Molli Moran's Blog, page 11

The One Where I Wrote A Somewhat Beta Male Love Interest

 

When I started my upcoming ONE SONG AWAY, the characters took over in a way that didn’t happen with my debut. Sophie-Claire sort of enveloped my life. When I wasn’t writing her story, I was thinking about her, about Jake, about her friends, and wondering what was going to happen next. I knew a few broad strokes, and I knew how I *wanted* it to end, but how to get there was like…

 

Nevertheless, being the pantser I am, I kept going. Sophie-Claire emerged fully formed in my head, which took me aback, because getting Quinn to tell me about herself was like pulling teeth, when I was writing AYTA. Unlike Quinn, Sophie WANTED to talk about herself, her friends, her family, her likes, her dislikes. And she wanted especially, to talk about Jake Cooper.

An author pal of mine, Megan Erickson wrote a wonderful article recently about beta males. And it wasn’t until I was almost through with the first draft of ONE SONG AWAY that I realized: unlike my usual semi-alpha males (or full on alpha males), Jake Cooper was more of a beta male type. Out of curiosity, I Googled “beta male.” A lot of terms came up. Terms like: weak, passive, lazy, not aggressive. I have one thing to say to that.

 

Like Megan suggested, we don’t generally think of beta males AS being heroes. We’re used to seeing “alpha male hero” as a descriptor, but not “beta male hero.” “Beta” has become a synonym for weak or lesser. And true, a beta IS usually second in command TO an alpha, but that alone isn’t enough to relegate a beta male as being less than awesome.

In ONE SONG AWAY, Jake sets the mood and takes control more than once. He gets in a bar brawl for defending his family. He gets mad. He IS a natural leader, but he doesn’t feel that he has to continually assert that. He is just as happy working behind the scenes at his business to make it run like clockwork, and he’s equally happy letting Sophie take the reigns as they’re pretending to date.

See, a male doesn’t HAVE to be an alpha to be sexy. A beta male doesn’t really have that NEED to assert a possessive claim over the female/s in his life. He recognizes when he’s around an alpha female, and he’s confident enough in himself to BE himself with her, or around other alpha males. He doesn’t have to go around baring his teeth or being all broody. (Important note: I am NOT talking about the asshole male characters in books that get mistakenly labeled as alpha males. Those? Are just assholes. Those guys who treat women like dirt and the women can’t get enough… Yeah, no. They aren’t alphas. At all.)

The appeal of a beta male is a male who is confident. Who knows who he is. Who CAN and sometimes DOES take control, but is just as happy letting a female make choices. A beta male often plays a more supportive role. He’ll make his voice heard, try to talk his love interest out of doing something crazy, but at the end of the day, he’s there for her in whatever she chooses. He’ll put his foot down if she’s going to get hurt, but he TRUSTS her judgement, and doesn’t want or need to second guess or override her.

And beta males can be sexy!

 

I KNOW, RIGHT? But I promise, they can be. Jake very definitely has some sexy-as-sin moments, times where he takes charge and steers what happens between him and Sophie, like here, when he interrupts her having a solo dance party in her new apartment…

 

I press a hand to my heart. “You scared the crap out of me!” He steps into my apartment and closes the door slowly behind him. The light glints in his eyes and highlights his stubble. There’s a day’s worth of scruff along his jaw. Who knew he could make the unshaven look seem so…hot? And somehow he’s managing to make a backwards baseball cap look sexy. Man, he just doesn’t play fair.

 

“You know, you gotta lock the door when you’re home alone.” He takes a step closer to me. Is it my imagination or are his eyes darkening? Does that happen in real life?

 

“Why’s that?” I raise my brows. I know I’m playing a dangerous game, but when I’m around him, I can’t help it. I can tell myself that I’m ready for this all I want, but the truth is, I’m not. My reactions to Coop are too strong. Sloane already cautioned me last night, but clearly I didn’t listen.

 

“Someone could just barge in,” Jake says. When he advances on me, his eyes lock on mine. “And…”

 

Without meaning to, I retreat slowly. “And what?”

 

Jake closes the space between us and takes my hand. His is warm as it swallows mine. I take a breath that’s more like a gasp, just as he puts his other arm around my back and dips me. I slam my eyes shut and yelp because I expect to hit the floor, but I don’t. Instead, I’m suspended in Jake’s arms; when I open my eyes, his lips are so close to mine. I stare at his mouth, memorizing the shape all over again.

