Kelly Hashway's Blog, page 110
August 16, 2012
Lost in Time
I've heard some writers say they use a timer to keep them on track and working on one manuscript for a specified amount of time. It's supposed to help with writer's block and with meeting word count goals. Well, I have a different problem. I get lost in my manuscripts. So much so that I completely lose track of time.
A couple weekends ago, my husband had to point out the time because we were going out and I had lost the entire morning proofreading the galley for Touch of Death. I was so into the characters and story that I didn't realize the morning was over. When my daughter was in pre-K last year, I had to set the timer so I wouldn't lose track of time and wind up late to pick her up.
And the funny thing about time is there's never enough. Even when my daughter starts full-day kindergarten, I'm sure I'll fill the day with no problem. I don't know if I'll ever get past this time issue.
How about you? Do you find yourself losing track of time when you write or do you need the timer to keep you writing?
A couple weekends ago, my husband had to point out the time because we were going out and I had lost the entire morning proofreading the galley for Touch of Death. I was so into the characters and story that I didn't realize the morning was over. When my daughter was in pre-K last year, I had to set the timer so I wouldn't lose track of time and wind up late to pick her up.
And the funny thing about time is there's never enough. Even when my daughter starts full-day kindergarten, I'm sure I'll fill the day with no problem. I don't know if I'll ever get past this time issue.
How about you? Do you find yourself losing track of time when you write or do you need the timer to keep you writing?
August 14, 2012
Meet Weasel!
Today, I have one of the main characters from the middle grade novel, Alligators Overhead by C. Lee McKenzie.
Hi, Weasel. Why don't you tell us all a little about yourself?
I'm twelve and I'm in seventh grade. My mom and dad are research scientists in Darby City. That's about ten miles from here. My brother's in college, so I don't see him much until semester break or summer. But that's good because he used to tease me about stuff--called me a brainiac. He was the one that gave me the nickname, Weasel. It stuck and now nobody knows my real name anymore. *Smiles.* That's good, too, because I hated my name. I mean, who's named Wilbur these days?
What's it like taking 8th grade math in 7th grade?
*Shrugs and pushes his glasses higher onto this nose.* It's okay. Not as hard as I thought. The problems I don't like much are those word question ones, like, "Derick is two years older than two times Carl's age. If Carl is x years old . . . ." Well, you see what I mean. Kids in my class give me a hard time about being in a different math class from all of them, but I don't care. They gave me a hard time last year when I aced all the tests in sixth grade.
I hear you're pretty good on a bike. What's your favorite bike trick?
Slides are cool and I like popping wheelies. I was working on Bunnyhops, but my mom said I had to stop after I broke my glasses a couple of times. Most of the time Pete and I just fool around on that bike jump we made in the vacant lot next to his aunt's house. I can jump kind of far, but Pete's really got the distance on me. I'm doing some research to figure out how to beat him. I'll do it one of these days.
What was going through your head when you met Pete to ride bikes and instead of a vacant lot and a bike ramp, there was a huge house that had never been there before?
Wow, you heard about that all the way here? I'm still creeped out about it. I'd stay clear, but you know Pete. He's all about poking his nose anywhere that his aunt tells him not to. That old mansion's trouble. Big trouble. I heard about the legend, but I'm not into superstitous stuff. I mean, I didn't believe any of that story. But now, well I have some thinking to do about that place and what it's doing here after being gone a hundred years. It's got the whole town jittery.
Pete kind of seems like the star of the story, but I have a feeling you played a big part, too. How did your friendship with Pete allow you to have a role in the events that occurred?
Pete hates it in Hadleyville, and he's always getting into trouble, but he's really not a bad kid. He has some soft spots. He sort of saved me from some eighth graders once, so I owe him. That's how I started hanging with him. But you know it's hard being his only friend because he's a disaster magnate. If I had my choice I'd go it alone, but Pete . . . well, he needs me, I guess. If I'm not around to tell him, "Don't do that!" he'll do it, and then Principal Pitt suspends him and his aunt grounds him. Still I'm only one kid, and I can't always steer him in the right direction. In fact, I'm usually up to my eyeballs in his messes. Friendship with Pete is hard work.
