Tamara Hogan and Things You Never Hear On Twitter
You know how sometimes you have to do something for your own good? Like going to the dentist, say, or working out. You know you’re going to hate it but you do it anyway, because it’s good for you. With me, it’s joining stuff. I hate meetings. Committees are worse. I prefer to stay at home in my pjs, talking to the voices in my head. (I call them “characters.”) But Mr. Sey insists I get dressed & go out from time to time, so I joined my local writers’ group.
And–as happens sometimes when you do things that are good for you–I was rewarded. I met Tamara Hogan. It’s always great to meet somebody whose writing you love (and I do love Tammy’s writing), but it’s far more unusual to like the person as much as the book. And with Tammy, I do. She’s one of those rare people who tells the truth & does it in such a wry, funny way that instead of being taken aback, you’re all, “I *know*, right??”
To celebrate the release of her novel TEMPT ME, Tammy’s agreed to join us today for a discussion of that ever-complicated intersection of truth and Twitter. Let’s give her a big bandita welcome! Take it away, Tammy!
Thanks, Susan! I’m delighted to be here today. Let’s get down to the dirty truth, shall we?
You know how it goes on Facebook and Twitter for the denizens of Romancelandia. In and amongst the fun personal interactions, the RTing of the news of the day or of quirky stories, the chatting with friends, the snark-o-licious live-tweeting of your favorite TV shows, comes the business of writing: the promotion, and the humble-bragging. We’ve all done it—tweeted great news like a contest final or win, or making a list. Someone will tweet that they wrote 5000 words today. (That person would not be me.) We might retweet an awesome review of one of our books, quoting the tweet and adding a chirpy “Thanks so much!” or “How awesome!” to get double the mileage out of that precious link. In public, we are relentlessly, manically positive. But in private? Sometimes not so much.
Here are some things you never see authors say on Twitter:
“I wrote 118 words today—every bloody one of them pulled out from under my fingernails with a rusty pliers.”
“Sales…really aren’t that great.”
“My royalty checks don’t even pay for conferences.”
“Why can’t I get a release date for my book?”
“My publisher dropped me today.”
My publisher dropped me.
Yes, I knew this happened—this is a tough, tough business—but I hadn’t seriously considered it would happen to me. My editor loves my work! My books are well-reviewed! They’ve won, like, awards and stuff! But sometimes love isn’t enough. Love doesn’t necessarily translate to sales, and this is a business. What my former publisher and I were doing together wasn’t working as well as either of us would have liked.
Several years ago, being dropped by my publisher would have been a crushing disappointment. Now? Not so much—though I must admit it took a day or two to bang the ding out of my ego. The industry has changed radically since 2009, when I signed a traditional publishing contract. There are now so many ways for authors to get their words into the world.
So with TEMPT ME, I join the ranks of indie-published authors, and it’s here that I need to offer infinite thanks to my friend, Susan Sey—for sharing her knowledge, for reminding me I’m a damn good writer, and for listening to me say things an author never says on Twitter.
You are a damn good writer, Tammy, & I’m delighted you’ve got a foot on the indie side of the fence! Because I’ve been following the Underbelly Chronicles since the beginning & I’d have been torqued if I’d been deprived of Bailey & Rafe’s story!
Speaking of which, TEMPT ME is available at: Amazon (Kindle and Print) – BN – ARe (Sony, Kobo & iBookstore are coming soon!)
Want to read an excerpt? Click away!
Now, then, time for our question of the day: If you’re a reader, which vaguely “inappropriate” questions have you always wanted to ask an author? If you’re an author, what do you wish you could say on Twitter?
One lucky commenter today will win a copy of TEMPT ME for her very own, e- or print version! So don’t hold back!
Stock images courtesy of Free Digital Photos, mouse over for artist attribution
TEMPT ME Blurb:
A sex demon and a preacher’s kid? Heaven forbid!
Technology whiz Bailey Brown is one of two humans alive who knows a very important secret: that humanity has shared their planet with paranormals for millennia. When an obsessed hacker from her past threatens to expose the secret, Bailey and her Sebastiani Security colleagues must use every weapon at their disposal to stop him. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and she can’t let herself be distracted by her boss’s gorgeous brother, even if he is temptation incarnate…
Incubus sculptor Rafe Sebastiani hasn’t produced a decent nude in over a year, since he made the most selfish mistake of his life: sleeping with Bailey Brown. Now, with a deadline looming, his cranky muse has finally allowed him to express his memories of that incendiary night in clay. But when his brother asks him to pose as Bailey’s lover to provoke her dangerous ex, he jumps at the chance…to sculpt her, to protect her, and to earn the right to tempt her—and only her—for the rest of their lives…
Author Bio:
Tamara Hogan loathes cold and snow, but nonetheless lives near Minneapolis with her partner Mark and two naughty cats. When she’s not telecommuting to Silicon Valley, she writes paranormal romance with a sci-fi twist. A voracious reader with an unapologetic television addiction, Tamara is forever on the lookout for the perfect black boots.
Tamara’s debut novel, TASTE ME, won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Mystery and Suspense, Prism Awards for Best Dark Paranormal, Best First Book, and Best of the Best, The Aspen Gold, and was nominated for the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® Award.
