J. D. Brown

The Winner Is.....

2012-02-22T11:36:00.000-06:00

Image found at Vampire-Romance-Cub.deviantart.com

Okay, I have chosen the lucky lady who will receive the ARC of my debut novel Dark Heirloom. (Yay!)

But first – I want to give a huge ‘Thank You’ to everyone who came in and left comments of congrats as well as comments about their favorite vampire. I appreciate the kind words. They fuel me to press on with this little venture. So again, thank you. :)

Second – and I’ll keep this short, I promise – I admit I was the ONE person alive in the 90’s who didn’t really follow Buffy. Sure, I watched a few episodes here and there but at the time, and I think I was in junior high then, it just didn’t hold my attention. However, every time I ask readers who their favorite vampire is, the majority of people answer “Angel” (I’m not shocked Edward wore off *cough*). I think I’ve officially resolved to find Angel/Buffy on Hulu or Netfix and watch at least one full season – and knowing me, that will be enough to get addicted to yet another T.V. show.

Now, without further interruption from my rambling fingers, the winner is….

Lorelei!!!

Lorelei, I just had to give it to you honey. You popped in here immediately after the contest was announced and you put some excellent thought into your answer. Honestly I was shocked and impressed that you know of Frank Langella and thought of him. You’re either a true Dracula fan or you just showed your age. :)

Either way, I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading Dark Heirloom. Please keep an eye on your email as sometimes items get lost in the spam filters.

As for the rest of you, Dark Heirloom officially releases as an ebook at the end of March and will be on tour in April, so please follow me here or on Facebook to receive all the latest updates.

Thank you,

J.D.

Happy Birthday, Blog! Plus the Dark Heirloom giveaway!

2012-02-19T07:00:00.005-06:00

Today is my blog’s second birthday. She’s growing up so fast. Seems like only yesterday I was ripping my hair out trying to figure out how to change the background color.

I love blogging and I never thought I’d say that. When I first started writing fiction, other authors told me I needed to blog. Apparently blogging separated the amateurs from the professionals. *Snort* Yeah right. But what did I know? So I blogged…

Not that I had anything to blog about.

In fact, re-reading my first few posts is like re-reading Crayola chicken scratch letters from the first grade. There’s a moment of “Aww how cute” immediately followed by “Wow I sucked so badly” and then the prideful “But hey, I’ve grown a lot since then!”

I have three blogs now, but this baby was my first born, my favorite and, oddly, the one I devote the least amount of time to.

There was once a point, before I got my first contract that I convince myself this was going to be a writing-advice blog. Like I know what the hell I’m talking about…*rolls eyes* (see ‘Writing Help’).

But then I got the email that magically lifted my writing from the ground and placed it on the sapling of a young publishing tree (don’t let them fool you; you have to grow your own tree in the publishing orchard).

Since then, my time has been divided one-hundred fold between emails and edits and cover art and setting up accounts on Amazon and Good Reads and Facebook and Twitter and a dozen other places and then following through with the networking, setting up the promotional things; tour stops and interviews and of course more blogging…on other blogs.

It’s one in the morning right now and I’m typing this in my pajamas. My friends wonder why I don’t hang out with them. Sorry guys, but I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world.

But I keep coming back to this blog. The one that started it all. I know it’s just a freckle on the huge ass that is the internet, and really, I don’t have to do more than twitch my fingers to call it up, but somehow, coming to this blog is like taking a good long drive through the country. I can breathe easy.

Somehow it matured into what I think it was always meant to be. A public journal chronicling my journey from novice writer to published author and, someday, to overnight sensation.

What? I can dream.

~*~*~*~

Alright, I know no one came here to listen to me ramble about my quirky addiction to blogging, so I’ll get this giveaway over with. ;-)

Leave me a comment below with your name and email address and tell me who your favorite vampire is and why. The best answer will win a .pdf Advance Reader Copy of my debut novel Dark Heirloom.

Tip: If you can make me laugh, you’ll probably win.

And no, you won’t get ahead just for saying Damon Salvatore.

You have three days. The winner will be announced Wednesday 22^nd. Good luck and have fun.

(P.S. You can read chapter one from Dark Heirloom either on my website or on the Facebook fanpage.)

Jalmari’s hatred for his old-man intensifies when he’s ordered to bring that troublesome girl to their castle. He has a clan to run, there’s no time for babysitting newborn vampires no matter how they were converted to their culture. But when a two-thousand-year-old premonition threatens to take the crown and his life, Jalmari sees no other choice than to take out the catalyst. Ema Marx. Fortunately for Ema, she could also be the clan’s only savior.

The race to figure out her vampiric origins is on. And maybe she’ll get the hang of the blood-drinking gig along the way…

“J. D. Brown, has come up with a world that exists among our own. She totally gets the reader immersed in this dark hidden reality.” – Charlene A. Wilson, author of The Chronicles of Shilo Manor

Can We Say Excited?! And don't miss this giveaway!

2012-02-18T04:58:00.000-06:00

Actually, "excited" isn't the right word. "Excited" doesn't even begin to describe how I feel right now. Hmm. How about... "Jumping up and down on the bed in my underwear like I used to when I was five while screaming that I want to murder the rest of the days left in February so March can GET HERE ALREADY!!!"....?

Yes, that's a little closer to how I feel. ;-)

OHMYGOSH you guys, Dark Heirloom is really being published! In ebook format...and later...in print! Three years ago when I first set pen to paper, this was but a pea-sized dream. I didn't think it would really happen. But it's happening! And only one more month of waiting. Gosh, I hope I survive March, haha! The waiting is driving me nuts. I'm running out of ways to occupy my time that aren't completely ridiculous.

Tomorrow is my blog's 2 year anniversary. I started blogging when I realized that I indeed wanted to give this publishing thing a real shot. This blog pretty much chronicles my entire journey from hobby writer to published author. But more about that tomorrow.

What I want to tell you guys right now is that I have in my possession something very cool. And I'm going to give this very cool thing away tomorrow to one of you in honor of my blog being two years old.

What is this thing I'm giving away? Well...since this blog is a keep-safe of my writing journey, I thought it fitting to give away a .PDF Advanced Reader Copy of my debut novel, Dark Heirloom.

That's right; the awesome follower who wins will get to read the full ARC copy of Dark Heirloom a whole month before it officially releases to the public!

Wow, I feel empowered just having an ARC to give away! Seriously, I'm smiling from ear to ear right now.

So come back tomorrow for your shot at winning an early copy of Dark Heirloom!

~*~*~

Dark Heirloom
Book 1 of the Ema Marx Novels

“You’re a vampire” is so not what Ema Marx wants to hear when she wakes from a two-day coma in a cryptic yet exquisite castle in northern Finland. Unfortunately, it explains a lot. Like why she’s able to see in the dark and walk through solid objects. What she doesn’t understand is why the other vampires expect her to have all the answers. It’s their fault she turned into one of them…right?

Jalmari’s hatred for his old-man intensifies when he’s ordered to bring that troublesome girl to their castle. He has a clan to run, there’s no time for babysitting newborn vampires no matter how they were converted to their culture. But when a two-thousand-year-old premonition threatens to take the crown and his life, Jalmari sees no other choice than to take out the catalyst. Ema Marx. Fortunately for Ema, she could also be the clan’s only savior.

The race to figure out her vampiric origins is on. And maybe she’ll get the hang of the blood-drinking gig along the way…

"A Little Extra" guest post by Charlene A. Wilson author of Cornerstone Deep

2012-02-13T00:01:00.002-06:00

My best friend, fan, and amazingly talented author, Charlene A. Wilson is back on my blog for the second time since 2010. Today she's sharing how she uses life's most simple inspirations to add that little extra "oomph" to her writing. The floor is yours, Charlene. Take it away...

That Little Extra

“It just came to me.” “My characters tell me what should happen in their story.” “I research and go with the facts.” Whatever the experience you have with your writing, there are always those little quirks, moments, tid-bits that you can add to your work that make it, and your characters, special to your reader. But, how do you come up with those individualizing parts to set your story apart from all the rest and make it memorable? After all, there are so many that are grumpy, sweet, motherly, work-hounds, cheeky…

For me, at times, everyday life brings me more inspiration than a dozen action adventures, sci-fi flicks, or romances. They just strike a chord and I’m like, “Whoa! Write that down. I’ll need that for later.” I don’t know how many times my daughters have had to put the “what happened at school today” on hold to rummage through the glove compartment for a notepad because something they said was perfect to use in a scene. They love to know they inspire. It’s like they’re a part of the writing process. One example of this? The words Cole spoke to Lord Dressen before he sends a ton of rock and asphalt to crush him. “Power precedes the fall.” My daughter was so excited that she forgot what she was telling me. Lol.

I served several years as a deputy in a detention center. Need I say more? Yeah. Talk about personalities and memorable moments.

Something else that I added that makes my characters stand out is something that I actually learned way back in my youth. And I think it’s become the most favorite extra of my heroes Cole, James, and Vincent. I knew I wanted them to have this amazing breath. One that made you go weak in the knees, want more, and was only meant for someone special. But what in the world would I call it? I couldn’t just all it their breath…how special is that? Then I remembered.

In High School, I had to memorize a piece for my literature class. It was the prelude to the Canterbury Tales. I've always loved this piece and the visual this particular passage paints.

       When in April the sweet showers fall
       And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all
       The veins are bathed in liquor of such power
       As brings about the engendering of the flower,
5     When also Zephyrus with his sweet breath
       Exhales an air in every grove and heath
       Upon the tender shoots, and the young sun
       His half-course in the sign of the Ram has run,
       And the small fowl are making melody
10   That sleep away the night with open eye

In Greek mythology, Zephyr was the god of the west wind. A Zephyr is also known as a sweet breeze. How perfect was that! It instantly became the name for this special breath of the men from the gifted plane, Meridian. The full prelude can be found here. I hope you enjoy it.

Never discount the experiences of your life to bring you that extra touch to your work. There’s magic in everything.

Cornerstone Deep Echoes (Book 2)

Mianna’s return heals Cole’s soul and he promises to follow her for the rest of his existence. But the past isn’t what he believes. The fight for her has only begun.

Lord Dressen’s obsession grows as unexpected knowledge is revealed. His search for Mianna has spanned six life times and he won’t give up now. The courts stand behind him. Power pulses through his veins. Determination peeks and not even Cole Shilo can stop him. He will win his prize.

Struggling to stay ahead, Cole’s anger explodes. Nothing is sacred when it comes to keeping his love—not even covenants made with gods. But, through all his efforts, lofty or damned, the truth remains. Will echoes of another life cause him to fail?

“Every breath you take is a song to my soul.”

Cornerstone Deep Echoes Excerpt
Chapter One

Exhaustion racked Cole’s body. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath to cleanse his lungs. The harm he’d caused Anna pulsed through his fatigued mind in fits of memory—distorted flashes that reminded him of the deceit, broken covenants, and ethereal anger. Pressing his palms onto his brow, his head sank deeper into the pillow. Did his actions really cost her soul six life times?

He dragged a hand down his face and blew air through his pursed lips. He’d bound her soul and even with his formidable skill with spells, he was unable to undo his wrong. Whatever cost Arylin saw fit to impose, he was grateful for the intervention. Only the Goddess of Love, with her boundless benevolence, would have found a way for them to continue their souls’ progression.

The God of Life’s fury rang in his ears as scenes of the night before haunted him. “You have defiled that which is sacred. No Meridian shall cause my child’s death without promise of rebirth. Griffin, I demand justice!”

His gaze returned to his love at his side and he listened to the sweet sound of her steady breathing. Strands of sleep-messed hair fluttered along the pillow each time she exhaled. Griffin, as God of Conformance, had every right to end him when Taravaughn called for justice. Surely, that was the desired punishment. To sentence him to serve her for the rest of her natural life only echoed Cole’s heart’s intent from the start.

As the morning sun’s light inched up the comforter’s patchwork pattern, he hitched his knee around her legs, forming his body to hers. For Arylin to return Anna’s soul to a previous life blessed them both beyond his dreams. It freed the binding and... He buried his face in her long waves and the scent of roses filled him. He had Mianna back.

“Mianna.” His whisper warmed his lips as it pooled against her neck.

She stirred and he pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Cole.” Her sleepy eyes fluttered open but closed as if her lids were too heavy. “Have you been awake long?”

He smiled as the sound of her voice dispelled his mind’s troubles. “A while. How are you feeling?”

Her hand lifted and she brushed his long hair with her fingers before resting it at her side. “So tired. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired.” Her soft voice turned to a mumble. “You couldn’t have given me a better wedding gift but,” she drew a deep breath, “what did it do to me? What does Unsigh mean?”

Cole blinked to the side. She doesn’t know what Unsigh means? He lifted his head to peer at her cherubic face. Did she say wedding gift? Realization flushed his senses. Arylin returned her memory to our wedding night. We truly are starting our life together over.

He pulled the comforter up to her chin and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Unsigh means one heart, my love. It joins our passion when you create the symbol and utter the spell. It’s an enchantment only you can call on.”

“Oh,” she breathed. “It’s amazing…really. It’s just…I’m so…” As she drifted back into sleep, Cole’s brow furrowed. Mianna’s spell had never caused her fatigue, not even when her soul called upon it in Anna’s lifetime.

A spray of sun’s rays pitched across his face as they hit the wide dresser mirror. With a scowl, he squinted at the glare and twitched his hand at the window. The crepe sheers whipped closed followed by a thick swish from the burgundy drapes. The room plunged into darkness. As his eyes adjusted, dim light from the vanity area competed with the beams’ peek through the gaps around the window coverings. He sighed and sat up, resting his arm on his knee.

