Tonya Burrows's Blog, page 3

Meet the Hero: Jesse Warrick

Birthday: December 21

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Brown, long. He wears it pulled back in a tail under his ever-present cowboy hat.

Nickname: “Sawbones” or sometimes just “Bones”

Hometown: Jackson, WY

Position in HORNET: Medic

Career Before HORNET: Delta Force medic

Favorite Place to hang out: A small lake near his ranch

Random Fact: Jesse married his high school sweetheart, Lacy, at age 18 and they had a son, Connor. They divorced after a turbulent 7 years. Connor is now 15 and has a chip on his shoulder as big as Wyoming.

First Appearance: Seal of Honor

His Book: Code of Honor

Raised on a Wyoming ranch, Jesse has a strict moral code and a strong work ethic. While he apologetically breaks some rules, he won’t do anything that goes against his principles. A gentleman who is comfortable with himself and mostly easy to get along with, he makes friends effortlessly, but he uses his good ol’ boy charm as a mask and very few people see the real Jesse Warrick. He is a chameleon, adept at changing to new circumstances. When he falls in love (and that happens a lot), he falls hard and fast—and usually falls out of love just as fast as soon as a new mission comes along.

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Meet the Hero: Gabe Bristow

Age: 32

Build: 6’4″, 226 lbs

Birthday: May 6

Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Dark brown

Nickname: Stonewall

Hometown: Arlington, VA

Position in HORNET: Commander

Career before HORNET: Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander

Favorite Food: Pizza

Favorite Weapon: SIG Sauer P226

Random Fact: His younger brother, Raffi, is his hero.

Best Friend: Travis Quinn

The Woman Who Steals His Heart: Audrey Van Amee

Title of His Book: SEAL of Honor

Gabe has an innate need to fix problems and get results, but he never asks for help when he needs it. He’s organized to a fault and expects people to line up and follow him unquestioningly. He can be dominating and come on too strong. Because he has such a strong will, he’s considered inflexible, hence his nickname. He has little tolerance for mistakes and finds it easier to dole out orders than communicate. He’s extremely protective of what he considers “his.”

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Meet the Heroine: Audrey Van Amee

Middle Name: Ruth

Age: 27

Birthday: March 3

Eyes: light brown

Hair: light brown, blond streaks

Career: Artist

Favorite Music: Reggae

Favorite Food: Coconut

Random Fact: She always dreamed of being a professional surfer, but after a short stint on the competitive circuit, she realized she didn’t have the dedication to commit her entire life to the sport. Now she only surfs for fun.

The Man Who Holds Her Heart: Gabe Bristow

Title of Her Book: SEAL OF HONOR

Considered eccentric at best, flighty at worst, Audrey is a creative soul who tries to see the good in everybody.

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Meet the Heroine: Claire Oliver

Full Name: Dr. Antoinette Margaret Ophelia Claire Oliver

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Blond, cut in a sharp bob

Career: Former virologist with USAMRIID, left to pursue research with her best friend, Dr. Tiffany Peters.

Favorite Music: Classical, instrumental

Favorite Cocktail: Margarita

Random Fact: Having spent most of her adult life working in Africa and South America, she’s fluent in 5 languages–English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili.

The Man Who Holds Her Heart: Jean-Luc Cavalier

Title of Her Book: Reckless Honor

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Author Life Reboot: Goals

In my last Reboot post I mentioned how I’d had no plan and no goals for my writing career other than to be a New York Times Bestseller. Well, this year I’m changing that. I read somewhere— in some self-help book or another— that people who write down their goals are much more likely to achieve them than people who don’t.

I know it sounds like a lot of self-help mumbo jumbo, but visualizing your goals is actually an important first step to achieving them. If you don’t know what you want, how can you get it? Jim Carrey wrote himself a check for $10 million dollars for “acting services rendered” and dated it ten years in the future. Then, just before the check’s date, he found out he was going to make $10 million for Dumb and Dumber. In self-help circles, this is called the Law of Attraction.

So this week I spent some time thinking about what I really want out of this career, then sat down and made a list of SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound. I then broke my goals into 4 lists: This Year, Next Two Years, Next Five Years, and Dream Big. I didn’t hold back on Dream Big. Maybe those goals are not attainable or realistic, but I’m writing them down anyway.

