Julianna Keyes's Blog, page 8
February 6, 2017
"Undeclared" Now Available for Pre-Order!
I have officially (and finally) declared (see what I did there?) February 27, 2017 as the release day for “Undeclared,” book two in the Burnham College series. It’s been a long time coming, and we’re nearly there.
The pre-order price for “Undeclared” will be $2.99USD, rising to $3.99USD (regular price) on release day. Paperbacks will be available as well, but not for pre-order, mostly because they’re not ready yet, and also because the last time I made one it went live immediately, about a week and a half too soon. Lesson learned, Createspace. Lesson learned.
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know this has been a long road for me. I’ve tried to keep the complaining and panicking to a minimum, but I can honestly say that without those #WednesdayWIPReports and the responses to keep me motivated, I might have given up long ago. I could try to put a spin on things and say how it’s life imitating art, how Kellan’s struggles mirror mine, but that’s annoying. This book was hard! But it was worth it. As someone who has read it approximately 100 million times and is not at all biased—it’s good. Honest. If you can laugh at a joke 99 million times, you’re onto something. And if your cold, dead heart resumes a hopeful beating when you read the last page—you’re really onto something. Or on something. Let’s not look too closely.
You can check out the excerpt I’ve added to my website, you can pre-order and save yourself a buck, or you can wait until the reviews come in and decide for yourself. And if you’re a reviewer, the book should be up on NetGalley by the weekend.
Thank you all in advance (and after the fact) for your support!
Amazon US: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B01MUKDJIF/
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/unde...
**Buy links for B&N and iBooks should be live soon!
The pre-order price for “Undeclared” will be $2.99USD, rising to $3.99USD (regular price) on release day. Paperbacks will be available as well, but not for pre-order, mostly because they’re not ready yet, and also because the last time I made one it went live immediately, about a week and a half too soon. Lesson learned, Createspace. Lesson learned.
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know this has been a long road for me. I’ve tried to keep the complaining and panicking to a minimum, but I can honestly say that without those #WednesdayWIPReports and the responses to keep me motivated, I might have given up long ago. I could try to put a spin on things and say how it’s life imitating art, how Kellan’s struggles mirror mine, but that’s annoying. This book was hard! But it was worth it. As someone who has read it approximately 100 million times and is not at all biased—it’s good. Honest. If you can laugh at a joke 99 million times, you’re onto something. And if your cold, dead heart resumes a hopeful beating when you read the last page—you’re really onto something. Or on something. Let’s not look too closely.
You can check out the excerpt I’ve added to my website, you can pre-order and save yourself a buck, or you can wait until the reviews come in and decide for yourself. And if you’re a reviewer, the book should be up on NetGalley by the weekend.
Thank you all in advance (and after the fact) for your support!
Amazon US: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B01MUKDJIF/
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/unde...
**Buy links for B&N and iBooks should be live soon!
July 29, 2016
"The Good Fight" Release Week - Post Five
RELEASE WEEK POST FIVE
RANDOM “GOOD FIGHT” FACTS
· I decided that Oz had gone to university in Boston because I once spent a summer in Boston. This is before the Red Sox got good again so I didn’t go to any games. Also, I was broke.
· I chose a jalapeno plant for a plot point later in the book because I once (sorta) grew a jalapeno plant. (I can’t even keep a cactus alive, so this was a big deal.) We kept it on our back deck at work, and someone actually stole two of the three unripe peppers. We ate the last one, which was about the size of a thumb. It wasn’t very good and had no heat. I have not grown anymore plants.
· I originally intended to create a brand new character to be Oz’s secretary, then I remembered Jade from book one (Rachel called her “Jailbait”) and used her instead. I’m very glad I did, since she’s hilarious.
· The plot point of Susan’s divorce/daughter spending the summer with her dad came about because I didn’t want to write a book that had a child character in a major role.
· When Oz cooks dinner for Susan he grills radicchio and portobello mushrooms, which she doesn’t like or want to eat. I don’t like those things either, that’s why I chose them.
· One of the paintings discussed at the fundraiser incorporates human hair, nails, and teeth. I saw a picture like this once (sans teeth) and never forgot it. It was gross.
