Dust to Dust Cover Reveal!

Everyone say hello to S.P. Cervantes! You may already know S.P. from her Secrets of Shadow Hill Series (Always and Forever, The Prophecy), but she's stopping by today to let me reveal the beautiful book cover for her latest book. Do yourself a favor and look for Dust to Dust this spring :-)

Title: Dust to Dust (A Broken Fairy Tale)
Age group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover designer: Kelly Walker

Synopsis:
If faced with your worst fear, what would you do? Would you run or would you fight?

Camryn Hamilton will fight.

A thirty-something mother of two, Camryn appears to have it all: a husband, plenty of money, and children she adores. When she returns home to spend Christmas with her family, her perfect world she has created begins to crumble, thrusting her face to face with the only man who truly knows her.

Holden Patrick will fight harder.

A powerful, handsome attorney, Holden left town after his adoptive parents’ death. In his time away he almost managed to forget the girl who ran away with his heart. At least until a turn of fate brought him back to Mantoloking, and back to Camryn.

But are they willing to fight for each other?

Faced with a tragic past that they both wanted to forget, they struggle to protect their hearts from being broken again. Will their love be enough to get them through another tragedy, or will they close themselves off and run away again?

About the Author:

S.P Cervantes lives in Orange County, California with
her loving husband and three children, where she is a teacher.
She enjoys spending time with her family, writing, and reading, but is always thinking of an idea for her next novel.

S.P. Cervantes graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from California State University Fullerton, and has a Master’s Degree in Education.

S.P. Cervantes recently has completed the second novel in the Secrets of Shadow Hill Series, Secrets of Shadow Hill: Prophecy, and is currently writing the third novel in this exciting series.

http://www.spcervantes.com

Tales From My Pub Sister

The Unstoppable Elizabeth!

Don't get too excited - this post doesn't come stocked with beer (unless you hang around for the after-party). Elizabeth Seckman is in fact the same charming lady and talented author who convinced me to go the dual publishing house route and submit a novel that didn't fit with my current publisher to World Castle. Thanks to her encouragement - and Elizabeth is one heck of a cheerleader - we now get to be publishing house sisters, along with the fantastic Celeste Holloway and so many other talented writers.

And I would be totally remiss if I didn't mention she's kind of my hero, too :-) If successfully juggling writing, mothering, wifing (yes, I'm making those verbs), blogging, sports-momming, networking, providing writer support, and marketing were an Olympic event, Elizabeth would bring home the gold. So I was thrilled when she wanted to share her journey into publishing on my blog. Stick around to the end; there's also a giveaway chance for a hand-crafted pixie by PK Hrezo!

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Elizabeth's Tale:

I figured a stop by your blog was a good place to discuss why I went small pub, considering we are now publishing house sisters and all.

Writing for me started as therapy. In 2005, my father-in-law was diagnosed with leukemia; my brother-in-law was diagnosed with chronic and possibly fatal pneumonia (he's special needs, profoundly mentally handicapped); my father was diagnosed with kidney cancer; and my brother was diagnosed with angiosarcoma. Oh, and my youngest baby went off to kindergarten.

Life felt bleak. Like there was nothing to look forward to; everything in life was a loss.

My sister's birthday approached, and I wanted to get her something special. After much thought, I sent an email to her favorite writer, Dixie Browning, and requested an autographed book. Dixie sent the book, accompanied by the kindest letter. When I gave my sister her gift, she cried happy tears.

I sent Dixie a thank you card and mentioned I once wanted to be a writer. She sent a note back and asked why I would give up on a dream...just go write.

I did. And it felt great. It was like therapy on a page. Dixie offered to read a few pages, so I took her up on it. She sent me back a letter that said something like this: Elizabeth, I have no doubt you can make it as a writer, but be warned. Writing is a big business. It's all about numbers and sales, and I warn you, it can kill the joy of it. I got so sick of hearing, add more sex, less humor. I quit and I will never write again.

And she hasn't. No amount of prodding seems to be able to make her.

Faced with this bit of wisdom, I decided to write for me. Plotting a story was a much more comforting way to fall asleep at night rather than wondering who might not be with us in 2002.

I wrote one story. Then another. And another. I'd finish and stick them in a manilla envelope and toss them on a shelf. 

Then one day, my flash drive got corrupted. I took it to my dad. He recovered my story putting it on a CD labelled, "Liz's Trash Novel". When he gave it to me, he said, "This is good, why don't you publish it?"

