Louisville Author Event - April 5th, 2014

Hello all!!

I'm so excited to announce I will be one of the attending authors at the Louisville Author Event, in Louisville at the Galt Hotel on April 5th, 2014. If you haven't yet, you can get your tickets here.

With that being said I need to know how many books I should be toting along.  Because I have more than one, buying books that won't be purchased in super excess is just silly. ^_^ I will have books, don't get me wrong, but instead of lugging around six or seven boxes of books (through eight states), I'm hoping to consolidate that to maybe three or four.  Not counting the pre-orders.

Also, if you would like to pre-order a book, but aren't sure if you can make the event LET ME KNOW. I'll be more than happy to make arrangements to ship an autographed book.

Indie Life: Things to Come

Hosted by the Indelibles, Indie Life is a monthly feature on the second Wednesday of the month.  This is a chance for indie authors to post about indie life, find each other, offer support, encouragement, news, helpful hints, and anything else that makes life as an indie author a little easier.

Wow.  Summer is over.  At least it is in Upstate NY.  The cold weather is just moving in. It feels like I haven’t really accomplished much all summer… even the last month feels kind of inactive.

I’m writing of course.  Not as often as I should be or as fast but I have a reason for that.  There’s a hard, cyst like object growing in the joint of my right wrist that hinders my middle and ring fingers.  I’m in the process of locating a doctor and getting that checked out.  I’m worried about wrist surgery and how that’s going to affect my writing.  Though to be fair, if it doesn’t get taken off I’m worried I’m going to lose use of all my fingers if it continues to grow.  Rock and a hard place. *sigh*

I’ve gotten Just About Healing back from the awesome editor and I’ve completed the final edits of that.  This weekend I hope to start the formatting of said book.

I’ve found some really useful Youtube videos for book formatting in InDesign.  I’ve had InDesign for years and have yet to even open the program.  I’m excited to get my hands on it and I think I might look up some library books and see about getting a few directly related to InDesign.  I use Photoshop and Illustrator all the time and to a lesser extent Audition and After Effects. I do have Dreamweaver which I’ve been told can do what I want it to, but I’d rather start with InDesign.

Of Sparta is on the way to the editor.  I’m so happy to finally get that off my desk.  I only got one of the betas back after two follow up emails so I’m making do.  Hopefully, the lovely Anna, will catch anything I’ve missed in my clean up.

Next month is NaNoWriMo!  Who’s participating?  I’m jumping in as usual.  ^_^  I’m excited for that and hoping that will kick start me back into writing at pace.  Though we’ll see how my hand acts.  I’m debating between an Urban Fantasy (I’ve outlined twice now, and trashed both.), or a Chick Lit that I’ve only just developed with an idea to write it sometime after I finalize the two books currently in final stages. What do you think?  Urban Fantasy or Chick Lit?

I have already started a Contemporary Fiction but since its +8000 words it’s not valid to use for NaNoWriMo.  Not to mention I’ve been sitting on its outline for a couple of months and had only started it to keep myself occupied while I waiting on the editing to come back.  I’m not entirely sure if it’s serious or not…

How can you tell if you’re serious about what you’re writing?  The reason I ask is because in general I put the same amount of enthusiasm into everything I write.  So while it’s been moving slowly I’ve still got writing hours scheduled and I’m still completely immersed in the world I’m writing as I’m writing it.  But I’m not sure if it’ll amount to anything… though I am aware we are our own worst enemies. 

Where is everyone else at this month?  I hope more productive than I. ^_^ 

Join Us Below:

Indie Life: Busy Little Bee

Hosted by the Indelibles, Indie Life is a monthly feature on the second Wednesday of the month.  This is a chance for indie authors to post about indie life, find each other, offer support, encouragement, news, helpful hints, and anything else that makes life as an indie author a little easier.

*Goes running after head* I can’t help but feel that way at the moment.  My head has been removed and I’m chasing after it.  I’m so busy these days I’ve not had time to post, well, anything really.  Thank goodness for the Google reminder that I had to post. It’s a welcome break. 

I think what the main problem is I have too many irons in the fire.  Not that I don’t love being busy. It gives me less time for doubt or fear that way, lol. But still. There’s only so much one person can do after all. 

So what am I doing? You wonder. Well, let me tell you. ^_^

I’ve got an innocent NA on the desk of my NEW and FABULOUS editor. Anna from AGC Editing and Services. She is prompt, friendly and cost efficient. I love having her as part of my writing crew. It’s taken a huge burden off me THANK YOU whoever granted that wish. 

I’ve also got a book outstanding now, with a couple of beta readers. While I hope there’s nothing wrong, I really, really wish they’d at least answer an email. I was supposed to have those back on the 5^th… yeah, didn’t happen so that’s a frustrating worry. I’m not sure what to do about it but send yet, another email. Even if they haven’t gotten to it, I’d still like to know, you know?

I started a YA Paranormal. Starring rabid vampires (that act like wild dogs really) and a dystopian society. A few thousand words in I was giving myself nightmares so I had to stop writing that. >_< Well, not stop entirely, but not live in it for three hours of a day. Which apparently is enough to make my sleep less than pleasant. 

