R.L. Naquin's Blog, page 11

My Exciting Life

Yeah. This is what I looked like. Also, daytime television is truly awful.

Did I ever tell you about the time I was captured by pirates? No? I told you about the giant python, though. I talk about it all the time. No?

This week at the Confabulator Cafe, we were asked to talk about a life event that changed our writing. I’ve lived an adventurous life. There was a lot to tell. An Absolutely True Story. See for yourself. Would I make stuff up?

I’ve kind of been hibernating lately. I spent the last month or so in a constant frenzy of release-related activity. I still waffle between thinking I did too much and thinking I totally dropped the ball and didn’t do enough. Nobody put pressure on me but me, but when I came down, I came down pretty hard.

Fortunately, I actually planned for that to happen. It was penciled into my schedule. Seriously.

Didn’t keep it from happening, but at least I knew what was going on when my brain shut down and refused to do a lick of work for four days straight.

Hibernation time is over. Sorry. Too much work to do to take more than four days (two of which were over a weekend) to wallow around ignoring Twitter, Facebook, my blog, the new book, my friends’s blogs, industry news, and new posts for the Confabulator Cafe.

Back on the horse.

My writing buddy, Jason Arnett, has been a huge help this summer keeping me honest and hardworking. He’s gone back to the day job, though, so I’ve got to push myself without backup, now. I miss our twice-a-week work meetings already, and we’ve only missed the first one. Tomorrow I’m going back there without him. He helped me establish a schedule. It was helpful. I need to stick to it, even without him.

Plus, the barista knows me so well now, she gets my order started before my laptop is even set up.

Back to work, now. Maybe Friday we’ll talk about ghosts.

Or not. We’ll see. I’m trying not to make any huge plans for awhile. We’re going to take this one day at a time for a bit. I micromanaged my time and burned myself out.

Let’s be gentle with ourselves, folks. We’re often our own toughest critics and our harshest taskmasters.

See you real soon!

Prizes, Lies, and an Interview with Maurice

Somebody’s been cruising around on Pintrest lately.

So, this happened last night. (See photo.) Television is a little slow lately, since it’s the end of summer. Networks seem to be staggering their shows better than when I was a kid, but there’s still a month or so when there’s nothing new on.

I painted my nails while we watched episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. My life is not difficult.

And yes, for those of you who haven’t had it shoved in their faces in person, my wedding ring really is three diamonds in the shape of Mickey Mouse. I live a very odd, very magical life.

Now, on to the real reason I’m here. Links to share! This is the last day of the promo-train, so next week we’ll go back to talking about monsters, cannibal neighbors, invisible dogs, and other assorted weirdness.

First, if you haven’t been over to Veronica Scott’s website, you should go comment. She’s running a giveaway. Not only can you win a copy of Monster in My Closet, she’s also got a $10 Amazon card up for grabs. Go. Leave a comment. Win fabulous prizes! It’s only going on for another couple of days, so hurry. Veronica Scott: Interview with Zoey.

Next up, I totally spaced  my Wednesday post to tell you to go to the Confabulator Cafe. This week, we were asked if we’ve ever quit writing. I totally lied on this post. I told a whopper, in fact. But then I explained myself. Go. Read. Motivational Quitter.

Today, we have one last interview. Possibly, the most important interview of all. Maybe people are curious about me — though I can’t imagine they would be. They might be interested in Zoey’s life. But really, it’s Maurice everyone is talking about. That’s right. Maurice sat down over at Here Be Magic and gave an interview of his own.

Have a magical weekend. I’ll be back Monday and we’ll get back to normal. See you real soon!

I Cleaned My Plate

So, I did an image search for “clean plate” and looked at a lot of dirty dishes. I’m not hungry now, thanks. But this made me laugh, so I’m using it instead. Don’t judge me.

Today I have a little something different for you. An interview, yes, but not an interview with me.

The lovely Veronica Scott, fellow Carina Press author of paranormal and SF, offered me a guest spot on her blog. As a twist, Zoey is in the spotlight this time. She’s answered some difficult questions, and some that aren’t so difficult. Go see! Interview with Zoey on Veronica Scott’s blog.

The promo-train is nearing its end. It’s been great fun bouncing around the Internet, visiting with lots of different people, and talking about Monster in My Closet. But we only have a few stops left. Friday I’ll be back at the Here Be Magic site for an interview with Maurice to wrap it all up.

My posts at the Confabulator Cafe are all caught up. The latest batch of line edits for Pooka in My Pantry have been turned in. I no longer have guest blog posts or interviews on my plate.

