Update on publishing my book

I told you I'd update you on my book progress so here it is:

Oh gracious. I now know why authors wish that a big company will publish their book.  It's a lot of work, and I already have most of it done.  Just let me say:  I love smashwords for formatting my books in all the different formats for me!  Formatting is just the beginning of the tedious task for publishing an actual book.   The cover art is just as time consuming if not more so, and my cover is basically done.  Granted I have learned a lot in this process and I do realize the first time is almost always the hardest.   Two things kept running through my mind as I put hours and hours into this project.  1) I could be writing right now!  2) I am doing this!   I love my mind for being able to find the good when all I see is bad/frustrating.  Some situations are harder than others, and sometimes the good doesn't compare to the bad, but good is good and I will always take it.  So with all that being said, it's still not done.  See, after all the hours I've put into the formatting, they found errors.  They were willing to print them, but I am not ready to allow them to do that.  Not after I worked so hard on it.  So I tweaked it, spent all morning on it, and now I have to wait upto 48 hours to see if I am satisfied with the way it looks.  Then I will get a hard copy spend more hours making sure that it is ready and then... hopefully it will be ready to sell! 

On a completely different note, I happen to see the trailer for the new Superman movie: Man of Steel!!  Christopher Nolan - the man who made those AWESOME Batman movies - has his hand in it!  We are huge fans of DC Comics' super heroes over here with Batman and Superman being tied at number one.   Yes, this means we are also estatic that Green Arrow has a TV Series: Arrow.  And that they've done a great job with Green Lantern: The Animated Series.   Oh and Young Justice!!  (My daughter is in love with Robin, I think)   Anyways, just wanted to share a bit of me along with what has been an intense amount of time I didn't spend writing.  So now I'm going to allow you to click here to see the Superman Trailer if you want to see it and I am going to head back to doing what I love...writing.

Woo Hoo!  Solace(book2): Lost will be out in approx. 3 months!  I cannot wait to share this book with you.  If you haven't read Solace:Uncharted Territory you should, because Lost will not be a disappointment.  I have three people who have read this, and all three are avid readers who like different types of fiction and one of them actually prefers non-fiction, but they all were impressed with the story.  Which makes me even more excited about its release!  (Sequel books always make me nervous because I've set up an expectation from my readers and the last thing I want to do is let them down.)  I love this book even though I had to put it aside for so long because I had become stuck.  I had most of the book written and the ending came, but I couldn't write the section to bridge the ending to the rest of the book.  That alone hinders the self-confidence, but I fell back on what works for me.   Prayer.  It always makes a difference.  Not always on the timeline that I would like but sometimes a reminder in patience is important. (And honestly, it wasn't like I didn't have other things to do, but I love Jack and Karissa's story.  Plus, my son kept asking when's the story going to be done.) It was crazy how it dawned on me that I just needed to change the music.  I changed up the music I was listening to and wrote an amazing scene!   What comes next?  The cover, which I am almost done with.  I have just a few things that are in need of tweaking, and then I will post it in the next month or so. 

I am waiting on the return of the edited book 8, so that I may complete the final revision and prepare for it's release also!   I am also working on three other stories, while preparing Solace to become a print on demand book.  So much going on and I'm still finding time to prepare for Christmas and all that comes with everyday of life! 

 I hope you are all having as wonderful of day as me!  

Finished Story 8 and handed it out too my "editors"!  I have a title for it that I am quite confident about, but I'm waiting on feedback before I post it!  I also have a cover mostly done.  I finished a few weeks ago, but I (as with most things I do) put it aside to look at later to make sure I like it.  Sometimes I get really excited about something I've done/created and feel that it's perfect.  However after  I leave it alone for a few weeks and go back to it sometimes I decided that it's really not that great.

Right now I am going through the comments and correction I've received from my "editors" for the 2nd book for Solace and then off to Copyright it goes.  So it should be out end of February/beginning of March.  I cannot wait to start a new count down clock! 

I'm also looking at getting my ebooks made into books.   It's an easy, but time consuming job.    The company that I am looking at does soft covers only, but it helps keep the cost down.  I'd like to sell my books at the same price I sell my ebooks. but it just isn't feasible - which makes sense when you factor in paper and ink, the company's cut and the seller's cut.  But this is still a process - an idea that is really growing on me.  It's one of those ideas that sits in the back of my mind and instead of disappearing it stays there and reminds me most every day. Meaning that I've pretty much made up my mind. (Not to mention, it would be awesome to add my books to "my favorite books" book shelf!)  So, I'll keep you updated on that as things progress!

20% FREE sample

Did you know that you can read/download a 20%  FREE sample from each of my five books at Smashwords.com? (just click here)

There are various ways you can check out my books.  I have posted Chapter one of each of my books on the left side of this blog .  On the right are the links to where you can buy my ebooks!  Up top are the links to Smashwords.com for each book. 

