My 5 year publishing anniversary!

I knew yesterday's date sounded familiar, but it wasn't until today that I put my finger on it. On June 7th, 2010, my first book--A BITCH NAMED KARMA-- released. That was the day I officially became a published author!!! It's been five years and soooooo much has happened. I've learned so much and have really grown as a person and a writer.

This anniversary really makes me step back and think about my career. This is my second career, in case you didn't know :) My college degree and 13 years of my life were devoted to the floral industry.  I started writing just to see if I could actually do it. To see if I could complete a book. I was soooooo proud when I did!! That book never did--and never will-- see the light of day, but when I finished it, I went on to write a book I called Not Another Chick Lit Novel. After several re-writes and a name change, it finally found a home with Lyrical Press. I was so excited and so thankful they had given me a chance. Renee Rocco believed in me and helped me start this new career I was quickly falling head over heels in love with.

There have been MANY ups and down since then, and I will openly admit I am no where near where I'd hoped to be five years later. But I am soooooo much closer. The journey to publication and publishing success is a long one and nothing about it is easy. I often describe this time in my life as me going back to school. So many adults make a career change and go back to school for a new degree. I didn't actually go back to school, but boy did I ever get an education! When TRY ME ON FOR SIZE released last year, it was like my graduation and first job after college. I had arrived and was ready to make it in the world! I paid my dues, I worked hard, I didn't give up, and those years of learning WILL pay off :)

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where I go in the next 5 years! Thank you for being here...for supporting me...for reading my books. Thank you to all my friends and beta readers who've read through my manuscripts, who helped me perfect my words. Thank you to my editors, especially Piper Denna, who saw something special in me and my manuscript and took the time to teach me. I would not be where I am without any of you, and I won't be able to go forward without you either! :)

How do you know what's best for you?

In life there any many decisions we have to make. Some on a daily basis. Some are real easy. There's a clear cut best option. But what about the harder things in life? How do you choose?

In my line of work, there are many options for success, but no clear cut perfect way. Which I guess is a good thing. Years ago, the only way to get published was to grab an agent's attention and then have them sell your work to a publisher. In the last decade, since I started my writing journey, things have changed so much. There is no one and only way anymore. So it makes it tougher to know what the right way for you is.

We're all looking for success and happiness. I think we can all get there. It's okay to take different roads. But it sure is hard as hell when you're staring down a path that branches off in about ten different directions. It's real hard to know which one is right for you when you can't see how any of them twist and turn along the way.

No matter what road you take, you have to just jump in, do your best, and go back to the beginning if you need to.

I like stats!

I have to say, I'm kinda nerdy about this kind of thing. I really love reading stats on certain things, especially the publishing world and writing. I love when agents and editors post their stats on how many queries they receive and how many of those actual get requested and how many actually get contracted. Fascinating stuff.

I'm also intrigued by writers and word count, maybe because I do it too. I keep track of every word I write. I love to track my progress and see how long it takes me to write X amount of words. I like to impress myself. I like to know what I am capable of. I think all writers should keep track and see what they can do, and what they could do if they pushed themselves harder. NaNoWriMo taught me I can write far more than I thought.

My newest book, the second book in my Classy 'n Sassy series, titled Size Matters, which was contracted by Simon & Schuster for their Pocket Star imprint, was officially started on July 7th, not long after I received word that the book was officially under contract. Before that I had an outline, a very detailed scene by scene outline, and maybe the first scene written, but that was it. I'd always hoped to write the book, so I was prepared. ;) But I did have to alter the outline a bit before I started. And of course my summer was hectic this year, as most usually are with two kids home for the summer, so I didn't get a ton done before we went on our family vacation, and I don't think much of anything when we came home, with getting ready for school to start.

Anyhoo.... here are the stats:

7/7-9/4 (1st day of school): 19,527 words.

That was a period of 60 days, with an average of 325 words a day! LOL! But obviously I did not write for many of those days--only 19, actually. So, I averaged 1027 words on the days I actually did write. Whew! That sounds better! But still far below what I am capable of.

Once school started, I was on a mission. I had an official deadline of November 1st. I wanted the book done by October 15th so I had time to edit and perfect it. I figured out what had to be done to reach that goal (1500 word a day, EVERY day) and I put my fingers to the keyboard.

