Heather McCoubrey's Blog, page 7

January Was A Good Month

2014 is off to a good start. I finished the hard copy edits to B2D on Saturday evening and spent Sunday putting them into Scrivener. By Sunday night, the compile was ready - so off it went to the Beta Readers! I'm so excited to have my second novel a huge step closer to being in your hands!

Now that B2D is finished and out the door, I've been spending the past couple days catching up on housework and home chores before settling down to work on my next few projects. Up first is another short story from Mary for The Heart Between, then a special Mother's Day short story for a collection that's being put together for charity, and finally my next novel: Emily's Choice.

Emily's Choice is actually my very first novel! I wrote it as a senior in high school, but it's been on the shelf since then. It's gone through several rewrites, a few reinventions, and more than one temper tantrum. So, with two novels under my belt, I've decided to take this one out of the corner and get it done. I love this story, I love the characters and I want to bring their story to you. Unfortunately, the original draft - the one I wrote in high school - is lost, but I have the last couple drafts here...in hard copy and digitally. I wish I had that first draft, but maybe it's best I don't. I'm hoping that focusing solely on Emily, Jason and Sara will allow their story to be told. My goal is to have this rewritten (again!), beta read, edited and published by the end of October -- this year!

Yes, that's right, this year! Because starting Nov. 1 (NaNoWriMo), I will be writing the sequel to To Love Twice. In preparation for that sequel, I'm writing short stories centered around Mary. These stories form Mary's childhood and young adulthood and will help you get to know Mary before you're thrust into her life 20 years later. The title for these stories is The Heart Between and I've published them on my site here: The Heart Between. My goal is to write at least one story a month, but with the craziness of getting B2D out the door to the beta readers this month, unfortunately, it didn't happen. I'm hoping to get at least two done for February, but we'll see how that all happens. The first story is up, it's about Kate & Edward's wedding. I hope you'll take a minute to read it!

How was your January? And are your goals for the new year coming to fruition? I hope so!

xoxo

~Heather

2014 New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2014. My wish for all of you is that 2014 is your year and that it delivers all that your heart desires!!

I have to say that 2013 was an amazing year for me! I became a published author, I had my first two Meet the Author/Book Signing events, I met and became friends with some wonderful Indie and Traditional authors...and I won NaNoWriMo! As I sit here and contemplate what I'd like 2014 to bring, I can't help but shake my head in wonder. If you'd told me on January 1, 2013 that all of these things would happen, I'd have laughed in your face.

This past year's accomplishments has me contemplating my resolutions and goals for the upcoming year. Finishing Back to December is at the top of my list and as I sit here writing this post, so many more come to mind. So here, in black and white, are my 2014 resolutions and goals. I figure if I write them down and post them publicly, I'll be more likely to succeed!

2014 Resolutions & Goals

1. Finish Back to December: With the ending of NaNoWriMo and the holiday season, Back to December has been sitting on my desk, begging for my attention. I haven't had the time to write but now that the holidays are over and the littles are back in school, it's time for me to plant myself at my desk and knock it out. I did sit down last night and work on rewriting the beginning to make it align with the change of plot I wrote back in November during NaNoWriMo. This will hopefully clear my mind so that I can write the ending.

2. Publish Back to December: It might seem like this is an obvious step, but I'm a list maker and if something's not on the list it usually doesn't get done.

3. Strengthen relationships with my new friends: This, I think, speaks for itself. I've made some wonderful connections this year and I would hate to lose them this next year. I've been blessed to be a part of some excellent groups this year and I'm looking forward to continuing with them this year. I'm excited to see what this new year brings!

4. Schedule more Meet the Author/Book Signings: I love doing these! I love being able to share my story with new and old fans.

5. Make time for more Indie Reviews: Part of the reason I feel I've been successful this year is because of the support of other Indie authors. I started writing Indie Reviews this year and I hope to do more of that this year. I want to be able to give back as much, if not more, to those who have supported me.

6. Get better at Marketing: Whether that means more followers on Twitter, more likes on Facebook, participating in giveaways, more sales, etc, I need to learn more and implement it.

7. Create a better Writing & Family Balance: This is something I struggled with quite a bit this year. As a SAHM, sometimes it's hard to make the time for writing. During the day is hard because one of the littles is home and usually wants my attention. Evenings are hard because the second little is home from school and the hubby is home from work. The evenings are hard because I'm exhausted from the day and just want to veg out on the couch with my hubby watching a movie, playing a video game, knitting or reading! The past few days I created a writing schedule, much like the one I created for NaNoWriMo. Once the hubby and I agree on it, I'll post it to my calendar and do my best to stick to it. I must treat this like a job, because as soon as the littlest little goes to school next year, it will be my job! Getting into good habits now will help me to keep them better next year!