There are a lot of reasons why I give Smashwords so much attention.  Without them, I'd probably still be wondering how to make my books available.  Not only do they format and distribute my books (to Barnes&nobles, Apple, Sony, diesel, and Kobo) for me, but they also do their customers a great benefit. They allow me to sell my books as ebooks to you at a reasonable price ($2.99) and they allow you to download 20% of my books so that you can decide if my book is worth your time.  As an author, I think this is awesome, mostly because I hate writing the short descriptions.  (I think they're very stressful.   The short desription pretty much ties with titles as my least favorite part of writing/publishing)  However, a 20% sample allows for people to see that they will enjoy my books.  As a reader, this is wonderful, because I hate short descriptions.  Some are very captivating, but then I start reading and think "uhg".  Where as others didn't captivate me, but I liked the cover, so I read the 20% or whatever the author allowed for me to read and I am glad I did.  I am very much a judge a book by its cover reader, which means I have picked some not so good books to read, but less and less now.  

I know. I know.  I need to lay off the Dr.Pepper, but I love it so much!  Plus, I really want you to know that the 20% sample is a great advantage.  To the reader and the author.  So, here I am pushing the love to Smashwords one more time.  If you're a writer, and want to know a great site to publish an ebook check out www.Smashwords.com!  If you're a reader who loves great stories that don't cost too much, check out smashwords.com and take them up on their 20% sample (well up to 20%  - the author decides).  I think you'll be surprised with all the talent that is out there!     :) 

New Cover for Solace

I know I'm slacking in the blogging world again.  I have been busy though.  Some with life and things I'd rather hand to someone else to deal with - I know, God made me strong enough.  I figure that's why he added Tai Chi and writing to my life.  Anyways, the reason I made sure to get on here was because after much indecision, I decided to make a decision.  I created a new cover for Solace.  I really liked the other cove,r but when the Book 2 comes out you will see why I changed the cover.  Yes, book 2 Solace: Lost is very close to being ready to start a count down for!!  Yes, I am a little excited about this.   Woo Hoo!!  Well, I hope you like the new cover for Solace: Uncharted Territory. 

I finished reading through Story 8 and made very few revisions (I am very happy with this book), which means I just have to type in the revisions and then it will be ready to go to my "editors"!  Then all I need to do is come up with a title, do the cover, final revisions, and copyright it.  

Right now my "editors" are reading through the second book of Solace which is titled Lost.  I have to do a cover, fix the errors my "editors" find, get it copyrighted, and then it will be available for your reading enjoyment!  

With those two books done, I'm still working on another that is fairly close to done, and I have a few other's that have been calling my name and a set of new characters that need a story!  So, I'm not slowing down anytime soon.

Aleksertac is now available at all the locations to the left.  It's pretty cool to see five books when I search my name at those ebookstores!  I am feeling very blessed!

I have accomplished quite a bit this week in my writing world.  I have finally passed on Solace (book 2): Lost to my "editors".   I am very excited about finishing that book!  I have also finished writing the guts to one of my newer stories!  So now the revising, revising, revising begins!   As I competed the ending I was very giddy about it.  Not just that I finished another story, but that I am very pleased with it!  I've also been working on another one of my newer stories that I had been stuck on.  I left it alone and as I was out on one of my walks in the woods I realized that I needed to rearrange some details.  Now that I've done that, the story has taken life again and is nearing the finish!    I love this writing process - when the story is so good that I don't want to put it away.    I am blessed that a walk in the woods opens my mind to new ideas that will help me complete another story for you to enjoy!

Sorry I haven't changed my blog recently.  My excitement of having published 5 book in a year soaked into my brain I guess. I've been really absorbed in my writing.  When I took a moment to look at it, I realized that I'm looking at getting another three books out in the next six month.  One is basically done, I just have to get it to my "editors", and the other two I have to write endings for, but one of the two is very close to done.  I've been revising it and I love it!  I've been having a lot of "Wow!  I can't believe I wrote this!" moments.   The third one still needs work, but the ending is in sight and I love the story!  I hope the Lord keeps blessing me with this talent!

I also wanted to let you know that the counter says 3 days, but Aleksertac is selling at Smashwords, Apple, Sony, and Diesel.  It has shipped to Barnes&Nobles, which means any day now, and is still awaiting shipment to Kobo.    I am very excited about this too!  I love it when my books beat my deadlines. 

I hope your enjoy what I've been writing because there is more on the way! 