· Oz and Susan consider visiting a yurt resort. I had never heard the word “yurt” until I taught English in China and it was a vocabulary word. I was like, WTF is a yurt, guys? I didn’t even recognize the picture. The kids explained it to me.
· Susan’s a particularly big fan of Junior Mints. That’s my favourite movie snack food.
· I don’t know if there will be another book in the Time Served Series. If there is, it will most likely be Jade’s story, since as mentioned, she’s hilarious.
· I impulsively bought a Groupon while preparing this list.
RANDOM “GOOD FIGHT” FACTS
· I decided that Oz had gone to university in Boston because I once spent a summer in Boston. This is before the Red Sox got good again so I didn’t go to any games. Also, I was broke.
· I chose a jalapeno plant for a plot point later in the book because I once (sorta) grew a jalapeno plant. (I can’t even keep a cactus alive, so this was a big deal.) We kept it on our back deck at work, and someone actually stole two of the three unripe peppers. We ate the last one, which was about the size of a thumb. It wasn’t very good and had no heat. I have not grown anymore plants.
· I originally intended to create a brand new character to be Oz’s secretary, then I remembered Jade from book one (Rachel called her “Jailbait”) and used her instead. I’m very glad I did, since she’s hilarious.
· The plot point of Susan’s divorce/daughter spending the summer with her dad came about because I didn’t want to write a book that had a child character in a major role.
· When Oz cooks dinner for Susan he grills radicchio and portobello mushrooms, which she doesn’t like or want to eat. I don’t like those things either, that’s why I chose them.
· One of the paintings discussed at the fundraiser incorporates human hair, nails, and teeth. I saw a picture like this once (sans teeth) and never forgot it. It was gross.
· Oz and Susan consider visiting a yurt resort. I had never heard the word “yurt” until I taught English in China and it was a vocabulary word. I was like, WTF is a yurt, guys? I didn’t even recognize the picture. The kids explained it to me.
· Susan’s a particularly big fan of Junior Mints. That’s my favourite movie snack food.
· I don’t know if there will be another book in the Time Served Series. If there is, it will most likely be Jade’s story, since as mentioned, she’s hilarious.
· I impulsively bought a Groupon while preparing this list.
July 28, 2016
"The Good Fight" Release Week - Post Four
RELEASE WEEK POST FOUR
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
My grandfather’s name was Oscar, so when I chose this name for a minor character in “Time Served,” it was meant to be a private nod in his memory. Using the name of someone I know for a small part in a story is one thing, but using that name for a major character—the POV character—is a much bigger deal. I mean, it’s kind of weird. And my grandfather isn’t here anymore so he’s not going to read the book and think, WTF? but I really didn’t want to write *this* type of book with that in the back of my mind. Plus…Oscar’s not exactly the name of a romance hero, is it? Hence the hero’s nickname, Oz.
Susan is in the middle of a divorce. She goes by her married name, Dr. Susan Jones, but she’s in the process of becoming (or re-becoming) Dr. Susan Dufresne. (I also never intended to give Susan a book, so her name was really just a throwaway when I first introduced her in Caitlin’s story.) Susan’s changing names represent very different points in her life. They symbolize her reclaiming the parts of her past that she wants to keep in the present, and shaping the present pieces so she can become her full self.
I wasn’t planning to have Susan insist on calling Oz by his proper name throughout the story, but that’s what she did, so I went with it. As the story progressed, I realized that the names here were more than just names—they were indications of the characters’ growth and development. Oz spent ten years working on Wall Street before returning to Camden, and now he can’t figure out if he’s Oscar, the thug that grew up here, Oz, the suit-wearing guy he became when he moved away, or someone in between.
