Teagan Oliver's Blog, page 10

A Novel's Journey with Diane Amos

Sometimes a novel starts with an idea that slowly takes root in an author's mind and eventually germinates into a concrete concept. Sometimes a novel goes from idea to a book in a short period of time. Or as is the case with my historical Promise Me Forever, released in November 2011, a novel can take years between idea, writing the book and seeing that work in print.

Back in 1998, I was talking with another author about heroes and unlikely heroines: a minister and a prostitute, a minister and a nun. Clearly, if a nun were involved, there could be no romance, but what if the heroine was disguised as a nun? Much better! I ditched the minister for an exhausted, bleary eyed cowboy in a saloon. Make that a heroine from the East with a distrust of any man with a drink in his hands, and a hero as a child, abandoned by his mother, an Easterner. Viola, the idea for my book was born.
In 1999, Promise Me Forever, won several contests including The Maggie Award of Excellence in the unpublished historical category. The book made the rounds of editors and publishers, followed by rejections, rewrites, more rejections. Meanwhile, I continued writing and eventually, got the call in 2002. I'd sold a contemporary novel, Getting Personal, to Five Star/Gale. I was now a published author!
I sold two more contemporary novels to Five Star, one contemporary to Harlequin, and two historicals to Five Star. Promise Me Forever still held a special place in my heart, but after the slew of rejections, I had serious doubts. Plus one of those rejections came directly from Five Star. Since I'd changed the title several times, and since the editor who'd turned my baby down no longer acquired for this line, I decided to resubmit. This time, Five Star bought my novel. Finally, my first historical had found a home.

Though I believed strongly in this novel, I still held my breath for the reviews. This book received a good review from Publishers Weekly, a starred review from Booklist, and a glowing review from USA Today. Finally, my novel had seen the light of day. Finally, I wasn't the only one who liked this book. Finally, my novel was out there for readers.

If there's a moral to this story, it's to never give up. And if a publisher has already rejected a novel, don't let that stop you from resubmitting. A new title and a new editor could make a huge difference between a rejection and a sale.

I've recently acquired the rights back from my first few novels. They are available on Amazon as e-books. Please check them out along with my website at http://www.dianeamos.com/
To tell you a little about Promise Me Forever, I've included the Booklist review below:

STARRED Advanced Review
Promise Me Forever. Amos, Diane (Author) Nov 2011.

To escape an abusive stepfather, Elizabeth O'Hara disguises herself as a nun, grabs her younger brother and sister, and heads west to Welcome, Montana, a place a newspaper article claims is so refined it has a library, church, and theater. However, when Elizabeth arrives in Welcome, she finds that it basically consists of a saloon and a store, and now the impoverished Elizabeth and her siblings have nowhere to go. Feeling somewhat responsible for the group's predicament as author of the misleading article, Ben Ricker reluctantly offers the good sister a position as a cook at his ranch. However, Elizabeth has no idea how to cook. Granny is almost blind and has been depressed for some time. Elizabeth, her siblings, and a dog about to whelp are just what Granny needs to get her old spunk back. Even with Elizabeth's help, life at the ranch isn't without its problems, especially when Ben discovers that Elizabeth is not a nun. With delightful characters, humor, and some danger, Amos' tale of a woman who lands in the wrong place yet finds a slice of heaven will tug at even the toughest heartstrings. —Booklist, Shelley Mosley
You can find Diane at http://www.dianeamos.com/
or on Facebook @ www.Facebook.com/DianeAmos
Diane's Hardcovers
Promise Me Forever, Available through Amazon as Hardcover 
Outlaw Hearts, Available through Amazon as Hardcover
Winner Takes All, Available through Amazon as Hardcover

Diane's books available in ebook format
Mixed Blessings, Available through Amazon as Harcover or ebook
Getting Personal, Available through Amazon as Paperback or ebook
The Legacy, Available through Amazon as Hardcover or ebook

Surprise! Surprise!

Last week I promised a special treat and it's going to happen tomorrow with a guest appearance from one of my favorite authors and an incredible friend, Diane Amos.

Join us on Thursday at the Cup a Hot blog while she talks about her path to publication with her latest novel, Promise Me Forever, a Hardcover from Five Star that is getting some wonderful reviews!

I'd post some of the personal pics that I have of Diane, but that might make her change her mind about showing up. Besides, as a good friend and travelling companion, along with Delsora Lowe, she knows waaaayyyy toooo many incriminating things about me to add to the soup. 

See you all tomorrow~

FREE PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FIRST 200 BOOKS SUBMITTED! (Limit One Per Author)

FREE PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FIRST 200 BOOKS SUBMITTED! (Limit One Per Author)

My friend Melissa Alvarez and her husband have just started a new company designed to help out authors who are self publishing. They've got some great deals going to get the word out, so if you feel like you're roaming the vast space of publishing alone, then go on and check it out.

