Kory M. Shrum's Blog, page 38

#Free #Books For #Everyone

Happy Wednesday!

Today I sent off the bookmarks from last week's game/ vlog test and did the drawing for the paperback. (Doramos, where for art thou Doramos? If Doramos, doesn't contact me by May 1, I'll redo the drawing.)

This week I want to tell you about three awesome things that are happening.

Awesome thing #1:

My book Dying for a Living will go on sale this Friday, April 18 and will be FREE through Sunday, April 20. Free! So mark those calendars and tell your friends :) Like I explained in last week's vlog, I am trying to find more and more ways to say Thank You to my super supportive fans for giving me a great first 6 weeks. :)

How to take advantage of the free book run? Download the book of course! But also, I think you can gift this book to as many people as you like. So if you've already bought (and liked) the book, now is your chance to send  as many copies as possible to your friends and family who you also think might like the book.

What better Easter (or Zombie Jesus Day) gift than a book about a girl who keeps coming back from the dead? Nothing! Nothing, I say! :) And for those who don't have a kindle, I suggest the reading app for your phone or computer which I've heard is both free and easy to use.

So  awesome thing # 1= free ebook this weekend.

Awesome thing #2:

There are still 12 hours left to enter the fabulous Cabin Goddess's giveaway and win an autographed copy of my paperback and a couple bookmarks. Go, go, go! Click here to play.

Awesome thing #3:
There is another giveaway happening here that is less time sensitive. But still fun. :)


Hope you are feeling the love! :)

Kory

Guest Post: *Penning* Your Future Novel

With technology rapidly changing, it is amazing how the platforms of writing are also slowly shifting, growing, and transforming into mediums that we wouldn't expect. White the argument that paperback books are becoming less relevant and more obsolete rages on, computer mediated literature is gaining momentum. Through social media and blogging, authors find more success in non-traditional ways of promoting and sharing their works.  

Surprisingly, one of the newest phenomenon is the cell-phone novel. Originally, cell-phone novels became popular in Asia, but the trend is catching on here in the States as well. A few years ago in Japan, the top ten best-selling novels consisted of five created and shared through mobile devices. In fact, it became a well-respected new literary genre that brought in some great sales for the authors, creating a few overnight sensations. This platform of writing has taken off around the world, and perhaps it is only a matter of time before the United States' writing community catches on too.

There is also the hint of social media serials, as discussed here. Between social media serials and the cell phone novel, it is interesting to consider where the future of writing is headed and how it will continue to be affected by technology.

Authors started out producing stories at 70-100 words per chapter for a fast read, now with certain apps a person can publish their novel chapter by chapter in its entirety. This option allows for mobility and convenience, as well as the ability to produce literature and absorb other's work on-the-go.  It presents  the opportunity for writers, novelists, and bloggers to share their work in an interactive setting, with apps like Penned allowing writers and readers to contribute, like, and comment on those stories that inspire them. On Penned, a writer-community app, participants can even upload a photo with their entry, to the category of their choice, and add a link at the bottom to where readers can purchase full versions of their novel(s), or simply to find out more about the writers.

Could cell-phone and/or social media novels be the next big thing?



Brian graduated from Punahou School in Honolulu, HI with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. Living in Venice, he has designed and consulted for many start-ups around LA before  before launching Penned with his passionate three-person team.

Sonia Chopra is a senior studying Communications Studies for PR and Journalism at UCLA. Currently, she is the PR/Marketing rep for Penned, but also works in celebrity PR as well as business, fashion, journalism and marketing. Her side hobbies include writing a mental health blog and modeling in Hollywood. She joined Brian Sanders (founder) in 2013 to help launch Penned, his start-up and side project. 

I'm in the Mood: 1st #Vlog & a Mega #Giveaway

If you want to enter the giveaway, all you have to do is answer this question in the comments section:

Would you rather be a human with super powers or a supernatural creature? Feel free to elaborate or be as cryptic as you like. The first 50 people automatically get autographed bookmarks. But everyone who comments will have a chance to win an autographed paperback copy of Dying for a Living.

My pug will pick the winner at random (probably by slobbering all over a piece of paper with a name/number on it.)

A picture of your judge? Sure:

Josephine has an abnormally large tongue
or a really small mouth.
Also, Josie would like me to add that she accepts (food) bribes.

Good luck!

#New #Release and #freebook

One month after the release of my novel, I'm happy to announce my newest work. My short story "Dive" is now available. As with Dying for a Living, you can expect a cross-genre buffet of mystery, crime, thriller, revenge, and sci-fi. In 12 words: a young woman uses her supernatural abilities to find her parents' killer.

