're coming to RT and want to chat come by Club RT or the Expo and let's talk.

Have a wonderful week! I'll try and keep you all posted via Facebook and Twitter.

What is this notion of selling out?

I'm packing up to make my way to Chicago next week. I bought some new fancy luggage that won't fall apart when a Gorilla jumps on it...or when the airline tosses it like a leftover banana peel onto the ramp. I wiggled my butt into a new dress and found a great deal on yet another pair of black strapy-like shoes. A girl can't have to many of those!

The Romantic Times Convention is a great time for romance writers. It's a time for us to gather, talk, giggle and go on for hours about what we love...ROMANCE.

In my preparations to leave I'm surfing the net to see who is going to RT, who isn't. I would love to chat with other successful self published authors. And even those who are struggling right now...but there are a handful of us who have gone about the whole publishing thing ass backwards.

This week I accepted two contracts for Wife by Wednesday to be translated and placed in print in other countries. I'm over the moon. I wouldn't have that opportunity without the work of my agent and her staff.

So what does this have to do with my title of this blog you ask? Well, as I surfed the net I looked up a few people, authors who have managed to self publish work successfully and then go on to sign book deals with a legacy publisher. When looking up these authors I found some nasty stuff written about them. People can be awfully awful sometimes.

One reader didn't like the book that was published by the NY house and went on to tell the author that she 'sold out'. I did a double take.

WFT? Really? Sold out? Just because you don't like the work doesn't mean the author sold out. And perhaps the reader should understand that as a 'successful' self published author, she would have probably made more money self publishing the book than contracting it to a legacy publisher.

My goal as a writer is to write books. I love writing! After the success of Wife by Wednesday I've had publishers contact me asking if I would be interested in working the traditional route. Of course I would. Does it mean I will sell everything I ever write again to a big publisher...of course not!

In case the reading public doesn't know...most authors want to be an author, not a publisher. However, times are as they are, in order to continue to write books and make a dime many authors have turned to self publishing. If an author was dropped by their publisher they have little choice but to self publish. A new writer breaking in might only be able to get their work out there by self publishing.

But what is this notion of selling out? Did I sell out because I wrote a book and sold it for .99cents? No. I made my book available to the masses. If I sign a legacy deal am I selling out to get my books on the shelf? No. Most authors would give their left nut, tit or whatever to sign a 'great' deal. The only thing now is my idea of a 'great' deal has changed. I know the business side of selling books better than most.

I don't mind be the poster child for self published authors. In fact, I rather enjoy it. I've learned a lot and I will probably always self publish. But that doesn't mean I'm going to leave all my eggs in one basket? Not sure about tha. Times...they are a changing folks.

E-Books are here to stay.
Self publishing is here to stay.
Legacy publishers have to make changes to stay afloat.
Small presses need to change to compete.

And Catherine Bybee is going to continue to publish books...self or otherwise.

Wife by Wednesday NEWS!

I love my job! I love it!

I won't give you details until the ink is dry...however I can tell you all that Wife by Wednesday is going to be translated into Spanish. I will be signing a foreign rights deal in the very near future and I couldn't be happier.

I can't wait to see the final result, even if I can't read it. Although I do know what it says on the inside. LOL That is going to be very strange!

Meanwhile, I'm clicking away on book two and coming up with some great ideas for book three.

xoxo

Catherine

A week for Binding Vows

So most of you who take a moment to see what I'm doing here every week have already read Binding Vows, but I have some great things to share about Tara and Duncan's story.

I'm a big supporter of telling others to write book two and three to sell book one. It works. As writers we put book one out after years of trying to get it published and are often disappointed in sales. It doesn't matter how much we tweet, facebook, or tell others how great the book is, it just doesn't sell. The first month Binding Vows was out back in 2009 I think I sold around 20 copies. *head-desk* All that work for 20 copies? Yeah! And I was uber bummed.

But as many of you know I don't have a problem selling my books now. And that is largely due to you...my fans. You guys tell other people about the books you read and they then go and pick them up.

Today I reached the 100 rating mark on Goodreads  for Tara and Duncan. My average is 4 stars which I'm happy with. And I think the new surge in reading Binding Vows is because of the release of Highland Shifter, book four.

