E.C. Diskin's Blog, page 3

Summer reading…

I’ve just come back from a week on Hilton Head Island, one of my favorite places in the world. The beach is massive, peaceful, and perfect for walking or biking. It was a great week for reading and I was simply overwhelmed by a novel I read called Walking to Israel. It was a pre-pub copy–the book is due to be published in the coming months and I simply can’t get the characters or story out of my head.  I’m going to work on getting the author to give me an interview–so stay tuned!

The challenge of summer….

Well, it’s not been a particularly productive summer so far–I’ll sit at the computer, ready to dive in, and then comes my daughter…four of her friends are on their way over to play–this will undoubtedly mean lots of screams and giggles and probably a few skits that I’ll need to watch and film….or I sit down at the computer, open up my outline, and suddenly remember that my son’s guitar lesson is in fifteen minutes.  Or everyone heads out to see friends and I sit down to work, but within an hour, half the neighborhood is back and they all need lunch. Keeping track of everyone’s constantly changing schedules is apparently not my strong suit and grabbing chunks of time for myself is proving impossible.

But even though I feel this pull to get back on the computer and back to the library, I know that I couldn’t bear to miss these moments with my kids. They want to be with me right now. They want to do things with me and they always want to talk to me–particularly when I focus on something else!  In a year or two, they’ll hit that dreaded age. They are going to find me incredibly annoying and very uncool. Maybe when that happens, I’ll get a full draft done during the summer!

Off to soak up some inspiration…

Well, it only took until mid June, but it finally feels like summer around here. Chicago is the most beautiful city in the summer–the sunlight shimmers on the lake, people emerge from their winter cocoons to run, bike, and play in the parks and along the water, and the outdoor cafes spring from every available crack on the sidewalks. This is the Chicago that I want to feature in my next story. The Green Line was set in the dreariest of winter months, but I’m picking up now a few months later, in early June of 2004, as things for Abby are changing. So this time, instead of prowling the streets of the west side for visual stimulation, I think I can lounge at the beach and shop on State Street a bit–all in the name of research.  Not too bad!

Time to get back to work….

Well, the promo is over and the book did really well, landing in the top spot on Amazon’s free kindle books in the legal thriller genre, and climbing to #9 of all Amazon freebies. There were over 16,000 downloads!  Wow.  Can’t even get my head around the idea that 16,000 people in the world have my work in their electronic library.  Here’s hoping that a good chunk actually read it, and a good chunk enjoy it and share the love. Only time will tell!

But with that behind me, I’m feeling the need to get back to reality. The launch has been fun and exciting but I’ve had a hard time focusing on other things and my life is calling. The stack of bills, the laundry, the yard, the kids all need some attention, and I must get back to writing. I’m excited by the possibilities of the current project, though it requires a good bit of research–so I’m reading up on a number of issues and cultures, trying to get my head around some of these new characters. Hopefully, we’ll have some fun together this summer.

My First FREE KDP Promo begins today…

THE GREEN LINE is free for download today and tomorrow on Amazon. Here’s hoping new readers will take a look!

The Amazon Launch was a success!

What an exciting week it has been. The official launch on Amazon was Monday and I reached my sales goal on that day and enjoyed a nice flow of sales throughout the rest of the week.  Though the numbers and ranks change rapidly on Amazon, my book spent the whole week listed in the top twenty “Hot New Releases” in the legal thriller category, side by side with some heavy hitters like Michael Connelly, John Grisham, and Marcia Clark. Of course I had to print out a screen shot because that was just so cool!!  Then, this morning, I did my first interview! Now that was surreal. But Toneal Jackson was a friendly and supportive host and I look forward to meeting her in person later in the summer when I am at the International Festival of Life in July.

Today’s the big day!!

Well, THE GREEN LINE has officially launched on Amazon.com in paperback and e-book. (It should be available through other outlets by mid-June.) I’ve learned so much about the publishing world during this venture, but more than that, I’ve learned that if we want good things to happen, we have to break through our fears and just jump. I was one who wanted to publish a book without even talking to friends and family about it. I was too nervous. It’s much easier to “perform” for strangers! I hoped that it might become a success on its own– and then I could tell my friends!  But as I’ve learned about how things work and how I really need to market my work if I hope to find an audience, I discovered that one HAS to engage those closest to you to be your initial supporters. So I did it–with great trepidation. But I’ve been overwhelmed by the love and support and enthusiasm–not just of those closest to me, but of friends of friends, and business acquaintances, and  more. People are so generous and kind and supportive and I couldn’t feel more blessed right now.

Goodreads Giveaway Ended Today!

It was great to see that 772 people entered to win a free copy of THE GREEN LINE.  What a fun and easy way to find potential readers. I got the list of winners and am now awaiting my author copies of the book from the printer. I’ll get the books out to the winners asap.  Thanks to everyone who entered.

Inspiration for the writer facing rejection…

I came across a great list today, one that reminds us that as writers, or artists, or dreamers, we must do what feels right, whether or not others “get it” or want it or buy it. It was a list of 14 best-selling books that were repeatedly rejected by publishers.  Just a few: Carrie, by Steven King (30 rejections), M*A*S*H, by Richard Hooker (21 rejections), Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell (38 publishers rejected it). As this list points out, the decision-makers of the world are not perfect or all-knowing! For more books on the list, check it out.

One step closer…

The cover is done (nearly) and now we move on to the interiors. Galleys have been delivered to various reviewers, a couple of really favorable reviews came in (yeah!), and now I just wait and see if any of the other outfits choose my book for review among the stacks of competition. As a first time author with a small press, it’s a long shot, but like the lottery, you can’t win if you don’t play!