Energized and Excited!

I think all creatives find themselves in very un-creative places from time to time. It's part of the process, part of the journey. We each have different ways of rejuvenating that creativity. For me, the best way is to surround myself with other creatives. People who are like me and get me and support me. For me, the best place to find those people is at the Romance Writers of America annual national conference.

2016 was a sucky year for me. I lost all drive. I lost all creativity. I was falling apart and lost and I had no clue where my career was going. Many times I thought my career was done. I was unable to attend RWA's conference last year. It just wasn't in the finances.

I had been planning on going this year, for a long time. It was being held at Disney World. I mean...come on! My two loves and careers combined!! It was a no brainer. But finances were tight and I had nothing new to promote or pitch. I was still unsure if I was even going to pursue writing anymore.

But then the RWA organization contacted me and asked me to lead a tour of one of the parks. I couldn't say no!! We sat down and crunched the numbers and indeed, we could make it work.

A few weeks before the conference, RWA asked members on its FB group page what the RWA community meant to them. I replied and forgot about it. Until I arrived at the conference hotel in Orlando and found my quote on a giant poster on the wall!!!

This conference revived me. After the first two workshops, I texted my husband, tears in my eyes, and thanked him for making it possible for me to go. That just being there had rejuvenated me and my passion for writing. It gave me back a part of myself that I thought might have been long gone.

So here's to 2017 and new beginnings!! I've got some awesome things in the works and I hope you guys will join me for where this journey takes me in the future!!

Starting Over

In life, I think we have to start over at least one time. Maybe more than once. The last year and a half of my life has taught me that life is full of ups and downs and sometimes the climb back up the hill is easy. Other times it's just not. You have to start over. And most likely you'll have to do it again. That's life.

2016 was the year of suck for me. I heard that from many people, actually. Why was it such a horrible year for everyone?? I have no clue, but my life was certainly in a downward spiral. Or a tsunami. Disaster everywhere. Like, every part.

But I got through it and I'm in the rebuilding phase now. Which included a reboot of my writing career.

Last year my writing career took several hits. I found it necessary to part ways with my agent. Then my publisher felt it necessary to part ways with me. (unrelated) I was left in a position of not knowing what to do. Or knowing what I wanted to do.

My last release, Temporary Dare, came out in December 2016. After that I took a break from writing. I needed to distance myself from it. See if I missed it. If I still loved it. Turns out I did. Which was good. The break helped rekindle some of my enthusiasm. It's been a slow process in getting it back, but I'm getting there. I'm working on a new project. I plan to pitch it to agents and editors when I go to the Romance Writers of America conference in July. Really hoping this is the beginning up the uphill swing for me.

Wish me luck!!

#AuthorLifeMonth

I had no clue this was a thing! But it sounds super fun! I'm a little late to the party, so here's days 1 and 2!!

Day 1 was my books. I don't need to post them all but I do have a new cover.....so COVER REVEAL! Here is my shiny new cover for ONE SIZE FITS ALL- due out July 4th!!

Isn't it pretty?????? It fits right on with the others in the series :)

Now on to Day 2! Today is author photo day! Here's one of mine from my author photo shoot!! She did such a great job! If you're in Buffalo or NYC and need a photographer, call Sarah Heidinger!!

Finding career happiness!

I'm pretty lucky. I've found a way to make money doing something I love. TWO somethings to be exact. They feed my soul in different ways, using different sides of my brain. For the first time in a long time I feel secure. I feel like I've really found my path....two paths that run along-side each other.

As you all know, I'm an author. I started writing years ago--like 10--on a whim and it just blossomed. I couldn't stop. I needed to do it. I took baby steps and eventually got to a good place. I love creating these wonderful worlds. I love creating these sassy characters and putting them into crazy situations. I love the love. I love when readers love my stories. I love that I create something that gives people an escape from whatever they need escaping from.

And I guess my other job is all about escape too!

I recently started a travel business. Some of you may know about my love for Disney, especially the parks. I took my first trip to Walt Disney World when I was 22. It was on my bucket list of things to do before we had kids. So we did it. It was a spur-of-the-moment budget trip but it was fun and I had a great time. Fast forward 5 years. We had a 2-year old and my mother-in-law had suggested we go to Disney World at Christmas time, and as our Christmas gift, she'd pay for our flights. Sounded like a good plan to me! That's when all the fun started!