What's the craziest thing you and Pete have ever done?
Let me think a minute. *Drums his fingers on his chin.* Well, there's the swamp. He's always trying to drag me down to see if we can spot an alligator. That's pretty crazy and if anybody finds out, we're both grounded. The swamp's off limits to us. Now, there's that creepy mansion he wants to poke around inside of. No way am I doing that.
Now for the fun questions.
Pizza or ice cream? Ice cream for sure.
Gummy bears or gummy worms? Give me bears. I'm not wild about worms.
Swimming or hiking? LOL I'd take hiking, but in this story there lots of swimming going on, so I'll choose that.
Alligators or crocodiles? Alligators. At least I know what to expect from those guys now.
Is there anything you'd like to add, Weasel?
Yes. If Pete comes by don't tell him I was here. I really need to study and he'll want me to do some crazy thing with him and I won't get a chance to say no because he'll make me feel guilty. Just one afternoon of peace would be good. Thanks.
You have my word, Weasel.
Now, enjoy the exciting trailer for Alligators Overhead:
C. Lee is writer who captures the pulse of adolescent confusion in her Young Adult fiction, Sliding on the Edge and The Princess of Las Pulgas. She admits to revealing a lot of her Old Adult confusion while doing that. Alligators Overhead is her first Middle Grade novel. She lives in California with her husband and assorted animals at the edge of a redwood forest.
Have a question or comment for Weasel or C. Lee?[image error]
Hi, Weasel. Why don't you tell us all a little about yourself?
I'm twelve and I'm in seventh grade. My mom and dad are research scientists in Darby City. That's about ten miles from here. My brother's in college, so I don't see him much until semester break or summer. But that's good because he used to tease me about stuff--called me a brainiac. He was the one that gave me the nickname, Weasel. It stuck and now nobody knows my real name anymore. *Smiles.* That's good, too, because I hated my name. I mean, who's named Wilbur these days?
What's it like taking 8th grade math in 7th grade?
*Shrugs and pushes his glasses higher onto this nose.* It's okay. Not as hard as I thought. The problems I don't like much are those word question ones, like, "Derick is two years older than two times Carl's age. If Carl is x years old . . . ." Well, you see what I mean. Kids in my class give me a hard time about being in a different math class from all of them, but I don't care. They gave me a hard time last year when I aced all the tests in sixth grade.
I hear you're pretty good on a bike. What's your favorite bike trick?
Slides are cool and I like popping wheelies. I was working on Bunnyhops, but my mom said I had to stop after I broke my glasses a couple of times. Most of the time Pete and I just fool around on that bike jump we made in the vacant lot next to his aunt's house. I can jump kind of far, but Pete's really got the distance on me. I'm doing some research to figure out how to beat him. I'll do it one of these days.
What was going through your head when you met Pete to ride bikes and instead of a vacant lot and a bike ramp, there was a huge house that had never been there before?
Wow, you heard about that all the way here? I'm still creeped out about it. I'd stay clear, but you know Pete. He's all about poking his nose anywhere that his aunt tells him not to. That old mansion's trouble. Big trouble. I heard about the legend, but I'm not into superstitous stuff. I mean, I didn't believe any of that story. But now, well I have some thinking to do about that place and what it's doing here after being gone a hundred years. It's got the whole town jittery.
Pete kind of seems like the star of the story, but I have a feeling you played a big part, too. How did your friendship with Pete allow you to have a role in the events that occurred?
