Tag Archives: Fiction

Writing Madly to a Deadline, and then NOT submitting

Posted on March 6, 2013 | 31 comments

I recently jumped into the running for another anthology, which means writing to a tight deadline. I tripped up my schedule for a few weeks, finalizing my novel for the Amazon Break Through Novel Contest, and was two-weeks behind schedule. I DID finish in time (barely), but now I sit here the day before the deadline, with a completed manuscript in my hands, second guessing myself.

Do I think it’s not good enough? No. The opposite. It’s tight. It’s precise….

And if you could have seen the look on my son’s face after reading it— Dang. I haven’t seen him this excited about something since finishing the Hunger Games (Not that mine is even remotely like the Hunger Games)

So what’s the problem? Submit the dern thing!

Here’s my problem… It’s too long. I did not make the word count. I contacted the publisher, and they said they would consider it at the higher word count, but it definitely would have to be cut down by 1500 words for publication in the anthology (If it were chosen)

I searched for those 1500 words, and found a possible 500 to cut, but editing out those 500 would have affected the “mood” of the story. And if another 1000 words were cut after that, the whole story would seem rushed.

If my son had said “Meh, it’s okay. I’ve read better.” (Which he has done to me in the past) I would have sliced and diced the 1500 words out of the story and sent it in.

But he didn’t say that. He asked for more. My kid the voracious reader said: “It was really great. I’ve never read anything like that before. When will you write another one?”

I thought about what those forced changes would do, and decided to take the creative high road. I am passing on the anthology, and am now embarking on a search for a publisher of Young Adult Paranormal Short/Novellas.

Ugh! I hate passing up an opportunity, but I think this particular story needs to find a more suitable home than the confines of an anthology.

I am all for editing… all stories need to be edited, but I don’t want to “cut” just for the sake of “cutting”. I’d rather have words cut because they don’t belong there… not because there is a stipulation on word count.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation like this?

If not, do you think you’d submit anyway, or search for a new home?

St Somewhere Fiction Anthology – Deadline August 1st 2013 (getwrite.com)
Call for Submission – Anthology (keithpublications.wordpress.com)
Anthologies looking for submissions in 2013 (gailkavanagh.wordpress.com)
Superhero Anthology – Now Accepting Submissions‏ (outwherethebusesdontrun.com)
Call for Submissions: Critical Works on Quentin Tarantino’s Movies! (sueddie.wordpress.com)

31 Comments

Posted in Author Advice, General Writing Tips

Tagged anthology, Arts, author, beta partner, beta reading, Contests, critique, critiquing, editing, Fiction, finding an agent, getting published, Hunger Games, literary agent, literary fiction, Manuscript, novel, pitch, query, query help, self publishing, Short story, synopsis, Word count, Writers Resources, writing, Writing help

Write a Story with Me # 33 – What? OH NO! She didn’t! by Danielle Ackley McPhail

Posted on March 4, 2013 | 8 comments

Last week Janelle took off — literally, leaving the old lady with Mommy bleeding to death and in a ton of trouble. What’s gonna happen? Here’s Danielle Ackley McPhail’s first contribution to our story!

33- Danielle Ackley McPhail – Wait, she’s who? What? OH NO! She didn’t!

Morana watched her unsuspecting daughter go, her lips tightly set and her eyes sad. She remembered more than a time before the faeries were looked on as vermin…she remembered when they had been kin with humans. When all kind were linked and not separate.

How dark and grim the world had become since that time.

With a sigh she turned back to her patient. Poor Natalia, forsaken by all and sundry; all but Morana, and now that the last witness was gone it was time to see to mother and babe.

Queen Morath of the fae shed the weight of her borrowed years, shed her human form, the aches and pains and the blurring of her eyes. All fell away like flakes of skin to dust leaving the most beautiful and powerful of fae standing over the human woman, who sprawled upon the floor in her own blood, the babe’s cord still trailing from her body, wet and glistening.

“tsk…let’s clean you up, my lovely, shall we?” Nearer to human height than the diminutive size the fae had become in the after-time, Morath bent gracefully down, folded the delicate membranes of her wings back and safely away from the mess on the floor before reaching out one ivory-pale hand to trail through Natalia’s hair and down the curve of her back. Magic sparkled in the air at the touch as like recognized like deep within the two races now drastically different. Queen of life and death as well as fae, Morath ordered the woman’s lifeblood back within the confines of her veins and wicked away both sweat and blood normal to the birthing of children, and with it the memory of that night’s ordeal…all of it. Natalia remain unconscious—blessedly so—as the faerie queen scooped up the woman’s son to cradle in immortal arms.

