Samantha Combs's Blog, page 25
September 6, 2011
My Personal Path to Publication - Rhiannon Paille
Hello all! I'm so excited today to have the uncompromising Rhiannon Paille as the guest author on the blog today. She tells her story and shares her journey with us and let me tell you, she isn't holding anything back. And unlike most of my guests, she has published in both worlds, both fiction AND non-fiction. She is spiritual and meta-physical and her peace and inner-tranquility sings out from her words. So, please enjoy the inspiring and motivating words from my dear friend Rhiannon Paille.
1. How long have you been writing?
I've been writing since I was twelve, but I began writing novels at twenty one. I've had six years of writing now, everything from essays, articles, short stories, master thesis, doctoral dissertation, non-fiction, manuals, and yes, YA Fantasy.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? If not, what's your plan?
I was a self published author as of April 2010. I put out my non-fiction book Integrated Intuition: A comprehensive guide to Psychic Development after being turned down by Llewellyn's Press. My plan has always been the same, begin at the top and work my way down, hoping that something catches before I hit rock bottom. In the case of Integrated Intuition, I was completely on my own. My newest book, Flame of Surrender (The Ferryman and The Flame #1) was picked up by Coscom Entertainment.
3. Which route did you choose for becoming published, the traditional route, with an agent, the "indie" route, going directly to the publishers yourself, or deciding to self-publish?
I worked my way down. I began with the agents and at one point received a full MS critique from a reputable agent, but it didn't lead to representation. I then began the waiting and the wondering, and the gnawing on my fingernails. I didn't want to query at the wrong time so I chose July and I sent another round of queries. At the same time, I had something unexpected happen. I was chatting with a local small press and turns out locally he's not very big, but on the worldwide platform he's much bigger. We got talking about my book and he was interested. He took a look and then signed me.
4. How long did it take you to write your first novel?
It took me three years to write Integrated Intuition and six years to write Flame of Surrender. There have been multiple rewrites on both books.
5. How long did it take you to publish it?
Integrated Intuition was picked up on the first try. I mean, they read it, they got back to me, they gave me revision requests, and then they dropped me. Flame of Surrender went through four rounds of querying, a partial was requested by one agent, a full MS critique was given by another agent and then I spoke with the editor in chief at Coscom Entertainment and he signed it. I suppose from the time I began querying to the time I signed the contract it was about two years.
6. How many times did it get rejected before it got published?
Flame of Surrender was rejected 118 times before it got picked up. I even double queried some people by accident, and that didn't help.
7. Describe your worst rejection letter.
I'll never forget it! The agent said he loved the idea, the line by line writing was strong, but he wasn't drawn in enough and he had to pass. It was like, "You did everything you were supposed to do, but it's still not enough." It left me with a lot of questions.
8. Describe the best news you ever got in your writing life and how it felt.
The best news I ever got was from my guides. They told me that the book was ready, that it was perfect the way it was and not to change a single thing about it. They told me that it was time to get the book published, and then subsequently the deal came through shortly after that.
9. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?
The worst advice I got for Flame of Surrender was from my mom. I love her, but when she was reading the book she actually changed my main character's names to Pam and John. Then she said it would work out better with more modern names. Needless to say I cringed away from it.
10. Now, tell us the best.
This came from my guides too. The best way to explain it is just to replay the conversation.
Guide: What are your romance scenes like?Me: They're fine! (ugh stop pestering me)Guide: Yeah they're "fine" Me: What? They're not hot enough?Guide: Have you read them?Me: Yes, and they're fine.Guide: Exactly, they're fine.Me: Oh so you're saying they're not hot?Guide: I'm not saying anything.Me: Crap, they're not hot enough.
11. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?
Remember your talents and your strengths. Remember what you can do other than writing. Use every resource available to you. Study as much as you can. Use ALL of your talents when writing, promoting and publishing.
Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille
The boy who follows death meets the girl who could cause the apocalypse.
KrishaniKaliel, the one girl on the island of Avristar who isn't afraid of him. She's unlike the other girls, she swims with merfolk
Nobody has fallen in love with a flame until now. She becomes Krishani's refuge from the dreams of death and the weather abilities he can't control. Striking down thousand year old trees with lightning isn't something he tries to do, it just happens. When the Ferryman dies, Krishani knows that he's the next and that a lifetime of following death is his destiny.
And Kaliel can't come with him. The Valtanyana are hunting the flames, the safest place for her is Avristar. Krishani can't bear to leave her, and one innocent mistake grants the Valtanyana access to their mystical island. They're coming for Kaliel, and they won't stop until every last living creature on Avristar is dead. She has to choose, hide, face them, or awaken the flame and potentially destroy herself.
Now that you've had the chance to "meet" Rhiannon, make sure you friend her on facebook and especially on Twitter...she is very active there. Flame of Surrender is the 1st book in Rhiannon's series, The Ferryman and the Flame and will be out November 1st, 2011. Connect with Rhiannon on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/psychicrhiannon?sk=info and Twitter here: @RhiannonPaille. Have a great day, look forward to her book, and in Rhiannon's words herself, Namaste!
1. How long have you been writing?
I've been writing since I was twelve, but I began writing novels at twenty one. I've had six years of writing now, everything from essays, articles, short stories, master thesis, doctoral dissertation, non-fiction, manuals, and yes, YA Fantasy.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? If not, what's your plan?
I was a self published author as of April 2010. I put out my non-fiction book Integrated Intuition: A comprehensive guide to Psychic Development after being turned down by Llewellyn's Press. My plan has always been the same, begin at the top and work my way down, hoping that something catches before I hit rock bottom. In the case of Integrated Intuition, I was completely on my own. My newest book, Flame of Surrender (The Ferryman and The Flame #1) was picked up by Coscom Entertainment.
3. Which route did you choose for becoming published, the traditional route, with an agent, the "indie" route, going directly to the publishers yourself, or deciding to self-publish?
I worked my way down. I began with the agents and at one point received a full MS critique from a reputable agent, but it didn't lead to representation. I then began the waiting and the wondering, and the gnawing on my fingernails. I didn't want to query at the wrong time so I chose July and I sent another round of queries. At the same time, I had something unexpected happen. I was chatting with a local small press and turns out locally he's not very big, but on the worldwide platform he's much bigger. We got talking about my book and he was interested. He took a look and then signed me.
4. How long did it take you to write your first novel?
It took me three years to write Integrated Intuition and six years to write Flame of Surrender. There have been multiple rewrites on both books.
5. How long did it take you to publish it?
Integrated Intuition was picked up on the first try. I mean, they read it, they got back to me, they gave me revision requests, and then they dropped me. Flame of Surrender went through four rounds of querying, a partial was requested by one agent, a full MS critique was given by another agent and then I spoke with the editor in chief at Coscom Entertainment and he signed it. I suppose from the time I began querying to the time I signed the contract it was about two years.
6. How many times did it get rejected before it got published?
Flame of Surrender was rejected 118 times before it got picked up. I even double queried some people by accident, and that didn't help.
7. Describe your worst rejection letter.
I'll never forget it! The agent said he loved the idea, the line by line writing was strong, but he wasn't drawn in enough and he had to pass. It was like, "You did everything you were supposed to do, but it's still not enough." It left me with a lot of questions.