It’s time to get serious. I’ve got about 70k words to write on Fairies in My Fireplace, and I’d really like to have the first draft done no later than mid-September. Yes, I know that’s next month. Yes, I know my goal is totally unreasonable. I have to catch up. I’ve crunched the numbers. I can totally do this.

Back to work.

See you real soon!

The Future is Magical

First of all, I have to tell you that I’m over at Paranormal Haven today with a guest post, Straddling the Line. They’re also doing a giveaway of two copies of Monster in My Closet, so if you don’t have it yet, go enter!

At times, it’s been a little frustrating that my book isn’t currently in a print format. I can’t do events at bookstores, since I can’t make the store any money by selling copies there. Hastings and Barnes & Noble sell it on their websites, but that doesn’t help the individual stores, and it also doesn’t guarantee a sale. I don’t like being a salesman, but I understand the idea that you have to make the sale then and there, or people will forget the minute they walk out the door.

My mom can’t wave the book around at her friends. I can’t walk into the grocery store and find my novel on an end cap. And yeah, not everybody has a Kindle, Nook, or iPad, so sales are lost to the non-digital folks.

But there’s an element to this digital-first thing that I didn’t think about: Digital is global. Translation rights are different, just like print rights. Those get sold separately. But the English version? It can go anywhere.

I overlooked this fact until I found a review a few days ago that was so overwhelmingly wonderful, I sat staring at it in disbelief. And it came from Romania. Romania, you guys. That’s incredible. You can read the whole thing, if you like, right here: Roxteo’s Review. You have to scroll all the way down for the English version, unless you can read Romanian. Here’s a small quote for you:

 I have the feeling that no matter what I’d say about the book couldn’t express how much I actually liked it. I think that if my list of unread books wouldn’t be so big, I would start again the novel right away. In fact, during the time I was reading Monster in my Closet I got back at the beginning of the book and read again and again some fragments.  Not because I didn’t understand something or because I forgot something, but because I loved them too much.

If I had gone with a traditional publisher, my book might never have reached this person. So, do I regret going with a digital-first publisher? Not on your life.

There have actually been some other really wonderful reviews, too. I don’t want to clutter up the blog with them, so soon we’ll have another tab up there with some excerpts and links, in case you’re interested in such things, or in case you still haven’t decided whether you’ll like the book enough to read it.

This has been a phenomenal ride so far, and the book’s only been out for five days.  The future looks magical from where I’m standing.

Have a great weekend. See you real soon!

Straeon Manor and Hidden Magic

Straeon Manor

Release week madness is slowing down, and I’m nearly caught up with my work. By the end of the week, I should be able to dive into Fairies in My Fireplace and get that baby really going. The level of distractions and other work should be cut way down.

It’s August, folks. I have two books to write before the end of the year. I’m behind schedule.

I have a feeling this crazy juxtaposition of three books in different stages, all needing lots of attention at once, isn’t likely to happen again. Looking at my schedule for the next year, I think two might collide, but not three again. Baptism by fire. And I’m almost through the blaze.

So. Yesterday I was on the Carina Press site, guest blogging about the nature of magic, both in and outside of my books. You can find it here: Hidden Magic.

And today, of course, is Wednesday, so I’m over at the Cafe. However, it’s not just any Wednesday, it’s fiction day. And not just any fiction day, it’s Straeon Manor day.

Straeon Manor is a new project we’ve cooked up. You’ll want to read all the stories, because they all occur in the same house. We each chose a different room in in the house for our story, and we each chose a different year. Every quarter, we’ll revisit Straeon, choosing a new room and a new year, sometimes referencing–or even using–past characters, rooms, and stories from each other. As it grows, the stories will intermingle and become one huge, bizarre history of this one house.

It’s an experiment. We’ll see how it goes. My story this time around is here: Growin’ in the Garden. I grabbed the conservatory in 1986. Oh, and one change to the normal fiction restrictions–considering the scope of what we’re trying to accomplish, they aren’t flash fiction. Some are longer than others, but they’re definitely not under 1000 words this time.

That’s all I’ve got for now. I’ll be back Friday with more scavenger hunt links!

See you real soon!

Release Day–Now with Dinosaurs!

Today Monster in My Closet released out into the world.  It’s also available as an audio book, as of today. We are live, people. This totally happened.

I planned to write you a post today about when I lost my virginity and how disappointing it was the next day to wake up and and think “I don’t feel any different.” I figured, with all the buildup to release day for my first novel, the actual day would be kind of anticlimactic.