I never intended to incorporate any sort of name game when I started writing, it just sort of occurred to me that if the pieces were already there, it was up to me to do the best I could with them. Sometimes those pieces don’t end up making the final edit, but these ones did. So if you’ve been wondering why, in a time when characters have names like Kinsley and Sage and Grayson and Zane, these two are named plain old Oscar and Susan, now you know. It was an accident.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
My grandfather’s name was Oscar, so when I chose this name for a minor character in “Time Served,” it was meant to be a private nod in his memory. Using the name of someone I know for a small part in a story is one thing, but using that name for a major character—the POV character—is a much bigger deal. I mean, it’s kind of weird. And my grandfather isn’t here anymore so he’s not going to read the book and think, WTF? but I really didn’t want to write *this* type of book with that in the back of my mind. Plus…Oscar’s not exactly the name of a romance hero, is it? Hence the hero’s nickname, Oz.
Susan is in the middle of a divorce. She goes by her married name, Dr. Susan Jones, but she’s in the process of becoming (or re-becoming) Dr. Susan Dufresne. (I also never intended to give Susan a book, so her name was really just a throwaway when I first introduced her in Caitlin’s story.) Susan’s changing names represent very different points in her life. They symbolize her reclaiming the parts of her past that she wants to keep in the present, and shaping the present pieces so she can become her full self.
I wasn’t planning to have Susan insist on calling Oz by his proper name throughout the story, but that’s what she did, so I went with it. As the story progressed, I realized that the names here were more than just names—they were indications of the characters’ growth and development. Oz spent ten years working on Wall Street before returning to Camden, and now he can’t figure out if he’s Oscar, the thug that grew up here, Oz, the suit-wearing guy he became when he moved away, or someone in between.
I never intended to incorporate any sort of name game when I started writing, it just sort of occurred to me that if the pieces were already there, it was up to me to do the best I could with them. Sometimes those pieces don’t end up making the final edit, but these ones did. So if you’ve been wondering why, in a time when characters have names like Kinsley and Sage and Grayson and Zane, these two are named plain old Oscar and Susan, now you know. It was an accident.
July 26, 2016
"The Good Fight" Release Week - Post Three
RELEASE WEEK POST THREE
YEAH, BUT WHY
I love character arcs. I love it when someone starts out tetchy and difficult and learns to shed a few of those prickly parts in exchange for some love and happiness. They don’t lose all their prickly parts, mind you - just enough. Just enough to be in a better place than when the story started, enough to let readers know that they’re on the path to a more permanent happiness with just the right amount of prickliness. (I’m not going to say prickly anymore, promise.)
One of my more familiar criticisms is that my characters - the heroines, in particular - aren’t all that likable at the beginning. (Or sometimes throughout.) I always want to shout, YEAH, THAT’S THE POINT. They’re going somewhere. They’re going to learn and grow and transform. That’s what the next 300 pages are for. If they start off perfect and end perfect, what’s the point? (Totally different story if someone starts off perfect and ends up considerably less so. That’s interesting, too.)
This is why Dr. Susan Jones, the heroine in “The Good Fight,” is probably my favourite heroine to date. There’s a line when Oz first visits her at home and she mentions that her sister used to live in the next apartment. “Were you close?” Oz asks. “Yeah,” Susan replies. “She lived right across the hall.” That’s Susan. Trying her best to get it right, and maybe coming across a bit mechanical in the process. But always trying, greasing the wheels, getting better. Her fight is an internal one, a private one, and for Oz, a 6’4” former fighter, she’s an example he didn’t know he needed. She never backs down from a fight, she always gets back up when she’s knocked down, and by the end of the story, she’s getting there.
I’m a person who’s always wondering “why?” I don’t especially care if someone’s passionate about growing green beans, but I am interested in knowing why that particular vegetable caught their eye. I like understanding the motivations behind things, peeling back the layers and discovering the hidden bits and pieces that make people, well, people. I don’t care if those pieces are perfect and beautiful, that’s not interesting to me. The scrapes and the stumbles, the flaws and the fumbles (I swear I didn’t intend for that to rhyme) are what make characters and stories compelling. That potential and promise is what keeps me turning the pages as a reader, and trying to fill them up as a writer.
YEAH, BUT WHY
I love character arcs. I love it when someone starts out tetchy and difficult and learns to shed a few of those prickly parts in exchange for some love and happiness. They don’t lose all their prickly parts, mind you - just enough. Just enough to be in a better place than when the story started, enough to let readers know that they’re on the path to a more permanent happiness with just the right amount of prickliness. (I’m not going to say prickly anymore, promise.)
