Rebecca Knight: Writer In Progress

The Wave of the Future: Subscription Book Services

2011-12-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

As a big fan and user of Netflix, I got to thinking about what the new Kindle Owner's Lending Library means for readers. Will a similar program as the unlimited streaming be coming down the pipeline, only with e-books instead of video?

I read this great blog post by author David Gaughran today, which addresses mainly this topic. I'm of two minds about the whole thing, really.

As a reader, I'm excited.

I love Netflix because I get free access to movies I wouldn't have otherwise purchased. That's basically what I use it for--experimenting and finding new, cool things to watch without commiting myself to buying a new Blu Ray or, God forbid, coughing up for a movie ticket.

If I find something I truly love, OR (more likely), Netflix doesn't have it available for free streaming, then I'll buy it or rent it if I've heard it's awesome. I still have a blu ray collection that I add to every year, so Netflix isn't cutting into my purchasing decisions just because it's free.

As a writer, I'm worried.

In the blog post I linked above, David closes with an excellent point about how we as authors want to get paid. If everything goes subscription-based, then we're basically agreeing to a flat rate, set by the retailer and can never hope to make more than that. Right now, I get to set my own prices, and the only things determining my earning cap are a) how hard I want to work to produce more content and b) reader interest.

There is no limit to how much I'm "allowed" to make! If I keep churning out great stories that people want to read, the potential is there to make a nice living.

However, if my only choice is to be locked into a flat payout (or even worse, some mystery payout like Kindle Select offers), then that will seriously suck.

I like being in control of my own destiny, and I especially like being paid properly for my hard work.

So, here's my question to you:

Would you use a subscription site as a reader, and if so, how do you think it would influence your book-purchasing habits?

This is a fascinating time to be alive :). Only time will tell how this all shakes out.

Kindle Select: A Potential Monopoly?

2011-12-13T19:38:00.000-08:00

It has been one hell of an interesting week with the launch of Kindle Select, a new program for indie authors where they can give Amazon 90 day exclusivity of their titles in exchange for a piece of a mysterious pie and the opportunity to promote their titles for free for up to 5 days.

I've been lurking on the forums and listening to peoples' experiences who took this plunge with both feet, and the more I watch, the more concerned I become.

I mean, obviously Amazon isn't creating this program out of the goodness of their hearts, so there must be a reason why they created such a tempting program for indie authors.

From what I've heard from folks who used their free promotions this past weekend, some benefits for Amazon have become apparent:

Amazon doesn't let you opt out more than once!

When you sign up for Kindle Select, you get 72 hours to opt out and change your mind. However, if you opt out once, you don't get that same window the next time you sign up. You're in. For 90 days. PERIOD. They also make you forfeit your opt out window if you have your book go free during that timeframe.

The non-compete clause means no bundles, and probably no excerpts.

If you have a short story in their program, you have to unpublish any short story bundle or anything with an excerpt of that story from all other sites. Doing #samplesunday on your blog? Well, you've got to erase all of that, too, or potentially forfeit any earnings.

The "Free" game has changed.

It used to be that when your book or story went free on Amazon, it zoomed you up in the ranks. This meant when your story went back to paid, you'd still be at whatever ranking you earned as a free book. If you hit the Top 100 for your genre, you could get a lot of exposure, and a lot of sales.
From friends of mine who went free this weekend, I heard of people going from the Top 20 in their genre, to falling instantly back down to their previous rank when it went paid again, down to 1 billion. The game has changed. Amazon may have tweaked their algorithms.

All this is to say, AUTHOR BEWARE!

I had one title in this program because I got excited like everyone else, but I've since pulled it. I don't want Amazon to get a monopoly over indie authors, and I certainly don't want to be part of a program that promises a promotional tool and delivers something else entirely.

It feels very predatory the more I learn.

What do you think? Any experiences with Kindle Select, good or bad?

New Kindle Lending Program: Good for Indie Authors?

2011-12-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

I got a very interesting email this morning from Kindle Direct Publishing, letting me know about a new opportunity for indie authors: Kindle Select.

Basically, they have a new program that indie authors can enroll in that will allow people with Amazon Prime memberships to "borrow" their books through the Kindle Owners' Lending Library.

The kicker is that for every person who borrows the book, the author gets a share of a profit pool..

From the FAQ:

__

How is my share of the Kindle Owners' Lending Library fund calculated?

Your share of the Kindle Owners' Lending Library Fund is calculated based on a share of the total number of qualified borrows of all participating KDP titles. For example, if the monthly fund amount is $500,000 and the total qualified borrows of all participating KDP titles is 100,000 in December and if your book was borrowed 1,500 times, you will earn 1.5% (1,500/100,000 = 1.5%), or $7,500 in December.

__

While I seriously doubt most of us will be making $7500 a month from this, it's still very intriguing.

Kindle Direct Publishing even went so far as to sweeten the deal by allowing authors enrolled in this program to make their book free as a promotion for 5 days during enrollment.

Now here's the rub. Nothing is perfect, right guys? ;)

Your book must be exclusive to Amazon for 90 days to participate in this program.

This means if your book is selling in any other store (Sony, iTunes, Kobo, Diesel, Barnes and Noble, etc,) you must take it down from those sites in order to be a part of this new Lending Library.

This article has a very good summary of what the program entails:
http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/pressed/2011/12/08/amazon-provides-boost-for-independent-authors

Now, I'm hesitant about this because I'm selling well at the other stores. I've heard other indie authors talking this morning about pulling all of their titles from Amazon's competition, and couldn't help but ask "What happens if Amazon gets a monopoly on indie bookselling?" Will they still treat authors as well as they are now?

What happens to our 70% royalty rate once they're the only show in town?

For now, I'm going to sit back and see what happens with the folks who are putting most or all of their books into this program. There could be amazing potential for profit, but there is also a high risk when you rely on one source for all of your income.

What do you guys think? Should indies jump on it, or hold out to see what happens next?

Back In Action!

2011-12-06T11:09:00.000-08:00

Hi, guys!

I apologize for being gone for so long, but I'm happy to say that I'm back, baby, and quite possibly better than ever :).

I have been working diligently on some very exciting things for the past few months, and will have a BIG announcement coming up at the end of this month. And no, I'm not going to tell you what it is because it's a surprise. You're just going to have to wait because I'm evil like that ;).

Thank you so much to all who participated in naming the next installment of the Fairytale Assassin short story series. I got distracted by other projects, but then decided to go a different way with the naming, so I wanted to let you know that. I appreciate the support, though, and the great names you guys put out there. I love this blog. You guys are so awesome!

Anyway, fun stuff is coming down the pipeline, so stay tuned!

I also have 10 authographed copies of the delightful trade paperback version of Legacy of the Empress that I'm currently selling :). I'm happy to autograph these any old way you'd like and may even include some bad artwork if you're lucky, so snap them up for any loved ones who love a great fantasy adventure for under the tree! You can purchase them HERE.

How many people can say they got a book for the holiday personally autographed just for them? I think that would be pretty darn nifty, if I do say so myself. I'm using wepay.com for the transactions, so it's easy and safe for all.

Other than that, you'll be seeing a lot more of me 'round these parts... so hold onto your butts.

Legacy of the Empress is available in PAPERBACK!

2011-09-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

The day has come! It's finally here, and I am practically vibrating with excitement :).

Legacy of the Empress is a FOR REALS book! On paper! With bindings and pages and new book smell!

To your left you will see me holding a copy of my for-realsies paperback novel, formatted with tender loving care, and looking completely and utterly awesome.

330 pages full of goodness.. in my actual hands.

I know that I've said in the past that when the day came that I held my book in my hands, that I'd get a big pile of them and swim through them like Scrooge McDuck, however... now that the day has come, I don't want to crease them with my flailing body.

They are just too pretty.

In related news, the trade paperback is available on Amazon for $10.99! How awesome is that?

So if you love the feel of a delicious papery book in your hands, and also want a great epic fantasy read, here you go. You're all set :).

I have my first ever book signing this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in Vancouver, WA at Cover to Cover bookstore, so if you're in the area, come say "hi!" I will be thrilled to see you :).

Thank you for letting me share this incredibly exciting moment with you, and for all of the love and support over the past couple of years. You guys mean the world to me. ((internet hugs!))

New Cover Art! A Paperback! A Book Tour! OH MY!

2011-09-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

In case you've been wondering what I've been up to when I've been horridly neglecting you, here's some new and exciting news! :)

Legacy of the Empress has a Fancy Pants professional cover, and is coming out in paperback form NEXT WEEK! That's right, ladies and gents. I'm going paper, and I'm going there hard. The book will be a nice sized trade paperback, and will be priced at $10.99. Woot!

Along with that awesome and most excellent news, I'm excited to say that I'm going on a booktour around the Portland Metro Area in October with some other really cool, local YA Authors. Since Legacy straddles the line between YA and epic fantasy, they were nice enough to have me.

Here's where you can find me if you live in the area:

Cover to Cover Bookstore on October 1st, from 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
West Linn Public Library on October 7th, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.
Beaverton City Library on October 20th, from 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
A Children's Place Bookstore on October 22nd at 1 p.m. - whenever they kick us out!

So, all of you Pacific Northwest Internet Friends, come say "hi!" :) I'll be the one getting all nervous and sweaty before reading a passage from my book.

I'm so excited! I hope I get to meet some of you face to face. How cool would that be?

Also, please tweet, facebook, or blog about these events, or even the paperback. It would be a huge help. Thanks for all your support, guys!

Announcements Tomorrow!

2011-09-20T19:25:00.001-07:00

Hi, guys,

As you have probably deduced, I've been one busy lady over the past couple of weeks, but tomorrow I get to announce some EXCITING things, and show you the fruits of my labor!

Woo hoo!

See you then ;).

Get out the Vote! What's YOUR Favorite Title?

2011-09-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hi, guys!

Thanks for bearing with me lately on the blogging. Life has been crazy around here, with family emergencies, work, and a flurry of visiting relations.

Now that it's fall things should be settling down, which makes it the perfect time for writing, and of course, blogging!

Now, I owe you guys a vote!

Several awesome blog followers entered my Name that E-Book Contest, submitting possible titles for the new Fairytale Assassin adventure for the chance at a free copy, a dedication in the e-book, and a $15 Amazon giftcard.

Well, it's time to vote for your favorite, my friends :). Here are my top three picks for my tale, based on the Rumplestiltskin story:

Greed
Avarice
Spun Gold

So, you tell me!

What's the best name, and who is our lucky winner? Please leave your votes in the comments, and support Kimmy and Nichole, our two finalists!

___

Above is a sneak peak at the cover for the next Fairytale Assassin story, coming soon! Woo hooo!

Baring Your Soul

2011-09-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

When you're writing, do you ever feel like you're baring your soul? Or at least having one of those weird dreams where you're walking down the hall naked and the only one who knows it is you?

I do.

I was thinking about this today, and wondering why we writers don't feel shy when we write, even though we're usually a shyer bunch face to face.

After all, when we write a scary scene, aren't we telling people what scares us? And when we write a love scene, aren't we telling the world what turns us on?

Aren't we showing our own views on life, religion, social interaction, and even good versus evil with every story we write?

What do you guys think? :)

Do you think a writer bares a part of themselves when they write? If so, are you shy about it, or do you love the freedom?

_______
Coming tomorrow: We'll vote for my Name that E-Book Contest winner!

Sorry for My Absence!

2011-09-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hi, guys,

I apologize for lying down on the job as far as blogging goes recently. Life came up, and I needed to unplug for a bit, but I promise to be back in blogging form next week :).

Don't forget to enter my NAME THAT E-BOOK contest! We have some great entries so far, and I'd love to have more names for the voting soon. After all, there's a $15 Amazon giftcard at stake! Let's make it interesting ;).

Because it's Friday, I'll leave this post short, but to make up for it, here's a picture of one of the cutest things in the world--a baby stoat.

D'awwwww :3 Lookit that face and tell me that's not one adorable creature. Seriously.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

10 Random Facts: I've Been Tagged!

2011-08-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by author pal, Samantha Warren, in a fun blogging game where we each have to list 10 random facts, and then tag four other bloggers :).

Who am I to deny some bloggy fun times?

So, here goes! 10 random things about me that you never wanted to know but are going to read anyway:

10) I used to fell trees with my ex-lumberjack grandpa! We live in the Pacific Northwest, and our house was overshadowed by some creaky, terrifyingly large trees that threatened to fall on us during every storm. So, of course, like any normal family, grandpa decided to enlist my 12 year old self to help him take them down. To this day I remember his shouts of "run for your life!" and "watch out for the power lines!" echoing through our neighborhood of track houses. Good times, Grandpa. Good times.

9) I met my husband through Craigslist. Yes, you read that correctly. Some girlfriends of mine were posting ads during college so I posted a joke one that said "Two Headed Girl Seeks Friendship, Maybe More" to see if anyone would respond. My husband's roommate forwarded him my ad, and the rest is history. Random, no? Obviously, 'twas destiny.

8) I hate fruity, sugary booze, and love whiskey straight up. Apparently, I am a 1890s cowboy.

7) Once I discovered Ru Paul's Drag Race on Netflix, I couldn't stop watching it. I seriously marathoned this show. Ru Paul presents hilarious challenges to young drag queens, says "Don't fuck it up" as encouragement, and then ends it with "Shasay.... away.." when someone is eliminated. Tell me this isn't the best reality show of ALL TIME.

6) I named my kitty Fawkes after the phoenix in Harry Potter :3. He's orange.

5) I'm a pretty good shot with a bow and arrow.

4) On a related note, I hit my mom in the eye once with a tiny arrow from my Lord of the Rings Aragorn action figure's wee plastic bow. Luckily, she was wearing glasses, and it deflected the blow. I was 20 at the time.

3) I karaoke to "Bohemian Rhapsody" without feeling shame.

2) As soon as I get home from work, even if it's early, I change into pajamas. Pajamas are my natural state. Right now, because it's summer, I'm in a wifebeater and boxers. Yes. I am a classy lady ;).

1) One of my favorite movies is Rambo, First Blood. I'll tell people that I love oscar winners, but I seriously love terrible 80s action movies. Favorite genre, hands down.

So, now it's time to pick some of you! I want to know your 10 darkest secrets.... or at least 10 random facts :).

I'm tagging:

Tere Kirkland
Abby Annis
Christine Fonseca
Michelle McLean

Let's hope they spill some juicy facts! ;)

What about you? What's a random fact about YOU, dear followers? I'd love to know!

Fairytale Assassin Contest: Name That E-Book!

2011-08-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm almost done with the next Fairytale Assassin adventures, but I need YOUR HELP!

Help me come up with a snappy, punny name for a Rumplestiltskin story!

The person who comes up with the best story name and leaves it in the comments here by 8/31/11 wins:

A free copy of the new short story
A dedication in the e-book from me
A $15 Amazon giftcard!

For inspiration, my current Veronica Grim: Fairytale Assassin story names ARE:

Blood Don't Lie (Bluebeard)

Carnivore (Little Red Riding Hood)

Heartless (Snow White)

Skin Deep (WIP, Beauty and the Beast)

Leave your ideas for Rumplestilskin in the comments, by 8/31, and on September 1st, I'll open up voting for you, my lovely readers, to pick the best one!

So, what are you waiting for?

Thinking caps on!

May the best name, WIN!

***
Disclaimer that my husband made me add:

I pick the top three names to be voted on to weed out trolls and stuff because The Internet is not always a fun and friendly place. Also, I have no obligation to use any name you provide. This is for funsies and should work out great, but you know. Just in case. Carry on!

Get Your Head in the Game

2011-08-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Do you have a mind for business?

Well, if you're a writer, I hope your answer is either "yes," or "argh, I'm learning as fast as I can!"

Sometimes when we're neck-deep in story ideas, it's easy to forget there is a second, all-important skillset we need to honing: our business savvy. If you never reach your readers, how are you going to make it? How can you reach them, entice them to pick up your book, and convince them to come back?

Figuring that out is almost as important as the writing itself.

I'm constantly working on this, because being a small business owner is definitely new to me. When I first started on this journey, I had exactly zero clue, so I started reading about book marketing. I have a few books stacked up at home on the subject, but here's the kicker. They're almost entirely obsolete now because of the market shifting toward e-books!

So, I'm learning as I go.

One thing I recently picked up is that the Fall and Winter are huge for e-books (and books in general.) People are home from summer vacation and they are giving their family and friends e-readers for back-to-school and Christmas.

The savvy marketer at this point thinks, what can I do to make sure I'm positioned well for this great sales quarter? How can I make sure I benefit from this season?

A few things I'm doing to prepare:

I'm looking for new cover art for Legacy of the Empress to bring it more in line with professional TOR-esque covers so it will stand out in time for Christmas
I'm bringing Legacy of the Empress out in paperback to reach those who don't have e-readers yet.
I'm going to be a part of a local author event at a Beaverton library in October talking to teens about writing and selling paperbacks.
I'm writing more stuff! (The most important part.) I hope to have two more Veronica Grim stories as well as (hopefully) a great start on the sequel to Legacy if not the whole thing, ready to go.

What are you doing in the coming months with your writing? Even if you're not ready to be published yet, are you preparing a business plan for the next month, quarter, or year?

It's something to think about :).

What do you think? Do you have a mind for business?

Insane Ways of Staying Sane

2011-08-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

So, newsflash.

This week is stressful.

With the stock market playing ping pong with our money as well as rumblings of the End of Days (recession-wise), I'm more than a wee bit high strung.

Of course, this means I started to get crazy nervous about the new pieces I'm currently writing. Thoughts like, "I've lost the sweet mojo! No one will ever buy one of my books ever again!" and "Maybe all of my writing is terrible, horrid crap, and no one's told me!" have been flying through my mind at break neck speeds.

I realize, however, that this is The Crazy talking and shouldn't be taken seriously.

So how the heck do you stop The Crazy and get back to work? How do you shake off the negative voices and start feeling good about what you're doing again?

I'll tell you what I did.

I gave myself a pep talk!