This Year:

Release 3- 4 books. I originally wanted to release 4, one for each quarter of the year, but I’m already behind that. I’m not going to have a release in the first quarter, so I adjusted this goal to 3 or 4. Make it attainable, right? Write 4 -5 books. I actually wanted to write 6 books, but I just got edits back on a book I turned in last year and it’s a complete rewrite. Does a rewrite count toward this goal? I decided no and adjusted this goal accordingly. Write 4 to 5 NEW books.Write 2 proposals for my agent. I’m still stinging from the loss of my last contract. Even though my agent assures me it happens all the time, I can’t seem to stop beating myself up over it. I’m ashamed and angry that I let it happen. I’m afraid to try again. So this particular goal is my most daunting.Make 10K more than last year. Write 1 passion project. (Something with dogs. Or natural disasters. Or both. Oh! *scribbles idea*) I love the series I write now. I love the characters. I enjoy the plots. But, lately, I’ve burnt out on them. For just one book, I’d really like to write something completely different.

Next Two Years:

By January 2021, I want to work full time as an author again. Honestly, finding a full time job outside the house after 6 years of self employment is not appealing at all. Unfortunately, it has to be done, but I’m not going to stop fighting for my writing career.Make enough extra income to pay off the advance I received for the contract I lost. Also pay for the orthodontic/ dental work I need. Speak on 2 panels and/or give 2 presentations. I’m not a public speaker. I am your classic introvert, #writercat included. I did a reading once (in front of friends from my old writer’s group) and thought I was going to pass out. This needs to change and the only way to get better is by practicing.Attempt self-publishing again (with a publishing and marketing plan this time!) and release 2 books.

Next Five Years:

Consistently release 4-5 books per year. I know if I can do this, I’ll never see a 2/3rds decrease in my income again. One book per quarter is the ideal.Beat my best year of income ($68K in 2014) by at least $10K for three years in a row.Finally win a RITA. (Third time’s the charm, right?)

Dream Big:

These are the goals I repeat to myself every night before bed. These are my post-dated $10 million check.

Yearly high six figure income. $800,000 sounds like a good number. With that, I could accomplish goals 3 and 4 on this list. Maybe I need to write myself a check for $800,000?Hit the 1 million books sold mark. Right now, after 6 years, I’m around 190,000 books sold. At the rate I’m going, I might hit this goal by the time I’m 65.Pay off all debt. (I’m looking at you student loans!)Buy or build our dream house. Our current house is falling apart around us and we just don’t have the money to fix it. Buying or building the perfect-for-us house (with the perfect-for-me office) is probably my most wanted Dream Big goal.

Notice I left New York Times Bestseller off the list? Not going to lie, I wanted to add it, but that list is completely out of my control. At least with these other goals—even the ones on the Dream Big list—I can take steps toward making them happen.

Some initial steps I’m taking toward achieving my goals for this year:

Read 1 craft book per month. I stopped doing this for a long time, but I need to start again. You can never learn too much and it’s good to occasionally refresh what I already know.* Read 1 marketing book per month. Marketing has been my nemesis from day one. I hated it. It intimidated me. I didn’t do it. It’s way past time for me to slay this particular personal demon.*Don’t slack on marketing. Newsletters! Website! Blog! Reader group interaction! Post, post, post! But at the same time…Spend less time on social media. It’s such a black hole, and yet I find myself on Facebook and Twitter all. day. long. I don’t even really like them. Most of the time, they make me unhappy. There are only so many hours in a day. Why am I wasting any there? I need to learn how to make the time I’m spending there work for me, hence reading every marketing book I can get my hands on.Be consistent. I originally had this as “write every day” because that’s what all the writing books say you should do, right? But I know at the moment, juggling multiple part-time jobs like I am and sometimes working 12 hour shifts, it’s just not likely I’ll write everyday. If I set my goal as “write every day,” I’ll get discouraged the first time I miss a day or two. That’s a hole I don’t want to revisit. Instead, I want to consistently write a set number of new words each week. Ideally 10K, but I’m aware it will need to fluctuate week to week. I’ll have to set my word count limit depending on my work schedule outside the house and what I have on my writing to-do list.Set realistic deadlines and meet them. This is a biggie. I’ve struggled with deadlines over the last few years. Every one missed made me feel worse about myself as a person and an author. It fed into my “I’m a failure” mindset.Be flexible—but not too flexible. This is a fine line to walk. On the one hand, when things change, my goals need to change to match my current circumstances. (Like changing my books per year goal from 6 to 4 to 5 due to a massive rewrite.) On the other, if I keep changing my goals, what am I aiming for?Track how I spend my time each day. I still haven’t figured out how exactly to do this in my planner. If you have any suggestions, I’m all ears!

*I’ll review some of the books I read this year. If you’re interested, you’ll find them on my blog under the tag Author Life Reboot: Book Reviews

If you’re struggling like me, what are some of your short-term and long-term career goals? What steps are you taking to achieve them?

Thank you to everyone who reached out after my last post! It’s nice to know I have a cheering section. And to the other authors who reached out, I’m sorry you’re struggling too. I’ll be your cheering section. We got this. We can do this.

