Mia Kerick's Blog, page 2
March 3, 2021
IT’S RELEASE DAY FOR Dead Sea!! WOOT!!
Hello, friends and readers!
Today is release day of Dead Sea, my YA Coming of Age Gay Romance.
FOUR YEARS of writing and rewriting, editing and reediting, beta readers (thank you) and sensitivity readers and proofreaders. This book had a LONG ROAD to publication. As sensitivity readers and content editors DID THEIR THING the story morphed into what it is today. AND IT’S HERE! Kyle and Lenny’s rocky love story is born!
I’ve had some great responses to DEAD SEA’s ARC on Goodreads:
These early reviews are critical and appreciated. Thank you to my ARC readers!
I’ve combined MANY romance tropes to create this compelling story. Think of it as enemies-to-lovers meets opposites attract, bumps into rescue romance, and then faces off with a bully romance, and it’s all packaged up in Coming of Age gift basket. This is Dead Sea!
Dead Sea is a Mia Kerick Story Ballad: a YA standalone story inspired by a song.
The song “Dead Sea” by the Lumineers inspired this latest release.
Like the Dead Sea
You told me I was like the Dead Sea
You’ll never sink when you are with me
Oh Lord, like the Dead Sea
Whoa, I’m like the Dead Sea
The finest words you ever said to me
Honey can’t you see
I was born to be, be your Dead Sea
You told me you were good at running away
Domestic life, it never suited you like a suitcase
You left with just the clothes on your back
You took the rest when you took the map
Awesome Dead Sea Art by fuzzdiego.
DEAD SEA is a story about making commitments and running away from them.
It’s a story about earning trust and losing it.
It’s a story of first love and first heartbreak.
It’s a story of loss.
It’s a story of finding more than you ever thought you could have.
“YOU CAN’T SINK IN THE DEAD SEA.”
As Kyle saves Lenny, he promises him he won’t let him sink.
And he keeps his promise by keeping Lenny afloat. When they finally get to shore, though, he finds he can’t let go of the boy he thought was nobody and is somebody.
Here is Dead Sea’s blurb:
Kyle is a swaggering bully; Lenny strives to be invisible.
Kyle has been left alone in the world; Lenny is the world’s biggest loner.
When Kyle saves Lenny from drowning, their lives will never be the same.
After a brutal encounter with school bullies, Lenny swims out into the ocean, determined to let the current whisk him away. Next thing he knows the meanest kid in town is pulling him from the waves, promising to be his Dead Sea, and to never let him sink.
All Kyle wants is to get out of beach cleanup, is that too much to ask? So he goes for a swim, only to come upon the most epic “nobody” in the senior class drowning in a riptide. Lenny’s haunted gaze grips him, and Kyle makes the impulsive decision to save his life or die trying. Through this ordeal, Kyle and Lenny are transformed.
Kyle’s heroic act sets him on the straight and narrow, and he opens his heart to the young man he dragged from the ocean. Lenny changes too but is still unable to reveal the truth of his pain. While drowning in a sea of secrets, the reformed bully and wary victim fall in love. But staying afloat in the Dead Sea is not as simple as it seems.
Trigger Warning: An MC unsuccessfully attempts suicide. Suicide, child neglect are topics.
Dead Sea is on KU or is only $2.99.
Dead Sea is YA Coming of Age Gay Romance that grownups like too. Wink, wink 
Kyle, the biggest bully in town, refuses to let Lenny, the biggest nobody in town, drown in a riptide. But it’s far more complicated than that…
I hope you check out Dead Sea today!
<4 Mia
February 13, 2021
I’m a true romantic… ARE YOU?
I’m a true romantic. I’m sure this isn’t news to you—I’ve written more than 25 romance novels! But I’m not much into the standard gift of a dozen roses on Valentine’s Day. I mean, if you send me roses, I’m gonna smile and say thank you, and the fact that you made the effort to get them will please me. And who doesn’t like the scent of a rose? But a bouquet of flowers doesn’t THRILL me. You know, bringing on chills and making my heart flutter.
But there are other things that will rev the old engine if you know what I mean… hehehe.
Here are a few ideas for Valentine’s Day that will knock his or her socks (and other clothing items) right off!
1. Strawberries dipped in chocolate are nothing to sneeze at. Unless you happen to be allergic to strawberries or have a chocolate-sneeze reflex like I do. (I sneeze at the first taste of very good dark chocolate.)