This sounds dorky, but it 100% worked, and I felt great afterwards. I addressed myself in the 3rd person (in my head), and told myself all of the things I'm proud of about my own writing and the things I've accomplished so far. I told myself that good things were on the horizon and that I can absolutely meet the goals I've set for myself.

I told myself that I've got this covered, and psyched myself up.

Have you ever done this? It really helped lift my mood instantly.

Next time you hear The Crazy creeping in, give it a try :). You might be pleasantly surprised!

July's Numbers, AKA, Why I Was Crapping My Pants in July

2011-08-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

I promised I'd share my numbers with you as I went along this crazy-go-nuts road, and that's exactly what I'm going to do :). Woo hoo!

Okay, so first, history:

In April I had a couple of short stories up and sold 19 e-books.

In May I had the two stories, and released LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS in the last couple days of the month. I sold 30 3-books, 7 of which were Legacies.

June, I sold 125 e-books across two names (this one and my pen name.)

So, July? How'd it go???

Welp.

I sold over 3500 e-books in July. Two short stories sold over 1000 copies each.

I flip flopped between feeling sweaty elation and then icy cold terror. Now, I'm much calmer :).

What a great month, though. Let me stress, too, that I only have one full length novel: Legacy of the Empress. The rest are all short stories, and a 15,000 word novella under my pen name.

People who say short stories don't sell are wrong. This is excellent news for all of us! Have some shorts chillin' on the harddrive? Well, if you publish them for kindle, nook, etc, you could make money and gain a following before you finish that first novel.

What are you waiting for? If you enjoy writing short stories, you have nothing to lose, except maybe $10 for a stock photo. I edit my stories and make my own e-covers for these short tales. Go for it! :) You may be surprised.

August has slowed down already, and I've only sold about 550 so far. Summer is notoriously slow because folks are doing yardwork and chasing rambunctuous kiddos instead of reading, so I'm working on getting new stuff written for Fall :).

I hope to have two new Veronica Grim, Fairytale Assassin stories ready by September 1st, and then it's time to write the sequel to Legacy of the Empress. Woo hoo!

It's GO time.

How are your own projects going? Do you have anything on the burner now? Tell us about it!

How Do You Define "Crap?"

2011-07-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting post over at J.A. Konrath's blog recently that I wanted to get your opinion on:
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/07/be-deliberate.html

He basically theorizes that when writers are deliberate... it's impossible for them to write crap.

He also states that people who leave 1 star reviews are usually dummies who aren't truly thinking about whether they are being objective or subjective.

I have my own opinions on this, but I'd love to hear yours :). Is it possible for a deliberate writer who understands basic form stuff like proper grammar, to write True Crap? Are 1 star reviews objective?

What do you think?

Update Roundup!

2011-07-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Hi, All,

Man. So sorry I've been neglecting you all lately!

I promise, I still love you. It's just been one stressful/good/fun/crazy/sad/weird/funny week. I feel like it's a been a month. But, also in a good way? It's like I'm in the Twilight Zone, and I ain't talking about sparkly nosferatu.

Since 7/9, bascially, I've sold 2200 books. What??

Anyway, things are going really well, but I'm now working harder than ever getting the next installments of Veronica Grim ready to go, as well as getting ready for a sequel to Legacy of the Empress. My alter ego has a trilogy planned. People: It is ON!

I had a lot of highs this past week and a half, but I also got my first one star reviews. Egads! They totally happen, and I'm even sort of happy that I got that "milestone" over with ;). It's like waiting for the first rejection from an agent, or getting your period or something. It's a part of the beautiful cycle of Nature.

Okay... I admit I felt like this *just* a little bit:

But, then I read the one-star reviews from some of my favorite authors and felt a smile creeping onto my face. Dude! A one star means I'm like... a real author. With books out there for people to have opinions about!

That's seriously awesome :).

Also, I got some lovely 5 stars for No Rest for the Wicked, Carnivore, and Legacy of the Empress. From Internet Strangers! Wooo hooooo!

So there you go. Roller coaster of happy/sad/happy and some hard workin's.

In other news, I promise to actually ship your books out, you lucky contest winners. I still don't have a couple of your addresses, so please email me forthwith to claim your treasures.

There have been lots of fascinating discussions lately in the blogosphere, so expect linkage later this week.

In the meantime, how the hell are you all doing? Any projects that you're working on?

I'd love to hear about them!

Terrified of Failure--Terrified of Success

2011-07-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination. It is our light more than our darkness which scares us. We ask ourselves – who are we to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous. But honestly, who are you to not be so?"

- Marianne Williamson

Confession time, gang.

I always thought this quote was bullshit until three days ago. Why would anyone be afraid of success? Now... I understand it for the first time in my life.

Well, what the heck happened three days ago, you ask? Some weird new pattern started that is now scaring the hell out of me.

Last Friday I saw an uptick in my book sales. I'd been selling a modest 3-10 a day (which for me was a great improvement over the last couple of weeks of June), and was hoping above hope that maybe I could double my sales this month and hit somewhere in the 250-300 sales range total. Well, Friday I sold 29 books.

"What the heck, Friday? Why are you being weird," I thought. My Fairytale Assassin short stories No Rest for the Wicked had started selling for free over at Amazon the day before, and I was super excited to see if it drove my other sales higher. My Alter Ego also had a story go free, so yay! Double interested to see what happened.

I woke up on Saturday morning and wandered over to the computer to compulsively check my sales, per usual, and cocked my head to one side at the oddly inflated numbers before me. This has to be some sort of mistake, or perhaps Amazon is playing a cruel joke on me, a-la the pigs blood dumped on Carrie. This cannot possibly be the correct number.

I checked my stats, then I checked my rankings, then I checked my pulse because I felt like I was having a heartattack. I sold 207 e-books on Saturday between my two names. Earlier that week I'd been stoked because I'd broken 7.

My heart was hammering out of my chest all day, and I realized, much to my surprise and dismay, that I was terrified out of my skull.

This shouldn't be happening, or at least not to me. It had to be a fluke, and everything would be normal again the next day. I would go back to slow-and-steady, dreaming of a successful future that was always just out of reach. All would be as it should be.

Yesterday, I sold 215 books, and today I'm already nearing 120 with my busiest time of day ahead of me. I've now sold 620-something books this month, and if this continues, I'll have sold 4600 by month's end.

I feel like I'm a hampster and an eagle just spotted me from above.

I'm sweaty, and I haven't been sleeping well. I keep waking up in the middle of the night and feeling the anxiety coursing through me.

If sales keep doing this, I'll be able to quit my day job and start living my dream in 2-3 months. Yet... I'm more scared about this journey than ever before. Why?

Because, I'm not worthy.

Sure, I've worked hard, but it's too good, so it shouldn't be happening to me.

I feel guilty. I don't deserve this.

Why do I get to live my dream? Why do I get to be lucky?

Why am I being given this gift? This opportunity?

I finally get the quote.

Yesterday I told my husband my fears that I don't deserve this. He's a rational dude, so he pointed out that I've been struggling on the journey to become a full time writer for years now. I've been writing my entire life, and working toward getting published since easily 2005 if not earlier. I've studied, I've honed my craft. I've written, and written, and written. I've put in a shit ton of hours on this dream.

Why shouldn't I get a bit of luck? Why am I so scared of achieving my goal?

The other half of that quote spoke to me today as I was looking it up for this post:

"You are a child of God, small games do not work in this world. For those around us to feel peace, it is not example to make ourselves small. We were born to express the glory of god that lives in us. It is not in some of us, it is in all of us. While we allow our light to shine, we unconsciously give permission for others to do the same. When we liberate ourselves from our own fears, simply our presence may liberate others."

How cool is that? :)

I felt peace reading that just now, because I want that. I want to give others permission to dream upon seeing that I'm seeking mine out and achieving it. I want to express God's glory in my life.

I want others to have the boldness to shine and to allow myself to do the same.

If this is my time to achieve my dream, then it will be an example to other folks out there ready to take that first step. We CAN do this. This is possible!

We can shine together.

... so why am I still a little freaked out? :P

What about you? Do you fear success as much as failure? Why or why not?

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2011-07-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

I assigned numbers to all of the Fabulous people who entered my Launch Day Giveaway, and the free random number generator I found online has chosen FIVE lucky winners!

Seriously, though. What did people do before the Internet? Put names into a hat? Pfft! We're high tech now, baby!

ANYWAY, without further ado, your winners are.....

Drumroll, please....

....

................................

.......................

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: Catwoods!!! You've won a $25 Amazon giftcard and a copy of Legacy of the Empress. Whooo hoooooo!

THREE RUNNERS UP: Shalena, Sandra, and Callie!!! You ladies win chocolate, a book by a strong heroine, and a copy of Legacy! Woot!

MISS CONGENIALITY: Abby! You win a copy of Legacy and of course, the title of Miss Congeniality for my contest. You are fabulous.

Winners, please email me at rebeccaknightbooks @ gmail (dot) com to claim your prizes! Please include your addresses, runners up, and please include which format you'd like your copy of Legacy to be in--Nook, Amazon, Smashwords, etc! I'll hook you up.

CONGRATULATIONS to you lucky winners, and a huge THANK YOU to everyone for making this contest so much fun and such a success :).

If you didn't win, remember, Legacy of the Empress is only .99 cents until Labor Day on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. Gotta love Summer Sales!

AMERICA

2011-07-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

FUCK YEAH.

Happy 4th of July, Everyone!

Now let's go drink beer and blow some stuff up.

(contest winners will be announced tomorrow)

June Sales Numbers: Knowledge is Power!

2011-06-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

I learned something recently that baffled me. People in other countries, or even in unions in our own country talk about their salary all the damn time.

This came as a surprise because in Corporate America, talking about your salary with other employees can be enough to get you fired. I started to think about it, and realized the only reason it's frowned upon and forbidden is to keep people ignorant.

You won't complain about getting screwed over if you don't know in the first place, right?

Well, in the book world, it was Indie Authors shirking the taboo to talk about their sales numbers that helped me decide this was the path for me. So, now that I have two months' worth of data, I'm going to pay it forward and share it with you guys :).

Here's how it's going so far:

April Total Sales: 19 (I had 2 short stories up for 2 weeks)
May Total Sales: 30 (I put out a short story and a novella under a pen name)
June Total Sales: 123
(Legacy went live as well as 1 short story under that name, and 2 more under my pen name)

This month I more than quadrupled last month's sales! My jaw almost hit the floor when I passed 60 for this month, much less 120... just... wow.

Amazingly enough, the more writing I did, the more sales I had :).

So far on this journey I've made $120.37 on my e-books, $45 on freelance editing, and have spent $133.18 on 250 business cards, 7 pieces of cover art and a domain purchase. That's $32.94 in profit.

When I make money, I've been investing it back into the business. I am treating this like it's my small business and I'm growing it for this first year. When I'm in the black again, I buy more cover art. Next, I'm thinking of paying $39 to produce a paperback version of LEGACY through Amazon's POD service, CreateSpace.

So, there you go :). If I manage to double my sales each month (versus quadrupling), I'll be at 1000 sales/month by the end of this year.

That's what I'm working toward, and I plan to put out two more short stories and AT LEAST one novella, if not a full novel by January 1st. I will also be releasing stories under my pen name.

I hope this was helpful to some of you who are deciding which road to take with your own career. Best of luck to you, and let me know if you have any questions I can help with, either in the comments or through email.

Here's to July!

Edit: Almost forgot to post this excellent blog post from super successful indie author Victorine Lieske comparing sales trends. It's very helpful for gaining some perspective on where people are in this industry.

The Power of Free

2011-06-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

It's Summer!

And you know what that means :). Garage sales and bargain hunting.

I'm a total sucker for garage sales, especially for that bin full of mismatched, weird, misfit Free Stuff. You know the one I'm talking about. The one off to one side with the huge cardboard sign next to it that says FREE, but it might as well say "Oh, Dear God, please take this Billy the Big Mouth Bass out of my life forever."

Finding free stuff is like treasure hunting, and one freebie I've recently loved hunting for is free books. Apparently, this is now a viable marketing strategy, among the Big 6 selling e-books as well as indie authors.

The difference is, this isn't a junk box--this is like you went to a fancy estate sale in the rich people neighborhood and found a box full of free fabrige eggs and fist-sized rubies.

This is the best Freebie Box ever.

From watching other people's success with making one of their books free to give readers a chance to discover them, I'm doing an experiment.

I just made NO REST FOR THE WICKED free, and I'm going to keep it that way for at least a month.

I have no idea what this will do, but I'm fascinated to see the results. The way I see it, a few things can happen:

a) People download No Rest for the Wicked from Smashwords for free. They dig it, and they purchase the next in the series, Carnivore. Hooray! I do a happy dance.

b) No one downloads No Rest for the Wicked for free. I feel like the shy kid with acne at the middle school dance. I consume chocolate.

c) Some people download it, hate it, then find me and throw rocks at my house.

I'm hoping it's option a, but we'll see! I'll let you know how the experiement goes along the way :).

My question for you is: How has a freebie affected you as a reader? Is it like the awesome Fantasy Garage Sale bin? Or are you indifferent?

I Need Your Help: Which Fairytale Should I Do Next?

2011-06-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

Calling all readers!

I need YOU to help me decide which Fairytale villain to write about next :). You'll notice there is a poll to the right of this post ======>

Please select a favorite Fairytale, or add one to the comments.

As you may know, in my first short story collection, NO REST FOR THE WICKED is about a Fairytale Assassin named Veronica Grim. In this world, fairytale villains are real, and only one woman is crazy enough to hunt them down. No Rest for the Wicked had a twisted take on Bluebeard in the story "Blood Don't Lie," and my own sick version of Snow White in "Heartless."

CARNIVORE is the next story in the series, a darker version of Little Red Riding Hood.

So, I ask you, friends.... Who should Veronica Grim face next?

Take the poll and comment below, and I'll enter you to win a free copy of the next book in the series!

Thanks for your help! :)

Guest Posting on Abby Annis' Blog: Staying Motivated Against All Odds

2011-06-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

Fellow writer and fabulous blogger, Abby Annis was kind enough to let me guest post on her blog today.

I'm discussing how I manage to stay motivated even when the odds seem impossible. Come on over and say "hi!" I'll be skulking around there all day, and don't want to be lonely, standing in the corner by myself... It would be like the junior high dance all over again!

Also, we're having a fun giveaway :). Yay!

My question for you: What keeps you motivated when the odds are against you?

Author Interview over at Sandra Ulbrich Almazan's Blog!

2011-06-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Hi, guys,

Today I'll be hanging out over at speculative fiction author Sandra Ulbrich Almazan's lovely blog! She was kind enough to interview me, and asked a ton of great questions. Go check it out. There's even a picture of some of my "art" (Note the usage of ironic "" marks.)

Also, as a bonus, I wanted to let you know that for the rest of the summer, Legacy of the Empress is on sale for .99 cents! This is an experiment, and I'll let you know how it goes :).

Thanks, all! Hope to see you over at Sandra's place.

And the Winners Are....

2011-06-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend I celebrated reaching my 100th e-book sale and beyond, and had a mini giveaway to celebrate!

Here are the names of the five lucky winners from my commenters (drumroll, please!):

MBoyd1978

Keira Lea

Callie Kingston

M. Horton

Katherine

Please pick from my author page which e-book you'd like to receive and either leave a comment or shoot me an email, and I will hook you up!

I just put out a new Fairytale Assassin short story to continue the storyline from No Rest for the Wicked. It's called Carnivore, and is my own twisted take on Little Red Riding Hood. You guys can totally pick that one along with my other three--winners' choice!

Thank you all for celebrating with me :). Remember--if you didn't win this time, there's still time to enter my Launch Day Giveaway. It ends 6/31/11, so get those entries in soon!

100 E-Books: Achievement Unlocked!

2011-06-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

The day has come!

I'm breaking out the e-cake and e-champagne and inviting you all to party with me! Today, I reached my first goal of 100 E-Books Sold! Wooooo hooooo! Next goal: 500.

To celebrate, I'm giving a FREE copy of whichever one of my e-books strikes your fancy to five random commenters.

I'll be e-partying all weekend, so you have until Monday to win! Comment below, and you're in it to win it.

E-Books to choose from:

Death and Other Inconveniences, which is a short ghost story about a quirky writer in the days after her death.

No Rest for the Wicked, which contains two short stories about the exploits of Veronica Grim, Fairytale Assassin.

OR, of course

Legacy of the Empress, my epic fantasy novel.

So, put a lampshade on your head, and let's celebrate!

P.S. Is there anything you're celebrating this week? I'd love to hear about it!

The Great Indie Summer Giveaway!

2011-06-16T19:30:00.001-07:00

Hi, All,

I'm participating in an awesome giveaway this month: The Great Indie Summer Giveaway! Each day, there is a new book featured, and a new chance to win one of over 100 indie books.

Check it out and enter to win not only LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS, but dozens of other fabulous books!

Good luck!

Goals, and the Art of Not Going Crazy

2011-06-15T18:36:00.001-07:00

Well, I've been at this about 7-ish weeks, and I thought it was high time to share not only what short term goals I've set for myself, but about how this whole crazy "indie publishing" thing was really going.

I decided at the beginning, that the only way to not get overexcited or overly nervous was to set small, achievable goals for myself :).

My overall first goal was to sell 100 e-books. I've heard several places that most people who self publish never make it to 100 sales and then quit in despair. If I pass that 100 book mark, I'll know for sure I've beaten at least some of the odds and am doing something right. However, if I can count all my sales on two hands, I've got problems.

My other goal after releasing Legacy of the Empress, was to sell 30 of those alone in the first month.

From haunting the Kindle Boards, I've learned that some folks only make 1 sale their first month, while others make 10-50. I figured 30 was a good, challenging, but not overly ridiculous goal to set. My stretch goal was 50.

So, how am I doing so far?

As of this afternoon, I've sold 90 e-books total, most of those sales coming in the past 2 weeks. I've also sold 21 copies of Legacy in two weeks, so I'm on track to beat 30 sales.

So far I've made approximately $76.

I'll keep you updated as I go, because I want to be as transparent with this process as possible.

