Jaymee Jacobs's Blog, page 11
September 30, 2013
Shots on Net Cover
I could blame my absence on a plethora of things: writer's block, sheer laziness, illness, a full schedule, stress and staff changes at work, a string of bad luck in the dating department.... But no matter what, I don't have any real excuses for not blogging/updating. And I absolutely have no excuse for not having my new book finished yet. I was hoping to have this one finished well before the start of the 2013-14 NHL season, but I'm on the third re-write and only approximately halfway through.
I do have some good news, though: I can finally present to you the cover art for Shots on Net!
My graphic designer sent this over on Saturday, and it's definitely helping to motivate me to get the re-write done. For me, the cover represents the final step in the process, so I'm itching to wrap this up. I know better than to make promises, so my goal is to have the book published sometime in October, since the plot starts at the beginning of the hockey season.
And speaking the hockey season, which starts tomorrow, I had my fantasy hockey draft this weekend, too. The more I get to bury myself in hockey, the easier writing about hockey should be! Which is good, because my mind is already dreaming up novel number three... but I can't get ahead of myself!
Any thoughts on the cover? Love it, hate it? Feel free to tell me in the comments, while I go back to trying to make that blinking cursor move down the page.
I do have some good news, though: I can finally present to you the cover art for Shots on Net!
My graphic designer sent this over on Saturday, and it's definitely helping to motivate me to get the re-write done. For me, the cover represents the final step in the process, so I'm itching to wrap this up. I know better than to make promises, so my goal is to have the book published sometime in October, since the plot starts at the beginning of the hockey season.
And speaking the hockey season, which starts tomorrow, I had my fantasy hockey draft this weekend, too. The more I get to bury myself in hockey, the easier writing about hockey should be! Which is good, because my mind is already dreaming up novel number three... but I can't get ahead of myself!
Any thoughts on the cover? Love it, hate it? Feel free to tell me in the comments, while I go back to trying to make that blinking cursor move down the page.
June 30, 2013
The Great Disappearing Jay!
Oh man, how is it almost July?! Where has the time gone?
Life has been absolutely crazy for me lately. I just moved into my very own apartment (no roommates!), and I'm exhausted. I thought the solitude would help the creative juices flow, but instead I'm busy building bookcases and waiting for my couch that's STILL on back order. The past few weeks have been an adjustment period for me--and my cats--but I think things are finally starting to fall into place and I'm getting back into a routine that will allow for some writing and editing.
I feel absolutely awful that I'm now TWO MONTHS behind schedule on publishing Shots on Net, though. In fact, I haven't touched base with my graphic designer since... well, I don't even know how long! (In my defense, I just got my internet access back three days ago.)
Of course, I can only make so many excuses for myself. I've also been a regular social butterfly this month. Pittsburgh has finally gotten some good bands to tour here, and I've gone to so many shows (Of Monsters and Men! Passion Pit! The Joy Formidable! Metric! And tonight... Jimmy Eat World!). I should be managing my time better. I'm going to make that my goal for July, to buckle down and refocus my energy on the stories I can't wait to share with you!
And I'd like to share one last thought with you before I sign off and hopefully go dig out my pages: After publishing Play the Man in March, which takes place in Chicago and features the characters playing on the Blackhawks, the real-life Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. For my faithful followers who know that Play the Man is a re-write of A Sharp Contrast, you may remember that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup the season I wrote that story! Coincidence?
Thanks again for hanging in there. Not only do I hope to have some definite news regarding the release of Shots on Net, but I hope to blog a little more regularly and not fall off the face of the Earth again!
Life has been absolutely crazy for me lately. I just moved into my very own apartment (no roommates!), and I'm exhausted. I thought the solitude would help the creative juices flow, but instead I'm busy building bookcases and waiting for my couch that's STILL on back order. The past few weeks have been an adjustment period for me--and my cats--but I think things are finally starting to fall into place and I'm getting back into a routine that will allow for some writing and editing.
I feel absolutely awful that I'm now TWO MONTHS behind schedule on publishing Shots on Net, though. In fact, I haven't touched base with my graphic designer since... well, I don't even know how long! (In my defense, I just got my internet access back three days ago.)
Of course, I can only make so many excuses for myself. I've also been a regular social butterfly this month. Pittsburgh has finally gotten some good bands to tour here, and I've gone to so many shows (Of Monsters and Men! Passion Pit! The Joy Formidable! Metric! And tonight... Jimmy Eat World!). I should be managing my time better. I'm going to make that my goal for July, to buckle down and refocus my energy on the stories I can't wait to share with you!
