Rebecca Donovan's Blog, page 4

Playing with the Big Kids

JUNE 2013!!

I'm not going to torture you and make you read this entire blog for that single piece of information, so I might as well start with it.

Don't be sad! There's no reason to groan!

I'm not playing wiffle ball on the street of my neighborhood anymore. I'm in the "Bigs" now; with that comes a new set of rules, and we need to play nice!

I loved being an Indie Author!

I am a control freak (go figure), and it allowed me to feed the beast by having a say in every little detail - from the formatting, to the book cover, to the Emma-isms that are unique to this series.

But ever since I typed the first word of Reason to Breathe, I've envisioned this series on the shelves of bookstores all over the world for everyone to read! And now it's happening!

Penguin UK/Razorbill is in the process of prettying up the first two books in the series. They will be released as eBooks initially on November 8th, available in the UK, Australia, India and South Africa. The print versions will be available in 2013.

Amazon Publishing will be re-releasing Reason to Breathe in January 2013, Barely Breathing in March 2013 with Out of Breath to follow in June 2013.

Raise that chin; it'll be okay. I promise!

In the meantime, there is a lot to be done before June! There are deadlines, publicists, and hundreds of pages of edits to conquer! I just spent the entire night clicking "accept" edit, "reject" edit, and restructuring sentences in Reason to Breathe for Penguin's upcoming release. I have yet to go to bed, and it's now almost 1pm. I'm about to fall over, and couldn't tell you my own name, but it's worth it. We're playing with the Big Kids now...

Oh! And did I happen to mention that I have until the end of November to finish writing Out of Breath?! Yeah, I'm a little freaked by that. But I discovered last night that my body shuts down at a certain point, and my mind takes over. Who needs sleep?!

This is happening! I've stepped out onto the field, shielding my eyes from the bright lights, and I'm about to let the world know who I am. Are you going to be in the stands cheering me on?!

There is so much more I want to tell you, but I'm not sure you've read beyond the first sentence of this post - haha!

Again, in case you missed it ~ Out of Breath will be released by Amazon Publishing in JUNE 2013!!

All Good Things...

Missed me?! I'm sorry I haven't been around...

I've had one of the most exciting summers of my life! I wish I could tell you all about it... and I will. But not quite yet.

Let's just say ~ I'm a very happy author!

How's Out of Breath coming along, you ask? It's at a very critical point. I'm excited by this story and how it challenges me emotionally during the creative process. I believe this is the most powerful in the series, and I want nothing more than for you to experience the conclusion of Emma's story at your most vulnerable. You'll earn this ending. More importantly I hope you love it as much I do.

I am still writing. I'll be disappearing for a while to really immerse myself into the complexity of Emma's life. And I'll be doing this with the aid of my favorite creative elixir!

Upon the advice of one of my closest friends, now is not the time to kick the Dew habit. It works for me in my writing process, so bring it on! I'm not giving it up!! But I've also discovered that walking five miles a day helps clear my head and focuses my scattered thoughts ~ so that's my compromise - I get to drink the Dew but I have to walk to earn it!

I WILL ANNOUNCE THE OUT OF BREATH RELEASE DATE IN OCTOBER!!!

Yes, I do know when I'm planning to release it. No, I can't tell you yet. Why? I'm not the only one with a say in this decision and I have to wait for everyone to nod their heads "yes" in acceptance. Providing a release date also means I'll have a deadline. As I said, I work well under pressure, but I can still feel my stomach twist with nerves just thinking about what still needs to be done!

Did you see the new cover? I'm so in love with it!!

Reminder:
I'll be in Chicago next Saturday, September 29th, signing whatever non-flesh items you'd like me to sign from 12 to 4 at the Palmer House, with some of the best up and coming authors around! Come visit us! http://tfeic.blogspot.com

Elizabeth has taken over the web site updating - and I am so grateful to her for doing this for me! I give her the words, and she makes it all work! Did I mention how much I despise web site design? I really, really do!! Check it out over the next month as we finally fill in the missing pages!

Speaking of new additions to the web site - I now have Autographed Paperbacks available for purchase!! Yes, you can get my lovely scrawl on the inside of your book! www.rebeccadonovan.com

I've missed you. Although I feel like I talk with most of you daily on my Facebook pages (www.facebook.com/reasontobreathe and www.facebook.com/thebreathingseries).

For those of you who have emailed me, I will respond... I've worked out an "answering emails" time as part of my day - in the morning, because I can't start writing before 1pm. It takes my brain that long to wake up. I'm not a morning person...

I'll be back in a couple of weeks for the Big Date Reveal!! And Much More!!! Be excited!!