It was other authors sharing their numbers that led me on this path in the first place, and if I can help other writers out by sharing, then that's what I'm going to do :).

I hope this is helpful, and I can't wait to celebrate with you guys when I hit that 100 book mark! After that, who knows?

What are your goals for your writing? What keeps you going along the long and lonely road?

Finding Yourself as a Writer

2011-06-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan amused and impressed me by being the first (and only) person to pose with a sword for entries in my Launch Day Giveaway. You rock, Sandra!

Because of you, I decided to do the same thing. I mean, who doesn't need a picture of themselves with a sword, amirite??

However, taking this picture brought forth several questions:

Why do I own leather pants? Seriously? When did this happen, and why was I able to locate them so quickly?
My husband's chain mail is crazy heavy. Just wandering around the house in it was a workout. Medieval dudes must have been buff as hell.
I own way too many books. The shelves behind me are just part of a larger Book Wall, and I still have boxes of books in the garage, not to mention a pile by the bed that threatens to crush me in my sleep. Perhaps it is time to go digital.
My "serious business" sword-face is more like a "I want cake" face.

Along with these questions and discoveries, I've been thinking a lot lately about where I want to go as a writer. Indie publishing has opened up whole new worlds that I've never thought were possible, namely selling short stories and writing across multiple genres.

Lately, I've been working on two more Veronica Grim short stories so I can release Part II of No Rest for the Wicked. I love these stories. They are so incredibly fun to write :). The idea is that fairy tale villains are real, and there are special agents sent to take them out. One of these agents is Veronica Grim, and she is very good at what she does. There are shoot outs, dwarves, and snappy one-liners, and I am loving every minute of creating these.

But this is not, how do you say, Serious Business. This is silly and fun and dark. Shouldn't I be writing something Meaningful and Important instead?

I was talking about this with my husband last night, and the following conversation took place:

Him: Well, the way I see it, it's like actors in Hollywood. Some are Tom Hanks, who is great, and then some are, you know..
Me: Daniel Day Lewis?

Him: Exactly! Some only make four movies and are uber dramatic.

Me: And live in a tent for six months psyching themselves up for their Oscar role.

Him: Right. But not everyone has to be Daniel Day Lewis.

Me: Yeah, or wants to. I don't want to be Daniel Day Lewis.

Him: Then don't be.

Me: ..... What if I turn out to be Bruce Campbell (star of Army of Darkness)

Him: *laughs* That would be awesome.

So, I suppose what I'm getting at is, indie publishing is allowing me to explore who I am and who I want to be as a writer. If I want to write campy fairy tale noir, I can do that. If I want to write horror (which I would like to try), then I can do that, too. If I want to do a sequel to LEGACY, I can do all of it.

I can do whatever I want. I have control over my career.

I can be Bruce Campbell if I'm meant to be Bruce Campbell :).

Or maybe I'll be Christopher Walken... I haven't decided yet.

My question to you is, who are you as a writer? Are you okay with that?

When are you having the most FUN when you're writing?

***

Bonus question! Which hollywood actor is your writing career like?

Love for Indie Author Cole Drewes

2011-06-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

Like I said in my earlier post today, Cole Drewes releasedhis book HOUNDS OF HEAVEN recently, and was kind enough to host my guest post on his blog. Thanks, Cole! :D

In the spirit of paying it forward, here is a brief word from Cole about his new novel:

___

Hounds of Heaven is a science fiction novel with urban fantasy/paranormal elements. I would consider it a hybrid novel inspired by the mythology of vampire and werewolves. It’s been compared to Starship Troopers with vampires. This action-packed novel is set in a futuristic dystopian New York City inhabited by vampires and demons.

Werewolf and battle hardened resistance fighter Dom Craddock is sick of losing. Dom is a member of the resistance called HADES, a paramilitary organization made up of humans and werewolves. Hades has been on the losing side of a war that has spanned six hundred years led by the vampire regime known as The Tartarus Corporation.
Dom and his elite recon team, finally find hope while on an otherwise routine mission. What they find might help them win the war against the vampires, save the dying planet, and hopefully what’s left of humanity.
Throughout Dom’s last mission he struggles with the world he once knew, and the world he now suffers in, hoping for one day to see the sun shining on his face again. Dom must first comes to terms with his past-the same past that assisted in the genocide of mankind, and handed the planet over to the vampires. A past he wants to forget and leave behind, but the actions he set in motion all those years ago have come back to destroy the only hope at saving humanity.
Monique Snyman of the book review blog Killeraphrodite, says that Hounds of Heaven “was a rollercoaster of awesome… you won't have any fingernails left by the time the book ends. Action, romance, treachery, horror, historical references that's been changed in such a way that it's somewhat plausible... Damn it, just get the book and read it!

Below you can buy Hounds of Heaven in the following e-book formats for $0.99:
Amazon.com

Smashwords

You can read 25% of the novel for free through Smashwords.
A paperback version will be available through Amazon in about a week.

All profits made from my books sales during 5/23/2011-6/23/2011 will be donated to Red Cross to help the victims of Joplin, MO.

On a side note I am currently running a book launch contest. There will be plenty of winners and the grand prize is a signed book, various swag bag items and a new Amazon Kindle! Check out my blog for more details at www.coledrewes.com.

I love that Cole is donating to such a great cause for these next couple of weeks, so if he book sounds up your alley, please give it a try! :)

That's the beauty of a lot of indie published novels. They are so inexpensive, that it's easy to find new authors. I haven't read Cole's novel yet, but it sounds fun as Hell (pun intended), so I'm sure I'll be picking it up in the very near future.

Guest Post at Author Cole Drewes' Blog Today!

2011-06-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hi, All,

Today, I'm a guest poster over at Author Cole Drewe's blog. Go check it out :)! I've been getting a lot of questions from writers about how I made the final leap into indie publishing Legacy, so I go into more depth about why I did it, why I think it was the best thing for me, and why I'm optimistic about my career.

Cole's book, Hounds of Heaven, just launched as well--Congratulations, Cole!

___

If you haven't entered my fabulous Launch Day Giveaway, then why haven't you? It's AWESOME! It's exactly the kind of thing you should enter.

Right now.

Go.

Do iiiiit. ;)

Here's how to get entries into the drawing for cool books, delicous chocos, and a $25 Amazon giftcard:

Be a follower of this blog: Old followers get 1 entry, and New followers get 2 entries!

Tweet about this giveaway: 1 entry per tweet (as many as you'd like)

Link this giveaway on Facebook: 1 entry per link!

Review the book on Amazon or on your blog: 5 entries!

Talk about this giveaway on your blog: 2 entries!

Tell me who your favorite Fantasy character is in the comments: 1 entry

"Like" my book on Amazon: 1 entry

Link a picture of you brandishing a sword: 3 entries! (cause seriously... that's cool)

Interview me on your blog: 5 entries!
Tell a friend about my book : 1 entry each time! (honor system, yo)

Leave your comments in the contest post with what you've done along the way, and rack up those entries! The contest runs until the end of the month.

I'm excited to see who wins!! :)

Excerpt from LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS

2011-06-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday!

Callie Kingston has an excerpt from Legacy of the Empress up on her blog if you's like to have a look :).

Enjoy!

My First Author Interview: Achievement Unlocked!

2011-06-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hi, All,

Blogger and fellow writer, Callie Kingston, was kind enough to interview me on her blog today! Her questions are great, and I had a blast answering them :).

Please come say "Hi!" I'll be hanging out answering any questions in the comments all day.

It's so cool to finally get to this moment: My first author interview! You bet your ass I'm totally printing it off and saving it in my Milestone Drawer for posterity ;).

Literary Agents: Working for You, or Against You?

2011-06-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

I came across an interesting (and alarming) blog post today that I wanted to share with you guys: http://kriswrites.com/2011/06/01/the-business-rusch-agents-surviving-the-transition-part-3/.

Author Kristine Kathryn Rusch breaks down her thoughts on why working with a big, corporate literary agency may be hurting writers more than helping them as the publishing world changes.

She calls out a few things that writers absolutely NEED to be aware of, such as unethical agency clauses, rights grabs, as well as conflicts of interest as more and more big agencies turn into e-publishers to keep the money flowing.

Please, if you're looking for an agent, have an agent, or had one and parted ways, check out this blog article.

What do you think?

Are agents still relavent during these changing times?

_____

Stay tuned tomorrow as I make an appearance over at author Callie Kingston's blog! She was kind enough to interview me, and asked thought-provoking questions about my journey, the characters in Legacy of the Empress, and my thoughts on the publishing landscape. Check it out then! I'll be there answering questions in the comments :).

P.S. Remember to comment on my contest for a chance to WIN :)!

More Changes in the Publishing Industry

2011-06-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Holy paperback, Batman!

Things are still moving and shaking in the publishing industry, as a new, and fascinating, option opens up for authors. You may remember whenI blogged about author Barry Eisler turning down a $500,000 deal with a traditional publisher to self publish his new books. WELL, as you guys probably know, Barry just signed with a new Amazon imprint, and it seems like the terms he was offered are Kickin RAD.

Barry had another one of his lengthy e-discussions with J.A. Konrath about his decision and the hullabaloo it created HERE. It's a long one, but it's seriously worth the read, as were the last two segments. In fact, Joe and Barry are releasing this convo as a 30k word, 99 cent e-book so you can put your kindle in a ziplock and read the whole thing in your tub.

One of the most fascinating things about this development is that by bitching about Legacy Publishing's crappy terms for authors, Joe and Barry seemed to have egged companies like Amazon on in creating author-friendly terms like nothing we've ever seen before.

This can only create more competition and better options for writers in the long run. In fact, someone in the comments said that they've noticed more and more agents closing for submissions and scouring Amazon for new talent. Things have definitely turned on their heads, and I have to say.. I think it's a great thing.

As both of these guys say: "If you're in the egg selling business, don't piss off your chickens."

What the heck do you guys think about all this?

Are you excited by the changes or hesitant? Why do you feel the way you do?

I Love Indies! Vintage Books

2011-05-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

Authors Lisa & Laura Roecker started something wonderful today... SHOUT OUTS to indie bookstores!

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for independent bookstores, and the gals' blogging about which ones have impacted them seemed like an incredible idea.

My area in Vancouver, WA has a wonderful indie store that I grew up with: Vintage Books. They are an awesome, musty old book store that sells new titles as well as used, old, and the downright strange. I remember my parents taking me there when I was little to pick up the newest Berenstein Bears book, and most of all, I remember the big, orange kitty who would drool on me whenever I picked him up.

Isn't there something magical about a bookstore that has its own cat?

I would beg my parents to let me go back because books were my obsession, but also, I always missed the Bookstore Cat.

I went in there the other day with my husband, and, although the cat is different, it's the same old bookstore. I love the quirkiness, the history, that comes with a neighborhood institution like that...

Please, don't ever change, Vintage Books :). You make my hometown that much more special, and I love you for it.

Which indie stores do you love in your area? Please share!

---

Also, don't forget to comment on my Book Launch Givaway for a chance to win! Good luck!

LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS Launch Day Giveaway!

2011-05-30T17:26:00.000-07:00

LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS is finally for sale in the Kindle Store, and I'm celebrating by holding my biggest contest yet!

There will be 5 total winners with one GRAND PRIZE: A $25 Amazon Giftcard!

The next three runners-up will receive either FIRE, RAMPANT, or SOULLESS (in honor of fantasy novels with strong heroines), an e-copy of LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS, and a bar of delicious Ghirardelli chocolate. Look at those bars sparkling at you in the photo... you know you want them!

The Grand Prize winner and last winner also get a free e-copy of LEGACY, of course :).

So, ready to play? Who wants to win a gift card or some great reads??

Here's how it works. Each time you do one of the following, you get a certain number of entries. Leave what you've done in the comments below, and I'll tally them all up when the contest ends and pick our winners!

How to get entries:

Be a follower of this blog: Old followers get 1 entry, and New followers get 2 entries!
Tweet about this giveaway: 1 entry per tweet (as many as you'd like)
Link this giveaway on Facebook: 1 entry per link!
Review the book on Amazon or on your blog: 5 entries!
Talk about this giveaway on your blog: 2 entries!
Tell me who your favorite Fantasy character is in the comments: 1 entry
"Like" my book on Amazon: 1 entry
Link a picture of you brandishing a sword: 3 entries! (cause seriously... that's cool)
Interview me on your blog: 5 entries!
Tell a friend about my book : 1 entry each time! (honor system, yo)

This contest will run through 6/31 to give you time to star racking up entries!

GOOD LUCK, and thank you for celebrating this special day with me!

Also, HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! If there are any troops who read this blog, please email me, and I'll hook you up with a free copy. Thank you for your service to this country, and God bless!

LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS is Launching!

2011-05-29T15:03:00.001-07:00

I'm ready to take the plunge! :D

After years of hard work, LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS will be up on Amazon.com and Smashwords.com, ready for purchase by this evening or tomorrow at the latest. I'll update this post as soon as it's live!

(Edit: It's now live on Smashwords for $2.99!)

This moment is so incredible for me. I couldn't have gotten here without so many of you. My beta readers, my crit partners, my fellow bloggers, my readers. I love you guys!! THANK YOU for your incredible support!

Stay tuned for a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY I'll be announcing tomorrow to celebrate!

Trust me.... you don't want to miss it!

Game Changer: Barry Eisler Signs with Amazon

2011-05-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, author Barry Eisler recently turned down a two book, $500,000 deal with one of the major publishing houses and self-publish instead. On J.A. Konrath's blog he said "I know it’ll seem crazy to a lot of people, but based on what’s happening in the industry, and based on the kind of experience writers like you are having in self-publishing, I think I can do better in the long term on my own."

So, imagine my surprise today when I heard that Barry Eisler has taken the same kind of deal but with Amazon. You can read about it on agent Janet Reid's blog.

What made Barry change his mind, and what does this mean for self-publishing?

Well, from what I understand, Amazon has changed the playing field yet again. Not only are they launching their own imprints that publish authors in a more traditional structure, they pay advances AND still give the authors 70% royalties on reasonably priced e-books. They also give authors more artistic control.

Basically, instead of either choosing to self-pub to maintain control and get higher royalties, Amazon has given authors a third option: Get traditionally published, but with a better deal than the Big 6 publishers can ever hope to provide.

Did Barry make a good move? What do you think about this new option for authors?

I'll be interested to see what you all think :).

Guest Post: Laura E. Bradford, Author of FLYDAY!

2011-05-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

We're fortunate to have another guest poster here today: Laura Bradford, indie author of FLYDAY (a futuristic time-travel adventure).

I met Laura on an internet forum I frequent that doesn't have anything to do with authors, read her book, enjoyed it immensely, and then asked if she could share her story with us. Why indie publishing? Why now? She was kind enough to share her thoughts below.

***

Take it away, Laura!

My journey so far:

I have been writing for about as long as I can remember. I currently blog over at A Writer's Notes, which serves as my personal writing blog, and I released my first novel, Flyday, in January. I'm currently working on the next novel in the series, and this week I released a free collection of short stories, Sunset on Mars.

It took a long time to finish the novel, off and on. I started with the basic ideas and characters in 2006; in early 2008 I tore it apart and completely rewrote it. I gave it to my betas, took their advice, and eventually finished it the following year, and then I had to put it aside for nursing school.

I gave serious thought to releasing the book myself after reading J. A. Konrath's blog. I had been submitting to agents, sending carefully crafted query letters, and kept receiving either form letter rejections or "Interesting project, but not for us" or, worse, no response at all. One agent's assistant asked to see the first fifty pages, but ultimately passed. I took someone's advice and rewrote the beginning of my novel, and everyone agreed it was much improved. But aside from a vague idea that ebooks were taking off, I had no idea about e-publishing.

Enter: Zoe Winters' book on self-publishing, Becoming an Indie Author, which describes exactly how one would go about uploading an ebook and setting everything up. I dove into the project on a break from school, hired an artist, and released my first novel in January. I also set everything up on Createspace, so my book is out in paperback as well.

I'm still figuring out the "promotion" aspect. Someone convinced me to give Twitter a chance, and I'm exploring areas, so right now I'm balancing promotion and writing. All in all it's been quite a whirlwind experience, and I hope to release many more books and see how e-publishing goes for everyone.

Promotion seems to be the toughest part for indie and traditionally published authors alike! Thank you for taking the time to share your story with us and best of luck with your novel, Laura! :)

If you haven't, definitely check out Laura's blog or Flyday over at Amazon.com. What really impressed me was the way Laura effortlessly interweaves timelines through the story. Definitely worth a read, especially at $2.99!

Also, if anyone here is an author and would like to guest post, I'd like to make this a regular thing on this blog :). I'd love this to be a place where writers share their stories, both their writing journey AND their fiction!

Shoot me an email if you're an author--I'd love to have you!

Holy crap burgers...

2011-05-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

I just saw the almost-finished cover art for LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS, and I am over the moon!!!! :D

The colors are beautiful, the artwork rich and almost Tolkien-esque... just wow.

I can't wait to be able to show you all the finished product, but I just had to pop in and say how excited I am. This is a great day.

What's going on with you guys? I'd love to hear what made your day today!

Guest Post: PJ Jones, Author of ROMANCE NOVEL

2011-05-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

Today we have a very special guest poster: P.J. Jones, author of the twisted spoof ROMANCE NOVEL! I met P.J. while goofing around on the Kindle Boards talking to other authors, and something about her cover... struck me.... and I just knew I had to hear her story!

So, without further ado, take it away, P.J.!

From Tragedy to Parody, the Birth of ROMANCE NOVEL…by PJ Jones

A little over two years ago I’d become too tired to read, too sick to write and in too much pain to take care of my family. I was worse than a walking zombie. More like a sleeping zombie. Doctors couldn’t figure me out, so they just loaded me up on pain killers and anti-depressants. Whatever was attacking me seemed to come and go, and for a few brief days every month, I’d get these strange bursts of crazed hyperactivity. I was a zombie on speed. And during those short respites of wellness, Romance Novel was born.