9/4-10/8: 54,027 words

At that point the book was not actually done, but I needed to take a break and go back and reread the whole thing before I could write out the end. For some reason, I can never ever plot out the very end.

So, over that period of time--35 days--I wrote on average 1543 words a day. But I did not write every day, even though I tried. Life certainly gets in the way sometimes. :) Of those 35 days, I only wrote on 25 of them. That's an average of 2161 words a day.

Over 54k in 25 days. Not too shabby :)

But I also must note the retreat I went on during that time. :) Every year my RWA chapter goes away to an adorable B&B for the weekend for nothing by writing. It's awesome. This year we brought in a speaker for a workshop, and that was really cool. So for those three days, I did get more writing time than normal. I wrote over 8500 words just at the retreat.

The end of this book was tough for me, so it took longer than I had anticipated. But I got it to my agent and she read it, sent it back with some minor suggestions. I made them, resubmitted to her, and she sent it to my editor at S&S last night :) Man, that felt great!

Fingers crossed my editor likes it!

The traditional publishing world moves like a glacier.

It's no secret. Everyone who's ever submitted a single query knows how slow the publishing industry moves. It's just how it is. Agents and editors are bombarded with content every single day. Plus they have a ton of other things to do beside read queries, partials and full requests. They have to keep on top of their current clients and authors. They're always on the go. I follow enough agents and editors on Twitter and have heard enough speak at conferences, etc...to know a good amount about how their lives go. They are crazy busy.

So yeah, it takes a while to hear back from them. I can't say it's always easy to sit back and just wait. And wait. And wait some more. But it's part of the process of pursuing a traditional publishing career. I've come to accept it. I've learned how to deal with it and stay sane.

Recently I listened to an author speak about her journey and why she has chosen to self publish her work. And one of her biggest reasons was the time issue. She chose to self publish, and was very adamant about encouraging us to do it for this same reason as well, because she could write her book and get it out to readers immediately, instead of waiting a year for it to come out through traditional means. She started making money immediately instead of in a year.

And yeah, that does sound nice. I love writing. I love when readers enjoy my creations. But a girl needs to eat and I do need to make money. I don't look at this year of waiting time for traditional publishing as a waste though. There's so much that can be done in that time.

So here's an example. My agent currently has my book out on submission. Let's say it sells tomorrow and won't release until April 2014. I have a year to write more books and get those sold and ready to release after that book does. I have a year to work on social media and build excitement for the book/s. And the money aspect- I will pay $0 for editing, $0 for cover art design, $0 for formatting, etc. So even though I have a year of collecting $0 in royalties, I have also paid $0. It may take a little longer for the money to start coming in, but I personally feel that is a better base for a career. For me. I know others feel differently.

Every writer has a decision to make when it comes to their career and going traditional or self pubbing, or even a combo of both. It's a personal decision and everyone has their reasons. This girl has her reasons too. And for me, traditional is just the best route, despite the fact that it takes longer to get there.

How the publishing world is like high school

Not necessarily in a bad way though :)

Recently I was chatting with an author friend about how we're both waiting ever so patiently for news from editors about our newest manuscripts. For anyone who is trying to get published the old fashioned way, you know the wait is often long. I said to her, "I feel like I'm in high school again. Why hasn't he called me back yet?"

And that got me thinking. The whole publishing process is a lot like those awkward self-concious years.

***Now I must say before you continue, this is high school in MY day....1991-1995. Things have changed a lot since then, with the internet and texting and such, so yeah, some of this might not happen exactly for teens today, or anyone who was in high school the last 10 or so years. But anyway, the feelings are still there. So now you can continue reading :)

When we send out that first query, it's like sending a note, or asking your friend to go over to so and so and ask if he thinks you're cute. It's the first line of communication. It's the opening, to see if this crush is gonna go any further.

And then you get a request, just the first 3 chapters. That's like the guy writing back or telling the friend, "Yeah, she's cute." There's a spark there.

Then comes the full request. That's the telephone number exchange and phone call. You're in! Partially, anyway. They want to know more about you....more about your story.

And then there's waiting. And more waiting. You're on the phone with your girlfriends whining, "Why hasn't he called again? What is he thinking? Does he like me?" In the publishing world, weeks and months will pass with no word. In the teen world, probably only a day or two, maybe a week. But both feel like FOR. EV. ER.