All Good Things…

Missed me?! I’m sorry I haven’t been around…

I’ve had one of the most exciting summers of my life! I wish I could tell you all about it… and I will. But not quite yet.

Let’s just say ~ I’m a very happy author!

How’s Out of Breath coming along, you ask? It’s at a very critical point. I’m excited by this story and how it challenges me emotionally during the creative process. I believe this is the most powerful in the series, and I want nothing more than for you to experience the conclusion of Emm...

ODin' on Dew!

So... how's your summer going? I'd really like to push the "pause" button on mine. It is slipping away waaay too quickly.

Progress report: I've written the first quarter of the book (nearly 120 pages). Yes, I know. I really wanted to be further along as well. But considering I spent eight hours yesterday staring at my computer and went to bed with two paragraphs, I don't know what to tell you. I'd try to force it, but then you'd hate it. Last weekend, the chapters were flying and I was so excited.

I think there's a correlation between the Dew consumption and creativity. But after intravenously consuming it for three days straight, I think I built up a tolerance and it was making my brain scattered. Or maybe I was overdosing - either way, my dreams were messed up. I couldn't sit still and I was unable to blink. I'm detoxing right now. I will return to my creative elixir once I get through the withdrawals.

The other reason, and probably the more accurate one, is that the next two chapters are HUGE to the story. VERY! And I'm psyching myself out. I have them choreographed in my head, but I get stage fright every time my fingers hover above my keyboard. I will write them and get past this anxiety attack, and they will be as emotionally charged as they should. I just can't tell you when...

I apologize in advance for those of you who wanted this to be a beautiful love story. It is a love story. It is beautiful. And tragic. And soul wrenching. And it will make you experience every range of emotion you can possibly feel ~ even more so than its predecessors. But you will love it!

Side Note: Before I receive the onslaught of messages and emails fearing I am about to devastate the world. Please know that I may torture you, but I assure you that I'm not sadistic. And my message all along has been one of hope.

Back to the summer... are you enjoying it? Go on vacation? Beach? Camping? How do you want to end your summer?

Want to visit me, Colleen Hoover, Abbi Glines, Nichole Chase and a ton of other extremely talented authors in Decatur, Georgia? (Every time I type "Decatur" it makes me shake my head at the irony. Rachel does not live here, I swear!) We will be at the Decatur Book Festival from August 31st to September 2nd. I will have books to sign. You can take pictures, give hugs and yell at me (not too loud) for breaking your heart(as long as you don't make me cry).

http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/20...

In case Decatur just isn't tempting enough for you, I'll be in Chicago on September 29th from 1 to 4 at The Palmer House with Colleen Hoover, Abbie Glines, Tarryn Fisher, Jillian Dodd, Jenn Sterling, Stephanie Campbell and a ton of other indie authors. We will be quite ridiculous at this appearance, so I apologize in advance. It's going to be a lot of fun for us authors to meet each other too!

I'm having the best time interacting with everyone on my Facebook page as you await Out of Breath! (www.facebook.com/thebreathingseries) You are all fabulous! I've even received some emails with suggestions on how to finish the series. So sweet! But the ending has already been determined. grinning

I will let you get back to your summer, and I will confront my anxiety and type these vital, story-altering chapters! No pressure of anything! deep breath

ODin’ on Dew!

So… how’s your summer going? I’d really like to push the “pause” button on mine. It is slipping away waaay too quickly.

Progress report: I’ve written the first quarter of the book (nearly 120 pages). Yes, I know. I really wanted to be further along as well. But considering I spent eight hours yesterday staring at my computer and went to bed with two paragraphs, I don’t know what to tell you. I’d try to force it, but then you’d hate it. Last weekend, the chapters were flying and I was so excite...

Making Progress!

May was a life changing month for me! I released BARELY BREATHING; signed with a literary agent; received an offer from a publisher (nothing has happened yet, but it's still flattering to receive an offer); I quit my career of twelve years to pursue my passion of writing full time!

I sold more eBooks in the month of May than I did the entire year since the release of REASON TO BREATHE! Holy Smokes!! You've been talking about me a little, haven't you?! Well... THANK YOU!!

Now that summer is upon us, I have returned to... California! Weslyn was left behind in BB and now we're on the West Coast!! Emma was left broken at the end of BARELY BREATHING, so now she has to figure out who she is and how to be worthy of being loved by the only guy she will ever love in return. It's going to be a very intense soul searching journey for her, I promise you that!

There will be MANY new characters with their own unique personalities and roles in Emma's life. And of course there will be the return of those you already know and love, or love to hate! As I've said before, this is Emma's story. But sometimes through OUT OF BREATH, she may not be able to tell her story all on her own...