2. An adult-only LOVE BASKET. This could make for an interesting February 14th. Wink wink.
3. Okay, nobody will argue with this one… because diamonds are everybody’s best friend, but there is a minor commitment involved.
WARNING: this gift comes with strings attached.
4. A symbolic key to his/her heart in the form of a necklace.
Sweet. Simple. Profound.
5. Heart-shaped pizza… it’s what’s for dinner. Cheese always wins. (And it’s easy.)
6. A NEW CAR!!!!! This works very well. No complaints here.
7. Fun, yes, romantic, maybe… dangerous, too. I would suggest popping in mouth guards before engaging in this sort of Valentine’s Day fun.
8. I already have four of these, but nonetheless, a very touching gift. Requires long term care–I”m talking 18+ years minimum.
9. Shoes are nice, but a huge chocolate high heel screams, “HAVE A SWEET DAY!”
10. BEST GIFT OF ALL!! Something steamy from Mia Kerick’s adult collection.
My suggestion: read aloud in bed!!
ORRRRR…. you could preorder Dead Sea my March 3rd Coming of Age Gay Romancehttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VRY4W8V?pf_rd_r=WRBCX37VM04HKXBV27E6&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35-9071-dc3240e894a8&pd_rd_r=3ab2c040-0d42-490b-a671-ea2c7dfffb9a&pd_rd_w=tvMrq&pd_rd_wg=Y6WOf&ref_=pd_gw_unk
When the bully saves his victim, he never expects to fall in love. Yes, a very romantic gift.
Happy Valentine’s Day 2021!!
Mia
February 10, 2021
COVER REVEAL DAY of Dead Sea YAY! It took almost five years to get here-Better late than never!
COMMENT CONTEST!!!
What do you think of a bully saving a victim and changing both of their worlds?
$10 Amazon gift card raffle (old fashioned way- drawn from a hat) for one commenter who leaves a response to my question and their email address!
I will draw the winner in one week- on February 17th. Disclaimer: this date is not written in stone.
And if you follow me on BookBub I will send you a virtual hug. (Link below–for BookBub not the hug LOL.)
Today is cover reveal day for my Coming of Age Gay Romance DEAD SEA.
Thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for helping me with this!
It’s been eight months since my last release, but Dead Sea has been a living manuscript for almost five years. In terms of details, the story has undergone many twists and turns, but the underlying plot remains the same.
Kyle is the stereotypical bully. He intimidates teachers and students, so they’ll stay out of his way. Kyle doesn’t trust anyone. His family life is an exercise in survival. He doesn’t trust in society—he has no reason to. But when push comes to shove, Kyle shows decency. He comes upon a student (a victim of his threats) drowning in a riptide and risks his life to save him. And this experience changes Kyle. Profoundly, and for the better.
Lenny is the stereotypical victim. He strives to be invisible at school so he can live his life without ridicule, which is the only thing he expects from other people. He also flies under the radar at home. Thanks to a confrontation years ago with his father, he believes he must keep his true nature hidden–the major part of his identity that exists more in the fictional realm than in reality. When two students discover Lenny’s secret and threatens to expose him, he takes to the ocean and for a moment hopes to never emerge. When the meanest kid in school saves him, the world looks different to him.
I’m excited about the challenge of a new release.
I’m also excited that I’ve joined some groups and social media that help me to become more involved in the writing community. First, I am the featured February author at a romance readers club I joined, the Gay Romance Readers Club. I have posted on their blog. And I am offering a free and award-winning book—The Red Sheet. I hope you check it out—it’s a story that will make you laugh and cry. All you have to do is join the club to get free gay romance from bestselling authors.
Instagram has been so much fun for me. I’m a little bit addicted to creating cool gay romance posts that inspire me and hopefully many of you.
Here’s my link:
https://www.instagram.com/miakerick/
Okay, BookBub has turned out to be more of a challenge than I expected. So if you read this and like to support an author who is doing her best to get “out there” here please follow.
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mia-kerick
Well, thanks for listening…
Here is Dead Sea’s official blurb:
Kyle is a swaggering bully; Lenny strives to be invisible.
Kyle has been left alone in the world; Lenny is the world’s biggest loner.
When Kyle saves Lenny from drowning, their lives will never be the same.
After a brutal encounter with school bullies, Lenny swims out into the ocean, determined to let the current whisk him away. Next thing he knows the meanest kid in town is pulling him from the waves, promising to be his Dead Sea, and to never let him sink.