Perhaps it was everything she’d been through and she just needed rest. She’d experienced more trauma in the last week than he had in the last twenty-five hundred years. Her life as Anna had hardly been easy—abandonment, loss, and then manipulated by a man whose attention she’d refused. He raked a hand over his scalp. Then to nearly lose her life while they tried to unbind her soul, only to be saved by grace at the price of six life times’ progression…

Cole gazed over at the petite form beside him. He shook his head and brushed the dark hair from her face. How could Anna’s features be so similar to Mianna’s? The gentle slope of her nose, the curve of her bowtie lips. He tilted his head and gently stroked her cheek with his finger. Or was it the love he held in his heart that colored his view? A smile blossomed from his lips and he leaned to her, touching his brow to hers. His black hair fell to the pillow like a sheet of satin, deepening the shadows. No matter the reason. He had her back. And he vowed to never lose her again.

About Charlene A. Wilson: A writer of paranormal romance, Charlene loves what magic can add to relationships. She currently lives in a small rural town in Arkansas and enjoys close family ties with her two beautiful daughters. Charlene’s interest in writing began in her early teens and she took any creative writing courses available. As she married and started a family, she had to set aside her writing and focus on the more pressing matters of job and family. Many of the attitudes and personalities woven into her characters were taken from those she worked with while serving as a Deputy at a large detention center. From kindness to bigotry, the variety of personal outlook was amazing. As time now affords her, she is able to pursue her love of writing and incorporates those experiences into some of her work.

Her first novel, Cornerstone Deep, was published in November 2010 by Class Act Books. Her second, Cornerstone Deep Echoes, was released February 2012, also by Class Act Books. The stories keep coming and she keeps typing. On to the next!

Visit Charlene A. Wilson at:

Ramblings and Worries and Hopes for the Furture

2012-01-24T12:54:00.000-06:00

The wait for Dark Heirloom is winding down, but my excitement is climbing! Trying to fill the void of time is a tricky task. It's easy to slip into new unnecessary projects and forget that the old projects will eventually come back to require your attention.

I've been working on Dark Heirloom for nearly three years now, including the publication process, which took one year. I'd set up a marketing foundation very early on - I have this blog, I have a website, a Facebook fan page, a Twitter profile, and LinkedIn account, and now a Triberr account... and most of them are just collecting dust, waiting to be used, or, like this blog, being filled with random thoughts and ideas as I sit here and wait.

There is SO much waiting.

Publication is like a rollercoaster. When the publisher has something for you to do (edits, galleys, cover art approval), I become high with excitement. I drop whatever I'm doing and crank out whatever work my publishers needs me to do with enthusiasm. And most of it I can do within a few hours to a couple of days.

Then it's back to waiting. For months, just....waiting.

Oh, I'll email them to see what the hell is up. But push all I want, I still just end up...waiting. Collecting dust. Wanting my baby out and day-dreaming of what the future holds for it.

But I have been keeping myself occupied. Besides being busy promoting my romance short stories, I've also be doing some reading - which never fails to remind me how much I love fiction and why I started writing in the first place. :)

But I've also been hard at work on Book 2, Dark Liaison. It feels strange, working ahead. Not that Dark Liaison is finished or anything - heck, I'm only half done writing the first draft. But it's odd because in my mind the story and characters are moving forward, growing, changing, developing, and all the while the world doesn't even know of their beginning yet.

There is a part of me that is glad I'll have most of the draft done before the first book releases so that my brain won't be muddled by thoughts from the fans - what they think should happen next.

And yet, there is also a part of me that wants to wait and see what people say about the first book. There is always room for improvement and I know someone at some point is going to pick apart Dark Heirloom and point out every single flaw. That's just what some people do for kicks or to vent - they rip apart other people's work.

Would you believe me if I said I used to go looking for those people? I used hand them an axe and my manuscript and beg them to go have at it. Why? Because I wanted to learn. I wanted to improve. I spent two years "perfecting" Dark Heirloom and am not at all disillusioned into thinking it's perfect now. It's not. But it is the best that I could do and it's a damn good book.

That's right. I believe in Dark Heirloom with all my heart and I'm proud of it. Proud of myself, more than anything. And I can't wait to dust off my website and polish off my many profiles so I can display my baby on them.

There is a lot of pressure to mold Dark Liaison into something even better, in a much shorter amount of time. I worry I'll fail. Not because I don't think my skills are strong enough, but because when you're an artist, there is an overwhelming urge to shove your fledgling out of the nest long before it's ready.

Before you're contracted, you're faced with rejections forcing you to take a second, third, fourth, fifth look at your work and admit that it's not ready yet, that it can be better and needs to be better.

But when you do have a contract and the rejection letters are very nearly eliminated, the responsibility of knowing - knowing, not just guessing or wanting our work to be done - falls onto us.

So my fear is that I'll make that mistake; that I'll get tired and fed up and overwhelmed with all the work (rewrite upon rewrite, five, six, seven drafts) and convince myself that it's "good enough" and then hand it into my publisher only to find later that it's not really ready yet - that it could have been so much better - and like a premature baby bird, it fell flat on it's face after I shoved it out of the nest to be gobbled up by the wolves.

It's always something.

Inverview with Anastasia V. Pergakis - Plus win a copy of "Cleans Fire"!

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

Today I’m interviewing my very best friend, beta reader, and fantasy author, Anastasia V. Pergakis. Say hello, Anastasia, how are you today?

AVP: Hello Anastasia! (hehehe) I'm doing well. Super excited to be here.

LOL, Mrs. Smarty Pants. I’m so thrilled to have you here. I’m really excited about your debut novel, Cleans Fire, Book 1 in the Kinir Elite series. Tell us what Cleans Fire is about and how long has it been out for? Who exactly are the Kinir Elite?

AVP: Cleanse Fire is a fantasy adventure novel, with edge-of-your-seat action. Epic battles, suspense, and a bit of romance too! Follow the Kinir Elite as they track down a traitor and find more than they bargained for.

Here is the back cover blurb:

Complete the mission, no matter what…

Captain Derac Vidor has served Kinir for nearly twenty years. It’s his life, his blood. And then his Commander betrays everything Derac holds dear. Now he has to focus on his own life and his team instead of saving the citizens of Kinir.

Treason is only the beginning…

Fueled by rage, the team chases the source to their Commander’s betrayal – a powerful wizard bent on revenge. The wizard seeks to destroy the Kinir Elite, in both mind and body. No place is safe, even among their allies.

The past holds the key…

Derac’s tragic past may be the key to saving the team. But can he face the gruesome nightmare in time?

~*~

The Kinir Elite are a special forces team of elves, like Delta Force or Navy Seals here in the US or the Special Air Service in the UK. I've had some readers even say the team reminds them of a police SWAT unit.

The Kinir Elite are seen as "super heroes" to young elves, much like Superman or Batman is in our world. They are the source of many bedtime stories and stories of their victories are retold around the dinner table. Well, the stories that the government allows everyone to know! Most of their missions are kept at top secret.

What was your inspiration for Cleans Fire, the story, the characters, and the world they live in?

AVP: Originally, I set out to write a story about my Dad's Army career. He served 20 years as Airborne Infantry and I wanted the world to know of his service. One page into writing it, I realized that I couldn't do it. Not only was I afraid to get facts wrong, but I also feared I would potentially offend a soldier with my work. So I shelved the story.

Then in 2009, I needed a new project for NaNoWriMo. I looked through my notes and ideas folder and rediscovered the story of my Dad. Half an hour before NaNo was to begin, the story just fell into place - just as a fantasy fiction tale, rather than a true account of my Dad's career. So, it's now a story in the point of view of the Kinir Elite, but I hope that the message of the dedication and sacrifice of a soldier still rings through.

Kinir is a completely fictional country in a fantasy world. How did you go about creating this word? How did you decide on the use of Latin words and the different gods your elves believe in? Did it take you a long time to set the scene?

AVP: No it didn't actually. Since it was for NaNo, I just sort of, wrote the story. At the time I didn't plan to ever publish it. I just needed a break from one of my other books and figured Cleanse Fire would just be a silly thing I wrote and nothing more. I wasn't until I picked up the book again years later, that I really began to pay attention to the details of the world. I had a few notes but nothing really substantial. Before I began to edit, I took that time to focus on the world building, something I would normally do before I ever wrote a story. But like I said, this was just something I wrote for NaNo at the time so I didn't put too much focus on world building anything.

It during that world building phase that I decided to use Latin - the original draft didn't have that in there at all. I wanted to give the elves, the entire world I created really, to have an air of "ancient" to them. That they had been around for a long while, thousands of thousands of years. I thought at first to make up their language from scratch. But, soon realized how daunting of a task that was. So I began looking at languages we have here on Earth for inspiration. Latin for us is ancient so to speak and the base of many of the languages we speak today. So, I thought, why not have that be the same for my elves and faeries and humans in my world? So that became their "ancient language", something universal that everyone could speak outside of their own culture's language. Also, during my research for the book, I researched military mottos and phrases - most of which were in Latin anyway. So it just fit to use Latin for this book too.

As for the gods and goddesses, that was just something that came out in the story. One of the characters, Tyn, is very spiritual and so he needed someone to pray to. I just made up a few to fit the characters and the situation. But, now that I'm working on the rest of the books in the series, I'll be fleshing that out more.

Did you always know you wanted to write fantasy, or how did you end up picking that genre? I ask because I know you’re a big fan of mystery novels too. *wink*

AVP: HAHA Yes, I'm a huge fan of mystery. I'm not sure what pulled me to fantasy. I've always loved science fiction, growing up watching Star Trek and things with my Dad. I know science fiction and fantasy have their differences but I think that initial love of Sci-Fi drew me to the genre. I do want to write science fiction one day. I think it really stems from childhood and reading faery tales. The magic just drew me in and it never let go. But it wasn't until I was an adult that I ever thought to actually write it. My very first novel actually was a mystery romance novel. Like you said, I love mystery novels and so I thought I'd write what I love to read. It didn't end well and I'm certain that story will never see the light of day again. Fantasy just seems to fit with my "head in the clouds" personality. But I can't really pinpoint EXACTLY when I knew or how I knew. I just did.

Now you’re a self-published author – what made you decided to go indie? What one thing about publishing do you think would be easier if had been picked up my a publishing house (if any)?

AVP: A lot of things went into my decision to go indie. Yes, money was a factor as was time. But really in the end, I think it just fit for me personally. I'm not against traditional publishing and I did try to submit to agents and publishers before I made my decision.

I was rejected in the past by agents and publishers with a different book and while it bothered me, it wasn’t devastating. With Cleanse Fire, I was gutted every rejection. For those months I was filled with a deep depression and had countless migraines. I think something was telling me this wasn't my path to take for as soon as I decided to self-publish, I felt better than I had in months.

Self-publishing isn't for everyone and I respect any authors’ decision whichever way they decide. It's hard to be published in any form as we all have to compete and yet support each other to make it in this industry. Traditional just wasn't for me.

I don't' think being traditional would be any easier either. I mean, sure, being indie does mean that some reviewers out there won't touch my book at all no matter how good it is just because I'm indie, but my marketing and promotion efforts are exactly the same. I haven't done anything differently than I would have if I traditionally published. I feel I have a little more control over it than traditionally published authors, since I can play around with price or change my cover art whenever I feel I should, but outside of that, nothing is different in my thinking.

With a three-year-old toddler on top of all the self-reliance and work that goes into self-publication, how do you manage to stay afloat? What’s your schedule like?

AVP: I drink a lot of caffeine and I lose a lot of sleep! It's hard, don’t' get me wrong. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on my family. It's a delicate balancing act for sure. My house isn't the cleanest and the laundry piles up before I realize it needs to be done. But, it's my life and I wouldn't change it for anything.

My husband supports me as much as he can. He works full time, allowing me to stay home, but he knows what it takes for me to make it in this industry and tries his best to help. Whether that is promoting my book himself, or just giving me some quiet time to write, or even just letting me sleep in, he's wonderful at supporting my dreams. I don't think I could do it without his help honestly.

What one tip or word of advice would you give other moms who are struggling to find the time to write a book?

AVP: Don't stress! I don't write everyday. Sometimes I don't even write every week. But, I do write. I write after my son is asleep. I write when my husband takes him to the store. I do my promotion then too. Multitasking is my best friend! I can do laundry while I'm checking email, I can plan the next scene as I'm cooking lunch or picking up toys. I've fallen in love with things like Tweetdeck where I can schedule posts ahead of time. I get the presence online I need without having to spend the entire day right there, writing up tweets. I always try to find ways to get more done in less time - and ultimately, have more time with my family. Like I said, the laundry piles up, the dishes don’t get washed everyday, and some weeks I'm sure my husband hates sleeping alone. But it's important not to stress. The dishes will get done, the laundry too. And my husband knows I'll make it up to him later. Stressing over that stuff just stops all my work dead in its tracks and nothing is ever accomplished.

Can you share or give us a little sneak preview of Book 2 in the Kinir Elite series? Do you have any other projects in the works right now that we can expect out soon? Tell us about them.

AVP: Book 2 in the series is titled Blood Trade. This one goes deeper into who the Kinir Elite are, and where they came from, than Cleanse Fire does. Really gets into how they are trained. The Army and the Kinir Rangers are introduced and play a crucial role in this story, as it takes the entire Army this time to beat the enemy they face. I've brought in a new race of creatures, the Vaxies. They are essentially vampire pixies! I won't tell more, leave a little surprise, but the Vaxie Army presents a huge tactical problem for Kinir as their battle strategies are unlike anything the Elite has faced before in their career. Here is the blurb I've written for this so far:

A traitor still lives…

Captain Derac Vidor thought the traitorous reign of his Commander was over. But when someone attacks Kinir City, he begins to have doubts. The traitor found new allies - a hungry race of creatures whose only need is blood.

The land turns red…

The Vaxies prove to be more than Kinir can handle. Their swarm decimates any one and any thing in their path. There is no escape, no where to hide. The entire country is bleeding.