8. Write Every Day: This is another thing I struggle with. I'm horrible about sitting down and ensuring I write something down. Whether it's a blog post, a journal post, a chapter in a novel or even a Facebook or Twitter post, I can procrastinate like no one else. I know that writing every day helps make me a better writer and that alone should be all I need to do it. So my goal this year is to do just that, write something every day.

9. Complete Emily's Choice & publish by Halloween: Emily's Choice is my very first novel that I wrote as a senior in high school. I have rewritten it at least six times and have lost the original copy that I wrote way back when. My goal, once Back to December is out the door to the beta readers, is to pull out Emily's Choice, dust it off and get it done! I'd like to have it rewritten, beta read, edited and published by Halloween. The reason for this is goal 10.

10. Start Dreaming of Love for 2014 NaNoWriMo: Dreaming of Love will be the sequel to my debut novel To Love Twice. The story will be Mary's journey to finding her own true love. This will take place 20 years after the ending of To Love Twice, so in the mean time I'm writing short stories that follow Mary's journey of child and teenage-hood here on my blog and also on Wattpad. The collection of short stories is called The Heart Between. I plan to write these short stories, at least once a month, until Dreaming of Love is published.

And there they are. 10 resolutions and goals that I hope, on January 1, 2015, I can honestly say I succeeded in accomplishing. Do you have any resolutions or goals? Please share them in the comments!

Happiest of New Years to you all! xoxo

-Heather

Interview With Cat Lavoie

It's not every day that you get to ask questions of an author, so when you do get that chance - you want to make sure they're good ones. So to prepare for this interview, I sat down at my desk and wracked my brain for days debating which questions to ask. I wanted them to be original, funny, interesting, and I wanted to get to know the author. Cat Lavoie is with me today, on a book tour for her just released second novel: Zoey & The Moment of Zen. Cat lives in Montreal, Canada with her tempestuous cat, Abbie. Her debut novel, Breaking the Rules, was published in August 2012 by Marching Ink. If Cat isn't reading or writing, she's most likely watching too much TV or daydreaming about her next trip to London. Her second novel, Zoey & the Moment of Zen, was published in October 2013. I hope that I accomplished all those things with my questions -- and I hope that you enjoy getting to know Cat Lavoie, author of Zoey & The Moment of Zen and Breaking All The Rules.


Heather McCoubrey (HM): Zoey & the Moment of Zen is your second published work. What was the inspiration behind this story?

Cat Lavoie (CL): I went to Mexico after a bad breakup and ended up in the hospital with food poisoning. I was daydreaming about all the fun things I could be doing instead of being hydrated through an IV—and that's when I got the idea for the character of Zoey.

HM: Tell us a little about Zoey & The Moment of Zen...how long did it take you to write it? Do you plan on a sequel? What’s your favorite part of the story?

CL: Zoey & the Moment of Zen is the story of a woman who is sent to a tropical resort by her friends and family to get over an ex-boyfriend. She meets—and has a whirlwind relationship with—a man who looks exactly like her ex and she must convince everyone that she has finally moved on. It won't be easy, especially since she's not the only one who has trouble letting go of the past.

It took me about a year to write it. I don't think I'll be writing a sequel but you never know…Someday I might feel inspired to pick up the story where it left off. My favorite part of the novel is when Zoey and Shane come back home after their stay at the resort and have to face the real world. That was fun to write.

HM: If Zoey were to be turned into a movie, who would you want to see as the leads?

CL: Love this question! (Mostly because I imagine myself on the movie set mingling with the stars.) I see Rachelle Lefevre as Zoey, Jason Ritter as Shane, Jake Johnson as Nate and Stephen Merchant as Jude.

HM: If you were to be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

CL: I'd choose Zoey because she's passionate about her job and has a great support system. (And also because she has amazing hair and the man in her life is pretty hot!)

HM: Favorite color; animal; drink; food.

CL: Purple. Cat. Coke Zero. Asian.

HM: What first inspired you to pick up a pen (or keyboard) and start your writing career?

CL: I’ve been writing stories since I was a kid but, in my mid-twenties, I decided it was time to take my writing seriously and see if I could write a novel from start to finish.