Excerpt below:


“Please, please,” the child begged, her hand slipped from the edge of the tub and grabbed ahold of her mother’s slacks. “Don’t go.”“Come on, Louie. Not again,” she said. “You’re old enough to take a bath alone.” The woman frowned at the wet spot on her leg, and yanked herself.“No, no, no!” Hysterical, the girl clamored from the water.“Jesus Christ,” her mother said and shoved her ten-year-old daughter back into the tub, pressing down hard on her shoulders. “What is it with you and water? It isn’t going to kill you. You won’t drown! And I have to finish dinner before your father gets home.”Sobbing and cradling the elbow that connected too hard with the side of the tub, Louie continued to beg. “Please. Please don’t leave me.”Her little body hunched into a C-curve and shook. Remembering what the last therapist said regarding phobias, the illogical nature of the fear didn’t negate the fact that the fear was very real—her mother sighed and knelt beside the tub.“Okay,” her mother said in soft, practiced tones. “Okay, I’m here.”Louie’s shaking intensified, her little teeth chattering against each other as her mother, with a tight smile, grabbed the shampoo bottle off the ledge.“I’m sorry,” her mother said. “But it is just hard for me to understand this fear of yours.”Louie didn’t answer. Clutching her knees, she shook as if freezing despite the steam of the hot bath coloring her cheeks. “You have to lean back now,” her mother said. “So we can rinse your hair.”Louie grabbed her mother’s arms.“I know,” her mother said, indifferently. “But I’m right here. Now lay back.”Her small chest started to heave as her dark head was tipped back toward the soapy gray water.“Just breathe,” her mother said, as instructed by the therapist in how to handle her daughter’s anxiety. However, it was hard to muster sincerity after seven years of this.“The sooner we do this the sooner you can get out.”Louie’s green eyes widened, as the back of her hair dipped into the water. Her fingers raked down her mother’s arms as she clung tighter to the woman.One arm completely submerged, she ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair.“There,” her mother said, feeling her daughter relax in her arms. “Not so bad, is it? I love baths. I find them very relaxing.”Louie managed a small smile just before the oven dinged. “Dinner!” her mother said, slipping her arms out of Louie’s. “I’ll be right back.”“No, no, no!” Louie began, frantically wiping water from her eyes and trying to pull herself into an upright position. “Please!”“Just breathe,” her mother called out, already jogging toward her glazed ham and caramelized brussels sprouts. “The door is open. Keep talking so I can hear you.”“Mom!” Louie screamed. “Mommy!”“I’m right here, baby,” she said over the whimpering. “I’m just going to check the ham and I’ll be right back. Talk to me. I’m listening.”The girl’s escalating hysteria was cut off mid-scream.The sudden absence chilled her mother, sending a small shudder up the woman’s spine, rippling through the muscles there. She placed the pan on top of the stove and removed the oven mitts.“Louie?”When only the silence echoed back, buzzing in her ears, she hurried to the bathroom. The tub was empty. In a ridiculous impulse, she threw back the paper thin shower curtain as if the child could hide there. Then she looked behind the door and the small cabinet beneath the sink. But the bathroom was empty. “Louie?”She ran to the girl’s bedroom, but already knew she wouldn’t find her there. The wood floor running the entire length of the house was bone dry and Louie’s soft Mickey Mouse towel, the one they bought on their trip to Disney World two years ago, still hung from the hook by the tub.She searched the house and when she couldn’t find her, she called her husband home from work early to help her search again.They called everyone. They spoke to every neighbor and the police numerous times, who interrogated the mother ruthlessly despite her husband’s local connections.For three nights they did not sleep. Then they received a strange phone call.56 miles east of their home in St. Louis, Marc Smith was interviewed many times by police, but his story never changed. The orthodontist claimed that he was cutting grass on a Friday after work, in preparation for a family barbecue the next day—when Louie just appeared. As the police desperately tried to pin the abduction on the man, the lack of evidence made it impossible. He had no priors and even a neighbor was able to confirm that Smith was in fact mowing his lawn the moment he said he was. And that the neighbor too, who’d been washing her GMC SUV in the driveway at the time, agreed that just a moment before, the girl had not been there.Reluctantly, the police were forced to accept that Smith had simply cut a left around his rudebicka flower bed, red push mower vibrating in his sweaty grip, and there she was. One moment the pool was empty and the next, there was a girl emerging from the clear water. A tiny thing and soaking wet, her dark hair stuck to her pale back like an oil slick. Bewildered as to why a small naked child was in his family’s pool, he cut the lawn mower and rushed toward her. Thinking she was a neighborhood kid pulling a prank, he scolded her. But as the girl turned toward the sound of his voice, he fell silent. Not only because she was naked and obviously distraught—her wide eyes glassy with shock—but because of the blood.Her body was covered in hundreds of lacerations, the kind left by tree limbs or underbrush—though nothing like that existed for miles from their suburban neighborhood. A great many of them lay across her stomach and legs and a particularly nasty one across her cheek. But it wasn’t these small splits in her skin that scared him.It was the bite, a ring of punctures encircling the girl’s right shoulder, a ragged halo from neck to bicep. Like some carnivorous thing larger than the girl had grabbed ahold of her with its teeth. “Honey,” Frank said, the false anger entirely gone. He was already pulling off his T-shirt and yanking it down over the child’s head. “Are you all right?”“Is it still on me?” she whispered, teeth chattering. She turned her face toward him but her eyes couldn’t focus on his. “Is it still on me?”
And that was the last thing she said before collapsing into his arms.