Their list of allies grows thin…

Derac and the team turn to an unlikely source for help, someone who once tried to kill them. But will it be too late to make a difference for Kinir?

And I do have another unrelated book, I hope to have out this year as well. Ryn's Quest is a YA fantasy novel about a girl that goes on a dangerous journey to rescue her brother from the ruthless Zissex - snake people. Of course, with a hyper active pink dragon as her best friend, crazy things are bound to happen.

Quickie Quiz:

1. Tea, coffee, or soda? Pepsi

2. Walk on the beach or hike through the mountains? Walk on the beach…at sunset.

4. Train or airplane? Train

5. Bus or subway? Umm…motorcycle? car?

6. Comedy movie or romance? Romance, I guess.

7. Horror movie or action? Action!

8. Fantasy movie or suspense? Fantasy.

9. Flowers or jewelry? Flowers -- red roses

10. Swimming pool or ocean? Ocean

11. Favorite color? Black

12. Favorite animal? Dragon…or for more realistic, panther

13. Favorite candy? I have to pick just one!?

14. Favorite place to go to for ‘me’ time? My imagination.

15. One title you’re looking forward to reading the most in 2012? Dark Heirloom and Cornerstone Deep Echoes!

And finally, where can readers find you on the web, and where can they buy a copy of Cleans Fire?

Purchase Cleanse Fire

Join the Kinir Brigade by signing up for our newsletter! Get exclusive deals, access to special giveaways, and inside information about the series! Join the Kinir Brigade now and receive the first five chapters in your email! And don't forget to visit our Facebook Page and Website too!

~ * ~ * ~

GIVEAWAY

I’m giving away an e-copy of Cleanse Fire! Leave a comment on this post to enter into the random drawing. I'll draw the names at the end of my tour, January 31, 2012. If you want more chances to win a copy, visit our website to follow our tour! The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win!

All commenters will also be added to the drawing for a chance to win a signed hard cover. Drawing for the hardcover will be on January 31, 2012, the end of my tour.

You can also get more chances to win by tweeting or posting on facebook! Just leave a link to the tweet or post in a comment below!

**All Winners will be announced on the Kinir Elite Website on February 1st**

Thanks so much for hanging out at my blog today, Anastasia. *Hugs*

My pleasure! Thanks for having me. *Hugs*

Living Inside the Publish Box Part 2:The Good, The Bad, and the Editing

2011-12-19T16:42:00.001-06:00

Hello again,

In case you missed my last Living Inside the Publish Box post, here’s a short recap: L.I.T.P.B. is a short series of blog posts I wanted to write about what the publishing process is like – to give striving writers an inside peek so they/you know what to expect once you finally get that acceptance letter – and also so you can better decided if a small-press/ePublisher is right for you (since that is the view point I’m writing these posts from).

The first L.I.T.P.B. was back in November when I talked about the contract and the many forms to fill out. I promised I would blog about the editing process next which, I swear to gods, I AM going to do. Today. Right now.

Now, guys, I’ve been trying to write this post for the past month and a half and just couldn’t get the words out right and I know it’s because of two reasons. Number 1 – When you get right down to it, editing with a professional editor is just like having your manuscript critiqued by your beta readers. You know; they point out mistakes and give some insight and advice, you make changes if you agree with them or ignore them if you don’t. It’s essentially really that simple. Number 2 – Just like beta readers, working with a professional editor is…well…it’s bittersweet.

Carrie and Val, if you ladies ever read this post, I love you! I really do! :D

Okay, lets back up a sec and look at the mechanics of the process first.

All publishers have a number of editors working under them. Some publishers will assign one editor to a manuscript while other publishers like to assign two – one for content edits and one for line edits. My publisher likes to use two and I’m supper grateful for that they do. The more eyes your manuscript goes through, the more mistakes are caught and corrected.

Anyways…you’ll always start with content edits. The content editor will go through your MS and suggest changes or make comments in the margin about the larger details such as POV issues or inconsistencies with details or information, etc. They may also do a light comb-through for spelling, grammar, or formatting but the emphasis in this stage is on the story, scenes, characters, setting, and dialogue.

I want to point out and emphasis that the editor makes SUGGESTIONS. The editors are technically legally NOT allowed to actually change a single letter in your manuscript without your consent. And trust me – you DO have power here. Remember this for later, I’m going to come back to it…

Depending on the length and complexity of your MS, you and the content editor may go over the MS many times before both of you are satisfied.

You might have questions. You might want an explanation for why they suggested you make a certain change…and you CAN ASK THEM. Don’t fear your editor. These people are your friends, I assure you!

At the VERY LEAST, they want your book to succeed so they can get paid. LOL. And mistakes reflect badly on also THEM, and your publisher. So ask away.

Once content edits are done, you’ll move onto line edits. Now if your publisher only uses one editor for both of these, you may end up doing content and line edits all in one lump. My publisher likes to divide and conquer. Unfortunately, this means there is a lot of waiting in line for your turn with your with either editor. It may be a few months before you hear from him or her, depending.

Anyway…line edits are when you get into the real dirty work…the real nitty gritty picky stuff…grammar, spelling, word choice, punctuation, proper use of quotation marks…I mean you wouldn’t believe how much they’ll pick apart your every word.

I’ll give you a real personal example; in one paragraph I had wrote that the main character was going to take a shower and then proceeded to have the character get into the tub and lie down in the water. My line editor pointed out that “shower” really should have been “bath” since my character laid down in the tub. *Eye roll*snort* Yeah, yeah, I changed it.

Again, depending how long and complex your MS is, you may go through line edits several times, making sure you caught everything. It’s ideal to READ THROUGH your MS word for word in case you catch a mistake that your editor(s) missed. Oh yeah, it DOES happen. In fact, it happens a lot. No one’s perfect. So do not just skim through and pay attention to only the things your editor pointed out, or you risk still having a few mistakes in your finished product!

(Yes, you’ll get one more chance to make corrects in the galley, but that’s for another post. In the meantime, why wait?)

Adding a blurb for a sequel: If you KNOW you’re going to write a sequel for the current MS (and hopefully you already started working on it) it’s a good idea to write up a catchy blurb for your sequel and include it at the end of your MS to entice readers to look out for more coming soon. Be sure to have the title ready too! Ask you content editor early on what the proper procedure is for adding the blurb. Often times they’re even willing to help you write something catchy (such a relief, right? Blurbs are hard sometimes).

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is pretty much how the editing process goes! After this is the Cover Art stage! A very exciting time, indeed!

I know you’re probable thinking “Why was that so hard to write?” Well it wasn’t! I didn’t write the hard part of this post yet. Remember earlier how I said the editing process is bittersweet? Well you can guess the SWEET part – a PROFFESSIONAL is working on your book instead of some wannabe stuffy column writer telling you how to write your book… :D

The BITTER part is the fact that…sometimes…okay, a LOT of times…your editor is going make a suggestion and you’re not quite sure if you agree with it or not. You’re on the fence, 50/50, and your panicking. Heck, even when you disagree 100% with something they say, you may STILL have that panic attack. You know the one I’m talking about – it’s same rage of initial defense you used to get the first few times you sent your MS out to your crit group and were shocked beyond words that they didn’t think it was PERFECT. And then you had that internal argument with yourself – you know, the one where your BRAIN says you should take their advice and just change the damn thing, but your HEART knows it’s wrong – that one.

We authors like to believe we’re professional. We like to believe we have skin and balls made of steel. But it’s a lie. We’re mushier than pudding and we don’t take criticism well and we’re extremely easy to piss off when you’re talking about our babies…err…I mean our manuscripts!

I pity the poor editors who accidently cross that line – and it DOES happen. And I do believe it’s and ACCEDENT more often than not. Even though I’ve wanted to gouge some eyes out myself in the past…ahem…Have I mentioned I love my editors?

For those of you who really don’t take criticism well and are dreading the editing process, or maybe even had a bad experience already, all I can do is offer you the following consolations:

1. Believe it or not, the editors ARE your friends. They DO care about your book and want what’s best for it.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Sometimes understanding WHY your editor suggests a change makes a huge difference.

3. TALK IT OUT. Don’t just assume your editor is dumb or evil. If they insist on a change and you feel very strongly against it, try explaining WHY you think it’s wrong. If they still insist, it’s OKAY to put your foot down and say NO. They can’t make any changes without your consent!

4. Do remember your editor is a professional. They’re only trying to do their job – and it’s your job to give serious consideration to everything they say to make your book the best it can be. Don’t expect your MS to comeback with little to no corrections. Don’t reject everything just because you think your MS is perfect the way it is. It’s not.

5. It is NOT the editor’s job to suggest you change or rewrite large chunks of your story. And by LARGE CHUNKS, I mean a whole scene or chapter or anything bigger. If your MS needs major rewrites like that, then it shouldn’t be getting published yet!!! Rewrites are a sign your book isn’t done or ready!

6. It’s also NOT the editor’s job to change your voice/style, nor the voice of your characters. Be wary though, this doesn’t include such things that might cause issues in formatting. For example, if you like to use italics and exclamation points in excess and have a lot of single-sentence paragraphs, be prepaid to change most of them. That’s not style, that’s formatting and is unprofessional looking in print and on screen.

7. “You know what’s best for your book” is still true! Don’t lose sight of the point of your story and don’t feel guilty if you disagree with your editor. This is your baby going out to the world, be proud. :)

For my next L.I.T.P.B. post – I’ll talk about the joys of cover art! And the more messy aspect of filling out the cover art form…and the even MORE messy topic of not driving your cover artist crazy…

Until next time, enjoy your holidays!

J.D. Brown

Edits and Hopes for the Future

2011-11-26T05:41:00.000-06:00

Image found at fanpop.com

I’m just tossing a quick update on here. I haven’t added a new post since the beginning of the month, but I feel like so much has happened since then.

First off, I hope everyone had a terrific Thanks Giving and enjoyed their family and some good food. I know I did though a couple family members had to miss out this year because of work, but we all need money, right?

Second, I’ve reached what feels like another milestone in my new writing career. The day before Thanks Giving, my awesome line editor, Val, and I officially finished all the edits for my upcoming novel, Dark Heirloom. And it dawned on me that I am like really, really completely done with edits. I had two short stories done pretty much one right after the other and then Dark Heirloom, and now all three are complete and there’s nothing left to correct. It’s just…wow, ya know? To be able to sit back and realize how far I’ve come and that I’m really past the finish line. It’s exhilarating, to say the least.

Plus I’m starting to feel a little famous. More and more people come up to me and ask me how my writing’s going or they just start talking about vampires. They always catch me off guard too, lol. Like, it will be someone I know, a friend of the family or something, but I never would have guessed that they liked to read or that they liked vampires. But it’s cool all the same. I’m happy to comply even if my cheeks blush bright red (I’m so not use to being in the lime light).

I am working on writing the sequel to Dark Heirloom. Now that I don’t have to take giant pauses to edit, I’m able to really focus on continuing the story and I’m very excited. I’m nervous too, of course. I really hope people read Dark Heirloom when it comes out in March and that they like it and want to read the second novel.

Working with a publisher and professional editors and all that is very exciting. It’s also a learning experience for me. I’m not completely new to the process, since I have three titles with them now, but it’s still a lot to learn and a lot to perfect I guess. I came into the biz knowing nothing about it and being self-taught and taking workshops and just learning from what other authors tell me. But it’s a blast and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else, so I’m really hopeful that this works out and can continue to be a full time career for me. I guess we’ll see. :-)

Happy Holidays,

J.D. Brown

Living Inside the Publish Box: The First Few Days

2011-11-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello awesome reader people. :)

Okay, so I promised all of you I would eventually come back and share what it’s like on the inside. Yes, I am published, and yes, it really is as grand as you imagine it to be. Mostly. Sort of. It is…but it’s not over-night riches and limousines and parties with Paris Hilton. Sorry to burst your bubble.

But it’s still really freakin’ cool!

Now if you’re a long-time fan of this blog, then you already know how I like to blog about all the stuff I learn about the writing industry as I experience it – the lessons I’ve learned, mistakes I hope to avoid in the future, my hopes and dreams for success, my plans of attack – I share them all with you in hopes that it will make YOUR journey a little bit smoother.

If you frequent this blog, you may remember a series of blog posts I wrote called “Thinking Outside the Query Box” that broke down the query letter process step by step. Over the next week or two, I’m going to write a new series of blog posts called “Living Inside the Publish Box” that breaks down the publishing process.

So to start things off…I want to talk a little bit about the contract and other forms you can expect to receive right away. But first, I need to give you guys a disclaimer…

My blogs are based on my own experiences. All claims and opinions are my own and do not express the opinions of my publisher or other authors associated with said publisher. I was not asked to write about my publisher, nor am I being paid to do this.

That being said…I think I should also tell you that my publisher is a small e-book publisher that also offers print-on-demand for select titles. The publishing process I am about to explain is probably not a very accurate account of how the big fish in New York handle things. It is also not at all how self-publishing works. Pfft. LOL.

But after chatting with my author friends, it seems it’s a pretty fair account of how small publishers work in general. The details may be different, but the over-all process is similar.

Okay…let’s get to it.

The Contract.

A lot of power goes into those two little words, right? It’s like signing over your soul for immortality. Who the hell cares about the fine print, you’re about to be immortal anyways, right? And they give you the damn thing either WITH, or immediately after the acceptance letter, which I think is just cruel! We’re too high from the buzz of our dreams FINALLY coming true to read over a serious business contract like that!

And guys…it really is a SERIOUS. BUSINESS. CONTRACT. And it should be treated as one.

So, give yourself a few days to come down from your “I’m King of the World!” high, and then read over each word of the contract very carefully and make sure you understand everything. After you’ve read it once, read it again tomorrow. Then read it a third time. Everything still clear, or do you have questions? Let someone you trust read it, like a spouse or parent or a lawyer friend. They’ll be far less clouded by the bias “I am awesome” high and will be able to see any red flags you may have missed.