 

“And do this.” Jake’s warm breath caresses my face.

 

I could kiss him if I wanted—could claim that I’m practicing for the family dinner. I could finally know what it’s like to kiss Jake Cooper, if his mouth fits as perfectly on mine as I’ve imagined. I could loop my arms around his neck and breathe him in until I’m dizzy. It wouldn’t take long.

 Hopefully this post has changed YOUR mind about beta males. There are all sorts of types of male characters, so let’s not shove them all in one box, eh? Alpha, beta, neither of the above. They can ALL be awesome, when done right! They can all be sexy and amazing.

 

ONE SONG AWAY releases December 1, 2014 and is available for pre-order now:

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The One with One Song Away on NetGalley!

AHHHHH. This is a TRES exciting post for me to write because I have one big announcement, and several other ones to get to, so here we goooooo!

*takes a minute to breathe into a paper bag*

*uploads GIF to express my FEELS*

 

ONE SONG AWAY is on NetGalley! Bloggers and reviewers are now able to request it for review.

*grabs for paper bag again*

OSA just went live today, so you’ll have TWO MONTHS to request it. TWO months to get to know Sophie-Claire and Jake! Guys, I am legitimately so excited about this. Patchwork Press has been AMAZING to work with, and I am so thankful to them for bringing you guys, the bloggers and reviewers who work so hard to support authors, the chance to read my book.This is me right now:

 

OSA is LIVE and available for pre-order at Amazon and Barnes & Noble! For just $2.99, you can pre-order Sophie’s story so it’s on your Kindle or Nook on release day! ALSO: anyone who pre-orders and then sends me confirmation? Will get a swag pack from me! 

 

There will be a OSA blog tour hosted by Giselle. It will run from December 15-19th. We’re talking guest posts, giveaways, reviews. ALL OF THE THIIIIIINGS. It will be fun. FUN will be had. EEEEEEE. This is how I feel:



Finally, I’m at Tumblr now! I’m Tumblring. Is that right? Whatever, I’m doing it. It’s mostly fannish things, and all my feels about Stefan Salvatore, but I’m going to start sharing some things about my writing from time to time, so y’all can find me there if you want.

That’s it, I think. I’m not sure I can be any more excited and still be sane, so Imma wrap this up. If y’all wanted to pre-order OSA (remember: email me confirmation at molliwrites@gmail.com and YOU get a swag pack) here’s my message to you!

 

Oh and before you jet outta here, there’s a little somethin’ somethin’ for you guys!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Swoonworthy Saturdays – #6: The One with Jake’s Point of View

 

Recently, I announced some pretty cool incentives you guys would get if ONE SONG AWAY reaches a certain number of adds on Goodreads. We hit the first one really quickly, and as promised, here’s part of Sophie-Claire and Jake’s meeting from his point of view. I wanted to do the whole chapter from his POV but life kept getting in the way. So here’s the first part and I’ll see what I can do about the second part.

****************************************************************

By mid-morning, I’m still not sober enough for this day.

Even though I’m at work, I’d rather be back at my place, just relaxing, or blowing off steam with Nolan. I went out for a drink last night, and one turned into about eight too many. Beer before liquor isn’t the kind of mistake I thought I’d make again, but apparently I made it last night at Time Out. When my alarm went off this morning, I think I could have beat a sailor in a cussing contest. Instead, I did what I had to do, and here I am. I wanted this business, this responsibility, but right now it’s kicking my damn ass. Usually, I’d be gunning for round two, baring my teeth for the fight, but I’m too hung over and exhausted for that today.

Quit bitching, Coop.

As always, her voice in my head catches me off guard. I keep thinking I’ll outrun her, but I can’t. My best friend hasn’t been part of my life in four plus years, but my brain loves to send me these fucked up reminders of her. Like I need a way of remembering the girl I’ve never forgotten.

Shaking my head, I survey the place quickly. I spot a few regulars and several new faces. Business is good at Freshly Ground, which means my investment is starting to pay off. When I first talked to Dad about going into business for myself, I think he thought I was insane. And maybe I am. But thanks to his name and collateral, two things I’m grateful for for the first time in a long time, I’m my own boss now.