I'm a planner by nature, so I jumped right in. I bought planning books, I got online. I learned everything I could about the Disney World property, for our first ever stay at one of their resorts. Our trip came and it was so much better than that first time. It was more magical. We were immersed in Disney, and that was it. I had caught the bug. We spend the next 10 years going back as often as we could, usually once a year, but twice a couple years. I learned all I could...I couldn't get enough! I became the go-to gal for everything Disney!

Then one day last fall it just hit me. I could help people plan their own magical trips and GET PAID for it! So I once again did my research, applied at a couple online travel agencies that specialized in Disney vacations, and before long, I was taking classes from the College of Disney Knowledge and on my way to becoming a certified Disney Travel Planner!

Never before in my life have a felt so happy and secure about my career/s. Many of you know writing was not my first career. I started in the floral industry and worked in it for about 14 years before giving it up to pursue my writing. I didn't have passion for it anymore. Writing had taken over. And now, even though I have taken on a second career, my passion for writing is still just as strong. Who knew you could have passion for two things???!!!

Check out my Disney Blog here and my Disney Facebook page here!

My two careers fulfill me in different ways. The writing nurtures my soul, my creativity. It's my outlet for my thoughts and feelings. But it is a roller coaster, as any artist knows. I often doubt myself, but then later that day, I feel like a million bucks! I have very few answers and I don't think I will ever feel like an authority. But that's okay. I love what I create. I love what I give to others. I love the journey. And I can't wait to see where it takes me.

The travel planning is very different. I know all the answers, or at least know where to find them. I feel very in control, which is a feeling I rarely have when it comes to writing. And actually I think that's good for me. It's good to have control, but also good to know when you have to give it up. I love helping people create memories for their families. Life is so full of must-dos and I think families often run out of time for togetherness. When I help families plan a Disney vacation, I'm giving them peace of mind. I'm helping them create opportunity for quality time with their family. I'm helping them create memories they will cherish forever.

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! :)

Full steam ahead, or scale back??

The holidays are always a busy time of year. If you guys are like me, the weekends are jam-packed with parties and holiday merriment. It's such a fun time and we always make so many memories. In my opinion, life is meant to be enjoyed, and I will take advantage of every opportunity I can :)

But sometimes it is tough to find time for everything.

Last week I wrote Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. But then Turkey Day hit and it was just so hard to find time for myself. Now I stare down this week. My kids are off Thursday and Friday for parent teacher conferences. I always struggle to write when they are home. But on top of that, we're hosting an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party on Saturday. I have a ton to do this week.

So it makes me wonder what others do this time of year. Do you charge forward, full steam ahead? Or do you scale back and set a slower pace?

If I had a job outside of my home, I'd still have to go every day despite what I had going on in my personal life. I think many writers, including myself, treat their writing like a job outside the home and set specific hours for it. But since I do not work a traditional job, I enjoy the perk of making my own hours and taking a day off (or a week) when I need to. I've often heard the statement- "Real writers write every day." I consider myself a "real" writer even though I don't write every day. I have a family and a life. I adore writing, but everyone needs days off.

This week I definitely have to scale back, considerably. For the rest of December, I will still be moving forward, but I will not hesitate to take days off when I need. Cause I know come January, when the holidays and hoopla are over, I can get back on my horse. I have a very good work ethic and can pump out over 50K in a month when I set my mind to it. So I don't see anything wrong with taking it slow for a month :)

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!

I hate neglected blogs :(

I hate clicking someone's blog and seeing the last post was months, or even years ago. And here I am...doing just that :(

It's been a hell of a summer. That's all I can say. It's been one thing after another. Two kids keep me busy. I can't imagine what bigger families are like. Yikes! Do mom and dad ever get a spare moment to breathe? LOL!

Lots of exciting writing-related things going on too. I still can't reveal much yet, but let's just say, it's what I've been working the last 5+ years for. I still can't believe it's actually happening. Details to come soon. I promise!!!

Making Plans

I'm a planner by nature. I thoroughly enjoy the process, whether it be for a vacation or a party, I really just thrive on organizing and researching, making choices, bringing everything together. Which surprises me that I started out writing as a panser, but in the end I did reform and become a plotter.

Thus far in my career, I have gotten by on making my own deadlines. I never had to finish a book by a certain date. It was all on me to make the plans. And I've been pretty damn good about sticking to them. It's really hard to be motivated to work hard to get something done by a certain day when no one is breathing down your neck. If you fail, there's no one to hold you accountable. But I do hold myself accountable. I mean, no, I don't reprimand myself or anything...that would just be weird. But I do feel pretty crappy when I let myself down.