I was also featured on a blog BadAss Book Reviews under a Hidden Gems title this week. Again, Tara and Duncan's story is praised.

So don't be afraid to tell others about great books you've read in the past. They are still amazing now and who knows, you might just spark the next bestseller.

So, my fans of Tara and Duncan...help me give these two a shot at the top position on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Go on over to these book sellers and LIKE and leave a quick review. You can just say 'loved it' or whatever you like. That silly LIKE button does amazing things.

Here are those links:

Binding Vows on Amazon
Binding Vows on Barnes & Noble

Triberr

Is it me? Or is Triberr uber confusing? I can see the benefit in finding peoples posts and getting them out to the social media world... But WFT? I swear, I managed to get on there, managed to make my own tribe "Indie Romance" But so far the people I've invited either haven't posted stuff or I'm doing something wrong.

I know there are tutorials on YouTube, but news flash Triberr...if you need a tutorial, it might prove too confusing for people to use.

I'd like to control how often and when a tweet goes out. I don't want to spam twitter. I won't spam twitter. So I guess for those of you who use Triberr my question is how many weeks did it take for you to figure out the system?

What do you love about it?
What do you hate about it?

I was one of those people who was on MySpace too late and then took a little too much time switching over to Twitter and Facebook. Now My MySpace account is gone and Twitter and Facebook rule. But new social media is everywhere and I don't want to be left in the dust.

So, to Triberr...or not to Triberr? That is my question.

The Writing of Married by Monday

Contest...Awards...et all.

Why oh why do authors put their work out there for others to read for the sole purpose of comparing to others? Why? I'm not a huge contest writer. I've entered a couple and have found success in both. My latest was taking 2nd place in the Silken Sands self published contest for Wife by Wednesday. There aren't many contests available as of yet for Indie work. But I did enter and was happy that I finaled. Taking second is just fine with me.

For years, I watched the Oscars and heard one actor after another say it's a blessing to be nominated. Which it is.  I understand that now. Enjoying a novel is entirely subjective. It's amazing that two people can read the same book and have two completely different feelings on it.

So when we talk about contests and awards the question is why do we as authors put ourselves out there like we do? I suppose some would say it's our egos. Which is true to some extent. Ultimately, I think it's about finding peers that give the nod to our work. I love it when a writer that I admire takes a minute to tell me they read my work and enjoyed it. Who wouldn't love that? The flip side is when a writer reads something and doesn't care for it. That bites.
 Still, the desire for acceptance by our peers has been there since Kindergarten when we first entered the classroom and searched the eyes of the other kids, determined to find someone you could stand beside. So we enter our work, pray for acceptance, and roll with the outcome no matter what it is.

That said, tomorrow is the day that RWA, Romance Writers of America, announces the RITA and Golden Heart finalists. I want to extend a friendly smile and wave to everyone who had the guts to put their work out there to see how it flies with their peers.


It is an honor to be a finalist, and it's a huge step to even apply. Remember the first time you send a query? The first time you sent a manuscript to an agent or a publisher? This took guts. You can't win if you don't try.

I entered Redeeming Vows. This was my first attempt at the RITA. I have a snowballs chance, but I can't win if I don't try.

Good Luck Everyone.

Spotlight on Ceilia Roberts

Book Title:  Truly, Madly, Deeply, You
Author: Cecilia Robert
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing
Publication Date: March 21st  2012
Format: eBook, Kindle
Book Synopsis:
Four days before Valentine's Day, Liese Hansfeld is determined to shut the door to her house, as well as her heart, for her annual four days of mourning her one true love. Little does she know her best friend Freytag Meier is just as determined to keep her from her ritual. He's ready to pick the lock to her apartment door and camp in her living room if that's what it takes.
What Freytag isn't prepared for is the surge of deep-rooted emotions he feels for Liese, but two things stand in his way: the grief and guilt she still clutches close to her heart, and a man who threatens to snatch Liese from under Frey's watchful eye. Frey is determined to distract her into forgetting her pain. But is that enough to ease her grief, or help her see he can be more than her best friend?