Because. Publishing can suck. Publishing takes a dream and beats the hell out of you with it.

Ten years later, I was perusing the net and I happened across Karen Fuller, my publisher's bio. In it she said she liked beer and NASCAR. I felt like I knew her. I mean, being from West Virginia I'm used to people who like beer and NASCAR. The way I figured it, Ms. Fuller must be good people.

So, I sent a query and a full and forgot all about it.

Then one morning I got an email..."Loved your story. I'd like to offer you a contract. Call me."

I did call and I loved Karen from the get-go. She is honest, sincere, patient, and hard working. World Castle Publishing is her life's dream and she treats her writers more like co-workers than employees. I like it there.

People ask me if I am querying an agent or going after bigger contracts.

Answer is...no decision in my life was ever based on money or power. I will never sacrifice peace of mind or the joys of my life to add more dollar signs to my account or prestige to my name.

Cause you know what they say...in the end...you can't take that with you.


Fate Intended is the third book in the Coulter Men Series.  Trip is the last of the Coulter sons to find love. He’s a handsome man with all the skills a young spy needs to succeed. But when it comes to love, he misses the target. Jane is a sweet beauty who may or may not be wanted for murder. She’s hiding out as a cleaning lady when chance brings her and Trip together. It looks like a happily ever after is in the cross hairs until reality tries to destroy what fate has intended.

Elizabeth Seckman is a simple chick with a simple dream…to write stories people want to read.

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How the Brits Bag Literary Agents.... Really!

I think the wires keep her head on.

My guest today is the lovely Alex Tanner from all the way across the pond! Alex writes gritty psychological fiction including the recent post-apocalyptic PARADISE INCOMING, the dark short COFFEE, and the upcoming TEQUILA BARTENDER. She also happens to be one of my favorite smartasses in this upper hemisphere and she's sharing her best 'tips' on how to sell your book to an agent/publisher.

I'd really like to emphasize again that Alex hails from the UK. Why? Because I'm also daring all of my American readers to try NOT reading this in a bad English accent now :-)

Cheerio!!

The Snarknado Guide to Query Letters

If you’ve written a million letters to agents or publishers, but keep getting ignored or rejected, worry not. The time of your success starts now. Read this guide and if you don’t get published within a week I will eat a selfie of Justin Beiber.

1. It’s very important that you write your letter on My Little Pony paper in gold glitter pen. Because nobody embodies ‘self respect’ like a Brony.  

2. Start your letter with ‘hey bro’, because agents and publishers love to be called bro. If you want to sweeten the pot further, sketch two hands doing a little fist bump in the corner. 

3. If you don’t have a book yet, just use someone else’s. Preferably choose a dead author’s work, like Shakespeare, he can’t sue. 

4. Don’t bother laying out the whole story. They’ll figure it out when they read it anyway.  

5. Spell everything wrong. I mean it. Are you in America? Use British spelling, they’ll love it! Better yet, switch your font to Chinese. They’ll love trying to translate it. 

6. If you’re hot be sure to attach a bathroom selfie where you ‘accidentally’ forgot that pants existed. If you’re hairy chested, shave ‘publish me!’ into your chest. 

7. Throw random punctuation at that letter like you’d throw confetti at a bride. It! Will, get; you-noticed? Trust me IMMA RITER. 

8. Attach a letter from your mom encouraging the publishers to go ahead with your proposal. If she thinks you’re awesome then you must be awesome, right? 

9. Once you’ve sent your letter, send an hourly email to find out how you did. Make sure you phone right after too, just in case. 

10. If you get rejected, send the publisher continuous Vines of you sobbing into a bowl of potato chips until they change their mind.

Okay perhaps not. Think of this as a ‘what not to do in the name of all that is holy’. If you see someone about to follow this guide, sit them in a corner and feed them chocolate until they slip into a coma.

It’s for their own good.

But hopefully, if you’ve been slaving away writing letters and proposals with no luck, this at least made you smile!

You can buy my debut novel Paradise Incoming at Amazon, or from my blog over at www.thegeekmemoirs.com

TILT News and Trailer Release!

If I could do back flips without earning a trip to the ER, I'd be doing them all the way down the street. Possibly even in heels. Why am I so excited?

For starters - MY SEQUEL COMES OUT IN 2 WEEKS!! Honestly, waiting for this second book has been in some ways far harder than the first. Partly because I finished it in February (which feels like YEARS ago right now), but partly because this time around I know more about what to expect from a book launch and I'm dying to take the bull by the horns. And even though it really, totally, and uber-completely feels like it sometimes, I have at least finally come to the conclusion that I won't actually die from the anticipation.