One of my more familiar criticisms is that my characters - the heroines, in particular - aren’t all that likable at the beginning. (Or sometimes throughout.) I always want to shout, YEAH, THAT’S THE POINT. They’re going somewhere. They’re going to learn and grow and transform. That’s what the next 300 pages are for. If they start off perfect and end perfect, what’s the point? (Totally different story if someone starts off perfect and ends up considerably less so. That’s interesting, too.)
This is why Dr. Susan Jones, the heroine in “The Good Fight,” is probably my favourite heroine to date. There’s a line when Oz first visits her at home and she mentions that her sister used to live in the next apartment. “Were you close?” Oz asks. “Yeah,” Susan replies. “She lived right across the hall.” That’s Susan. Trying her best to get it right, and maybe coming across a bit mechanical in the process. But always trying, greasing the wheels, getting better. Her fight is an internal one, a private one, and for Oz, a 6’4” former fighter, she’s an example he didn’t know he needed. She never backs down from a fight, she always gets back up when she’s knocked down, and by the end of the story, she’s getting there.
I’m a person who’s always wondering “why?” I don’t especially care if someone’s passionate about growing green beans, but I am interested in knowing why that particular vegetable caught their eye. I like understanding the motivations behind things, peeling back the layers and discovering the hidden bits and pieces that make people, well, people. I don’t care if those pieces are perfect and beautiful, that’s not interesting to me. The scrapes and the stumbles, the flaws and the fumbles (I swear I didn’t intend for that to rhyme) are what make characters and stories compelling. That potential and promise is what keeps me turning the pages as a reader, and trying to fill them up as a writer.
"The Good Fight" Release Week - Post Two
RELEASE WEEK POST TWO
WANT VS NEED
In my second year of university I took a creative writing class. You had to submit samples and be accepted, so getting in made me feel very elite and accomplished. The class was hard. And because I’m a keener, I tended to be the only person who actually completed assignments and then brought in the requisite number of copies for everyone to read…and critique. You know what it means when no one else brings in their copies? That the whole class is devoted you…and critiquing you.
They were mostly pretty nice. We were all young and new and everyone thought I was brave (or dumb) for always bringing in my stuff. I mean, bringing in your stuff was the rule and I’m not sure that any of those people passed the class, but it was a pretty soft introduction to learning how to take criticism. Until one day I wrote a poem. I’m not a poet but it was the assignment, and one freezing winter day I was walking home and I passed a tree with a handful of birds sitting on bare branches, their silhouettes still and pretty against the horizon. I wrote a poem about that. I spaced out the lines and used only one comma as punctuation. I thought it was pretty great. After everyone sat silently and read it (and I chewed off nine of my fingernails) the instructor looked at me. “Why did you do that?” she asked. I stared at her blankly. “Do what?” “Write it like this. The spacing. Only one comma, no periods?” I didn’t know what to say. I just…did it. Because I wanted to.
I’d like to tell you I came up with a brilliant answer to her question, but I just sat there helplessly until some kind soul changed the subject. But that moment stuck with me. “Because I wanted to” is not a good enough answer. Did I need to? The truth is, I spaced it like that because that’s how the birds looked. Why the no periods? I don’t know. I thought that was poetry. But I learned a valuable lesson: have a reason. Wanting is not enough. Why does my poem/story/song need to be written this way?
I tend to write single POV stories because I don’t think they need two POVs. Do people want two POVs? Sure, I see that comment often, sometimes for my books, sometimes for others. But so much of the time I read dual POV that feels unnecessary, it’s just an opportunity to tell the reader what they want to hear, and I don’t think that does anybody—the author, the reader, the characters—any favours. Don’t tell me that you want it. Tell me why you need it. The challenge I enjoy about single POV is that it forces me to get creative when writing the other characters’ actions and dialogue. I have to think of new ways to convey that information without simply feeding it to you through an internal monologue. I like that challenge as an author, and I respect it as a reader.
Now let’s take a moment to sing the chorus of the Rolling Stones song we’re all suddenly dying to hear: You can’t always get what you want/But if you try sometime/You just might find/You get what you need.