All Kyle wants is to get out of beach cleanup, is that too much to ask? So he goes for a swim, only to come upon the most epic “nobody” in the senior class drowning in a riptide. Lenny’s haunted gaze grips him, and Kyle makes the impulsive decision to save his life or die trying. And through this ordeal, Kyle and Lenny are transformed.
Kyle’s heroic act sets him on the straight and narrow, and he opens his heart to the young man he dragged from the ocean. Lenny changes too but is still unable to reveal the truth of his pain. While drowning in a sea of secrets, the reformed bully and wary victim fall in love. But staying afloat in the Dead Sea is not as simple as it seems.
DEAD SEA releases March 3rd and is available on Kindle Unlimited or is $2.99.
Hope you check it out!
<3 Mia
January 15, 2021
FREE BOOK (per Goodreads M/M Romance Author Promotions) “RANDOM ACTS”
I’m trying to be more active as an author… EVERYWHERE… so I’m hoping this is helpful. (BTW, getting active as an author is an extremely tall order.)
Below is the pdf link to Random Acts, as is promoted on my Goodreads M/M Romance Author Self-promotion folder. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6474518.Mia_Kerick
I want to get to know YOU my readers, and to do that YOU need to get to know Mia Kerick as an author.
RANDOM ACTS by Mia Kerick Adult M/M Romance
THE BLURB:
Bradley Zelder can’t find his way in life. After struggling for nearly a decade, he has yet to complete his college degree. Working as a school custodian, living in blue-collar Landsbury, MA, his love life is as empty as the rest of his existence. But on his way home after another disastrous date, his truck breaks down in upscale Oceanside. When he thinks life can’t get any worse, a man who is the epitome of Boston elite and everything Bradley finds attractive and intimidating helps him move his truck to the side of the road. Ashamed of his lot in life, Bradley almost lets the opportunity slip away, but he comes to his senses in time and tracks Caleb down.
From a random act of kindness, romance begins to grow, filling all the dark corners of Bradley’s empty life—until a random act of violence threatens to take it all away. Bradley must step up and be the man Caleb believes him to be. Caleb rescued him from a life without hope. Can Bradley rescue him in return?
random_acts_kerickDownloadI sincerely hope you enjoy Random Acts. Any thoughts or discussion can be placed on my Goodreads M/M Romance Author Promotions Discussion page.
And keep this date in mind… MAY 4, 2020. Boroughs Publishing Group is releasing WHATEVER HE NEEDS. By Mia Kerick, of course. It is New Adult MM Contemporary Romance. You can meet these guys:
Look forward to hearing from you!!
Mia
Free Book Not Broken, Just Bent (from my Goodreads M/M Romance Author Self-Promotion folder)
I’m trying to be more active as an author… EVERYWHERE… so I’m hoping this is helpful. And yes, this is an extremely tall order.
Below is the pdf link to Not Broken, Just Bent, as promoted on my Goodreads M/M Romance Author Self-promotion folder.
I want to get to know YOU, my readers, and to do that YOU need to get to know MIA KERICK as an author.
NOT BROKEN, JUST BENT
The blurb:
Braving the start of high school, longtime childhood friends Benjamin Wells and Timmy Norton quickly realize they are entering a whole new world colored by their family responsibilities. Ben is trying to please his strict father; Timmy is taking care of his younger sisters. While their easy camaraderie is still comfortable, Ben notices Timmy growing distant and evasive, but Ben has his own problems. It’s easier to let concerns about Timmy’s home life slide, especially when Timmy changes directions and starts to get a little too close. Ben doesn’t know how to handle the new feelings Timmy’s desire for love inspires, and his continuing denial wounds Timmy deeply.
But what Timmy perceives as Ben’s greatest betrayal is yet to come, and the fallout threatens to break them apart forever. Over the next four years, the push and pull between them and the outside world twists and tears at Ben and Timmy, and they are haunted by fear and regret. However, sometimes what seems broken is just a little bent, and if they can find forgiveness within themselves, Ben and Timmy may be able to move forward together.
Here is the pdf version of my YA Gay Romance novel.
Not_Broken_Just_Bent_KerickDownloadI’d love to hear your thoughts on this book. Feel free to post in my Author Discussion page in M/M Romance Author Self-Promotion on Goodreads.
And keep this date in mind… MAY 4, 2020. Boroughs Publishing Group is releasing WHATEVER HE NEEDS. By Mia Kerick, of course. It is New Adult MM Contemporary Romance.