That Never-Ending Moment of Anticipation 

The other reason for my excitement also led to another realization: Inspiration is the bitter ex-wife of the Sandman. I'd decided long ago that I wasn't going to do a book trailer for TILT because it takes such a huge chunk out of my already limited writing time (and I'm making headway on the 3rd book!). It takes time to write the script, research images/video, find music, get the narration worked out...  You get the picture. And, to be honest, I wasn't 100% convinced of the merit of book trailers. 

But that's where the vengeful Inspiration and the dysfunctional relationship with her estranged ex come into play. Last Thursday night I was happily drifting off to sleep when suddenly the thought hit me: "If I were to make a trailer, how would I tell the story?" By the next morning I had - in addition to bags under my eyes - a working script in mind along with image concepts that I was bent on spending the next night refining. Then I got the thread of a song in my mind that I could make work perfectly with the narration. Long story short, after 24 hours of work in one frenzied weekend I managed to compose and record a piano score, write and record the narration, assemble and edit the video, and then drink happy amounts of beer to celebrate.

And now I have the pleasure of sharing with you the little book trailer that refused to not be made. 

FREEBIE ALERT BELOW!

I hope you enjoyed the trailer! As another part of the launch festivities, ALICE WILL for Kindle will be FREE from October 10th to October 14th! If you haven't downloaded your copy yet, mark it on your calendar to get your copy in two weeks! 

Writing Lesson #1: Publishing is NOT the Endgame

It's been over a year and a half now since I signed my first publishing contract and 9 months since my very first book - my baby - was first introduced to the world. Since these dreams of mine finally came true I've been running full speed with writing, marketing, planning and obsessing over every tiny detail during every free moment I had. (Notice blogging didn't make that list? Bad Ashley.) Now with my 2nd book coming out in 2.5 months and planning a super-secret standalone book release for the spring (oops! Not so secret now ;-)), I'm spinning faster than ever.

Sometimes it grows on its own...

Finally something hit me the other day while I was fretting over a long writing To-Do list: A big part of the reason that list is so long is because I have learned SO MUCH since I started down this road. When I first decided to make writing a career my To-Do list looked about like this:

1. Write a book.
2. Write a query letter. 
3. Get published.
4. Make money and be fabulous.

Those were the early rose-colored glasses days. It took longer than I'd like to admit to pull my head out of my ass and start figuring out what launching a writing career would actually take. In fact, I wrote THREE books before I got out of the Step 1 loop. And that's when I discovered that there are actually about 573 things to do before you can get from Step 2 to Step 3 and another 1,897,203 things to do before you can see Step 4 even with help from Hubble.  It's a common myth that getting published is the end of a writer's work. Wrong! Getting published is just the beginning.

Now my To-Do lists look more like this:

1. Finish 4th revision of WIP
2. Set up MC's plight for sequel 
3. Choose Artwork for Con Ad (Get bleed sizes!)
4. Edit video from book reading for website/Get stills for Media Kit
5. Update Quicken with receipts from Book signing
6. Follow-up with book store for dates for next signing
7. Finish guest app for Con
8. Schedule and write guest blog post
9. Pick music for book trailer
10. Oh yeah... WRITE

And that's just a sample To-Do list for a week. It turns out there is so much more to writing than just writing. This was the first lesson that I had to accept about the writing business. It can seriously make me feel a little crazy at times when I really let myself think about the tasks and the work ahead, especially when I think about doing it in conjunction with a full time day job (gotta pay for my writing fix somehow, don't I?). But here's the secret that keeps me going:
It's worth every nail-biting, head-banging, hair-pulling second to see my books in print. 

I don't know a single author who wouldn't say the same thing. There's no room for getting discouraged because at the end of the day you're still doing what you love. How many people can say that? Next week I'll share some of the happier lessons I've learned while writing, but for now I'm just going to go cross this one more thing off my To-Do list...

Good advice. Hot men.

Guest Post - Confessions of a 'Serious' Writer

I know I've been remiss in posting my own blogs for the past several months and I promise I'm hanging my head in shame right now. But I'm reeeeaaaallly hoping that the awesome guest post I'm about to give you will, if not earn your instant forgiveness, at least let me buy your love back through bribery.