I made a new plan for the rest of summer vacation and for the month of September. At the start of this week, I had four full weeks until we leave for our big California/Vegas adventure. I'm currently working on the second book in my Classy n' Sassy series. I don't have an official deadline for it, so I made my own. I want it done by September 30th.

In order to do that, I have decided to aim for 5,000 words a week until we leave. That's 20,000 over the course of 4 weeks. Now, my normal weekly goal is 10,000 words. But in the summer when the kids are home and we have activities and things going on, it's just not an attainable goal. I would be setting myself up for disappointment if I tried to reach that. So I made a far more accessible goal, and if I do more, fantastic. After those 4 weeks, we go on our trip, and I've allotted for recuperation when we get back. I plan to get back on the wagon on Tuesday the 3rd of September with a proper 10K a week word count goal. That should give me another 40,000-50,000 by the end of the month and should finish the book.

I also have a writing retreat in September. My local RWA chapter will be spending the weekend at a fabulous B&B. Last time we did this I wrote 11K+ over the course of 3 days.

So there's my plan! Do you make plans? Do you have deadlines put on you by others or just yourself? Are you good at meeting them?

If you ever want to sell on proposal....

When I started writing, I had no clue how to do it. I just wrote. There was a story in my head and it came out through my finger tips. But then I started learning there were rules. Basic rules about storytelling and characters. I read a couple books and found invaluable information. And I had to relearn all the grammar stuff I had forgotten. Boy was that tough!

I joined a writers group maybe a year or so after I started writing. The people were awesome and they really helped me figure out this writing thing. They helped me fix the things that needed fixing. They were great for bouncing ideas off of. And then we had a new member join our group. She was working on her novel, a mystery, and though she only had a few chapters written, she had the whole thing planned out. Every scene. At the time, that seemed so incredibly boring to me. I remember thinking it felt like all the creativity had been taken out of the process. I couldn't understand why someone would write like that.

Fast forward a few years....

I'd been through the publishing process a bunch of times. I'd written a few more novels. I'd met tons of people in the writing community. Many were pansers- people who write by the seat of their pants, like I did. And the rest were plotters, who plan their books, either in an extremely detailed manor or just a simple outline. I was a panser. And then one day a friend posted about her new book and how she was becoming a reformed panser. After selling several books to her publisher, they now only wanted a proposal before offering her a contract. She now HAD to write an entire synopsis for her future book before writing it.

That really hit home with me. I knew I wanted to someday sell to a big publisher. And if this is how big publishers did it, maybe I needed to take a serious look into changing my process too. So I decided to give it a try. A test. I decided my next book would be plotted out beforehand. I spent a couple weeks writing what was originally supposed to be a semi-detailed outline. But I ended up writing a very detailed outline, scene by scene. It was about 25 pages long, single spaced. When I finished, I started crafting the book. It took me only 35 days to write 82 thousand words. And not once was I bored or felt a lack of creatively. There was never a lull, asking myself "What's gonna happen next?" There were less plot holes. Since I had the book all planned out, it gave me the ease of just writing it and not having to stop and think about where the book was going. I already knew.

I am now a reformed panser! And proud of it!!

I know everyone has their process and everyone must do what works best for them. But I am honestly shocked by how at home I am with the new process I have adopted. My dream is to sell on proposal. I would LOVE to sell a book based on my ideas instead of spending months writing something that no one wants to buy. Fingers crossed that I get there!

So...panser or plotter? Any reformed pansers like me??? Were you shocked with the ease of the process once you started it?

Clearing My Head

Sometimes there is so much going on in my brain, or sometimes nothing, which is not good when I need it to have something. During those time I just need to clear my head.

As a writer, I'm often faced with a blank page...that blinking cursor. And there are times it's fantastic. That cursor moves like you wouldn't believe. I make so many typing mistakes because my fingers are moving so fast getting the story out of my head before it disappears, lost in the sea of things floating around in there.

But there are those other times where the blinking cursor is a curse. I don't know what to do next. I don't know where I need to take my characters. Sometimes it's during the creating phase. I have reformed and am now a plotter, but even though I have the entire book planned, it's sometimes difficult to bridge together the scenes I've thought up. Or during the editing phase, when I know I need to fix something, but the solution is just not coming to me.

