Monday, March 29, 2010

HOPELESSLY IN LOVE... to a fault.


Man, I tell ya! I've been plugging away at my own life's indulgences when I really should take other people's needs into account. I have things to work on for other people, but if I don't get these crazy thoughts out of my head and down on paper I won't be able to function well enough to do these things for others. But I digress...

I've completed Broken Light and I'm ready for the release tomorrow. Although I should wait for the copy to come that says what I've corrected is correct before people start buying a faulty book... Then again, if I keep it private I can just sell it myself for a certain amount of time. Ugh, then I'm stuck with the problem of the contest I want to enter by May 3rd. Jeez, does my mind ever stop?

I've been reworking a story I started the day I finished The Vernore Gene and I can see how much I've improved. There are aspects that I want to change and scenes that have entered my head to rework. I've been in love with the main character since the day I wrote the first sentence. And why shouldn't I be? He's me. I'm him. If I were a guy, I mean. Which also makes for a rather odd writing style, in a way.

Libba Bray wrote as a guy in Going Bovine and I loved that book. As a girl, I didn't feel it was boring or that I couldn't relate, which is what some publicists believe about writing outside your gender (so I've read.) If you've looked through my website then you'll know that I've talked about this book before. At the time I called it T.L.A.V. and now I've been calling it something else (title may give away too much to say it right now), which may change again to something along the lines of Saving Kyle Albie. Only problem is... I don't plan on saving him. Shhhh...

Anyway, I've had that drilling through my brain while editing Broken Light and trying to reason out book 2 to The Vernore Gene.

On a side note: I plan on writing book 2 and 3 continuously for Shadow Reign Chronicles and then moving forward with it, in case you've been wondering what's taking so long.

So, back to the story which pushes stories around. This T.L.A.V. or Saving Kyle Albie was pushed aside by The Lyon's Key when it took a turn I wasn't happy with. In order to fix it, I have to add one issue, change another, move a scene to the end, and write the second half. Good lord, I may be busy forever!

As for The Lyon's Key, I've had that edited through once. I was going to enter it in a contest but the deadline passed and I'm still not 100% amazed. Until I am, it's sitting on the sidelines. I may get a review from a friend who can give me an honest opinion about what's not selling me on it right now. Then I'll know what to fix.

Speaking of reviews. My husband who is an Art Director at a marketing firm has a co-worker that knows another author who is reading The Vernore Gene. Or she will read it. I'm not quite sure where it stands at this moment. When I know more I'll be raving about it here. Unless she doesn't like it. Then I'll vent here instead.

Well, that's what I've been dealing with in the book world. This year is also going to kill me with books I want to read. Kieli Vol. 2 just came out on the 23rd. I bought Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler which I want to read right now. One of my favorites, Maria V. Snyder, just published Inside Out and tomorrow is the release of Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs. I've pre-ordered Mockingjay, book 3 of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, due out in August and Linger, book 2 in the Shiver series is out in July. Also pre-ordered.

I'm a hopeless romantic, but you'd never know it from talking to me!!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

What's Next?

I've completed three books. One is published, I'm days or weeks away from publishing another, and working on how I want to go about publishing the other.

I'm excited about Broken Light and getting it out there to circulate through the hands of many readers. I wish things were easier sometimes though. Self-publishing has it's bumps in the road but they're not big enough to cause me heartache... yet! I love the feeling of being in control over the process of my book, using my art degree to design it, "forcing" my husband to design the covers, and kinda-sorta choosing my own price. The downside to Broken Light is that in order to reduce the price and keep it that way after the retail markup is to use a publisher grade printing. Unfortunately that means no distribution and no overseas sales. I don't know however if that means I can't place it on goodreads.com for giveaways. I guess that means I'd be holding contests for it on my website which I did with The Vernore Gene and only had three people participate. Perhaps I'll try a Facebook giveaway this time.

As for The Lyon's Key, I'm still in the process of thinking/editing/rewriting it for traditional publication. At this moment, I like Broken Light better but again it's hard to compare a book of one style to another. This type of thing takes years so in the mean time my next "to do book" on my list is the sequel to The Vernore Gene. I feel like I've been putting it off but if you've read it you know I have a lot to work out in order to close the whole thing off in two more books. And I may have promised somewhere that their would be a supplement story of Dierno's life.

Oh no! I forgot about Friendship Cheese! That will be next. My children's book about finding an unlikely friendship is in the works. Pictures are drawn, words are written, but the kids need color in their book. Once that's complete I'll be able to get cracking on the distribution of that. Fun. Fun. Fun.