Vanessa Eccles is one of the many talented authors that I've had the good fortune to become acquainted with over the past year. In that time I've learned that not only is she tirelessly dedicated to the craft, but that she puts that same level of investment into everything she does. She has recently launched an online literary journal showcasing southern writers and has also been documenting the transformation of a house into a loving home on the Ode to the Simple Life Blog. Did I mention that until her recent graduation she was ALSO a full-time student? Her strength, dedication, and energy are definitely an inspiration!

Vanessa Eccles

Her Official Bio:
Vanessa K. Eccles is the founder and executive editor of Belle Reve Literary Journal. She has an English degree from Troy University, and her work has been published by Deep South Magazine,  Suite T (a blog by Southern Writer’s Magazine), and Wisdom Crieth Without. She is the author of Psalms of Me and Collecting Light and is currently working on a YA novel. She blogs at The Writer's Block.

And now, on to Vanessa...

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I've been seriously pursuing a career in writing for about four years now, and with every passing year, I've noticed more eccentricities about myself than the year before. My mind soars into a state of contemplation every time a unique phrase or picturesque landscape emerges, which keeps me constantly thinking about the oddities and utter perfections found in the world around us. Tolkien’s theory on people was “not all who wander are lost.” He’s right – they’re just writers. Writers are natural wanderers. We wander about the world looking for inspiration. And let’s just face it, we can be downright weird. I am no exception to the rule, so I’m going to reluctantly confess some of the things that I've learned about myself since I've become a “serious” writer.

1. I hear voices.

Oh, yes. You read me correctly. Luigi Pirandello described it right in his play Six Characters in Search of an Author. Sometimes characters come to me living and breathing with their own problems and their own stories. Unfortunately, some of these characters are naggy, annoying gnats that will not buzz off until their stories are told. The upside is that this makes me write more so that I can escape from the guilt.

2. I am a dreamer.

I’m not sure it’s possible to pursue a writing career without being somewhat of a dreamer. It’s a tough business, and often the rewards are slim. So for many of us, our real hope with writing is bringing the story to life for readers and having them resonate with something we’ve shared. I dream to someday smell my words and hold them in my hand in a physical print form.

Belle Reve Literary Journal

3. I am a hoarder.

I admit it. Ever since pursuing my dream, I’ve acquired more books than I can house. My ever-growing library can be found stacked on my piano, boxed in the garage, a few in the car, some at my parent’s house, and at least one on every flat surface in my home. It’s madness. But to be a good writer, one has to read. Reading is the study of the craft, but it’s also a crippling disease that has taken over countless hours of my life and has made me, as Phil Robertson would say, “happy, happy, happy.”

4. I’m a spoiler.

My poor husband has just now entered the world of reading, and I’m utterly ecstatic about it! We listen to audiobooks together and discuss them, but I cannot help but tell him where I think the writer is going with the storyline or what I think is going to happen next. Sadly, I’m often right. The same thing happens with movies. I have become one of those horribly annoying people that tell everyone what is going to happen at a movie. Go ahead, throw your digital popcorn at me. I deserve it. I know I need to keep my mouth shut, but it’s an inescapable compulsion. I’m not sure if I’ve become the psychic of entertainment because I write or because I read so much. Either way, I need to stop for the love of my husband and everyone else around me. Wish me luck on that. ;)

5. I’m a loner.

After reading the first four confessions, I’m sure you’re thinking, “She’s a loner because she’s nuts.” And I’m happily inclined to agree with you. I've become more of an introvert over the past few years than I ever thought possible. I enjoy silent time and inward reflection. I love escaping into novels, be it mine or someone else’s. What’s interesting is that writers can be alone and not be alone at the same time. We enjoy our imaginary time filled with our imaginary characters. We’re like kids with imaginary friends – only our friends are better developed and well-rounded. (Well, they’re supposed to be.) And truth be told, writers write when they are alone. So doesn't that make us all loners?
If you’re considering becoming a “serious” writer, I hope I haven’t scared you off. We’re an eccentric group, but we have to be. In order to share something different with the world, we have to be able to see the world in a different way.

In all seriousness, what I’ve really learned about pursuing my writing career is that it’s okay to be myself. That’s what makes me and my writing unique. Nothing is more inspiring than the freedom of being wonderfully weird.

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Thanks so much to Vanessa for her awesome post!! This is such a wonderful description of every writer I know. I can only imagine my friends reading #5 and shaking their heads about all of the times they've accused me of trying out for the Hermit Olympics. Maybe this will help explain things for them :-)

Tomboy Diva

I’m a natural-born tomboy and I always have been. Give me a pair of jeans, cargo pants, a hippie-looking pull-over, or a tool belt and I’m right at home. Set me loose in a department store full of accessories and fashionable clothes and I’m likely to have a retail-induced panic attack. It’s probably the same way Captain Rogers felt when he walked out into modern day Manhattan surrounded by strange and alien modern contraptions.