I need a brain break. And it's not uncommon for me to take several in a day's time. Just short little vacations where my brain can rest and do absolutely nothing worthwhile. And yes...my brain takes it's vacations in Twitterland, Facebookville, and Pinterest City.

I know many people consider these social media sites a complete waste of time. I don't, for many reasons, but I won't go into them all today. Today I am focusing on the break they give my brain. I can go on Twitter and have a laugh, see what my writer buddies are doing, promo myself, help promo a friend. I only stay a minute or two. Then I hop over to Facebook, see what my family and friends are up to today. Stay there a couple minutes. Then maybe some Pinterest for yummy meal ideas or crafts.

My brain takes maybe a 5 minute break and is ready to get back at it. Stepping away form my work, even for a few minutes, can often give me new perspective. It really helps!

Do you take mini breaks while you're writing, or doing whatever job you do? Does it help clear your mind and make you more productive? What do you do on your mini breaks?

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.

Hard work pays off....my story of "The Call!"

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may have seen some vague posts lately about me being super excited and celebratory. Wouldn't take a rocket scientist to guess what it was all about :)

I got THE call! Well, it was an email for me, but just as fabulous! Kinda glad it wasn't an actual phone call or I may have embarrassed myself by screaming or crying or asking, "Is this for real?"

So let's back it up a bit and start at the beginning, if you're interested in reading the whole story. :)

Summer 2012 was FULL of submitting my manuscript and waiting. Lots of interest in my newest book, Try Me On For Size. I did Twitter pitches, I did blog events, I did all kinds of stuff. I participated in a fun Twitter pitch in August, Pitch Madness, I believe. I received three requests, two from the same agency. So out of respect, I sent it to the one who'd requested first. Rejection a few weeks later :(

Jump ahead to October. I saw on Twitter that the other agent who requested the MS was no longer with that agency. Sooooooo I Tweeted and asked if she remembered me and if it was okay to submit to her. She said yes! So I did. The next week was a flurry of emails. She loved the partial...wanted the full. Loved the full, but had a couple suggestions. If I was interested in making the changes, I could resubmit. The changes, in my opinion, were minimal and I thought they were a good suggestion, so I made them. Took me about a week. Sent it back and she confirmed. And then I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

It felt like forever.

I checked up mid December. I hated doing it. I hate looking clingy and impatient. I know how the publishing industry is. I know it takes time and there is always waiting. But I guess since our first few interactions had been so quick, the two months that had passed seemed r e a l l y long. But she was great and said she had been really busy the last few weeks before (she opened her own agency in November!) but she had some free time so she was definitely getting to it soon.

So then Christmas week came and I posted this post on December 19th. I remember writing it and wondering if the finding an agent thing was ever going to happen for me. I knew this was not something Santa could bring me.

The holidays were great. It was really a wonderful week for our family. And then on January 2nd, I sat down to work on my newest WIP. Checked my email and there was a reply from her. The dread set in. So many other emails over the last 6 years have all said the same thing....NO. My gut told me this was just another to add to the pile. I clicked on it....to get it over with. It didn't start the same as the others and my brain wouldn't let me read it one word at a time. It skimmed it quickly find out what the email actually said. And it wasn't a no. It was a yes! Tears flooded my eyes and my heart beat a million beats a minute.

I replied right away with a couple questions, forcing my fingers not to type out, "I love you!"

And then I waited.

And waited.

Almost a week went by with nothing. I got really nervous. What if she changed her mind? So again I sent a message to check in. And as I'd hoped, she'd never gotten my email reply...lost somewhere in cyber space! Why does that only happen on important emails? LOL!

My agent (SQUEE!) is Brittany Booker of The Booker Albert Literary Agency. Everything was made official and I'm now even listed as a client on her website!!

So so excited!! HUGE thanks to everyone who has supported me over the years and helped me become the writer I am now!! Onward and upward from here!

Been so long...I gotta start from the beginning

I think I can finally get back to my work in progress...that is almost finished. And has been "almost finished" since the middle of October.

It's been a busy couple months in my world. And I hate that I have not been able to finish when I'd originally wanted. The plan was to have this baby done by Halloween and completely edited by Thanksgiving. We left for our trip the week after Thanksgiving. I'd wanted to have it done and even sent out on submission before our plane took off. I hate that I did not fulfill that goal.