The child cooed and burbled, making the faerie queen laugh before she grew somber once more. “Come, Verval. For your own safety and theirs, you need be the price for my healing.”
And Morath rose in a cloud of glittering motes, secreting the foretold boy away before any harm might come to him or his parents for bearing him.

Write a Story with Me is a group endeavor just for the fun of it. A different writer adds a new 250 words each week. It is the ultimate Flash Fiction Challenge!

If you’d like to sign up, come on over. There’s always room for more!

Part One – Jennifer M. Eaton

Part Two – J. Keller Ford

Part Three – Susan Roebuck

Part Four – Elin Gregory

Part Five – Eileen Snyder

Part Six – Mikaela Wire

Part Seven — Vanessa Chapman

Part Eight — Ravena Guron

Part Nine – Vikki Thompson

Part Ten — Susan Rocan mywithershins

Part Eleven — Kate Johnston AKA 4AMWriter

Part Twelve — Julie Catherine

Part Thirteen — Kai Damian

Part Fourteen — Richard Leonard

Part Fifteen — Sharon Manship

Part Sixteen – Shannon Blue Christensen

Part Seventeen — Bryn Jones

Part Eighteen — Jennifer M. Eaton

Part Nineteen — Shannon Burton

Part Twenty — J.Keller Ford

Part Twenty-One — Susan Roebuck

Part Twenty-Two — Elin Gregory

Part Twenty-Three — Aparnauteur

Part Twenty-Four — Vanessa Chapman

Part Twenty-Five — Ravena Guron

Part Twenty Six — Susan Rocan

Part Twenty Seven — Kate Johnson AKA 4AMWriter

Part Twenty Eight – Julie Catherine

Part Twenty Nine — Kai Damian

Part Thirty — Richard Leonard

Part Thirty-One —Sharon Manship

Part Thirty-Two — Shannon Christensen

Part Thirty-Three — Danielle Ackley McPhail

Don’t forget to stop by next week to see what happens next.

Siv Maria Ottem— TAG! You are “It”

Give that Publisher What They Want Dernit! #4: Formating #2 (Advanced) (jennifermeaton.com)
Give that Publisher What They Want Dernit! – Keep It simple (khrystleraineduste.wordpress.com)
Give that Publisher What They Want Dernit! #4: Formating #2 (Advanced) (rakesroguesandromance.com)

8 Comments

Posted in Write a story with me

Tagged anthology, Arts, author, beta partner, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Fairy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, group writing, jennifer M. Eaton, Literature, Manuscript, novel, Online Writing, point of view, Protagonist, Short Stories, Short story, shortstory, Word count, write a story with me, Writing and Editing, Writing help

Write a Story With Me #32 – Janelle’s Choice with Shannon Christensen

Posted on February 25, 2013 | 3 comments

Last week the baby finally arrived, but it looks like Mommy is in big trouble! Will she be okay? Let’s find out!

Take it away Shannon!

32- Shannon Christensen

Janelle hesitated.

If she followed Morana’s instructions to get help, Natalia might live and the boy might grow up healthy, wealthy, and destructive. This baby could destroy them all – fairies and humans, regardless of Janelle’s help.

She considered this. The boy could turn out to be like Marci, and could be helpful to Janelle’s people. Then again, maybe not. If he were more like Bethany, then all the risks and sacrifices made by Marci, by Sian, by Janosc, by herself and so many others would be futile.

She did not have to help. She should not have helped earlier by bringing Morana. Certainly, the humans would not have helped a fairy mother. She could simply leave Natalia and the boy in Morana’s care and let luck or fate have her way.

Natalia moaned again and Morana pleaded.

Janelle watched.
As a mother, Janelle sympathized with the compulsion to care for an infant. As Marci’s friend, Janelle sympathized with the potential loss of a family member. As the new queen of the fairies, however, she understood that her own feelings were nothing compared to her peoples’ needs. She had accepted this when she ate the leaf. She had not expected to have to act so quickly on this new prioritization.

Janelle sighed. She would do what was best for the many, and not only the few.

“No.”

“But, you must!”

“No. I must not.” Janelle turned and flew away from the house for the last time.

Write a Story with Me is a group endeavor just for the fun of it. A different writer adds a new 250 words each week. It is the ultimate Flash Fiction Challenge!

If you’d like to sign up, come on over. There’s always room for more!