It’s amazing how a writer can discover her funny bone when wallowing in self-pity. The first scene came to me when my husband had taken us on a trip to the coast, hoping that a change in environment would improve my condition. I don’t quite remember how it came about, but on the drive down, I frantically wrote a crude love scene on scraps of paper. I had no idea what to do with the scene, but I knew that somehow it had to go in a book.

I showed it to my critique group the following week and they laughed hysterically. They told me I must complete the novel. And so I wrote. By August of ’09, I, not my doctors, discovered the root of my illness, and after finding doctors who actually knew what they were doing, we began successful treatment.

By November of ’09 Romance Novel was finished. The only problem was that no publisher wanted it. Before my illness, I’d already published a few ‘real’ romance novels under other pen-names and thought I still knew the romance industry well. But what I didn’t know was that none of the many agents and editors I’d queried had a twisted enough sense of humor.
So the book sat, and sat, until my critique partners convinced me to self-publish through Kindle and Nook. The self-publishing model is fairly new, especially to someone who hadn’t been keeping up with the market. But I dove in headfirst and haven’t regretted my experience. From day one, I had my fingers crossed that romance readers and writers would ‘get it’. And get it, they have! I’ve already gotten two fabulous reviews from respected romance review sites and many more emails and reviews from readers wanting more from PJ Jones. None of my other published books were this well-received.

I’ve posted the love scene that started it all below. But before you read it, I’d like to leave you with this thought - if ever your life takes a nosedive right into the bottom of the toilet, remember that laughter really IS the best medicine. PJ

Becca: So true, P.J. :) I love hearing how your [s]crazy[/s] awesome book came about! Now, let's get to that love scene....

Smella glared at him while tapping her foot. “Are you going to kiss me passionately or what?”

“Yes, of course.” He sat up and grabbed her in a passionate embrace, thrusting his tongue deep inside her mouth, moving it about for a reasonable amount of time, until his pants felt so tight, he worried he’d bust a seam. Pulling back a few inches, he looked into her heavy lidded eyes, noting with satisfaction how she panted and swooned. “How’s that?” he asked.

She brushed the sleeve of her tweed coat across her passion-soaked lips. “Gawd, did you have onions for dinner?”

“Sorry.” Snake winced, wishing he’d laid off the salsa when he’d eaten those fish tacos. “Do you want me to brush?”

“No,” Looking like she had her own dirty little secret to share, she toyed her fingers while playfully biting her lower lip. “I haven’t washed my delicate blossoming flower in over a month, so now we’re even.”
“That’s disgusting!” He gagged, releasing Smella’s shoulders. He was so disgusted, that a tiny amount of bile projected into the back of his throat.
She flopped back into her bean bag. “Women hardly bathe in medieval times,” she huffed.
“It’s 2011,” he corrected.
Smella sat up and jammed a finger in his chest. “Are you going to point out every historical inaccuracy in this convoluted story-line?”
“I guess not,” he grimaced while wondering if three condoms would be enough to shield his penis from her skanky crotch.

Grasping his hand, she placed his palm on her ample breast.
That seemed to do the trick, because Snake had already forgotten what had him so grossed out just a few moments earlier. All that mattered was that he had a boob in his hand.

Leaning over, she rasped into his ear in a sultry voice. “I’m going to faint next time you kiss me. That’s your cue to carry me into the bedroom.”

A thing of rare beauty :).

Click HERE to sample or purchase ROMANCE NOVEL for $0.99, or to get to know P.J. better, check out her blog: Unicorns, Tampons, and Other Girly Things.

Thanks so much for coming, P.J., and best of luck to you!

Things To Be Grateful For

2011-05-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Last week was a pain in my bum, with Blogger issues, work issues, having to do nasty yard work... I was cranky. And I hate being cranky. Which then made me crankier.

So, I thought I'd start this week off right by listing some things that made me really happy over the last few days :).

1) I got a seriously awesome review for my short story WRITE OR DIE from a total stranger! It's title was "Remove one note, and there is diminishment, Salieri," so already I was excited because I LOVE the movie Amadeus. Mozart rocks. Seriously.

This kind gentleman wrote: "A great read. It leaves you wanting more but you realize it's perfect. You want more detail but realize if you close your eyes and just wander around the room it's all there, neat, nothing out of place. Highly recommended."

Wow.

The great thing about this review is that this is a short story that I've worked on for literally years. I'd write most of it, give up, then finish, then give up, then re-write, then quit, then try to find a market for it, then get confused because it's a modern day ghost story and where the heck do you even send that?

This review made all of that confusion completely worthwhile. The reviews for that story are the first feedback I've gotten, and fill my heart with something akin to... purpose? Like, all of that worrying and work finally paid off in something people enjoy :). That makes me incredibly happy.

2) I set a goal, and I met it! I wanted to add another, longer short story called "Heartless" to the short story collection NO REST FOR THE WICKED by this weekend. I worked on new cover art (pictured above), edited my story, ran it by some betas, formatted, obsessed, uploaded, and finally the new two-story version is up for sale on Amazon and Smashwords.

I'm proud of myself for creating something I believe in, in a a timeframe I set for myself :). Small victories are sometimes the sweetest.

3) I've found a group of book lovers who are incredibly kind, generous, and helpful on the Kindle Boards. Whether you are a traditionally published author, and indie publisher, or just a book lover, this group will take you under their wings and steer you toward wonderful reads. They helped me with cover art, my descriptions on Amazon, and frankly, just have fascinating discussions about some of my favorite books.

Whenever I find a group of people online who act like a small town, I want to share. It's rare for a forum to be full to the brim with such lovely people who care so much about books. Thank you, Kindle Boards!

So, my question to you is: What made your week? What turned an ok day around and made it great?

What's in a Name?

2011-05-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

How do you come up with names for your characters? And when you come up with them, how do you make them believable?

I recently watched the movie Gentleman Broncos, which I highly recommend to anyone who has ever:

a) Been homeschooled
b) Been to a local writer's workshop for young people
c) Had a Writer in Residence at your school

Seriously. This shit is so accurate I had tears streaming down my face while I was watching it.

There is a scene pictured above where the famous science fiction author at the writers' workshop, Chevalier, describes to a group of young writers how to create "believable" fantasy/sci fi names. Chevalier has been lecturing them on how if you add "anous" or "ainous" to any name, it becomes... magical, when one small girl raises her hand. She says that she has a troll in her book named Teacup, and Chevalier chastises her because it's not believable enough.

"It's just that I'm...as an author, picturing myself as a troll mother. I have just given birth to a litter of troll cubs, they're covered in placentia, pawing at my many teats, for this vital, life giving collostrum... Now I'm not thinking...hmmm...Teacup, am I?!"

Fair enough, Chevalier ;). Fair enough.

My question to you is: How do you come up with names for your character, and how do you keep them from edging into the ridiculous, like Harry Manchester, Werewolf Bounty Hunter?

What's your secret formula?

What Makes You Buy a Book?

2011-05-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

Today, I read a great post by my new hero J.A. Konrath over at his blog, and had to share.

He discusses marketing and promotional tips that have worked for him, as well as dispensing this great advice:

"What are the last ten books you bought, and what made you buy them? Use those techniques to sell your books to other people. Do what works on you."

I'd never thought about self promotion that way, and I felt like facepalming when I read that.

It's so deceptively simple, but brilliant. We're all our own audience since we're writing what we love to read, right? So what makes us buy books?

I'd love to hear your thoughts :).

What was the last book you bought, and why did you buy it?

One of the Most Chilling Things I've Ever Read

2011-05-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

Is this article in Harper's.... http://www.harpers.org/archive/2003/03/0079525

It's a long read, but absolutely worth it. As a Christian, it scares me to my core.

What do you guys think about this? Have you heard of "The Family" before this article?

Patience is a Real Bitch

2011-05-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows the motto of publishing is "Hurry Up and Weight," but I'm finding lately that patience is something I'm still struggling with.

I'm impatient about how long it takes me to finish a project. I'm impatient about keeping my day job. I'm impatient about waiting the 48 hours for my short story to show up on Amazon... It's ridiculous the things I'm impatient about!

Hell, I'm even impatient about how long it takes me to blog sometimes. I want everything yesterday, but I know that to achieve my dreams, or even order my coffee, I must get better at waiting.

Just as I was pondering how to settle down and work on my patience, I received an email in my inbox from Freedomtomarry.org. As some of you know, I'm very passionate about equality for the LGBT community, and try to help out fighting for the right to marry.

The email showed an elderly male couple, and said the following:

Richard and John ... just celebrated 61 years together as a couple, and they desperately want to marry in New York. After 61 years, haven't they waited long enough?

So here I am bitching about how long it's taking to achieve my dreams, and here is a sweet old couple who have waited 61 years for the right to marry and are still waiting today.

It sort of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Even while we struggle with patience, there are those whose lives are constantly about waiting for the world to change for the better.

It's people like Richard and John that humble me and teach me patience by example.

Here's there video if anyone is interested in spreading the word about this couple: http://freedomtomarry.org/JohnRichard

My question to YOU is How do you stay patient when chasing your dreams?

No Rest for the Wicked is Free For a Short Time!

2011-05-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

My short story, No Rest for the Wicked, is getting a facelift soon, so for a short time, I'm making it FREE on Smashwords.

If you'd like a copy, you can download it here for free! You can read it on your Kindle, Nook, Sony, or even your PC or iphone.

I've written another Veronica Grim story and am just getting it ready for publication. This first one was short, 1000+ words, so the second story, Heartless, will be for sale as a bundle with the other for .99 cents.

Get it while it's hot :). Thanks, All!

I hope everyone's having a good weekend!

Getting Down with Your Dark Side

2011-04-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

I don't consider myself a bad person, as I'm sure most of us don't, but man do I have a dark sense of humor sometimes.

For those of you who've been following this blog for a while, this may surprise you because I'm generally cheerful and genuinely enjoy things like YA Romance and cute pictures of kitties.

However, I have been known to laugh like a maniac during movies like MACHETE or PLANET TERROR where there is ridiculous, over-the-top blood-and-guts violence.

I also recently discovered that I love dark thrillers and horror novels.

Does this mean I'm a sicko, and I have to hang up my Nice Girl badge? Or can I be a nice girl who likes a bit of sex and gore now and again?

These are questions that demand answers!

Should I trade in my pink cashmere sweaters for leather pants like Sandy from Grease? Or even better yet, should I get an eye patch or machine gun leg?? That would actually be pretty sweet now that I think about it...

I've recently been working on a 2nd Veronica Grim story to go with "No Rest for the Wicked," and I swear, I'm loving getting down with my dark side. I'm only on page 5, and bodies are piling so high, I can barely see my main character.

And you know what? I find it sort of liberating.

I think sometimes we have to shake it up, let loose, and wave our freak flags. Sometimes my inner geek needs to step aside and let my inner Dexter go nuts for a while.

What do you guys think?

Are there ever times when your dark side surprises you?

Do you feel mixing it up can make you a better writer?

The Best Advice, Ever.

2011-04-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

Writer Michelle McLean posted this advice on her blog today:

"The only true failure is not trying at all. Just go for it."

Why are we always afraid to just go for it and give something a try?

What are we so afraid of? Failing?

Because by not trying, we've made sure that we fail. By not trying, we've defeated ourselves before we even start.

So, what the hell?

Why not take a chance on yourself and have a chance at success? :)

Extra, Extra: Read All About It!

2011-04-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Eyyyy, it's us pissed off tiny newsies here to tell yous guys about what's going on in publishing. A lot was goings on last week, so let's go through some of the headlines. Read it, or fagetabawtit.

Amazon Taking Over Our Libraries! Next: World Domination?!

Read all about it. Last week Amazon announced that it will be participating with over 11,000 libraries across the U.S. to create e-book lending programs for Kindle and apps everywhere. However, there was a bit of controversy because patrons may be able to leave notes in the books, which only they will be able to see when they check it out a second time.

The problem? Librarians say it infringes on personal privacy, since records of what patrons check out will have to be kept to make that possible. You hear that kids? No more checking out the Kama Sutra: your local librarian will know your dirty secret and give you her patented Evil Eye.

Agent Warns Against Fine Print: Hang on to Your Rights!

Read all about it. Agent Kristin Nelson posted "Not to be a downer on the Friday but a lot of authors are super excited about getting their rights reverted and then being able to digitally publish those titles themselves. By all means, I’m certainly not opposed but you might want to check that agency agreement you signed before you run out and do that."

Some agencies have something called "in perpetuity" language in their agency contracts which basically states that they get paid forever on your book sales, even if the rights have reverted back to you and you self-publish.

You read correctly. Even if you paid the agent their 15% on the traditional publishing book deal and for all those print and e-sales, when your rights revert back, you get to pay them all over again until the end of time on every e-copy you sell.

Kristin is an awesome agent whose agency (Nelson Agency) never uses this language. She's just warning writers to beware of the fine print! Thank you, Kristin!

Royalty Statements Gone Wild: Do YOU Know Where Your Money Is?

Read all about it. This blog post by author Kristin Kathryn Rusch stirred the pot AND rocked the boat simultaneously last week when she called out that not only were her royalty statements fishy, but when she compared her e-book numbers as reported by her publishers and the numbers reported by Bookscan and various retailers, they were straight up wrong.

She and other writers looked into their statements, and the general word is that she was not alone. Many have written to their writers organizations and are currently auditing their publishing house's records. It doesn't seem like it's intentional, but it seems like e-book sales are being underreported by a huge margin.

Kristin urges authors to CHECK THEIR STATEMENTS, do the math, and make sure everything is stacking up. E-books are changing the way that publishing houses have to keep their records, and the old formulas may not be working.

Becca Knight Jumps the Gun: Gets Overly Excited, Starts Contest Too Soon!

Heh heh. Welp.

I told you last week that when I have a new project I get *SUPER* excited about it, and, yes, sometimes I go a little nuts ;).

Remember when I started this contest last week for the launch of my short stories? Well, it's only my second week back blogging, and of course folks are still trickling back in, realizing that I'm back in action, etc, so no one is playing.

I definitely jumped the gun :P. But can you blame me for being enthusiastic? You can?

Crap!

The contest will be back when I am finally ready to launch the real deal: LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS. There will be partying in the streets, a bigger giveaway, free copies for reviewers, and fun times shall be had!

Until then, the short story contest is postponed.

However, I did upload new cover art, which you can check out HERE.

Also, please let me know either through the comments or email if you'd like a free copy of either one to review on your blog or to review on Amazon! :) I'd love to hook you up!

That's it for the news this time--what do you guys think of what's going on in the world of publishing?

Happy Easter!

2011-04-22T15:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter, Friends!!

In honor of Easter weekend, I'm going to take a break from serious posts about helpful or interesting things, and instead intersperse terrible jokes in between adorable pictures of bunnies.

Hooraaaay!

Let's begin..

A linguistics professor was lecturing to his English class one day. "In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative."

A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."

D'awwww... lookit those bunnies :3

A writer comes home to a burned down house. His sobbing and slightly-singed wife is standing outside. “What happened, honey?” the man asks.

“Oh, John, it was terrible,” she weeps. “I was cooking, the phone rang. It was your agent. Because I was on the phone, I didn’t notice the stove was on fire. It went up in second. Everything is gone. I nearly didn’t make it out of the house. Poor Fluffy is--”

“Wait, wait. Back up a minute,” The man says. “My agent called?”

Even if this bunny ate all of my chocolate, I don't think I could stay mad at it.

A writer died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell.

She decided to check out each place first. As the writer descended into the fiery pits, she saw row upon row of writers chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they were repeatedly whipped with thorny lashes.

"Oh my," said the writer. "Let me see heaven now."
A few moments later, as she ascended into heaven, she saw rows of writers, chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they, too, were whipped with thorny lashes.
"Wait a minute," said the writer. "This is just as bad as hell!"
"Oh no, it's not," replied an unseen voice. "Here, your work gets published."

Bunny: WHAT IS GOING ON HERE???

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Whether you celebrate delicious, chocolatey Easter, or celebrate ressurectiony Easter, I hope you have fun with family and friends.

And while you're doing that, I'll be eating the ears off your choco rabbits...

Bwahahahahahaha.

Tell-the-Truth Thursday!

2011-04-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is a tradition that I shamelessly stole from the lovely Lisa & Laura Roeker over at Lisa & Laura Write. These gals are some of my favorite people because of their hilarious blogging, and now they even have a book out! (Check out The Liar Society if you need a good YA read. I have yet to buy it, but this will be remedied shortly!)

ANYWHO, once per week, it's time to spill.

'Fess up.

Air the dirty laundry.

That's right.... it's time to Tell the Truth!

Here are my truths this Thursday:

1. When I have a new project, I lose my freaking mind. If you doubt me on this one, ask my poor, eternally patient husband. This past weekend I was working feverishly on my short stories, and realized I was slipping into old habits of going bat tits insane whenever I have a project I'm excited about. When I'm like this I have two speeds: Cracked Out and Asleep. I don't have time for silly things like "food" or "not working on stuff" because I can eat and not work on stuff when I'm dead, RIGHT GUYS. Oh...wait...

Apparently, that whole "balance in all things" mantra requires a little practice ;).

2. I love pork rinds. I recently discovered low-carb dieting this year while losing a few pounderoos, but this means I also discovered the sweet siren song of Los Chicarrones, the most delicious way to eat pork fat since bacon. And you don't even have to cook it! You can just shovel them into your mouth while watching Biggest Loser, or dip them in cream cheese while writing. Yes, I know this makes me a redneck.

But if loving pork rinds is wrong, I don't want to be right!

3. I have a total crush on Peter Dinklage. Who is Peter Dinklage, you may be asking. Well not only was his the super famous author dude in the movie Elf, but he is also playing Tyrion Lannister in the HBO series, Game of Thrones. I mean, okay, he may not be the best choice for me, since he's 4'5", and I'm 5'9", but if he ever leaves his wife and my husband gets hit by a bus or something, he should totally call me.

Maybe it's just because I *LOVE* the Song of Ice and Fire series written by George R. R. Martin, so maybe I'm transferring some love his way after watching that show. Still, Peter, if you're reading this? You're muy caliente. (like a spicy porkrind)

So, gentle readers, what are YOUR truths this Thursday?