I’ve got an outline for two NA Contemporaries completed.  One is… controversial to say the least and I’m really debating whether or not I should go beyond the outline on that one.  It’s certainly not any more shocking that some of the suicide or gay pride stories I’ve read from the genre (it’s not about either), but at the same time… I know it’s going to generate a lot of interest and not necessarily the good kind just from its topic.  Part of me feels it needs to be written and the other part is scared of the outcome and what it’s going to take to write it. The other is a simple romance, that really isn’t that simple, but fun, I hope. 

I’ve got to decide though, on what to write next. I can’t sit stagnant much longer or the voices will drive me insane. Since I’m only writing the Vamp thing a few thousand words at a time (if I have that many to write) I need something else for full time writing. I just can’t decide on what. 

I’ve also signed up for a free course from CourseSera.  It’s titled “Crafting an Effective Writer: Tools of the Trade”. I think it’ll be fun and it certainly can’t hurt any. Besides anything that could potentially make me a better writer is good for the soul. 

So that's been my busy month. ^_^ How was yours?

 

Indie Life: End of Summer

Hosted by the Indelibles, Indie Life is a monthly feature on the second Wednesday of the month.  This is a chance for indie authors to post about indie life, find each other, offer support, encouragement, news, helpful hints, and anything else that makes life as an indie author a little easier.

And so the end of summer is nigh. *sigh* Time does indeed fly when you’re not paying attention to it.  

I don’t really have much to report for the month.  It’s been a slow summer.  Other than UTopYA I haven’t been able to go to any other writer’s convention which is sad, but unavoidable.  But boy do I have plans for next year. ^_^

I’ve unshelfed a book that I wrote two years ago, cleaned it up and sent it to my beta readers. They love it, so it can’t be as bad as I thought it was. I’ve learned a new lesson from that – Even if I think it’s crap, not everyone thinks like I do. And of course we are our own worst enemies. Now that I have it back from Beta though, I’m tightening up all the problem areas and will have it sent to my Editor by September first. (Come hell or high water.) And *crosses fingers* will have it released in time for Christmas.

I did finally find a reliable editor through a recommendation from another author. ^_^ That was a God send. I won’t ever have to line edit again. *happy dance*

I’m debating on creating an Indiegogo (or whatever it’s called – I have it bookmarked) to see if I can raise money to pay a small publisher for publishing. I was looking into SheWrites and Mill City Press.  However, they’re EXPENSIVE.  Has anyone tried to collect donations for prizes? Has it worked?

Nothing really else to provide this month.  I’m writing until my hands bleed and editing until my eyes cross.  But I’m blissfully content.  That’s what matters most. ^_^

How is everyone else doing this month?

Indie Life: Back on Track

Hosted by the Indelibles, Indie Life is a monthly feature on the second Wednesday of the month.  This is a chance for indie authors to post about indie life, find each other, offer support, encouragement, news, helpful hints, and anything else that makes life as an indie author a little easier.

I’ve just recovered (still recovering) from a horrendous cold so if none of this makes sense – I’m sorry. T_T An eighteen hour drive and twenty six hours without sleep is hard on the body.  I don’t recommend it.  

What am I talking about you wonder?  Well I drove to Nashville TN for the UTopYA event.  ^_^ (And I drove back.  Thus the impossible to get rid of travel fatigue.)

UTopYA was fantastic.  I’ve learned so much from others in the business and I’ve met a lot of others that I wouldn’t have the pleasure of meeting face to face otherwise.  It was definitely worth going – however the drive is something I really am trying NOT to repeat. 

Next year in April I have Candy Coated Author event in Louisville that I will probably be taking the train/bus for (as it’s less expensive that way).  My body would die in protest from another long drive on my part.  Hopefully if I save the money (and have the sales) I’ll be able to fly and turn a 20 hour road trip into a four hour flight. *crosses fingers*

I’m thinking about UTopYA again but at the same time feel there probably is something closer that I can participate in.  I’m saddened a little because it was so much fun and I learned so much, but it’s not cost efficient for me to continue to go without the means.

Anyway, to continue.  

I finally finished the first draft of the second book to the Of Legacies series.  I’m going through second drafting now (I actually wrote it in first person so I’m switching it over to third to match the first book).  Once that’s done I’ll be reviewing the readers that read the first book and sending inquiries if they’d like to beta.  And then of course once betas are done and those changes are made it goes to an editor.  There’s a lot left and yet at the same time I’m excited that it’s almost beta time. ^_^

After Of Sparta goes to beta I think I’ll work on a contemporary piece to ease my mind.  Something simple, real world based with real world problems.  Probably YA but might end up being NA.  Not sure yet. 

Not that I don’t love writing in my paranormal/mythological based world but since it’s creation it’s been a wee bit of a *insert bad word here* to handle.  I haven’t even delved into true fantasy (as my world has a real world foundation) and I’m wondering how fantasy authors keep their sanity.  All the rules of the world and it’s people are noisy in my head.  I’ll be glad to step away for a bit. 

Other than that I have no really good inspiring news this month.  Just every day mundane stuff.

Oh and a question for everyone out there:  What do you think of a gender neutral cover in comparison to the “pretty girl” covers? (I was thinking on going gender neutral and want some thoughts.)