Do not be afraid to take your time. Somewhere in the contract, it will say you have X number of months to sign and return the contract. I doubt it will take you MONTHS to decide – but the point is you do have time.

Do not be afraid to ask any questions. No question is dumb, but YOU are a dummy for not asking. If you agree to work with these people, you will be agreeing to give them rights and control over your book. You’ll be working with them for next few years. So…if these people can’t answer your questions clearly and make you feel comfortable, what are they going to be like when you hand over your precious baby to them?

You are not really signing over your soul! Nor should you sign over complete control of your book! Do you understand what you are agreeing to? In general:

The contract you sign should only apply to the book you queried – it should NOT apply to the sequel, the series, or any other book you write in the future. Each separate title should have a separate contract, with a few exceptions for series…
The contract should not own the rights to your characters. YOU should own those rights. You are the author, you should have the decision to kill off all your characters when and how you want. You should be able to use them however you see fit.
The average contract is three years long. Some are shorter, some are longer. There are pros and cons to having a shorter contract. The main pro is that if something goes wrong and you decide to leave that publisher, you won’t have to wait as long to get your rights back for your book. This can also be useful if you are planning to build your way up to the big NY houses. Once your contract is up, you can opt to pull you book and re-query it. The main con is that after your contract is up, your publisher is NOT obligated to renew the term if they don’t want to.

Contracts that are longer than three years are usually something you want to avoid just in case you end up hating the publisher you’re with. Once you’re locked in, your only way out is through a lawyer.
With a series of books, or even with just a sequel, most publishers require that they get the first cut. This means that if you write a sequel, you HAVE to submit it to this publisher first. Usually your contract will tell you that they have X number of days to accept or deny the manuscript before you may begin submitting it to other publishers. Again, this might not seem like a big deal – But I’ve heard of several horror stories in which authors felt trapped by this because they were at odds with their publisher and wanted to leave. This should ONLY apply to series books that continue the plot of the originally contracted story. It should NOT apply to stand alone novels with a separate plot, set of characters, etc.
Your contract will outline a bit of what you can and cannot do in terms of marketing. For example, my publisher has a limit of 10 free copies per year to be used as promotional giveaways. Are you cool with that? Make sure you’re familiar with these guidelines and that they are not too restrictive. Marketing is the most difficult part of being published. You want some leeway to be able to do some out-of-the-box self-promotions.
On average, royalties are about 40% for e-books and 30% for print books. Sometimes they are little higher for e-books and little lower for print books. Steer clear of anything that seems outrages. You deserve to be compensated for your work. Don’t ever let anyone try to convince you otherwise. Really read the fine-print here (like I had to tell you that). Your contract should describe in detail how the royalties are divided, how often you will receive a statement and when (usually quarterly), how soon you will be paid after receiving said payment, how you will be paid (some publishers pay you through Paypal. Are you okay with using a paypal account?), if there is a minimum dollar amount you must earn before you receive your payment (a twenty-dollar minimum is common), etc.
If your publisher is an e-book publisher that only offers print to select titles (like mine) and you have your heart set on seeing your book in print – make sure you understand how their selection process works. Furthermore, take the time to think about whether you want to give this company rights to both book formats. Read the fine print on your contract. Do the rights include both formats or are they handled separately? Do the rights CHANGE at all if your book is printed? What about your royalties? If you are thinking about self-publishing a print copy or publishing the print format elsewhere, make sure you discuss it with your current publisher. Ask about ISBN numbers, cover art, copy rights, etc. In most cases, the responsibility will be on you to keep everything separate. It will be almost like having two different books. You may decide it’s not worth it and give your publisher rights to both formats and that’s fine, but it is something to think about.

The Other Forms:

In addition to the contract, they like to toss a few other forms at you with little to no explanation of what they’re for or how they should be filled out. I’m laughing at myself while writing this, remembering how perplexed I was when I looked over these forms with a giant question mark floating over my head. Different publishers have different names for these forms, but my publisher likes to call them The Author Bio form and The CA form. Basically they are forms asking for information such as your pen name, your contact info, author bio, book title, book blurb, book tag line, genre, warnings (such as adult content warnings), etc. This info is used to set up your author profile on your publisher’s website and, later, on your book. For my publisher, this is NOT the end-all info that goes in your book…we have a separate form for that at the very end of the process to fill out an make everything final…BUT, every publisher is different, so ASK just in case.

Some things I wish I knew ahead of time about these forms that I’m going to share with you now:

Author Bio – This does not have to be the same condensed crap you wrote in your query letter. Future potential readers are going to see this, so take the time to write up a good bio worth reading. Feel free to expand and connect to your readers a bit.
Tag Line – This is not the tag line you’ve learned to associate with your book’s pitch. Not really, anyway. The tag line is a sentence or two that customers see when browsing your publisher’s online bookstore. So yes, it should be something catchy and intriguing. But you can have some fun with this and get creative. It doesn’t have to be as painful as the ones you may have wrote in the past when you were trying to impress agents.
Book Blurb – Again, breath! You’re IN, you’re no longer trying to impress an agent or editor. The Book Blurb is NOT the same as your query pitch. This is the real honest-to-God back cover blurb of your book. You need to switch your thinking to impressing your new readers. Who is your target market? Write a blurb for THEM. If you love your query pitch and you think it works, by all means use it. Just know that you don’t HAVE to. You can write something new for this if you want. I did. I hated my query. I love my new blurb.
The Dedication and Acknowledgments – This step is usually optional, but it’s always a good idea to thank the people who helped you along the way. My publisher actually gives this to us at the end of edits and I make sure to thank my editors by name.
The Excerpts – This is another one we normally do after the edits are done so there are no mistakes in the excerpts. My publisher ask us for a short (200 words) and long (1000 words) excerpt. Take some time to think about which scene or chapter is really appropriate here. You want to lure in browsing readers with something catchy. If you think chapter one is too weak, then don’t use chapter one. But don’t go too deep into the story either. Remember, the reader doesn’t know your characters yet. Keep a clear image of your genre and your target audience in mind. If your genre is horror, it is NOT a good idea to post the one steamy make-out scene in your book in hopes of catching a few romance fans. Really.

Know that nothing is set in stone until your book is published and released to the masses. You CAN email your publisher to have these items changed. However, your publisher is a very busy person, so be courteous of their time. Take your time and put in some real thought into filling out these forms. There is usually not a time limit for this step and it’s better that you spend a few days thinking about it then having to email your publisher over and over to make changes.

The CA Form – AKA The Cover Art Form

Publishers have all different ways of handling cover art. I’m so serious; I really mean they are ALL DIFFERENT. The cover is the one process that seems to vary the most from publisher to publisher. My publisher handles this part of the process by giving us a very simple CA form that asks for a short synopsis of the book as well as the genre and any themes associated with the story. This is to give the cover artist some ideas for images to look for to get started. Later in the process…much, much, much later…like that last friggen step…we are asked to fill out a second form with more specific details about the hero and heroine and what we would like to see on the cover. We’ll cover this part of the process in greater detail in another post.

Moving On…

Let’s assume you’re super happy with your choice, you’ve signed the contract, you’ve filled out all the forms, you’ve emailed them all back to your publisher. Now what??

You WAIT.

I’m not kidding. You wait, and wait, and wait. You’re going to get frustrated with all the waiting. You’re going to think they forgot about you and your manuscript. You’re going to think the whole thing was a big joke or a scam. You might even start to believe it was all just a dream…

Well it wasn’t a dream and they didn’t forget about you, I promise. Here’s the thing; your publisher didn’t sign a contract with you because they were running out of books to publish. Pffft. On the contrary, they probably had about 100 manuscripts on the list when they sent your acceptance letter. You’re number 101 and you have to wait your turn just like everybody else. Publishers always have more books in cue then they have editors or cover artist. So be patient! And for the love of god, please don’t try to take the spot light away from others by emailing your publisher ten times a day to let them know you are still waiting to get started. THEY KNOW.

Besides, there is a lot of stuff you should be doing while you wait like…………..

Getting familiar with your publisher’s Yahoo group (or other author and reader groups).
Meeting and chatting with the other authors who are also published with your publisher. These are some of the best and most helpful people you’ll ever meet. They can answer any questions you have and help get you acquainted. Often times they’ll even toss some awesome marketing ideas your way too.
Get familiar with your publisher’s blog. Some publishers let their authors guest post on their blog. Volunteer to write a guest post and introduce yourself and your book. Start a buzz.
Volunteer for events your publisher may be hosting.
Network. Add the authors you’ve just met to your facebook, twitter, linkedin, google plus, etc.
Set up a media kit. You’ll be getting a large amount of info about you book in the coming months that you’ll want to keep in a handy spot to refer to later for book tours, review requests, etc.
Set up a website. If you already have a website, update it! Announce to the world that they’ll be able to buy your book soon! Do the same with your blog and other networking sites.
Start thinking/planning how you will market your book. Write down a plan or outline. If you need to research something, do it now. Have everything set up and ready to go so you’re not floundering around on release day.
Write your next book!!! It’s important to remember that above all else, it’s the author’s job to keep writing, to keep producing new books. The one-hit-wonder isn’t going to get very far.

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this starting post and got a small taste of what goes down after the acceptance letter. The next post will talk about Content Edits, working with a professional editor, what their job is, and what their job is NOT.

If you have any questions about any part of the publishing process, especially if it pertains to e-book or print-on-demand publishers, please ask me! I think it will make these posts even better if I can answer your questions. And if I don’t know the answer, I know plenty of people who probably DO. I would be more than happy to ask them.

~ J. D. Brown

author of the Dark Heirloom series

www.authorjdbrown.com

Guest Blogger M. Pax talks about the Key Element in All Fiction

2011-10-10T00:00:00.001-05:00

To day I have a very special guest post by a friend and co-blogger. Please give a warm welcome to Sci-Fi author, M. Pax.

~***~

Love is a Key Element in All Fiction

Thank you so much, JD, for hosting me today. I love being here, and that’s what I’m going to talk about today. Love.

Whether burning for another or for some cause, I find love an essential element to a main character and a story. I want to see the hero or heroine stand up and fight at some point, whether it’s for love, for a way of life, for the vulnerable or sick, for their own sanity or well-being, I want to see the main character fight for it.

I admire people in real life who stand up and give voice to what they believe. Even if I don’t agree with them, I admire them for having the bravado to speak their minds and live according to their principles.

I believe the main ingredient in courage and conviction of any type is love. The character must be so passionate about what it is she/he is fighting for that he/she is willing to risk everything to preserve or save it. What is risked can run the gamut from reputation, to loss, to death to the end of existence for a world.

So even if a writer doesn’t write romance, I believe love must run through the story in some way. It is a key motivator, an impetus, an issue which can gum up the works. Love can play so many roles in the lives of our characters in so many ways.

Leda fights for the continued existence of her world in Semper Audacia. Her people are losing the war. She’s the last soldier left and it’s up to her to make the last stand. For her people, her world, the dead friends she fought beside and the man she loved, she gives this last fight her all. Semper Audacia is an ebook, a space opera novelette, available for 99 cents from Amazon and Smashwords.

More links for other ebookstores can be found at www.mpaxauthor.com and on my blog, Wistful Nebulae: http://mpaxauthor.blogspot.com

How have you used love in your work?

Thanks so much for being with us today, M. Pax, and good luck with Semper Audacia.

About M. Pax: Inspiring the words I write, I spend my summers as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory in stunning Central Oregon where I live with the husband unit and two loving cats. I write speculative fiction mostly and have a slight obsession with giant, man-eating reptiles and Jane Austen. I know, they don’t really go together, but it’d be interesting to insert Godzilla in the middle of Pride & Prejudice.

Watch the book trailer for Semper Audacia here:

My Heart is Full of Vampires aka Taking a Stand for the Undead

2011-09-25T21:22:00.000-05:00

Epidemics like True Blood and Twilight have some people scratching their heads and wondering where the heck vampires took the turn from being horror monsters to sparkly boyfriends.

Most of those confused souls are male.

We women get it.

Men of the world, the allure of the sexual vampire is nothing new. For me, it started in the 90's with two vampires named Lestat and Louie and an author named Anne Rice. Yes, Rice was darker and more adult than Meyer, but honestly, every female from the 90's drooled over Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt on that faithful day when Interview with Vampire hit the screen. For others, it was Bram Stoker's Dracula (yes, that was a love story, people).

So what is it that draws women by the hordes, flushed and panting, into to arms of an undead creature that want's nothing more than to rip out our jugular vein? - Well...that's exactly it... they want to kill us, but they don't. Instead, they fight and rise up against their monster nature to be something more. Our protectors, our lovers. What the hell is sexier than that? Women love to think they can tame a wild man. Break the Stallion, win the undead heart of a vampire.

In two simple words, it's the forbidden love. FORBIDDEN. LOVE.

We are all Eve at our core, we all want to taste the apple. And I mean that in a good way.

The bite of a vampire itself is sexual. The exposed, delicate flesh of the neck, the peek of cleavage not far below. As the vampire leans over her flesh and gazes over the mounds of her breast, he can see the plans of her abs, all the way down to were her crotch would be under the layers of lace. Chills bring goosebumps and a hint of color to her skin as his teeth scrape against her. Her heart races. Each pull of the vein rocks her forward, closer to the vampire. A second desire soon burns inside as his hands clamp hard around her shoulders.

Vampires are immortal. Their love is immortal.

Vampires are strong, wise, and don't take shit from others. They are alphas.

Vampires are creatures of the night. They're dark, mysterious, bad, and thrilling.

The glitter might be a fad, but vampires are not. Vampires are classic, timeless and truly immortalized in the hearts of human women.

