10 Questions About My Book: A Next Big Thing Blog Hop Posting

A fellow author, Jo Chandler, tagged me in the in the “Next Big Thing Blog Hop” interview series. The point of the series is to give you readers an insight into an upcoming book or a work-in-progress. I thought it would be a fun way to connect with other authors while also sharing about the third book in my 47 Destinies series.

The Next Big Thing in my writing life is THIS:

1. What is the working title of your book or story?

47 Destinies: The Matriarch


2. What is a one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Leslie Locke, a wealthy snob, crumbles when her haunting past of lies and heartache smacks her straight across the face.


3. Where did the idea for the book come from?

While writing the first two books in my 47 Destinies series, I thoroughly enjoyed writing about the character Leslie. She is direct, sharp, rude and the master of manipulation. I found myself looking forward to writing her dialog and scenes. The more time I spent with her, the more I wondered, why is Leslie so terrible? What experiences in Leslie's past influenced her behavior?


My readers can't stand Leslie so it is my goal for them to help understand her a little. I don't expect them to like her at the end, but I think they will gain a new appreciation for her.


4. What genre does your book fall under?

Contemporary Romance


5. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Leslie: Angelina Jolie (aged about 15 years)

Cora: Sandra Bullock

Brent: George Clooney (about 10 years younger)


6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

My publisher is Silverlake eBooks (www.silverlakeebooks.com)


7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

47 Destinies (Book One) 6 months

47 Destinies: Discovering Grace (Book Two) 4-5 months

47 Destinies: The Matriarch (Book Three) I just started. It is set to release in the Fall of 2013


8. What other books would you compare this story to, within your genre?

My novels are a blend of romance, humor and traveling. I would compare them to some of Nora Roberts novels.


9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The main setting for this book is New Orleans. The main character, Leslie, inspired me to tell her story.


10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

There will be several twists and turns in Book Three. Be prepared to be surprised when Leslie goes back in time to relive parts of her past. I cannot reveal too much for fear of giving it all away!


Now I've tagged authors to take on these “Next Big Thing” questions themselves. Please check out their blogs.


Jo Chandler has published two young adult fiction novels titled This Side of Forever and Street Girl. She is also releasing another fantastic title soon. Check out her blog at http://www.jochandler.com

Rick Nicholson published a book in January 2013. Bobby’s Song is the poignant tale of two friends determined to not let death separate them as they slowly learn that true friendship has the power to cross every dimension. Rich's blog http://plus.google.com/111663817760436607764/posts



Geraldine Birch's YA historical novel “The Swastika Tattoo” is about life of German POWs held in a camp in Arizona. Her blog is full of incredible information and blog posts about this fascinating time period. http://theswastikatattoo.com/blog

Writing a Book: I'm done. Now what?

Your masterpiece is done.  Your edit phase is done.  (As done as any writer can be.  It is challenging to know when to say enough is enough).  You have a cover.  You should be thrilled.  Part of you is thrilled.  Another larger part of you says, "now what?"  You know you should begin looking for a publisher.  Or if you have a publisher, you should begin marketing your work.  You should want to market your work, right?  Not necessarily.  I was rather shocked about the reality of how much of the marketing falls on the author.  I was under the impression that all I had to do was write incredible books, sit back and bask in the moment.  Well, that is not the case in this age of publishing.  Gone are the large bookstores.  The large publishing houses are dwindling.  At first, this bummed me out a little, but then I saw the opportunity in it.  The publishing world is going through a huge transformation.  I will get into that in a different publishing/marketing post. 

I want to come back to the, "now what?" question.  Here is my advice, celebrate.  Take some time and let it sink in.  Stare at your book.  Pat yourself on the back.  Smile.  Enjoy the moment.  It is a huge accomplishment.  I have heard statistics that for every 200 people that want to write a book, only one person writes a book.  There is plenty of work ahead for you so take a set amount of time and relax.  For me, it is about 2-4 weeks where I just don't write.  I think a lot about my next book, but I don't write.  I want the process to stay fun.  I don't want to get caught up in the, "I have to do this or that."  Maybe if it was my only income, I might be harder on myself.  :)

I just published my second book.  It dawned on me that I may be writing books for the rest of my life.  I am in no hurry to get them all done.  In fact, I will likely never be done.  As a writer, that is a very good thing.  So, now what?  Who knows!!!  I sure don't and that fact makes me very happy.