Since I have a few minutes to spare before I’m needed anywhere, I lean against the counter. There’s a truck coming later today, and I have a buyer’s conference call at 2 p.m., but today is an easier day than yesterday. Losing three baristas this week means we’ve all been working harder. No one has complained except Mina, but I’m used to her sass by now, and I know most of it is good-natured. Mina was in a bad way when she rolled into town. I see a lot of myself in her, or well, the guy I was a few years ago. She’s running from something, so when she asked me for a job, I didn’t ask a lot of questions. I can tell she’s just letting the world hollow her out, and I’m hoping she’ll stay here long enough to put down some roots.

My attention is wandering. I blink when I realize I’m staring at a blond sitting by herself. Then I blink again. No way. No fucking way. It can’t be her. But it is. I’d know her anywhere. I’d know her in the middle of a crowd, even if I was blindfolded. Even though she’s supposed to be in Nashville, Sophie-Claire Wright is somehow here. In my town. In my coffee shop.

She looks up like maybe she can tell I’m studying her, her gaze flickering toward mine. When our eyes meet, she breaks the contact almost immediately, but I see the startled expression on her face before she looks away. I pull in a deep breath, feeling suddenly starved for air, much less the ability to hold my shit together.

It’s her. Same features, same brilliant blue eyes. Same ability to strip me bare with a look. I don’t see any recognition in her face, but it’s been four years since she last saw me, and we’ve both changed. I’m a whole other person than the kid she knew. I’m different on the inside and on the outside, but the one thing that hasn’t changed, and won’t ever change, is my reaction to her.

My heart feels like it’s beating the hell out of my chest, but I start toward her. I lost my best friend once when I let her go, and there is no way I’m going to lose her again.

 “Claire?” I say.

She looks at me again and her mouth drops open. Even though I want to run toward her, I force myself to walk, because it gives me time to study her. I watch her, watching me. I see the moment when she recognizes me, and briefly wonder what she’s thinking, but I still have no idea by the time I’m standing in front of her. Even though I thought I’d know what to say, since I’ve had enough time to imagine it, I don’t.

 “Claire.” It isn’t what I meant to say, but this girl has always been able to knock the sense out of me.

When she stands, I expect her to hug me, or start talking, but instead she’s quiet. Silent. It’s clear she never expected to see me again, which is fair, because I never thought I’d see her. The last time I talked with her mom, DeeDee told me that Claire was still living in Nashville, working on building a songwriting career.

Damndest thing was, even though I’ve traveled a good part of the world, I couldn’t bring myself to drive a few hours to Nashville. I didn’t dwell on the why of that too long, but I guess I thought if I saw her, I might try to bring her home, or do something equally stupid, like tell her my life hasn’t been the same since she left.

Or hell, maybe I was afraid I wouldn’t know her anymore. She was a bright light when we were teens, but now she shines with confidence. She’s wearing her hair differently, and even though she looks shocked at seeing me, I can tell she’s used to commanding a room. Good. That’s good.

“Coop? What are you doing here? I heard you were backpacking through Ireland, or jet-setting through Scotland, or in Canada,” she says all in a rush.

When Claire stops talking and goes for her coffee cup, I smirk. Some things never change. She practically worshipped coffee when we were friends. I can take it or leave it. There are other things I have to have.

“I don’t know that I…what was your word? Jet-setted anywhere.” I laugh, thinking she has no idea what my life was like after graduation. I traded nights fighting with my folks for nights sleeping under the stars in places where I didn’t know a soul. Days of knowing whatever happened, it was on me, sink or swim. Whoever I was when I left…I lost him somewhere in my travels. That soft, spoiled kid who took so much for granted sloughed away like dead skin somewhere on the road. “But I did do some exploring,” I say.

Claire is holding onto her chair like she might fall out if she lets go of it, so I don’t take her hand like I want to. She must be more surprised to see me than I thought she was, because it’s like she can’t even find words. Her eyes are wide, wild. This isn’t the Claire I remember.

“Oh well, you know, I heard things.” She waves her hands in front of her face.

I heard things about her, too. When I was traveling, working odd jobs to make enough money to move on to the next town, I didn’t think too much about Claire. But when I came home, there were reminders everywhere. Finally, I caved and asked our friend Sloane about her. Sloane told me she was dating some wannabe actor, and that she’d sold a few of her songs. Yet here she is, back in Martinville. The past and present are colliding, and it’s a trip.

Clearly, she’s nervous. I can’t figure out why, but I think it’s up to me to break the ice.