If you like vampire romance, come pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of coffee and lets chat. By the way, did you see the season finale of True Blood? Oh my word!

And because I am feeling excited for my up-coming vampire series, here's a chapter out of the first book titled Dark Heirloom: An Ema Marx Novel (due March 2012).

~*~*~*~

Rage blurred my vision as I carried Leena’s body into the forest. I gently laid her on a bed of pine needles and knelt beside her. I pushed her midnight-black hair from her face and gazed upon her body.

My jaw clenched at the sight of the wounds on her chest. They looked a day old even though the terrible incident couldn’t have happened more than an hour ago. My head spun. That fucking demon fed on her essence and then left her to bleed to death before her body had a chance to heal.

She was so cold. So cold and … I didn’t want to think the rest even though the word presented itself in my mind. Gone.

I pounded my fist into the earth. “It’s not fucking fair, damn it. Do you hear me? It’s not fucking fair!”

My hands wrapped around a tree trunk. I ripped it out of the ground and hurled it into the air. Before it landed, I had my fists on another log and flung it over the cliff. Pebbles and dirt sprayed across the forest. Wood chips exploded as the first tree came crashing down. “Why’d you do it, Leena? I asked you to trust me. You’re so stupid, you know that?”

I kicked the trunk of a thick pine tree until it splintered. The ground trembled on impact as the tree fell over. I fell to my knees panting.

A hand rested on my shoulder. Maria’s gentile voice spoke behind me. “Your Majesty, it’s time to go.”

“Fuck you,” I spat. “Leave me to die.”

I held Leena’s lifeless hands and kissed the tops of them, willing her to come back to me. She had figured it out. She tried to save me and this was what I had to show for my own stupid selfish behavior. If only I had told her the truth.

Maria pulled me away from the body.

“She’s dead ….”

“There, there.” Maria embraced me, cradling my head against her abdomen. I gripped her blouse with my fists and pressed my face against her. I tried to hold back, but couldn’t resist any longer. My chest heaved and I sobbed tearlessly against Maria’s blouse.

“You must be strong, Jalmari. She went through all that trouble to save you. It was the last thing she did, and she did it for you. Now you must go on for her. You’ll see her again, when your time comes.”

I wanted my time to come now. A vampyre’s life was much too long. I pushed myself up and wiped my nose why my sleeve.

Maria brushed my hair out of my eyes with her fingers. “Are you well enough to see your father? He’s been wanting to speak to you.” She smiled as if his return was an ordinary thing.

“Before dawn.” I agreed.

She nodded and then returned to the castle, leaving me to mourn alone.

I set to work gathering a thick pile of pine needles. Then I gathered sticks, branches, and whatever remains of the trees I had broken. I lay the wooden pieces length-wise to create a platform on top of the bed of needles. With a heavy heart, I picked up Leena’s body and laid it on the funeral pyre.

I bowed my head and squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them again, heat stung my vision. It was the closest a vampyre would ever come to really crying.

“My darling,” my voice cracked as I struggled against the lump in my throat. “I never got to tell you how much I love you. All these years and decades. I wanted to … I wanted to marry you, Leena. I wanted to make you my bride. My wife. A mother. To die beside you … I … I was such a coward.”

A cold frost warped my heart as memories of Leena flashed before my eyes. This was all her fault. If I hadn’t let that rat into our lives … if he hadn’t forced me … If I had listened to Leena …. Oh Leena, oh no ….

The sun peaked over the horizon. I sucked in a deep breath and exhaled while rubbing my forehead. I unsheathed my dagger and laid it in between Leena’s breast. I took her hands and folded them over the hilt. Reaching into my pants pocket, I pulled out my brother’s lighter and lit it.

“Wait for me in Tuonela, my love. I won’t be long.” I set fire to the pyre and waited a moment to watch the blaze erupt. Sighing, I faced the castle and phased my body.

My father may have gotten his wish, but I knew I was still of value to him. Times have changed drastically since he was king. The Council would not welcome his return. I used this knowledge to propel myself forward. I turned my heartache into rage and used it to fuel my determination.

I materialized just inside my office. The darkness was almost pitch-black. Plywood covered the window to protect my father’s delicate skin from the rising light. He sat in my armchair, behind my desk, in my fucking castle. He was no longer a skeleton. He had transformed back into his broad, brut self, the cup of blood in his right hand helped him quickly recover his strength. Maria stood in her place to the left of my father. For as long as he was alive, she would be doomed to serve him.

He gazed at me with piercing red eyes, disappointment evident. I didn’t care. I would not recoil. I would hold my ground like an equal. His voice was cold and he clicked his long fingernails along the mahogany desk top.

“Anger is good for you, my son, but you must use it wisely. Do not be a fool and allow yourself to become drunk with freedom.”

“Freedom is a lie.”

His lips curled in amusement as he sipped his drink. Maria immediately refilled his glass. Apollyon grimaced at her. I knew he was disgusted to receive his meal from a blood bank instead of a freshly slaughtered body.

“You wanted to speak with me,” I coaxed.

“I was not expecting to awaken so soon. I have much to discuss with you --”

“You have three minutes.”

He frowned and narrowed his eyes. “These things I plan take time. Despite your complete lack of worthiness, you are the only capable heir to the things I wish to achieve. I need you to keep the Council from --”

I barked a laugh. “Oh here we go again, old man. What are you going to do? Take over Europe? Take over the world? Times have changed. Your reign is long done for. No one fears you anymore.”

He glared at me. “I am not so ignorant. I have allies, Jalmari. And I can still destroy you. Without me, you are nothing.”

“You have already destroyed me! Kill me, please. I want you to.”

He merely scrunched his face, exposing his crooked fangs.

I shook my head and scoffed. “There is nothing you can to do me that’s worse than what you’ve already done. Do what you want with the kingdom, I am powerless to stop you. But I will not help. I am no longer your vessel or your slave.” I turned my back to him and phased.

I was almost outside when I felt Maria’s energy against my own. I debated whether or not to stop and decided on the latter. We both materialized just outside the castle door.

“Do not try to stop me,” I warned.

“Jalmari, you’re upset.” She reached for my hand but I jerked away from her.

“Upset isn’t even close.”

She hesitated, her eyes wide and pleading. “You can’t run from him.”

Guilt wracked at my chest. I didn’t want to leave her behind. None of this was her fault. Yet she would suffer in the clutches of my father’s hands for the things her husband did all those years ago. Naamah would return. If not for his wife, then at least for my father. He didn’t have a choice. But I did. “I’m not running, Maria. You’ll be okay, you know that? Naamah will come for you.”

“Jalmari, I’m worried about you.” She narrowed her eyes.

“I’m a big boy now, Maria.”

She shook her head. “You’re a stubborn idiot. Where will you go?”

I smiled and glanced at the brightening sky. “I am going to do what I should have done a long time ago. I am going to kill that rat named Ema Marx.”

~*~*~*~

Mock Cover Art

2011-09-11T16:49:00.000-05:00

When I'm having difficulty writing and feel like my muse rolled over and died - like I feel now - I often find visual art to be a helpful change from the written world. I like to make fake cover art for my manuscripts just to have something to look at and spur some inspiration. It makes my writing feel more tangible when cover art is attached to it and it motivates me to finish the project.

So, today I wanted to share some old fake covers for Dark Heirloom and also one I just made for Dark Liaison.

Enjoy.

So, this is the very first mock cover I ever made, before I knew how to use photoshop. It's an image I found on the internet. I'm not sure who the artist is. Looking at it makes me think of Jalmari (a character from Dark Heirloom). I think it captures his pain and inner turmoil pretty well, as well as showing the vampire theme of the series. I added the text and the cowboy font makes me laugh now. I'm not sure why I went with that style. LOL.

This mock cover was made by a friend of mine, Anastasia Pergakis. It's much more "urban fantasy"-ish. She did a great job of capturing the essence of the story and the main character, Ema Marx. When I first saw this, I asked my friend "What the heck is the girl wearing?!". She answered back with "You know what I have no idea...". It looks like a trash bag. LOL. But overall it woks and I love the deep blue colors. That's something I would like for the real cover art to incorporate.

This one I made today. It's a mock cover for Dark Liaison - Book 2 of the series - which I am currently writing. I could have made something much cooler with my mad photoshop skills, but I decided instead to keep with the ancient art look of the fist cover I made for Dark Heirloom. I might make a more modern one later. I'm not really sure if the woman in this picture represents Ema or Bridget...which, oddly enough, kind of is the problem I'm having with writing the dang manuscript for this. Hmmm...

Well. I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. I'm sure I'll have more of them to share when the time comes for Book 3. AND in a few months or so I should have a REAL cover for Dark Heirloom to share with everyone. I'm very excited about that and cannot wait to work with the cover artist. I know it's going to be fabulous, we have a great group of artists.

Thanks,
J.D.

Fantastic Friday Writers - Transportation

2011-09-09T14:44:00.002-05:00

Hello and welcome to an overdue installment of FFW. I apologize for missing all my FFW posts in August, but my schedule was kind of crazy with the release of my debut short story immediately followed by a ten-day virtual book tour (excuses, I know. Shh!).

Anyway, I'm black in the swing playing catch-up and you my friend are in luck because today's topic is Transportation and my vampire character, Prince Jalmari, is here to do a little demonstration for you (that's right, I totally pulled him out of his gloomy castle for this. That's why we're doing it at four in the morning. Oh and I haven't had my coffee yet and he hasn't had any O-negative so... you may want to step back. One more step. Keep going... Okay that's far enough.)

Jalmari, if you would kindly begin?

Certainly. The sooner we get this over, the sooner I can leave.

Mr. Charming *eye roll*

Ahem. J.D. want's me to demonstrate 'phasing'. But to you humans, it would merely look like I am disappearing. I tried explaining that to her, but it's like talking to a brick wall at this hour. So I'll attempt to explain to you. Phasing is what we call 'passing through solid objects' or 'flying through walls' as J.D. likes to say. The act really is a combination of two other powers: de-solidifying and levitation. J.D. calls them 'going invisible' and 'flying', but I assure you it's a finer art than that. We do not just go invisible. We disburse the molecules of our body from a solid to a gas form. Humans cannot see gas, so you get the illusion that we are invisible. And the difference between levitating and flying is that we do not have wings.

Geesh, speed up the lecture, will ya? I thought you were in a hurry.

*Glares* Yes, well... Ahem. To my right is an average dinner table. Watch how I can walk through the table by phasing my lower torso and upper legs....

Combined with a high speed, phasing is a nearly instant mode of travel. We can go very fast and don't have to follow roads or worry about hitting objects. It is much more advance than the automobile.

Cars. Anyway, thank you for the demo, Jalmari, you can return to your crypt now.

*Scoffs* Hollywood vampire jokes - you know we don't really sleep in them.

*Grins* You never know, I have the pen, I make the rules, sweetie.

Leaving sounds brilliant. *Vanishes*

And that, my friends, is how we get creative with transportation in the Urban Fantasy genre. Excuse me while I hobble over to the Mr. Coffee... In the mean time, check out the rest of the FFW blogs to see their take on transportation in Sci-Fi and Fantasy.....

Elizabeth Mueller

M. Pax

Deirdra Eden-Copple

Jeffrey Beesler

Anastasia V. Pergakis

The Only Reason The House Gets Cleaned...

2011-08-25T14:45:00.000-05:00

I realized today that I can't write when my room is a mess or the kitchen sink is drowning in dishes and green fuzz or when when my dogs stand up and there is a layer of fur left behind on the floor.

I'm not a neat freak or a germaphobe by any stretch of the imagination. These things don't even cross my mind on days that I don't plan on writing. Moldy dishes? I'll just use a paper plate...

Naw, I'm totally joking. I'm not a complete slob. But I realized today I really just cannot write when the house is messy! It's like I have to clean the physical cobwebs before I can clean the mental ones.

Also, I tend to pace around the house, deep in thought about that next scene. It's how I plot. The mess detracts me while I'm pacing. I'm so "in the clouds" when I'm plot-pacing that I'm worried I'll one day pick up a cup without realizing it and drink something chunky and unidentifiable.

Not only is that gross, but it's grounds for short-term memory loss - and nothing is more frustrating to a writer than forgetting the scene you just mentally slaved over for two hours in the blink of eye while spewing chunky drink. Mm...No...I won't risk it. I'd rather wash the dang dishes.

In other news, I do realize my blog has become a sort of retarded rambling string of disjointed journal entries these past few days. I KNOW! I'm SORRY! But I've been busy! Read my NaNo post from yesterday and you'll know why.

Once I get Book Two in my publisher's in-box, I plan to continue blogging about the writing life - the how and why of it - the lessons and things you should know before jumping over the cliff and ripping your hair out like I did. You guys seemed to like those posts and I liked writing them.

One of my pet peeves is when a writer crosses into author-dom and then stops being helpful because they're suddenly too busy. Well... you do get crazy busy once you pass that milestone! But I don't want to be that author that stops blogging about the inside scoop. There are a billion writers who write about writing and what it takes to create a brilliant manuscript, but there are not enough authors who write about authoring and the what the publishing business is really like.

I promise you, it's not all horror stories like the self-pubbies would have you believe.

And yes...if you are wondering...I do promise to come back and blog all about my experiences with my publisher, editors, cover artist, Amazon, marketing, virtual book tours, the whole she-bang.

I just... ah... need to open my WIP right now and get Book Two done first...

Taking a Personal NaNoWriMo

2011-08-24T20:59:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, I got a small taste of success with the release of my short erotic romance story A Trace of Love. My sister took me out to celebrate and my mom still hasn't stopped bragging about it. It's nuts. I'm so not used to the lime light. I don't even know what to do with myself, LOL.

But all the same, it's pretty freaken sweet to see my writing up on Amazon.com with the bigger fish. It's also kinda scary, but mostly it's just awesome!