And then the contract or offer of representation lands on your doorstep, or inbox, which is equivalent to a guy asking a girl out. "He likes me. He really likes me!"And the jubilation commences.

But what if that doesn't happen? Yep...pretty much still the same thing. Rejection happens to us all. And just like 15 year old girls, us authors cry into our pillows wondering, "What's wrong with me? Why don't they like me? Am I not cute enough?"

And usually you never get an answer. Sometimes the publishing world will give you a reason, especially if you've gotten all the way to the full request phase. Teen boys, not so much. Usually it's because some other girl looks shinier. (Teen boys are easily distracted by shiny things.) They don't see the awesomeness that is you. And that's very true in the publishing world too. It's such a subjective business and maybe that particular agent or editor just doesn't see your book's awesomeness and shininess. But there will be someone else who does. I hope teenage girls know this. The right guy is out there. He just might not have seen you yet. For writers, the right agent or editor is out there...and you'll find them too.

Chick Lit and Contemporary Romance

When I first started writing, I had no clue what to call it. It was just a story. There was love and romance. There was humor. The main character had stuff to deal with other than her boyfriend. There was a fun BFF and crazy parents. There was drama and tears and celebration. There was a whole lot mixed into my stories. But it's what came out of me and what I liked in the books I read.

And then came the time to categorize what I wrote. And it was chick lit all the way.

Back then (circa 2006 ish) the term "Chick Lit" was still acceptable. Agents still represented it. Publishers still wanted it. Harlequin still had its chick lit only imprint- Red Dress Ink. My dream was to have that logo on my book. Well, I came close, but nothing happened back then. And the chick lit thing started to fade. I was left wondering what to call my work. I still loved reading books like it and I knew many others did too.

So I started calling it women's fiction. But then people told me my story was romance instead. I was like "WHAT?" No way. I was not a romance writer. And it used to bother me. I guess I was naive back then and all I thought when I thought of romance was cheesy stories and Fabio on the cover. That was not me and not what I wanted for my career.

But then I started doing my research. And romance was not at all what I thought. And yeah, there was a place for me. Others were writing sexy, sassy, humorous books with drama and being published as romance authors. And with a little more time and research and getting my hands on lots of contemporary romance titles, I had embraced the genre. And now I adore it. It's smart and sophisticated but also fun and sexy. A complete escape.

In my opinion, chick lit is not dead. It's still out there and there are tons of us still loving reading it and loving writing it. But we do have to name it Contemporary Romance now. There really is a fine line between the two. Both are stories of women facing struggles in life and love. Neither is complete without both. But chick lit does not have the romantic relationship as the main plot, and romance does.

Getting nervous!

I have like 9 full days til I go to the Long Island Romance Writers annual agent and editor luncheon. A friend told me about this event, and for $60 and a semi-short road trip, it seemed like an awesome opportunity. Basically, it's a casual luncheon where beforehand, writers mingle with agents and editors and pitch their books. Fun, right??

Yeah....it should be. But already when I think about it, I'm nervous. I have never been great at small talk. I've never been great at starting a conversation with a perfect stranger. What if I sound like a complete idiot? My book's premise is already kinda far -fetched. Will I be able to talk about it with an agent right in front of me?

And my next question: Will this shindig have a bar? That might help the anxiety.

This luncheon is so important, so I have that in the back of my head too. I need to impress these people!

Got some dates for releases!!!!

I am so so excited over here!!!!!!! Back in, oh, like February, my editor at Lyrical, Piper Denna, told me she saw A Bitch Named Karma on the print release schedule for September. I was beyond ecstatic!!! But without hearing it from the owners of Lyrical Press, I tried not to get too excited. And then I did hear it from them..at The Write Stuff conference the end of March. But they said January.

Well, I found out the other day that the official release date for PRINT for A Bitch Named Karma is December 1, 2010!!!!!!

Wooo Hooooooooooooooo!!!!!!! They emailed me the book flap...OMG......it made me all tingly!!!!

And I have another release date announcement!! Found out my official release date for Paradise Cove, a short novel that is being published by Lyrical as well!! March 21, 2011!

Two weeks and counting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Two weeks from today, my debut- A Bitch Named Karma will be released!!

I am so so excited!!! Can't believe that it's been a year since receiving the email that changed my life and career! It feels so amazing to know my story will sound be out there for the world to enjoy!! (I hope everyone enjoys it anyway!!)