And I'd like to share one last thought with you before I sign off and hopefully go dig out my pages: After publishing Play the Man in March, which takes place in Chicago and features the characters playing on the Blackhawks, the real-life Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. For my faithful followers who know that Play the Man is a re-write of A Sharp Contrast, you may remember that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup the season I wrote that story! Coincidence?
Thanks again for hanging in there. Not only do I hope to have some definite news regarding the release of Shots on Net, but I hope to blog a little more regularly and not fall off the face of the Earth again!
April 14, 2013
Overcoming Writer's Block
Writing is hard work.
Not that I'm complaining; writing is probably the one activity I get the most satisfaction from doing. What could be more fun than imagining a whole alternative reality and then just jotting down what happens? I've always had an overactive imagination. Now, instead of just living in those worlds and realities I dream up, I write them down and share them with other people.
But that doesn't mean that it's always easy. I can't just sit down in front of a computer and type away endlessly. I like to have to muse over plots and characters--and most of the time, that's how the stories write themselves. However, I work full time and then engage in some fun extracurricular activities. Recently, I stage-managed for a local theatre's kids production, and then I started attending a weekly trivia contest. It's nice to have fun things to do on the side, but it does cut into my allotted time for daydreaming about my stories and what should happen next--or how things will progress. And sometimes, even though I know what I want to occur, I still struggle with the words that make it happen.
When I hit those walls, I have a few methods to try to overcome the lack of production. First, I like to give myself from time off. While I like to self-impose deadlines, sometimes it's too daunting to know that I'm not on schedule. I'm not sure I'll make my deadline to publish Shots on Net by May, but that's okay. It's not the end of the world if I don't get it done until June. I'm publishing on my own time, so I don't have editors or publishers breathing down my neck to get this finished. Giving myself a few days to decompress and stop worrying and stressing out about not writing often breaks the dam and gets the creative juices flowing again.
Another tactic I'll try is getting away from the computer. The Internet is the worst distraction--and there's no escaping it! Even if I walk away from my laptop, I still have my iPhone and all of its games and capabilities to lure me away from the task at hand. So that's when I put down all my technologies and revert to the good old standby, pen and paper:
There's something completely different between writing and typing. It's smoother, somehow. It's slower, but the words flow at even pace, rather than the staccato stop-and-go of typing away at a keyboard. And plus, I get extra time to edit when I have to type what I've previously written.
Plus, it's different experience to read something on paper versus reading something on a screen. Even seeing it on paper is different. I always print things out to edit them, because of the different format. Paper provides a nice change from the computer. After all, I work a desk job that involves sitting in front of a screen for 40+ hours a week, and I can only do so much more work on my laptop before it gets to be too much.
So that's what I've been doing this weekend: unplugging from the technological distractions and plugging away the old-fashioned way--allowing myself a break so I could come back on my blog and give a general update about my progress on Shots on Net. While it may be taking longer than expected and longer than I had hoped, I'm slowly moving forward.
Not that I'm complaining; writing is probably the one activity I get the most satisfaction from doing. What could be more fun than imagining a whole alternative reality and then just jotting down what happens? I've always had an overactive imagination. Now, instead of just living in those worlds and realities I dream up, I write them down and share them with other people.
But that doesn't mean that it's always easy. I can't just sit down in front of a computer and type away endlessly. I like to have to muse over plots and characters--and most of the time, that's how the stories write themselves. However, I work full time and then engage in some fun extracurricular activities. Recently, I stage-managed for a local theatre's kids production, and then I started attending a weekly trivia contest. It's nice to have fun things to do on the side, but it does cut into my allotted time for daydreaming about my stories and what should happen next--or how things will progress. And sometimes, even though I know what I want to occur, I still struggle with the words that make it happen.
When I hit those walls, I have a few methods to try to overcome the lack of production. First, I like to give myself from time off. While I like to self-impose deadlines, sometimes it's too daunting to know that I'm not on schedule. I'm not sure I'll make my deadline to publish Shots on Net by May, but that's okay. It's not the end of the world if I don't get it done until June. I'm publishing on my own time, so I don't have editors or publishers breathing down my neck to get this finished. Giving myself a few days to decompress and stop worrying and stressing out about not writing often breaks the dam and gets the creative juices flowing again.