Part One – Jennifer M. Eaton

Part Two – J. Keller Ford

Part Three – Susan Roebuck

Part Four – Elin Gregory

Part Five – Eileen Snyder

Part Six – Mikaela Wire

Part Seven — Vanessa Chapman

Part Eight — Ravena Guron

Part Nine – Vikki Thompson

Part Ten — Susan Rocan mywithershins

Part Eleven — Kate Johnston AKA 4AMWriter

Part Twelve — Julie Catherine

Part Thirteen — Kai Damian

Part Fourteen — Richard Leonard

Part Fifteen — Sharon Manship

Part Sixteen – Shannon Blue Christensen

Part Seventeen — Bryn Jones

Part Eighteen — Jennifer M. Eaton

Part Nineteen — Shannon Burton

Part Twenty — J.Keller Ford

Part Twenty-One — Susan Roebuck

Part Twenty-Two — Elin Gregory

Part Twenty-Three — Aparnauteur

Part Twenty-Four — Vanessa Chapman

Part Twenty-Five — Ravena Guron

Part Twenty Six — Susan Rocan

Part Twenty Seven — Kate Johnson AKA 4AMWriter

Part Twenty Eight – Julie Catherine

Part Twenty Nine — Kai Damian

Part Thirty — Richard Leonard

Part Thirty-One — Sharon Manship

Part Thirty-Two — Shannon Christensen

Don’t forget to stop by next week to see what happens next.

Danielle Ackley McPhail — TAG! You are “It”

3 Comments

Posted in Write a story with me

Tagged beta partner, critiquing, editing, Family, Fiction, Flash Fiction, getting published, group writing, Janelle, literary fiction, Manuscript, Mothers, Online Writing, Parent, publish, Publishing, self publishing, Short Stories, Short story, shortstory, Word count, write a story with me, Writers Resources, writing, Writing and Editing, Writing help

Write a Story with Me Part 30 – To Janelle’s Horror “What?” – With Richard Leonard

Posted on February 11, 2013 | 8 comments

Surprise! I’m changing the day for “Write a Story with Me” from Tuesdays to Mondays. Why? Well, ’cause I can! Here we go!

It’s been nearly a month since we saw Marci’s poor mom go into labor all alone! Richard Leonard throws it back to the birth string this week. Will Janelle get help in time? Take it away, Richard!

30 – Richard Leonard

Janelle was already out the bedroom door before realising the old woman was still fumbling for her walking stick. She watched helplessly as Morana shuffled unsteadily across the short distance from the bed to the other side of the night-stand where her walking stick rested, using the night-stand for support. Janelle’s mood fell as she realised how frail the old lady now was. Her magic could only do so much.

“I’m sorry, Morana. I wasn’t aware you cannot -”

“I can do this, Young Fairy. I must do this”, Morana said.

Janelle, said nothing, guilt building within her. To drag this weak old dear out into the cold night to help a woman giving birth seemed to be a cruel irony. Patience, Janelle, patience. At the same time she needed to hurry. The longer Natalia was without proper assistance the more dangerous the situation becomes.

Morana finally had the support of her stick and began a steady rhythm of shuffling towards the door and out of the house. Janelle, to ease her impatience and peace of mind, would fly up and down the street and patrol the area while Morana hobbled slowly towards Natalia’s residence. At the end of every run she would check on Natalia through the window, carefully ensuring she was still in a stable condition, sometimes offering reassurance that help was on its way.

On the way back she would arrive with relief to find that Morana had made significant progress walking up the street. This continued for several shortening laps until, to Janelle’s horror,

Oh! The mid sentance stop! What a way to leave it. Someone’s quaking in their booth figuring out what Janelle saw!

Write a Story with Me is a group endeavor just for the fun of it. A different writer adds a new 250 words each week. It is the ultimate Flash Fiction Challenge!

If you’d like to sign up, come on over. There’s always room for more!

Part One – Jennifer M. Eaton

Part Two – J. Keller Ford

Part Three – Susan Roebuck

Part Four – Elin Gregory

Part Five – Eileen Snyder

Part Six – Mikaela Wire

Part Seven — Vanessa Chapman

Part Eight — Ravena Guron

Part Nine – Vikki Thompson

Part Ten — Susan Rocan mywithershins

Part Eleven — Kate Johnston AKA 4AMWriter

Part Twelve — Julie Catherine

Part Thirteen — Kai Damian

Part Fourteen — Richard Leonard

Part Fifteen — Sharon Manship

Part Sixteen – Shannon Blue Christensen

Part Seventeen — Bryn Jones

Part Eighteen — Jennifer M. Eaton

Part Nineteen — Shannon Burton

Part Twenty — J.Keller Ford

Part Twenty-One — Susan Roebuck

Part Twenty-Two — Elin Gregory

Part Twenty-Three — Aparnauteur

Part Twenty-Four — Vanessa Chapman

Part Twenty-Five — Ravena Guron

Part Twenty Six — Susan Rocan

Part Twenty Seven — Kate Johnson AKA 4AMWriter

Part Twenty Eight – Julie Catherine

Part Twenty Nine — Kai Damian

Part Thirty — Richard Leonard

Don’t forget to stop by next week to see what happens next.