HM: Are you a self-publisher/indie author?

CL: Both of my novels are published by Marching Ink, a small press founded by author and blogger Samantha March.

HM: What do you listen to while writing?

CL: I can't listen to music while writing because I'm so easily distracted, but I can't have complete silence either—so I usually leave the television on for background noise.

HM: How important do you think social media is to the success of your work?

CL: Very important. I can't imagine spreading the word about my novels without Twitter and Facebook.

HM: What is your favorite part about being a writer/author?

CL: I love so many things—creating stories, connecting with readers and fellow authors and feeling like I'm part of a really cool and supportive writing community.

HM: Least favorite?

CL: Sometimes it's tough to balance everything—my day job, spreading the word about my novels and making time to write new ones.

HM: What does your writing space look like?

CL: It's basically a nook between the kitchen and the living room in my apartment—but it's my absolute favorite place. It tends to get really messy, though. There are papers and post-its and notebooks everywhere. And sometimes there's even a cat sleeping on the keyboard!

HM: What are some of your hobbies outside of writing?

CL: I love trying to cook and bake—even though I have very limited skills. I also spend way too much time in front of screens (television, computer and Kindle.)

HM: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

CL: London! I’ve visited twice but there’s still so much of the city that I haven’t explored. And from there I’d visit the rest of the UK. I've always wanted to go to Scotland.

HM: Do you have any advice for writers who are just starting out?

CL: Write the kind of story you want to read. Make sure your book is the best it can be before releasing it. Connect with other writers and learn from them. And keep writing.



Thank you, Cat, for joining us today! If you'd like more information on Cat Lavoie or her books, please click on these fine links: Cat Lavoie can be found on Facebook, Twitter and on her website.

You can find her latest novel Zoey & the Moment of Zen on Amazon: Zoey & The Moment of Zen

and on Nook: Zoey & The Moment of Zen

Review: Zoey & The Moment of Zen by Cat Lavoie

When coffee shop owner Zoey Everwood takes her obsession with ex-boyfriend Braden too far, everyone—except Zoey—is convinced a bit of fun in the sun at the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort will help her get over him once and for all.

But Zoey's relaxing vacation turns out to be anything but peaceful when she meets Shane Lawson, a resort guest who bears a striking resemblance to Braden. And things get even more complicated when the resort's owner starts spilling secrets about Zoey’s aunt Nessa, the woman who raised her. Add a snarky Wellness Coordinator and Nate Holmes—Shane's grumpy friend—to the mix, and you've got the recipe for a perfect tropical storm.

When Zoey comes back home with a new husband instead of tacky souvenirs, she must convince everyone she hasn't completely lost her mind. As Zoey and Shane struggle to keep the magic alive outside the resort, Zoey discovers that she isn't the only one having trouble letting go of the past. And when Nate drops a bombshell that changes everything, Zoey must decide if the old saying is true—what happens at the Moment of Zen stays at the Moment of Zen.

I loved the premise for Cat Lavoie's second novel, Zoey & The Moment of Zen. From the moment I heard about it, I knew I wanted to read it! Who hasn't had a relationship end before they were ready? Who hasn't stalked said ex and done something to try and get them back? This story is so real, so relevant to most people. Zoey Everwood is just your average woman who can't let go of her boyfriend, ex-boyfriend. And when you think you've found the one, why would you let go? Wouldn't you do anything you could to get that person back?

Well, Zoey does. She listens to his voicemail messages, she reads his emails, and she shows up at places she'll know he'll be. One day, she takes it a bit too far when she ropes her best friend into the scheme. Her best friend, who has been married for a year and at whose wedding the "breakup scene" took place. The final straw is when Zoey collapses in the grocery store when she finds out her ex-boyfriend, Braden, is getting married................and his fiancee is pregnant!

So Zoey is sent away to the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort to spend a week in the sun and reevaluate her life. Zoey's goal, as her best friend and aunt declare, is to get over her obsession with Braden and come back a healed woman ready for a new relationship. But how is that supposed to happen when Zoey is sitting next to Shane, the spitting image of Braden and he's spending a week at the same resort as Zoey?

What follows is much hilarity, some ah-ha moments and some seriously sentimental moments. Zoey, Shane and Shane's friend Nate are met at the airport by Jude, the snarky Wellness Coordinator. I have to say, he was my favorite character. His part in the book is relatively small, but I felt like his impact was huge. He sets the tone for much of Zoey's visit to the resort. He seems to be everywhere, know everything and have a snarky remark for it.