Stealth edit: I just googled "Peter Dinklage is" and HOT was one of the first things to come up. HA! Vindicated.

Book Giveaway Contest: Celebrating Two Short Stories Available Now!

2011-04-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

This contest is currently postponed. For more details, see the bottom of This Post. Thanks, All! :)

_________________

CEL-E-BRATE TIMES,

GOOD

COME ON!

Today is a very special day, and I'm celebrating with a very special BOOK GIVEAWAY for one lucky reader!

What is the occasion, you ask? Well, let me tell you. It's a Rebecca Knight FIRST. A milestone!

Today is the day that two of my short stories are available on Amazon and Smashwords for purchase--I am out there, baby!

The first short story is WRITE OR DIE, a quirky fun ghost story that poses the question "what if you need to get a life, but you're already dead? The short story follows a writer through her last days on earth and beyond, poking fun at how seriously we can all take ourselves. Is letting life pass her by truly worth it now that she's stuck in a limbo of her own making?.

The second, NO REST FOR THE WICKED, answers the question "when monsters go bump in the night, who bumps back?"

Veronica Grim is out to do one thing: complete the mission by any means necessary and take out the villain. However, this time, fairy tales are real, and the villain may be more than she bargained for. This story is a fast, grisly thrill ride based on a Grimm's fairy tale.

They are both only $0.99! Together, cheaper than the energy drink I have this morning :).

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

What about the contest already???

I am e giving away three gently read, AWESOME works of fiction to one lucky winner: SOULLESS by Gail Carriger, along with WAKE and FADE by Lisa McMann!! (see pic at the beginning of this post.)

There are several ways to enter this contest and increase your chances to WIN!

You get entries for the following:

Buy a story! -5 entries
Buy BOTH stories! -15 entries
Write a review on Amazon or Smashwords -5 entries
Tweet this contest -1 entry each time
Link this contest on Facebook -1 entry each time
Post about this contest on your blog -5 entries

Leave a comment after this post with what you've done, and links to any reviews, and I'll tally them all up! :)

This contest will end CINCO DE MAYO (May 5th), so good luck, and have fun!

Weekend Reading: HOUSE OF SKIN by Kiana Davenport

2011-04-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been haunting author J. A. Konrath's blog, and I came across a lovely new author totally by accident.

Everyone needs to read this moving story about how she went from the absolute blackest depths of depression to starting a new writing career. J. A. shared an email he received from her telling her story, and asked the readers of his blog to please purchase her collection of short stories, because, in his own words, she's a better writer than he is.

I took a $1.99 gamble on her, and let me tell you, that dude wasn't messing around. I devoured the first two stories during my lunch break at work and they are both breathtakingly beautiful and chillingly sad. They are the kind of stories that make your heart ache, but it's a sweet ache... the kind that makes you sit back in your chair and sigh after you read the last sentence. I'm SO glad I picked this up.

This is not fluffy reading, but the stories are wonderfully crafted--absolutely gorgeous, lush language on every page.

If you pick up one book to support a writer for this weekend, please download Kiana Davenport's HOUSE OF SKIN.

Also, for those of you who don't have a Kindle, you can download a free Kindle app for your PC here, or download the free app for your iphone.

Happy Reading!

____

Note: I'd love to start recommending great reads on a weekly basis, but I'd also be delighted to hear from you guys! :) What books do you love to read? Also, if you'd like to do a guest post recommending something, please email me at rebeccaknightbooks (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks!

Self Publishing: Why I Changed My Mind

2011-04-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

AKA, "Is she nuts or what?" ;)

I'll admit it.

I used to think "self publishing" was a dirty phrase. It conjured up images of people who got suckered into buying a few thousand dollars worth of books from a vanity "publisher" and then ended up trying to sell them out of the trunk of their cars. I did not want to be one of those people.

Money should flow toward the author, not away from it, and I'd never heard of anyone making money with a vanity press except the presses themselves.

Recently, I learned that self publishing is not what I thought it was. True self, or Indie Publishing, has recently been made possible by the explosion of products like the Nook, Kindle, and Sony e-readers. Hell, even by the iphone! Authors can upload their books and sell them directly, often receiving 70% royalties with no up front costs.

HOLY SHIT.

Why did I not know about this? How did I not get that the e-book explosion has officially changed the power dynamic for authors?

Honestly, while I was writing and editing and learning all about the publishing industry, the publishing industry was changing around me.

Today is a brand new day, and the world of publishing is a brand new world :). E-sales are dominating in a way they never have before, and I'm helping them by downloading fistfulls of books to my iphone, even though I swore I'd never enjoy digital as much as print.

Hell, I bought a Nook this winter. And I *love* it.

Before making my decision to have a go as an Indie Publisher, I did some research, and it was hearing from these authors and bloggers that really made me do my 180.

Author J.A. Konrath is a huge advocate of indie publishing, and has basically made a total killing off it, as opposed to going with a traditional/legacy publisher. Check out this amazing, in-depth conversation he had on his blog with author Barry Eisler about Barry's decision to turn down $500,000 to self publish. It's a lengthy read, but FULL of incredible information. Worth it, for sure.

They both give straight talking sales numbers, and even answer commenter questions in this second blog discussion. There are even graphs...... I love graphs!

Then I thought "Pfffffft, maybe this is only a viable option for fancy, luckypants writers. I wonder if there are any folks in the comments section who are regular Joe Authors with similar experiences."

Turns out, there were! There were plenty.

For example, Sarra Cannon decided to self publish her YA series a mere five months ago and has already sold 13,000 copies and counting. 13,000. If she's selling her books at $2.99 for the Kindle, she gets a 70% royalty. Logically, this means she could have made $27,209 in five months. All on her own. As a newbie author. (Disclaimer--I have no idea about the money she's made, I just know she published 5 months ago and sold that many books. I am just making a point that a total newb has already sold more books than many a debut author could dream of selling.)

Publicist and wife of successful author Michael J. Sullivan, Robin Sullivan has a blog post comparing two mid-list genre authors, one who was published by a legacy publisher, and one who chose to self publish. There are charts there, too. Sweet, sweet charts.

In a nutshell, she discovered that the traditionally published author with several books out wasn't quite making a living wage, while the self published author quickly went from $800/mo to $12,000/mo with sales holding steady. They both have comparable books and backlists, yet one is living the writer's dream. He got to quit his day job.

I don't plan on striking it rich, and I definitely don't want to be famous. All I've ever wanted out of my writing career is to be able to stay at home and be a Full Time Writer. Oh, and not starve while doing so ;).

It seems to me that indie publishing my work is the most practical way to accomplish that goal. And how cool is that? Now, I can rely on my own hard work for my success, which is something I'm very comfortable with.

I'm gambling on myself... and it feels great.

Some Exciting News!

2011-04-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

As promised, I'd like to share some exciting news with you today :)!

Some of you may remember when the kindle first came out, and I blogged about the end of physical books as we know it. Well, thankfully, the hardcover isn't going anywhere soon, BUT new opportunities have opened up for the aspiring author as far as e-publishing goes.

I'm sure by now everyone's heard of Amanda Hocking, the 26 year old author who self published her YA Trylle Trilogy on Amazon, sold 450,000 e-copies, and just signed a $2 million book deal with Random House. This definitely got me thinking--she may be a stand out, but what is the downside to publishing your own e-books? IS there a downside?

The publishing industry is rapidly changing with the new impulse-buy-ability of e-books. Now, self publishing doesn't have to be a dirty word. A writer's options are no longer limited to either a traditional publishing contract, or paying a vanity press to print books that will never see the light of day.

The e-book train is moving down the tracks, not just for the one-off success stories like Amanda Hocking, but some established authors are opting for self publishing when it comes to their e-releases, because they take control of the profits. When authors are already doing their own promotional work, suddenly releasing an e-book starts to make sense.

For those of you who read my blog before I took my break, you know I am not a pie-in-the-sky type person, but rather a work hard, practical person. E-publishing my book that isn't a popular genre right now is speaking to my logical side (high fantasy hasn't been sellable for awhile in lieu of more contemporary fantasy, even though it has its niche).

After a lot of research and debate, I've decided to self-publish Legacy of the Empress as an e-book. I see it as gambling on myself--I don't pay anything out of pocket, and I stick to the same marketing plan as if I had a physical book coming out. I'd always planned to do the legwork myself, so putting my own book out there seems like an ideal plan :). I believe in this book whole heartedly, so why not put it out there?

So there you have it: I have an artist cooking up a fantastic cover for me right now, and I'm getting ready to launch this mofo. More info to come!

What are your thoughts? How do you look at e-publishing versus traditional publishing? Have you ever impulse bought a low-priced e-book?

I'm BACK, Baby!

2011-04-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

After many months away, I'm back, baby...

And I'm ready to do more than just blog.

This past year I took some much needed time to figure out what it was I really wanted. I spent time relaxing, spent time with my husband, hanging out and reconnecting, and spent time doing something other than writing.

What?! you say? I know!

I didn't worry about writing for several months. And strangely enough, I think I'm a better writer and artist for it. I burned out.

One of my main problems, and also main strengths, is that when I believe in something, I go full out. I go balls-to-the-walls crazy trying to make it happen. That's what happened with my writing: I was so focused on where I wanted to end up, I wasn't paying attention to the moments I was letting pass me by. I stressed myself out to the point where it wasn't fun anymore.

And isn't that the whole point? Don't writers write because they love it?

Since I didn't love it anymore, I took a break. I painted, I sculpted, I watched TV... and most importantly, I learned to cut myself some slack.

I've come to a lot of realizations this year, and have actually made an exciting decision ;). More on that as the week progresses, but I wanted to check in now and say that I, Becca Knight, am BACK.

I love blogging, I love writing, and I'm ready to do it all over again. This time, with balance.

Let me ask you: how have YOU been, readers? :) It's good to be back!

I Just Threw Up in My Mouth a Little....

2010-07-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

Or, Anti-Gay Protestors have gone a weeee bit too far..

Yeah.

In case you didn't know, there's a movement happening where the so-called "National Organization for Marriage" (NOM) is hittin' the open road this summer trying to drum up hate against them gays. Because, you know, two people who've been together 30 years and want to share healthcare benefits = THE END OF MARRIAGE AS WE KNOW IT!

However, one of their rallies took a turn for the uber-dark recently when this sign above was whipped out by a NOM supporter. So far the group hasn't done anything to say "Come on, guys, we don't really want to kill gays... knock it off!"

Seriously, NOM? Seriously.

As a Christian (and a person), this pretty much makes me want to barf.

Would you please join me in signing a petition to have NOM renounce this kind of bigoted and alarming behavior at their rallies? To do so, Click Here and fill out your info to join in!

Because really, can't we all agree that we don't want to murder those who are different than we are? :)

I think we can.

Where I've Been and Where I'm Going

2010-07-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

Hi, guys!

Sorry I've been silent on this blog for so long :). I've been working stuff out in my own life and needed some time away.

Recently, I've come to realize a lot of what I'm doing is burning me out, emotionally and physically. I'm the kind of person who goes completely gung-ho, 100% whenver I have a goal. My family always told me that if I wasn't striving to be the absolute best I could be, I was wasting my gifts and potential. This made me think that if I wasn't writing constantly, constantly trying to get published, and constantly stuffing my brain full of publishing industry news and information, then I didn't deserve to call myself a writer.

This got to be an awful lot of pressure and burned me out like a lightbulb.

My top priorities in life are hanging out with my husband, and then trying to find a way to use the gifts God gave me :). However, when priority #2 got in the way of priority #1, I'd feel guilty for not doing more of #2.

The major problem with that is that then I'm guilty when I'm choosing to hang out with my husband instead of sending a query, or guilty when I'm taking some time to paint or draw (something else I enjoy) instead of working on my novel. Why should I feel guilty for using other gifts or being with the people I love?

It took me a while to realize... I shouldn't :). There is no reason I shouldn't be doing what makes me happy! Sometimes that's writing, sometimes it's painting, sometimes it's learning Spanish or making jewelry, and sometimes it's playing zombie video games with the man I married.

I've had to figure out how to cut myself some slack. Just because I'm painting tonight instead of writing, doesn't mean I'm not pursuing a writing career. And just because that career might take a while to get started, doesn't mean I'm not a writer. I'm using my gifts, but giving myself permission to live my life in my own time.

Have any of you ever struggled with this? How do you prioritize? How do you keep from burning out on the things you love?

From now on, I'll be updating this blog, but it may be more of a mish-mash of creative pursuits, instead of 100% writing-related ;). I also will probably only update weekly for a time.

Thanks all for reading, for being awesome writing friends and supporters, and for being a part of this phase of my journey. You rock!

What Makes You Put a Book Down?

2010-06-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

Recently, I bought a book that I was extremely excited about. I'd see pictures of it at various book events, posters, read interviews with the author, and got all twitchy waiting to lay my paws on it and have a good read.

It's now several months later, and I'm less than halfway through.

It seems that every time I try to read this book before bed my eyes close and I fall asleep before I can get past a page or two. Other books have beeen known to keep me up for all hours, so.... what the heck, book?? Why are you making this so difficult?!

When do you finally decide to throw in the towel on a book you're just not that into?

What finally puts you over the edge? What moves the book from bedside table only to be covered in cobwebs, forgotten in a corner?

For me, the usual culprits are these:

1) Unbelievable dialogue. And I don't mean in the sense of "Whoa! That dialogue is so amazing, it's UNBELIEVABLE!" Rather, dialogue that is just so silly or unreal that it takes me out of the story and makes me cock an eyebrow.

2) Characters repeatedly doing something stupid. No, you idiot! You can't save the world if you keep wandering off by yourself, losing the Sword of Awesomeness, and putting yourself foot-first into traps a cub scout could spot. Also, the female lead likes you. Pull your head out of your ass, already!

3) The writer loves the sound of their own keyboard. Every clickity clack is PURE POETRY and absolutely cannot be cut from the manuscript. Descriptions are long, usually unnecessar, and always snooze-inducing.

However, this book had none of these usual suspects :(. I'm just (and I hate to say it) ... bored.

What do you do when this happens to you?

Do you give the author the benefit of the doubt, or do you pitch it in the Good Will pile at page 10?

Agent Query Contest!!

2010-06-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hi, All,

Sorry I've been a little on the spotty side with my blogging lately :). I've had a lot of home improvement projects in "real life" (pffffft) that have been taking my time away from my favorite place: The Internet.

However, today I logged on to querytracker.net and saw This Little Gem. There is a contest running with agent Kathleen Ortiz, where everyone, that's right everyone who enters will receive feedback on their submission.

This is an excellent opportunity, so be brave and go enter! :) Go, go, go!

What are you waiting for? I'm going, too!

Good luck everyone, and happy querying!

______________
Update: Apparently the contest filled up after 2 mins :(. Popular, no? I didn't make it unfortunately. I'll keep my eyes peeled for other opportunities, and let you guys know! :D

Living a Satisfying Life

2010-05-25T14:04:00.001-07:00

When is it enough?

Your achievements?

Your goals?

Your possessions?

Your pay raise?

When have you achieved enough to lean back and say "I'm in a good place"? When can you really feel satisfied with what your life is like?

I've been asking myself these questions lately, and have realized a few things:

1) I'm incredibly hard on myself

2) I'm not sure who I'm trying to impress

3) I have enough money

4) I have too much house and could probably downgrade

5) Even though I'm not a published author yet, my life is still complete :)

6) Everything else from now on is just for fun

7) I'm free to enjoy the journey and take as long as I want!

What does it take for you to be satisfied with where you currently are? Are you having fun on your current journey? If not, why not? Why are you doing what you're doing? Who are you trying to impress, if you're not doing it for yourself :)?

What do you guys think?

Have you ever thought about this, and realized you're fine right where you are, and the rest is just for fun?

Link Roundup a go go!

2010-05-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

I was browing my favorite blogs today, and found this amazing link roundup from everyone's favorite Editor, Moonrat!

I read and was totally entertained, especially by the list of Top 10 Most Harful Books To New Writers: check it out!

What about you guys? :D Are there any books that you feel didn't help you when you began writing?

Tell the Truth Tuesday!

2010-05-18T16:03:00.001-07:00

Here are my sad-but-true truths this week ;):

1) I started wearing flip flops to work. It's against the company dress code, but I don't really interact with a lot of people on a given day so I decided to see if I could get away with it. So far, no one has noticed. I feel like a rebel. I assume that one day my "flippity floppity" noises on the way to my aisle will give me away.

2) Sometimes I seriously consider raising chickens in my backyard. I would give them names like Baron Von Cluckenstein and eat lots of awesome, fresh eggs. So far the thought of constructing my own chicken house and cleaning chicken poo has stopped me. I already have a litterbox to scoop, after all.

3) I used a torch to burn the weeds in the cracks of my patio. Because weeding is just too hard. Also? Fire = pretty!

I probably couldn't do this any more if I had chickens back there...

4) My pens, pencils, and silverware all have to be parrel to one another and facing away from me. I frequently reach across the table to straighten my husband's fork if it's too askew. Does this make me crazy?

5) I've been falling asleep reading books on my iphone and then waking up spooning my iphone under my covers. Enough said.

What about you, my lovely blog friends? :D What are your truths this week?

Big Picture Week: Chip Away at It!

2010-05-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

Something I've come to realize that I'd like to share with you guys is that if you do just a tiny bit each day... it really, really adds up :). Rocket science, I know, but seriously--how often do we think about that?

More often than not, I'll beat myself up over not having done as much as I thought I should have. Oh no! I only wrote 500 words and I wanted to write 1000. Oh no! I only wrote 1000 words and I wanted to write 2000.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

The truth is, if I write 250 words a day, but I do it consistently, I'll get a lot further than guilting myself out and avoiding writing altogether, for fear of meeting our old friend Failure.

If I write more, then yay! :) If not, then at least I chipped away at it.

How do you guys set about reaching your goals? Are you a quick writer, or do you chip away?

Big Picture: Eyes on YOU!

2010-05-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today I want to mention something that I've had to learn the hard way, in honor of Big Picture Week:

Keep your eyes on your own damn paper.