Pete hates it in Hadleyville, and he's always getting into trouble, but he's really not a bad kid. He has some soft spots. He sort of saved me from some eighth graders once, so I owe him. That's how I started hanging with him. But you know it's hard being his only friend because he's a disaster magnate. If I had my choice I'd go it alone, but Pete . . . well, he needs me, I guess. If I'm not around to tell him, "Don't do that!" he'll do it, and then Principal Pitt suspends him and his aunt grounds him. Still I'm only one kid, and I can't always steer him in the right direction. In fact, I'm usually up to my eyeballs in his messes. Friendship with Pete is hard work.
What's the craziest thing you and Pete have ever done?
Let me think a minute. *Drums his fingers on his chin.* Well, there's the swamp. He's always trying to drag me down to see if we can spot an alligator. That's pretty crazy and if anybody finds out, we're both grounded. The swamp's off limits to us. Now, there's that creepy mansion he wants to poke around inside of. No way am I doing that.
Now for the fun questions.
Pizza or ice cream? Ice cream for sure.
Gummy bears or gummy worms? Give me bears. I'm not wild about worms.
Swimming or hiking? LOL I'd take hiking, but in this story there lots of swimming going on, so I'll choose that.
Alligators or crocodiles? Alligators. At least I know what to expect from those guys now.
Is there anything you'd like to add, Weasel?
Yes. If Pete comes by don't tell him I was here. I really need to study and he'll want me to do some crazy thing with him and I won't get a chance to say no because he'll make me feel guilty. Just one afternoon of peace would be good. Thanks.
You have my word, Weasel.
Now, enjoy the exciting trailer for Alligators Overhead:
C. Lee is writer who captures the pulse of adolescent confusion in her Young Adult fiction, Sliding on the Edge and The Princess of Las Pulgas. She admits to revealing a lot of her Old Adult confusion while doing that. Alligators Overhead is her first Middle Grade novel. She lives in California with her husband and assorted animals at the edge of a redwood forest.
Have a question or comment for Weasel or C. Lee?[image error]
August 12, 2012
Monday Mishmash 8/13/12
Happy Monday! This mishmash will be a little shorter because I was given a blog award.
Touch of Death is available for pre-order! I was so excited last week to find out Touch of Death is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Yay!Kindergarten Orientation Thursday is kindergarten orientation for my baby girl. I can't believe she's going to kindergarten already.Picture book contract signed The picture book I've mentioned here is finally contracted, and the illustrator has been selected. It will be out in the next 9 months!Thanks for Being You blog award I was given this award by the very sweet Katrina DeLallo. Kat is a great friend and one of my critique partners. Thanks, Kat. The rules for this one are insane. A total of 18 facts about myself and answering 11 questions. Wow! I'm totally cheating. You guys know me. I'm an open book. But here are a few things I might not have told you before:While I was querying agents in 2011, I played Katy Perry's Firework over and over and cried. I'm equally terrified and excited for the release of my book.In 3rd grade everyone called me K.C. (my initials—Kelly Christine) because there were so many Kelly's in my class.When Touch of Death became available for pre-order, I did my hair like the girl on my cover. (Yes, I'm a dork!)I named my treadmill Teddy the Treddy.I'm allowed to pass this on to any number of people, so today I invite you all to accept this award from me because I appreciate each and every one of you.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?[image error]
Touch of Death is available for pre-order! I was so excited last week to find out Touch of Death is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Yay!Kindergarten Orientation Thursday is kindergarten orientation for my baby girl. I can't believe she's going to kindergarten already.Picture book contract signed The picture book I've mentioned here is finally contracted, and the illustrator has been selected. It will be out in the next 9 months!Thanks for Being You blog award I was given this award by the very sweet Katrina DeLallo. Kat is a great friend and one of my critique partners. Thanks, Kat. The rules for this one are insane. A total of 18 facts about myself and answering 11 questions. Wow! I'm totally cheating. You guys know me. I'm an open book. But here are a few things I might not have told you before:While I was querying agents in 2011, I played Katy Perry's Firework over and over and cried. I'm equally terrified and excited for the release of my book.In 3rd grade everyone called me K.C. (my initials—Kelly Christine) because there were so many Kelly's in my class.When Touch of Death became available for pre-order, I did my hair like the girl on my cover. (Yes, I'm a dork!)I named my treadmill Teddy the Treddy.I'm allowed to pass this on to any number of people, so today I invite you all to accept this award from me because I appreciate each and every one of you.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?[image error]
August 9, 2012
Guest Post: Carol Hedges "Write What You Know"
Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Carol Hedges, author of the YA novel Jigsaw Pieces available now on Amazon.