8. Describe the best news you ever got in your writing life and how it felt.
The best news I ever got was from my guides. They told me that the book was ready, that it was perfect the way it was and not to change a single thing about it. They told me that it was time to get the book published, and then subsequently the deal came through shortly after that.
9. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?
The worst advice I got for Flame of Surrender was from my mom. I love her, but when she was reading the book she actually changed my main character's names to Pam and John. Then she said it would work out better with more modern names. Needless to say I cringed away from it.
10. Now, tell us the best.
This came from my guides too. The best way to explain it is just to replay the conversation.
Guide: What are your romance scenes like?Me: They're fine! (ugh stop pestering me)Guide: Yeah they're "fine" Me: What? They're not hot enough?Guide: Have you read them?Me: Yes, and they're fine.Guide: Exactly, they're fine.Me: Oh so you're saying they're not hot?Guide: I'm not saying anything.Me: Crap, they're not hot enough.
11. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?
Remember your talents and your strengths. Remember what you can do other than writing. Use every resource available to you. Study as much as you can. Use ALL of your talents when writing, promoting and publishing.
Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille
The boy who follows death meets the girl who could cause the apocalypse.
KrishaniKaliel, the one girl on the island of Avristar who isn't afraid of him. She's unlike the other girls, she swims with merfolk
Nobody has fallen in love with a flame until now. She becomes Krishani's refuge from the dreams of death and the weather abilities he can't control. Striking down thousand year old trees with lightning isn't something he tries to do, it just happens. When the Ferryman dies, Krishani knows that he's the next and that a lifetime of following death is his destiny.
And Kaliel can't come with him. The Valtanyana are hunting the flames, the safest place for her is Avristar. Krishani can't bear to leave her, and one innocent mistake grants the Valtanyana access to their mystical island. They're coming for Kaliel, and they won't stop until every last living creature on Avristar is dead. She has to choose, hide, face them, or awaken the flame and potentially destroy herself.
Now that you've had the chance to "meet" Rhiannon, make sure you friend her on facebook and especially on Twitter...she is very active there. Flame of Surrender is the 1st book in Rhiannon's series, The Ferryman and the Flame and will be out November 1st, 2011. Connect with Rhiannon on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/psychicrhiannon?sk=info and Twitter here: @RhiannonPaille. Have a great day, look forward to her book, and in Rhiannon's words herself, Namaste!
September 5, 2011
My Personal Path to Publication - Crystal Cattabriga
Happy Labor Day everyone! Thanks for joining us on the blog today. We have a great author for you today, self-published writer/memoirist, Crystal Cattabriga. The author of Shattered to Pieces, has shared a true story of her personal experience. Please welcome her and enjoy her recounting of her own Path to Publication.
1. Welcome Crystal. How long have you been writing?
I started writing this year in May after leaving my full time job that I worked at for 12 years.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? If not, what's your plan?Yes I am, I have been published since July.
3. Which route did you choose for becoming published, the traditional route, with an agent, the "indie" route, going directly to the publishers yourself, or deciding to self-publish?I decided to self publish
4. Why did you choose that particular route?My choice in self publishing was so I could own the rights of my novels freely
5. How long did it take you to write your first novel?It took me seven weeks to write my first novel
6. How long did it take you to publish it?The process time in which it took my book to be published was two weeks
7. How many times did it get rejected before it got published?There was no rejection seeing I self-published my own book
8. What was the best news you ever got in your writing life and how did it make you feel?I think the best news I received on my book has been the reviews and the constant support from fans and family
9. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?That I shouldn't leave my job in this economy in case my writing novels don't work out
10. Now, tell us the best!The best advice that I have received would have to be, that I am determined in everything I do so there wouldn't be failure
11. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?My advice would be to keep writing if it is your passion
12. Where can we read your blog? Buy your books? Connect with you on facebook? On Twitter? Your website?My books can be bought through Barnes & Nobles, Amazon.
You can find information on myself and of my books on http://facebook.com/ccattabriga
Book Blurb: Shattered Into Pieces is a true story based on events that took place in my life. A man I once call dad and trusted was now the man I was trying to escape from. Would I ever be able to deal with what was coming next? The shocking truth of who he really was and what he really did will leave you stunned. Find out how I survived and found closure to the life I knew and now left behind once and for all.
Crystal is also working on two new novels, Loving Ema, and Saving Bobby, BOTH due out in November of this year and excitingly, she will be doing a 9-day book signing in her home state of Georgia, in Clarkesville, from Sept 9-17th. Come on out...she would love to meet you! Details can be found here: http://crystalcattabrigabooks.blogspot.com/
1. Welcome Crystal. How long have you been writing?
I started writing this year in May after leaving my full time job that I worked at for 12 years.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? If not, what's your plan?Yes I am, I have been published since July.
3. Which route did you choose for becoming published, the traditional route, with an agent, the "indie" route, going directly to the publishers yourself, or deciding to self-publish?I decided to self publish
4. Why did you choose that particular route?My choice in self publishing was so I could own the rights of my novels freely
5. How long did it take you to write your first novel?It took me seven weeks to write my first novel
6. How long did it take you to publish it?The process time in which it took my book to be published was two weeks
7. How many times did it get rejected before it got published?There was no rejection seeing I self-published my own book
8. What was the best news you ever got in your writing life and how did it make you feel?I think the best news I received on my book has been the reviews and the constant support from fans and family
9. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?That I shouldn't leave my job in this economy in case my writing novels don't work out
10. Now, tell us the best!The best advice that I have received would have to be, that I am determined in everything I do so there wouldn't be failure
11. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?My advice would be to keep writing if it is your passion
12. Where can we read your blog? Buy your books? Connect with you on facebook? On Twitter? Your website?My books can be bought through Barnes & Nobles, Amazon.
You can find information on myself and of my books on http://facebook.com/ccattabriga
Book Blurb: Shattered Into Pieces is a true story based on events that took place in my life. A man I once call dad and trusted was now the man I was trying to escape from. Would I ever be able to deal with what was coming next? The shocking truth of who he really was and what he really did will leave you stunned. Find out how I survived and found closure to the life I knew and now left behind once and for all.
Crystal is also working on two new novels, Loving Ema, and Saving Bobby, BOTH due out in November of this year and excitingly, she will be doing a 9-day book signing in her home state of Georgia, in Clarkesville, from Sept 9-17th. Come on out...she would love to meet you! Details can be found here: http://crystalcattabrigabooks.blogspot.com/
September 4, 2011
The Guest Blog Post Schedule So Far
I have been thrilled with the response I've received from my friends/authors/writers regarding this guest post series I've started. The first three posts, even including mine, have been very well-received, and the ones I have in my possession that you haven't seen yet are nothing short of heartbreaking and inspirational. I have been bowled over by the personal journeys of these wonderful people and so touched that they are willing to share them with me and with you, here, on my blog. I wanted to give you an idea of the major talent you can expect in the coming days. Check out this lineup:
Mon, Sept 5 Crystal Cattabriga, author of Shattered Into Pieces
Tues, Sept 6 Rhiannon Paille, author of Flame and Surrender
Weds, Sept 7 Scott Prussing, author of Breathless and the soon-to-be-released, Deathless
Thurs, Sept 8 Gracen Miller, author of Pandora's Box in the Road to Hell series
Fri, Sept 9, Kay Springsteen, author of Heartsight, and the upcoming, Heartsent
Then the week after that, we have
Mon, Sept 12 Lindsay Downs, author of Emily Dahill, CID
Tues, Sept 13 Dominique Eastwick, author of Strawberry Kisses, among others
Weds, Sept 14 Joselyn Vaughn, author of Sucker for a Hot Rod
Thurs, Sept 15 Rue Volley, author of the Blood and Light series (6 books in all!)