Ready for the New Year!

I've never been a resolution person, but I do get a little giddy when Christmas is finally over and I have some time to settle down and start working on my goals for the new year. Resolutions have never symbolized a real commitment. They have always felt more like making a wish on a star, but goals? Now, goals are something that I can do. I worked within the corporate structure through most of the late 80's and early 90's and I became quite at ease with the idea of setting goals (and what a paradigm shift is.... but we won't talk about that ). Over the years, I've written posts and taught classes on goal setting, but the idea is really very basic. They must be realistic, but not simple and must be achievable and accountable. As writers, we must treat our writing as our business. The IRS would prefer that we act as a business. So, every year I start with a simple statement of operation, or my overall expectations for the year ahead. I cover three different areas: 1) What my expectation is. 2) How I plan on achieving it. and for the last part I add in something more personal. Here's my Business statement for 2012

In 2012, the expectation is that I will act in a businesslike manner with regards to my writing and consistently produce books that will not only be saleable to large and small publishing markets, but be delightful and intriguing to readers and make them want to read more.


Does this make me worthy of a Fortune 500 Company? No. But it does set the tone for my goals. These are broken down by month, and then within the month I break it down into three areas: Writing, Business and Promotion. There is also prework that needs to be done before the month's work can begin. Confused? Let me give you an example of my goals for January.

I. January - Prework: Print out SD and edit for content changes in prep for BIAW
Writing Goals:
A. Complete 500 words needed to meet goal on SD and edit
B. Query online presses that acquire Novellas.
C. Participate in BIAW
Promotion Goals:
A. Blog once weekly
B. Write 1 article
C. Put out a call for Guest Blogs
Business Goals:
A. National Dues
B. Maine RWA Dues
C. Organize Tax Papers and get info off old drive 
I'm the type that is very happy with a list to check off and something tangible to show for my time. Setting these kinds of goals gives me that happy feeling.
 
February looks like this:
 
II. February - Prework: Rework list of scenes for OH and list 10 ideas for articles


Writing Goals:

A. Finish Word Count for OH, adding required pages to meet goal.

B. Edit OH

C. Write Query Letter and find 3 outlets for book

Promotion Goals:

A. Blog once a week

B. Write 1 article and find 3 outlets for other articles

C. Put out call for Guest Bloggers

Business Goals:

A. Track Daily Progress and word count

B. Update Tax information

C. Track blog and sales information in database

D. Take 1 online class
 
You'll see that some of the basic goals repeat, but that's because they are necessary. At the end of the year, when I start planning I usually on plan out for three to four months. This gives me some flexibility to change as I go along. Maybe I finish a goal early and start on the next. This way it can be a fluid process.
 
So, here are the beginning goals for 2012. Have you made yours yet? And just what is important enough to make it a goal?
 
Hope this helps. I wish everyone a happy, healthy and blessed New Year! May the muses, the publishers, the reviewers and the readers be kind and appreciative to your work.
Blessings!

Amazon ebook Experiment: Full Disclosure

Okay, so THREE TRUTHS has been out for awhile. It's original publishing home had it under a much longer title with a not-so-nice cover that included a three color goat cat and computer generated building that did not belong in Salem. After I got the rights back I decided that since I love this story so much I would put it up on Amazon myself. self ebook pubbing was just starting and I thought... what the heck. I formatted according to the instructions, slapped a cover on it that was compiled using a picture I had taken, uploaded the whole thing and then... I waited. Nothing. One or two sales here and there. Certainly, not the same kind of results that would get me into the same category as   totaltransparencyselfpublishing.wordpress.com but I had hope. Well, hope didn't get me far, and the worst part was that I didn't have a clue what to do about it. I could see others doing well, some even fantastically well. But what about me? Not so much.

It took a dinner date with some of my favorite co-authors in Rhode Island for me to tap into the Zen wisdom of selling that is Nina Pierce. By her own admission she is flabbergasted by some of the sales results she's seeing out there, but I've never met anyone who had the kind analytical ability to break down the ebook market and give it a good run for it's money. She's smart. Very smart. And she knows that this is a business, as well as a work of our heart. She gave me tips (still is... such a wonderful friend) and was patient with my questions. So, before I decided to upload Three Truths to Smashwords, Nook and any other venue I can find I decided to analyze my meager efforts.

1. My cover sucks. It's not professional and it wouldn't catch my eye so why would I expect it to catch someone elses. But a good cover costs money that I don't have. I'm still trying to free the Durango from it's non-registered state. So, I'm saving my pennies and asking for money for Christmas to go into the cover fund.