‘He had been part of my everyday life. I hadn’t liked him much, nobody had liked him much, but he’d been there. Now, I’d never see him again.’
Annie Skjaerstad had been searching for her identity since being uprooted from her native country of Norway. With a spiky personality winning her no friends, and family members suddenly torn out of her life, she is left seeking comfort from a growing intrigue into the stories of fallen war heroes.
But one day, a boy from her school unexpectedly commits suicide, changing things forever. Confused by the tragic tale of someone she knew, Annie soon finds herself conducting her own investigation into his death.
What she uncovers will bring her to a dark and dangerous place, as suddenly – her own life is put at risk.
Carol Hedges has written 11 novels for teens and YA. She has one daughter, now left home. She lives in the UK with her husband, two cats and a pink vintage car.
Take it away, Carol!
First off, can I say a big British "thank you" to Kelly for generously hosting me on her lovely blog.
"Write about what you know" is the advice given to all writers, and it's definitely the reason I write about strong women, and not giant spiders on Mars. It's also why, at the beginning of Jigsaw Pieces, my first YA ebook on Amazon Kindle, there is a sentence that says: "Not all the events and characters are fictitious". Some people have asked me about this, because it isn't the usual thing you read. So I'd like to share a couple of events that prompted me to write the story.
I was on my first teaching practice. I was retraining as a teacher so that I could fund my daughter through uni. One Monday, I arrived in the staffroom, lesson plans clutched nervously in shaky hand, to discover a strange silence. Nobody was speaking, or making eye contact. Curious, I asked my mentor what was going on, to be told that over the weekend, a student had committed suicide. Nobody knew why.
I remember exactly how it felt as the news ripped round the school. And something inside me said: one day, you have to write about this; it is important.Thus "Grant Penney's" death became the central plot line for the book. As you read the initial chapters, you are seeing and hearing exactly what I experienced.
But I didn't want Jigsaw Pieces to be a totally tragic story. And so I gave the narrative to Annie Skaerstad, a feisty Norwegian 19 year old - a kind of teenaged Lisbeth Salander. She is based on a couple of girls I taught in my first job. Streetwise, sassy, and full of attitude, they gave me and everyone else a hard time!
They had a big thing about 'respect' - something they felt teachers never gave them, which was why they did not give it back. I struggled to connect with them, was sure I'd failed. But then, unexpectedly, at the end of the last lesson before study leave, they dropped a card on my desk as they left. Inside was a single word: Respect.
And so a book was born.
What about you? Do you write what you know?[image error]
‘He had been part of my everyday life. I hadn’t liked him much, nobody had liked him much, but he’d been there. Now, I’d never see him again.’
Annie Skjaerstad had been searching for her identity since being uprooted from her native country of Norway. With a spiky personality winning her no friends, and family members suddenly torn out of her life, she is left seeking comfort from a growing intrigue into the stories of fallen war heroes.
But one day, a boy from her school unexpectedly commits suicide, changing things forever. Confused by the tragic tale of someone she knew, Annie soon finds herself conducting her own investigation into his death.
What she uncovers will bring her to a dark and dangerous place, as suddenly – her own life is put at risk.
Carol Hedges has written 11 novels for teens and YA. She has one daughter, now left home. She lives in the UK with her husband, two cats and a pink vintage car.
Take it away, Carol!
First off, can I say a big British "thank you" to Kelly for generously hosting me on her lovely blog.