If you're hooked and can't wait, buy it here.

But if you want to play for a chance to win a free copy, here are the rules:

In the comments section, guess what bit Louie. There are no right or wrong answers, which means I'm just interested in what creative & hilarious answers you come up with. :)

I'll pick a winner at random to receive a free copy of Dive. Drawing closes at 11:59PM EST, Friday April 4.

Good luck! 

Interview & a #Free #Book: Angela Roquet

Here with us today is the fabulous Angela Roquet, author of the sassy and spectacular Lana Harvey series and Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend . And the best thing about this interview, is that you can get her book, Graveyard Shift, absolutely free!(Information at the bottom).

InterviewFor those who aren’t familiar with you or your work, give us a brief synopsis.Me: I’m a writer by night, graphic designer by day, and mother 24/7. I like comic books, owls, craft supplies, painting, and weird out-of-print books. I’m also a big fan of equality, tolerance, and renewable energy.My work: My Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc. series is set in Limbo City, the capital of the modern and eclectic afterlife. Lana is a reaper, employed by Grim, at Reapers Inc. She starts out as an underpaid peon who would rather be drinking at Purgatory Lounge (with her bff, the archangel Gabriel) than harvesting souls. But when a group of rebels rise up to threaten peace in the afterlife, Lana learns some very disturbing things about her past, and quickly finds herself in the middle of a conflict that could bring on the Second War of Eternity.

Graveyard Shift is a fascinating world, drawing intensely from world mythology and religion. Tell us how you came by this idea and what influences led to the creation of Limbo City and Eternity.Most of my grade school years were spent at a private Christian school, so when I was inserted into public school, you can imagine my surprise when I found out there were other religions in the world. I spent quite a few years studying on my own, and then I took a world religions course in college that I found entirely unsatisfying. I spent more years studying on my own, and eventually, the idea of an afterlife where all the deities, heavens, and hells existed together was born in my mind. I was also fascinated by all the ancient visions of these afterlives, and I wondered what they might look like in modern time.Do you often draw your inspiration from other books or a different mediums altogether (movies, anime, etc.)?I’ve read a lot of books on different religions, so I definitely found inspiration there. It wasn’t until after Graveyard Shift was published that fans started reaching out and suggesting parallel books (Amber Benson’s Reaper-Jones series, Darynda Jones Charley Davidson series) movies (Wrist Cutters, R.I.P.D.), and TV shows (Dead Like Me, Reaper). I really enjoy stories, in any medium, that explore the afterlife in such creative ways. 