Yes, this is me at my best. 

So why am I suddenly obsessing over clothes, nails, jewelry and hair for next week? The biggest thing that has ever happened to me in my LIFE is happening next week (I can still say this is the ‘biggest’ because I haven’t gotten around to popping the question to Steven yet). My first novel hits the shelves on Tuesday, and on Thursday we’re heading down to Miami for the book launch at the Miami Book Fair. What I should be thinking about is honing my pitch, being sure I’m ready to discuss every aspect with it, having at least 20 quick answers for ‘What’s it about?’ and generally just being professional and prepared.

Instead, I've been digging through my cabinets for make-up that I haven’t worn in ages and trying to perfect the ‘author look,’ as if there even is such a thing. I’m even going shopping again tonight (albeit at Mountain High Outfitters) to try to find the perfect shirt of the Prana persuasion. My nails are perfectly purple, and I even had my hair dyed at a salon for the first time in about 4 years. Though, I have to admit I’m really enjoying that last part; not seeing the gray for a change is nice.

I've been thinking about this completely out-of-character recent behavior of mine and I’m no longer afraid that I’m suddenly turning from a die-hard tomboy to a prissy prom queen. It was a concern at first, especially considering I don’t have enough room in my closet to support a shoe habit, but then the zits started popping up and two things happened. First, I howled like said prom queen upon finding zits the morning of prom. Not little bitty ones, either. Big, painful, red welts on my cheek of the sort I haven’t had since high school. Horrifying timing, of course. Second, I realized that they were the physical manifestation of the stress I've apparently been channeling into the ‘Gossip Girl’ kind of persona I've been wearing lately. *Note: I hope that’s a good analogy. I've never actually seen an episode of ‘Gossip Girl,’ but the title and commercial strikes me as the type of show where shallow reigns and geek stains.*

I’m not prone to stress, so I guess it’s not surprising that I’d been suppressing the reaction until the cauldron of stress and chocolate started bubbling over with some odd side effects. And now that I recognize what’s going on with me, I can at least start getting my head straight. So I’m nervous. Big deal, right? I SHOULD be nervous, but most of all excited and satisfied that my years of working on my writing have finally begun to pay off in the way that I've always dreamed. But on that road I’m going to experience my first public bad reviews, my first nerve-wracking appearances, and I’m going to have to learn to be a more social and outgoing person. Normally I like to hide at the back of a room and sneak out before anyone realizes I’m there. Not in the creepy Unabomber way; more like the awkward wallflower way.

So yes, there is plenty of reason for me to be nervous and anxious, but there is plenty of reason for me to be proud and confident as well. I’m still going to go shopping tonight, but I’m not going to obsess like I have been. I’m going to relax and have fun. I’m going to make fantastic new memories and meet incredible new people along the way. I've worked hard to get where I am and I’m going to continue to work hard and take this new direction as far as humanly possible.

And it all starts with showing up and being comfortable with myself next week in Miami, no matter how many pimples I get.  Besides... that’s why God invented Photoshop.

EXTENDED - Swag Time!!!

Just look at all those goodies!

Due to late interest and a quirk in Blogger that's keeping some folks from commenting, I'm going to extend for 24 hours! NEW DEADLINE: 7:00 PM Wednesday, 11/17. Winners will be announced by 6:00 PM on Thursday. Good luck, everyone!

It's time for me to start giving stuff away! I thought about some different ways of doing this particular giveaway (there will be more down the road), and came up with some pretty creative ideas involving everything from trivia to Twister. Then I decided it might be best to not scare off my readers before I even have any. "Simplify," said Thoreau, and if anybody can be simple it's me, gosh darn it.

The Goods

I'll be choosing 3 random winners per the rules below to win a package with a lovely linen tote, a marvelous mouse pad, and a boss bookmark. Keep in mind I can ship only within the Continental U.S..

The Rules

So, you feel like winning something? (Auburn Tiger fans pay special attention: This might be the only other thing you win all year :-)) As promised, I'm keeping it simple. Follow all three steps listed here and the beautiful gifts in the picture can be yours!