“So you…heard things, huh?” I grin at her. “Any of these ‘things’ include the fact that I missed the hell outta you, Claire?” And it’s true. Being back here has changed my life in a lot of ways, but there was something missing: her. I’m lucky enough to have an amazing family, and some great friends, but I didn’t have Claire, and that made all the difference.

“No,” she whispers. “But I missed you too.”

Fuck it. I tug her toward me, and she melts into my embrace. No hesitation at all, just puts her arms around me, her head under my chin. And that’s all it takes. I’m somewhere I haven’t been since the day I put a necklace around her neck, then watched her drive away from me, somewhere I haven’t been despite settling down in Martinville again: I’m home. This is home. She’s home. Always has been, and I might as well admit to myself, it always will be. This girl is where I belong, as cheesy as that sounds.

I know I only have a few seconds until this gets awkward, so I make the most of our hug. Breathing her in, I hope to hell she doesn’t ask me for an explanation for my reaction, because I’ve never been able to put our bond into words. We clicked from the beginning even as kids, became best friends so fast, and now I can’t remember why I let us fall apart. Why I didn’t pursue her after she moved away.

Oh yeah, because I was self-destructing and decided I couldn’t put anyone through that anymore. I don’t regret leaving or the experiences I had, but I lost time with my family—and time with Claire. Time that, as we sit, I know I want to start making up for somehow.

 

 

What do y’all think? Want more of Jake’s POV, and other incentives? The next one happens at 150 adds on Goodreads, so let’s make it happen!

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Character Driven Novels

It’s Top Ten Tuesday time! I’ve missed participating in this fun, creative meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, so here we go!

 

October 7: Ten Books For Readers Who Like Character Driven Novels

 

1. IF YOU FIND ME by Emily Murdoch. There’s a mystery and a very subtle romance in Emily’s book, but it’s far more Carey’s story, a story of being lost and found, of coming home, and of making a home for yourself, and of remaining true to who you are. Carey’s growth was heart-wrenching at times, always genuine. I loved this book so much. Check out the interview I did with Emily!

2. The TIME BETWEEN US duet by Tamara Ireland Stone. Anna and then Bennett get a book in this beautiful duology. Both characters move the book forward with their AMAZING growth, and made me cry along the way.

3. ALL LINED UP by Cora Carmack. I love Cora’s book. They’re New Adult with so so much heart. Even though a lot happens in this first book in the Rusk University series, I would still say it’s all driven by Dallas and Carson, the two main characters, their thoughts and growth as a couple and as individuals.

4. BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE by Tiffany Schmidt. What a beautiful book. I loved Jonah and Bright’s story SO much. I loved that over one night, they both began to change. There’s a lot of fun and some swoonage in Tiffany’s book, but it really made an impact on me for the characters.

5. BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver. I’ve read this book three times now and it feels new every time. Sam and her changes and growth. Her thoughts, changing. Her life changing. I just. I really want a tattoo from this book someday. I did a really honest review of it here.

6. EVERYTHING LEADS TO YOU by Nina LaCour. OH THIS BOOK. SUCH a beautiful beautiful book full of characters thinking and loving and growing. *happy sigh*

7. DEFIANCE by C.J. Redwine. Soooo I’m a blogger fail for not having finished this series but RACHEL MAN. SUCH a strong character. A lot of this wonderful book is definitely driven by her.

8. The GRISHA trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. There’s action, loss, love, adventure here, lots of plot, but also moments of introspection and thought and SO much growth on Alina’s part. So much. On everyone’s part, really, but mainly Alina. She drives the books forward.

9. THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE by Leila Sales. THIS BOOK. This freakin’ book. I really want to reread it to experience Elise’s story all over again. And it IS her story. Her life being changed. Her mindset changing, her bravery emerging.

10. AFTER THE STORM by Marie Landry. Marie’s books are all really character driven, but Ella’s book is especially this way. We see her change, shedding her own life, and taking control of her story. SO much love for this book.

 

Have your read any of these books? Do you agree with my picks? What books made YOUR Top Ten?

Why You Need to Break Your Book (So You Can Fix It)

 

It may sound silly, the notion of “breaking” your book. After all, you wrote it, you’re going to publish it, and you love it. Why in the world would you want to hurt it?

Here’s something I’ve learned from editing my two books, and especially from taking the scary step of sending those books to beta readers: your book NEEDS to be broken. So that you can put it back together. So you can fix it. So you can make it better.