You will fall in love with these guys:
Look forward to hearing from you!
<3 Mia
January 13, 2021
My Life with Beauty and the Beast
IMPRESSIONABLE YOUNG MIA
When I was a child there were no Disney Beauty and the Beast movie images implanted in my brain, as are lodged in the minds of most young people today. Disney didn’t create the animated movie most of us are now familiar with, the one worn on T-shirts and illustrated on backpacks until 1991 when I was an adult, engaged to be married.
However, like most children, I knew the tale from bedtime stories and library visits, and I liked it, but I FELL IN LOVE with it when I saw it as a theatrical performance over the summer before fifth grade. That summer, I went with our town’s parks and rec program—in our youthful eloquence we called it “PARK”—to see a summer stock production of Beauty and the Beast at the local historical society that had a small theater in the back building. The Burnham Hall Players—cast and crew made up of area high school students—created and performed a short musical each summer under the directorship of a college-aged theater major.
Let’s call him TOM
A handsome young actor with a raspy singing voice and a rascal’s manner played the Beast. I actually remember his real name, but seeing as he is now the beloved drama club director at the high school I once attended, I’ll to keep it to myself, and refer to him as Tom. Even at the tender age of ten, I could sense that Tom was the classic bad boy, both on and off the stage. His performance thrilled me—awakening emotions I’d never before experienced–when he sang in his raspy tenor. Alive in a new and magical way, goosebumps popped on my arms—did you know that only one third of people can experience chills at blissful sounds—but somehow felt deeply melancholy at the poor Beast’s lot in life. And I experienced romantic longing for the first time. I fell a little bit in love with the Beast (Tom) that summer.
My cousin was the Burnham Hall Players’ pianist. Every time I went to her house for a visit, I begged her to play the accompaniment to the songs that the Beast sang in the play. It brought back the thrill and longing (yes, and the goosebumps). The awareness of the Beast’s desperation—his hope and humiliation—coupled with the budding awareness of myself as a more than just a child caused intense feelings.
THE MYSTERY BOOK
Years later when I was thirteen, I read a book I’ll never forget, although I admit to forgetting its title and author. (Despite various google searches, it’s lost to me. And I’m NOT HAPPY about this.) Narrated by a girl about my age then, she observed the love affair between her beautiful older sister and a man so (reportedly) physically grotesque that when the older sister visited his castle, he hid. She was only allowed to hear his voice. At times when the couple wanted to hold each other, the older sister allowed herself to be willingly blindfolded in order to be in the presence of the man she loved. The younger sister, who discovers their hidden romance, is astonished that her “perfect” elder sibling could fall so deeply in love with what seems to her to be nothing more than an eerie presence in a huge estate.
At that point in my life, I identified with the younger sister, rather than the older one. After all, I asked myself, why would a beautiful young woman choose to live her life in a castle of shadows and darkness, never free to emerge into the real world and walk under the sun with the man she loved? Why would she ever choose this? However, the strange and haunting beauty of this concept—her passionate love of her “beast’s” spirit—stuck with me. It was a “Beauty and the Beast” story, although I didn’t realize it at the time. And as an adult romance writer, I have written the opposites attract trope many times.
MIA THE MOM AND WALT DISNEY
As a young mother, Beauty and the Beast became all Disney-ish for me. Bundled on the couch with my three daughters and young son, we watched the movie. An exhausted mother of four grade school kids, I was happy for a couple of hours of simply staying still—and I forgot all about the depth of meaning the story held when I was younger. Somehow, Belle was too cheerful, too wholesome, and maybe a bit too nerdy, to bring back the haunting feelings I experienced so frequently as a child. Maybe the whole Disney Beauty and the Beast thing was just too commercial to draw out otherworldly feelings.
Secret Confession: I love listening to the original 1991 Soundtrack to Beauty and the Beast. It’s CHILLS-CITY when Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson croon “Beauty and the Beast”! I love to do my Walk-Away-the Pounds exercise video, serenaded by “Be Our Guest”, “Something There”, and Angela Lansbury’s “Beauty and The Beast.” And yes, I get chills.
I have one more outstanding memory of how I relate to the tale of Beauty and the Beast. When the kids were young, we took them to Disney World in Orlando, Florida every few years. One year, when they were 1, 3, 5, and 7 years old we lost Demi (5) in the rush of the crowd when we exited “Beauty and the Beast—Live On Stage” (gone now) at MGM Studios (not named this anymore). When discussing this horrifying event with the girls over the holidays this past winter, they insisted it was Ali who got lost. I begged to differ—I still have nightmares about losing Demi in that crowd. I know it wasn’t Sisi or Chris—they were in the double stroller. And Ali was far too well-behave to stray. Whatever, the case, I rarely lost my children when they were little, and I associate it with Beauty and the Beast.