"Write about what you know" is the advice given to all writers, and it's definitely the reason I write about strong women, and not giant spiders on Mars. It's also why, at the beginning of Jigsaw Pieces, my first YA ebook on Amazon Kindle, there is a sentence that says: "Not all the events and characters are fictitious". Some people have asked me about this, because it isn't the usual thing you read. So I'd like to share a couple of events that prompted me to write the story.
I was on my first teaching practice. I was retraining as a teacher so that I could fund my daughter through uni. One Monday, I arrived in the staffroom, lesson plans clutched nervously in shaky hand, to discover a strange silence. Nobody was speaking, or making eye contact. Curious, I asked my mentor what was going on, to be told that over the weekend, a student had committed suicide. Nobody knew why.
I remember exactly how it felt as the news ripped round the school. And something inside me said: one day, you have to write about this; it is important.Thus "Grant Penney's" death became the central plot line for the book. As you read the initial chapters, you are seeing and hearing exactly what I experienced.
But I didn't want Jigsaw Pieces to be a totally tragic story. And so I gave the narrative to Annie Skaerstad, a feisty Norwegian 19 year old - a kind of teenaged Lisbeth Salander. She is based on a couple of girls I taught in my first job. Streetwise, sassy, and full of attitude, they gave me and everyone else a hard time!
They had a big thing about 'respect' - something they felt teachers never gave them, which was why they did not give it back. I struggled to connect with them, was sure I'd failed. But then, unexpectedly, at the end of the last lesson before study leave, they dropped a card on my desk as they left. Inside was a single word: Respect.
And so a book was born.
What about you? Do you write what you know?[image error]
August 7, 2012
I Need a Schedule
This summer, I've felt off. The reason is very clear to me too. I don't have a schedule. With my husband and daughter home, I can't get my scheduled writing time each day. I'm sneaking time here and there, and sometimes it's only a half hour and it's not interrupted.
I miss my schedule. I miss knowing that I'll write at a specific time each day. Once the end of August rolls around, I'll have a new schedule. My daughter will be in school full-time. I've already figured out that I'll write all morning (Sounds glorious, doesn't it?), keep up with email and social networking during lunch (I always work through lunch for some reason), and edit in the afternoons. I'm looking forward to getting back to a schedule, and I think my writing will benefit from it too. I'm also excited that the evenings can just be family time since the rest of my day will be devoted to writing and editing.
How about you? Do you need a schedule to get work done or can you manage just finding time wherever possible?
*And congrats to Wendy W. for winning a hardcover copy of Raised by Wolves in the Annual Summer Giveaway Hop!*[image error]
I miss my schedule. I miss knowing that I'll write at a specific time each day. Once the end of August rolls around, I'll have a new schedule. My daughter will be in school full-time. I've already figured out that I'll write all morning (Sounds glorious, doesn't it?), keep up with email and social networking during lunch (I always work through lunch for some reason), and edit in the afternoons. I'm looking forward to getting back to a schedule, and I think my writing will benefit from it too. I'm also excited that the evenings can just be family time since the rest of my day will be devoted to writing and editing.
How about you? Do you need a schedule to get work done or can you manage just finding time wherever possible?