Book Excerpt
"You all right, Li?"
She nodded as her eyes swept the room, then back at him. "Really, Frey, you didn't have to do all that. I was going to clean after the four days."
He  shrugged. "No worries, sweetheart. What are friends for?" He smiled and beckoned her to him with his free hand. She followed the delicious smell of food more than she obeyed him, and stood beside him. He smiled at her, and pulled her into one arm hug and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Feeling better?"
She nodded, peeking inside the pot. "Yes, I am," she said, hoping her voice came out cheerful. She didn't want to have him worried. "Smells good. What's this?"
"Healthy food." He turned his attention to the pot of whatever delicious concoction he was cooking and continued stirring.
Liese glanced around for something to do while he went about preparing the meal.  She frowned, as her gaze zeroed in on the sofa.
"Er, Frey, what's that?"
He glanced up from the pot, and followed her pointing finger. "Oh, that. My overnight bag," he said nonchalantly. "Didn't I tell you I'm staying here for those four days? No? Well, I am." He turned, unconcerned, and continued stirring, dipped two fingers inside the array of bottles of spices in front of him, pinched small amounts and sprinkled dashes into the pot. He repeated the action a few more times before he grunted in satisfaction.
She glared at his back, watching the rise and fall of the muscles there. "No, you're not." She glanced up, then poked his arm with her finger to make her point. "You can't do this to me, Frey. Another time, but not these four precious days. I need to be alone."
Frey tilted his head slightly, his midnight blue eyes gentle and kind as they'd always been. "Sorry, I'm not leaving. Get used to the idea, Li. Besides, I have five votes from your mom and dad. We voted who should come over and stay with you. I won." He grinned, and turned away to stir what she now saw was red sauce. The scent of mint filled the air, and her stomach grumbled.
She ignored it and twisted out from under his arm. He snatched her back and held her snug and tight against the length of his body. She leaned into his soothing touch, savouring the comfort of his fingers as they caressed up and down her arm. Her body began to relax. "If I needed you, I'd have called you and asked—"
"Eat, and then if you want to talk later, we'll talk." Frey pecked her on the forehead once again, then brought his hand to her face and tucked a few strands of her wayward curls behind her ear. He let her go. "Now sit over there like a good girl."
She grunted in frustration and stalked away, well, as much as her weakened body would allow her to stalk without losing her pride. She plopped down on the sofa. "You're no better than my parents."
He chuckled. "You bet I'm not. I'm worse."

Author Bio
Cecilia Robert enjoys the play and weave of words that make up a good story. She enjoys creating fantastical worlds and getting lost in them. She often meets a prince, a princess, a pirate, ordinary and badass boy or girl who take her through the wonderful world of dreaming and fantasy.
 She doesn't have particular leanings to any kind of story as long as it captures her attention She reads and enjoys urban/dark fantasy romance,  paranormal, contemporary, sci-fi, mystery or horror as much as her children's school books.
 Some nights, you can find her reading Puss in Boots for her daughter, or trying to understand how to read Manga comics from her son.
Important Links
Author Website:
http://cecereadandwrite.blogspot.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/CeCeMR
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/CeciliaMRobert
Publisher Website:
http://inkspellpublishing.com
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13358709-truly-madly-deeply-you
Pre-order: http://www.inkspellpublishing.com/4/post/2012/01/truly-madly-deeply-you.html

Your Budget, My Books

I am excited to announce that I'm rolling out some of my previously published work to fit your budget. The first of the re-releases will be Before the Moon Rises. This novella is an action packed short werewolf romance designed to let you escape for a short while. The new cover is simply wonderful and like I did with Soul Mate, I've made some adjustments to the book to give my readers a little more.

When I look at books I've written in the past I realize how much I've grown as a writer. I remember once listening to a very well known author answer a reporters question about 'if' she would ever re-write a book she'd already published. The author said they wouldn't and her reason was because she had 'new' books she wanted to write. I get that answer now. I have so many new books I want to explore that re-writing older books doesn't  hold a lot of appeal. But I cannot simply put a new cover on old work without going in and adding a little here and there.

I look at a re-release as a book with an extra measure of polish. Starting with the cover and ending with a few extras between the pages.

To help my readers, Before the Moon Rises will be available for $0.99 and Embracing the Wolf will be available for $2.99.

Happy Reading

Catherine