Writing: Finding the Time

One of the most frequent questions I receive since I have become a publisher author is, "when do you have time to write?"  I must admit, this question brings me several mixed emotions.  At times, I feel it is an authentic question and people want to learn how to make more time in their lives to write.  At other times, I feel it what they are really asking is, "what are you ignoring in your life in order to write?"  So, after much thought, I have come up with two great responses:

1.  When you do something you love, you make the time.  I mainly write late at night.  I occasionally will write during the day on the weekend between all of my other activities.  I have a laptop my dad gave me and my intent was to write during lunch at my day job.  Unfortunately, it is difficult for me to take a lunch at my job so this has yet to pan out.  It seems like a great idea, but just doesn't happen.  I don't have a writing schedule and I don't write everyday.  I am in no hurry to get my books done.  I just let it flow.  I don't put any pressure on myself because then it wouldn't be fun.

2. I gave up reading and watching television.  People don't seem to like this response as much.  I didn't realize exactly how much time I spent watching television in the evenings.  On average, I watched 1-2 hours a night.  Instead of watching television, I usually spend that time writing or promoting my book.  The reward is far greater than what I received from the television.  Please don't get me wrong, I am not advocating for anyone to give up television.  It just worked for me.  I also stopped reading.  I did this mainly so I won't be influenced by another writer's style.  I want my works to reflect me 100%.  This includes my jargon and own version of slang.

There you have it!  There is no magical potion or extra time given to authors (wouldn't that be fabulous).  We are all given the same amount of time in life.  If you want to find more time, look at how you are spending your current allotment and challenge yourself to try something different.  I guarantee that you will be pleased with the results!

Writing a Book: Designing a Cover

There were so many surprises for me when I published my first book.  One of the biggest was when my publisher asked for my cover.  Yikes!  I am a writer, not an artist.  (Trust me on that one.  I don't have an eye for fashion, colors or anything artistic.  I like things in nature, but that is about it.)  So, luckily for me, my brother has an eye for graphic design and a knack for Photoshop.  Somehow, we found the perfect picture, he designed the lettering and we were in business. It took only a few days and it was like 'Shazam!'  The cover was great!  It all worked together.  It fit the story.  Everyone was happy.

Now, we are on to Book Two in the series.  I am thinking how the cover will be a piece of cake.  I know what I am doing.  It will be a snap.  WRONG!!!!!!  The cover has given me grief, frustration and more grief.  I have sent away for a few proofs of the paperback.  I finished my final edit of the interior and I am still not done with the cover.  Where did I go wrong?  I can tell you!  , I didn't map out what I wanted the cover to say before I began the cover.  The first one fell into my lap; which has to be rare.  What I will do for the next one is as follows:

1. Map out the plot of my book and early on begin the cover work.  I won't wait until the end.
2. Outline what I want the cover's 'message' to be.  Is it fun and sexy? Distant and thought provoking?  Bold and dramatic?
3.  I will find themes from my first two covers that I want to carry over.  What do my first two covers have in common?  For me, they both have women, body parts, no faces, sexy, and bright/bold colors.
4. I will begin looking earlier at pictures.  My goal will be to have the third cover done, wording and all, before I am done with the interior of Book Three. 

One final note on the cover...EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT OPINION.  The more you show your draft cover ideas, the more everyone will like and dislike different versions.  Just know this going into it.  Don't let their constructive criticism deter you.  It is YOUR cover.  (For the most part, your publisher has the final say, but you get my drift).  And you will know when you know.  If you don't, then hire someone and live with what they decide.  I am sure my brother will sell his services.  Just keep in mind, it won't look like my covers.  I have him copyrighted for those.  lol!