But now I am dieing to get Dark Heirloom out there!!! It's due in March and it's a long piece (90k words!) and we haven't even started content edits yet!!! I feel like an over-due pregnant lady; Get this baby OUT!!!

At the same time, though, I'm thinking No, no, wait! I need to finish writing Book Two before we dive into edits for Book One!! Ahhh! This author biz is all too new and fresh. *Headdesk*

So because I'm facing a deadline (yikes! Never thought I'd have a REAL deadline!) I've decided to take a personal NaNo-esk writing month in September. I need about 27 chapters / 90k words written by October so I have time to edit them too. I've never written that much before. This is going to be crazy.

The good news is I'm having a blast embracing the craziness! But um... I may seem a little jittery and scary-looking in the next four to six weeks...

Author Pet Peeves

2011-08-15T02:12:00.000-05:00

Me: *type, type, type, type, paces around the house, type type...*

Mom: Jen can you wash the dishes/take out the trash/vacuum the rug/clean your room/water the grass please?

Me: *Blink* Uh... sure mom, just a sec... (Really hope I don't forget this awesome scene in the 10 seconds is takes to vacuum the rug...!)

Dogs: Bark, bark, bark, bark! (Translation: We're bored, we're hungry, we need to pee! We already peed)

Me: UGH! Really?? (Really hope I don't forget the awesome dialogue I FINALLY figured out in the 10 seconds it takes to kick the dogs out...!)

Boyfriend: Wanna come over? I miss you... What are you doing?

Me: I'm writing.

Boyfriend: *5 minutes later* What are you doing now?

Me: Seriously?!?!

The moral of the story: Just because I'm still in my pajamas doesn't mean I'm not working! If I had a "normal" 9-5 hourly wage job in a cubicle, you wouldn't bother me. MY ROOM IS MY OFFICE, I AM WORKING!!!

And here's something else. Ever since I got a contract, my family's been treating me like I'm a celebrity. Like I won the lottery or something.

I love my family and I'm glad they're supportive and the attention is a nice switch from the shadowy corner I used to hide in during family gatherings, but I'm really worried that eventually they're going to realize I'm not Stephenie Meyer, I don't have a movie deal, I'm not getting an advance, I don't have a million fans dieing to read my book in every language of the world, and then disown me or something for being such a disappointment. *Facepalm*

OH, and one more thing....

Boyfriend: I see you on Facebook *smart-ass voice* is that part of your writing??

Me: ........Yes...yes it is.

P.S. I love you, honey. <3 <3 <3

Blurbs; We Have a Winner

2011-08-09T00:24:00.000-05:00

I did a little tweaking and I really, really like the blurb for Dark Heirloom now! It's fun and sounds just like my main character. I'm posting it for anyone who's interested:

~*~*~*~

The race to figure out her vampiric origins is on. And maybe she’ll get the hang of the blood-drinking gig along the way…

~*~*~*~

Thanks to everyone who commented and gave suggestions. :-)

Blurbs Are What Books Are Made Of

2011-08-07T20:49:00.000-05:00

Here I go again with an other blurb for "Dark Heirloom". Have I mentioned how much I hate writing blurbs? Yeah. The good news is I don't have to worry about impressing an agent because the book is under contract (yay!).

But blurbs are an important part of effective marketing. Because they're short and usually attached to the book, people are more likely to read the back-cover blurb than an excerpt or first chapter.

So... I'm trying to perfect my blurb and make it more pleasing to fans of vampires and/or urban fantasy readers.

Comments are deeply appreciated. Here it is:

~*~*~*~

Jalmari’s hatred for his old-man intensifies when he’s ordered to bring that troublesome girl to their castle. He has a clan to run, there’s no time for babysitting newborn vampires no matter how they were brought over to their culture. But when a two-thousand-year-old premonition threatens to take the crown and his life, Jalmari sees no other choice than to take out the catalyst. Ema Marx. Fortunately for Ema, she could also be the clan’s only savior.

The race to figure out her vampiric origins is on.

~*~*~*~

Interview with Elizabeth Mueller author of Darkspell, plus a contest!

2011-07-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

Today I have the honor of introducing a very talented woman. Elizabeth Mueller is here to chat with me about her debut YA Paranomal Romance novel, Darkspell. Elizabeth, thanks for joining us. Could you tell the readers a little about yourself?

I am a stay-at-home mom who’s indulged in her obsession of writing! As a child, reading was a huge challenge for me, but it never stopped me from writing. Ironic, isn’t it?

Ah, it was the other way for me. Tell us, what inspired you to become a writer and why do you write Young Adult Paranormal Romance?

It started out as pure escapism as a child, but that euphoria has never waned! There’s something exciting about controlling the unknown, and teenagers are a fun group to write about.

I agree, the sense of control is a fun part of creating a fictional world. So what’s your writing process like? Are you a pantser or a plotter?

An idea is born, and if it nags me, I end up obeying its demands. I am a hands-down pantser!

What’s the hardest thing about being an author for you?

At this point, I have to say public speaking. My brain is wired through my fingers, not mouth. So I go numb in front of a group and forget what it is I’m supposed to say. Yikes!

I have to agree, the thought of public speaking makes me nervous.What’s your favorite thing about being an author?

That my book is about to be born and I get to hold it in my hands! I’m going to take a picture the very second it happens!

Congratulations on your first acceptance! Tell us, how does it feel? How did you celebrate the good news?

Thank you! My book is still in the process of getting ready for life on the shelves. The book cover is done, and as I answer these questions, the manuscript itself is being edited. I feel that it takes faith to live through the anticipation of the book’s official birth.

I went out to dinner and a movie with my husband. But the real celebration will be when I hold the actual book in my grubby, grasping, groping hands!

Yes, I know the feeling well! Every day I anticipate holding my own book. :) Let’s talk about Darkspell. In your own words, what is Darkspell about?

Winter Sky believes she’s everything ordinary . . . until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold. As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter’s protector against the darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magical realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own. Will love prove thicker than magic?

It sounds like a powerful story. What was your inspiration for the hero, Alex, and the heroine, Winter? Do you base your characters on anyone you know in real life?

That’s a great question. I picked them straight from the wells of my imagination. I don’t base any of my characters off of anyone real so to speak. What I do is “pretend” that I am that character; like when a person goes into acting? You need to become that person in order to make it real. That’s exactly what I do.

My daughter did bring up a valid point: I made Winter look like her without my knowing it, so maybe I did base Winter off of someone in real life?

Just for fun:

You and Winter are having a girls’ day out. Where do you go shopping? What do you do?

Definitely the mall! We’d go to the prom dress department store and try them on. If she didn’t mind, I’d take pictures and send them to Alex through my phone! Then we’d buy ice cream at the food court right before the 9 o’clock show.

It’s your birthday, what would Alex get you for a gift?

Aw. He would know what I like without asking me since he’s such a fantastic mind reader. It would be a choker just like Wanda’s—to protect me from the Shadow Weaver since I’m its creator! Really, I love chokers, too.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Chocolate Cherry Bordeaux. Mmmm . . .

Do you prefer coffee or tea?

I don’t drink those, but does apple juice count?

Is your desk messy or clean?

I so wish I had a desk! I’m a collector (aka: packrat), so if I had one, it would be cluttered. Neat, but cluttered!

What advice would you give to new writers?

Always believe in yourself, and you’ve got a friend in me. I know it’s one of the hardest things to share your joy of a new story with someone who gives you an odd smile and changes the subject.

Would you share what’s in store for the future?

For now, I’ve been working hard on my networking. I’m celebrating Darkspell’s release with a pre-book launch throughout the month of July. Visit my website for updates!

I’m planning to speak over at Weber State University over at the English Department’s Creative Writing course sometime this fall. I will talk about how I became published and the blood and tears that go into getting there.

Where can we purchase a copy of Darkspell?

My book doesn’t release until fall of this year, but you will find it here:

Amazon.com, the TreasureLine Books online bookstore, Barnes & Noble ebook and paperback, ebooks: B&N, Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Borders, Diesel, Sony, and Scrollmotion.

You can order/reserve a signed copy through my website.

Where can our readers find you?

Drop by and say hi!

AuthorElizabethMueller.com, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and LinkedIn!

Please join me in my celebration for Darkspell’s fall release all July long! A pre-booklaunch party if you will. Click here for details

Excerpt from Darkspell:

Alex reached out and took my hands. A spark of magic passed between us. I didn’t resist and his gaze deepened. Another wave tore through me and I felt his powerful drive to protect me and the desire to share the rest of his life with me. I could see forever, eternity was wide and deep.

I would never be alone again.

Having tasted Alex so strongly, so close, so dear, left me empty; a starving sensation that could only be filled by him. I had no idea he felt so intensely for me. His love washed away all doubt from me.

I leaned into Alex as my world spun fast on a crooked axis. I breathed him in. I was intoxicated with his burning hold, I was so alive. Every sound was louder, the wind richer as it flowed through me. I was so free, so alive, so untainted by any wicked thing. I closed my eyes, shivering with desire, and imagined the breeze encircling us; bringing us to our feet and drawing us closer like a child’s ribbon.

Just as I opened my eyes, he whispered, “Listen, Winter. Listen to me.”

He brought me to him and gently pressed my face to his heart. It was a wild thing, trapped and yearning to be free. My blood sang and my eyes drifted closed. It felt as if my feet lifted from the ground. One hand was soft in my hair as he caressed my back with the other.

“How have you come by such magic? Such power to control? Can I come into your world? Can you teach me?” I trembled, savoring every sensation.

*********CONTEST********CONTEST*******CONTEST**************

Readers, you can win a beautiful talisman to protect you from the Shadoweavers while reading Darkspell. Details are on Elizabeth's website. Please click HERE to view the contest and win!

An Overdue Update

2011-07-17T21:45:00.000-05:00

I've been very quiet on this blog, other than posting for the FFW. I gave myself a break after the A to Z Challenge, but that break stretched much longer than I intended. Long story short, and after all the excuses, I've decided to get backing into blogging here under the J.D. name. And I'm starting it with a long-overdue update. While I wasn't here, I wasn't doing nothing either. On the contrary, I started several new projects while away from this blog....

First, I updated this blog a bit. I still like the design I have, but moved the content around a bit. I also organized all my old posts into pages that you can access on the sub-menu (up top, under the main navigation bar) for easy referencing. Writers, if you've enjoyed my tips and lessons in writing and the industry so far, you'll want to check out the Writing Help page. It includes writing posts I've written for the Wicked Writers blog too.

Second, if you are 18 or older and enjoy romance with a little extra spice, then you're going to love my new blog, Ravencraft's Romance Realm. It's a group blog hosted by four wonderful romance writers and myself, writing as Danielle Ravencraft. We're having a week-long Grand Opening celebration staring July 25th with a terrific lineup of New Times Best Selling Romance Authors guest posting that week (Kate Douglas, Carol North, and Delilah Devlin), plus contests and over $100 in books and other prizes. Again, that starts July 25th and is over at Ravencraft's Romance Realm.

Third, if you enjoy reading interviews and discovering debut, rising authors in the Urban Fantasy genre, head over to my newest project; haUrbanStars.com Authors, you are welcome to submit your work there. Read the Guidelines page to learn how.

Fourth, there is less than a month left before my debut short story A Trace of Love releases into the e-book world - AND - about a month until the Trace of Love Virtual Blog Book Tour! Follow the RavencraftRomance.com site to stay up-to-date with the tour information and learn how you can win a free copy of A Trace of Love.

I think that sums up everything I have going on in the near future besides working on sequels. Like I said, I want to get back into blogging here regularly. For those of you who are still following me, I would really like to know if there is a specific (or even general) topic that you would like me to write about. Please take a moment to scan the Writing Help page because I won't be writing about a topic I've already covered for a while.

So...what should I blog about next??

Fantastic Friday Writers: Accepting Rejection Letters

2011-07-15T00:00:00.002-05:00

Let's face it, rejection hurts. But there are a few things writers should know about rejections:

1) You're not alone. We all accrue more rejection letters than acceptance letters.

2) It's not the end of the world - and it's NOT the end of your writing career. Stephen King, Stephenie Meyer, and J.K. Rowling were all rejected many times and look at how successful they are now!

3) I promise you, it's not personal. Agents/publishers don't judge you, nor do they weigh your potential or your ability to improve. We all have that ability.

4) A rejection letter does not = no books from you ever. What a rejection letter really means is that "Book A" does not work for them right now. But you can still submit "Book B" and "Book C" to the same company, and six months from now, you can try submitting "Book A" to them again. Why is this? Because the market changes fast and agents/publishers have to give dibs to the books that are popular in the market at the time. So just because "Book A" doesn't work right now doesn't mean it won't be best-seller material next season.

If your rejection letter explains specific reasons why you were rejected, pay attention and learn from it. But don't dwell on the reasons. If it's something like turning in an incomplete or unedited manuscript, then yes, you should avoid making that mistake twice. But don't lose your style, voice, or story in an attempt to please everyone. You can't and you will only make yourself miserable.

Otherwise, toss the letter in the trash, dust yourself off, and try again.

Everyone has a limit to how much rejection they can take as well as how flexible one can be. My novel, "Dark Heirloom", was rejected 25 times because of the word count. I edited it 26 times, lowering the word count each time. It was accepted on the 26th submission. Not everyone can do this. I'm incredibly stubborn and possibly crazy. But I believe that if you want something bad enough, persistence is key.

Other authors choose to go the self-publishing route, and that's fine too. But know that the writing industry is not black and white. There are a million different roads that lead to success. You just have to keeping trying until you find the one that's right for you.

For more rejection advice, check out the other FFW blogs......

Contest Anouncment: Celebrate the Realease of "Darkspell"!

2011-06-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

Join Elizabeth Mueller in her celebration the entire month of July for Darkspell’s release this fall!