This book has been really tough to write. I really don't know why. The last one I outlined (a first for me) and it made the process so easy that I wrote the entire first draft in 35 days. It was a good first draft too! So when I prepared to write this new one, I did another extensive outline and went at it. But it just did not flow this time. And I found myself veering from my outline a whole lot more than in the last book. It's been about 3 months and the thing still needs about 15 K to be finished.

But now that I've been away for it for almost a month, I need to go back to the beginning and read it. All of it. To get my head back into the story and actually remember everything that has happened. I'm hoping I fall in love with these characters again and maybe the ending will flow right out of my fingers tips! Wish me luck!

How to show an author love!

Writers are a pretty self-conscious bunch. We work for hours day in and day out, sacrificing so much, and never really know if what we're doing is worth it. Is it good or just crap? The only way to know if the stories in our head come out on paper (or e-reader) as vividly as we hope is to get feedback from readers. The best way to thank an author for a story you read and enjoyed is a review, whether it be on Amazon, Goodreads, email, blog post, FB post.

Recently my husband passed my debut novel, the only one in print, on to a coworker. Two days later he came home with this note:

Hi Stephanie,

I loved your book! You are an amazing (with the word "amazing" underlined TWICE!) writer. I read it in a day and a half. Can't wait to read your next one and I loved the title. Continue writing...it's what you should be doing!!

This has to be the best review/letter I've ever received about my work. It really means the world to me!

The Look Challenge!

The other day on Twitter, Laura Lee Nutt tagged me in a Tweet for her challenge post. Sounded like lots of fun!!

The Look Challenge works this way:

Find the first use of "Look" in your WIP (work in progress) and paste the surrounding paragraph into a blog post.

Tag a string of victims-ehem- friends and fellow writers to participate. If you're not tagged, feel free to participate too!

So here goes! I'm not currently working on something right now, just plotting my next book, but here is a the last book I finished, that I am currently trying to find a home for. It's called Try Me On For Size. Enjoy!

She had a file for each of her “interviewees,” as she’d decided to call them, complete with photos of their naked bodies. After all, she wasn’t just looking for an able penis, she needed a spokesperson for this new venture. And the new venture would require them to be mostly naked. 

Speaking out on reviews????

Since before I even published my first book, it's been branded on my brain that it is taboo for authors to respond to reviewers. Many won't even read their reviews. I think thats smart to some degree, but I do read all of mine. I like to know what people think. If it's something I completely disagree with, I let it go. But if it's a valid point, I learn from it.

For the most part, my reviews have been positive. I've yet to receive a really awful review. There was one pretty negative review a while back, but it was obvious to me that the reader rarely read romance. They just didn't understand the fantasy aspect of the genre.

I used to thank people for their kind reviews, but then I learned even that was kinda taboo. Reviewers and readers, especially on sites like Goodreads, want the ability to talk about books without the intrusion of the author....whether good or bad. Now I know things can get really nasty on Amazon...like really bad, all out scathing reviews. And for an author, it can be devastating. We put so much blood, sweat, and tears into our books...they're our babies. It hurts to hear they're not liked. Or despised...or compared to the contents of a litter box.

Recently a very popular author made some comments about a negative review she received on Amazon...or rather her husband did. Whatever. This isn't new. It happens every so often. Some author flips out and chaos ensues. Her reactions after it all went down were less than favorable. And they make all authors look bad. This is a subjective business. Everyone will have their opinion, and not all of them will be nice. You have to grow a thick skin and put on your big girl panties if you want to survive this business. And keep your mouth shut. And make sure your husband keeps his mouth shut too.

Are you a quitter???

Ever since I started writing with the purpose of completing a book, and then getting that book published for the world to enjoy, it's been hammered into my head that only those who work hard and never quit succeed. Makes sense. But when I first started writing, I NEVER thought it would be so damn difficult.

My whole life I was taught that with hard work, you will get where you want to go. If you want to be a doctor, you go to school, get good grades, work hard, and eventually you will be a doctor. But with writing, it's not that cut and dry. You can work hard for years and go no where.

There are so many factors that can keep a writer from achieving their dream. Something as small as your book is too quirky. You need to write something that is popular enough to be accepted by the masses, but different enough to stand out from what's already been written. Take an old idea and put a completely different spin on it...but not too different or far fetched. At least in contemporary romance, which is what I write.