Zoey is so real. She's flawed, she's lovable, she's confident one moment and scared to death the next. All she wants is to be loved for herself, to find that one person she can connect fully with and to live the rest of her life with that person. And when you come to the end and you read who she chooses...it'll knock your socks off, leave you melting and wanting more!

I really enjoyed this novel and hope at some point there is a follow-up to the story. I highly recommend Zoey & The Moment of Zen, it's fun reading and perfect for a cold, rainy day or a weekend when you can snuggle up on the couch and let the day go.

Cat Lavoie can be found on Facebook, Twitter and on her website. Cat Lavoie lives in Montreal, Canada with her tempestuous cat, Abbie. Her debut novel, Breaking the Rules, was published in August 2012 by Marching Ink. If Cat isn't reading or writing, she's most likely watching too much TV or daydreaming about her next trip to London.

You can find her novel Zoey & the Moment of Zen on Amazon: Zoey & The Moment of Zen

and on Nook: Zoey & The Moment of Zen

Thanks for reading my review and for supporting Indie Authors. Happy Reading!! xo

The Third Time IS the Charm

17 days into November I passed 50,000 words and on my third try, finally won a NaNoWriMo. It was such a heady feeling, one that is kind of hard to describe - even for a writer.

And the secrets to my success? First was the support of my husband, which was paramount. He pushed me toward the basement door and told me to "Go Write!" He took care of putting the littles to bed and gave me 3 uninterrupted hours in the evenings to write. That was huge!

Second was scheduling blocks of writing time into my calendar. Not only did I have those 3 uninterrupted hours in the evenings, I also had 3-4 hours during the day while the littles were at school. And then there were the weekends. Lots of blocks in my calendars, which I stuck to and made sure not to miss, helped immensely.

Third, was planning out the scenes I was going to write. Now as I mentioned in my last post, NaNoWriMo, How Do I Love Thee, I was continuing on with a story that I plan to publish next summer. I had already written 25k words and have added another 50k words. But in order to get those new words, I had to plan the scenes out. It kept me on track and I think really helped the writing flow. And since I had that plan, when I did get stuck, I was able to pick a later scene to work on until I got unstuck.

Fourth, I got ahead on word count early. The very first day I wrote over 100 words more than I needed and I never looked back. There were three days where I couldn't write, family commitments and a book signing, but I was so far ahead on my word count that it didn't matter. There wasn't one day I stressed over my word count - well, I didn't stress over having too few words anyway!

Fifth, there was NO editing done while I was NaNo-ing. All I did was write, write, write, write....get my drift?

And I had fun. I had a group of NaNoBuds that encouraged me and kept my spirits up, just like I did with them. We're all on our way to winning NaNoWriMo 2013!

So, what does it mean that I won NaNoWriMo? I'm actually not sure, since I've never won before. On the 25th, I'll need to upload my work to NaNo's trusty word count validator. I'll be declared a winner, maybe get a prize, and then have bragging rights for the year until NaNoWriMo 2014. Guess I better figure out what next year's NaNo project is going to be!! *After I finish writing Back to December!*

There's still time left, so don't give up! You can reach that 50,000 word goal if you put your mind to it! And if not, you're still a winner. Do you know why? Because you have a concept for a story started and you have words down. That's more than you had at the beginning of the month!

Happy Writing!

~Heather

xoxo

NaNoWriMo - How Do I Love Thee?

11/1/11 is the day my life changed forever. It's the day I went from writing as a hobby, to writing as a bonafide author. It's the day my debut novel, To Love Twice, was born.

11/1 is now a special day for me. It's an anniversary of sorts, a day I look forward to all year. Why, you ask? Well, 11/1 is the beginning of a writing contest that millions participate in. The event is called NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. During the month, the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Yes, you read that correctly. 50,000 in 30 days!

2013 is my third attempt at NaNoWriMo. The first year (2011) I managed approximately 25,000 words. Last year (2012) I put down slightly less at 22,000 words. This year (2013) I plan to win! I plan to get at least 50,000 words and to finish my novel. Oh yes. I have big plans this year! Here's my plan for a successful go at NaNo this year:

1. Have a PLAN

A plan is a must. To be successful at NaNo, you must plan beforehand. Spend time in October planning the novel you intend to write in November. Here's what I did:

I sent out the first six chapters to beta readers.
After I received their feedback I sat down with it all and sorted it all out. I kept what I thought was relevant to the story and discarded the rest.
I made notes on how to fix what needed it.
Then I created an outline to end all outlines. I mapped out plots, subplots, scenes and settings.