The darkness sends his followers, the Watchers, to haunt Winter Sky, but Alex Stormhold battles to keep her safe from the prowling evil. Rather than being dragged into the dark's destruction, Elizabeth Mueller will provide a way for you to protect yourselves.

These are the *talismans that you could win:

Nox Arcana's Shadow of the Raven for the FIRST WEEK

Canvas Wall Scroll Tapestry: 12"X 17" for the SECOND WEEK

Dragons Sculpture Bookends: 4"X5"X8" for the THIRD WEEK

My favorite: 13" tall. Dark Shadows Lamp for the FOURTH WEEK

Here's how to enter so you can avoid the Shadoweaver's clutches:

It is your charge to haunt the resident bloggers--listed below--that are hosting Elizabeth Mueller for the week. Go here to answer the questions posted into the contact form every Saturday:

♥.•*¨

¨*•.♥

♥ Each correct answer will equal one entry.

♥ Every comment in the blogger's post will equal one entry.

♥ Every follower on Elizabeth Mueller's blog will have 2 entries: a must to qualify for 2 entries: please let her know that you're following her!

♥.•*¨

¨*•.♥

She will announce the winner Sunday evening on her blog!

Do you see Mr. Ole Dark Shadows Lamp there? He likes to pretend that he's the venomous Shadoweaver who seeks Winter. Could it be because he looks so much like him?

Elizabeth will enter every person who dares to display his blog button. Just cut and paste the html code from her grab button on her sidebar to your sidebar for a second chance at the lamp.

♥ In order to qualify, you MUST leave comment in this post with your blog address stating that you've posted the button to your sidebar to make it easier for the Watchers to seek it out.

In other words, Elizabeth is giving 2 lamps away!

Enter the daring bloggers:

**July 1 Sue Roebuck

July 4 Charlene Wilson

July 5 S. B. Niccum

July 7 Roland Yeomans

July 8 Deirdra Coppel

July 11 Alex J. Cavanaugh

July 12 M. S. Hatch

July 13 Tristi Pinkston

July 14 Susan Gourley

July 18 Jo Schaffer

July 19 Konstanz Silverbow

July 20 Melissa Kline

July 23 Lisa Turner

July 25 J. D. Brown

July 27 & 28 Anastasia V. Pergakis

July 29 Michele Bell

July 30 Rebecca Carlson

*this is all make-believe in the spirit of my debut novel, nothing has been placed under any kind of spells and the Shadoweaver lives within the boundaries of Darkspell.

** first official Contest Saturday starts July 9th!

Fantastic Friday Writers: Critique Groups and Beta Readers

2011-06-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

Today's topic is Critique Groups and Beta Readers. Since I've used both in the past, I'm going to talk about the pros and cons.

Critique Groups:

Usually a critique group starts out as a group of strangers with one thing in common: The need their manuscript revised. The fact that you've never met before is a good thing. The whole point of the critique is to get a fresh, honest perspective of your work. It doesn't get any more honest than a stranger's opinion.

However, this can also be a bad thing. They don't know you, they don't know your story or your characters or your style. They don't see the big picture. Thus you run into the common issue of "Bad review for chapter one with author response being 'But it's important later'". Then you are faced with choice of either ignoring your critique or changing chapter one, but now you have to make changes to the rest of the book so it still flows.

Now imagine being faced with that choice five or six more times, depending on how many people are in your group. It gets frustrating, to say the lest. You end up having to repeat yourself. "It makes sense later." Or "I already change it, here's the new chapter."

Sometimes you end up working with people who don't really know how to critique. They fix your grammar or sentence structure, but offer no help with plot flow or character development. Also frustrating.

Beta Readers:

The nice thing about beta readers is you get to pick who they are and how many you use. Usually these people are other writers or authors you've worked with in the past or know personally. You like their work and respect their opinion. They usually love your work and want to see it grow. They know you and your writing style. They know your characters and your story. And since they know this, they are able to help you achieve whatever it is you are trying to accomplish with your story.

The bad thing about betas is eventually they are no longer able to provide a fresh perspective. Eventually they will have read your work almost as much as you have. And if you've worked with the same beta over a long period of time, you've probably become friends with this person which means you now run the risk of receiving unhonest opinions from them because they don't want to hurt your feelings. Then you are faced with the option to either get a new beta reader or use a critique group.

Which ever method you choose, having that fresh perspective is vital. Your writing can't grow without it. Critique groups and beta readers give you a taste of how a real reader would view your story. Criticism can be tough to swallow. Almost as bad is following EVERY word of criticism. As authors we must learn to pick out the gems from the dirt. In the end, you are the best critic for your writing.

Tips for making the most of your Critique Group or Beta Readers:

DO NOT send your first rough draft to your crit group or betas, they will kill you for it. All rough drafts are crap and need to be rewritten at least once. You CAN do this step on your own. You SHOULD to this step on your own. Rough drafts are full of mistakes that YOU CAN SEE. If you can see them, then you should fix them! Crit. groups and betas are there to help you with problems that you CANNOT see. So don't send your rough draft in just because your feeling lazy. Remember, your crit. group and betas have their own manuscript to work on. They are busy people too.

BE FARE. If someone critiques a chapter for you, you should critique a chapter for them. If someone critiques your whole manuscript, then you should critique their whole manuscript - and you should do it in a timely fashion, not in the next three years.

BE TOUGH. The best critiques I ever got were the ones that made me cry. Because after I cried, I'd reread the critique and try to figure out what compelled the person to be so cruel. More often than not, the person was just being bluntly honest and it stung because they were RIGHT. And my writing became stronger for it.

Fantastic Friday Writers: Keeping Up With Ideas

2011-06-03T12:59:00.000-05:00

Hello FFW readers. This week's topic is how to keep up with the flow of ideas without abandoning a current project.

Well, simply put, I write the new ideas down in a notebook. If the idea is developed enough, I'll write up a simple outline or something. I learned early on that too many ideas sitting in the brain causes clutter and makes concentrating on the current project more difficult. So I get them out of my head, put them on paper, and store them away for later.

Sometimes that doesn't always work. Sometimes and idea stays with me and I get excited about it, which is cool. But I don't have to worry about forgetting because I wrote it down. You don't want to begin a whole new project every time you get a new idea because then you'd get nothing done. And most ideas are severely under-developed when they first pop into your head anyway. Most of them you will probably realize weren't as great as you thought and then you'll wish you had continued working on your current project instead of wasting all that time and energy on "shiny new thing".

Other times, taking a break from your current project is necessary to do before your brain explodes. During these times, it's nice to have your list of new ideas to think about and explore. You might pick one and develop it a bit. Write down you ideas. Make an outline or even make a rough synopsis or scene outline. But remember to go back to your old project after awhile. It needs finishing. Don't worry about the new project you started. Because you wrote down all your ideas for it, right? So it will still be there when you're done with the old project.

Am I making myself clear yet? WRITE IT DOWN.

See what the other FFWriters had to say. Click on the links below to hop over to their blogs. :)

I Have Cover Art And I'll Brag If I Want To

2011-05-27T00:26:00.000-05:00

I'm in love with my first ever official cover for my debut short story A Trace of Love. GAH! Can it be August already?!?! I'm really pleased with how this turned out. The way the hero is sitting is just PERFECT and the heroine is so pretty AND the little blue music notes in the red lights are just awesome!!!

Yes, I'm a very proud Momma right now. :-)

What Authors Do When They Procrastinate (Reading Blogs Is One Of 'Em)

2011-05-25T00:27:00.000-05:00

"Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment." ~Robert Benchley

~*~*~

List of Things I Do When I Should Be Writing...

1. Watch the feed on Twitter even though no one's talking to me.
2. Think about cleaning my room/washing the dishes/doing laundry then decided to it tomorrow.
3. Look at my legs and be happy it's warm enough to wear shorts.
4. Check my Facebook accounts and author pages (yes, I have a few).
5. Contemplate what a dork I am for having multiple Facebook accounts/pages.
6. Wonder if it's really worth it.
7. Think about deleting some pages.
8. Decide to keep them because I don't want to risk losing or confusing my "fans".
9. Look at my legs again and wonder if it truly is warm enough for shorts yet.
10. Discover that scars stretch when you gain weight.
11. Resolve to lose weight.
12. Decide to start a weight-loss regime tomorrow. I'm supposed to be writing right now, remember?
13. Watch Twitter again. Tweet a few people. Click the refresh button over and over until they respond.
14. Repeat number 13 about 50 billion times.
15. Check Facebook again.
16. Check all my blogs for new comments.
17. Peek at the still-very-blank word document then decide giving the dog a bath would be fun.
18. Actually wash the dog.
19. Look at the computer.
20. Decide the dog needs his nails trimmed, his ears cleaned, his teeth brushed...
21. Look at the computer again.
22. Remember that I have two dogs...
23. Check Twitter again.
24. Decide to make dinner even though I ate two seconds ago.
25. Inspiration finally hits! *Type, type, type, type...*
26. Run back to the kitchen because I forgot I was cooking and left the stove on and now something is burning, I don't even remember what it was, but the fire alarm is going and it's distracting...

While I was procrastinating, I found this: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/procrastination.html It's an article about why we procrastinate and how to stop it. It looks pretty cool, I don't know, I only skimmed it. Maybe tomorrow I'll read it for real and try some of the suggestions listed on there. Probably. Next week, for sure.

Let's all procrastinate by sharing what we like to do when we procrastinate something else. How many of you are procrastinating right now?

Inkwell U Writing Workshop

2011-05-22T01:12:00.000-05:00

Inkwell U – short for Inkwell University – is a website dedicated to helping fiction novel writers learn, grow, and succeed in today’s challenging market. We offer our members full-length comprehensive online workshops that cover every step of the writing process – from planning your career, to writing the first draft, to effective self-editing, to polishing your final manuscript, to writing the query letter and effectively selling your work to an agent or publisher.

All of our “professors” are fiction authors waiting to share their inside knowledge of the industry and work with you one-on-one.

Inkwell U is brand new and opening it's doors officially this summer. Classes begin July 3rd. You may visit the site now, become a member, register for classes, and get accustomed to the site. We have articles for you to read and fun devices called "The Story Generator" and "Author Tidbits" that generate new content every time you click on them.

We have a lot of classes for you to check out, but the following are the ones I teach:

Character Building

Let’s face it, the single most important part of any novel is characters! Without them, there is no story. Character Building aims to help you build solid, dimensional, layered, realistic characters that your readers will fall in love with and care about. We also aim to help you get to know each and every one of your characters better than you know yourself, so writing about them is a snap. Think about how easy it is write a paragraph about your best friend or loved one. That’s the type of relationship you’ll have with your characters by the end of this class.
This class is approximately three months long. It’s pretty laid back, with home work assignments only twice a week, any one can fit this workshop into their schedule – work in the evenings, or on the weekends – and go at a pace that is comfortable to you.
The lessons are based on the book “Elements of Fiction Writing: Characters & Viewpoint” by Orson Scott Card, combined with unique exercises and assignments used by J.D. Brown. By the end of the Character Building class, each student should be able to

Know how their characters will react in any given situation,
Master the art writing in Deep Point of View,
Know how to accurately convey their characters’ emotions, and
Know how to draw the correct emotional response from the audience.

Click HERE to sign up for the Character Building workshop!

First Draft in 30 Days

There is really no wrong way to write a book, but, as you will learn throughout your writing career, there are many ineffective ways to write a book. Those authors who pants their way through the rough draft most likely develop what they call in the industry a “vomit” draft, meaning everything in their head ends up “vomited” onto the pages. Sure, they have a rough draft now. But usually this method results in many, painful revisions, re-writes, and re-revisions to weed out empty details and strengthen weak plot threads. Imaging trying to edit and polish a 60,000 – 100,000 word “vomit” draft. Perhaps you’ve already been there, done that, and are looking for a better method. You’ve come to the right place.
This is very fast-paste, labor-intensive, challenging class! The class is exactly 30 days long. There is a new lesson and homework assignments every single day – and yes, we really do work out your entire first draft in this class from scratch! – However, the class is fun! And the information you will learn is invaluable. If you spare even an hour a day to follow along with the lessons, your plotting and writing skills will be better for it.
This class follows the book “First Draft in 30 Days: A Novel Writer’s System for Building a Complete and Cohesive Manuscript” by Karen S. Wiesner. By the end of the First Draft in 30 Days class, you should feel two things:

That you have the makings of an entire book (your story should feel complete, solid, exciting, and wholly satisfying) and,
That it will be your FINAL draft, needing only minor editing and polishing. Sound good? Great! Let’s get started.

Click HERE to sign up for the First Draft in 30 Days workshop!

Agent and Publisher Search

The focus of this class is to learn the ins-and-outs of finding potential agents and/or publishes for your work. Let’s face it, writing’s a fun hobby, but the lot of you wouldn’t be writers if you didn’t intend to sell your stories to someone. By the end of this class, you have a complete, functional list of agents and/or publishers to submit your work to. The homework is designed to help you create and polish this list. You can use this list again and again when writing your Query Letter, Synopsis, or when looking for a publisher for future works.
This class is approximately two months long. It’s pretty laid back, with home work assignments only twice a week, any one can fit this workshop into their schedule – work in the evenings, or on the weekends – and go at a pace that is comfortable to you.
The Agent and Publisher Search Class is designed to teach you what you need to know to:

Find and agent or publisher that is right for you – that is compatible for your current work, as well as your future career.
Recognize and safeguard yourself against scammers.
Know and understand the submission processes, and prepare for such things such as writing a query letter.
Know how to present your manuscript in a professional manner so the agent or publisher takes you seriously.
Know what information is important and what it means to your writing career.
Have realistic expectations about the submission stage and a clear understanding of how the writing industry works.

Click HERE to sign up for the Agent and Publisher Search workshop!