WANT VS NEED
In my second year of university I took a creative writing class. You had to submit samples and be accepted, so getting in made me feel very elite and accomplished. The class was hard. And because I’m a keener, I tended to be the only person who actually completed assignments and then brought in the requisite number of copies for everyone to read…and critique. You know what it means when no one else brings in their copies? That the whole class is devoted you…and critiquing you.
They were mostly pretty nice. We were all young and new and everyone thought I was brave (or dumb) for always bringing in my stuff. I mean, bringing in your stuff was the rule and I’m not sure that any of those people passed the class, but it was a pretty soft introduction to learning how to take criticism. Until one day I wrote a poem. I’m not a poet but it was the assignment, and one freezing winter day I was walking home and I passed a tree with a handful of birds sitting on bare branches, their silhouettes still and pretty against the horizon. I wrote a poem about that. I spaced out the lines and used only one comma as punctuation. I thought it was pretty great. After everyone sat silently and read it (and I chewed off nine of my fingernails) the instructor looked at me. “Why did you do that?” she asked. I stared at her blankly. “Do what?” “Write it like this. The spacing. Only one comma, no periods?” I didn’t know what to say. I just…did it. Because I wanted to.
I’d like to tell you I came up with a brilliant answer to her question, but I just sat there helplessly until some kind soul changed the subject. But that moment stuck with me. “Because I wanted to” is not a good enough answer. Did I need to? The truth is, I spaced it like that because that’s how the birds looked. Why the no periods? I don’t know. I thought that was poetry. But I learned a valuable lesson: have a reason. Wanting is not enough. Why does my poem/story/song need to be written this way?
I tend to write single POV stories because I don’t think they need two POVs. Do people want two POVs? Sure, I see that comment often, sometimes for my books, sometimes for others. But so much of the time I read dual POV that feels unnecessary, it’s just an opportunity to tell the reader what they want to hear, and I don’t think that does anybody—the author, the reader, the characters—any favours. Don’t tell me that you want it. Tell me why you need it. The challenge I enjoy about single POV is that it forces me to get creative when writing the other characters’ actions and dialogue. I have to think of new ways to convey that information without simply feeding it to you through an internal monologue. I like that challenge as an author, and I respect it as a reader.
Now let’s take a moment to sing the chorus of the Rolling Stones song we’re all suddenly dying to hear: You can’t always get what you want/But if you try sometime/You just might find/You get what you need.
July 24, 2016
"The Good Fight" Release Week - Post One
RELEASE WEEK POST 1
THE GOOD FIGHT
I started writing “The Good Fight” in early 2015. By July I had finished it, and sent the first few chapters to my editor at Carina. I can honestly tell you I’ve never submitted a book I didn’t think was good. I’ve certainly written ones that aren’t good, but they’re stashed away in a drawer somewhere to be burned under the cover of darkness. So when weeks passed with no response, it started to sink in that the news wouldn’t be good. And sure enough, I eventually got an email from the editor saying she was sorry, but she would have to pass on this book as it was. I wasn’t surprised, but I did feel pretty dejected. (Well, maybe VERY dejected.)
I’ve been rejected before so I knew that this disappointment would fade and I’d regroup and either rework the project or move on. The editor gave me a thoughtful list of the reasons the chapters hadn’t worked for her, so I made a mental note of those issues and let it sift around in my brain for a while. In the meantime, however, I had another idea percolating, so I decided to get started on that. It was a New Adult story about a good-girl-turned-bad-girl-turned-good-girl-sorta, who moves in with the campus heartthrob and unexpectedly falls for his best friend. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever finish it, or what I’d do with it if I did, but I wanted to flex my writing muscles, so I started typing. In early fall, I felt re-inspired to work on TGF. I set aside the New Adult story and started revamping TGF, incorporating the editor’s notes and making new changes. I realized the ending was pretty awful and needed a complete overhaul, so I spent a couple of months writing and re-writing new chapters until I had a stronger story than the one I’d originally submitted. I resubmitted it, this time with a feeling of nervous dread.