The process isn’t as simple as: write a book, publish it, earn millions. *wistful sigh* IF ONLY. It’s more like: get idea. Procrastinate. Write words. Let story slowly take over. Throw heart and soul onto page. Be brave enough to edit and send to beta readers. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Writing is hard work. Editing is hard work. Taking constructive criticism is hard work. But it’s all necessary hard work.

Save for that mythical person who writes a totally clean first draft and doesn’t have to edit, the rest of us DO have to. I’ve written parts in my books that I knew needed work, and parts I thought were ~amazing. My beta readers had pointers for me about all those areas and more. The thing is when I write, I’m sort of blind to my flaws. Even when I print out my edited draft and do line edits, I miss things. Sometimes they’re small things, and sometimes they’re big things.

The truth is, my beta readers are my life savers. Not only are they a focus group, but they really go out of their way to help me make my writing the BEST it can be, whether it’s helping me catch grammatical mistakes, or pointing out a consistency error, or in the case of ONE SONG AWAY (my upcoming December release), making several suggestions that ended up making OSA SO much stronger. It was a good book before it went to them. It came back STRONGER.

Was it fun hearing their critiques? Not really. No writer wants to hear that their book is flawed. We want it to be perfect! But the truth is, almost any book can be made better, and my beta helped me make mine better.

If you are blind to your book’s flaws, you won’t be able to improve it. You HAVE to realize and see the ways your book can be improved. You have to be willing to take constructive criticism for what it is – constructive – and see that no one is trying to hurt you OR your book. They are only saying what they’re saying because they see the possibilities in your draft.

At one point I tweeted I was going to “break this book again,” and that’s what I did. Along with editorial changes, I also added several scenes, deleted almost two entire chapters, re-wrote various scenes, and worked on a few changes that made my main character seem more consistent, and ultimately made the romance and the dynamic stronger. I worked at making my main character (who is impulsive and leaps to conclusions, bless her) learn how to stand still, which was one of the hardest things I’ve done with this draft.

I cut exchanges I loved. I did a LOT of re-wording, thanks to a beta who pointed out what I can now see would have been a seriously annoying tick in the book if I’d left it as is.

And in the end, ONE SONG AWAY is stronger. The final version is not the first or second version. Counting all the passes I did before, during, and after beta readers, it’s more like the eighth version. 

Eighth. 

Now when I read it, I feel pride. I know thanks to my betas and editor, I produced the BEST book I could. I can see their influence all over ONE SONG AWAY, and I wouldn’t change that for the WORLD. I took those broken pieces and when I glued them together, they became stronger. I’m so proud of this book, and so grateful for everyone who helped me get it ready for YOU.

 

ONE SONG AWAY releases December 1, 2014. For now, you can add it to YOUR Goodreads to be read.

 

The One with One Song Away Incentives!

 

Some of you are aware I’ve written one book, and will publish another one in December. If you DIDN’T know this, now you do. ONE SONG AWAY is a New Adult contemporary romance coming to you in e-book form December 1, 2014.

Y’all, I’m SO excited about this book. I just finished final edits on it, and when I think about Sophie-Claire and Jake’s story, I’m all

 

Here’s where you lovely, awesome folks come in, I hope. I’d like to toss out a few fun incentives for YOU helping me spread the word about ONE SONG AWAY. Trust me, they’re pretty cool, including the big stretch goals. I’m not pinning my hopes on ALL of these happening, but if WE can make a few of these happen together, wouldn’t that be amazing? So here goes.

If ONE SONG AWAY reaches 100 adds on Goodreads, I’ll write Sophie-Claire and Jake’s first meeting from his point of view. (Swoony guy is swoony.)
If ONE SONG AWAY hits 150 adds on Goodreads, you get THIS flashback to their prom, and near kiss, in FULL.
If ONE SONG AWAY hits 200 adds on Goodreads, you get THIS swoony teaser from JAKE’S point of view – it involves some serious swoon-age.
If OSA hits 250 adds on Goodreads, I’ll host a giveaway for a $10 gift card!
If OSA hits 300 adds on Goodreads, you guys get THIS teaser of Sophie and Jake’s first kiss…from JAKE’S point of view. 
If OSA reaches 400 adds on Goodreads, you get THIS teaser from Jake’s POV. It was one of my favorite parts to write, and definitely a swoony part. (Please make this happen, because Jake is in my head wanting me to write this, y’all!)
If OSA hits 450 adds on Goodreads, you get this super sweet scene, but from Jake’s POV + another $10 gift card giveaway!
Aaaaaaaaaand if OSA reaches 500 adds on Goodreads, y’all, I’ll release it ONE DAY EARLY. Yep, you read that right.
STRETCH GOAL: AFTER 500 adds (if by some miracle, this happens), for EVERY 100 adds after that, I’ll release OSA a day early. And I’m obviously VERY biased, but I think y’all are going to love this book so let’s make at least a few of these goals happen, okay?