1. Comment on this post. That's a toughie, isn't it? 
2. Follow the blog. If you're already among my followers, then you've not only joined my list of favorite people, you've also saved yourself a step. If not, simply use the handy-dandy gadget on the right side of this blog (The "Join this Site" with Google Friend Connect button).
3. Last but not least: Email me here to let me know you've entered. Don't worry, I won't sell your email address to annoying salesmen, government spies, stalkers, or anyone else for that matter. I'll simply use that email address to contact the winners for their postal addresses.

The entries begin at the time of this posting and continue until 7 PM CST on Tuesday, October 16th  Wednesday, October 17th (tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow).  I'll announce the winners here on Wednesday Thursday, so check back soon and good luck to everyone!

Book Trailer for Alice Will!

For all of you not close enough to bear witness (consider yourselves lucky), I just did the Happy Dance. Despite the fact that my dance moves border on the epileptic, I think it was a well-earned jig. And why am I doing the Happy Dance, you ask? *Please, please, please ask!!!* Well, I’ll tell you...

I got my Book Trailer today! Please enjoy and share with everyone :-)

Author Interview and Cover Reveal - S.P. Cervantes

Once again today I have the privilege of sharing another fantastic author from Center One's stable of talent. S.P. Cervantes is the author of the upcoming novel Always and Forever, the first installment of the highly promising Shadow Hill series. I've had the pleasure of getting to know S.P. over the past few weeks and she is a passionate writer full of wonderful ideas. Her debut novel is a YA fantasy, but don't let that fool you. In addition to wizards, covens, and terrifying monsters, Always and Forever entices the reader with a budding, yet tense romance between Ava and Dalton, two of the novel's very well-drawn characters. What else could a reader ask for? From her book jacket...

Click here to pre-order your copy!

Twin sisters Ava and Hannah were ripped from their peaceful seeming lives into a whirlwind of attacks and war only to learn the real truth about their existence.
Nothing was as it seemed anymore and may never be again. They had already lost their father in childhood now they have to cope with their mother's kidnapping as they watch those sworn to protect them risk their lives.

A: How long have you been writing?
S: I have been writing since I was in grade school. My older brother was really into the choose your own adventure stories, and I would try and make up my own. As I got older I wrote mostly short stories, but was never confident enough to share them. 

A: How would you describe the main theme of Always and Forever?
S: The main theme for Always and Forever is about a girl becoming a woman trying to understand herself and the power she has while facing challenges and danger that have her questioning everything she thought she knew about herself and the world she lives in.

A: Most authors have a love hate relationship with writing. What did you love/hate about writing this novel?
S: I love writing the Secrets of Shadow Hill series. I began Always and Forever while pregnant and on bedrest with my twins as a way to keep my mind sharp and positive. Writing has always been a stress releiver for me. The fantasy genre lets me be creative and focus on something other than my busy life.
The most difficult part of writing is finding the time and letting go of my insecurities. I am a mother of 3 and a teacher, which keeps me very busy. Luckily my husband is very supportive of my writing and gives me time when I am "in my groove" and have to get my ideas down. I don't know if any of my books would have ever gotten done without his support and help with my kids. My twin sister was pivitol in encouraging me to get over my insecurities and putting my book out there to be published. I knew if anyone would tell me my book was horrible, she would. She is an avid reader and I respect her opinion greatly. I always tell my students that you will never reach the stars if you don't try, and am glad that I finally decided to take my own advice.

A: I love that the story is written from each of your main characters’ POV. Was it difficult to switch modes between their voices?
S: The struggles for me in writing the story from my two main characters' point of view was not being repetitive. I felt by writing from both points of view, I could better tell the internal struggles the two characters were having while facing danger. I loved writing the story from this type of format.

A: What can we look forward to next from the Shadow Hill series?
I am very excited for the next stories from my series as more secrets of Shadow Hill are revealed. The second book has a lot of action and is very suspensful. There are a lot of twists and turns as my main characters face struggles and danger while trying to protect their coven and the world. I literally could not stop writing it and hope my readers will feel the same way when reading it. I am very proud of this series and am excited to share them!

Great answers, S.P.! For all of you wanting to learn more secrets about Shadow Hill, click here to read sample chapters of Always and Forever.

Author Interview and Cover Reveal - Ronda Paige

Today I have the unique privilege of hosting my first interview with not only a talented author, but also a co-worker and a friend. Ronda Paige is the author of Patience's Love, a sea-faring, swash-buckling epic romance guaranteed to leave you breathless. Ronda is also an author in the Center One Publishing stable and this, her first novel, will be available 11/13/12. Click on the link below her beautiful cover art to check out sample chapters and pre-order your own copy today!