There’s no telling how long someone will or will not take to get back to you, so I resumed work on the New Adult story. By Christmas I had a first draft. It needed some tightening, certainly, but I felt pretty good about it. I’ve learned something from every story I’ve written, and I feel like each book improves upon the ones before. These two were no exception.
Then I got an email from my editor—she liked my changes and wanted to acquire TGF! Oh, hallelujah! I could sleep soundly again. She told me TGF would likely come out in summer 2016, and I felt a bit anxious about having such a big gap between books. (“In Her Defense” had come out in September 2015.) I thought about the New Adult story I was working on. Could I self-publish? I know other people do, but could I? I decided I could, not only to avoid having nearly a year delay between books, but for the experience.
All this is to say, there are many ways to fight the good fight. It’s not always about winning, or even getting right back up when you get knocked down. It’s about what you do while you’re down there, how you regroup so you get up stronger every time. That rejection stung, but I (eventually) went back to my desk and opened a new Word doc. I called it “Undecided,” but there was never any question. I want to be a writer, so I write.
What’s your good fight?
THE GOOD FIGHT
I started writing “The Good Fight” in early 2015. By July I had finished it, and sent the first few chapters to my editor at Carina. I can honestly tell you I’ve never submitted a book I didn’t think was good. I’ve certainly written ones that aren’t good, but they’re stashed away in a drawer somewhere to be burned under the cover of darkness. So when weeks passed with no response, it started to sink in that the news wouldn’t be good. And sure enough, I eventually got an email from the editor saying she was sorry, but she would have to pass on this book as it was. I wasn’t surprised, but I did feel pretty dejected. (Well, maybe VERY dejected.)
I’ve been rejected before so I knew that this disappointment would fade and I’d regroup and either rework the project or move on. The editor gave me a thoughtful list of the reasons the chapters hadn’t worked for her, so I made a mental note of those issues and let it sift around in my brain for a while. In the meantime, however, I had another idea percolating, so I decided to get started on that. It was a New Adult story about a good-girl-turned-bad-girl-turned-good-girl-sorta, who moves in with the campus heartthrob and unexpectedly falls for his best friend. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever finish it, or what I’d do with it if I did, but I wanted to flex my writing muscles, so I started typing. In early fall, I felt re-inspired to work on TGF. I set aside the New Adult story and started revamping TGF, incorporating the editor’s notes and making new changes. I realized the ending was pretty awful and needed a complete overhaul, so I spent a couple of months writing and re-writing new chapters until I had a stronger story than the one I’d originally submitted. I resubmitted it, this time with a feeling of nervous dread.
There’s no telling how long someone will or will not take to get back to you, so I resumed work on the New Adult story. By Christmas I had a first draft. It needed some tightening, certainly, but I felt pretty good about it. I’ve learned something from every story I’ve written, and I feel like each book improves upon the ones before. These two were no exception.
Then I got an email from my editor—she liked my changes and wanted to acquire TGF! Oh, hallelujah! I could sleep soundly again. She told me TGF would likely come out in summer 2016, and I felt a bit anxious about having such a big gap between books. (“In Her Defense” had come out in September 2015.) I thought about the New Adult story I was working on. Could I self-publish? I know other people do, but could I? I decided I could, not only to avoid having nearly a year delay between books, but for the experience.
All this is to say, there are many ways to fight the good fight. It’s not always about winning, or even getting right back up when you get knocked down. It’s about what you do while you’re down there, how you regroup so you get up stronger every time. That rejection stung, but I (eventually) went back to my desk and opened a new Word doc. I called it “Undecided,” but there was never any question. I want to be a writer, so I write.
What’s your good fight?
June 24, 2016
New "Undecided" Cover Coming July 18!
As you may know, I've been trying (and failing) to come up with a new cover design for "Undecided." There's really only so many times you can hear the same comments ("Is this a love triangle?" "That cover is very misleading!" "I HATE THAT COVER!") before you start to think that maybe the thing you love is hurting the other thing you love.
So.