Fri, Sept 16th Jason McIntyre, author of Road Markers and a brand new title he'll be unveiling to us!
I am so beyond excited for you to read these guest posts, I have to check every day to see whose turn it is! And I am receiving new responses every day. I have another week's worth of posts to receive and schedule yet and new authors approach me all the time. This experiment has turned into such a success and I, personally, am receiving such encouragement from authors whose opinion I practically REVERE. I hope you are too. So, seriously, stay tuned. Where else am I ever going to rub elbows with this much potential star power????
Mon, Sept 5 Crystal Cattabriga, author of Shattered Into Pieces
Tues, Sept 6 Rhiannon Paille, author of Flame and Surrender
Weds, Sept 7 Scott Prussing, author of Breathless and the soon-to-be-released, Deathless
Thurs, Sept 8 Gracen Miller, author of Pandora's Box in the Road to Hell series
Fri, Sept 9, Kay Springsteen, author of Heartsight, and the upcoming, Heartsent
Then the week after that, we have
Mon, Sept 12 Lindsay Downs, author of Emily Dahill, CID
Tues, Sept 13 Dominique Eastwick, author of Strawberry Kisses, among others
Weds, Sept 14 Joselyn Vaughn, author of Sucker for a Hot Rod
Thurs, Sept 15 Rue Volley, author of the Blood and Light series (6 books in all!)
Fri, Sept 16th Jason McIntyre, author of Road Markers and a brand new title he'll be unveiling to us!
I am so beyond excited for you to read these guest posts, I have to check every day to see whose turn it is! And I am receiving new responses every day. I have another week's worth of posts to receive and schedule yet and new authors approach me all the time. This experiment has turned into such a success and I, personally, am receiving such encouragement from authors whose opinion I practically REVERE. I hope you are too. So, seriously, stay tuned. Where else am I ever going to rub elbows with this much potential star power????
September 2, 2011
My Personal Path to Publication - Stefan Ellery
Thanks for joining us on what is likely your first day of a long, Labor Day holiday weekend. I have a treat for you today. We are showcasing Stefan Ellery, a wonderful children's book writer who is sharing his journey with us today. I was delighted and heartbroken by some of his personal insights, as I'm sure you will be as well. Stefan, thank you for being so personal with us. I, and I'm sure everyone reading this, will understand your experience.
1. How long have you been writing?I first started writing in high school when I was going through my teen angst. We generally all experience it. The feeling of being alone and and unwanted. This came out in a form of miserable and depressing poetry. There had also been some novel attempts in between my dark period but they were unsuccessful. The ideas were great, but they were to big for a person who did not have enough life experience and academic knowledge to properly create worlds for epic fantasies and hardcore scifi novels.
I was lucky enough to have a creative writing class in high school taught by a teacher that was a published author. Through her assignments I was able to direct my energies towards more positive and creative poems. After high school I entered college and studied film and television production. My focus was production management and script writing. The strange thing with scriptwriting I could never do an outline for a film without it coming out like a story. I always added unnecessary details and believe me that's not going to make a teacher who has written several scripts for a successful television series like your work. In fact he was very hard on me and had called one of my outlines a slice of life.
Still I finished the course successfully. In between I had been writing a novel and managed to get up to fifty pages, it was a horror and what I had written was intense and dramatic. It was nothing like king or Barker but I had thought I had gotten close. I would also have to say this was the point in my life I gave up on writing. I was stupid enough to lend my floppy (storage device) to another person in my class. All my writing was on that disc. The person I lent it too read my story and shared it with another. They both confronted me and told me I was sick. Not only that but they started spreading rumors about me that were untrue.
When my disc was returned it was damaged and I suspect it was intentional. The worst part was I did not know how to handle this, I was upset and needed to talk to a counselor. Instead of getting help the counselor decided my wip was not normal for a person to write, he then betrayed my trust and used it for a thesis. I have read novels by successfully published authors since then that proved what I wrote was light in comparison. After I graduated I ended up moving into an audiovisual career that did not fit my creative personality. My writing was dead and I would not attempt to write until another eighteen years had passed. I had verbally made up stories for my son to get him to sleep. unfortunately I had never written them down.
Now some things happened with my career where some changes were forced on me. These changes created unwanted stress that led me too become sick with Pneumonia, strep throat, bronchitis and other diseases all one after another basically my immune system was shot. I did not know I was suffering from depression, anxiety and stress until I broke down in my doctors office. I probably had this going on with me longer than I had known, but may have controlled it with the karate classes I was taking. In the end I was overwhelmed and even martial arts was not enough to manage my stress. Things got to the point that I had become hospitalized. Somehow I turned too writing to heal me. It was almost instinctive. The first thing I started writing was a novel from a first person view. It did not go to well, the story was to similar to my life and full of hate toward what was done to me. I couldn't finish it because it just increased my hurt. This was also the time I discovered textnovel.com and where I started posting the story. I was scared to post anything because I was afraid of a repeat of what happened to me in college and had a fear of my manager seeing me write anything while I was on short term disability. Nevertheless I became inspired by the writers on the site who were brave enough to share the WIPS for the world to see.
Abandoning my main novel and a couple of attempts I started writing children stories. They were very cathartic for my soul and after I wrote one I could not stop. I just kept on writing one after another. Each time I wrote one they kept on getting longer until I started a series of a couple of lovable characters called Kalle Rabbit and Pelle Fox. I found that I had developed a writing habit and started on a Novel called Fire of the Rose. The basic idea was originally my sons but being ten at the time he insisted I write it.
With each thing I write I learn something different. I once told my mom I wished I did not stop writing, thinking if I had not I would have had a career in writing when I was much younger. What my mom told me was a truth that I had not considered. Simply put I was not ready to be a writer until I hit my forties. That was I needed the right set of circumstances whether it be good or bad to push me in the direction I needed to go. I am still broken, but each word, each paragraph, each character I write is putting my pieces back together.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? If not, what's your plan?Apart from a poem in a college news paper I am not published as of yet. I intend to send my novels to indie pubs. All my children stories I will self publish once I have figured out how I am going to get the illustrations done. I will start with e-book and once I have raised enough capital I will put some of them to print. I don't believe traditional press would be interested in my children stories because I have a strong belief that children stories should be shared and enjoyed by both child and parent and my writing reflects that. I think Beatrix Potter understood that. Indie pubs can represent an author better than any legacy publisher. They are more adaptable to the changes in the publishing industry and are more upfront about what they are looking for. I would recommend that as a writer do your research to see what route fits best with your ideals and lifestyle
3. How long did it take you to write your first novel?Fire of the Rose took me about five months to write and my children stories varied from one day to a week. The best thing you can do is set small goals for yourself so you are not overwhelmed, once those goals have been met the bigger goals become that much more attainable.
4. How many times did it get rejected before it got published?I had submitted a couple of children stories to some legacy publishers and have received three rejection letters. If I had not met amazing people online I would not of changed the direction of my publishing path and I would still be waiting for more rejection letters from legacy publishers.