Click here to pre-order your copy!

From the Book Jacket:  Patience Douglas was to be the most shy, demur, fragile, docile creature on the face of the earth. In short, everything Patty MacDouglas (Captain Flame) was not. She would dress in the most feminine and frilly dresses, with her hair left long, and she would even use a breathless coy tone of voice to further separate the two personalities...

Terrance Bordeaux was a disappointment to his family, a fop in the truest sense of the word. Traveling at a whim, dressing in whatever the latest fashion and spending his father's wealth without concern, quite unlike the businesslike Terror of the Seas.

Fate put the two together; however, could either trust enough to allow the other to see their true self?

A: How long have you been writing?  

R: Off and on since my senior year in High School.    Studyhall, fan fiction with my friends as lead characters.  We had a lot of fun with that.

A; What was your initial inspiration for Patience’s Love? 

R: A computer game :-). Probably from the mid eighties, don't remember the name, just that it was one of the early ones, text based and had something to do with escaping from a pirate ship.

A: Patty MacDouglas is a striking and strong female lead; did you have any real-life role models for her character? 

R: My Mom, she was a very independent self reliant person,  she taught me to be the same.  That and working in what was once considered a male dominated field you learn how to handle various situations.

A: What was the biggest challenge for you in writing this novel?  

R: Time.  The released version has gone through many drafts.  I wrote in spurts, laid it aside when other things took priority, then would start again.  The main story line was there, but the details of the story took years to unfold.

A: What can we look forward to next from Ronda Paige? 

R: A lot I hope, at last count there were nine concepts.  The next one however is a trilogy which follows the relationship between two law enforcement officers set in the future where law enforcement is on a Stellar scale.

Thanks to Ronda for making herself available! Take a look at her sample chapters on Center One's website here. 

What's It All About, When You Get Right Down To It?

Today's title is an homage to Sir Terry Pratchett, my favorite author, greatest inspiration, and liege lord should he ever need my services in battle. This is a question he likes to toss (albeit comically and always brilliantly) from a character's perspective when that character is forced to really stop and evaluate themselves, their routines, the world... But it is also one of my worst nightmares, leaving me quaking, nervous, and speechless in front of children, adults, and puppies alike.

The Question, so innocently posed: "So, you wrote a book. What's it about?"

This is how I picture myself scared.

What's it about?? I sweated, I cried, I struggled, I warred with editors, I went sleepless for months to write this 90,000 word novel that spans my dreams, flights of fancy, innermost conflicts and struggles, and you want me to tell you in a quick couple of sentences what it's about?  ACK!!! *This is about the point where I develop a nervous ocular twitch*

It is times like these that I realize how much I love writing and how much I hate marketing (read: detest, abhor, loathe, anathematize, scorn, curse). And, of course, this is the natural first question everyone wants to ask you as soon as they learn you're an author. I knew this was a risk when I became a writer and made the conscious decision to not use a pseudonym (and it was tempting, I'm not a public sort of gal), but despite my best efforts, I still have not been able to do more than babble off the nearly memorized text from the book jacket.

You see, I hear the question 'what's it about' and I want to tell you the story. The whole story. I can't separate an incident/person from the story as being primary any more than I can tell you that I have a duprass-mate in Steven without explaining to you the long background of the word 'duprass' (see: Kurt Vonnegut), the way our relationship developed, AND how we came to apply the word to ourselves. I suck at summarizing, I'm sick of synopsizing, and the fact that I'm resorting to alliteration should tell you how serious I am about it.

This is how I picture all salesmen.

HOWEVER, like any new author, I have to make that effort for Alice Will and figure out how to answer this question without letting my skin crawl away. That is, unless I like the idea of remaining Ashley Who the rest of my life (not so cool as the good Dr.). I've come up with a few starts so far...

The Tagline - Despite her out-of-control magic, teenage demi-goddess Trotter takes on dark gods and chatty demons while fending off the very apocalypse that everyone thinks she caused.

The Audience-Oriented Pitch - "Alice Will is a novel for every person who’s struggled with how they identify themselves and learned to define their own niche in a world that doesn't seem to have a place for them."

The Conversation Starter Pitch - “Trotter isn't your average demi-god and these aren’t your average Olympian gods. The gods of Aevum are exactly what we would be if  forced to live forever with no sense of meaning, reason, or even Prozac.”