FYI: We found whichever daughter it was within five minutes. I also distinctly remember the relief.
More recently, when my girls and I got together—pre-covid so it wasn’t very recent—we watched the newer Disney Beauty and the Beast (with Emma Watson) all bundled on the couch. It whisked me back to the thrill and chills and danger and self-awareness that the story brought me when I was young. I cried three times.
In conclusion, the story Beauty and the Beast has played a role in my life, but it’s perhaps most significant in that it’s the ultimate romance trope of LOVE IS LOVE, which is essential to all of my books.
<3 Mia
January 7, 2021
An author’s belly-crawl through the treacherous obstacle course that is social media.
Featuring Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb”
I can almost see it
That dream I’m dreaming
But, there’s a voice inside my head saying
You’ll never reach it
How do they do it? You know, those genius authors who seem to intrinsically grasp how to do it all—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, Book Bub, Goodreads, MeWe… and more. To me, they seem glib, as if they have all the winning cards tucked up their shirtsleeves, and my sweaty palms are clinging to the world’s worst poker hand. This could be my envy talking…
Every step I’m taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking
But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high
I feel like I’m never gonna be able to grasp the intricacies involved in applying the perfect hashtag. Yeah, the little voice in my head instructs me sternly to give it up. “You’ll NEVER ‘get’ social media, Mia—all you’ll ‘get’ is frustrated.”
There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb
Take my old-but-sort-of-new-to-me Instagram account… It’s an impossible dream that I’ll ever conquer it. After all, Instagram is on my phone… and all of my files are on my computer. How on earth do I get my promos and reviews and links from one to the other? My daughters (thank you, Demi, I owe you one, and Sisi- for your psychic abilities) took pity on me and taught me how to post on Instagram. And now, Instagram is more than merely a tool to virtually stalk Sam Heughan (you know, hot Jamie from Outlander). I can use Instagram to promote books and make friends… and I have…for several days now.
The struggles I’m facing
The chances I’m taking
Sometimes might knock me down, but
No, I’m not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments, that I’m gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going
My new publisher uses MeWe for their author chat. Talk about another mountain–two hours in and all I managed to do was send my brand spanking new publisher four private messages. “Hi everybody! I’m Mia Kerick, and I’m so happy to join you here!” Yeah—four times. (Wiping the perspiration of embarrassment from my forehead.).
And I, I gotta be strong
Just keep pushing on, ’cause
There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb
Yeah
And just when I’m ready to quit—who needs to write romance novels, anyway?—a friendly voice (actually a private message from a concerned author on Facebook) reaches out to ask if I’m doing okay with my new challenges in social media. “No, I’m not!!! I need help…” And she gives me the help I need. (Thank you, Susan Mac Nicol, You’re my hero.)
There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes you’re gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb
Yeah, yeah
It’s not pretty, but I’m down on my belly in the mud, army-crawling through the obstacles. In other words, I’m “doing” Instagram. I have a recommendation to the perfect master-Goodreads-in-one-hour class. BookBub is next. Pray for me.
Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It’s all about, it’s all about the climb
Keep your faith, keep your faith
Whoa
Miley Cyrus is right—I just have to keep the faith. I’m not gonna lie: I’ve shifted into passive-aggressive—”I’m not gonna do this!” mode…Twice since Tuesday, to be specific, and it’s only Wednesday, as I write this.
I’ll keep on trying. I’ll give it my best shot.
Back to the belly-crawl.
Mia
December 31, 2020
I didn’t lie…. I just changed my mind. (Not a crime FYI)
And Happy New Year!!!
Decisiveness has long been, let’s say, an issue for me. Yes, I struggle with decision-making.
*I wanted to tweak the spellings of the names of three of my four children by the time they were in first grade.
*I make pro’s and con’s lists when trying to decide if I want to go on a low carb or low-calorie diet.
*Tan shorts or navy blue? Navy blue or tan? And then there’s black…I always resort to buying them all.
*Where to vacation—the West Coast of Florida or the Keys? Bahamas or Belize?
*Outlander or Black Sails? (This one was easy because…JAMIE <3)
*Walk Away the Pounds video or an actual walk?