 

So what do y’all think? Can we make this happen? YOU can help by telling your friends, fellow readers and bloggers, and family who love fun romances all about ONE SONG AWAY, and by adding it to YOUR to be read if it isn’t already on there, by sharing my tweets and teasers, and so forth. I appreciate everything you guys do!

 

Mini-Review Round-Up: Summer 2014

 

Confession: I miss writing longer reviews, but I don’t really know HOW anymore. And with writing, I don’t have the ability to MAKE the time to write longer ones. But I wanted to talk about the books I’ve read in the last few months, because while I haven’t read many, man, they were good! 

RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo

I started this one the moment it was delivered. I sat in my living room reading and I didn’t stop until 2 a.m., when I finished Ruin and Rising. I still don’t really know what to say about this book, except it made me feel so many things, so fully, and I think it healed a small part of me. Here’s my original Goodreads review.  If you’ve been considering reading this series, DO. IT. NOW.

EVERYTHING LEADS TO YOU by Nina LaCour

I’ve talked a lot about this one on Twitter, and I think I’ll continue to do so. It’s a beautifully written book, and a very brave book. I adored Emi and Ava’s story, and how honest Nina’s characters and their journeys were. Emi’s voice was so authentic – I really believed she was a teenager, unlike in some books. And the lovely romance between her and Ava was just gorgeous.

ALL LINED UP by Cora Carmack

Cora continues to be one of my favorite New Adult authors. I loved the first book in her new Rusk University series, and I can’t wait for the next one. Carson and Dallas’s story was swoony but also really emotional, and I loved seeing them grow as a characters, and as a couple. I love that Cora writes New Adult with depth.

NOT UNTIL TONIGHT by Jessica Sankiewicz

This novella from Jess was really fun. I’m biased because a) I beta read it, and b) Jess is a good friend, but even though it was a quick read, I REALLY liked it. It uses one of my favorite tropes, the “be my fake boyfriend/girlfriend” trope and HECK YES. It was really well done, with some swoonworthy moments.

THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin

I ordered the sequel before I was even halfway done with the first one. I DEVOURED this book. The writing was amazing, and I loved how Mara, the narrator, is completely unreliable in the best way. It made for a fast-paced, spooky story with a great atmosphere, that TOTALLY drew me in HARD. Plus, I mean, NOAH SHAW. I’m hoping to read the second book in October, along with some other spooky books.

TRIAL BY FIRE by Josephine Angelini

While I ended up rating this one three stars for some things I didn’t like, overall, I enjoyed it. The writing felt a little unpolished, with more “tells” than I normally like, and at times that jolted me out of the story. BUT I’m a sucker for anything related to a) Salem witches and/or b) alternate universes, so I was THERE when I heard about this book. I ended up really liking the characters, the world-building, and the slow-burn romance, and I am on the edge of my seat for the sequel.

I’ve also FINALLY started a re-read of the BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD series, which I’ve been wanting to do for a few years now, and I have several friends who are really happy with me right now. HEHE. I missed the Brothers.

What have YOU read recently?

One Song Away Cover Reveal!

IT’S HERE! Cover reveal day!

I love everything about my ONE SONG AWAY cover, and I hope y’all love it too. Marie really outdid herself on this one, so y’all be sure to tweet her and tell her how much you love the cover. Now, to the reveal!

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She needs a fill-in boyfriend. He needs a favor. It’s the perfect, no-strings arrangement — until they both realize it’s too real…

Sophie-Claire Wright’s life is like a bad country song on repeat. She keeps running into her cheating ex, her songwriting career isn’t taking off, and to make matters worse, her roommate just kicked her out of their apartment. With nothing to lose, she decides to do the one thing she said she’d never do: she moves back home. She left her small Southern town with big dreams, but now she’s going home with empty pockets.