2. I had no reviews on my Amazon page. None. I know it sold at least some covers and I'd been told by friends that they liked the book, but there was nothing there to draw in anyone else. So, I did something I don't usually do. I asked for help. I asked for reviews from those that had read it. At first, I had one review and my rating in the paying ebooks category went to (11/16) 155,254 Amazon ebook Rating  (or close to that) and I was elated. It was better than it had been. Still, no sales. So, while I waited for more reviews I went on to my next endeavor.

3. I redid my blog. I made it simple, eyecatching and easy to find links to follow me and buy the book. I took out the flashy background, but made the colors inviting. I looked at how other authors where successfully pulling people into their blogs and I took notes. I also redid my website to match the format of my blog.

But the next day (11/18), I still had only 1 review and my rating went to 255, ... or something such. (I really am going to start writing these numbers down.) Bummed, I found myself checking my blog constantly. And then, I got another review. Another loyal reader took the time to post and that brought me to today.

Today, my Amazon rating is 79,082 and I've sold three books in three days.

Can I pay for my daughter's education? Nope. I can't even buy a Big Mac with that. But it's still progress and progress is good. I'm hoping for more reviews and more sales and an increase in numbers. I'm rewriting Three Truths to submit to the other epub venues and that should be done soon. I'll keep you all posted. As for paying for daughter's education or getting the Durango out of unregistered prison... that may have to wait awhile. But I'm patient and curious and that should be enough to see this experiment through.

I'll keep you all posted.

Coming Soon! Innocent Darkness from Suzanne Lazear

Steampunk at it's best... Suzanne Lazear has a new Steampunk YA coming in August from Flux! It can't be ordered yet, but it's high on my wishlist. If you like dark fairytales with a twist then you can stand in line with me to get your copy of Innocent Darkness, Book 1 in the Aether Chronicles! (Cause I won't be sharing my copy...)

Wish. Love. Desire. Live.


Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.

Check out Suzanne's site for the latest info on the upcoming release!

The Day That Changed Everything: 09/11

I can't tell you exactly how many times I've been asked, "Where were you when you heard the news?" The answer is that I was in a parking lot of the local WalMart, having just escorted a tearful, tantrum-filled child to the car to cool down. I was in tears. I was frustrated. I was exhausted from working nights so that I could be home for kids and existing on 4-5 hours of sleep a night. And then I turned on the radio. I remember very clearly that I was turning out of the end of the parking lot and listening to the news people as they described the first plane hitting the trade center. I drove home slowly, listening to the news and my heart breaking. By the time I arrived home and rushed in to turn on the TV the second plane was hitting. In that moment I knew that things would never be the same again. I spent the day alternating between watching the minute-by-minute coverage and wanting to run to my daughter's school and pick her up, to make sure she was safe, that the horrible things going in the world hadn't touched her.

Ten years later my daughter is a whole lot farther away from me then she was that day. She's 9 hours away. When we considered colleges the rule was that she couldn't be further then it took to travel in a day. I needed to know that I could get there if I needed. There was a time when this wouldn't have been a consideration, but in light of such horrific events as 9/11, the Columbine shootings and the shootings at Virginia Tech it has become the norm to be that much more aware of what could happen. We can't live in fear. If we do then they've won. But we can be aware of how precious each day is and how our mentality has to change with the times. My mother worked as a Civilian on a Navy Base. She was aware that there was always the chance that something could happen. Part of my Father's duty in the Coast Guard was to watch for submarines or enemy boats from a cold tower near Lubec. Myself, I was a child who grew up under the shadow of the Cold War and saw the wall come down.

Ten years ago I was just finishing a book. It was a sequel to Obsidian and involved a Terrorist plot. After 9/11 there wasn't a editor or agent who wanted to touch it. The fact that the threat took place on American soil wasn't something that anyone wanted to see or read. I couldn't blame them. Despite the fact that I was passionate for the story I couldn't stomach it myself. The story is still in a drawer.

So many things changed that day. An innocence was lost along with so many, many people. For them, we are more careful, more cautious and we remember. So, like the others I'll ask... Where were you on when you heard the news?

Your Three Words

Good Morning America did a cross-country call for people to share their own three words that give the message they want to share with the world. As a writer, I can tell you that just three words is a huge challenge that sometimes can't be contained a 300 page novel. Still, the idea of connecting with just three words was intriguing. But in my challenge to come up with the perfect three words I realized that at different times in my life those three words were very different.

When I was child when my cares were nothing more than how many days until summer was over or what my next big adventure would be... my words would have been something along the lines of... Life is Good .

During those horrible preteen years when I felt so impossibly invisible, my words would have been... Please See Me .

At my daughter graduated last June I reflected on my own graduation. I remember so clearly the expectations and the impossible see-saw between knowing that things would never be the same and allure of moving on to other adventures. My words would have been... Onward and Upward.