2. Get Ahead on Word Count EARLY

Now, I already have approximately 25,000 words written on my current novel. I will NOT be counting those in my NaNo word count, because including them in my count would be cheating. No, my plan is to write 50,000 NEW words.

To win NaNo you must write 1667 words each day. (50,000 / 30 = 1667) My plan is to write 2500-3000 each day. A lofty goal, to be sure, but with the holiday at the end of the month and family visiting for said holiday, I want to be sure I reach and even exceed my goal so that I can spend the holiday with my family, having fun, not stressing over my word count.

3. Just Keep Writing

Heather Thurmeier put a post on her blog about NaNoWriMo and in her post she mentioned how to avoid getting bogged down in the details. That to win, you have to WRITE. That's it, no thinking allowed. Write, Write, Write. Can't think of a word? Put a placeholder there and move on. It is great advice and advice I plan to live by for the month of November.

Have a busy day planned? Is Life getting in the way? Because let's face it, Life gets in the way and sometimes we let it. Well, DON'T let it. Be strong! Can't get your writing done during the day like you'd planned? Get up an hour early or go to bed an hour late. You need to write something, everyday, even if it's only 300 words. As far as I can tell, this has two benefits. First, the story keeps flowing. Second, you won't feel discouraged, or as discouraged, if you get something written down. And remember what I said above about getting ahead in your word count? Well, if you miss a day of writing or end up writing less than your daily goal, it won't have a detrimental effect overall.

4. No Editing

Yep, that's "write", no editing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. November is for writing. Not editing, not researching, not anything other than writing. Don't know a word? Placeholder. Not sure about what a street in downtown Albuquerque is called? Placeholder. Can't remember the eye color of some secondary character? Placeholder. Do you see a pattern here? Write, and only write. Here's the reason. If you allow your brain to go off on a tangent, then you'll never get that writing done.

Here's what usually happens to me and why I never reach my word count goals everyday. "Hm, I can't remember what that Inn's name is...better go look it up. I switch out of Scrivener, head to my web browser. Notice I have a couple of emails. Oh, I better check them. Check my emails and then notice I have some new tweets to read. I read them, go through some of my favorite hashtags, do some RTing. Oh, look! Some Facebook notifications. I better check them. Spend some time in FB. Read some articles that I found in FB. Then read more articles from links within those articles. Oh look, more tweets! Yep, back to Twitter. Back to email. Ok, I've wasted enough time on the internet. Time to get back to writing. Open up Scrivener. Crap! I was supposed to be finding the name of that Inn. *Sigh* Back to the web browser..."

Oh yes, allowing yourself a break while you're supposed to be writing...that's a bad thing.

And what about when you've gotten your word count goal accomplished for the day? Do Not go back and read what you've written. Because then you'll start editing and you'll lose the thread or flow of the story. Save all re-reading and editing and critiquing until after 11/30. Repeat after me: October is for planning; November is for writing; December is for breaking; January is for editing/rewriting.

5. Have Fun

We are writers. We love to write. That's why we do it. Remember that during those days in November. Remember that you love to write. You love to create worlds and characters and stories.

If you start stressing over word counts, you'll lose that love and that's not what this is about. This is about putting words down and starting a novel. If you can only manage 15,000 words, or 25,000 words or 35,000 words - it doesn't matter. You don't have to get 50,000 words to win. Writing anything is winning...because it's words that you didn't have before you started!

So don't stress, go make a plan, and on 11/1 open up your favorite writing tool and begin. Remember to have Fun, everything else is gravy!

xoxo

~Heather~

Writing Short Stories - Worth the Time?

Here's something you may not know about me: I love writing short stories. Yep, it's true. It is one of my absolute most favorite things to do. I love the challenge of it, the uniqueness of it, the sheer fun of it! Who doesn't love a challenge? For me, nothing beats being given a prompt and the restrictions/guidelines and told to write. It's the ultimate use of our imaginations, in my opinion.