5. Describe your worst rejection letter.The worst rejection letter was my first. Not because anything bad was said, it was just the first time I had to deal with a rejection from a publisher. Who cares if you get a rejection letter, it`s just one person`s view. You can`t let it stop you from moving forward. If you are lucky you may get some good advise that will help you develop your manuscript further.
6. Describe the best news you ever got in your writing life and how it felt.The best news I had received was getting an editors choice award for Fire of the Rose by the text novel team. It put me on a high and gave me the feeling that I was doing something right. Use any good news you receive to push yourself further in your career.
7. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?The worst piece of advise came from someone close to me. They told me my writing sucks and I should look for a real job instead of trying to make a career out of writing. I can't fault them for saying it, because if my situation does not change I will have problems financially in the future.Negative statements like that are often untrue and encourage self talk. That is in our mind we repeat the negatives over and over again until we are unable to function. Ignore your self talk and work hard. If your serious about writing nothing will stop you from getting published.
8. Now, tell us the best.I can't credit one person for the good advise I have received. But through positive comments on textnovel and having others look at my work I have gained more insight to writing. In particular I would say that Crystal Ward, Kathleen Ball, SN Parish and Monique O'conner James have helped me with their comments and suggestions. Though one person kept me going and that was my son. I had to write something everyday so I could read it to him.
9. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?If you are just starting to write, consider doing short stories before writing a novel. You need to develop your style and the habit of writing before attempting something big. For me it was children stories and now I am writing YA novels. Also no matter what anyone says to you about your writing don't let it stop what you are doing.Just keep on going and going. Also talk to published and unpublished authors they will happily give you advise. You can reach them through facebook, blogs twitter and other forms of social media.
10. Where can we read your blog? Buy your books? Connect with you on facebook? On Twitter? Your website?www.modernfables.weebly.comwww.sellery.weebly.comtwitter @sellery2010http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stefan-Ellery/152624918128311www.sellery2010.wordpress.com
Hope you enjoyed learning about Stefan! He is very active on Facebook and belongs to many of the facebook groups. After you connect with him here, make sure and friend him there. He would love to meet you! And stay tuned here on the blog, there are SO MANY EXCITING AUTHORS coming up in the series. Have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend!
1. How long have you been writing?I first started writing in high school when I was going through my teen angst. We generally all experience it. The feeling of being alone and and unwanted. This came out in a form of miserable and depressing poetry. There had also been some novel attempts in between my dark period but they were unsuccessful. The ideas were great, but they were to big for a person who did not have enough life experience and academic knowledge to properly create worlds for epic fantasies and hardcore scifi novels.
I was lucky enough to have a creative writing class in high school taught by a teacher that was a published author. Through her assignments I was able to direct my energies towards more positive and creative poems. After high school I entered college and studied film and television production. My focus was production management and script writing. The strange thing with scriptwriting I could never do an outline for a film without it coming out like a story. I always added unnecessary details and believe me that's not going to make a teacher who has written several scripts for a successful television series like your work. In fact he was very hard on me and had called one of my outlines a slice of life.
Still I finished the course successfully. In between I had been writing a novel and managed to get up to fifty pages, it was a horror and what I had written was intense and dramatic. It was nothing like king or Barker but I had thought I had gotten close. I would also have to say this was the point in my life I gave up on writing. I was stupid enough to lend my floppy (storage device) to another person in my class. All my writing was on that disc. The person I lent it too read my story and shared it with another. They both confronted me and told me I was sick. Not only that but they started spreading rumors about me that were untrue.
When my disc was returned it was damaged and I suspect it was intentional. The worst part was I did not know how to handle this, I was upset and needed to talk to a counselor. Instead of getting help the counselor decided my wip was not normal for a person to write, he then betrayed my trust and used it for a thesis. I have read novels by successfully published authors since then that proved what I wrote was light in comparison. After I graduated I ended up moving into an audiovisual career that did not fit my creative personality. My writing was dead and I would not attempt to write until another eighteen years had passed. I had verbally made up stories for my son to get him to sleep. unfortunately I had never written them down.
Now some things happened with my career where some changes were forced on me. These changes created unwanted stress that led me too become sick with Pneumonia, strep throat, bronchitis and other diseases all one after another basically my immune system was shot. I did not know I was suffering from depression, anxiety and stress until I broke down in my doctors office. I probably had this going on with me longer than I had known, but may have controlled it with the karate classes I was taking. In the end I was overwhelmed and even martial arts was not enough to manage my stress. Things got to the point that I had become hospitalized. Somehow I turned too writing to heal me. It was almost instinctive. The first thing I started writing was a novel from a first person view. It did not go to well, the story was to similar to my life and full of hate toward what was done to me. I couldn't finish it because it just increased my hurt. This was also the time I discovered textnovel.com and where I started posting the story. I was scared to post anything because I was afraid of a repeat of what happened to me in college and had a fear of my manager seeing me write anything while I was on short term disability. Nevertheless I became inspired by the writers on the site who were brave enough to share the WIPS for the world to see.
Abandoning my main novel and a couple of attempts I started writing children stories. They were very cathartic for my soul and after I wrote one I could not stop. I just kept on writing one after another. Each time I wrote one they kept on getting longer until I started a series of a couple of lovable characters called Kalle Rabbit and Pelle Fox. I found that I had developed a writing habit and started on a Novel called Fire of the Rose. The basic idea was originally my sons but being ten at the time he insisted I write it.
With each thing I write I learn something different. I once told my mom I wished I did not stop writing, thinking if I had not I would have had a career in writing when I was much younger. What my mom told me was a truth that I had not considered. Simply put I was not ready to be a writer until I hit my forties. That was I needed the right set of circumstances whether it be good or bad to push me in the direction I needed to go. I am still broken, but each word, each paragraph, each character I write is putting my pieces back together.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? If not, what's your plan?Apart from a poem in a college news paper I am not published as of yet. I intend to send my novels to indie pubs. All my children stories I will self publish once I have figured out how I am going to get the illustrations done. I will start with e-book and once I have raised enough capital I will put some of them to print. I don't believe traditional press would be interested in my children stories because I have a strong belief that children stories should be shared and enjoyed by both child and parent and my writing reflects that. I think Beatrix Potter understood that. Indie pubs can represent an author better than any legacy publisher. They are more adaptable to the changes in the publishing industry and are more upfront about what they are looking for. I would recommend that as a writer do your research to see what route fits best with your ideals and lifestyle
3. How long did it take you to write your first novel?Fire of the Rose took me about five months to write and my children stories varied from one day to a week. The best thing you can do is set small goals for yourself so you are not overwhelmed, once those goals have been met the bigger goals become that much more attainable.
4. How many times did it get rejected before it got published?I had submitted a couple of children stories to some legacy publishers and have received three rejection letters. If I had not met amazing people online I would not of changed the direction of my publishing path and I would still be waiting for more rejection letters from legacy publishers.
5. Describe your worst rejection letter.The worst rejection letter was my first. Not because anything bad was said, it was just the first time I had to deal with a rejection from a publisher. Who cares if you get a rejection letter, it`s just one person`s view. You can`t let it stop you from moving forward. If you are lucky you may get some good advise that will help you develop your manuscript further.
6. Describe the best news you ever got in your writing life and how it felt.The best news I had received was getting an editors choice award for Fire of the Rose by the text novel team. It put me on a high and gave me the feeling that I was doing something right. Use any good news you receive to push yourself further in your career.
7. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?The worst piece of advise came from someone close to me. They told me my writing sucks and I should look for a real job instead of trying to make a career out of writing. I can't fault them for saying it, because if my situation does not change I will have problems financially in the future.Negative statements like that are often untrue and encourage self talk. That is in our mind we repeat the negatives over and over again until we are unable to function. Ignore your self talk and work hard. If your serious about writing nothing will stop you from getting published.
8. Now, tell us the best.I can't credit one person for the good advise I have received. But through positive comments on textnovel and having others look at my work I have gained more insight to writing. In particular I would say that Crystal Ward, Kathleen Ball, SN Parish and Monique O'conner James have helped me with their comments and suggestions. Though one person kept me going and that was my son. I had to write something everyday so I could read it to him.
9. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?If you are just starting to write, consider doing short stories before writing a novel. You need to develop your style and the habit of writing before attempting something big. For me it was children stories and now I am writing YA novels. Also no matter what anyone says to you about your writing don't let it stop what you are doing.Just keep on going and going. Also talk to published and unpublished authors they will happily give you advise. You can reach them through facebook, blogs twitter and other forms of social media.
10. Where can we read your blog? Buy your books? Connect with you on facebook? On Twitter? Your website?www.modernfables.weebly.comwww.sellery.weebly.comtwitter @sellery2010http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stefan-Ellery/152624918128311www.sellery2010.wordpress.com
Hope you enjoyed learning about Stefan! He is very active on Facebook and belongs to many of the facebook groups. After you connect with him here, make sure and friend him there. He would love to meet you! And stay tuned here on the blog, there are SO MANY EXCITING AUTHORS coming up in the series. Have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend!
September 1, 2011
My Personal Path to Publication - Kathy Bennett
The fierce and fabulous Kathy Bennett joins us today on the blog. A former Los Angeles Police Department officer, she now writes great cop drama with "killer" action.....get it? Her book, A Dozen Deadly Roses, is available now and her book cover and blurb will be featured at the end of her Q & A. Now, may I introduce...Kathy Bennett!
1. How long have you been writing?
I've 'seriously' been writing novels for about thirteen years. Prior to my retirement, my work- schedule as a Los Angeles Police Officer made my writing process sporadic.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? If not, what's your plan?
(See below)
3. Which route did you choose for becoming published, the traditional route, with an agent, the "indie" route, going directly to the publishers yourself, or deciding to self-publish?
I self-published my book, A Dozen Deadly Roses in June of this year (2011)…so I've been published for three months!
4. Why did you choose that particular route?
My intention had always been to go the traditional publishing route. But, for most publishers you couldn't submit unless you had an agent. It seemed harder to get catch an agent's interest than a publisher.
Just about the time I was getting some serious interest from some agents, I started hearing about self-publishing. The more I heard, the more I liked.
5. How long did it take you to write your first novel?
My first novel took about five years to write. It has NOT been published.
A Dozen Deadly Roses took me about a year and a half to write…the first draft. Revising and polishing took several more years. I found a fantastic critique group and they've really helped me make my work the best it can be.
6. How long did it take you to publish it?
Once I'd committed to self-publishing – about four months. That time was spent on having it professionally edited, having a professional book cover made, and formatting the manuscript.
7. How many times did it get rejected before it got published?
Gosh, I know there are people who keep track of such things, but I'm not one of them! Probably about 30-40 times. That's both agents and editors.
8. Tell us about worst rejection letter.
It was a form rejection. That part wasn't bad, but the fact they'd had my manuscript for eighteen months was. That particular publishing house would "frown upon you and your work" you if you submitted to someone else while they had your work. All that time…lost9. What was the best news you ever got in your writing life and how did it make you feel?
It was my very first 'stranger' fan letter. They said they loved my book and couldn't wait until my next one came out.
Those comments made me feel validated and like I was connecting with the readers.
10. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?
Don't become a cop! Just kidding…I'm sure you're talking about writing advice. By the way, I loved being a cop.
The worse piece of writing advice I ever got was to not self-publish.
11. Now, tell us the best!
The best advice came from my husband: "If you feel that publishing your book yourself is the way to go, then do it! You've got my support!"
12. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?
There is no right or wrong way to publish your book. Everyone's path is different. Follow your gut…or your heart – whichever speaks louder to you. (For me, it's my gut.)
13. Where can we read your blog? Buy your books? Connect with you on facebook? On Twitter? Your website?
Thank you for asking.
You can find my blog at http://www.KathyBennett.com/blog I post once a week – usually late on Sunday nights.
Get my book at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A-Dozen-Deadly-Roses-ebook/dp/B0054EU1KQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314546610&sr=8-1
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/a-dozen-deadly-roses
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/64237
My last thought…
I don't write for myself. I write for the readers. I want my readers to 'experience' the lives my characters live.
I love to 'chat' with my readers, so please don't hesitate to contact me at KathywritesLAPD@sbcglobal.net
Los Angeles Police Officer Jade Donovan is being hunted. There's the lieutenant who's out to get her, the psycho who's stalking her and leaving dead roses at her door, but most frightening of all, she's been assigned to partner with her son's father, Mac Stryker Mac doesn't know he's Donnie's dad, and Jade will stop at nothing to prevent him from finding out and possibly taking away her son. She will protect and defend him at all costs.Mac Stryker is a cop with something to prove. Five years ago, he'd been forced to resign the police department in disgrace when he was too drunk to take action during a shooting. Now, Mac is sober, back on the force and back working with Jade Donovan, the rookie who'd saved his life. Worse, he finds himself attracted to Jade and her precocious son, Donnie. But Mac is through with love. The violent death of his wife and daughter turned him into an alcoholic, and he won't put his job or his heart at risk again. He will protect and defend them both at all costs.But when the deadline looms on Jade's dozen deadly roses stalker, will the two partners manage to put aside their differences in order to save their son?
Hope you enjoyed meeting Kathy as much as I enjoy having her as a friend. Like she stated, she would love to meet you, too. But get ready, she is one arresting woman!
1. How long have you been writing?
I've 'seriously' been writing novels for about thirteen years. Prior to my retirement, my work- schedule as a Los Angeles Police Officer made my writing process sporadic.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? If not, what's your plan?
(See below)
3. Which route did you choose for becoming published, the traditional route, with an agent, the "indie" route, going directly to the publishers yourself, or deciding to self-publish?
I self-published my book, A Dozen Deadly Roses in June of this year (2011)…so I've been published for three months!
4. Why did you choose that particular route?
My intention had always been to go the traditional publishing route. But, for most publishers you couldn't submit unless you had an agent. It seemed harder to get catch an agent's interest than a publisher.
Just about the time I was getting some serious interest from some agents, I started hearing about self-publishing. The more I heard, the more I liked.
5. How long did it take you to write your first novel?
My first novel took about five years to write. It has NOT been published.
A Dozen Deadly Roses took me about a year and a half to write…the first draft. Revising and polishing took several more years. I found a fantastic critique group and they've really helped me make my work the best it can be.
6. How long did it take you to publish it?
Once I'd committed to self-publishing – about four months. That time was spent on having it professionally edited, having a professional book cover made, and formatting the manuscript.
7. How many times did it get rejected before it got published?
Gosh, I know there are people who keep track of such things, but I'm not one of them! Probably about 30-40 times. That's both agents and editors.