*And congrats to Wendy W. for winning a hardcover copy of Raised by Wolves in the Annual Summer Giveaway Hop!*[image error]
August 5, 2012
Monday Mishmash 8/6/12
Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
Summer Giveaway Hop In case you missed it, I'm participating in the Summer Giveaway Hop hosted by Kathy at I'm a Reader Not a Writer. The giveaway is open until August 8 and it's international. Enter here.Touch of Death Galley I'm proofreading the galley of my book! Eep! I'm so excited. It looks gorgeous, and I couldn't be happier with how Spencer Hill Press has made this book shine. :DGuest Post Last Friday, I did a guest post on Cecilia Robert's blog. I talked all about creating memorable heroes and villains. Check it out here.Free Newsletter My free monthly newsletter goes out this evening. If you aren't signed up to receive it and you want to, click here.Picture book sketches I got to see the sketches for one of my upcoming picture books and they are adorable! I'm so happy with them. I love seeing my story through the eyes of an illustrator.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?[image error]
Summer Giveaway Hop In case you missed it, I'm participating in the Summer Giveaway Hop hosted by Kathy at I'm a Reader Not a Writer. The giveaway is open until August 8 and it's international. Enter here.Touch of Death Galley I'm proofreading the galley of my book! Eep! I'm so excited. It looks gorgeous, and I couldn't be happier with how Spencer Hill Press has made this book shine. :DGuest Post Last Friday, I did a guest post on Cecilia Robert's blog. I talked all about creating memorable heroes and villains. Check it out here.Free Newsletter My free monthly newsletter goes out this evening. If you aren't signed up to receive it and you want to, click here.Picture book sketches I got to see the sketches for one of my upcoming picture books and they are adorable! I'm so happy with them. I love seeing my story through the eyes of an illustrator.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?[image error]
August 2, 2012
What's Your Brand?
*If you are looking for the Summer Giveaway Hop, you can find it here.*
Branding is not something I really thought about much. That is until a recent conversation with my awesome agent. You see, I like to write whatever comes to me—everything from picture books, to middle grade, to young adult. The common thread between all of them was the fantasy/paranormal element. But...
This year I wrote a YA contemporary romance. My agent was reading it, and while she really likes the story, she brought something to my attention. I have 6 books under contract (YA and MG) and they are all fantasy/paranormal. That means my brand is fantasy/paranormal. That's where my mind typically goes. And to be honest, my work does have elements of horror. I like creepy. I like to be scared, so my books reflect that.
So, what about my contemporary romance? Switching genres like this could mean I won't find a home for my contemporary romance because I'd have to re-brand myself and some editors see this as too time consuming. I'd never even considered this as an issue, which is why I'm so thankful I have Lauren (my agent of awesome) to guide me. We decided to hold on to the manuscript for now. In the future, I might end up writing contemporary under a pen name, which I'm fine with. It avoids having to re-brand. So a pen name might be the answer. Time will tell.
What's your brand? Do you think about branding when you draft a new WIP?[image error]
Branding is not something I really thought about much. That is until a recent conversation with my awesome agent. You see, I like to write whatever comes to me—everything from picture books, to middle grade, to young adult. The common thread between all of them was the fantasy/paranormal element. But...
This year I wrote a YA contemporary romance. My agent was reading it, and while she really likes the story, she brought something to my attention. I have 6 books under contract (YA and MG) and they are all fantasy/paranormal. That means my brand is fantasy/paranormal. That's where my mind typically goes. And to be honest, my work does have elements of horror. I like creepy. I like to be scared, so my books reflect that.
So, what about my contemporary romance? Switching genres like this could mean I won't find a home for my contemporary romance because I'd have to re-brand myself and some editors see this as too time consuming. I'd never even considered this as an issue, which is why I'm so thankful I have Lauren (my agent of awesome) to guide me. We decided to hold on to the manuscript for now. In the future, I might end up writing contemporary under a pen name, which I'm fine with. It avoids having to re-brand. So a pen name might be the answer. Time will tell.
What's your brand? Do you think about branding when you draft a new WIP?[image error]
July 31, 2012
2nd Annual Summer Giveaway Hop
I'm participating in the Summer Giveaway Hop hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader Not a Writer and co-hosted by Mary from BookHounds & Forever Young (adult).
Here's what I'm giving away:
Winner's choice—choose one of the following:
Hardcover copy of The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
Hardcover copy of Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
Hardcover copy of Heist Society by Ally Carter
Hardcover copy of Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Hardcover copy of Hooked by Les Edgerton (Writing craft book)
*And I'll throw in some Touch of Death SWAG as well. :)
Simply fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check out the other great participating and enter to win lots of awesome prizes.