The post Author Life Reboot: Goals appeared first on Tonya Burrows.

Author Life Reboot

Man, this gig is hard. All those years I spent dreaming of writing full-time, I had no idea just how hard it is. When I sold my first book, I plunged in head-first without a plan and without any particular goals. I just wrote and sold some books and made money.

I do love working at home with my pups.

I got lucky. My first book sold moderately well. So did the second. In three months, I made twice my yearly salary working in retail. I was actually making an adult living wage for the first time in my life. I thought, This is it! I’ve made it! No worries from here on out!

Ha. I was so sweetly naive.

No plan, remember? No goals, other than the vague idea that I wanted to be a New York Times Bestseller. No actionable steps for how I could make that happen. I knew nothing about how to market my books, nothing about how to maintain a regular work schedule while working from home, or how to produce words under the strain of a deadline. I. Knew. Nothing. And I thought it was okay because all I really needed to know was how to write a book.

Repeat after me: you need a plan.

For the first couple years of my writing career, I did well. But with each release, my sales numbers decreased because I was just tossing the books out there and hoping someone would read them. As those numbers sank and that nebulous goal of New York Times Bestseller-dom drifted farther and father away, my writing self-esteem took a nose dive off a cliff.

Kersplat!

It became hard to sit down and put words on the page. It became a chore rather than a joy. I was afraid to write because I felt like I was failing and my fear was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So, even as the books I’d already published were picking up accolades and nominations, I wrote less and less. I started missing deadlines. I lost a contract. My royalty checks shrank. I eventually had to pick up various part time jobs to make ends meet. And then full time. The more I worked outside the house, the less I wrote. A vicious cycle was born.

No writing = no books = no sales = failure at my dream job.

I released one book last year. To date, it has sold only 4438 copies. For some writers, I know that number is amazing. For me, it’s dismal compared to how my books used to sell. My paycheck this month was $1200, about 1/9th of what it was at my highest point. Since I have student loans, my writing income is no longer a livable wage and I’m back to looking for full time work.

Why am I tell you all of this? Well, a few reasons.

First, I don’t think the struggle is talked about enough. Most writers are introverts and when we are struggling, we clam up. (Just ask my agent— she knows how well things are going by how talkative I am.) It’s just the nature of the beast. So, even though it’s uncomfortable to open myself up, I’m doing it. Maybe I can help someone to keep from making my mistakes.

Second, numbers. It’s considered rude to ask a writer about their numbers. When a writer does discuss numbers, it’s seen as bragging or woe-is-me. But, you know, I think it’s so important to be more open about the numbers in this industry. And I’m not a number person.

Not really, but I’m trying.

Third, accountability. I’ll admit it, I need it. If I don’t have someone checking in on me, occasionally poking me in the right direction, I go off the rails. It’s easy to tell myself I’m going to fix my career this year, but it’s also just as easy to tell myself I’ll start tomorrow. And then the next day. And then it’s December 31st and everything is still the same or worse. If I want to keep this career I’ve dreamed about since I was six years old, I need something to help me stay accountable. I’ll post my goals and share my progress whether I reach those goals or fall short. I’ll post my writing numbers. I’ll post my sales numbers. And… whatever else writing-related happens this year. All of the mountains, the cliffs, and the valleys. I’m taking you along for the ride to keep myself accountable.

Originally, I choose “hustle” as my word for the year because I know I have to make a change and it’s going to take hard work. Problem is, I didn’t like the negative connotations that come with that word. Instead, 2019 is the year of the reboot.

I’m rebooting my career. Sink or swim, I’m going to document the whole process. To follow along, just look for the #AuthorLifeReboot tag on my blog and social media. If you’re in the same boat, join me! We’ll reboot together.

The post Author Life Reboot appeared first on Tonya Burrows.

#AuthorLife Reboot

Man, this gig is hard. All those years I spent dreaming of writing full-time, I had no idea just how hard it is. When I sold my first book, I plunged in head-first without a plan and without any particular goals. I just wrote and sold some books and made money.

I do love working at home with my pups.

I got lucky. My first book sold moderately well. So did the second. In three months, I made twice my yearly salary working in retail. I was actually making an adult living wage for the first time in my life. I thought, This is it! I’ve made it! No worries from here on out!

Ha. I was so sweetly naive.

No plan, remember? No goals, other than the vague idea that I wanted to be a New York Times Bestseller. No actionable steps for how I could make that happen. I knew nothing about how to market my books, nothing about how to maintain a regular work schedule while working from home, or how to produce words under the strain of a deadline. I. Knew. Nothing. And I thought it was okay because all I really needed to know was how to write a book.