Have FUN!!!!

Okay, so I am posting all these things about writing a book.  I have forgotten one of the key elements: have fun!  Being an aspiring writer takes a ton of effort!  There are a lot of late nights.  Your book looms on you like a virus at times and a ray of sunshine at others.  So, here I am on a Sunday night.  I could be doing a final, final, final (times 10,000) edit of Book Two.  I could be working on the cover (again).  I could be researching....blah, blah, blah.  You get the idea.  Instead, I stumbled across a poem I wrote a few years ago.  It wasn't quite right.  So, I worked on that for a little tonight.  It is all creativity.  Most of all, I had fun!!!!!  So on that note, here it is!

The House
Parallel lines of old growth trees mesh together,
unable to separate themselves from the other.
A grand rod iron gate announces
man’s perceived ownership of land.
No man owns land; land owns man.

Two tattered barns
battered by the sun, wind and rain
stand guard.
Over what, we do not know.

Majestic oaks dot the landscape.
Mountains surround the land,
casting sun shadows to usher in the evening.

Meadows bursting full of dry grass
sway and dance in the breeze.
creating a living carpet.

Someone peers out
the upper story window,
breathing in the beauty
with a heart full of gratitude
to experience this richness called life.

 

Interviewing with a Newspaper

I had my first official interview regarding 47 Destinies: Book One last week.  It was exciting.  I've been so wrapped up in Book Two that at first I had a hard time remembering my plot line from Book One.  Once I refreshed my memory, I had a great time.  For those of you wondering what type of questions are asked, here are a few of the details:

*Date published
*Publisher
*Setting
*Plot line
*Main characters
*History with writing
*How long it took to write
*Where to purchase
*Contact information
*Head shot

A few things I learned from this interview:
*I need to be better prepared with all of the book information
*I am going to get a professional headshot
*I will find out important details like when the article may be published
*I will have book signing dates available

Overall, I did good.  The article came out today in the Georgetown Gazette.  Yippee.  It's my first of hopefully many to come!

Writing a Book: The Edit Phase

Ewww.  As you can see, I don't like to edit.  Well, by the time I have reached the point of doing a 'final edit'.  I have already gone through many versions.  There is the first version in my head, then an outline, first draft, second draft, re-writes, third draft....the list could go on forever, but I don't want you to think I actually track all these versions.  I don't.  Well, I kind of do. 

One of the best hints I tell new writers is to be aware of version control.  There is nothing worse than attempting to figure out which version is the most current.  I label all of my versions in one easy to understand format.  For example, for Book Two my system is Grace.draft.12.16.12.  If I am doing a ton of important versions in one day, I even add the time at the end.  You might think I am obsessive, but I guarantee if you have ever been confused about versions you understand.  Drafts are important.  I have gone back to my drafts to add something back in that I have taken out.  You never know what you might need.  I save all of my drafts in a folder titled 'Draft'.  None of this is rocket science, it is just my method.

I also save it on one portable drive.  I occasionally save a version to my laptop in case I lose the portable drive.  However, I only make edits to the portable drive.  The other versions are merely for backup purposes.  Sometimes near the end, I also email it to myself.  Am I paranoid?  Yes.

For Book Two, I cut down on the number of pre-readers.  In fact, there were only two.  One read to ensure that the character's actions stayed true to their personalities.  The other reader did the main edits.  I stink at commas, 'which' versus 'that', and several other issues.  My editor, who likes to remain nameless, is amazing at all of my weaknesses and more!  After I got the bulk of the story done, I also had one 'fan' read it for content.  Was it good?  Did it flow?  Will people like it?  They helped me answer these important questions.

Currently, I am in the re-reading phase.  I will have a proof done in a week or so of the paperback.  I will read that over and over again.  Then I will read it again.  :)  After, I will send it to my publisher.  And, that is it! 

The edit process in a nut shell.  Crazy, eh?