In a way, I guess it is. There aren’t any hard copies in bookstores. I can’t hold my book in my hands or come across it in the grocery store. There were no fireworks, no marching bands, and no New York cocktail parties where important people jostled each other out of the way in order to talk to me.

Reviews have been coming in for weeks, so book bloggers have already been reading it via NetGalley. I’ve been watching my book’s rank go up and down on Amazon from pre-sales. The only thing that’s changed is that people who ordered it woke up with it on their e-readers, and new people who are interested can buy and read it instantly.

I’m still me. Nothing happened while I slept that changed me into a famous author.

So, I woke up. Yep. Book released today. Better get up and get to work. Lots to be done. My husband turned over and looked at me.

And I burst into tears.

How ridiculous is that? Except, you know, today is a day I’ve waited for nearly all my life. So, yeah, I should take a moment to let all the emotions run their course.

We’re going out to dinner tonight to celebrate. I got to choose anywhere I wanted. The nicest, most expensive place in town? Sure. This is a big day.

No. This is my book birthday. We’re going to T-Rex. I didn’t get a parade this morning but, by God, there will be dinosaurs.

Because I’m a published author now. And that’s how we roll. With dinosaurs.

A Guest Post, an Interview, and Spray Cheese

Seriously. Pixie Stix would’ve been a far smarter choice to facilitate writing. Or alcohol.

I think I may be cracking under the pressure. Monster in My Closet comes out in a few days, and that’s pretty damn exciting. I’m not quite finished with all the pieces I need to have for the upcoming weeks of dashing across the Internet leaving breadcrumbs, but I’m almost there. I haven’t even started writing my short story for next week’s Confabulator Cafe, though I do know what the story is about. It should have been finished last week. Book three of the Monster Haven stories is making me into a whiny little bitch who wants to chuck the whole thing and start over. And I have line edits I need to have done before the weekend is over. So, last night, my subconscious responded with a bizarre dream featuring my editor. (Hi, Alison!) In this bizarre scenario, we were working on edits together, I think. Not sure what the hell we were working on, actually, because she was in her kitchen, and I was making excuses. And demands. That’s right. I’m so full of myself in my dreams, I became a diva and demanded my publisher send certain perks  to my home so I can write better. Awake, I can think of a million different things that would be awesome–cupcakes, chocolate,  even one of those nifty edible arrangements with the fruit. No. In my dreams, I demand crackers and two cans of spray cheese. Seriously? I’m not a fan of the spray cheese. Really, I’m not. Definitely cracking from the pressure. Anyway. I promised you two more places to find me today in the great R.L. Naquin scavenger hunt. First up is a guest post on the blog of my fellow Carina Press author, Shelley Munroe. I talk about what it takes to make your dreams come true, and you can find it here: A Dream Is a Wish. I went all Disney on you, so brace yourself. And second, the lovely folks at Here Be Magic, where you can find all the Carina Press fantasy/sci fi/paranormal/steampunk authors hanging out, did an interview with me. I’ll be back Monday. Oh, you bet I will. That’s THE DAY. I’ll be here to tell you if waking up as a published author feels any different than being regular old me. Or something. See you real soon!

Why We Confabulate

A Young Girl Reading by Jean-Honore Fragonard c.1776

Writing is mostly solitary, rarely lucrative, and generally seen as a self-indulgent hobby by outsiders.

So why do we do it?

That was the question we were asked this week over at the Confabulator Cafe. I’ve been impressed by how many different answers have come up so far. Apparently, we’re all in this game for different reasons.

You know the drill. My post is up over there today, so if you’re interested in having a look, you can find it here: Take My Hand — We’re Going Elsewhere.

Also, if you haven’t entered Lily Element’s contest to win a copy of Monster in My Closet yet, you can do that here: Lily Element.

And if you’re still not sure if the book will be awesome enough to spend your money on, you can still download the extended 20% excerpt from Carina Press here and test drive it.

Five more days until Monster in My Closet comes out. Five. Holy cow.

I’ve got two more places I’ll be popping up on Friday, so I’ll come back then with links, in case you’re following along at home.

See you real soon!

The Final Release Countdown

Well, here we are. One week from today, Monster in My Closet goes out into the world.

Jeez, when I say it like that, I’m all nervous. No wonder I’ve been dwelling on all the things I have to get done before it happens. I was sidestepping the whole OMG! stage.

The next three weeks are a carefully constructed, haphazard mass of me out all over the Internetz. It begins today.