Free Copy of Solace: Uncharted Territory

October 1st one year ago is the day that I epublished my first book.  In one year I've epublished five books with more on the way!   I would like to celebrate this accomplishment with you.   So, if you would like a FREE copy of Solace: Uncharted Territory then  click here and use this coupon code: XM52X  (The coupon expires on October 2nd)   Hope you enjoy the adventure!

October 1st = 1year

October 1st marks the day that I epublished my first ebook!  I am in both disbelief and amazement at what I have accomplished.  I never saw myself as much, but to see my ebooks selling the way that they are forces me to re-focus myself.   In the last year I have epublished 5 ebooks!   The books are doing quite well for being written by an unknown indie-writer and I have all of you to thank. You already know how excited I was to see my books selling internationally.  I have so many people to thank for helping me on this adventure, especially Tammy Boneburg and Mike Kirsten for lending me their amazing talent in designing covers for me, my mom, and friends Teresa, Meg, Chemaine for their feedback, opinions, and honesty in keeping my stories focused, and to my family that has backed me the entire time.  Starting with my oldest son for helping me to focus on a dream that I was to afraid to look at by believing in my capabilities before I did.  And thank you always to my readers who take time to read my books!   It took me an adventure of my own to get started, but I hope the blessing of writing adventures doesn't ever end.

So, to celebrate my accomplishments and give thanks to my readers, I've decided that I am going to post a coupon code that you can use at Smashwords.com to get a free copy of Solace:Uncharted Territory on September 30th that will expire on October 2nd. 

Why Solace?  Because it's one of my favorites!  Okay all my books are my favorites.  I wouldn't publish them if they weren't, but Solace is the one I chose to give to you.  It has action, twists and turns, fights for survival, bad guys, heroes, and more!  Here's the premise of the adventure:

Karissa is the Omathan that is sent in to get the job done when all others have failed.   Jack is an elite soldier that has been battling against the Omathans for two years.   Shortly after what looks like victory to Karissa, ends up being a tailspin of events that lands her in uncharted territory.    (This is an action/adventure story that is recommended for ages 14 and up due to suggestive language and mild violence.)

Aleksertac

    “How much do you know of dragons?” I asked my father protectively - he clearly did not like the Shadow Dragon.  Perhaps he was thinking of a different dragon.

    “Enough to know that a dragon blacker than the night, that absorbs the light of the sun, with eyes of fire, stronger than any other creature, is not a friend of mortals.”
    “Well, you must be mistaken,” I argued, thinking about the times the Shadow had taken me away from danger and the serenity he brought to my mind.
“Sonia,” my father said, turning to me.  “That dragon only leaves destruction in its wake." 

(an excerpt from The Shadow Dragon: Aleksertac)

 

 

The Shadow Dragon(book 2): Aleksertac is now available at Smashwords.com, Apple, and Diesel!

Aleksertac release

Aleksertac is  now available at Smashwords!!  I cannot believe how smoothly it all went, but I'm not complaining.  If you've already read The Shadow Dragon: Orbs of fire and want to read Aleksertac now, you can purchase it on Smashwords.  There is a link at the top of my blog (just click on  The Shadow Dragon: Aleksertac) or click on Smashwords.com to the right (under "Where to find my books").  It should be every where else in the next 3 - 4 weeks.  I hope your enjoying the adventure! 

Cover!

Did I say the next couple of weeks?  Sorry.   

I just received the final and wanted to share it with you now!  I posted the cover for my newest ebook Aleksertac to the left.   I love Aleksertac's head and feet!   Woo Hoo!   Mike is an amazing artist! 

A few more weeks for the ebook to be released!! 

Aleksertac ~ approx. one month

I can't write enough about how excited I am to release this book!

Have you read the first book in the The Shadow Dragon series: Orbs of Fire?  You will want to!  Aleksertac continues the adventure.  The adventure that Sonia had begun with her mentor, Alex.  An adventure where the events leading up to the Tournament were just the beginning.  An adventure that will overwhelm every piece of her very being.

 I should be posting the cover in the next couple of weeks.   It is amazing!  I love watching the magic of an artist that can bring a drawing to life!   Not to mention bring something to life that I wrote about!  

Aleksertac ~ less than 6 weeks to go!

With less than six weeks to go, I cannot not wait to release the second book of The Shadow Dragon!  I have seen the drafts for the cover of Aleksertac and I am  waiting for the finished product to share with you.   I am doing all my final touches on the book, and am excited about how it has turned out.   

The Shadow Dragon

Orbs of Fire (book 1):

Sonia has always been driven to be in the Tournament, more so than anyone else. She is at the top of the team that she has been training with for the last six months, always striving to be the best. However, when the trainer of her team decides to discipline her for being better than all of his boys, he sends her into the Batwas Valley. The most dangerous place in all of Lord Vertas' land. Before the sunrises, Sonia comes face to face with creatures that very few have ever lived to talk about. She attempts to survive the encounter, but orbs of fire appear, burning bright against the darkness that surrounds them.