How many books do you foresee the Lana series entailing? And do you already know how it will end?I started out really ambitious and outlined 12 novels for the series… though I might shorten that list and merge a few of the storylines together. I do know how it will all end, more or less. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. lolIf your book was cast, who would play each role and why? Oh, it would definitely be exciting to see Lana and company on the big screen! I’d never get to pick the cast, but if I could, I have some actors that play along in my head movies:Lana is a toss-up. If Christina Ricci and Ellen Page could just merge into some kind of sexy Voltron … either one of them would be fantastic! I always picture Gabriel as Owen Wilson, but Tyler Sean Labine would be fun too. Jason Momoa as Maalik, Winona Ryder as Josie Gale, Lucy Liu as Jenni Fang, and Cillian Murphy as Kevin Kraus. Jared Leto as Beelzebub, and Ray Wise as Grim. There are a lot of characters in the series, but I’d say these are the major players, and who I most often fantasize about playing them. Obviously, these actors all fit the physical profiles of my characters, but they’ve also played quite a few roles that fit my characters’ personalities too.   When you write, do you have a process that helps get you “in the mood”?I have a toddler, so I don’t often have the time to get “in the mood”. Lol When my kiddo goes to the bed, I do have a little routine for my night writing session. I fix a cup of green tea (or a glass of wine, if it’s been a really rough day), light some incense, put on something easy to listen to (Iron & Wine, Damien Rice, Greg Laswell), and take it from there.What are you working on now? And what can we expect to see from you in the future?I feel like a juggling circus clown right now. lol  I’m working on more titles in my Lana series, and I have outlines for a couple other series (one YA and one adult paranormal), as well as a few standalones and short stories. Ideally, I’d like to get to the point where I can produce four to five books a year, but that might not happen until my kiddo starts kindergarten.



Urban Fantasy Author Angela Roquet lives in Sedalia, MO with her husband and son. When she's not swearing at the keyboard, she enjoys painting, goofing off her family and friends and reading books that raise eyebrows. Her book Graveyard Shift is available for free at Amazon and Smashwords. Visit her at her website or on Twitter.

Meet 'um Mondays: Josh Pantalleresco

By now you should know I have a special place in my heart for genre-bending. It's my personal opinion that it takes guts to break through the normal conventions of genre and say "rules be damned!"

Today's guest has demonstrated his own mixed palate with his tale, The Watcher. This story consists of poetry, epic fantasy, dystopian fantasy, coming of age, and art--an eclectic and interesting mix.

KS:  Tell us a bit about The Watcher. How could you describe this work to someone who’s never heard of it.
JP: It’s about a slave boy who wants more than to be a slave.  He kills his captors and escapes into a post apocalyptic world.


KS:  Who were your inspirations for this kind of writing?
JP:   I’d say three things:  My day job is a big influence.  I work a very monotonous day job.  It pays okay, but it’s about the only thing that satisfies me in any way about the job.  I want more.  I realized a lot of the post apocalyptic stuff comes from my childhood reading stuff like John Carter of Mars.  I’d say about chapter seven or eight I realized there was a kind of savage quality to the story.  I could see his influence in my work.  I’m not going to claim it’s on that level (I did my best) but I do see those kind of influences there.

Finally, I know quite a few people who settle on things in life.  I’ve been campaigning the #thereismore hashtag on my twitter account.  I think with all of us, there are things we settle for, and that there is more all of us can do to improve our lives.  The Watcher comes from some of my own personal struggle to get more.


KS:  The images add a nice depth to the boy’s tale of escape and subsequent adventure—how did you arrive at the decision to use images?

JP:  Some of the best books I see today are on the Young Adults section which merges images and pictures.  Being a comic geek definitely encourages the imagery.  Frankly, I’m surprised it isn’t done more often.


KS:  Tell us about your artist and how you found her:
JP:  Florence Chan is someone I met back when she lived in Calgary going to ACAD.  We were working at the same place and while we get along, I remember giving her more burdens at work than I was worth. 


That said, she seems to have selective amnesia, and I caught her working on a comic at my local shop called Fight Comics and thought I’d like to work with her.  Thanks to twitter and facebook I found her and asked her.


KS:  Do you also draw yourself?
JP:  Working on it.   Ask me that again in a year and I may have something cool up my sleeve to show.


KS: Your book has an interesting format. In most contemporary poetry, centering your lines is usually frowned upon. Why did you choose this format for The Watcher?
JP:  I like how the words kind of form an image when you center them.  To me the lines are like lego blocks.  Honestly, I hate how most poetry books are designed.  While my inner poet may frown at the centering, the inner designer likes the more aesthetic look.  It just looks better on the presentation when you read it.  Just my opinion though.


KS:  Can we expect a sequel to The Watcher or is this a standalone piece?
JP: Hopefully.  The whole Watcher story kind of came out of left field.  I’m hoping I can find that place again.  Not to say I don’t know where I want the story to go next.   Hopefully I continue the story from one of the other character’s perspective.  I think it’d add more depth to the world.


KS:  What are you working on now? And what can we expect to see from your soon?
JP:  I’m working on a comic called Paradigm written by myself and illustrated by Twyla April.  It’s about a superpowered teen trying to save the world from his parents.  It’s Disney afternoon buffoonery and I love every second of it.