Sharon Manship — TAG! You are “It”

8 Comments

Posted in Write a story with me

Tagged anthology, Fiction, getting published, group writing, Humor, literary fiction, Literature, Manuscript, Online Writing, Recreation, Short Stories, Short story, shortstory, Walking stick, Writers Resources, writing, Writing and Editing, Writing help

#Free #ebooks FOR EVERYONE! “A Hint of Frost” by Hailey Edwards #freestuff

Posted on January 25, 2013 | 3 comments

Yay! It’s Freebee Fridays time!

First of all, congrats to last week’s winner Jamie Ayers

You’ve won a free copy of THE ROMANCE NOVEL BOOK CLUB by Kastil Evenshade in PDF format.

If you’d like to find out more about Kastil and the gads of books she’s had published, hop on over to http://kastil.wordpress.com/

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Last week we had half-naked and half-headed men. What are you going to do to me this week?

Oh, you are going to love this one.

This week Hailey Edwards is coming over!

Who?

Come on! Wake up and smell the Fantasy. She’s awesome!

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 You think everyone is awesome.

Do you say nice things about me too when I’m not listening?

Umm, yeah, sure I do! 🙂 Trust me. You’re going to love this one. Invite her in. Remember to smile.

Alrighty Fantasy Lady. Come on in and sit for a spell. Oh! Sorry about that ray gun. I have a blog to take over later.

Okay. Comfy? Why do you look scared? So… Who are you and what do you want?

I’m Hailey, and—at this moment—I want a caramel frappe.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Oh! I actually like those.

How Yummy!

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Psst, Jennifer, we like the same drink!

That’s good. You’re building rapport.

Keep going!

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Okay… Ms. Edwards… What makes you think you book is good enough to read? I don’t get this Fantasy stuff.

I won’t say it’s good enough, but it’s different.

Sometimes that makes all the difference.

Alien Smile Yes! Like Blue hair! Very vogue.

Does anyone have silver faces and beautiful blue hair like me?

Sorry, no.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 No blue hair?

Then why would anyone want to read it?

Why would anyone want to eat chocolate?

It’s pleasurable.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 It’s pleasurable!

That means that lots of things explode!

I’m afraid not.

A few people were decapitated, though.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 That’s a little harsh. I’ve never decapitated anyone, but I did tie up the curly haired chic that runs this blog once. That was fun.

Thanks for the reminder.

I still have burn marks from the ropes.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Okay, so other than decapitation what’s your book about?

Frost is the story of Lourdes and Rhys, who enter into an arranged marriage for the sake of their clans.

Each has something the other wants, and in the process of getting it, they fall in love.

Aided in no small part by fangs, silk, and liberal doses of venom.

Do you know you are the first author on here that hasn’t answered that question like they were reading off the back of their book? Kudos too you!

Well, thanks.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 You’re right, Jennifer.

I like this one so far.

Me Too!

Keep interviewing.

Alien Smile Ms. Edwards, Have you ever exploded anything?

I wanted to try the Mentos and Diet Coke geyser because it looked cool.

Alien Smile Oh! I tried that once! Don’t do it in Jennifer M. Eaton’s living room though. She gets mad. Have you ever tried to take over the world?

I thought about it, but it seemed to take more effort than it was worth. I mean, why not take over an island in the Caribbean instead?

Alien Smile Well, I hadn’t thought of that. I like islands. They’re pretty. So, tell me, Have you ever painted your hair blue?

Painted, no. Speckled it, yes. When painting my daughter’s bedroom ceiling with a sky mural.

Alien Smile Oh! How wonderful! Blue is a great color!

I do believe we have bonded!

Great!

Does that mean I can give away a copy of my book?

Alien Smile Yes! As a matter of fact, I think we should give away MANY MANY copies of your book!

What?

Alien Smile I am going to electro-bolt over to Amazon dot com right now and explode their servers. Yes! That will make all copies of “A Hint of Frost” Free until they get a chance to fix it!

Umm, wait…

Too late she’s already gone.

She’ll make good on that, too. She’s very, umm, tenacious.

If you’d like to get s free copy of A Hint of Frost zip over to Amazon right away before they get their servers up and running. It’ll be free until their tech crew gets there, or they catch the Little Blue Lady for Mars. Hurry!

Catapult me to Amazon for a free ebook copy of “A Hint of Frost”

Thanks for having me… I think.

Someone call Amazon and tell them to keep a lookout for a miniature silver woman with blue hair!

Thanks for being a good sport, Hailey!