It will be available for sale on my publishers site: Lyrical Press. And here's my listing on Amazon.

So, of course there will be a mega celebration over here!! Not sure what we'll actually do that day. I am chaperoning my daughter's zoo field trip during the day but maybe a celebratory dinner out will be necessary??? :) We are throwing a party that Saturday and have invited all our friends and family and surely it will be fab! (Hoping mother Nature complies since it will be an outdoor party.)

WooHooo!! I love when I get a contract in my inbox!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I sent my novelette to my editor over a week ago and wahlah...over the weekend I received a contract for it!!!

One of the great things about epublishing is the fact that all lengths of stories now have homes. In the print publishing world...who wants a 16,000 word story??? Yeah, there are anthologies and compilations, but in my genre, I think it's mainly established authors who can sell on name alone.

I remember when I started this story. I had written a flash fiction piece for a contest (and it placed top 10, BTW!). A friend had told me about a Romance magazine that was looking for pieces, max word count 10,000. So I decided to give it a whirl. I took this flash fiction piece and knew I could expand on. It felt VERY refreshing to work on something of this length, knowing I could not add in subplots or too many characters. I had to stay focused just on this one plot idea. I finished the story relatively fast and took it to writers group, got feedback, worked on editing it. I submitted to the magazine and started another story to be the same length- something I pulled from my idea file.

Never heard from them, and that was a good year and a half ago. After coming down from the high of my first publishing contract with Lyrical Press, (a year ago yesterday!!) I decided to go back to it. Lyrical publishes all sorts of lengths and I thought this was my chance to find a home for this story that I loved.

I had to keep setting it aside to work on edits for my novel, but I finally finished it about 2 weeks ago. Since Lyrical now has a 15,000 word minimum, I had the freedom to add more description. And I decided to change the POV from 1st to 3rd, which also gave me the chance to add in the hero's POV, which I love to do.

I submitted it to my editor and over the weekend, I received a contract for it!! I am so so excited to find a home for this story! I really love it and I can't wait to share it with everyone!! And it's a nice quick read...doable in an hour or so!

Final stage of editing....I can't believe it!!!

Wow. Can't believe this day is here. Today I start the absolute last stage of editing. I received my galley yesterday and now all that's left to do is go through and note any typos or other minuscule changes. After this there's no going back...no more changes. This is it!!!

I am in awe of how far I've come since starting this book. It had a different name back then and the original story idea was a bit different. It morphed as I wrote and I remember how fast I pumped out that first draft. Barely two months it took me...I was so excited...so inspired...I just could not stop. It was three years ago this month that I started it.

I remember how excited I was when it was finished and how fabulous I thought it was. I edited and perfected it and I queried. I received 9 requests...one of which was a full request from Red Dress Ink, one of the biggest chick lit publishers around. (this was when they still accepted unagented submissions). Devastation filled me when every single one ended in rejection.

But I loved this story so much.

It sat for a while, then it got an overhaul. I queried again and had no luck at all. Then I sent it off to a few digital publishers and that's when my story found it's home. My heart about burst when I found someone else who loved this story as much as I did.

And now here we are, after perfecting it even more...ready to publish and share it with the world!

Irritated and hurt and just plain angry...

Just participated in an online debate on Facebook about digital publishing with three fellow writers (who I know in real life) who claim to be my friends but completely shun eReaders and all forms of digital publishing. Well, gee, thanks guys....I guess that means I can count on you for ZERO support when my book is released as a digital book later this year.

If someone wants no part in digital media, fine, do what you want. I like paper books just as much as the next person, but I have accepted the fact that publishing is changing.

Technology is happening...you can't sit back and refuse to take part in it...if you refuse today's advances, you may as well reject yesterdays advances, like computers, the internet, telephones, microwaves, tv, refrigerators, even cars! It's hypocritical to say the advances of the 21st century are crap, but things we have come to know as life, advances of our grandfathers in the 19th and 20th century, those are okay.

Let's face it, digital media is here to stay. Look at music....do you think kids are going to one day shun the ipods they've known for years and years?? No, of course not. And it's all just getting bigger and better. I think that's exactly what will happen with eReaders.

I know I can't change people's minds...they'll think what they want to think, but why such negativity? Like I said....our world is built on technology...is all of it great, no, but why are digital books considered evil??