What I mean by this, is don't be tempted to look to the right or the left, comparing yourself to what someone else is doing.

During your journey as a writer, you will meet the following people:

The person who can write 80,000 words in 3 weeks
The person who only has a first, second, and third draft
The person who found an agent in the check out line
The person who found an editor through their church
The person who works 40 hours a week, writes 12 hours a day, babysits orphans, makes gourmet 5-course meals for their five kids and spouse, and still manages to look fabulous. Oh, and blog ;).

Tell you what--you CANNOT compare your journey to the journeys of others.

Why not, you ask? Let me put it to you this way.

Are you the same as anyone else you know?

Have you lived the same life?

Dreamed exactly the same dreams?

Worked the same jobs?

Loved the same people?

Written the same words?

Your life is completely different than anyone else's on earth :). And that's exciting! You don't have to be anyone else, compare yourself to anyone else, or worry about anyone else's successes. Your dreams and goals are your own.

So, keep your eyes on your own paper, take your own journey, no matter how short or how long, and enjoy the heck out of it while you're at it. You'll be glad you did ;).

What do you guys think?

Have there been times when you've compared yourselves to others?

Big Picture Week: What's Your Goal?

2010-05-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

I have a question for you all today, kicking off a little something different here on the blog: BIG PICTURE WEEK :).

What is your Big Goal in life?

We're all striving for something, but sometimes we can lose our focus. It's good to stop and reflect--what is our main goal?

What is it you really, truly want out of this life? Out of your writing? Your art?

Do you want:

Money
Fame
Personal pride
Security
Love
Something that's just "yours"?
Something else entirely?

What do you want? Why do you do what you do?

I've been asking myself this question a lot lately, and figured out that for myself, I want to be able to do what I want and work for myself. I don't want to be rich, I don't want to be famous, I don't even need to see my name on a book spine (although that would be amazing!!). I just want to do my favorite things and make just enough money to eat and live in relative security. I want to be free to be an artist :).

I want to write, paint, create things, and I will do what it takes to do these things as much as possible.

What is it you really want? Why do you do what you do?

Kicking Ass Every Day

2010-05-07T16:36:00.001-07:00

Even when you don't feel like it any more...

Today, the lovely Moonrat over at the Editorial Ass blog made some excellent points about perserverance and how you must never surrender, even when your creative efforts are weighing you down.

Please, go read it, because is it pure awesomesauce :). Moonrat--thank you for being eloquent and for encouraging us to keep kicking ass, even when it gets difficult. We love you!

Here's wishing everyone a great weekend--never give up! Never surrender!

We can do it if we constantly encourage one another and believe in ourselves :).

It's Rantin' Time!

2010-05-06T15:15:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure why, but I sort of hate the world today.

It's been a long, long week at work, and I'm feeling like having a bit of a rant to help lift some of the black clouds currently floating over my head.

Either that, or spread the doom clouds until they blot out the sun. BWAHAHAHAHA! *ahem* Sorry, about that..

So, our topic for today is going to be PET PEEVES. Everyone has them. That thing that people do that makes you just want to punch them in the throat.

A few of mine? Well! I'm so glad you asked!

*Disclaimer--if any of these apply to you, please note that you are the single exception :). Blog follower love!

Top 10 Pet Peeves:

1) People who mispronounce simple words! It's lib-rar-y, not LIBARRY, frustrated with an R and not FUSTRATED, and prob-ab-ly, not PROBALY! Seriously, people. It's not that hard.

2) Close talkers! What is up with those people who corner me at the water cooler and insist on talking in my face from a mere 3" away? Are they trying to read my mind by being closer? Are they trying to pick my pockets? Do they not realize that their coffee/cigarette breath is melting off my eyebrows?

3) The phrase "Well, at least you still have a job!" I think this is the new version of "Sounds like somebody's got a case of the MONDAYS!" Just..... stop it.

4) Office thermostats! When it's 90 degrees outside, it's inevitably 90 degrees inside, because the heat was left on from the previous day. Then, when I wear short sleeves to compensate for office hotness, it's 40 degrees outside, and 40 degrees inside because they fixed the previously problem and now the air conditioning is on a timer. A pox on you, office thermostats! Why must you mock me??

5) People who I've never seen before telling me their life story! Note: this does not apply to lovely, lovely internet people :). I love you all. This has to do with me standing in line to buy a soda at the grocery store, and having someone tell me all about their sister-in-law's tumor with the teeth growing out of it. OMG, have we met??? NO?? Then why are you telling me these things?!

6) The price of delicious, life-giving energy drinks! When I get mad, all I want to do is buy a Monster and get caffeinated like a crazy jungle monkey. However, energy drinks are always like $2.50. This enrages me further. I do not have exact change past 1.00! I carry plastic! PLASTIC!

7) Being mauled by boy scouts! In my town, it's Boy Scout Season, which means scouts are staking out the doors of every local establishment and pressuring me to buy cookies from them when I leave. Just let me get to my car, boy scouts! Why can't you go door to door like I used to when I was a kid? Then I can just pretend I'm not home. If I want your cookies, I will find you.

8) People who ask me how to spell something while sitting in front of a computer! Seriously, you can't just use spell check? Or google? Or dictionary.com? Nothing?? Sure, I could spell it for you, but it feels ... somehow... like you're just being lazy.

9) Red Lobster commercials! I recently became allergice to tasty, tasty shellfish, and now everytime All-You-Can-Eat-Shrimp comes on the TV, I feel like crying or else trying to dip random food into hot, melty, butter to compensate. It's just not the same...

10) Plumber's crack at work! Can you really not feel the draft, there, buddy? How about you, lady-bending-over-the-copier? Somehow, I don't think naked asscrack is an official part of the dress code.

I realized today while fuming over petty details of my everyday life that our characters probably do the same thing :). Do you guys give your characters pet peeves?

If so, what are they? If not, why not?

El Cinco De Mayo Feliz!

2010-05-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

Remember the five rules of this holiday:

1) Drink five margaritas

2) Wear sombreros (or lampshades)

3) Drink five glasses of water

4) Eat five handfuls of chips

5) Take six alka seltzers tomorrow!

(I just made those rules up... can you tell?)

HAVE FUN and HAPPY CINCO!

Tell the Truth Tuesday!

2010-05-04T11:40:00.001-07:00

It's that time, guys--time to 'fess up and divulge this week's dirty (or not so dirty) secrets!

My truths this Tuesday?

1) I love using power tools! I started making jewelry this past week for my new Etsy shop and decided it would be an easy task to make my own square wooden beads. I used a gigantic power saw my husband has to cut up a tiny ass dowell into beads, and then drilled holes in them with another giant, whirring death machine.

It was awesome. I even bought a handsaw yesterday and felt very cool walking out of the store with it. Yeah, that's right. I saw things, baby! Spraying wood shavings everywhere is way more fun than it should be.

2) I'm addicted to Friday Night Lights. And even worse, am suddenly into football because of it. Now, as a geeky sort, I haven't taken in a lot of ball games. There's just something about this dang show, though, that makes me want to shout "FULL EYES, CLEAR HEARTS, CAN'T LOSE!" and go roll around in the mud with a pigskin.

Also, this show has shown me that Texans are crazy. Sorry, Texas.

3) I talk to plants. I started a garden and am nervously watching over it like an overbearing mother and have recently began speaking encouraging words to my plants at night when my husband's not within earshot. Our neighbors also have a garden on the other side of the fence, so I never know when they're only inches away. I'm sure they think I'm nuts. They may be right.

Go ahead, confess ;). What are your truths this Tuesday?

Creativity breeds ... more creativity!

2010-05-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

I'm baaaaaaack! :)

I've been unplugged for the past couple o' weeks as you guys know, but now I'm back and (hopefully) better than ever. I missed you! How've you been?

While I was taking some leisure time, I actually discovered something interesting. I tried some other hobbies I've been wanting to experiment with for a while, and found that not only do I like other things besides writing... but that doing other things helps my writing!

I tried three things in past few weeks:

1) Growing a veggie garden

2) Acrylic painting

3) Making jewelry

I discovered that I really like putting my hands into a task and just going for it. Something strange happens when I'm stringing beads or up to my elbows in dirt--my mind is free to wander. My brain relaxes and goes to places it wouldn't if I were trying to force it by staring at a computer screen.

I think sometimes the best thing we can do for our writing is do something else.

Wash the dishes, make a spicerack, walk the dog! Let your brain wander while doing something else you enjoy, and your writing will benefit from it.

What do you guys think? Do you have any other hobbies or tasks that you enjoy that help your brain relax? What happens in those quiet moments?

Blog Chain: Gender Bender!

2010-05-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

Sandra starts our blog chain off this round. She asked:

Have you ever created a character different from yourself in some significant way, such as (but not limited to) different gender, race, ethnic group, religion, or sexual orientation? If so, what, if any, research did you do to portray these differences?

Was this character a main character, secondary character, or walk-on? Did these differences have an impact on the story?

Gotta love these questions!

In my first novel, LEGACY OF THE EMPRESS, one of my two main characters is a dude--Torin. Writing his dialogue and character was very natural about 90% of the time. HOWEVER, there were definitely moments where I'd stare at what I'd just written and think "Something's.... off." These were usually the moments where, unbeknownst to me, I'd made Torin react to a situation like a lady. Poor Torin..

In these scenerios, I turned to my Resident Man Expert, or RME for short (my husband.) I'd force him to read a scene, or even just shout "What would a dude do in 'blank' situation??" Once I found out that instead of crying, a dude would actually punch the ground. Hence the scene feeling .. awkward. Once I had Torin punching stuff dry-eyed everything made a lot more sense, and the other character's reactions felt much more natural. Thank you, RME!

In HOLLOW LAND (the novel I'm currently working on), I have a few east asian characters as well as a Jewish female lead. This is definiely going to require not only a trip or two to the library but also for me to consult with some non-whitey whites. The good thing is, not only am I friendly with several nice Indian folks at work whose brains I can pick, but there is something wonderful we have now, called The Internet. I've started following a few blogs from the countries my characters originate from to get a feel for the culture. I'm hoping I can eventually get some beta readers of the same religion/culture to help me out and make sure I'm not being a dork about some detail or another.

If I had any advice for you guys, it's to be brave :). Don't be afraid to write a certain character just because they are outside your immediate frame of reference. Learning new things is what makes this fun! Go for it, and get excited to learn about other cultures, sexual orientations, and even how the other sexes think.

What do you guys think? Have you ever written outside your comfort zone? How did it turn out?

Don't miss Shannon's answer coming up tomorrow!

Book Review: The Marriage Project

2010-04-26T18:19:00.001-07:00

*Disclaimer! I received this review copy for free and am totally keeping it. Mwahahahah...

Hi, guys!

I'm taking a break from my blogging break to tell you about a fun book I just finished reading: The Marriage Project: 21 Days to More Love and Laughter. This is a Christian look at how to make your marriage.. well... cooler, in 21 days.

Now, usually I don't use the word "fun" about Christian non-fiction books or any books on improving your relationships. I don't like it when books imply that my marriage isn't awesome, interprets the Bible for me, or tells me that I need to change in any way shape or form. After all, I Know Everything And Am Always Right. Please. I need advice like I need to go on a diet. Oh... wait.

This books surprised me in the best possible way :). The author, Kathi Lipp sounds like a woman I want to have a beer with. She doesn't preach, but simply gives us a head's up on what she and her husband did to bring back the fun and flirting into their marriage. The book is laced with humor and personal stories, giving details on how she and her husband are making their marriage (the second marriage for both of them) work while raising a handful of surly teens. If she can make that work in any possible universe, I'm all for listening.

The best thing about this book is it's super practical. It has little projects that you do with your spouse (or on your own if they're not into it), that get you in the habit of thinking well about one another. On one day you may write a list of why you respect your husband, and he may write a list of reasons he loves you. On another day, you are encouraged to flirt with your spouse via email or "sext" (hehehe). On another day, you may let him watch Rambo: Revenge of the Forest Ninjas while you snuggle on the couch. It's basically making a habit to hang out with one another, be a little sexy, and do nice things without being asked.

Oh, and another thing? The lady encourages good Christian couples to get freaky. That endeared me to her right away :). Being intimate with your spouse really is something that often gets sidelined, but is so necessary to keep you close. One of your weekly "projects" is getting busy. Sometimes, planning it can be even more fun...

One other thing I enjoyed about Kathi's book is that she gets the differences between men and women without going all Medieval on our asses. Men feel loved when they are respected, and women want to hear that they are loved. Men show love a lot of times through action--he may clean the gutters to show you he cares--while women use words and affection. He may be tapping his foot waiting for you to notice that when he's balancing the checkbook, he's really saying "I love you," and you may be waiting to hear the words and getting pissed off. It helps to take a step back and realize the differences. Then, you can better appreciate one another.

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fun way to reconnect with your husband, wife, or significant other. I feel like my marriage pretty much rocks, but I still found helpful things in this book that made me look at my husband in a new way. Check it out--it's funny and low pressure. I'd love to hear about it if you decide to do The Marriage Project yourselves!

I'll be back blogging regularly on 5/3/10 :). I miss you guys--have a great week!

Talk Amongst Yourselves...

2010-04-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome, to Coffee Talk! I'm your host Linda Richman, and I'll be taking over this lovely little blog for Becca today.

She's recovering in Boca Roton for a bit. All of this blogging, writing, working--oy, faggehtabowtit! Let's just say she's more than a little meshuggina, already, and needs some time off. I should be so lucky!

Anywho, last night I was watching the exquisite Ms. Streisand in Funny Girl, and it reminded me of how we all have to be proud of ourselves when reaching for our dreams.. of how we can't let anyone rain on our parades... of how...... oh, Barbra... oh.... *sob!!*

Okay, I'm getting a little verklempt! Please... talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: Boilerplate contracts are neither boilers, nor plates. Discuss...

And, I'm okay. Whew! I'm sorry. She does that to me every time..

So, anyway, believe in yourselves, believe in Barbra, and hang out here if you'd like while Becca's away. Talk, have some coffee--no big whoop.

Your favorite shiksa will be back blogging away on Monday, May 3rd. Until then, talk amongst yourselves.

Ta!

5 Things Writers Can Learn From Doctor Who

2010-04-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the first season of the new Doctor Who series, and I have to say... I'm in love :).

Not just with the Doctor himself (though, that is also true), but with the whole shebang! It was truly love at first episode.

I tried to analyze why this show enthralled me so much when other shows are constantly disappointing, and came up with a few pearls of wisdom that can help us in our writing as well.

Top 5 Lessons For Writers From Doctor Who:

1) Keep the mystery alive! No one likes a 2 Dimensional protagonist, antagonist, sidekick, you name it. Make sure there is a little mystery in your characters to keep us intrigued. The main character in "Doctor Who" is known simply as The Doctor, and his background unravels piece by piece, keeping us wanting more. The man doesn't even have a name, and we love it!

2) Don't be afraid to get silly! Change things up once in a while by throwing a little humor into your dark, dramatic scenes. What do people do when things get tense? COPE. And they usually do it with a little bit of weirdness, nervous laughter, etc. Don't be afraid to mix up your drama with a splash of humor.

3) Work your villains! So what if your main villains look like a pepper grinder had a baby with R2-D2? Make them scary by adding some motivation--make us feel for the evil pepper grinders, and they'll be all the more terrifying because they remind us of ourselves.

4) Be a tease! Hold out on your audience until the last possible second. Make us beg for a little romance to blossom and then withold it. Make us believe that one character is really truly dead until we give up all possible hope, then wait a little bit longer still before revealing they're okay. We'll thank you for the suspense and come back for more!

5) Don't be afraid to rock a good thing! Doctor Who is the longest running science fiction series ever, and is still going strong. Is there something you're fantastic at writing? Are you amazing at dialogue? Is your worldbuilding extraordinary? Don't be afraid to squeeze every last ounce of that mojo out onto the paper. Keep a good thing going!

What about you guys? Does anyone else love Doctor Who and have any lessons to add?

Chasing the Market: Who Do You Write For?

2010-04-05T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's time for another Blog Chain, and this time we have some new members! Make sure to follow all the links in the chain to read everyone's responses ;).

This time around, Michelle asked:

Do you write for the market or for yourself? Why? Are there times you do both? Or times when you've written something specifically because it was "hot" at the moment? If so, how did it turn out?

This is a question I think every writer should ask themselves at least once. Do you want to try to chase a trend? Why or why not?

When I thought about this, I came to a two conclusions:

1) Publishing is SLOW. Mud pit, prehistoric, glacial kind of slow. Slow like a sleep deprived snail covered in molasses. This means that by the time you spot a trend, write a book about said trend, and send it to agents... that trend will have been over for two years. Everyone will be saying "ugh, that is SO 2010!" when they read your manuscript.

2) If I try to write something I don't LOVE, it's going to suck. Could I really spend six months to a year writing about something I'm not fully, passionately, head-over-heels about? No. Could I face rejection on a manuscript I'm not in love with? No. Is it worth my time? Yeah... not so much.

I think the most important thing in this business is to enjoy the journey while keeping your hopes practical. Don't waste your own time. If you're not loving what you're doing, then what's the point? It's not about the destination, as corny as that sounds, because let's face it. We might not get where we want to. Will it still be worth it to us? Only if we're doing it out of love, and not chasing after trends ;).

What do you guys think? How would you answer this question?

Stay tuned for Shannen's answer next! (Link coming soon..)

Happy Easter!

2010-04-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, yes my post yesterday was an April Fools prank ;). BWAHAHAHA!

*Ahem* Moving on...

It's Good Friday today, and I'm getting into the Easter spirit :).

I found some quotes I'd like to share. I think each of us, religious or not, can find the beauty in the simple idea of starting over, of new life, and celebrating the idea of something eternal living in each of us.

Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend!

It is the hour to rend thy chains,The blossom time of souls. ~Katherine Lee Bates

On Easter Day the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer. ~Douglas Horton

Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life. ~S.D. Gordon

The stars shall fade away, the sun himselfGrow dim with age, and Nature sink in years;But thou shalt flourish in immortal youth,Unhurt amid the war of elements,The wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds. ~Joseph Addison

Easter tells us that life is to be interpreted not simply in terms of things but in terms of ideals. ~Charles M. Crowe

Happy Easter!