If you’d like to find out more about Hailey Edwards and her books, hop on over to http://haileyedwards.net/

Wicked Wednesday with Kastil Eavenshade (erinmleaf.com)
Welcome Kastil Eavenshade! (lilashaw.com)
http://haileyedwards.net/

3 Comments

Posted in Free Friday

Tagged Fantasy novel, Fiction, free novel, Friday, givaway, Hailey, hailey edwards, Kastil, Romance novel

#FreeFridays featuring The Romance Novel Book Club by Kastil Evenshade #freestuff #free #ebook

Posted on January 18, 2013 | 9 comments

Yay! It’s Freebee Fridays time!

First of all, congrats to last week’s winner Grandfathersky

You’ve won a free copy of HUSH LITTLE BABY by Deborah M. Piccurelli in your choice of paperback or PDF. If you want to know more about Deborah, Check out her web site here

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 So, who’s coming this week.

I hope it’s someone fun.

Are you going to be nice this time?

Of course!

I was nice to the last one. I didn’t blow her up, did I?

Well, you were a little rude.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Piff!

I was a perfect little blue alien

Yeah, sure you were.

Okay, we’ll give this another go. (Sorry Kastil)

Yeeeees! Okay, bring her on in!

Hello, oh nice author lady. come in and sit down for a spell. Comfy? Good!

Okay. Who are you and what do you want?

My name is Kastil Eavenshade, and I want Pimpage…lots and lots of pimpage.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Umm. Okay. I don’t think the curly-haired conservative chic is going to let me get away with that.

You never know unless you try.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Psst, Jennifer, this one scares me.

You wanted to be an interviewer. Just go with it.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Okay… Ms. Evenshade… What makes you think you book is good enough to read? I mean Romance? Really?

It’s good enough because it break the usual romance mold, beyond it having a bit of kink in it. I mean a romance novelist making fun of her craft?

Alien Smile Craft?

You mean there’s a spaceship?

Ummm, no.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Then why would anyone want to read it?

For the humor and love story within, of course!

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Sounds boring does anything explode?

Well that’s a loaded question. Something explodes but I won’t call it literal fireworks. 😉

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Ummm–Jennifer, I don’t think she and I are talking about the same thing.

Go with it. You’re doing fine.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Okay, umm, I’m almost afraid to ask,

but what’s it about?

From the legendary times of the Victorian Age to the rugged reaches of outer space, the romance novels have done nothing to spark Patricia’s want and hope of finding that one special man to call her own. She’s knee deep into her thirties, near depression, and drowning her sorrows in pints of premium ice cream. When she falls for a waiter named Matt in her favorite restaurant, her insecurities do their best to thwart her plans of true love. It isn’t until she picks up one last romance novel that she realizes life cannot be lived within the ink splattered pages of an author’s fantasies. She has one chance to set her life straight and snatch the one man who gets her: mind and body. Will Patricia take it?

Why do all these authors sound like robots when you ask them that question?

Stop it! Be nice!

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 I don’t like her.

She’s creepy.

She is not! She just writes, umm, well, a little more openly than you’re used to. Hey, the guy on the cover is cute.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 But he only has half a head! See? Creepy.

You just don’t get it, do you? Okay, try to find something you guys have in common.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 [Grumbles] Have you ever exploded anything?

Nope. I don’t care for loud noises.

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 You are hopeless. Have you ever tried to take over the world?

Sounds like a lot of work so..nope!

PKO_Alien 3 0003387 Hopeless and lazy!

Have you ever painted your hair blue?

I once had a midnight blue because I bought the wrong kind of black dye.

Alien Smile Really? Well that sounds like fun. I prefer a little brighter myself, but I must admit that blue is fun! Maybe you’re not so bad after all. So, if you are afraid of loud noises, have you at least fantasized about exploding anything?

Yes. It’s only natural to imagine something getting blown to a million pieces.

Alien Smile Yes! There is hope for her yet! Okay, you kindred explosive spirit, I will allow you to give away a .pdf copy of this book with the creepy half-headed guy on the cover. What’s it called again?

The Romance Novel Book Club

Alien Smile Yeah, that. And Jennifer promises to explain the half-naked man on the cover to me later.

So! Get on with it readers!

Do you want to read about this girl and her half-naked half-headed man? Start commenting! One random commenter will receive a .pdf copy from this crazy kindred blue-haired thinking about explosion lady, Kastil Evenshade.

Thanks for coming, Kastil! the winner will be chosen on Monday, so get commenting!