When I was thirteen, I had just started seventh grade. I had a teacher, Ms. Strauss and she was the creative writing teacher. She took a classroom full of students and made writers out of them. I'm not even joking. We published a school magazine at the end of the year. Inside was full of short stories, poems, photographs and artwork - all done by the students of that class. I found my copy the other day and was actually impressed with what I read, especially considering it was written by a bunch of thirteen year olds! That was the year I fell in love with writing. From then on, I took as many creative writing, poetry and language arts classes that I could. I read all the classics; falling in love with the romance, descriptive writing and beauty of the works. I knew then that I wanted to be a writer, preferably a professional one, but a writer nonetheless.

Of all the writing classes I took, the creative writing classes were my favorite. Everyday in class we'd be given a prompt, be it a word, a first line, a subject. Then we'd have the entire class period to create a story using the prompt. Now, I'm not going to lie and say they were the easiest classes in the world. They weren't. Some days I would sit at the desk staring at the paper with no thoughts on how to get started. Obviously those were the days when my muse was either napping or on vacation. But the rest of the days, I would write furiously throughout the entire class period. If I wasn't finished, I'd want to take it home but we had to turn them in at the end of class - finished or not.

I feel as if having learned to write that way, gave me the building blocks to move on to writing novels. During my senior year of high school I wrote my first novel, Emily's Choice (as yet unpublished). It has since gone through probably about six rewrites, and I wonder if it'll ever see the light of day. It's a constant visitor on the back burner, and probably I should take it off of there and really make an effort to get it publishing ready. That's a story for a new blog!

So you're probably all wondering what this has to do with short stories and writers. Well, I've been doing an impromptu poll lately. I've been asking writers whether they make time for short story submissions and/or little contests. Most of them said No and that really surprised me. Some said they didn't have time, some said they'd never been successful at it, some said they didn't see the value of it and others said they were never able to meet the word count guidelines.

As I said earlier, I learned to write in those creative writing classes and I was taught that creative writing is essential to the craft, that being able to create a story from a prompt is a stepping stone. It's a basic skill, at least that's always how I viewed it.

So is it worth the time? In my opinion, absolutely. And here's why:

I find it helps me overcome writer's block. For me, switching to a prompt-based story helps me work through a block on my WIP. Stepping back and taking a break does so much for my writing. I find it's a lot like when you forget a word and know if you just stop thinking about it, it'll come to you. When I'm finished with a short story, I usually can come back to my WIP and be in the right place to continue. I'll realize I'll have written myself into a corner and be able to cut or move whole sections. Or my characters will have figured out where they'd like to go next. Or the story has just had time to simmer in my mind so that when I come back to it, it's ready to go.

I like the break from novel writing. Novel writing is a challenge, any writer will tell you that. It's our passion, it's in our blood and we wouldn't dream of doing anything else. But, it's still challenging and frustrating. And everyone needs a break from their passions at some point, right? Otherwise you'll get burned out. I need a creative outlet, and so if I'm not novel writing, I'm creating short stories. I find that when I do get back to my WIP, I'm stronger and have longer writing sessions than when I just plug away at my WIP with no break.

I find that it makes me a better writer. When you're writing a novel you have a crazy amount of words to use. Most novels are 75,000-100,000 words. You can fit a whole lot of story in that. But with a short story submission, you're looking at a word count of 300-3000 words, max! So you've got to figure out a whole story, complete with plot, character development and setting and you've got to do it in 3000 words or less. You learn fast what to cut, what to keep and what you can live without. So when you're writing novels and you're at the editing phase, it's a lot easier to cut the dead weight when you're already schooled in doing it with short stories.

I love the challenge. It really is my favorite kind of writing, almost like a vacation for myself. It's impressive to write a full-length novel, don't get me wrong. But being able to take a prompt and create something out of that, it's challenging and fulfilling. One of my resolutions this year was to write in different genres for each of my story submissions. I'm a romance writer, it's what I love, what I know and what I do best. And this year, I decided that I wanted to branch out some. I figured the best place to start was with the short story submissions. It's hard to write out of your comfort zone, but it's a challenge and who knows? Maybe my next book won't be a romance!

I read an article the other day on Writer's Digest that suggested novel writers should absolutely take the time to not only write, but publish their short stories. There is a market out there for short stories. You can publish a book of your short stories or sell them to magazines and literary journals. You could attract agents and publishers from going the magazine and journal route too. Think of the circulation of a magazine, it's probably going to be a lot higher than a book. If someone reads your story and likes it, they might remember your name when they come across your book. Or be willing to check out your website if you list it at the end of the story. You'll be able to market those short stories too, which is a nice break from marketing your book constantly, right?