There's a new cover. I tried to redo it maybe six or seven weeks ago, but I'm not a designer and the things we were coming up with looked like YA ghost stories for some reason. I bailed on the attempt, and then a short while ago I got a message from none other than Kristen Callihan kindly pointing out that maybe my cover was hurting my book. (Cue jaw drop. KRISTEN CALLIHAN??!) This was not offensive because it was not new information, but it was extremely motivating. I went back to the drawing board (which means staring blankly at stock photo sites and pondering what to have for dinner) and eventually spotted a picture I thought could work. I fiddled with it, mocked up something I kinda sorta liked, and sent it to Kristen and another author friend, Jenna Sutton (who was one of the first people to kindly suggest that I needed a new cover), who gave it their stamp of approval. One more thumbs up from a very well-read blogger with impeccable taste, and I sent it off to my friend for polishing.
All this is to say...I have a new cover and it's coming July 18. I'm going to swap the cover on the print version on that day, so if you've been thinking about buying one, you have three weeks until it's replaced everywhere but my heart.
Three weeks is a long time, isn't it? I've told myself July 1 is the day to start working on Kellan's story (that's also Canada Day, for those who don't know - I'll pretend those fireworks are all meant for me), and I'll share the title of the new book then. ;)
If you're interested in being part of the new cover reveal tour, you can sign up here: http://bit.ly/28XeFtt
Thanks for reading!
So.
There's a new cover. I tried to redo it maybe six or seven weeks ago, but I'm not a designer and the things we were coming up with looked like YA ghost stories for some reason. I bailed on the attempt, and then a short while ago I got a message from none other than Kristen Callihan kindly pointing out that maybe my cover was hurting my book. (Cue jaw drop. KRISTEN CALLIHAN??!) This was not offensive because it was not new information, but it was extremely motivating. I went back to the drawing board (which means staring blankly at stock photo sites and pondering what to have for dinner) and eventually spotted a picture I thought could work. I fiddled with it, mocked up something I kinda sorta liked, and sent it to Kristen and another author friend, Jenna Sutton (who was one of the first people to kindly suggest that I needed a new cover), who gave it their stamp of approval. One more thumbs up from a very well-read blogger with impeccable taste, and I sent it off to my friend for polishing.
All this is to say...I have a new cover and it's coming July 18. I'm going to swap the cover on the print version on that day, so if you've been thinking about buying one, you have three weeks until it's replaced everywhere but my heart.
Three weeks is a long time, isn't it? I've told myself July 1 is the day to start working on Kellan's story (that's also Canada Day, for those who don't know - I'll pretend those fireworks are all meant for me), and I'll share the title of the new book then. ;)
If you're interested in being part of the new cover reveal tour, you can sign up here: http://bit.ly/28XeFtt
Thanks for reading!
June 3, 2016
"Undecided" Interview & Signed Giveaway!
Today I'm over at Itching for Books with an interview about "Undecided" (and some details on the upcoming Time Served installment, "The Good Fight") and a giveaway for a signed paperback copy!
Check it out & enter here: http://bit.ly/1sSnPMA
Happy reading!
Check it out & enter here: http://bit.ly/1sSnPMA
Happy reading!
May 9, 2016
"The Good Fight" Now Available on NetGalley!
The Good Fight, book three in the Time Served Series, is now available to request on NetGalley!
Featuring Oscar Hall from book one and Dr. Susan Dufresne from book two, this sexy, gritty story is told solely from the hero's POV.
Release date: July 25, 2016
NetGalley: https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book...
Enjoy!
Featuring Oscar Hall from book one and Dr. Susan Dufresne from book two, this sexy, gritty story is told solely from the hero's POV.
Release date: July 25, 2016
NetGalley: https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book...
Enjoy!
April 8, 2016
"UNDECIDED" RELEASE WEEK POST FIVE
NOW YOU SEE IT
I may have mentioned this before, but for those who don’t know, I went to film school. ($13,000 well spent, says the girl who does not work in film.) In terms of a career in screenwriting, I would describe this investment as “not successful,” but even though I didn’t really appreciate it at the time, I learned a lot. I learned about storytelling, structure, plot, pacing, character development, and how to handle brutal criticisms, among other things. One of the biggest lessons you learn about storytelling is the importance of SHOW DON’T TELL. It’s so important I’m writing it in capital letters.