If you’d like to find out more about Kastil and the gads of books she’s had published, hop on over to http://kastil.wordpress.com/

Wicked Wednesday with Kastil Eavenshade (erinmleaf.com)
A Peek at Sasha’s Gift by Kastil Eavenshade! (lilashaw.com)
Welcome Kastil Eavenshade! (lilashaw.com)

9 Comments

Posted in Free Friday

Tagged Arts, Evernight, Fiction, free kinky novel, free novel, Kastil, kastil evenshade, kink, kinky, Literature, Romance, Romance novel

I’m back! The blog tour is finally over. (Thank Goodness) – What I learned. And an ebook #giveaway for #FreeFriday #freestuff

Posted on January 4, 2013 | 46 comments

Omigosh. I can’t believe it’s finally over. This may have been the most painful thing wonderful experience I’ve ever had as a writer and I hope I never have to put myself through this can’t wait to do another one.

I just came off a month-long blog tour. 45 stops in 30 days. The over achiever in me says “Yes! Awesome! Bring it!” But the real-person side of me just wants to take a step back and sleep.

So, what did I learn? A lot. Would I do it again?

Well, at least not in the same way.

Did we get the word out? Yes.

Did we sell books? Yes.

Was it worth it? I’m not really sure yet.

I don’t think I am going to take on a blog tour this aggressively again. Will I be aggressive? You betcha! But the rest of my life shouldn’t suffer for it.

Before I dig into the things I’ve learned, let’s discuss the result…

Don’t get me wrong, this was not an overall bad experience. My fear is, though, that I may have lost some of my following because I was not “here”. That is what is really bothering me.

Soooooo… In the future, I will not be wreaking havoc across the internet for thirty days straight. I will take it easy so I can still enjoy my life, because I can’t write when I’m stressed, and that just doesn’t work for anyone, does it?

I’m going to cut back a bit on blogging too, so I have enough time for my extensive goals for 2013… but I have some great things planned.

Mondays will be my days for posting about whatever pops into my head… The fun rants on my writing, my world, or whatever.

Tuesdays will continue to be Write a Story with Me, which is still going strong, and new people are signing up. This has been a HOOT!

Wednesdays and Thursdays I will take off, unless I have a book review or something exciting that I can’t wait until Monday for.

Friday is something brand new I’m going to try out as a gift to everyone who’s supported me through all this. #FreeFridays will feature a different author every week with a giveaway. They may give away a book, an ebook, chocolate, dogs, cats, whatever. But it’s a chance for them to promote their book, and a chance at a freebee for all those who comment. Should be fun. By the way… since this is the first #FreeFriday, everyone who comments today will have a chance to win either For the Love of Christmas or Make Believe on ebook. (your choice) Yay!

Saturdays will be open to my whims, and I may not always post. But for the next month I will be featuring the continuation of author/Editor Danielle Ackley McPhail’s advice on the do’s and don’ts of how to submit your manuscript. It’s great stuff we can all learn from.

Sunday will return to Sunday Snippets, where I will showcase a snippet from my current work in progress, and invite you all to do the same. It’s a time to share a little, and see what you guys think of it. I’ve thought of making this a weekly blog hop, but it will be very informal, and I won’t kick you off if you post more than six sentences. Yeah, I’m nice that way. If you want to sign up, click here and be sure to hop around to other people’s sites to see their snippets.

Okay! Now that all of that is out of the way….. What I learned:

A few things to keep in mind when you set up your own blog tours:

1. Just because a person says they will host you, and you do the interview, doesn’t mean they will post it. Just say’n. Be ready for it. It’s embarrassing to send people to a post and have it not be there.

2. Confirm, and make sure you get confirmations. I sent out interviews and sent confirmation emails, but in one instance I didn’t get a response for the confirmation. Not sure what happened to my emails, but the host never got either, so the post ended up late. My fault for not following up better on that one.

3. There will be posts that it seems no one has read. I try to tell myself that not everyone who reads posts comments. I hope some people read some of those guest posts, because I thought they were pretty good! Try to keep your chin up. No all stops will look as successful as others, but you won’t know unless the host lets you know the number of hits.

4. Some tour stops will be AWESOME. Make a note of those people and become buddies. Luckily for me, I’m already buddies, so everyone else has to suck up to them J

5. Scheduling, doing the interview/post, telling people where you are that day, and following up and answering questions on all those other sites is time consuming and exhausting. Be ready for it. No matter how well you think you have prepared… well, you know how it is.

6. Don’t forget about Facebook. I forgot about Facebook. Oh well.

So, there you have it. The good, the bad and the ugly – and what I learned through all this monotony. For the most part, it was fun, and if I were a full time professional writer, and didn’t have another job, a part time job, a poodle that needs to be brushed, three kids with homework and a husband, it would have been no problem. But for me, I think a more leisurely pace will be the ticket for the next one.