The E-Pocalypse is Nigh! Amazon Vs. Everyone

2010-04-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Amazon's up to their tricks again, stoking the fires in the publishing world by making another risky e-book pricing decision.

Just last week, they'd threatened to remove the Buy buttons again if publishers didn't rethink the agency pricing model and make certain concessions. If you remember, when MacMillan took a stand about e-book pricing against Amazon a few weeks back, Amazon removed the buy buttons from all of MacMillan's titles, not just the e-books. It was a problem for several MacMillan authors and turned many readers against Amazon.

Well, just this week, it was announced that Amazon plans to lower prices to $5.99 on several new release titles. As you can imagine, publishers are less than thrilled, seeing this as just another way Amazon's looking to gain a monopoly on the industry and devaluing books as a whole.

What do you guys think? Are cheap e-books what the public wants? Or are they a larger problem for the future?

Work In Progress Wednesday!

2010-03-31T16:34:00.000-07:00

I feel like I haven't done a progress report like this in forever, because I've been revising for ages, and recently, querying :).

I feel like I've learned a ton writing my first novel, Legacy of the Empress, and now that I'm ready to dive back into my second (Hollow Land), I know what to change and what to avoid.

I'm about 5500 words into my novel right now, and I realized, I had a lot of backstory and needed to start with more action. However, to start with action, I needed to fill in some holes in the brief outline I'd created. My husband and I sat down last night and brainstormed like you wouldn't believe. I feel incredibly confident now that I know where the story is headed, and now that I have someone else who thinks my plot is solid, too.

Here are some tips I've picked up from this experience:

1) If you find a plot hole in your outline--PLUG IT. I've learned from experience that it's better to brainstorm various options now then put it off until later and get stuck and have to do a big re-write. Last night, when I came to a sticky spot, my husband and I threw out crazy ideas while I took notes until something stuck. Don't be afraid to experiment :).

2) Get a partner to help with your outline. Get someone you trust and show them your outline, then talk about it step by step. They'll be able to tell you up front if parts of your plot seem wonky, weak, or missing entirely. You can go into your first draft with a boost of confidence that you're at least working with a solid foundation.

3) Take notes! If you have an idea about what feelings you want a scene to evoke or how you want your characters to react to it, note it briefly in your outline. Trust me, this will help later on when you're writing it.

4) Remember that nothing's set in stone. You can change anything you'd like at any time :). An outline isn't a ball and chain, it's a key to freedom! Now, you don't have to be afraid of getting "blocked" because you don't know where you're going, but you're also free to let the story take on a mind of it's own. Use the outline as a tool--don't let it use you!

So, what about you guys? Are there any projects that you're working on? :)

Tagged: A Special Tell the Truth Tuesday!

2010-03-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

I was Tagged by my friend and fellow blogger Abby Annis! Per the rules, I have to complete the following sentences, and then tag three people in return:

I like comfortable clothing

I like eating corn and mushrooms straight from the can

I like collecting shot glasses from different countries

I like Indian sarees and wish I could rock one without getting strange looks

I like tiny oragami

I like 80s my little ponies. I had one w/ an innertube shaped like a frog! It floated in my bath tub and was completely awesome

I like shower crayons

I like unsweetened black tea

I like reading books on my phone

I like petting my cat and staring off into space (it's very relaxing)

I like climbing my stairs on all fours

I like combing my hair now that it's long. I feel like the little mermaid with her dinglehopper.

I love the cool people I've met from writing and blogging!

Today was a long day at work, but fairly relaxed. I'll take it.

I hate it when characters in books assume stupid things and act like morons based purely on assumptions. Communication, people!

I hate unrealistic dialogue in movies

I hate parachute pants, especially if they have neon designs on them

I hate rat tail hairstyles

I hate aspertame

I hate drinking out of glasses that are uncomfortably wide for my hand

I hate filing (so. much.), but I love being organized

I hate dusting and vacuuming

I (secretly) like *whispers* Enya... don't tell!!

I love rack of lamb. Sorry, lambs! Why must you be so delicious???

So, now it's your turn! I want to get to know some of the newer followers on my blog, so here are my picks:

Ampara Ortiz

Darlyn Herradura

Lydia Kang

Cool blogs, you guys! :)

Blog Chain: Dialogue Rules!

2010-03-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

It's blog chain day!

This time around, we're going to do some talking about... well... talking :).

The chatty Kate asked:

Do you enjoy writing dialogue? Do you use a lot of dialogue in your writing (for our purposes "a lot" will be defined as more than a smidge and yet not so much that the quotes key on your computer is completely worn out.)? Do you have example(s) of dialogue you especially enjoyed from something you've read? Do you have example(s) of dialogue from your own writing? What about these examples makes them special?

Great questions!

I'm going to follow the thought train of the kick-ass Cole and talk about my undying and passionate love for Joss Whedon. Have any of you guys seen the show Firefly? If you haven't, seriously, go get it! It's one of the best shows I've ever put into my eye holes. Two words: Space cowboys.

However, it's not just the space cowboy goodness that makes this show one of my favorites. What is it, you ask? The dialogue! Joss is the king of witty repartee.

Here are some of my favorite exchanges from the show:

Kaylee: "Well, we're headed for help... right?"

Zoe: "Captain will come up with a plan."

Kaylee: "That's good. Right?"

Zoe: "Possibly you're not recalling some of his previous plans."

Mal: "Well, look at this! Appears we got here just in the nick of time. Whaddya suppose that makes us?"

Zoe: "Big damn heroes, sir."

Mal: "Ain't we just!"

Mal: "I would appreciate it if one person on this boat would not assume I'm an evil, lecherous hump."

Zoe: "No one's saying that, sir."

Wash: "Yeah, we're pretty much just giving each other significant glances and laughing incessantly."

What I love about this dialogue is that it is jam-packed with voice, and each little scenario gives us not only something to snicker at, but lets us get a glimpse at the character.

Great dialogue is the epitome of showing instead of telling.

Instead of describing someone as "sassy," you can have him/her sassing someone before our very eyes. Much more effective, don't you think?

I personally love dialogue, but I also don't overuse it. There is a place for everything. As a wise man once said, in all things moderation is key.

So, what do you guys think? Do you love dialogue? Why or why not?

Memory Lane: It Sucks to be Young!

2010-03-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

For those of us who write YA stories, or even just have characters who are kids, I ask you...

Do you ever think about what you don't miss about being a kid?

I think a lot of the time as adults we remember the fun things like sleepovers, first kisses, and snap bracelets (those things were BOSS!), but are we really staying true to character in our writing if we don't round out the picture?

Let's indulge in some anti-nostalgia to get in touch with our inner child!

Top 10 Things that I DON'T Miss About Being a Kid:

10) Massive pimples before major events! Before prom when I was 16 years old, I got the biggest zit of my life on the end of my nose. Can you say, Rudolph the Reindeer? I covered it in about an inch of coverup, but yeah, my nose was officially misshapen for The Big Night. I do not miss zits.

9) Parental control of the TV! I'm not saying that I hate Jessica Parker or anything, but what kid really wants to be watching Murder She Wrote? 60 Minutes? Crossfire? Bonanza? (Sorry, Hoss, and Little Joe. You're boring.)

8) Bedtime/Curfew! When I was young, I had a 9 p.m. bedtime, which means that no matter how badly I wanted to stay up for The X Files, I wasn't allowed. Also, I live in the northwest, so during the summer it's light until about 11 p.m. I would lie in bed with the sunlight streaming in through my curtains, listening to the sounds of kids without bedtimes shrieking with laughter down the block. Not. Cool.

7) No money! Oh, I'm sorry, you wanted the new CoolNameBrandThingyMcStuff? Get a job. I once saved up months and months and months for a toy only to realize when I finally had enough money for it... that I'd outgrown it and no longer wanted it.

6) Homework! At least at my job I don't have to take anything home. Remember staying up late desperately trying to read the last of the book you'd been neglecting so you could finish that project that's due tomorrow? Yikes. Stress levels are on Defcon 1! I literally still have nightmares where I'll be in a panic over some research paper I forgot to write.

5) Stuff marketed for kids/teens is gross. I bought a shirt at the store 20 Below which was geared toward teens with no money--everything is $20 or less! The stitching came out in the first wash cycle and that was that. Also, anyone here remember Crystal Pepsi? I was reminded of that today, and thought "Why the hell would they make a pepsi that is only cool because it's clear... and then sell it in school vending machines INSIDE A CAN. The teens who buy it don't have glassware, people. They're at SCHOOL. We can't see the coolness. Also, now it tastes funny. Brilliant.

4) No one listens to you. "What's that, little Sally? You saw Old Man Jenkins shoplifting down at the store and then he blamed it on your friends? Well, that can't be possible! Old Man Jenkins is an adult. Stop making up stories--you're grounded!"

3) No car. Oh, you'd like to go on a date? You want to go to the mall? You forgot your coat at school? Well, I sure hope it's within walking distance, otherwise tough luck. Otherwise, you'll be taking the bus.

2) Other kids are jerks. Are you overweight? Too tall? Too short? Too skinny? Hair too curly? Have braces? Wear glasses? Walk funny? Too smart? Too average? Use big words? Use small words? Laugh too much? Act too quiet? Big boobs? No boobs? ...Well, you're pretty much screwed.

1) Feeling sorry for yourself. Everything seems worse when you have more hormones coursing through you at light speed and no control over the things that seem most important.

So, what about you guys? What do you not miss about being a kid? :)

Tell the Truth Tuesday!

2010-03-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of queries, I shall fear no rejections..."

Amen.

It's that time again, my lovely readers: Time to step into the confessional! That's right--it's Tell the Truth Tuesday!

Here are my truths for this week:

1) I straight up forgot to blog yesterday. And I feel bad for neglecting you! Seriously, I take one "unplugged" week, and it goes straight to my head. Unbelievable :P.

2) I spent at least an hour last night thinking of my "signature style" at the prompting of a YA book. I'm reading an ARC of Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy, and there is much talk about picking a style that is distinctly "you" to help you feel comfortable in your own skin. I decided my signature style is "Casual, fun, and romantic." Yes, I actually picked adjectives and then wished I was a part of The Cinderella Society :). I hope Kay Cassidy lets me join!

3) I kiss my cat on the lips. I totally know how wrong it is, and that it makes me a borderline Crazy Cat Lady, but look at this face!

It totally started when he was a kitten, because awww, and now I still do it. And am ashamed.

4) I had a wardrobe malfunction today. I am lucky enough to wear jeans to work. However, my beloved jeans started getting a hole in an area you don't want to have a hole showing (inner upper thigh), so I patched it until I could go shopping. Today, the patch decided to not only come unstuck (it was the iron-on kind), but to krinkle up and try to eject itself from the thigh-hole while I was walking. Through Human Resources. *facepalm*

So not only did I have a huge hole in my pants today, but I also had a patch making a break for it. Dress for success, anyone? Yeaaaah.

5) I love really bad sci fi cover art. Like this:

Hehehehe. Seriously, I could look at that all day.

What truths do you guys have to confess this week?

*Note: To those of you wonderful people who have recently given me blog awards or tagged me, I do love you, but have gotten woefully behind in... well... life, so I haven't posted these yet. I'll be trying to share the love this week :). Thank you all!

Facing Your Fears!

2010-03-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

*First posted October 26, 2009

What are the primary fears that drive your characters? Do they battle aliens of gangsters or monsters? Or do they battle unreconciled issues in their lives? Which do you prefer writing about? What do you fear?

In my book, Legacy of the Empress, my characters have issues. Astrid, my heroine, spent the last ten years of her childhood locked away in a tower room. Her mother imprisoned her when she was eight after murdering her courtiers and usurping the throne using dark magic (what a bitch, right?). When Astrid escapes and finds the magic consuming the land and its people, she fears two things:

1) Being locked up again

2) Her mother killing more innocents before she can stop her.

Torin, the boy who joins her quest to find an ancient Empress and defeat the dark magic, has his own set of fears:

1) Living an unremarkable life

2) Letting Astrid down.

He longs to be something more, a hero, and sees himself as Astrid's protector on her journey. When he is weakened (no spoilers!), he struggles with feeling useless--a burden instead of a warrior.

I prefer writing about internal fears because those are the ones that haunt us the longest. We all have them: those tapes in our heads that tell us things we wish we didn't believe, but struggle with on a daily basis. We long to realize these fears and rise above them, to change the tapes to say what we want them to say. Instead of hearing "I'm not good enough," we want to hear "I'm good enough the way that I am!" It takes a journey to get there, though, and we're afraid of failing ourselves the most of all.

I read this quote the other day, and it really spoke to me:

"Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive — the risk to be alive and express what we really are."– Don Miguel Ruiz

We want to change, to better ourselves, but that requires a journey, and sometimes, a painful sacrifice. That conflict makes for some great storytelling, don't you think? :)

As for myself, some of my greatest fears include:

1) Losing loved ones before I'm ready to

2) Sliding down mountains (a weird phobia)

3) Living a fearful life and dying with regrets

The first one I can't control, the second is odd and means I don't like skiing, and the third is up to me. Regrets are for pussies! I can choose to follow my dreams, even if it means risking failure, and dammit all, I'm going to!

What about you? What fears do you characters face? What fears do you face in your everyday life?

How Do You Know When You're Successful?

2010-03-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

*Originally posted August 10, 2009.

The irony of this poster is that writers ONLY get paid when they believe in the power of their dreams. Heheheh.

I've been thinking today about goals.

Many writers (and normal people) find it difficult to be satisfied in life unless they know when they'll be able to say "I'm successful." Many of us also find it hard to get started if we don't have something to aim for, and become saddened if we're not sure if we've arrived.

We have to ask ourselves some questions to determine what we want, and how we'll know when we've got it. If we don't, we'll either be too overwhelmed to begin chasing our dreams, or too unrealistic about what will really make us happy. Unrealistic expectations, even ones you put on yourself, SUCK.

So, let me pose a few questions that every writer should probably ask themselves:

1) Why am I writing?

2) How long do I want to do this, even if I never get any credit or money from my work?

3) How much rejection can I take?

4) How much time do I want to spend on my goals, versus with my family, friends, and pillow?

5) What do I want to achieve Big Picture?

6) Will I be satisfied when I get there?

7) Am I satisfied if I never get there?

8) What steps do I have to take to achieve that Big Picture thing?

9) Which one needs to be achieved first?

10) What is my support system?

11) How will I feel if I never achieve this? Is it worth trying anyway?

Here are the answers I've given myself, and what keeps me going (in case it's helpful):

1) Why am I writing? It's my favorite thing to do, and I'm happy when I'm doing it. I'm unhappy when I stop.

2) How long do I want to do this, even if I never get any credit or money from my work? For as long as I possibly can.

3) How much rejection can I take? As much as I need to (be honest here, folks, or you're in for a world of hurt.)

4) How much time do I want to spend on my goals, versus with my family, friends, and pillow? I need to have a balance. I won't be happy meeting my writing goals at the expense of my husband, family, and sweet, sweet sleep. This means I have to make more realistic smaller goals to get to my big goals.

5) What do I want to achieve Big Picture? I want to make enough money to be able to write as a full time job and not starve. This means making about 20-30k. That will be great. Also, I want a Hugo Award.

6) Will I be satisfied when I get there? OH YAH. I don't want to be rich, I just want to have the freedom to write more. And have a rocket statue.

7) Am I satisfied if I never get there? Yes, because no matter what I'll achieve my goal of writing as long as possible. I just won't get to do as much of it per day. Also, maybe I'll get an award after I'm dead. Whatever works.

8) What steps do I have to take to achieve that Big Picture thing? I have to get an agent, have my manuscript sell, promote the crap out of my book, lather, rinse, repeat as many times as possible.

9) Which one needs to be achieved first? I need to find an agent.

10) What is my support system? The awesome people who read my blog (I heart you!), my crit buddies, and my wonderful husband.

11) How will I feel if I never achieve this? Is it worth trying anyway? It will be lame, but I'll still be okay. It is absolutely worth chasing for my entire life. I'll have a blast trying.

The key to getting started and keeping going without driving yourself nuts is creating reasonable goals, and then realizing you'll be satisfied if you meet them or not.

But you have to be willing to keep going as long as it takes. If you're not, then this isn't the business for you and you need to go do something sensible like run a petshop. If so, then chase it with all you've got, and above all enjoy the ride!

*My husband just said he wants me to win two Hugos so we can make bookends. Damn! The pressure! ;)

How to Write a Synopsis: Helpful Tips!

2010-03-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

*First posted October 6, 2009.

Writers are crazy, but what makes us even *crazier* is the thought of writing a synopsis.

"It took me 95,000 words to tell my story, and now you want me to boil it down to 500??!"

Well, yeah. Basically. No pressure, right? :P Luckily for us, there are those wiser than we are to give us a helping hand!

Chuck over at the The Guide to Literary Agents blog posted some great tips on writing a good synopsis of your story. Search wikipedia for movies and read what the wikinerds had to say! How did they sum up the movie? How did they describe the main character and conflict? It's one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time for finding examples of tight story outlines. Hats off to you, Chuck!

Author Anne Mini also had a very detailed post about questions you should ask yourself while writing your synopsis. Go check it out! It's extremely thorough and will whip your synopsis' butt into shape!

I also read a neat trick somewhere (I forget where, so please clue me in if you know, and I'll give credit) that if you're stuck on how to begin, follow these simple steps:

1) Sum your book up in one sentence. That's all you get! Think about what you'd tell someone if they asked you what your book is about, but you only had ten seconds to spit it out.

2) Now that you've sweated some blood and have your sentence synopsis nailed down, summarize your book in a single paragraph! This should feel much easier now that you've boiled it down to a sentence. Focus on the barest most essential pieces of the main conflict. What's at stake? Who is the MC? Why do we care?