Life moves at a slower pace in Sophie’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hometown, but her well-meaning, matchmaking mother doesn’t have a slow gear. She invents a boyfriend to hold off her mother’s efforts, but she’s out of luck when her mom wants to meet Sophie’s boyfriend. Sophie panics until she runs into Jake Cooper. Her high school crush is back in town, too, and when he asks her for a favor, she agrees — on one condition. He says he’ll be her fill-in boyfriend, so it should be simple: introduce him to her family and then “break up” with him after a few weeks.

Sophie is sure she’ll be able to resist Jake this time and that their fake relationship will keep them both away from wagging tongues. Just because she was in love with him years ago doesn’t mean she’ll fall for him again now, right? But she didn’t bargain for moments that feel all too genuine. Dates that don’t seem fake. And she didn’t count on old feelings resurfacing and complicating their arrangement —- which is starting to feel less like acting and more like the real deal.

Soon, Sophie can’t tell which kisses are real or fake — but she knows she’s in deep. When she gets a chance to go back to Nashville and chase her dreams again, she has a choice to make: stay or go? Continue hoping that the life she wants is one song away, or write her own?

 

ONE SONG AWAY is really special to me. I’ve loved every stage of writing it (except the “burn it with fire” stage.) Originally I didn’t want a couple on the cover, because no one looked right. I stopped looking and then stumbled across the image. As soon as I saw it, I literally gasped aloud. It’s PERFECT. It’s Sophie and Jake — and the best part is, the swing she’s in? Plays a big part in ONE SONG AWAY. I love that my cover is relevant to the book. With AS YOU TURN AWAY,  I wanted a cover that captured the feel of the book, but with ONE SONG AWAY (which is totally unrelated to AYTA) I wanted something that captured a moment FROM the book. And I got it.

Marie took the image and created this BOSS cover, as well as several amazing teasers, which I’ll be sharing from time to time. THANK YOU, Marie!

ONE SONG AWAY drops December 1, 2014. For now, you can add it to your to be read on Goodreads, like my Facebook author page to get teasers and updates! I also tweet way too much — sometimes about writing — at handle @MissMolliWrites.

What do you think of the ONE SONG AWAY cover? I love the coloring and the font. What’s your favorite part?

So You’ve Decided to Self-Publish…

 

I can’t swear this is exactly how it happened, but this is how it felt. – Joey Potter

In the last days of 2012, I did two things that even though I didn’t know it at the time, would make my 2013 amazing: I started writing again, and I did Susannah Conway’s Unraveling the Year Ahead Workbook. I didn’t do it for 2014, but I think I will next year, because my 2013 felt a lot more grounded and possible because of the workbook. I pulled my Workbook out near the end of 2013 — almost exactly a year later — and some of what I found made me go “whoa.”

I titled 2012 “The Year I Found Myself
My word for 2013 was “Possibilities.” (My word for 2014 is “balance.”)
I wanted to learn how to write “fearlessly.”
My secret wish for 2013 was to “get a book deal.”

In the meantime, I had: started a new job, flown across the country all by myself to meet someone who would become my world, come out to my family, ended some friendships, begun new ones, and strengthened old ones. Looking back, writing “fearlessly” didn’t feel just then like the challenge it once had. And my dream? Wasn’t to get a book deal anymore. It was to self-publish my first book.

When did I change? Where was that one moment when I just suddenly KNEW self-publishing was right for me? I can’t say. I know it didn’t really feel REAL, not finishing the first draft of my book, maybe not until I saw the cover and revealed it to the world. Even now, sometimes when I log in to track my sales, none of it feels real. I’m an author. “I wrote a fucking book!” (As I told my critique partner upon finishing my first draft.) I spent a lot of my young life being told I couldn’t do the things I dreamed of doing, so for me, this is the ultimate dream come true.

Obviously I can’t offer *any* advice on traditional publishing. At some point, this journey did start feeling real, and I’ve never regretted my decision. But there are some things I wish I had known going in. As ready as I thought I was, in some ways, I wasn’t. So this is my attempt to put some of that information out there.

 

Don’t give up. Not when you doubt your WIP has anything to offer. Not when you get to the “burn it with fire” stage. Not when you finish the first draft and have no idea how you’re ever going to revise it. Don’t EVER give up. You are the first person who has to believe in yourself.