8. Tell us about worst rejection letter.
It was a form rejection. That part wasn't bad, but the fact they'd had my manuscript for eighteen months was. That particular publishing house would "frown upon you and your work" you if you submitted to someone else while they had your work. All that time…lost9. What was the best news you ever got in your writing life and how did it make you feel?
It was my very first 'stranger' fan letter. They said they loved my book and couldn't wait until my next one came out.
Those comments made me feel validated and like I was connecting with the readers.
10. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?
Don't become a cop! Just kidding…I'm sure you're talking about writing advice. By the way, I loved being a cop.
The worse piece of writing advice I ever got was to not self-publish.
11. Now, tell us the best!
The best advice came from my husband: "If you feel that publishing your book yourself is the way to go, then do it! You've got my support!"
12. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?
There is no right or wrong way to publish your book. Everyone's path is different. Follow your gut…or your heart – whichever speaks louder to you. (For me, it's my gut.)
13. Where can we read your blog? Buy your books? Connect with you on facebook? On Twitter? Your website?
Thank you for asking.
You can find my blog at http://www.KathyBennett.com/blog I post once a week – usually late on Sunday nights.
Get my book at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A-Dozen-Deadly-Roses-ebook/dp/B0054EU1KQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314546610&sr=8-1
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/a-dozen-deadly-roses
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/64237
My last thought…
I don't write for myself. I write for the readers. I want my readers to 'experience' the lives my characters live.
I love to 'chat' with my readers, so please don't hesitate to contact me at KathywritesLAPD@sbcglobal.net
Los Angeles Police Officer Jade Donovan is being hunted. There's the lieutenant who's out to get her, the psycho who's stalking her and leaving dead roses at her door, but most frightening of all, she's been assigned to partner with her son's father, Mac Stryker Mac doesn't know he's Donnie's dad, and Jade will stop at nothing to prevent him from finding out and possibly taking away her son. She will protect and defend him at all costs.Mac Stryker is a cop with something to prove. Five years ago, he'd been forced to resign the police department in disgrace when he was too drunk to take action during a shooting. Now, Mac is sober, back on the force and back working with Jade Donovan, the rookie who'd saved his life. Worse, he finds himself attracted to Jade and her precocious son, Donnie. But Mac is through with love. The violent death of his wife and daughter turned him into an alcoholic, and he won't put his job or his heart at risk again. He will protect and defend them both at all costs.But when the deadline looms on Jade's dozen deadly roses stalker, will the two partners manage to put aside their differences in order to save their son?
Hope you enjoyed meeting Kathy as much as I enjoy having her as a friend. Like she stated, she would love to meet you, too. But get ready, she is one arresting woman!
August 30, 2011
My Personal Path to Publication - Samantha Combs
As promised, my new series, My Personal Path to Publication, begins with me. I can't really ask my author friends to dig into their most personal thoughts and share their journey unless I am willing to do the same. So, without further ado, lets get this party started!
1. How long have you been writing?I turned in a poem instead of a book report in the third grade. I'm pretty sure that's when it started. Since then I've written most of my life, short stories, novellas, poems, even comics, but I only got serious about it last year.2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? If not, what's your plan?I am published, with Astraea Press, for my debut novel, Spellbound, which was released on June 14th, 2011 and Ghostly, which will release at the end of September. I have a third novel, a horror novel called The Detention Demon which was supposed to be released on Oct. 3rd, but I'm sure it won't. The publisher, Aspen Mountain Press, is in the middle of a spectacular meltdown and implosion. My book, along with every other book they own rights to, and every author signed to them, is trapped there. My fourth book, Everspell, a sequel to Spellbound, was just accepted by Astraea this week. I am a very prolific writer, so I plan to continue writing and publishing at an astonishing rate!3. Which route did you choose for becoming published, the traditional route, with an agent, the "indie" route, going directly to the publishers yourself, or deciding to self-publish?At first, I had every intention of getting an agent. Whose idea was it to make it so goddamn hard? Spellbound was rejected 65 times. I lie a lot about that figure. It embarrasses me. No one hears that some of the rejections were handwritten and had some of the most unbelievable things to say, some of the most encouraging "no"s you could imagine. But then, after they would request more pages, they would still reject it. What the hell does "we just don't see it fitting on our list" even mean? I finally took that to mean YOU have a problem, not me. It means YOU can't sell my fabulous book, not that my book wasn't fabulous. That was how I forced myself to look at it. But that got harder and harder to do at rejection #38, and #47, and almost ridiculous at rejection #53. And then I submitted to Harlequin Teen. They requested a full.My husband and I did the stupidest thing. We were so sure that meant they wanted it we made lists. Bills To Pay With The Advance Money. Things To Buy The Kids With The Advance Money. Big Things to Just Buy With The Advance Money. I mean, really.....who makes THREE lists? We did. The rejection letter KILLED me. My husband came home and found me sobbing. He seriously thought someone died. Non-writers just don't get it. All he knew was, he was NOT getting new truck tires.
4. How long did it take you to write your first novel?I write fast. Normally, it takes me about three months to write a manuscript. Spellbound took two and a half month. I write at night and on the weekends when the little one took naps. She doesn't do that anymore, so I have extended the night hours. I write from about 930pm to 12 or 130am. I never give myself a word count.5. How long did it take you to publish it?From agent stalking to actual acceptance, 15 months.6. How many times did it get rejected before it got published?The aforementioned 65 times7. Describe your worst rejection letter.The letter said they could not connect with the character, Sabrina, and that witches and vampires were out of vogue. There is no vampire in my book and the character is named Serena, not Sabrina. I was deflated. They had not read it. I was dismissed by someone who didn't even read the book. A book which has won the Globel Ebook Award for best Speculative Fiction - Fantasy, thank you very much. Class and decorum precludes me from mentioning them here, but you would be shocked, my friends.8. Describe the best news you ever got in your writing life and how it felt.When I received the email from Astraea Press from them ASKING me if I would like them to publish my book (ASKING ME!!!), I nearly missed it because I was so pre-conditioned to rejection. I read it over and over, like you might look at a winning lottery ticket. I didn't believe that they believed in me. One small email made me believe in myself again.9. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?One rejection letter said I had too many characters in Spellbound and I would confuse the reader. I felt insulted for the reader. I write young adult because I love the period of time in my life where everything was in discovery and enlightenment. I never want to be denigrating or dumb down my books. By asking me to reduce my cast of characters, I think that's exactly what that agent was telling me to do. I felt that agent was advising me that my young adult audience wouldn't be savvy enough to handle it. My reviews have proven that wrong.10. Now, tell us the best.Don't give up. Understand that every rejection is just one person's opinion and another person will have an entirely different one. 11. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?And lastly, learn to listen to those authors who have gone before you and been there and done that AND are selling the t-shirt to prove it. They have learned the ropes, they have EARNED the ropes, and if you are lucky enough to be in their presence when they start talking, sit down, shut up, and start taking notes. Go to as many conferences as you can afford and write down everything they have to say. Here's a surprising fun fact: I went to my first conference in September of last year. It caused me to rework my manuscript for a month after Christmas.(family in town) Guess when I got a contract? Yeah, you guessed it.....Feb 2011. Coincidence? You be the judge.
So, here will be the part where the sharing author can put all their contact information. I will assume you know mine already. I hope you enjoyed my story. Please comment and let me know if you did and look forward to the other exciting authors coming soon!