3) Expand your paragraph into a one-page description! Some agents prefer a single page synopsis to the garden variety 2 page synopsis. This should feel like a walk in the park compared to what you've already accomplished. Stop and have a glass of wine. You're almost there!

4) Expand to 2 pages! Ahhhhhh. It's like unbuttoning your pants after a big meal. Finally, some room to breathe! The daunting task suddenly doesn't seem so daunting any more. Hey, you've now got a 2 page synopsis :).

Go send some queries, and good luck! Does anyone else have any tips for writing a great synopsis? What works for you and what doesn't?

Deja vu... Again!

2010-03-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

This week I'll be taking some "unplugged" time, which means I won't be blogging or commenting on others blogs :). I'll miss you guys, but sometimes it's good to take some time off and refresh.

To keep you occupied and off the streets this week, I'll be reposting the Best of Writer In Progress--those posts that you found helpful/cool/bizarre in the past. Enjoy!

I'll see you on the other side ;). Now, to kick things off...

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*originally posted August 12, 2009

Kill Your Darlings!

The voices in my head yelled this phrase while I was editing last night.

Me: Hmm, this sentence has lots of adjectives and a simile that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Sure is pretty, though!

Voices: KILL! Kiiiiiiill!

Me: I love comparing things to hands and fingers, but I've already done it a couple of times. Maybe it's getting old?

Voices: Cut the fingers off!

Me: Wow, this description of the trees is beautifully written, but I think I said the same thing a paragraph back.

Voices: Burn the forest down! Fire is PRETTY!

Me: Oh, no. No, I love that dialogue. What does my crit buddy mean by "it doesn't make sense in context?" Noooo!

Voices: Do it! Duct tape his mouth, and throw him in the river!

Needless to say, although frightened and queasy, I acquiesced to the voices' demands and Killed My Darlings.

It was tough. Tougher than in a lot of my other edits because this time I'm down to the nitty gritty and am forced to make brutal decisions. It's down to the wire.

Garrote wire?

No! Shut up, Voices!

Aaaanyway, this week I've slashed and hacked through about 40 pages, and I have 56 more to go. Wish me luck!

Any progress to report this week? How's it going?Were you forced to commit murder most foul to any favorite words?

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"Kill your darlings."--William Faulkner.

5 Things Writers Can Learn From Cats

2010-03-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

This is my cat, Fawkes (named after the phoenix from Harry Potter (yes, I know I'm a huge geek)).

In this picture, he's on my lap indulging in what looks like an amazing back nap.

What does this have to do with writing you ask?

I'm so glad you asked! :)

Here are 5 Things Writers Can Learn From Their Cats:

1) Enjoy the journey. Fawkes will get incredibly excited when I wave one of his toys around, but when I actually toss it to him, he sniffs it for two seconds, and sits on it. Yeah. For him, it's all about the anticipation. Lesson: Don't get so focused on your end goals, that you forget to enjoy yourself along the way!

2) Don't get your back up over the small stuff. My cat will sit patiently on the couch as my husband and I blare heavy metal, play Rock Band, or sodder things in his near vacinity. He's relaxed about the small things that would spook many a lesser creature. Lesson: Chill out! Let go of the small annoyances and save your anxiety for when it really matters (Ex: lightning storms, or when someone turns the vacuum on.)

3) Waiting is an opportunity. When he's in between dinner time and when I turn on the sink for him to drink from (I'm cat whipped), he doesn't get restless or bitch and moan about how long everything takes. What does he do? Something awesome! He chases twist ties, bites things he shouldn't be biting, and, of course, naps. Sweet, sweet naps. Lesson: When the waiting seems endless, treat it as an opportunity and spend time on the things you enjoy!

4) Be an astute observer. Have you ever noticed how cats will often sit up at full attention and stare at something for minutes on end? And then eventually you realize it's a dust mite, or a single dot of paper on the floor? Lesson: As writers, we can't miss the opportunities to be observers of life. We are the ones who take the seemingly insignificant and make it beautiful.

5) Napping is mandatory. Enough said. Lesson: Seriously. We all need to take time for ourselves. Cut yourself some slack once in a while and take some time to relax :).

What do you think? Are there any lessons I missed?

That's a lovely shade of blue you're wearing

2010-03-10T16:30:00.000-08:00

There are so many things I wanted to blog about today, but my husband surprised me and is taking me on a date to see Avatar again in the theaters--YAY!

So, I'm shirking my duties and watching a 3D movie instead :D.

However, I do have a burning question for all of you: If you could trade in your crappy human body for an awesome, 15 foot tall, blue cat body.... would you?

Inquiring minds need to know!

(I totally would. I mean, come ON.)

Have a good night!

Blog Chain: Kicking Ass By Choice!

2010-03-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

It's that time again: Blog Chain time!

This round, Eric started us off by asking the question

Do you create characters that are larger-than-life or are your characters more like the average Joe?

Hmmm. Good question!

I'm sick of what I like to call, The Superman Problem.

Superman is as awesome as it gets--he doesn't even break a sweat fighting supervillains. Nothing can stop him except for a tiny green rock, and let's face it, kryptonite has been less than successful at taking him down. He can fly, has super speed, is impervious to bullets, can hurl a planet at you if you piss him off, and has even turned back time to save Lois Lane.

What's the problem then, you ask? Well, as I see it, why do I care if Superman's in trouble? He's just going to kick some ass and save the day. Like always. Because he's Superman. He's almost perfect.

He's not flawed enough to be interesting!

Spiderman on the other hand, is behind on the rent, flunking History class, and his girlfriend thinks he stood her up, all because of that damn Doc Oc! Now, this is a superhero I can care about! :)

When I'm creating my characters, I don't want them to be Superman, so I try to make them as real as possible... even if they have super human abilities. I want my characters to be flawed and relatable.

However, there is one more problem to avoid in the other direction. I call this, the Twilight Problem.

Here is an example:

Girl: "Oh, I am just a normal, average, run-of-the-mill boring, not very attractive person just bumbling through high school. OMG!!!! Who is that tall, dark, AMAZING stranger who has come into my life?!"

Stranger: "I am special, and for some reason am paying attention to you, normal person."

Girl: "SQUEE!! Now my normal, average, boring life has become interesting due to someone cool talking to me!"

Stranger: "Um... yeah. I guess. I'm now going to sparkle and brood. Also, have adventures that maybe you can be a part of. Maybe."

Girl: "I can't wait!!!!"

In this scenario, the main character is normal... but also doesn't choose to do anything special or have any cool adventures on her own. She waits for someone awesome to come and make choices for her. Hooray. Oh, wait. THAT SUCKS.

I want my chracters to be realistic, relatable, but also to CHOOSE awesomeness and adventure :). I want my heroines and heroes to say to themselves, "Self, let's take our talents and our courage to go save the world!"

I guess my answer is, I want normal characters to choose to become larger than life.

I want to be larger than life in real life. Doesn't everyone? We can choose to make the most of what we're given, or we can wait for some sparkly person to come along and do it for us. I, personally, chose action.

What do you guys think? Superman, Twilight, or a Happy Ass-Kicking Medium?

Please check out the Courageous Cole's answer before me, and the Karate-kicking Kate's answer tomorrow!

Learning is Fun!

2010-03-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

Today, I came across a fascinating post on Pub Rants about the difficulties in negotiating e-rights. Check it out!

If you're anything like me, you've been wondering what the heck is going on as far as the author's concerned with the rise of e-books. How are royalties going to be paid? How do publishers decide what's fair in this Brave New World?

Everything is in a state of change, and I love learning all I can about the turning tides :). How will it all shake out??

Also, yesterday I loved the answers I got to the question "what was your favorite childhood book?" I love getting peaks at people's personalities with stuff like that.

But I have to ask... what happened to the Q&A, yo? I feel like the nerdy girl all alone at the dance, picking egg salad out of my braces and swaying sadly to Boyz II Men. Why you got to leave me hangin?

I mean, maybe it's just my dayquil/nyquil/tylenol cocktail talking here, but throw a girl a bone!

Don't worry about me, though. I'll just sit here, drinking the liquor of my own tears and asking myself questions, like "why does no one love me?" and "how much chocolate can I fit in my mouth?"

Have a great weekend, guys!

And if you'd like, please answer me this: What is the best thing you've recently read and why did you love it? :)

Q&A Time!

2010-03-04T18:25:00.000-08:00

I cought the plague that was going around the office this week (hooraaaay!! I WIN at LIFE!), so instead of blogging about wise and clever things tonight, I thought maybe we'd have a Q&A session instead.

So, step up, don't be shy!

What questions would you like me to answer? I'll answer anything and everything (at least with some kind of sarcasm if nothing else). New followers--please don't be afraid to chime in. Welcome!

Also, I have a question for YOU:

What was your favorite book growing up and why? :)

See you tomorrow for answers to your fabulous questions!

Oh, what was my favorite childhood book, you ask?

PETER PAN, of course!

Happy Thursday!

Tell the Truth Tuesday!

2010-03-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

I'm now nearing the big 3-0 in age, and am beginning to see signs that I am, indeed, getting old.

Main signs I've noticed:

1) I broke my toe in a mosh pit when I was 14. Recently, I've noticed it aching. But not, just at any ol' time. Yes, it aches when it rains. I'm that person.

"A storm's a-brewin'! I can feel it mah old bones!"

2) I judge young people by their haircuts and fashion choices. I frequently roll my eyes at boys with emo hair and say "that kid looks like Sally Fields in Steel Magnolias. If only he knew."

"Cut your damn hair, you crazy kids!"

3) I no longer like any of the bands I liked in high school, and have progressed to heavy metal. I've started to say things like "bands were so much better in the '80s. That's when people had talent and didn't just lip synch!" Apparently, I've forgotten about Milly Vanilly.

4) I had to go buy reading glasses. Yes, no longer are contacts enough! I can no longer properly focus my eyes under my own steam. I have to admit, I'm not too broken up about it because my reading glasses are sexy and magenta. But, STILL.

5) I can no longer enjoy cheap booze, shoes, or clothing. I know the difference now. There is no going back. I'll miss you, Zima, Target, and $.99 flip flops!

My last confession?

I love being an adult! I feel like I'm entering the very best years of my life (i.e. everything after college.). WOOT!

What are your truths this Tuesday? ;)

Introducing THAW!

2010-03-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

Today we have a special treat: the first excerpt of Fiona Robyn's free novel, THAW, which she's publishing on her blog.

As you know, there's nothing better than supporting authors, especially when it involves free stories! Please check it out below. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments :)!
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Ruth's diary is the new novel by Fiona Robyn, called Thaw. She has decided to blog the novel in its entirety over the next few months, so you can read it for free.

Ruth's first entry is below, and you can continue reading tomorrow here.

These hands are ninety-three years old. They belong to Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. She was so frail that her grand-daughter had to carry her onto the set to take this photo. It's a close-up. Her emaciated arms emerge from the top corners of the photo and the background is black, maybe velvet, as if we're being protected from seeing the strings. One wrist rests on the other, and her fingers hang loose, close together, a pair of folded wings. And you can see her insides.

The bones of her knuckles bulge out of the skin, which sags like plastic that has melted in the sun and is dripping off her, wrinkling and folding. Her veins look as though they're stuck to the outside of her hands. They're a colour that's difficult to describe: blue, but also silver, green; her blood runs through them, close to the surface. The book says she died shortly after they took this picture. Did she even get to see it? Maybe it was the last beautiful thing she left in the world.

I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to carry on living. I'm giving myself three months of this journal to decide. You might think that sounds melodramatic, but I don't think I'm alone in wondering whether it's all worth it. I've seen the look in people's eyes. Stiff suits travelling to work, morning after morning, on the cramped and humid tube. Tarted-up girls and gangs of boys reeking of aftershave, reeling on the pavements on a Friday night, trying to mop up the dreariness of their week with one desperate, fake-happy night. I've heard the weary grief in my dad's voice.

So where do I start with all this? What do you want to know about me? I'm Ruth White, thirty-two years old, going on a hundred. I live alone with no boyfriend and no cat in a tiny flat in central London. In fact, I had a non-relationship with a man at work, Dan, for seven years. I'm sitting in my bedroom-cum-living room right now, looking up every so often at the thin rain slanting across a flat grey sky. I work in a city hospital lab as a microbiologist. My dad is an accountant and lives with his sensible second wife Julie, in a sensible second home. Mother finished dying when I was fourteen, three years after her first diagnosis. What else? What else is there?

Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. I looked at her hands for twelve minutes. It was odd describing what I was seeing in words. Usually the picture just sits inside my head and I swish it around like tasting wine. I have huge books all over my flat; books you have to take in both hands to lift. I've had the photo habit for years. Mother bought me my first book, black and white landscapes by Ansel Adams. When she got really ill, I used to take it to bed with me and look at it for hours, concentrating on the huge trees, the still water, the never-ending skies. I suppose it helped me think about something other than what was happening. I learned to focus on one photo at a time rather than flicking from scene to scene in search of something to hold me. If I concentrate, then everything stands still. Although I use them to escape the world, I also think they bring me closer to it. I've still got that book. When I take it out, I handle the pages as though they might flake into dust.

Mother used to write a journal. When I was small, I sat by her bed in the early mornings on a hard chair and looked at her face as her pen spat out sentences in short bursts. I imagined what she might have been writing about; princesses dressed in star-patterned silk, talking horses, adventures with pirates. More likely she was writing about what she was going to cook for dinner and how irritating Dad's snoring was.

I've always wanted to write my own journal, and this is my chance. Maybe my last chance. The idea is that every night for three months, I'll take one of these heavy sheets of pure white paper, rough under my fingertips, and fill it up on both sides. If my suicide note is nearly a hundred pages long, then no-one can accuse me of not thinking it through. No-one can say; 'It makes no sense; she was a polite, cheerful girl, had everything to live for', before adding that I did keep myself to myself. It'll all be here. I'm using a silver fountain pen with purple ink. A bit flamboyant for me, I know. I need these idiosyncratic rituals; they hold things in place. Like the way I make tea, squeezing the tea-bag three times, the exact amount of milk, seven stirs. My writing is small and neat; I'm striping the paper. I'm near the bottom of the page now. Only ninety-one more days to go before I'm allowed to make my decision. That's it for today. It's begun.

Continue reading tomorrow here...

Fiona Robyn
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http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102954314728&s=2555&e=001jQiaJQmZw8sM1KZFsqdYAgSf5DFx2EI4a7o1Y2IcdkOVAY4QliVOyT261Oom7iEGp9dA8CItzV2o_4OaH65zVVxWyyJWoyayNf9a0hWjd4nwxW9Dzn5mDg==
http://www.plantingwords.com/

Thanks, Fiona, for sharing THAW with us!

Who Wants Cake?

2010-02-26T17:01:00.000-08:00

This Sunday is my BIRTHDAY!

In honor of this glorious event, I'd like to party like Bilbo Baggins, and present presents to all of you, my esteemed guests :).

Please enjoy some of my favorite things:

Fully committed geeks!

Epic facepalms!

Wolverine with corndogs for claws!

(Yes, I made this. No, I'm not ashamed. Okay, maybe a little.)

Starbuck being awesome!

Babies eating kittens!

Hilarious heavy metal fashion!

Neil Patrick Harris!

Adorable baby hedgehogs!

This.

I hope you all have a great weekend! :D Party on!

The Long Wait

2010-02-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

I found this quote today while reading agent Rachelle Gardner's blog, and wanted to share it:

“This manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor is a precious package. Don’t consider it rejected. Consider that you’ve addressed it ‘to the editor who can appreciate my work’ and it has simply come back stamped ‘Not at this address’. Just keep looking for the right address.” – Barbara Kingsolver

Easier said than done, Babs, but a good principle nonetheless.

It got me thinking about how we deal with the wait while we work to achieve our dreams?

Are we idiots for waiting? Why don[t we give up and do something smart like go to dental school?

I thought about the idea of being content with your life even if you aren't exactly where you want to be, and these Bible verses came to mind:

2Co 12:9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
2Co 12:10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

That last line really grabs me, and I think it applies to all writers whether they're Christian or not--the principle is the same.

When we are tired of waiting, when we're weary of being rejected, when revisions are piling up and we don't think we can do it anymore... when we face these things that would overwhelm normal people and yet manage to keep the dream alive, aren't we strong?

I think we are :).

We have the power of our dreams behind us, and for me, I feel the power of having a purpose in my life pushing me forward, spurring me on. We know what we want, which is more than a lot of people can say! We know what we need to do to get it, and we know that it takes time. We are strong because we know we can never give up.

We're strong because we won't, not for any amount of money. How many people can say the same?

We're strong because we have each other. We all get it, and we know the journey is difficult, but oh, so worth it. We're strong because we support one another in communities like this!

So, I ask you: What makes you feel strong when you are weak?

Tell the Truth Tuesday!

2010-02-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

Here are my true confessions this week, for your viewing pleasure:

1) My husband is an Olympics widower. I am endlessly fascinated by all things Olympics, and catch watch ANY sport during both summer and winter olympics, much to my husband's dismay. He'll come into the room to hear me shouting "WHAT?! Only 95.5 meters! What the hell kind of ski jump is that, Norway!" then shake his head and walk away.

2) I have started sleeping with my iPhone. Okay, not like that, but just as disconcerting. I've been keeping my iPhone next to my bed at night so when I first open my eyes I can press it to my face lovingly and check my email. Yes, I'm querying again--how did you know?

3) I love tiny things. The other day, I was feeling down, so I bought myself some tiny fuzzy animals for my desk at work. It's an inch high giraffe, lemur, and snake, and they run a tiny lemonade stand. This delights me. I spend money on stuff like this more often than I'd care to admit.

4) I am an accidental book thief. If you lend me a book, you will never see it again. I always have good intentions, but once borrowed, I cannot for the life of me remember to return it. I still have a book one of my pastors lent me when I was 14. I worry there might be a special circle of Hell for people who steal religious books from a pastor.

5) I've had a beer in the shower. When my husband was out of town, I started doing very bachelorettey things, such using the bathroom with the door open and eating waffles for dinner. Drinking a beer in the shower was the highlight. I have no regrets.

So, fess up, guys!

What would you like to confess this Tuesday?