I think as writers, authors, maybe even especially Indie Authors, we need to be willing to share as much of our work as possible. You never know who'll read it, love it and share it with their friends and family. It can't hurt, but it could help tremendously. And us Indie Authors, well, we need all the help we can get!

A to Z Survey

I read this on Kylie Sabra's blog and thought it was such a fun idea, I just had to copy and share it with you. Thank you Kylie, not only for the idea, but also the Twitter 101 blogs! :)

Please feel free to join in the fun!!

Author you’ve read the most books from:

Nora Roberts - Did she write it? Then I read it!

J.D. Robb (Eve & Roarke, *sigh*)

Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake & Merry Gentry series)

Debbie Macomber (Cedar Cove, Blossom Street, Midnight Sons, Dakota)

J.R. Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood series)

Johanna Lindsey (love me some Malory men!)

Best Sequel Ever:

When J.K. Rowling writes an 8th Harry Potter book OR when Stephenie Meyer writes Renesmee & Jacob's story.

Currently Reading:

Nowhere to Run by Nancy Bush

Life Knocks by Craig Stone

The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Claire Ridgway

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Iced Chai Tea Latte or Hot Chai Tea Latte, depending on the weather

E-reader or Physical Book?

Kindle - because I love having my entire library at my fingertips!

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Edward Cullen...oh wait! This is "reality" not "fantasy" so in that case...hmmm, I didn't actually date anyone in high school, so I have NO idea. LOL!

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

Heaven and Hell: The Journey of Chris and Serena Davis by Kenneth Zeigler.

Hidden Gem Book:

Wings of a Dove by Elaine Barbeiri

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

When my grandmother introduced me to Harlequin and Silhouette...errr, I mean Romance books.

Just Finished:

A Mother's Trial by Nancy Wright

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

Nonfiction Books about Wars

Longest Book You’ve Read:

11/22/63 by Stephen King...or at least it will be when I finish it!

Major book hangover because of:

Heaven and Hell: The Journey of Chris and Serena Davis by Kenneth Zeigler. I needed a few weeks to digest and meditate over the subject matter.

Number of Bookcases You Own:

Three - they hold all the books I couldn't part with; all of them are from my pre-kindle days.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Wings of a Dove by Elaine Barbeiri. In my opinion, the epitome of a romance book.

Preferred Place To Read:

Outside in the shade of a tree.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

"Fiction writing is more similar to acting than it is to any other art. It's about inhabiting a character so completely, you forget yourself." - Your Writing Teacher, @WritingChief

This isn't from a book I read, rather it's from someone I follow on Twitter. I think this is true whether you're a writer, actor or reader...if you can't forget yourself, your problems, your surroundings while you're reading, then you aren't reading the right book!

Reading Regret:

That there are too many books out there to read and I know I will not have enough time to get through them all.

Series You Started And Need To Finish (all books are out in series):

...Can't think of one.

Three of your All-time Favorite Books:

Wings of a Dove, Tomorrow's Promise, Irish Thoroughbred

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Everyone I've listed so far...along with H.C. Elliston, Rachel Held Evans, Gemma Halliday, Sabrina Jeffries, Darcy Burke, Sara Ramsey...Seriously, I could go on and on and on...

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

H.C. Elliston's new book!

Worst Bookish Habit:

The "just one more page" syndrome.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

The Beautiful Evil by Robbi Bryant - I haven't read it yet!

Your latest book purchase:

Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

The Wedding Shroud: A Tale of Ancient Rome by Elisabeth Storrs

Marketing Tips for Indie Authors

Since publishing my debut novel on Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook, I've pretty much relied on word-of-mouth to sell and market it. I've done pretty well with sales, but not as well as I'd like or even hoped. While I know that becoming an overnight sensation is rare, there was a part of me that hoped I'd be one of those rare cases. I still hope that it will happen to me, but in the meantime I've been doing some research on marketing, specific to the Indie Author/Publisher, in the hopes that I can facilitate the overnight sensation blitz happening.

Twitter/Facebook/Social Media: Absolutely a must. In today's society where people post about their dinner plans, their parent's unfairness or their boss's funny antics, it's not unreasonable to expect Indie Authors to market their merchandise using social media. And while social media can certainly be a boost, it's important to know that spamming the twitterverse or facebook nation is not the way to go about it. From everything I've read, it's most important to build a relationship with your fans and readers. And by doing that, you'll make them want to buy your book and/or follow you to the ends of the Earth.