My goal (but PLEASE do not hold me to this) is to write at least one chapter per day. The past two books have been around 40 chapters. So in estimation, I'm hoping the story will be completed by the end of July! THAT IS NOT THE RELEASE DATE! Ha! (I just saw a few of your eyes light up and wanted to make certain you understood that.) That just means it will then go into the editing process. And that's also assuming that I have my creative energy flowing and can actually write a quality chapter each day. All I can say is that I will try my best! BRING ON THE DEW! (I've been trying to quit, but it's my creative elixir and I can't give it up during the most important book of the series.)

I really don't want to torture you. As contradictory as that may sound considering what I put you through with this series. I seriously get anxious when I see the posts and receive the emails requesting the release date for OOB. I don't want to keep you waiting for long, but more importantly, I don't want to disappoint you!

I will blog more frequently to keep you up to date on what's going on in my head. Warning! That could be a bit dangerous... But I do post on my Facebook pages often so that's the best way to interact with me! I respond to emails the best I can (usually within a week, although I wish it were faster). Becca@rebeccadonovan.com.

I am working out the logistics to have signed copies on my web site available for purchase. I'm awaiting the approval from Paypal... (I'm finding out there's a lot of waiting in this industry. But then again, you know that, don't you?)

However, both books are now available in Paperback form on Amazon.com. I do feel I need to apologize for the pricing. I will be honest and come right out and say I really don't make much from the print books; it's just the price that is set in order to print on demand. (The strife of an Indie Author I guess!) Oh! And have you seen the new covers?


http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615581927
http://www.amazon.com/Barely-Breathin...

A question I've been asked on my FB page is if I plan to write other books after this series. YES! I already have several in mind that will make for compelling reads. I think I like to continue writing in a realistic fiction style, but I don't think the next one will be as angst ridden. I would like to write a sweet and unconventional love story. I hope you stick around...

Enjoy your summer ~ I know I will! And I promise to post again soon!

Wanna Know a Secret?

I'm slowly coming out of my post-writing coma. I even made my bed this morning, which hasn't happened in about a month!

I've answered most of my emails ~ if I haven't responded to you yet, I will, I promise.

And I am in the process of updating my web page which includes sharing two deleted scenes from BARELY BREATHING.

Now that most of you have read BARELY BREATHING (if you haven't, don't worry, I won't spoil anything, so you can keep reading), take a breath. It's okay to be upset, really it is. You have every right to be angry with Emma. She deserves it. She hasn't made the best decisions under duress, but she is a complicated and fractured character. She will be the first to admit, "It makes me stupid." So as much as you'd like to scream at her, I hope you then want to pull her to you and squeeze her tight because she is quite lost and broken. Don't give up on her...

I recognize how much angst I've incited, and I have to admit I never intended it to the extreme that it has erupted. Yes, REASON TO BREATHE was left at a dire moment, but I didn't deem BARELY BREATHING's ending a "cliffhanger". I knew it wasn't the ending you all wanted, but I was actually pretty proud of myself for giving you a proper ending, even adding a shimmer of hope with the last sentence.

The truth is... it's not the end. I've created this series as one long story, but divided it into three parts of Emma's life as she's becoming the woman the rest of the world will finally get to see. And that's what "The Breathing Series" is... it's Emma's story. Yes, there is an underlying love theme, but there are also underlying themes of denial, trust and fear. In the end, it's the story of a girl. A girl who has touched your hearts while making you frustrated and fearing her next decision, but also cheering her on when she finally stands up for herself. She is flawed to perfection, but I hope she is still worthy of your praise and affection.

This is not Evan's story, or Sara's story. But they are a part of Emma's. And I can't imagine her life without them influencing it in some way, whether they are present or not. But trust me, you will want to know how it all ends!

Ah, yes, that leads us to the final part of Emma's story ~ OUT OF BREATH. I wrote this conclusion nearly three years ago. So much has happened since then, especially since I rewrote BARELY BREATHING from the very first word over the past year. So I have decisions to make regarding my approach to OUT OF BREATH. I could use the original and edit it, but there is a lot of editing to do. Or... the other choice is to use the original story as an outline and write it again.

Before you panic and fear you will have to wait another year for the next book, know that I am officially a full-time writer and will not have to divide my time with another career. This will absolutely help expedite the process. However, I still cannot provide a release date until I am confident I can meet it. I made that mistake once in my post-publishing euphoria, and I will not do it again.

I am leaning towards writing it again from the beginning, only because the words will flow together better. I feel I have grown as a writer since I created REASON TO BREATHE, and I want that to be evident in the beautiful story that is the end.