And then I met Keith and we decided to get married. In our 21 years together Keith has never held me back, never told me I could do anything and never blinked when I told him I wanted to do something so off the wall as become a writer, travel around the country, or become a ghost hunter. (okay, so he may have blinked at the ghost hunter part, but he didn't say no). Though simplistic, the words will always be... I love you.

When I had my children those three words and my world changed. It was no longer just Keith and I, but something so much bigger. We've had good times, bad times, crazy times and a few sane times. But even with what we have both accomplished in our lives we both agree that the greatest thing we ever did was have our children. For them, my words are... Love is Forever .

When my mother was dying of cancer and was preparing what she wanted done she knew she wanted four words put on her stone. She felt that these four words best described the way she had lived her life and what she wanted to pass on to the rest of us. In this case, 3 words were not enough. They are... Live, Love, Laugh and Learn .

And, when cancer took Keith's dad we went through the incredible loss all over again. I felt worse for Keith because I knew the incredible hole that tears through your heart when you lose a parent. For Arthur those three words are, ironically.... We Miss You . (I say "ironically" because he's been more present in our lives since he passed.)

This brings me to the present. I'm sure that as I go on from here my words will change along with my life. There will be new challenges, new loves, new losses and and new experiences, but for right now, if I can pass along only three words then I offer them up for everyone... Live Every Day .

So, what are your three words?

Something to Hang Your Hat On... Part 2

Yesterday, I talked about a lot of things, but mostly I talked about incorporating sense of community and familiarity in your writing in order to draw the reader closer. Today, I'm thinking along the lines of emotions, experiences and revelations. What has this got to do with it? Lots. Emotions draw the reader into caring for the characters, gives them a tie to this on-paper-person that you've done your best to turn flesh-and-blood. So many times, I get caught up in the getting the movements and plot points onto the page, but really this only ever results in a flat story. It needs emotional ties in order to make the readers care what happens. These emotions, experiences and revelations (or epiphany, another good word) are the things in our life that affect us the most. They change the direction of our lives, whether we want them to or not. They are the roadblocks that force us to make a decision, good or bad, easy or hard, right or wrong.
Most would say... "but emotion is just emotion." But emotions really demand a reaction .
Example: Heroine searches for the mother that gave her up for adoption, only to find that her mother passed away before she could find her. What is her reaction? Panic? Anger? Loss? If you've given the reader an emotional base for the character then you need to follow suit when it comes to handling difficult, life changing decisions. These are the experiences. How they handle the emotion is a part of the story and gives the character an experience to learn and lead on from.

which leads us to revelations...

Revelations are the lessons learned from the emotions and the experiences. They are the warm and fuzzy, or deep and thoughtful moments that move the inner conflict of the story forward and give some measure of satisfaction to the reader.

Okay, so emotions are the catalyst, experiences are the gauge for the reaction and revelations are the outcome of the experience. It's what happens when you find your way through the maze of emotion.

Something to Hang Your Hat On...

I looked for the origination of the phrase, but instead I found the wonderful definition that it means to have faith in something. As simple as the phrase is, it says so much about grounding yourself and your writing. It gives the readers something to have faith, to believe in, to know in their hearts as a truth. Sometimes that realization and grounding comes through the characters actions and growth, some of it is as integral as the setting and the words on the page. This is part of that hard-to-define voice that writers struggle so much to achieve.

I was watching Anthony Bourdain's show on the city of New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina. I was there, along with quite a few romance writers, not long before Katrina. I was also one of the millions who watched in horror as the city was swept aside in a tide of choas and the elements of nature. I've often said that New Orleans was a city that made me feel at home. It has a slow, seductive enchantment that draws you in the minute you get off the plane. I wasn't there for Mardi Gras. I'm not one for crowds and there are always crowds in New Orleans. But the people made me love the city with their easy kind of grace that seems to meld into their bones and eeked out of a city that's reverance for the past is as honored as their glory in the future. I didn't meet anyone there that made me feel as if I were just visiting. They were welcoming, kind, creative, bold and generous. Someday, I'm going to take my husband there so he can meet the city for himself.

But what has this got to do with hats or writing? So much. As I watched the people presevere and return to take on what was left of their city, fighting to restore the traditions, food and character, I knew that there is comfort in familiarity. By creating community that is recognizable, full-bodied and emotional, you create a community for your characters, a belief system, a tie that keeps them rooted to the story. As writers, it's sometimes our job to take a highly recognizable place and changes it slightly, without doesn't lose the connection with what people believe, or see in their minds, or even can feel with their heart. The community becomes a character, become flesh and blood and history and future. A grounding force. And a community becomes something to hang their hats on.