1. How long have you been writing?I turned in a poem instead of a book report in the third grade. I'm pretty sure that's when it started. Since then I've written most of my life, short stories, novellas, poems, even comics, but I only got serious about it last year.2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? If not, what's your plan?I am published, with Astraea Press, for my debut novel, Spellbound, which was released on June 14th, 2011 and Ghostly, which will release at the end of September. I have a third novel, a horror novel called The Detention Demon which was supposed to be released on Oct. 3rd, but I'm sure it won't. The publisher, Aspen Mountain Press, is in the middle of a spectacular meltdown and implosion. My book, along with every other book they own rights to, and every author signed to them, is trapped there. My fourth book, Everspell, a sequel to Spellbound, was just accepted by Astraea this week. I am a very prolific writer, so I plan to continue writing and publishing at an astonishing rate!3. Which route did you choose for becoming published, the traditional route, with an agent, the "indie" route, going directly to the publishers yourself, or deciding to self-publish?At first, I had every intention of getting an agent. Whose idea was it to make it so goddamn hard? Spellbound was rejected 65 times. I lie a lot about that figure. It embarrasses me. No one hears that some of the rejections were handwritten and had some of the most unbelievable things to say, some of the most encouraging "no"s you could imagine. But then, after they would request more pages, they would still reject it. What the hell does "we just don't see it fitting on our list" even mean? I finally took that to mean YOU have a problem, not me. It means YOU can't sell my fabulous book, not that my book wasn't fabulous. That was how I forced myself to look at it. But that got harder and harder to do at rejection #38, and #47, and almost ridiculous at rejection #53. And then I submitted to Harlequin Teen. They requested a full.My husband and I did the stupidest thing. We were so sure that meant they wanted it we made lists. Bills To Pay With The Advance Money. Things To Buy The Kids With The Advance Money. Big Things to Just Buy With The Advance Money. I mean, really.....who makes THREE lists? We did. The rejection letter KILLED me. My husband came home and found me sobbing. He seriously thought someone died. Non-writers just don't get it. All he knew was, he was NOT getting new truck tires.
4. How long did it take you to write your first novel?I write fast. Normally, it takes me about three months to write a manuscript. Spellbound took two and a half month. I write at night and on the weekends when the little one took naps. She doesn't do that anymore, so I have extended the night hours. I write from about 930pm to 12 or 130am. I never give myself a word count.5. How long did it take you to publish it?From agent stalking to actual acceptance, 15 months.6. How many times did it get rejected before it got published?The aforementioned 65 times7. Describe your worst rejection letter.The letter said they could not connect with the character, Sabrina, and that witches and vampires were out of vogue. There is no vampire in my book and the character is named Serena, not Sabrina. I was deflated. They had not read it. I was dismissed by someone who didn't even read the book. A book which has won the Globel Ebook Award for best Speculative Fiction - Fantasy, thank you very much. Class and decorum precludes me from mentioning them here, but you would be shocked, my friends.8. Describe the best news you ever got in your writing life and how it felt.When I received the email from Astraea Press from them ASKING me if I would like them to publish my book (ASKING ME!!!), I nearly missed it because I was so pre-conditioned to rejection. I read it over and over, like you might look at a winning lottery ticket. I didn't believe that they believed in me. One small email made me believe in myself again.9. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?One rejection letter said I had too many characters in Spellbound and I would confuse the reader. I felt insulted for the reader. I write young adult because I love the period of time in my life where everything was in discovery and enlightenment. I never want to be denigrating or dumb down my books. By asking me to reduce my cast of characters, I think that's exactly what that agent was telling me to do. I felt that agent was advising me that my young adult audience wouldn't be savvy enough to handle it. My reviews have proven that wrong.10. Now, tell us the best.Don't give up. Understand that every rejection is just one person's opinion and another person will have an entirely different one. 11. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?And lastly, learn to listen to those authors who have gone before you and been there and done that AND are selling the t-shirt to prove it. They have learned the ropes, they have EARNED the ropes, and if you are lucky enough to be in their presence when they start talking, sit down, shut up, and start taking notes. Go to as many conferences as you can afford and write down everything they have to say. Here's a surprising fun fact: I went to my first conference in September of last year. It caused me to rework my manuscript for a month after Christmas.(family in town) Guess when I got a contract? Yeah, you guessed it.....Feb 2011. Coincidence? You be the judge.
So, here will be the part where the sharing author can put all their contact information. I will assume you know mine already. I hope you enjoyed my story. Please comment and let me know if you did and look forward to the other exciting authors coming soon!
August 29, 2011
It's a GO! Stay Tuned for My New Series
I received an overwhelming response to the tentative feelers I put out for my little project. So, I am pleased to announce that beginning on the 31st with my own story, and officially starting on the 1st of September, I will be doing my first series of guest posts called My Personal Path to Publication. Amazing people are coming forward to share their journey with you! The best part is these posts are going to come from some of whom I consider to be the most exciting new voices today in Young Adult, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Horror, Drama, Contemporary Romance, and Memoir. I have been extraordinarily fortunate to meet and be befriended by these astonishing writer/authors on facebook and I am thrilled they have agreed to be a part of this experiment. I mean, seriously, just check out the lineup, in no particular order:
Kathy Bennett
Jason McIntyre
Scott Prussing
Crystal Cattabriga
Gracen Miller
Lisa Kessler
Lindsay Downs
Deena Remiel
Ednah Walters
Kymberlee Burks-Miller
Joseph Eastwood
Rue Volley
Dominique Eastwood
Kay Springsteen
Crystal Ward
And that may not even be all! I am asking more authors every day. If this works out, I may even get to make this a recurring feature on my blog. And if there is a special author you would adore hearing from, make sure I know about him or her. I SURELY don't know everyone and this would be an excellent way for me to become exposed to the cream of the crop!
What you will learn from each post is the author's very personal journey. You'll understand that it isn't easy and very often it isn't pretty. As authors we learn to take rejection and flip that negative into a positive and make sure we stay the course. And we learn to celebrate each victory with like-minded creative souls. I hope to introduce you to new authors and new books. And do make contact with these authors. I have it on personal authority that each and every one wants to be YOUR new friend. Connect on facebook, and Twitter and Google and however else you want to. And above all else, try and buy their books. Because at the end of the day, that's why they, and I, write. We want to entertain you. I hope that this project blog series does. Enjoy meeting my friends.
Kathy Bennett
Jason McIntyre
Scott Prussing
Crystal Cattabriga
Gracen Miller
Lisa Kessler
Lindsay Downs
Deena Remiel
Ednah Walters
Kymberlee Burks-Miller
Joseph Eastwood
Rue Volley
Dominique Eastwood
Kay Springsteen
Crystal Ward
And that may not even be all! I am asking more authors every day. If this works out, I may even get to make this a recurring feature on my blog. And if there is a special author you would adore hearing from, make sure I know about him or her. I SURELY don't know everyone and this would be an excellent way for me to become exposed to the cream of the crop!
What you will learn from each post is the author's very personal journey. You'll understand that it isn't easy and very often it isn't pretty. As authors we learn to take rejection and flip that negative into a positive and make sure we stay the course. And we learn to celebrate each victory with like-minded creative souls. I hope to introduce you to new authors and new books. And do make contact with these authors. I have it on personal authority that each and every one wants to be YOUR new friend. Connect on facebook, and Twitter and Google and however else you want to. And above all else, try and buy their books. Because at the end of the day, that's why they, and I, write. We want to entertain you. I hope that this project blog series does. Enjoy meeting my friends.