The Dramatic Voice-over Pitch - "The lives of a demigoddess and a tiny orphan girl collide when one of them accidentally begins remaking the world according to her wild imagination."

And finally:

The What-I-Want-My-Readers-To-Take-Away-Pitch - "Alice Will is about laughing at ourselves and the empty traditions we value without knowing why. It’s about taking stock in our instincts before we let our fickle brains over-rationalize us out of the right choice. It’s about learning the hard way that maturity, at any age, is no match for experience. And finally, it’s about remembering that the right thing to do is still the right thing to do when no one is looking."

So what do you think? And for all of you writers out there, how do you go about answering this question? I'd love some advice!

Book Release Date, Pre-orders, and Cover Reveal!

And now for the announcement I promised in yesterday's blog post...  Alice Will, my debut novel, will be released  by Center One Publishing on November 13, 2012! I'd call that perfect time for stocking stuffers, wouldn't you?  For a special May Day treat you can head over to Center One's website and pre-order a copy now  :-)

The cover art might change slightly between now and publishing, but I'm thrilled with the way it turned out! The publisher asked me in the beginning if I had any suggestions for the cover art and, knowing that I have NO talent for creative design at all, I turned it completely over to them. Now that I've seen their fabulous work I couldn't be more glad that I kept my hands out of it.

This is my first ever publishing experience and I have to say I have been very happy with it so far. I see horror stories from emerging authors on forums and other boards and I think I have to count myself very lucky. My experience has been positive, the publisher so responsive, and the quality top notch.

But nothing I ever imagined, no fantasies from childhood, no day dreams from when I first decided I wanted to become an author, could possibly match the elation I felt when I first laid my eyes on the cover art with my name on it. I did mental back flips and pirouettes when I received the contract offer and ran around the house squealing when I signed the contract itself. Seeing the artwork with my name on it made it seem so much more real, but I think my nuclear spastic crazy squealy celebration won't officially happen until I hold my book in my hands for the first time. That will be the day that I finally feel like I've reached the culmination of a near life-long dream!

Wait... culmination? Maybe that's the wrong word. Because this isn't the last stop on my authorial journey - my next goal is to do this over, and over, and over, and over, and over again :-)

My First Author Interview!

Today's post is a short but giddy one that delivers some of that shameless self-promotion I've promised. But at the same time, it also gives me a chance to promote another lovely blog and a lovely lady that shares my passion for writing. Ms. Vanessa Eccles of The Writer's Block hosts my first interview today on her blog.

Click here for my first interview :-)

Please go take a look at it! And while you're there, don't forget to read through her archives. Vanessa is one smart lady with a great sense of humor! :-)

Book Contracts and Postal Subversion

Heartbreak! Angst! And Gnashing of the Teeth! *Pause for dramatic collapse into strategically placed divan*

I'm fine, thanks for asking, but FedEx has just found itself off my Christmas list permanently, as will all evil-doers who get my hopes up only to dash them against the rocks. I suppose a little background is in order here..

To start with - my lifelong dream began coming true this week when I accepted an offer from a publisher for my first book deal. Oh yes, squeals of joy abounded and still are. See my Facebook announcement here for the squee. Since agreeing to terms I've been anxiously awaiting the contracts in the mail all week (actually, since the moment I hit 'Send' in the email back to the publisher in evident denial that snail mail doesn't work like email). So imagine my excitement when I get home from work last night to find a FedEx sticky on my door from a delivery attempt. I did a quick little tap dance in what was probably my 413th celebration this week.

The sticky said I was required to be there and present photo ID to receive the package, so I decided to take a couple hours of my much treasured and minimal personal leave from work and wait for it this morning.

Picture me here: The clock is ticking so slowly; the cats are fighting for the warmest spot on my lap; I'm trying to read while checking the time over, and over, and over, and over.... And then the door bell rings, causing me to launch two cats and one book into semi-ballistic orbit as I leap from the couch to get my hands on what I just know has to be the contract and thereby the gateway through which my dreams come true.

Now picture me here: The clock has now frozen and I'm standing in front of a slightly nervous FedEx guy as I hold the parcel I nearly ripped out of his hands in excitement. The only thing I see, however, is the name on the package.

Not. My. Frackin'. Name.

FedEx had the wrong house with the wrong addressee and it just happened to coincide with the time that I was expecting one of the most important packages of my life, which, in hindsight, will probably arrive via standard mail while I'm gone and without fanfare because hey, that's how real life actually goes.

So for now I'm back to obsessively checking the mailbox and putting those happy feet on hold...