I got a prose superhero story that’s finished.  Not sure what to do with it yet.  Also, working on a novel as we speak.


Non-work-related questions:
KS:  What is your favorite word?
JP:   Fuscia.  There’s an inside joke there with a couple of friends I can’t help but smile at.


KS:  What is your least favorite word? 
JP:  Conspiracy.  In conversations, it turns people’s brains off.


KS:  Who is your favorite author?  
JP:  Ray Bradbury.


KS:  If you could have any (but only one) super power, what would it be?
JP:  Either Green Lantern’s power ring, or invisible force fields.


KS: If you could pick the brain of any writer/poet/artist from anywhere across time and space, who would it be and why?
JP:  I’ll pick from all three:  Writer:  Isaac Asimov, Poet: E.E. Cummings and Artist:  Leonardo da Vinci


KS: What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
JP: Teaching English in China, comic book artist, pilot, alchemist and guitar player. 


KS:  What profession would you not like to do?
JP: A nine to five job.


Ks: If Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell existed, which circle would you be trapped in and why?

JP: I’d either be a repentant sinner or trapped in level two.  


Joshua Pantalleresco chases his dreams through writing. He currently writes columns for http://All Pulp and Comic Bloc. His first comic Veritas, illustrated by Craig Cermak and Lettered by Jim Reddington can be ordered here. The Watcher is available on smashwords. Visit him at his website, on Facebook, or Twitter.

Cover Reveal for Dive: A Short Story

I'm pleased to announce the upcoming release of my short story, Dive. In this story, a young woman's supernatural abilities lead her to her parents' killer.

For those who've read Dying for a Living, you know I have a problem with picking a genre and sticking to it. Weighing in at 10,000+ words, Dive is no different. Here you'll find a suspenseful mix of fantasy, crime, noir, murder, revenge, and interdimensional travel.

I can't wait to hear what you think.

How to Get Good Reviews for Your Book

I am working from the assumption that you have written a good book. After all, no amount of trickery can force people to like your book if you’ve submitted terrible content. So make sure your book is well-written, well-edited, and ready for the next part of the process—the reviews.

FACTS ABOUT REVIEWS

Fact #1 People are more likely to buy a product that has good reviews. No surprise right? How many of you have purchased a product (book or nifty hand vacuum) based on what your friend or Amazon said about it? So reviews ARE important.

Fact #2 You cannot FORCE people to review your book. Unfortunately. And it is unethical to ask them to write a good one. Instead, ask for honest reviews.

Fact #3 Certain actions can be taken to encourage people to post a review of your book, increasing the likelihood that you’ll get a review. And that is the focus of this post. I’ve made a list of actions you can take to help increase the number of reviews you will receive. And what credentials do I have you ask? Well, my book has only been published for 2 weeks and I have 33 reviews on Amazon and 18 on Goodreads, last I checked. So I must not be a total failure! :)
STEPS FOR GETTING REVIEWS
1) Start early. You need to send ARCs (advanced reader copies) out no later than 10-12 weeks BEFORE your book is
published. Most of your readers will already have TBR piles and you’ll be waiting in line. If you want that review on or
before your release date, earlier is better.

2) Target the right people. Don’t just throw your book into the wind and hope someone likes it! Find the people who specifically read and enjoy your genre. You can find them on Goodreads, Amazon, book blogs, etc. You can use social media to find your demographic as well, but whatever you do, target. Don’t just shoot in the dark. You will still make the mistake of giving your book to the wrong person sometimes and that is okay. It might mean they don’t love it as much as a diehard (insert your genre here) fan, but if you target more than shoot blindly, your chances of good reviews are much higher.

3) More is better. Not everyone who agrees to write a review for you actually will. Either they forgot or got too busy to review your book or maybe they didn’t like it and don’t want to hurt your feelings. Who knows. But if you are hoping for 20 reviews in the first week, you’d better request reviews from no less than 100-150 people.

4) Be specific in your requests. Once you’ve made your hit list, you’ll want to contact them with a friendly email/tweet/whatever. In this friendly request, be specific. Tell them where you hope they’ll post their reviews (on Amazon, Goodreads, Smashwords, and/or their blog). If you want them to post in multiple places (for example some of my reviewers posted both on Amazon and on Goodreads, then say so. Whatever your specifications, give them upfront so they can politely accept or decline your offer.
And DO NOT tell them that you expect a positive review. Just ask for an honestreview and where you hope to see it. If you know the publication date, it would be nice if you gave them that as well, so they have a deadline in mind.
5) Be organized. Keep a running list of who you’ve asked and whether they said yay/nay. This will help you later when you…

6) Send out an email on release day or a few days before. Politely remind your reviewers that your book is now available and that you would love it if they shared your review. This would also be a good time to remind them of your specifications.