August 26, 2011
Thinking About Doing Some Guest Posts: My Path To Publication
I have started to really get into doing interviews on various blogs. Sometimes I do them in conjunction with a review, which is great, and sometimes I do them along with a giveaway. Most times the blog host sends me the questions in advance and I answer them and email back my responses and happily offer to give away a copy of my book as well. Normally, the questions run around the same theme: how did I get published?
I think that is the question most of us are interested in hearing the answer to, and I am no exception. I have met some truly fascinating people here and because I am basically lazy in nature (LOL), I have decided that I want to start interviewing some of these astonishing people myself. I don't know if anyone will even care to come on over here to Samanthaland, because, let's be honest, there isn't a lot going on. I don't have a splashy, interactive page, there aren't any bells and whistles here. I don't even have any bitchin' graphics. But, I am super, SUPER interested in their stories. I think you all might be too.
So, I am going to bite the bullet and ask some authors whose works I really respect if I can pick their brain on this one topic. I don't care what their favorite food is, or where they went to school. I want to talk about the writing process and if they are game, I'm going to be so excited. If not, I'll shelve the idea. And continue talking about my literary pursuits and, occasionally, things that piss me off. No worries. LOTS of things on that particular list. So check back. We'll see if this thing flies.
I think that is the question most of us are interested in hearing the answer to, and I am no exception. I have met some truly fascinating people here and because I am basically lazy in nature (LOL), I have decided that I want to start interviewing some of these astonishing people myself. I don't know if anyone will even care to come on over here to Samanthaland, because, let's be honest, there isn't a lot going on. I don't have a splashy, interactive page, there aren't any bells and whistles here. I don't even have any bitchin' graphics. But, I am super, SUPER interested in their stories. I think you all might be too.
So, I am going to bite the bullet and ask some authors whose works I really respect if I can pick their brain on this one topic. I don't care what their favorite food is, or where they went to school. I want to talk about the writing process and if they are game, I'm going to be so excited. If not, I'll shelve the idea. And continue talking about my literary pursuits and, occasionally, things that piss me off. No worries. LOTS of things on that particular list. So check back. We'll see if this thing flies.
August 23, 2011
Spellbound And The Global Ebook Award
A while ago Spellbound was entered into a contest called the Global Ebook Awards under a category eventually called Speculative Fiction-Fantasy category. Interestingly, this was NOT a Young Adult category. There was a Teen category but the judges didn't judge it that way. I first was notified that Spellbound was nominated about four months ago. Then promptly forgot about it.
About a month and a half ago, I was notified that Spellbound was a Finalist. This was the first time I got a little butterfly feeling. Then a funny thing happened.......after shouting about everything in my literary life for the last two and a half months or so on facebook and this blog, I just didn't mention it on the web at all. I also didn't even mention it to my husband or family or best friend. Isn't that strange? I was so afraid I would lose, I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone. It was that old self-doubt creeping in.
Even after I had Spellbound published, Ghostly on the way and The Detention Demon accepted and lined up by another publisher, I was still allowing my fears to get the better of me. I allowed this to go on for another couple of weeks while the emails from the Awards committee trickled in, about reserving tables at the banquet dinner and how judges were finalizing their decisions and so on. Then you know what happened? I got mad.
I in fact, got super pissed off at myself. What was it going to take? I had followers on my fan page who believed in me, fans of my work reviewing me who believed in me, even family members who believed in me. WHEN WAS I GOING TO BELIEVE IN ME? That day, and if you want to know the truth, it was just last Friday, I kicked myself in the butt, and me and my muse had a good talking to with myself. Being unemployed can really take an emotional toll on you. Well, me and the muse were SO OVER IT! We kicked me around the block a few times and at the end of it, I sobered up fast.
I went on my facebook page and announced I was a Finalist, maybe only a day before the Award was announced, but I did it. I put it all out there and exposed my soul. The response was so heartwarming. My friends came out and supported me. My husband and I couldn't afford to go the the Awards banquet in Santa Barbara but that's okay. Wanna know why?
I won.
Spellbound won the Global Ebook Award for Speculative Fiction-Fantasy and here is the sticker:
It is beyond cool that I won and that now my book, my debut novel, can be called Award-Winning and all that, but the best thing to me is that before it happened, I already won to myself. I validated myself. I believed in myself. A friend who is a fan told me, before I won, that I would be epic. She said I would be the author that everyone would be talking about. I don't know about that. But, at least I know that now when someone mentions me, I will be one of the people listening.
About a month and a half ago, I was notified that Spellbound was a Finalist. This was the first time I got a little butterfly feeling. Then a funny thing happened.......after shouting about everything in my literary life for the last two and a half months or so on facebook and this blog, I just didn't mention it on the web at all. I also didn't even mention it to my husband or family or best friend. Isn't that strange? I was so afraid I would lose, I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone. It was that old self-doubt creeping in.
Even after I had Spellbound published, Ghostly on the way and The Detention Demon accepted and lined up by another publisher, I was still allowing my fears to get the better of me. I allowed this to go on for another couple of weeks while the emails from the Awards committee trickled in, about reserving tables at the banquet dinner and how judges were finalizing their decisions and so on. Then you know what happened? I got mad.
I in fact, got super pissed off at myself. What was it going to take? I had followers on my fan page who believed in me, fans of my work reviewing me who believed in me, even family members who believed in me. WHEN WAS I GOING TO BELIEVE IN ME? That day, and if you want to know the truth, it was just last Friday, I kicked myself in the butt, and me and my muse had a good talking to with myself. Being unemployed can really take an emotional toll on you. Well, me and the muse were SO OVER IT! We kicked me around the block a few times and at the end of it, I sobered up fast.
I went on my facebook page and announced I was a Finalist, maybe only a day before the Award was announced, but I did it. I put it all out there and exposed my soul. The response was so heartwarming. My friends came out and supported me. My husband and I couldn't afford to go the the Awards banquet in Santa Barbara but that's okay. Wanna know why?
I won.
Spellbound won the Global Ebook Award for Speculative Fiction-Fantasy and here is the sticker:
It is beyond cool that I won and that now my book, my debut novel, can be called Award-Winning and all that, but the best thing to me is that before it happened, I already won to myself. I validated myself. I believed in myself. A friend who is a fan told me, before I won, that I would be epic. She said I would be the author that everyone would be talking about. I don't know about that. But, at least I know that now when someone mentions me, I will be one of the people listening.
August 22, 2011
Please Read A New Review For Spellbound
Sabrina's Reviews > Spellbound
My rating:edit my reviewshelf: readSpellbound by Samantha Combs (Goodreads Author), Elaina Lee (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)
Sabrina's review Aug 22, 11
Read in August, 2011I was pulled into this amazing magical world on the first page. Samantha Combs has written an amazing book that has you feeling and experiencing everything right along with each character. It has everything a great book should action, a love story, great plot, oh and let's not forget witches, twitches(young witch),warlocks, demons, trolls, and attack rose bushes which I loved. This book is for all ages from young adult to adult.
Spellbound is an amazing and magical page turner that will not let you put it down until the rides over. Even than you will be left wanting more. I can not wait for the sequel