I kissed the feet of technology the day my ePublishing contract arrived...and in an email, no less. So a question to all these anti-ebook people....should I have never submitted to a digital publisher? Should I have turned down a contract for my book....a contract for the electronic publishing of my novel, my baby, the project I dedicated so much if my time to? Should I have rejected the chance to start my career???? Just curious as to what the eBook scoffers would say to those questions.

All I'm asking for is a little bit of open-mindedness. This "nope, nadda, NEVER gonna do it" attitude does not work for me....in regard to eReaders or anything else in life.

It's OFFICIAL!!! I'm beginning this journey!!

I received an email from my editor today...yep...round 1 of copy edits!!!!

I am beyond excited for this!! Yes, this all started months ago when I had a "Congratulations" email in my inbox. But now is when it REALLY starts! She told me she loved it and did the entire edit in seven days time!

And she prepared me for what lays heads. I know it's not gonna be all compliments and adoration...I know a ton of work is in my immediate future. But the work will be worth it. This time....editing is getting me where I want to go...it's not just endless work that might get me somewhere. And I have a professional to guide me along the way!

She'd like it back by Jan. 15th...yeah...not a problem! I'm lucky in that I get a solid 3 hours a day while my son naps. Plus, the way I'm feeling right now, it may be all I want to do over the next few days! I say that now....I haven't even opened the file yet. She already warned me that there will be times I will call her names and close my laptop.

My thoughts on self publishing...

From the very beginning, self publishing was just not from me. I wanted to get paid...not pay out my money to have my book published. (Though I know traditional publishing does not make an author an instant millionaire). I wanted to see my book on the shelf of a bookstore not peddling it out of my trunk. (I know there are other avenues for selling self published books, but in the beginning, this is what I envisioned). I needed the publishing world to tell me I'm good...I could not say to myself "I am good". (Yeah, I may have some self esteem issues).

Now before self published authors come for my head...I completely respect those who do self publish and I think there are good reasons for self publishing. Sometimes a book is so niche that it doesn't appeal to an agent or publisher. Or poets....from what I hear, finding an agent or a publisher for a book of poetry is impossible. Or the writer who just wants to put together something for their own personal enjoyment, a family cookbook, a memoir, whatever....this is a way to do it and receive a nice looking product.

It takes guts, lots of em', to put yourself out there and do the work that is necessary to make money on a self published book. To make a self published book a success, it takes more work than a traditionally published author. (And I also know how much work it takes for a traditionally published author to make their book a success too...but being backed by someone helps, a lot).

At one point I thought of self publishing my second novel, the one that is now contracted by Lyrical Press, A Bitch Named Karma. I love that story so much and it was killing me that no one loved it as much as I do. I needed to see it published. I queried that thing like crazy and it just never found it's right match until I queried Lyrical.

I don't know all the details of the new Harlequin self publishing thing.....but I am a bit appalled at the way they plan on basically saying: "Your work isn't good enough for us to publish, but you can pay us to do it."

I read a self publishing blog called The Self Publishing Review. For that brief moment when I was on the fence about self publishing, this blog definitely made up my mind. It tells it's readers why self published books do not do well....unless the author has paid for professional editing services, many of the books are just not up to the standard that they could/should be. This blogger reviews self published books and gives them 15 mistakes before they close the book...many don't make it past page 10. That is a clear cut dose of reality.

Now that I am in the editing phase with a professional editor through my publisher...I see how, even after I've done multiple edits on my own, the story is still far from perfection. So glad I didn't shell out all that cash to self publish.

I hope I didn't offend anyone with this post...it's just my thoughts about this topic.

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.....can we compare it to the publishing industry?

The Carousel of Progress is one of my favorite attractions at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. It was originally built for the 1964 New York World's Fair. It moved to Disneyland for a few years then made it's permanent home in Florida. If you've never been to Disney World, this is a must see, for me at least :)

The attraction takes it's guests through the 20th century, starting at the turn of the century, then into the 20's, the 40's and then present day. The continuing theme is progress and how we always think it can't get any better, but then a few years down the road, things are different and better and again we can't think things will ever be any better.

With all the discussion lately about the publishing industry...and where it's going to be a few years from now....I think of the Carousel of Progress. For a long while, I'm sure people thought books were fantastic and they were great just the way they were....and couldn't possibly think of how they could be improved upon. Well, lo and behold, the digital reader was introduced and it's thrown the industry up in the air. But I find myself thinking to the future....5, 10, 15 years from now, will digital book readers be the norm and and we won't be able to think of a better way to read a story?