And the writing has to be perfect. For the most part, I think I have that down. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but my grammar is pretty darn good. My style is smooth. I've developed my own unique voice. It's taken quite a few years but I am really excited to have a style I love and one that is fun and flirty and really represents me. But obviously it's not enough to get me where I want to go.

Quitting has crossed my mind on several occasions. And again very recently. A couple weeks ago I had the worst week in a long time. Rejection after rejection. I'm not a quitter...never have been. (Well, once. I did quit dance class when I was 12. It wasn't fun anymore when the teacher was yelling at us when we didn't do a step properly.) But never in my life have I felt so downtrodden....hopeless. In my first career, I worked hard, perfected my craft, made a successful business. It was all pretty easy. This is not. I know nothing worth having comes easy, but I'm getting to the point where I just wanna scream, "Come on, already!" How much rejection can a person take--should they take-- before they throw in the towel? Was I crazy to think I could stand out in such an over saturated talent-filled industry?

Museful Monday!!!! Putting the cart before the horse??

Today I am over at Sandra Sookoo's blog, Believing is Seeing, for Museful Monday!! Come stop by and see what I'm talking about today!!

New York....concrete jungle where dreams are made.....

Alicia's Keys' voice played through my head as we walked around Manhattan this past Saturday. The city is really as gorgeous and fantastic as movies, music, and books make it sound. And embarrassingly, I've been a NY state resident my entire life and this is really my first time in NYC.

The main purpose of this weekend whirlwind trip was a luncheon hosted by the Long Island Romance Writers. They do it every year, bringing together lots of agents and editors to chat with and pitch your book to. It's all casual and relaxed.....or as relaxing as one can be coming face to face with the people who can make or break your publishing dreams! LOL!!

Today's post will focus just on the luncheon..and later in the week I'll post about the fun me and my family had and all we squished into one day!

Our weekend started with a 2:30 am alarm, and we backed out of our driveway at 3:10...ten minutes off schedule. But really that didn't matter. We made it to Long Island around 10, after being stuck in a little bit of traffic. I had been worried about a lotta bit of traffic...but I'd worried for nothing. Better safe than sorry. Hubby dropped me off at the inn where the luncheon was held at about 11:30 and he took the kids to lunch and to see Madagascar 3. 

I sat and waited, since the luncheon didn't start til 12. A few people trickled in and finally we could go in. But of course there was a snag...they didn't have a lanyard and badge for me. I was on the list, but no tag. While they looked, I went into the room and was immediately handed a glass of champagne. Soooo needed that! I snagged a seat at a table next to one of the agents I wanted to talk to, then went back out to the lobby. They found my lanyard and I felt more relaxed. 

I kinda stood around...not sure what to do. I am not very outgoing all on my own and sometimes it takes a little bit for me to relax and find the courage to just start talking to people. Then my friend Nicole Zoltack arrived. Yay! A friendly face! We chatted and the editor from Ellora's Cave came up to talk to us. Unfortunately, neither of us write erotic romance, but it was still nice to chat with her. Another writer came up and introduced herself to us, then introduced us to one of the agents she had talked with. SUPER nice. I knew beforehand she was not really a great fit for me and my book, but she said to send it anyway...it might be good for someone else in her agency. 

I split from my friend..as she wanted to talk to someone, so I chatted with the editor from Entangled. I just wanted to introduce myself. I did a pitch with the Romance University for Entangled last week and they requested it. So we chatted about that a little bit. Then lunch was announced. Food was tasty!! In between courses I got to chat with the agent sitting next to me. She thought my book sounded interesting, so she asked me to send it to her. YAY!! While waiting for dessert, I got up and mingled around, and chatted with another agent...another request!

Now I do know that agents often request material at these things....it's far harder to say no to someone's face....so I do take all this with a grain of salt. 

Anyway, the keynote speaker was great- Angela James from Carina Press. After she finished, the luncheon was pretty much done, but agents and editors mingled more and there was another opportunity to talk to them. I chatted with another agent who I knew was not exactly right for me, but while she did her introduction before lunch, she mentioned that other agents in her agency were looking for romance..and to come chat with her to find out more info. So I did. She referred me to another agent!! YAY!! 

And lastly I chatted with the editor there from Sourcebooks...who happens to also be the editor of one of my RWA chapter mates! Told her about my book and she said to send it over, though it might not be quite right for her. 

Overall, it was a really great event. I chatted with everyone I wanted to and had a decent number of requests. Fingers are crossed that one of these requests leads somewhere!!