 

Be completely sure of your path. If you are self-publishing and hoping to get picked up by a traditional publisher, you are doing this for the wrong reasons. If you’re querying agents when you’d really like to have total control over when/how you publish, you’re not  being genuine to yourself/your writing. If you’re publishing before you’re ready, you’re doing it wrong and you’re doing yourself and your book a disservice. If you’re writing a certain genre or category because you believe you’ll get rich quick, you are definitely doing this for the wrong reasons. Lightning rarely strikes — it’s not a safe bet. Before you EVER take the first step, you need to know if you want to self-publish, or if you want to try to traditionally publish. Before I ever seriously said “I’m going to publish AS YOU TURN AWAY” I knew I was self-publishing.

 

This should go without saying, but write stories you LOVE. You’re going to read this book over and over again — out loud for family, as you revise, once it’s published. Please PLEASE write a book you believe in, write a book you LOVE.

 

Don’t half-ass it. If you’re self-publishing, give your all. You’ll need beta readers — good people who can objectively read your book and tell you honestly what works and what doesn’t. You’ll need to be able to edit, which is more than running a quick grammar and spell check. You will probably need an editor, unless you are that amazing soul who writes totally clean drafts. (If you are, please teach me.) You’ll need to send out ARCs (advance reader copies.) You will need to be willing to spend some money.

 

Money. *sigh* How much you spend is up to you. I was very conservative with AS YOU TURN AWAY. Someday, when I’ve gotten permission from all involved, I’ll break down how much I spent, didn’t, and where it all went. I made some decisions I regret. I made some I’ll stick by. I would definitely recommend you spend money on: an editor, a *good* cover designer, print copies of your book if you want that for word of mouth and to send to reviewers, and some swag. (Don’t do what I did and WAY over-order swag.) Your cover is going to be seen and judged. A LOT. It needs to grab readers, and make them want to read your book. The words inside need to be readable, edited, and have HEART.

 

Expectations. If you’re self-publishing, ESPECIALLY New Adult or another hot category, you simply cannot go in expecting to drop your book in the ocean of other self-pubbed books and become a millionaire. It does not happen that way. What is FAR more likely to happen is, based on the work you put in (early buzz from ARCs, contacting reviewers,) you will get some reviews and some sales. The harder you work, the more pay-off you’ll see. But trust me: those rock stars who publish and are picked up? They’re the legends. They’re also very, very RARE. They’re not you or me. They’re not an expectation to have. Publish for yourself. Publish to reach and touch and move readers. Publish to entertain.

 

You need confidence. In your book, in your writing, in yourself. You’re going to get some great reviews — and some that will strip you bare, if you let them. Readers are going to read your book, and since reading is totally subjective, some will love it, while others will hate it. And that’s okay. That’s GOOD. A book with only positive reviews isn’t one I’m likely to read. But when you DO get those negative reviews (I don’t want to call them “bad” reviews, because ANY review that focuses on the writing/characters/the book has merit) — the ONLY response is to pull up your big girl/boy panties and keep going. Keep writing. Write another book, so readers will give you another chance. The readers who loved your first one will want the next one. People who didn’t love your first one might change their minds. But let that be their choice. NEVER attack a reader or discredit them/their review just because they didn’t like your book.

 

I’ve touched on this above, but keep writing. However amazing your first book is, don’t expect it to carry you forever. You’ll need a second book. A third. If it helps, especially if you’re working on a series, do some outlining of the other books before you ever publish the first one. Be ready to have more than one book for readers. You don’t have to be a machine, but you DO need continued visibility.

 

This is going to sound a bit contradictory to the previous point but DON’T RUSH. Readers are going to want more work from you, and you should be producing it, but NOT at the risk of putting out sub-par work. My pace has allowed for one book this year, and a second one before the year is over. My goal is to have published three books by my one year anniversary of publishing my first book. Some may be faster than that, some slower. Find your pace and STICK TO IT.  Work smarter, not harder.

 

So, that’s my oh-so-sage *sarcastic snort* advice. It’s what I’ve learned, what I knew, what I expanded on. It’s what I’d tell those who are trying to decide if they want to self-pub or not, and what I’d tell those who ARE self-publishing. Know why you’re publishing. Know what to expect. Do it right, in terms of money spent, resources used, etc.

What advice would you add to this?

Press For My Writing

 

Occasionally I talk about my books and other things online. As I do author interviews and the like, I’ll add those links.

 

Press for AS YOU TURN AWAY

As You Turn Away is on Goodreads — you can add it to your to-be-read or view the reviews.
The girls at YA Bound chose quotes from AYTA that made them swoon!
I did an interview with the girls of Allodoxophobia!
Suz interviewed me about AYTA and my writing process.