Repeat after me: you need a plan.

For the first couple years of my writing career, I did well. But with each release, my sales numbers decreased because I was just tossing the books out there and hoping someone would read them. As those numbers sank and that nebulous goal of New York Times Bestseller-dom drifted farther and father away, my writing self-esteem took a nose dive off a cliff.

Kersplat!

It became hard to sit down and put words on the page. It became a chore rather than a joy. I was afraid to write because I felt like I was failing and my fear was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So, even as the books I’d already published were picking up accolades and nominations, I wrote less and less. I started missing deadlines. I lost a contract. My royalty checks shrank. I eventually had to pick up various part time jobs to make ends meet. And then full time. The more I worked outside the house, the less I wrote. A vicious cycle was born.

No writing = no books = no sales = failure at my dream job.

I released one book last year. To date, it has sold only 4438 copies. For some writers, I know that number is amazing. For me, it’s dismal compared to how my books used to sell. My paycheck this month was $1200, about 1/9th of what it was at my highest point. Since I have student loans, my writing income is no longer a livable wage and I’m back to looking for full time work.

Why am I tell you all of this? Well, a few reasons.

First, I don’t think the struggle is talked about enough. Most writers are introverts and when we are struggling, we clam up. (Just ask my agent— she knows how well things are going by how talkative I am.) It’s just the nature of the beast. So, even though it’s uncomfortable to open myself up, I’m doing it. Maybe I can help someone to keep from making my mistakes.

Second, numbers. It’s considered rude to ask a writer about their numbers. When a writer does discuss numbers, it’s seen as bragging or woe-is-me. But, you know, I think it’s so important to be more open about the numbers in this industry. And I’m not a number person.

Not really, but I’m trying.

Third, accountability. I’ll admit it, I need it. If I don’t have someone checking in on me, occasionally poking me in the right direction, I go off the rails. It’s easy to tell myself I’m going to fix my career this year, but it’s also just as easy to tell myself I’ll start tomorrow. And then the next day. And then it’s December 31st and everything is still the same or worse. If I want to keep this career I’ve dreamed about since I was six years old, I need something to help me stay accountable. I’ll post my goals and share my progress whether I reach those goals or fall short. I’ll post my writing numbers. I’ll post my sales numbers. And… whatever else writing-related happens this year. All of the mountains, the cliffs, and the valleys. I’m taking you along for the ride to keep myself accountable.

Originally, I choose “hustle” as my word for the year because I know I have to make a change and it’s going to take hard work. Problem is, I didn’t like the negative connotations that come with that word. Instead, 2019 is the year of the reboot.

I’m rebooting my career. Sink or swim, I’m going to document the whole process. To follow along, just look for the #AuthorLife tag on my blog. If you’re in the same boat, join me! We’ll reboot together.

The post #AuthorLife Reboot appeared first on Tonya Burrows.

SEAL OF HONOR is on sale!

As my first ever published book, SEAL OF HONOR will always hold a special place in my heart,  so I’m thrilled to have it on sale for a limited time. if you haven’t yet tried the HORNET series, now is the perfect time. For only 99 cents, you can find out how it all began!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R6DRXI6

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seal-of-honor-tonya-burrows/1113749213?ean=9781620612590

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/seal-of-honor-3

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/seal-of-honor/id953115701?mt=11

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Reckless Honor Giveaway!

Jean-Luc is here! Now available in both e-book and paperback!

This is my 11th book, but release days never get old. And I’m so excited about this one because, yanno, it’s Jean-Luc! The sexy, sweet, multi-lingual dirty talking Cajun is now available to steam up e-readers everywhere!

So grab a pina colada, hang some Mardi Gras beads around your neck, snuggle up with Jean-Luc and laissez les bons temps rouler!

Amazon:

Amazon UK:

Amazon Australia:

Amazon Canada:

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reckless-honor-tonya-burrows/1128329761?ean=9781640635579

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/reckless-honor/id1367156924?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/reckless-honor

ALSO! I’m giving away a Jean-Luc themed prize pack, including 2 books, a tote bag, T-shirt, voodoo doll keychain, and HORNET Tervis mug. Winner will also receive a $25 Amazon gift card.

To enter—> http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4b01c3e71/?

 

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2018 RITA Nominee

I’m so shocked and thrilled to announce TOO WILDE TO TAME, the last book in the Wilde Security series, is a RITA® Finalist in the romantic suspense category!

Eep!

I love these brothers and this series so much! I spent 3 years of my life with them, and TOO WILDE TO TAME was such a bittersweet book to write. The epilogue alone took me a solid week because I had to get the Wilde brothers’ good-bye just right!

To learn more about Greer & Natalie’s story, click here!

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