Another tactic I'll try is getting away from the computer. The Internet is the worst distraction--and there's no escaping it! Even if I walk away from my laptop, I still have my iPhone and all of its games and capabilities to lure me away from the task at hand. So that's when I put down all my technologies and revert to the good old standby, pen and paper:
There's something completely different between writing and typing. It's smoother, somehow. It's slower, but the words flow at even pace, rather than the staccato stop-and-go of typing away at a keyboard. And plus, I get extra time to edit when I have to type what I've previously written.
Plus, it's different experience to read something on paper versus reading something on a screen. Even seeing it on paper is different. I always print things out to edit them, because of the different format. Paper provides a nice change from the computer. After all, I work a desk job that involves sitting in front of a screen for 40+ hours a week, and I can only do so much more work on my laptop before it gets to be too much.
So that's what I've been doing this weekend: unplugging from the technological distractions and plugging away the old-fashioned way--allowing myself a break so I could come back on my blog and give a general update about my progress on Shots on Net. While it may be taking longer than expected and longer than I had hoped, I'm slowly moving forward.
March 12, 2013
March 9, 2013
Thank You/Contest
Yesterday's free promotion of Play the Man was a resounding success, and I have all of you to thank for that! Two hundred copies were downloaded, and at the end of the day, Play the Man was ranked #53 in the Women's Fiction genre of Amazon's free Kindle books, and also hit #81 in the Contemporary Fiction genre!
I couldn't be happier, and last night I was overcome with gratitude. I've always, always said that I have the best readers on Blogger, and you all came through for me in a big way.
Of course, now that you have a copy of Play the Man, I have to jump back into promotional mode and ask you to please review it on Amazon. Every writer loves feedback, and I have read every comment everyone's ever left for me and appreciated it—whether it was something short and sweet like "I really enjoyed this chapter, please update soon!" or the longer, epic comments left by some of my more ardent followers. But Amazon is different than Blogger, and reviews and ratings are what fuels consumers to decide whether or not to buy a product.
So I decided to make this a contest. If you rate my novel and leave a review on Amazon (it doesn't have to be anything gushing or long, just an honest review!), then you will receive something from me in return! And I'll even let you pick:
• a one-shot story featuring the hockey player of YOUR choice;
•a free, super-sized sneak peek of Shots on Net before it publishes
•a special dedication in Shots on Net; or
•a character named after you.
(Have something else in mind? Let me know, and we'll add it as a possibility!)
So, here are the rules for the contest:
1.) You must rate AND leave a review on Amazon for Play the Man between the time of this post on Blogger and 11:59PM, March 16, 2013.
2.) You must then e-mail me (JaymeeJacobs@hotmail.com) or tweet me (@JaymeeJacobs) to let me know that you have left a review and who you are, so that I have your contact information of every participant. (I will, of course, not divulge any contact information or spam it.)
3.) Once the contest is closed, I will hold a random drawing of all participants and pick one lottery winner. Then I will notify the winner, letting them choose their prize!
On your mark, get set, review!
I couldn't be happier, and last night I was overcome with gratitude. I've always, always said that I have the best readers on Blogger, and you all came through for me in a big way.
Of course, now that you have a copy of Play the Man, I have to jump back into promotional mode and ask you to please review it on Amazon. Every writer loves feedback, and I have read every comment everyone's ever left for me and appreciated it—whether it was something short and sweet like "I really enjoyed this chapter, please update soon!" or the longer, epic comments left by some of my more ardent followers. But Amazon is different than Blogger, and reviews and ratings are what fuels consumers to decide whether or not to buy a product.
So I decided to make this a contest. If you rate my novel and leave a review on Amazon (it doesn't have to be anything gushing or long, just an honest review!), then you will receive something from me in return! And I'll even let you pick:
• a one-shot story featuring the hockey player of YOUR choice;
•a free, super-sized sneak peek of Shots on Net before it publishes
•a special dedication in Shots on Net; or
•a character named after you.
(Have something else in mind? Let me know, and we'll add it as a possibility!)
So, here are the rules for the contest:
1.) You must rate AND leave a review on Amazon for Play the Man between the time of this post on Blogger and 11:59PM, March 16, 2013.
2.) You must then e-mail me (JaymeeJacobs@hotmail.com) or tweet me (@JaymeeJacobs) to let me know that you have left a review and who you are, so that I have your contact information of every participant. (I will, of course, not divulge any contact information or spam it.)