Blog: Another must, but less important than social media. With a blog, you can find your voice and develop a deeper relationship with your readers and fans than a 140 character count tweet can accomplish. Once you find your voice, stick with it, across all forms of social media and blogging. And figure out what you want your blog to be. An important first step, in my opinion. Do you want to invite readers into your everyday life? Do you want to invite them to the trials and triumphs of your writing career? Do you want to invite them into an occasional funny thought or anecdote? All of the above? Or do you have a whole other idea of what you want your blog to say and be about? Whatever you decide, be sure to stick with that voice.

Business Cards: A fun, inexpensive way to get the word out to people who might not otherwise hear about your novel. Make them simple but attractive. Be sure to have your name, contact information (twitter, facebook, email, website), and a tag line that not only identifies what you do, but what you write. On the back, include the cover photo for your novel and a QR code for where it's for sale. It's an easy way for potential readers to access your book and purchase it. Companies like Vistaprint and GotPrint offer many discounts and inexpensive ways to get business cards. Once you have them, put them to use. Leave a couple with your server at restaurants, leave a small stack at your local library, hand them out to people that you've spoken to about your book. Anytime you mention your book to someone, you should pass them a card. They'll remember the conversation and once they see your card again, they will be more likely to purchase it as well.

Book Review Sites: Submit your novel to free book review sites. There are several sites that promote only Indie Authors, and those are the best ones to start with. If they choose your novel to review, think of all the fans/readers that will learn about your novel and be more inclined to purchase and read it for themselves. Once you've exhausted the Indie Book Review sites, then you can move on to the regular book review sites.

Meet the Author Events: Check with your local library and bookstores. Most are willing and even happy to help out a local author. If you have copies of your novel, bring them and do a signing. If you're an ePub author, consider printing out copies of your book cover, along with the QR codes and your contact info. You can "sign" those copies and bring awareness to your novel. Ask if they have a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter that they can advertise your event in, and if they advertise in the local or regional paper. Be sure to advertise these events yourself on your blog and social media, and mention it to people you speak and pass your business cards to.

Do you have some marketing tips that I've missed? Please feel free to share!

Now I'm off to find my own voice and decide what I want this blog to be about...

You've Got Questions...

How do you come up with your book ideas?

How do you find the time to write?

Where do you write?

So many people ask me these questions over and over. I don’t mind, especially since it gives me a chance to really think about the answers and to see if they change.

Ideas have always come to me, that’s not really the hard part for me…at least not yet. I take a lot of my ideas from real life. I’ll find myself driving down the road and a scenario will pop in my mind. I’ll mull it around and see if I can make a full-length story out of it. Sometimes I’ll see a situation happening and I wonder if I can write my own version of it. When these ideas come to me and I’m not at my desk or computer, I grab scraps of paper to write the basic ideas down on. Or I open up the notepad on my cell phone. Or I open up the voice memo app on my phone (if I’m driving!). Sometimes it’s just easier to speak the ideas - I can speak faster than I can write/type sometimes.

Finding the time to write is a bit more difficult for me. I tend to bring a notebook and my notes with me wherever I go. I’m also not shy about skipping out on the hubby and kids at bedtime to get some peaceful writing time in. I don’t ever consider myself on vacation from writing. As any writer will tell you - ideas come at all times, they don’t really understand the term “vacation”. I fit my writing in everyday; whether it’s writing down ideas for future novels, adding a sentence or a chapter to my current novel, participating in a writing contest or even updating blogs - I try my best to do some sort of writing everyday.

Where do I write? EVERYWHERE! I mean it, everywhere. I take a notebook or my laptop with me everywhere I go. On vacation, to swimming lessons, to the park - every place where I know I don’t have to participate in what’s going on. I utilize the time wisely and get writing.

Something that amazes me every single time - being out and away from my desk makes my writing come alive. When I’m writing in a restaurant, I find that I have an easier time writing about crowds and atmosphere. When I’m out in nature, my writing reflects that. I love to get away from my desk and see what happens to my writing. Now, I realize if I ever get a contract, I won’t be able to do as much of that - only because I won’t be able to write when the mood/muse strikes. I’ll have to sit down and get it done. But for now, this writing style works for me.

Every writer has their own way of doing things. What works for me might not work for someone else. Part of the fun is branching out and seeing what does work and how it comes across in your writing. Who knows, maybe your laptop or notebook is looking forward to a date with the park…and maybe, just maybe, your writing will come alive too!