Sometimes I think people have a hard time embracing change...but change can be a great thing.

"There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day!
There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow is just a dream away!"

A week to go

I am in the last phase of my last self edit before submitting to my editor. I WILL have it done within the next week. I leave for Florida on Wednesday the 30th at 7:25 am...my manuscript WILL be in her inbox before that time.

Luckily I am to the easy part...now I'm just reading through, making sure it all makes sense after swapping out so many words over the past two months and rewording so many lines. So far I like what I'm reading...so all the work has been worth it.

But no matter how much work I've done on my own, I do look forward to the future with a completely open mind. I know I could work on this thing for months and months and still my editor would find things that need changing. I'm actually looking forward to having a set of professional eyes on it to help make it the best it can be.

I almost cried happy tears!!!!

http://lyricalpress.blogspot.com/2009/08/editor-profile-piper-denna.html

This blog was posted over at Lyrical Press today...an interview with my editor.....go ahead....read the answer to the first question........

Yup...that's me she's talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In case you don't want to click the site, she says: "I've got lots of great names on my roster list. One title which I'm very excited about, though, is Bitch Named Karma, a really fun chick-lit novel."

It is so unbelievable amazing to find someone who is as excited about my novel as I am...and I waited sooo long to get to this point. Each step I make in this journey feel so amazingly right!!! I've felt so much heartbreak with rejection...but maybe they were meant to be. Maybe none of those agents or publishers were right for me.

I met my editor yesterday!!!

I am so so excited!!!

I didn't meet her face to face; she's in Colorado....that would involve a cross country trek. But she sent me an email! I think we will get along fabulously! She has written romance novels too and before I knew she was going to be my editor, I read the blurb for one of her books and really wanted to read it!

The email came with an attachment for yet another form to fill out!! Funny thing though, I've always loved forms...forms at the doctors office- medical history, etc... I do hate my Chiropractor forms though...they are really really idiotic.

Anyway, this form is info for her...how to reach me, the best time of day, etc.... Also it's for writing the tag, blurb and content warning. I had to detail the conflicts in my book and how they're resolved and details about my characters. Then I had to come up with my own tag, blurb and content warning. Also a 2 page synopsis of the book...darn it...I already have a 1 page, 5 page and 10 page.

She also sent me some instructions for editing and a check list. I will need to do one more self edit before submitting it to my editor for her edits. It shouldn't be too hard. Most of what was on the list were things I had already spotted in the manuscript and fixed long ago. But in all honesty, it's been a while since I've been through this story with a fine tooth comb. I'm kinda looking forward to it...I haven't read it in a while!

Using words that are a no no?

I have a list of words compiled from several writing articles, blog posts, etc....words that are supposedly big no nos. You should avoid these words at all costs and many writers go through their work and search specifically for these words and find ways to eliminate them. The words: was, had, like, been, just, etc.... My biggest is 'was'.

Now I have to ask...are established writers banned from using these words or just newbies???

I have been editing a short piece for a few weeks now...perfecting it before I start submitting it out. I have been doing my word searches and proudly cut a decent portion of 'was' from my story. Yesterday I picked up a newly published romance novel from the library...started reading it last night. With my current edits, I am highly aware of these no no words...and counted 3 instances of 'was' in one paragraph. The author is very popular, NYT bestselling author. Is it okay for her to overuse the no no words? Can she get away with it because she has sold thousands, maybe millions of books???

Forms galore! I love it!!!

Got an email from Lyrical Press yesterday.....attached were all the forms I need to fill out...personal info, bio, my ideas for cover art, tax forms, etc... Some of them I expected...the tax stuff and all my personal info. I didn't expect them to ask my thoughts on my cover!! I had a small vision for it, but in all reality, I never let my thoughts go that far. I wasn't going to count my chickens before they hatched...put the horse before the cart....any other cliches I can use???

But now it is a reality! I am completely open to what they come up with..their cover art is phenomenal!

And I need to join a couple online communities specifically for Lyrical Press authors! One is for technical support, another for interacting with authors and readers. They're for networking and getting your name out there, and hopefully, to help sell lots of books!!!

Looks like I am going to be spending lots of time online!!!