Besides, Emma killed Jonathan in the first version of BARELY BREATHING that I wrote three years ago, (I know, crazy, huh?!) and so he's currently not even in OUT OF BREATH. And now, he can't be ignored, can he?

Yes, a lot was changed in BARELY BREATHING, the ending being the most drastic. And I do have another secret... OUT OF BREATH is my favorite!

Need to talk about it? I am finalizing the details so that I can make a guest appearance at your Book Clubs via Skype. (Remember, the camera adds 15 pounds, so don't judge - ha!). I will post the details on my web page ~ www.rebeccadonovan.com, when I have everything in place! I can't wait to meet you all!

Also, I'm working with a design company to create new covers for "The Breathing Series" so that they can be put into print! Yes, you will be able to hold it in your hands, breathe in the pages, and then throw it across the room for real!

BARELY BREATHING is currently available on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007Z0ODCY, Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barel..., and Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view.... It will be available on iBooks, Kobo, Sony and Diesel within the next few weeks (Sorry for the delay! Not my doing, I swear!).

I also republished BB on B&N and Amazon on May 8th due to bloops I did not catch in my sleep deprived state while fighting to meet my publication deadline. You may delete it from your Nook and then re-upload it, so that you have the latest version. And you may email Amazon requesting that they send the most up to date version to your Kindle. I apologize profusely for the numerous errors. It is not the reading experience I wanted you to have.

If you haven't already discovered these pages, I post on Facebook often ~ (https://www.facebook.com/ReasontoBreathe , https://www.facebook.com/TheBreathing... ). I like sharing...

Wanna know one more secret?

I couldn't have done any of this without all of YOU, so thank you for your devotion, emotional tirades, and words of praise as I share Emma's life with you. I am grateful you are there to read my words!

Okay, fine. I'll tell you one more secret... someone dies in OUT OF BREATH. Was that a bad secret? Ooops.

Happy (Un)Birthday!!

What's a better gift on this amazing day than BARELY BREATHING one day early?!

After working on perfecting it last night (which included re-writing the ending for the fourth time), I submitted BARELY BREATHING to Amazon and Barnes & Noble this morning at 7 am!

I woke five hours later to find that it was already available for purchase... so enjoy! Take your time. Absorb the words. It is a long book with a long and twisty journey.

But above all else, I hope you fall back in love again!

http://www.amazon.com/Barely-Breathin...

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barel...

The Madness of Perfection

With only four days until the launch of BARELY BREATHING, I'm still in the cross-eyed depths of editing. My editor, Elizabeth, and I are reading the novel one final time and perfecting it.

However, when it comes to writing, perfection is virtually unattainable. I am convinced I could read my work for years and still find something to fuss over. There is a point that it just needs to be finished!

We are nearing that point, or more like, we will be forced to since the clock is ticking and the readers are anxiously waiting.

I won't torture you for much longer, and promise to share my words soon enough.

In the meantime... I'm still perfecting the ending! I have until May 1st after all!

Tag! You're It!

With thirty-five days until Barely Breathing's release, my editor and I have been playing tag as we venture through the line editing phase. She has the completed manuscript and is dissecting it line by line. She then sends me the sentences that need rewording, or suggests alternatives to make them more powerful. Essentially she is making the story worthy for you to read, and I can't imagine editing without her! (Did I ever tell you that editing is my least favorite part? Blah!)

Elizabeth is the best editor because she loves the characters as much as I do. She understands my voice, and appreciates the writing style - as wordy as it sometimes is. Together, we are polishing it up nice and pretty, (or not so pretty - ha!) in preparation for its release on May 1st!

At this moment, Barely Breathing is 10,000 words longer than RtB. I know, you thought RtB was long! We're trying to trim off the excess, but the integrity of the story is what's most important.

When I create each story, the chapters fall together like pieces of a puzzle. One moment leads to another, and what a person says on page 100 can directly impact something that happens on page 260. It's interwoven with precision and everything is on purpose. So when I hear that people read RtB in a day or two, my first thought is - did they miss it - all of the details? I would love to encourage you to read it again right before the release of Barely Breathing and I hope you recognize the subtlety.

Because of these connections, I now have to do some reconstruction of the third book. This is mainly due to the ending. The ending to Barely Breathing has been rewritten three times already, and I'm still obsessing over it. So the ending you will read, will not be what was originally intended.

May 1st will be here before you know it! I release teasers on my Facebook page often, and I encourage you to check it out - https://www.facebook.com/ReasontoBreathe.

I think I feel like jumping! Want to join me?

Soundtrack Song #14

"Burn It Down" ~ Awolnation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS_gT5...