Thanks for sticking with me! And Here’s to an AWESOME 2013! What do you have on tap for this year?

Don’t forget one commenter below will get their choice of For the Love of Christmas or Make Believe on ebook!

It’s GREAT to be back!

46 Comments

Posted in Author Advice, Free Friday

Tagged are blog tours worth it, Arts, author, beta partner, beta reading, blog tours, Christmas, critique, critiquing, E-book, editing, Facebook, Fiction, finding an agent, free ebook, free stuff, getting published, giveaway, literary agent, literary fiction, Literature, Manuscript, novel, pitch, query, query help, self publishing, synopsis, Writers Resources, writing, Writing help

Do I read what I write? Umm… Huh? Do I have to answer that?

Posted on December 22, 2012 | Comments Off

Are ya looking for Romancing Your E-Reader? 25 Ebooks Up for grabs! Click Here to Enter!

Yep, I’m still hopping around in cyber-mayhem promoting “For the Love of Christmas” and

“Make Believe”. Today I am guest-posting on Jenny Keller Ford’s site, so please hop on over so I don’t get lonely. I’m talking about breaking the rules a little. Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone.

Come on over!

I love to see familiar faces!

Why all the hullabaloo? Well, it’s to promote my two new releases “Make Believe” and “For the Love of Christmas”

That’s why!

And don’t forget to click on “Enter to Win” for a chance to win your choice of the two titles! Yay!

Oh, I almost forgot… A few random commentors along the tour path will win their choice of anthologies, too. So be sure to hop on over and say “Hi”

ChristmasFiligree

Hop on over and send me some love!

Jenny Keller Ford‘s blog- Why I don’t read what I write.

Visit my Anthology buddies! They are celebrating too!

JenniFer_EatonF

GIVEAWAY: Win an ARC of Make Believe! (jabelfield.wordpress.com)

That Christmas Star (leytesamardaily.net)
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas; The Festivities List. (thriftingthrulife.wordpress.com)
Spa City marks holiday season’s start with 26th annual Victorian Streetwalk (troyrecord.com)
It’s Christmas be an elf (ourhumbleopinions.wordpress.com)
Christmas Song Review: Baby, It’s Cold Outside (murverse.com)

Comments Off on Do I read what I write? Umm… Huh? Do I have to answer that?

Posted in Author Interview, Senseless Ranting

Tagged art, Christmas, Fiction, Holiday, Holidays, Literature, Opinions, Poetry, Recreation, religious, Short story, South Jersey

Wanna see what my desk looks like? [If you dare]

Posted on December 10, 2012 | 7 comments

Kelly Said and I are swapping blogs today as part of the Make Believe blog tour. She had the greatest idea for my post!!!! She wanted to know what my desk looked like.

So…. out comes the camera, and **CLICK** there it is in all its disastrous glory! Click on over to Kelly Said’s website for a gander into the insanity of my writing life.

Now, for Kellie’s post here… I asked her what she thought when she saw the picture prompt for Make Believe. Honestly, I was surprised.

Take it away, Kelly!

When I first saw the picture prompt for J.Taylor Publishing’s call for submissions for their MAKE BELIEVE anthology, I was curious why that girl was standing in the middle of a snowy field. See, when I looked closer, I noticed there were no snowflakes clinging to her red hooded cape. Her arms were bare, like, she wasn’t expecting the abrupt weather change, and she was carrying a basket – what’s in it? There were no footprints in the snow, so how did she get there? She seemed in tune with nature somehow by the way she was moving through the field, like, maybe there was something magical or mythical about her.

I started thinking about the reasons why she traveled, alone, towards what I imagined was a castle in the background surrounded by spindly, dead-looking trees. I concluded that someone in that castle on high needed help and had the ability to send a summons to call her forth. So how did he do that, call to someone who had no telephone or physical address? And what did he need help for?

When I finished studying the cover for MAKE BELIEVE, so many questions popped up, and the more of them I answered, the more the story began to unfold, until I found a King in distress, a healer with a broken heart, a Prince uncovering a mystery and a girl searching for her place in the world. I had a lot of fun writing this short story, I hope readers enjoy it. 🙂

Thanks so much, Kelly Said!

Why all the hullabaloo? Well, it’s to promote my two new releases “Make Believe” and “For the Love of Christmas”

That’s why!

And don’t forget to click on “Enter to Win” for a chance to win your choice of the two titles! Yay!

Oh, I almost forgot… A few random commentors along the tour path will win their choice of anthologies, too. So be sure to hop on over and say “Hi”

ChristmasFiligree

Hop on over and send me some love!

Click on over to Kelly Said’s website

Visit my Anthology buddies! They are celebrating too!