7) Be grateful. It takes a lot of time to read a book and write a thoughtful review! Be sure you express your gratitude to those who shared their reviews.

8) Think ahead. Keep the list of reviewers who you enjoyed working with. You may want to contact them again (and repeat the process again!) for future books.
Remember these are just the tips I’ve been using so far. If you have tips, please share them in the comments section! I’m always looking to improve my repertoire ;)

And if you want to read about my favorite reviews that I've received for Dying for a Living so far, click here.

So Far So Good (#Book #Reviews): My Top Picks

Anyone who is into books knows that good reviews are hard to come by. So I'd like to give a formal shout to those who did a pretty bang up job during my first week of publication. They are listed below in no particular order:

I Smell Sheep: Book Review (ARC): Dying For a Living: With the added bonus of a giveaway is happening now. You still have four days to enter and win an autographed copy.

Rabid Reads Review: Dying for a Living gave me a charming 4.5 out of 5 :)

A.B. Shepherd offers both an interview and a review.

Rebecca Poole of Dreams2Media shared her reviews on Amazon and Goodreads in addition to this interview.

I also got an enthusiastic thumbs-up from the fabulous author Angela Roquet. How cool is that? :)

And how could one forget the fabulous Cabin Goddess, Kriss. Though she is on blog-vacation right now, she has a great many fabulous things to say about my book, for which I am very grateful!

I also want to thank the everyone nice enough to post their reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. You're appreciated! Truly!

And for those of you who want to learn how to acquire good reviews for your own books, let me know in the comments below and I'll be happy to share the tips that got me started. :)

Happy Weekend, all :)

Kory

A Little Practicality, Cherie: Anne Rice to Release Next Vampire Chronicle

First of all, points to the vampire-loving fans who know what movie this title comes from. Hint:
"You think vampires sparkle & attend high school for eternity?"
       If you still have no idea what the Queen of the Damned I’m talking about, clearly you weren’t alive in the 80s and may not remember when vampires didn’t sparkle, but instead tore out your throat and left you to bleed out in swampy marshes at the edge of the 4thcircle of Hell (aka 18th century Louisiana)--       But I digress. The point of this post is to praise the bravery of sequels. Just a day ago Anne Rice announced that there would be a new book in the thought-to-be-abandoned Vampire Chronicles, featuring lovable rogue Lestat de Lioncourt. For those of you who have been living under some sad, cold rock, you have until October to catch up with the series before the latest novel will be released.       So why do I think this is courageous? For the same reasons that I thought Stephen King releasing Doctor Sleep was courageous.        Wildly successful books like the Vampire Chronicles or The Shining have a lot of pressure placed on them. From a writer perspective, I can only imagine that I would be paralyzed into a severe case of writer’s block, or at the very least terrified beyond measure on the eve of my sequel’s release, if I had to live up to that standard.      Just think about it: most people will either expect your sequel to be unrealistically AMAZING, or really, really bad. There will be a lot of expectations and criticism waiting to happen.     Most writers know that once you finish a book and send it out into the world, it becomes the property of the ravenous mob known as readers. They will either chew it up and declare it delicious or spit it out in a mangled half-digested heap!       So for these writers I have to point out the insanely admirable act. First, that they have the writer cojones to keep their mind focused long enough to complete a sequel novel without all the self-doubt and panic creeping it— do I even need to speak volumes on the difficult task of completing a novel—and second, the brave act of releasing said sequel into the world knowing that there will be people who hate it, who deride it, and claim it ruined an otherwise perfect story and that the sad excuse for a writer should just retire already!       And meditating on the courage of sequel-releasing veterans is good for novice writers, because it is a fine reminder that we have a long, long way to go. That if we are lucky, we will get to a place where enough people have read/care about our work to try and make us feel crappy about ourselves.

That's success, baby!

So whenever we start to feel like the writing, the publishing, the editing, promoting, and all of that is too much, we might want to remind ourselves of all the brave writers who did it before us. And that perhaps it is better to just sit down, buckle up, and make that page count--come hell, or failed sequel.

P.S. Don't forget to check out my guest post on Joe Wikert's Digital Content Strategies blog and if you're into free books, my latest giveway is happening here--as well as my character giving me a piece of her mind ;)