Maybe I wouldn’t notice this if it hadn’t been drilled into me in school, and maybe I’d read along happily being told things instead of shown them. But now that I’m aware of it, I can’t stop noticing when authors tell me how characters are feeling/changing/reacting when actions can do it so much better. One of the best examples we saw in school was from the movie Kramer vs. Kramer (well, the script). The mother leaves and the totally unprepared father is now responsible for raising a little boy. They try to make French toast and fail epically. The kitchen’s a mess, the toast burns, everybody’s unhappy. At the end of the story, however, they make French toast in perfect sync. They’re a team now. Nobody needs to write “After months of living together they’d found a system that worked and made everybody happy and improved their quality of life.” Seeing is believing, as they say, and I believed.
When I wrote the first draft of “In Her Defense” I didn’t include the company party scene at the end, and upon re-reading I knew something important was missing. Then it finally dawned on me: the party! Now normally I wouldn’t think it’s a brilliant idea to show someone’s character arc over two books (especially when they’re not the main character in both books), but because Caitlin’s role at the party in book one was so memorable (for all the wrong reasons), I thought seeing her in the same situation but behaving completely differently would really showcase her growth as a person.
I’ve tried to do something like this in “Undecided,” but instead of telling you what I did, let’s see if YOU can tell ME. First person with the right answer gets a signed print copy!
WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR: There are three scenes in which something similar happens and in each scene Crosbie responds/reacts differently. Nothing to do with magic. Everything to do with his character arc.
By now you’ve had all week to read, and if your week has been too busy, you’ll have the weekend. If no one gets this by Monday, I’ll tell you the answer and buy a gift for myself. We all win! (Just kidding—only I win.)
NB: This contest is only available on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/juliannakeyesauthor), otherwise I can't monitor the comments and the order they came in. If you think you know the answer, feel free to visit me on FB and share! :)
I may have mentioned this before, but for those who don’t know, I went to film school. ($13,000 well spent, says the girl who does not work in film.) In terms of a career in screenwriting, I would describe this investment as “not successful,” but even though I didn’t really appreciate it at the time, I learned a lot. I learned about storytelling, structure, plot, pacing, character development, and how to handle brutal criticisms, among other things. One of the biggest lessons you learn about storytelling is the importance of SHOW DON’T TELL. It’s so important I’m writing it in capital letters.
Maybe I wouldn’t notice this if it hadn’t been drilled into me in school, and maybe I’d read along happily being told things instead of shown them. But now that I’m aware of it, I can’t stop noticing when authors tell me how characters are feeling/changing/reacting when actions can do it so much better. One of the best examples we saw in school was from the movie Kramer vs. Kramer (well, the script). The mother leaves and the totally unprepared father is now responsible for raising a little boy. They try to make French toast and fail epically. The kitchen’s a mess, the toast burns, everybody’s unhappy. At the end of the story, however, they make French toast in perfect sync. They’re a team now. Nobody needs to write “After months of living together they’d found a system that worked and made everybody happy and improved their quality of life.” Seeing is believing, as they say, and I believed.
When I wrote the first draft of “In Her Defense” I didn’t include the company party scene at the end, and upon re-reading I knew something important was missing. Then it finally dawned on me: the party! Now normally I wouldn’t think it’s a brilliant idea to show someone’s character arc over two books (especially when they’re not the main character in both books), but because Caitlin’s role at the party in book one was so memorable (for all the wrong reasons), I thought seeing her in the same situation but behaving completely differently would really showcase her growth as a person.
I’ve tried to do something like this in “Undecided,” but instead of telling you what I did, let’s see if YOU can tell ME. First person with the right answer gets a signed print copy!
WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR: There are three scenes in which something similar happens and in each scene Crosbie responds/reacts differently. Nothing to do with magic. Everything to do with his character arc.
By now you’ve had all week to read, and if your week has been too busy, you’ll have the weekend. If no one gets this by Monday, I’ll tell you the answer and buy a gift for myself. We all win! (Just kidding—only I win.)
NB: This contest is only available on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/juliannakeyesauthor), otherwise I can't monitor the comments and the order they came in. If you think you know the answer, feel free to visit me on FB and share! :)