[image error]
July 29, 2012
Monday Mishmash 7/30/12
Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts today:
Branding I had a really interesting talk about branding with my agent. It really made me think. I'll be blogging about it later this week.Dual POV My next WIP will have a dual POV—one female and one male. I've never written a dual POV before but I'm excited to give it a try. The manuscript really can't work without it, so I need to figure it out. ;)Touch of Death FB page Kendra Saunders, my awesome marketing coordinator at Spencer Hill Press, set up a FB page for Touch of Death. I'm sharing teasers, songs from my playlist, and other cool stuff there. Like it here.Back-to-school shopping I'm getting my daughter set for full-day kindergarten. She starts at the end of August. I miss her already. :(Editing I've been editing for clients in between doing edits on my own books. Something about editing just makes me smile. I guess it's because I know I'm making the manuscript better.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Branding I had a really interesting talk about branding with my agent. It really made me think. I'll be blogging about it later this week.Dual POV My next WIP will have a dual POV—one female and one male. I've never written a dual POV before but I'm excited to give it a try. The manuscript really can't work without it, so I need to figure it out. ;)Touch of Death FB page Kendra Saunders, my awesome marketing coordinator at Spencer Hill Press, set up a FB page for Touch of Death. I'm sharing teasers, songs from my playlist, and other cool stuff there. Like it here.Back-to-school shopping I'm getting my daughter set for full-day kindergarten. She starts at the end of August. I miss her already. :(Editing I've been editing for clients in between doing edits on my own books. Something about editing just makes me smile. I guess it's because I know I'm making the manuscript better.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
July 26, 2012
Life After a Book Contract
My life has definitely changed since December when my two-book deal was announced. And it continues to change. But that doesn't mean it's exactly like I imagined either.
What I imagined:
I thought I'd be counting the days until my release and thinking nothing major happens until that point.
What really happened:
I'm glad I have time to prepare for my release. I've been busy editing, writing the other books in the trilogy, doing interviews and radio shows, brainstorming promotional ideas, and getting really excited about my launch party in Boston. Did I mention it is a zombie aPROMcalypse? How awesome is that?
What I imagined:
I'd be contacting people to interview me and review Touch of Death.
What really happened:
People are contacting me... already! Just last month, I was contacted for four author visits. I've already done readings for Touch of Death and school visits. I'm blown away by this. I also have an amazing marketing person at Spencer Hill Press. (Kendra, you rock!) Having a great publisher behind me really is helping to get the word out.
What I imagined:
I'd be wishing my life away until January.
What really happened:
I'm enjoying every step in the process. I'm looking forward to giveaways and of course the big release day, but I really like all the other things involved in the process. I'm savoring every moment.
So life after the contract is even more amazing than I thought it would be. I'm truly grateful to my agent and Spencer Hill Press.
Your turn. How was life after the contract different from how you thought it would be? And if you are pre-contract, what do you imagine life to be like after you sign?[image error]
What I imagined:
I thought I'd be counting the days until my release and thinking nothing major happens until that point.
What really happened:
I'm glad I have time to prepare for my release. I've been busy editing, writing the other books in the trilogy, doing interviews and radio shows, brainstorming promotional ideas, and getting really excited about my launch party in Boston. Did I mention it is a zombie aPROMcalypse? How awesome is that?
What I imagined:
I'd be contacting people to interview me and review Touch of Death.
What really happened:
People are contacting me... already! Just last month, I was contacted for four author visits. I've already done readings for Touch of Death and school visits. I'm blown away by this. I also have an amazing marketing person at Spencer Hill Press. (Kendra, you rock!) Having a great publisher behind me really is helping to get the word out.
What I imagined:
I'd be wishing my life away until January.
What really happened:
I'm enjoying every step in the process. I'm looking forward to giveaways and of course the big release day, but I really like all the other things involved in the process. I'm savoring every moment.
So life after the contract is even more amazing than I thought it would be. I'm truly grateful to my agent and Spencer Hill Press.
Your turn. How was life after the contract different from how you thought it would be? And if you are pre-contract, what do you imagine life to be like after you sign?[image error]