3.) Once the contest is closed, I will hold a random drawing of all participants and pick one lottery winner. Then I will notify the winner, letting them choose their prize!
On your mark, get set, review!
March 8, 2013
FREE!!
Free is my favorite everything. It's my favorite flavor when I get free samples. It's my favorite color when I get free shirts. It's my favorite drink at the bar. Need I say more? So what's better than free reading? Nothing! Have you downloaded your free copy of Play the Man yet? It's free all day, but why wait? Come check it out, and if you like it, please leave me a good review! And let me know what you think about Shots on Net. Are you excited for it?
March 7, 2013
Up and Running!
Play the Man is officially for sale!
Remember, tomorrow is the free promotional day, so please check in tomorrow and get your free copy for your Kindle! Even if you don't have an e-reader, you can download the apps on your phone, tablet, or computer. A little warning to my east coast readers: the promotion runs on Pacific Time, so don't wait until late evening, or you'll miss your chance to get Play the Man for free!
Remember, tomorrow is the free promotional day, so please check in tomorrow and get your free copy for your Kindle! Even if you don't have an e-reader, you can download the apps on your phone, tablet, or computer. A little warning to my east coast readers: the promotion runs on Pacific Time, so don't wait until late evening, or you'll miss your chance to get Play the Man for free!
March 6, 2013
Remember Me?
*Knock, knock*
Anybody out there?
Or, better yet, anybody remember me?
It's Jay! I haven't completely disappeared, or fallen off the face of the earth. I took a break from posting stories here on Blogger in order to try my hand at writing novels. So many of you, my lovely devoted readers, have left me comments saying that my writing's just as good--sometimes better!--than the books you've read. I especially received a lot of encouragement from fellow Blogger Melanie Ting, who has successfully e-published her first story! So I'm trying my hand at writing full-length novels, and I have lots of new material that I'm e-publishing through Amazon through 2013.
First up, I'm publishing Play the Man, a reworked version of A Sharp Contrast. I changed the characters and updated the story, and I'm really happy with the finished product. Here's a peek at the cover:
I love it! What do you think?
The story will go live on Amazon later tonight (just search for Jaymee Jacobs on Amazon.com!) to download. It's for sale for $2.99. But for all you lovely readers, I'm going to sell the book for free on Friday, March 8, 2013! All I ask is that you please, pretty please with sugar on top, leave a review of the book.
And I haven't even gotten to the best part yet! At the end of the novel, there will be a sneak peek of my second novel to be published this year, called Shots on Net, which is a brand new, never-before-published story. That will be published in the next coming months. I'll of course post more information as the novel nears publication. Will you make the transition with me, from Blogger to Amazon? I hope so, because I've missed posting stories here and interacting with all of you. Our Blogger writing community is like none other, and I've always felt so encouraged here to graduate to a more serious writing platform. I want to see if I have what it takes to make it as a true author. I hope you'll take this journey with me!
Anybody out there?
Or, better yet, anybody remember me?
It's Jay! I haven't completely disappeared, or fallen off the face of the earth. I took a break from posting stories here on Blogger in order to try my hand at writing novels. So many of you, my lovely devoted readers, have left me comments saying that my writing's just as good--sometimes better!--than the books you've read. I especially received a lot of encouragement from fellow Blogger Melanie Ting, who has successfully e-published her first story! So I'm trying my hand at writing full-length novels, and I have lots of new material that I'm e-publishing through Amazon through 2013.
First up, I'm publishing Play the Man, a reworked version of A Sharp Contrast. I changed the characters and updated the story, and I'm really happy with the finished product. Here's a peek at the cover:
I love it! What do you think?The story will go live on Amazon later tonight (just search for Jaymee Jacobs on Amazon.com!) to download. It's for sale for $2.99. But for all you lovely readers, I'm going to sell the book for free on Friday, March 8, 2013! All I ask is that you please, pretty please with sugar on top, leave a review of the book.
And I haven't even gotten to the best part yet! At the end of the novel, there will be a sneak peek of my second novel to be published this year, called Shots on Net, which is a brand new, never-before-published story. That will be published in the next coming months. I'll of course post more information as the novel nears publication. Will you make the transition with me, from Blogger to Amazon? I hope so, because I've missed posting stories here and interacting with all of you. Our Blogger writing community is like none other, and I've always felt so encouraged here to graduate to a more serious writing platform. I want to see if I have what it takes to make it as a true author. I hope you'll take this journey with me!