See what I’m saying?
And being trapped in indecision is no party, let me tell you. This is not a FUN way to live.
WAFFLES are delicious; WAFFLING is torturous.
Well, as someone once said (sang), OOPS I DID IT AGAIN…
Let me explain my most recent battle with vacillation …
Several days ago, I made a bold decision. A declaration accompanied it, in the form of Facebook and Twitter posts. A blog entry titled, “Decision Made: WHATEVER HE NEEDS by Mia Kerick” sealed the deal. I’d finally decided to self-publish my latest story for various reasons, which I very clearly outlined in my blog post.
So I sent emails to publishers withdrawing my submission. Based on the feedback of an editor I deeply respect, I rewrote certain parts of the book. I even renamed it. So, in essence, it was a slightly different work than the one I’d queried.
And on the very same day I withdrew my submission, I was offered a contract.
Despite my recent declaration, I wanted to take it.
I had researched Boroughs Publishing Group. I liked everything I learned about them. I spoke with an author who I greatly respect, and she was pleased with her experience there.
But I’d made actual plans for self-publishing…
But I really want to work with this publisher…
Heart palpitations… heavy facial sweating. (Gross, I know—but true.)
I emailed author friends and kids for advice.
And then…I made a move. I emailed the publisher to explain the changes I’d made.
With the help of an author I trust, I resubmitted…and within a day, a contract appeared in my email.
I am proud to say that I signed a contract for Anything He Has in Mind (working title for what possibly will be Whatever He Needs) with Boroughs Publishing Group.
My book will be released in 2021.
HAPPY 2021!!!
Looks like my decision has finally (legally) been made.
Mia
And special thanks to Lou Sylvre Sylvestre for understanding.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! HAPPY 2021!!!
December 27, 2020
Decision Made: WHATEVER HE NEEDS by Mia Kerick
I’ve finally made the difficult decision to self-publish my completed Adult Gay Romance novel, Whatever He Needs.
There were many considerations that factored in. Here are some of my major ones:
PRO-PUBLISHER:
*I enjoy the support of a publisher – I like being on a team
*the creation of the book is virtually free
*more eyes are on the book through editing and proofreading process, resulting in a more error-free product
*some of the more difficult challenges are taken out of your hands, such as selecting categories and keywords etc.
*a publisher gets your book “OUT THERE” to more sales venues, where I’m only capable (at this point) of self-pub with the Kindle process
PRO-SELF-PUBLISHING:
*creative control is ALL YOURS – the story, the cover, the keywords, the blurb etc.
*if you complete and pay for most (or all) of the marketing for a book yourself, shouldn’t most of the profits be yours too? With self-pub, the profit is yours alone.
*PATIENCE IS NOT ONE OF MY VIRTUES. With a publisher you have to wait for a decision about your submission, as well as for the date the book is to be published. With self-pub- time is on your side. You do what you want when you want.
Many authors offered opinions on Facebook when I asked, and I’m very thankful for this. I’m not a super decisive person, so I look to my peers for guidance.
So watch for the cover reveal and preordering opportunities, etc. I HAVE WORK TO DO!!
With YA, I will likely still go with a publisher for various reasons.
Mia
December 20, 2020
LISTEN TO YOUR BETA READERS
Sometimes we, as authors, simply must open our minds and hearts to honest criticism.
Yes, our books are our babies…but then, sometimes we look at our children and don’t see them as clearly as we should, right?
I received a critique from a valued beta reader about a MC, let’s call him Joe, in a recent New Adult novel. It went something like this: “I. HATE. HIM.” This is a strong message.
Maybe, I thought, Joe is tragically misunderstood. After all, he means well—and hey, everybody makes mistakes. Right?
As it turns out, NO. I was wrong.
There are certain things a character can do—no matter how strong, handsome, and well-intentioned he may be—that WILL NOT be forgiven by readers. According to an editor I trust, Joe did these things. His fear of what other people thought of him was not conducive to romance. She actually wished that Joe and his love interest would not get together in the end. This is not what I was going for.
So when your trusted readers and editors tell you something… it’s a very good idea to listen to them.
I rewrote Joe. He’s still kinda selfish and the maker of multiple mistakes. But I toned down his worst characteristics and pumped up his sweetness so in the end, when he was contrite and begging for forgiveness, readers would not be shouting, “DON’T FORGIVE THE JERK!”
In conclusion, I like to say to my beta reader: “Kevin knows best.” And he does. He really does.