I suppose I could call it a “blog tour” but it’s not an organized visit of related places, so much as me popping up all over, yelling “Boo! Buy my book!” and moving on to the next location.

Today I’m visiting Kristin at My Bookish Ways where she asks me all sorts of interesting questions. I tried very hard to be a grownup. Come see the interview! There’s also a wonderful review of my book there.

In case you can’t get enough secret information about me, a second interview with me went up this morning from Melissa over at Lily Element. Also, she’s giving away a digital copy of Monster in My Closet, so if you don’t have yours yet, be sure to enter.

If you’re not following my publisher Carina Press on Facebook, you totally should. They’re offering an extended, 20% excerpt of Monster in My Closet in case you still haven’t decided whether you want to buy it. It’s only for another week, though, so hurry. In addition, they’re posting fun facts and trivia about me and about the book–stuff you can’t find anywhere else. Or you can follow me on Facebook, because I’m sharing most of what they’re posting about me. And really, if you’re not, why aren’t you following me already? Go! Follow! (Please?) I’ll wait.

And while we’re talking social media outlets, this week I’ll be posting book quotes on Twitter. Mostly silly stuff meant to make you feel like you MUST know what’s going on in the scene. So, follow me over there and see me look awkward at the Twitter cocktail party. Bring a tray of bacon-wrapped shrimp, if you don’t mind.

I think that’s it for the moment. No, no it’s not. Last week was a total wash on the blogging front, so I didn’t even manage to stop in on Wednesday to tell you I was at the Confabulator Cafe. Though, really, if you’ve been coming here for any time at all, you should have known to look for me there. Yeah, that’s right. I just put the blame on you for my not posting where I was last week. Bad writer. Bad.

So. Confabulator Cafe last week. We were asked about the best and worst writing advice we’d ever received. If you missed it, my post is here: The Odds of Getting My Homework Done.

Now I think I’ve covered everything. I’ll be back Wednesday with the next clue to the R.L. Naquin Scavenger Hunt Tour.

See you real soon!

Dracula and the Wolfman Feel Slighted

Dracula and the Wolfman exchange fashion tips.

Through my own stubbornness and need to be a special snowflake, I’ve written myself into a predicament in my Monster Haven stories.

When I began writing Monster in My Closet, I set myself some ground rules:

No weapons or martial arts for my heroine
No leather outfits
No angst, snarkiness born of past hurts, or inability to get close to people
No werewolves
No vampires

The first three were easy. Zoey has her own warped sense of style, and I think she’d feel uncomfortable clad all in leather. She has no physical defenses, and has to be dragged to the gym by Sara. If she had a gun, she’d probably shoot herself in the foot.  And she’s an empath, so getting emotionally close to people is kind of her thing. Not a problem.

But the last two rules are a bit of a puzzle. There’s no shortage of interesting creatures vying for Zoey’s attention. Book two, Pooka in My Pantry, has many of the Hidden from the first book, plus a whole new batch. Right now, I’m working on the third book, and the variety is so great, I have to keep a list of who/what is in the house.

I’ve explained how the Hidden came to be, since I’m not satisfied with monsters and urban legends sharing the world with humans without some idea of how they were created. They came from us, sort of. The Hidden were born from the spark of human imagination, then evolved on their own from there.

Um, so why aren’t there any werewolves or vampires? We certainly tell plenty of stories to spark their existence into reality.

It could be argued that the stories are relatively new in human history, so weres and vamps haven’t gained much of a footing. Creating that rule would be a catastrophe. First of all, I’d have to stop everything and read up on the complete history of vampire and shapeshifter folklore.  I would not hate that. It would consume me, and nothing would get done for a very long time.

More importantly, if I veto those creatures based on how long we’ve been telling stories about them, I can’t ever use a chupacabra. That’s not going to happen. I’ve been holding on to the chupacabra research for some time now, waiting for a chance to use it as a character, even if it’s just a cameo. I freakin’ love chupacabra stories.

Worse, that would also knock out the Mothman. And let me tell you, my Mothman is incredibly important in book three, Fairies in My Fireplace. I’m not going to say much more, but I can’t do this without him. He’s also instrumental in book one of the next series (tentatively titled Djinn Fizz).

So. No werewolves? No vampires? I think I have to revisit the rules I set for myself in the beginning. The rules of the Hidden world have to outweigh the arbitrary snowflake rules I set for myself.

If anything is possible in my world, then bloodsuckers and lychans can’t be impossible.

Anybody have suggestions? Where are all the vamps and weres?