Employment Opportunity: Authors, do you teach a writing workshop? Or a marketing workshop? Are you interesting in hosting your workshop on Inkwell University? Go to the following page to contact Anastasia Pergakis. http://inkwellu.com/employment/

Fantastic Friday: Dessecting the Query Letter

2011-05-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome back to an other issue of the Fantastic Friday Writers Blog Hop!

Today's topic is query letters - and what a wonderful time for me to share my query letter success! In case you haven't heard the awesome news yet, my debut full-length novel, "Dark Heirloom", has bee accepted by Muse It Up Publishing Inc. and is set to release March 2012. In addition to this is my short story, "A Trace of Love" which releases this summer!

I want to share one of my query letters with you and explain why I think it worked. But first, I want to point out that there is a difference between writing a query for an agent and writing a query for a publisher. Query letters are a skill in and of their own kind. Like everything else, practice makes perfect. I've written a series of articles about how to write a query letter which you can read by clicking on the "Thinking Outside the Query Box" label on the right side bar under "Labels".

Now, here is the query letter I wrote for "A Trace of Love".

Dear Editor,

A TRACE OF LOVE is a 4,000 word Contemporary Romance Erotica short story about Ophelia’s chance encounter with internationally famous rock-star, Trace Curtis. They share one night together in which she falls in love with the charming Trace. But Ophelia doubts she is anything more than a groupie and sneaks out after he falls asleep. In truth, Trace falls in love with Ophelia. But can he find her in time to tell her?

This story is written for a mature female audience whose fantasies gravitate on a delectable hero rather than the act of sex alone. It fits into the Musing Bites word count and the Naughty but Nice heat level. Marketing plans include showcases on major networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace, as well as genre specific networks such as Romance Writers of America and Coffee Time Romance. Blog tours and other web-based promotion will be used. I am also able to cross-advertise with traditional media such as women’s magazines.

I am a young writer currently building a fan base with several larger works underway. I have graduated from the International Academy of Design and Technology with a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts and currently live on the Wisconsin-Illinois border with my two Pomeranians.

Attached in this email is the full manuscript, as requested by the website.

Thank you for your time,

{My Real Name and Contact Info}

Now let's dissect this query to see why it works. Remember, a lot of times query letters can be a little subjective. You might disagree and think my query letter sucked. Or you may have zero interest in my story. But, let's dive into it anyway...

Dear Editor,

A TRACE OF LOVE is a 4,000 word Contemporary Romance Erotica short story about Ophelia’s chance encounter with internationally famous rock-star, Trace Curtis. They share one night together in which she falls in love with the charming Trace. But Ophelia doubts she is anything more than a groupie and sneaks out after he falls asleep. In truth, Trace falls in love with Ophelia. But can he find her in time to tell her? *The pitch is short, sweet, and simple, but it does it's job and covers the main points - Who is the heroine and what does she want? And what's the opposition or story goal?

This story is written for a mature female audience whose fantasies gravitate on a delectable hero rather than the act of sex alone. *I've shown that I know who my target audience is! It fits into the Musing Bites word count and the Naughty but Nice heat level. *This is the publisher's lingo. By using it, I show that I've done my research and that I know exactly where my book fits in with their book store. I've proven that my story does indeed fit with others they carry. Marketing plans include showcases on major networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace, as well as genre specific networks such as Romance Writers of America and Coffee Time Romance. Blog tours and other web-based promotion will be used. I am also able to cross-advertise with traditional media such as women’s magazines. *The publisher specifically asks what my marketing plans are in the guidelines, but it's always good to include this anyway, and to be specific!

I am a young writer currently building a fan base with several larger works underway. *I didn't have any prior credentials - which causes a lot of writers to panic - but I wanted the publisher to know that I am a serious writer and will stick around way into the future. I wanted them know I have much more to offer them. And also, I wasn't kidding about the current fan base, I've been working on it since I started the first draft. I included my website as proof in my contact info. I have graduated from the International Academy of Design and Technology with a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts and currently live on the Wisconsin-Illinois border with my two Pomeranians. *Short, sweet, and simple bio. They don't need you're life story here. The mention of my degree shows that I have some skill as an artist and writing is an art form.

Attached in this email is the full manuscript, as requested by the website. *Notice I didn't include anything extra, NOT requested by the publisher...

Thank you for your time, *Simple, professional closing.

{My Real Name and Contact Info}

There you have it, one little letter carrying the weight of the world on it's shoulders. Let's look at the one I wrote for my novel and compare. This query went to the same publisher, so it's a little less formal in way of introduction since the publisher already knew me. But, it's still professional.

Dear Acquisition Editors,

DARK HEIRLOOM is a 91,600 word Urban Fantasy novel about a young woman with a very complicated past that is about to catch up to her. *Hook/Logline.

Ema Marx’s heritage means nothing more than a natural tan her friends envy until she becomes a vampire and her Romani blood gives other vampires reason to fear her. Vampires are not supposed to exist; yet here they are, holding twenty-three-year-old Ema hostage and interrogating her. As if she had any clue how she became one of them without being bitten.

In her struggle to control her newfound powers, Ema accidentally releases an ancient vampire king whose only desire is to turn the human race into cattle and gain dominion over his kind. King Apollyon finds Ema’s strength and powers fascinating. He is positive her gypsy blood is responsible for her range of abilities and wants to use it to create a new generation of vampires.

Ema is determined to send the egotistical pseudo king back to Hell, but first she must discover who, or what, is responsible for her transformation. And she must do so quickly, before Apollyon figures it out first. *Again, I answer who the heroine is, what her goal is, and what the main opposition is. Notice how the pitch is longer this time - well this is a 90k + novel, and yet I'm only covering the main plot.

DARK HEIRLOOM is the first book of a proposed five to seven book series. The second book, DARK LIAISON, is currently outlined. *This specific publisher asks to know if the book is part of a series. I take it a step further and include a little bit of my plans. By letting them know that book two is already outlined and that the series will be about 5 to 7 books long, I show that the series is planned out and has a point - that I'm not just fiddling around with the idea because I didn't know how to end the story and need a sequel to end it. It turned out the publisher did have questions about my plans and I was able to follow up with a synopsis of book 2 and a rough outline for the series.

Marketing plans include showcasing the book on my author website, networking websites – such as Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace – genre specific sites including AllThingsUrbanFantasy.com and DarkFaerieTales.com, as well as virtual blog tours and a live book singing tour to take place in two major cities; Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois. *Again, aim for specifics whenever you can. Do your research! I found a lot of these places while searching the web for other things.

I am currently under contract with Muse It Hot Publishing for a short story titled A TRACE OF LOVE, set to release August of this year, and would be honored to break into Muse’s mainstream division as well. *This time I have credentials and a history with this publisher, and I make sure to mention it. :)

I am a fairly new author with a growing fan base and have several large works underway. I graduated from the International Academy of Design and Technology with a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts and currently live on the Wisconsin-Illinois border with my two Pomeranians. *Simple bio. You get to expand this later, by the way.

Attached in this email is the synopsis and full manuscript, as requested by the Muse It Up website.

Thank you for your time.

Well, that's all I have for you. Again, I have articles about writing a quality hook, log-line and pitch, what to do if you don't have credentials, and how to appeal to an agent - all here on my blog under the label "Thinking Out Side the Query Box"

New! - Did you know the Fantastic Friday Writers now have a full-featured BLOG for Fantasy and Sci-Fi fans? Check it out here - http://fantasticfridaywriters.blogspot.com/

For more query letter advice, check out what the other FFW authors have to say:

The Best Update Of All

2011-05-16T18:01:00.000-05:00

So much has happened in such a short time! It's only May, not even six months into 2011, and already this is the best year of my life. AND THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO COME!

For a couple years, I wrote, took workshops, learned to improve my writing, edited, honed my craft, edited some more, wrote some more, and grew a thick skin while collecting rejection letters.

Well, that time has ended because I now have TWO publication contracts. Yes, two, in just five months!

First my short story, A Trace of Love, was accepted in January and is scheduled to release in August. I was ecstatic! But then I got even better news. My vampire urban fantasy novel, Dark Heirloom, was accepted not more than a week ago! Yes, my first novel will be out March 2012 !

I'm on cloud 9 right now. :-)

AND...Since Dark Heirloom is the first book of a series, my publisher and I spent some time talking about the series. She made it very clear she would like to see the sequel. So, here I am, gearing up to begin book 2, Dark Liaison.

As you can imagine, I'm already feeling the adrenaline of "new author" rush. I've gotten very busy in a very short amount of time. I have tons of projects going on behind the scenes, most of which were started before I got my first acceptance letter. So, if you've been wondering why I've been a little MIA on my blog since April, this is why.

Don't worry, I'll be back, and with lots of exciting news, I'm sure!

Fantastic Friday Writers: Character Names

2011-05-06T07:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to an other Fantastic Friday. Today's topic is Names and What They Mean.

Personally, I like to put a lot of time, thought, and careful consideration into the names of my main characters. I think about the character's race and heritage. I think about their parent's native language. Are they religious or not? I hate using common names. I always want a names that stands out, but one that isn't too hard for reader's to pronounce (because I want them to remember that name).

Once I decide if their name will reflect their race, native language, etc (or not), I will pull up a baby name book and take a look at name meanings. I try to match the meaning of the name to the character's personality type. Or, if I can't find a matching one, I'll look for the exact opposite for a touch of irony.

For example, Jalmari is my main vampire character in my novel Dark Heirloom. He's a Finnish vampire and I wanted him to have a Finnish name. So I started by pulling up 20000-NAMES.COM. Went down the list to "Finnish Names" then clicked on "boy names". If you scroll down the list, you'll see that "Jalmari" is the Finnish form of Scandinavian Hjalmar, meaning "helmet-warrior." I thought that was fitting for Jalmari's thick-skull, short-tempered personality.

Ema, the heroine from the same book, was given a modern-day Hungarian name. "Emma" is isn't uncommon in English, but I kept the Hungarian spelling "Ema" to reflect her mother's heritage, which becomes important later in the book.

In my new WIP, called Siren Goddess, all the Sirens are named for each of the Greek Sirens in mythology. The hero of Siren Goddess is the reincarnation of the Greek hero Orpheus (you might remember Orpheus from Homer's Illiad. He was the guy that saved everyone from the Sirens by playing music that was more lovely then the Sirens' voice). I named this character Sethos (or Seth for short) meaning "one who dazzles".

Anastasia is the heroine. She's also the reincarnation of the Goddess Persephone. The story is all about her remembering her past-life as a goddess. In Greek, the name Anastasia means "resurrection".

I'm sure most authors don't put this much work into their characters' names, but I think they should! It's fun, and I swear my characters really grow into their names.

See what the other Fantastic Friday Writers have to say by clicking on the links below:

T is for Twenty-Six Candles on My Birthday Cake!

2011-04-23T08:03:00.000-05:00

Today's my birthday, so I've decided to take the day off. ;-)

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Fantastic Friday: S is for Support Groups

2011-04-22T07:00:00.003-05:00

Hello again, blog hoppers, and welcome to an other addition of Fantastic Friday Writers! Once again, we're combining FFW with the A to Z Challenge with today's topic being "S for Support Groups". Since the A to Z Challenge is kicking my butt, and I have five other blogs to keep up with, I hope you'll excuse me for recycling the following blog post. I originally wrote this post for The Wicked Writers when the topic was "How do you deal with the loneliness of being a writer?" Well, that relates a lot to today's topic, support groups, so here it is:

Excuse me? What is this about loneliness? Okay, pause for a minute. Let’s take a look at this writer’s life in the real world. You know, the one that exists outside the computer?

In the real world, one might categorize me as antisocial. Personally, I do not agree. I am not ANTI-social, I’m just naturally not a very social person. I go to family outings. I go out with my boyfriend. I go to my boyfriend’s family’s outings. But that’s about it. I’m a homebody and maybe even a bit of a hermit crab. I’m very comfortable alone in my own company. I have been since I was a child.

So, I can see how most people would think “antisocial” when they look at me, but, that’s just because they don’t know what goes on while I’m on the internet. While I’m writing. While I’m blogging, tweeting, and emailing.

As a writer, I spend most my time on my computer. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing – editing, researching, checking my facebook – no matter what I’m doing, I’m talking to my two best friends at the same time via Skype. They’re both writers – Ana and Charlene. They’re my beta readers, my number one fans, my support group in all aspects of life, my first line of defense, my dose of tough love, my source of motivation
… heck, best friends just sums it up really. Not a single day goes by that we don’t chit-chat together.

Next in line are the magnificent writers you see on the right side bar of this blog. C.J. – who I secretly stock for promotional tips - James, Sharon, and George are all my friends who I learn from and share my own experiences with.

There are the friends I made on writing.com, Dawn Embers, SM Blooding (who is my unofficial mentor and query letter drill sergeant), Alex, Amy, Zoe, Kurt, Branli, Mireyah, Ashanty, C.J. … and many others.

People I’ve met on SavvyAuthors.com: C.A. Marshall, Liz, Heather, Jenn, C.J., everyone on the Witty Crew, and a bunch more ….

People I’ve met via blogging: Loralie, Bree, Chris, Mia Hayson, Arlee, J.C., Lynda, N.R. Williams, Alex J., Elizabeth Mueller, Corey, Jamie, Roland …….and at least thirty more. I apologize now for any one I forgot to mention.

Not to mention my Twitter, which has over 100 followers now ….

AND, since I’ve recently joined MuseItUp and MuseItHOT Publishing, I have over 100 brand new Muse brothers and sisters to add to the list!

Ladies and gentlemen, if you think writing is a lonely career, you’re doing something very WRONG. I am not lonely. In fact, I have never before been more overwhelmed with so many friends who share my very passion. I am not antisocial. I network.

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And that, my friends, is how you will eventually find your support system. Now head on over to the other FFW blogs to see what they have to say about support groups for authors. :-)