Muse-Sings December 2012 Special Feature & Giveaway (juliecatherinevigna.wordpress.com)
Yuletide in Telluride Contest (kendeldavi.wordpress.com)

7 Comments

Posted in Author Interview

Tagged Christmas, Fiction, J. Taylor, Make Believe, Short story

Oh my gosh, I am such a wuss. I don’t think I can do this

Posted on November 29, 2012 | 19 comments

Have you ever written something, thought it was great, but had second thoughts? Ugh. I am soooo there right now.

I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m working on a Paranormal called Une Variante. I am a Fantasy writer at heart, but I like to stretch myself. My first publication (Last Winter Red) is a Dystopian, and my second and third publications are contemporary “Sweet” Romances.

So why the second thoughts about Une Variante? Well, the problem is that there is a heat rating. It’s not kinky or anything, but there is definitely and “open door” to the bedroom.

Having always “faded to black” in the past, I am understandably nervous about this. I have two people lined up to do a full beta on Une Variante as soon as it is complete. I’ve asked them because one looks for open door romances for her recreational reading, and the second is a writer of open door (and far worse kinkier stuff).

That aside….. Today, I sent the first ten pages to my local critique group. You know what I did?

**blush**

I CENSORED MYSELF. [Smacks head on desk]

What am I doing? Ugh. I just couldn’t send it out in its “True glory”.

Now, part of the problem is that the word count would have dropped them right in the middle of “the scene”. I didn’t want my critique session to be just “about that”, and I was afraid it would deter from what I really wanted … which was a critique of the beginning.

I considered asking if anyone would find it offensive, and just send “the scene” to people who wanted to read it… but I wussed about that too.

I gotta admit that I also didn’t want to look into the eyes of people after them just having read “that”. Ugh… I am such a wuss.

Part of me is hoping that the Romance Reader and Erotica Writer tell me that the heat scene stinks, because that would give me an excuse to fade it to black.

[smacking myself again]

Have you ever had second thoughts about something you’ve written?

Tell Me Your Thoughts…Should Writers Stick To Only One Genre? (poetaofficium.com)
Why You Should Have Been A Romance Writer (prweb.com)
Changing Face of Publishing, Including Romance (susansheehey.wordpress.com)
What Will The Neighbors Think? (trsparties.com)

19 Comments

Posted in General Writing Tips, Senseless Ranting

Tagged erotica, Fiction, Literature, publish, Romance, Romance novel, steamy scenes, Writers Resources

Tag Archives: Fiction

Writing Madly to a Deadline, and then NOT submitting

#Free #ebooks FOR EVERYONE! “A Hint of Frost” by Hailey Edwards #freestuff

Yay! It’s Freebee Fridays time!

#FreeFridays featuring The Romance Novel Book Club by Kastil Evenshade #freestuff #free #ebook

Yay! It’s Freebee Fridays time!

I’m back! The blog tour is finally over. (Thank Goodness) – What I learned. And an ebook #giveaway for #FreeFriday #freestuff

Omigosh. I can’t believe it’s finally over. This may have been the most painful thing wonderful experience I’ve ever had as a writer and I hope I never have to put myself through this can’t wait to do another one.

So, what did I learn? A lot. Would I do it again?

Do I read what I write? Umm… Huh? Do I have to answer that?

Are ya looking for Romancing Your E-Reader? 25 Ebooks Up for grabs! Click Here to Enter!

Yep, I’m still hopping around in cyber-mayhem promoting “For the Love of Christmas” and

“Make Believe”. Today I am guest-posting on Jenny Keller Ford’s site, so please hop on over so I don’t get lonely. I’m talking about breaking the rules a little. Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone.

Come on over!

I love to see familiar faces!

Wanna see what my desk looks like? [If you dare]

Oh my gosh, I am such a wuss. I don’t think I can do this

Have you ever written something, thought it was great, but had second thoughts? Ugh. I am soooo there right now.

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Tag Archives: Fiction

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Omigosh. I can’t believe it’s finally over. This may have been the most painful thing wonderful experience I’ve ever had as a writer and I hope I never have to put myself through this can’t wait to do another one.

So, what did I learn? A lot. Would I do it again?

Are ya looking for Romancing Your E-Reader? 25 Ebooks Up for grabs! Click Here to Enter!

Yep, I’m still hopping around in cyber-mayhem promoting “For the Love of Christmas” and

“Make Believe”. Today I am guest-posting on Jenny Keller Ford’s site, so please hop on over so I don’t get lonely. I’m talking about breaking the rules a little. Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone.

I love to see familiar faces!

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Have you ever written something, thought it was great, but had second thoughts? Ugh. I am soooo there right now.

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Follow Blog via Email