No one could have foreseen the journey that is laid before her.        


Aleksertac (book 2):  

Even after everything Sonia has been through, all the training, all the effort she had put in to get to the Tournament, the outcome came as a surprise.  What happened next was anything but a dream come true.   Sonia's journey takes an unexpected turn and she finds that her life and existence falls upon a dragon that is known for death and destrution of mortals and the spirits that they should not possess.    Sonia must discover if his infamous reputation is true?

Had an amazing time camping!  Edited 2 1/2 books of the four that I printed off.  I also hiked 31miles: 14.2 on the North Country Trail,  3 1/2 on the Sleeping Bear dunes with all three of my kids (a hike that feels like 20miles - but I still love that hike), an 8 mile hike and a few smaller hikes.  We were able to eat Smores every night... YUM!!!   Slept in the tent under the stars, and I think this was the first trip in a long time that a storm did not whip through in the middle of the night. The inspiration was definitely all around me. 

I missed my computer for writing, since my handwriting isn't fast enough to keep up with my mind. On the bright side though, I did get a lot of editing done.  Yes my computer is still in the shop and I'm going to give Dell a call (Grr...).   Not happy to be home, but excited with all the new ideas that are swimming in my head! 

Books worked on during vacation(I use that term work loosely because I don't find writing to be "work") :
            Solace: Lost (Book 2):  Very close to done and soon will be handing it off to my "editors"
            My newest story "9" (Untitled):  about half way done with the story.
            And in the middle of story "8" (Untitled):  this one is quite close to being done also
            I had a ton of ideas for story "4" (Untitled):  I need my computer for that one  :( 

Ha ha!  "Untitled."   Ask anyone one who knows me, and they'll tell you how much I hate titles.  I think it's the most stressful part about writing.  I usually have everything ready to go to the Copyright Office and I'm still staring at my book, trying to decide on it's title.  I do put a lot of thought into the titles though, and I keep hoping that it will get easier to title each book. 

I did so well keeping up on my blog in July and I was hoping to keep it going, but my computer didn't agree.  <sigh>  It is once again in the shop.  I thought they replaced everything last time, but I guess not.  However, I am not going to let it get me down.  I printed off 4 of the stories I've been working on.  I've almost finished editing Solace: Lost.  The book that my youngest son has been quite adamant that I finish so he can read it.  I didn't realize just how much Solace needed a book two until my son finished it and has bugged me everyday since. 

I am  leaving to go camping this weekend and will not be posting for the next week either, which is why I made this trip to the library.  I will be spending my time eating Smores, hanging out with the kids, hiking, and immersing myself into Nature.  Of course, I will be writing since my kids won't want to hang with me the whole time (ha ha).  Actually we always have a great time, I have some great kids.  I do get a fair amount of writing done when we go.  I wrote most of The Shadow Dragon series on our camp outs.  Something about the fresh air, no stress, the forest, the unlimitless supply of laughter, imagination, and the love of being in the woods!

So when I return The Shadow Dragon: Aleksertac will be even closer to its release (which means the cover should be done soon) and I will be back to keeping up on my blog (hopefully, my computer will be waiting for me when I get back). 

Olympics (Micheal Phelps)

Just a quick note about the Olympics. 

Talk about It all started with a dream!  I have really been enjoying the Olympics so far.   Okay, this is going to be about Micheal Phelps (which is ironic because I am the farthest thing from a swimmer that one can get).  Don't get me wrong though I've loved watching the men's archery, and I am loving the USA Woman's soccer team, and I've caught a little of the sand volleyball, some water polo, skull, gymnastics and a few others.  However my favorite to watch has been Micheal Phelps, (I haven't seen his races LIVE since I apparently lack the right channels, but I've watched them at night).  Micheal Phelps is an athlete that found his dream and pushes through to the finish.  I was so bummed last night that he didn't get the gold for the 200 butterfly (I watched the replays again and again, and I think it was a technical issue.  He so deserved the gold.)  I was so amazed with his gusto in Beijing, he knew what his dream was and made it happen.  This year WOW!  The most decorated Olympian EVER! 15 of his 19 medals are gold!  And he still has three more races!  The medley last night was amazing to watch! The whole team swam perfectly!  I enjoyed watching the camaraderie between the four of them afterwards.  And I loved the humility that Phelps displayed!  I always tell my kids that the sign of a great athlete is one that does not say, me me me... but rather talks about the team and those that were a part of the success(coaches, family, friends, whoever).  And that was Phelps last night!  He didn't cry foul (like I did) when he watched the replay of his Butterfly and he sure didn't let it hurt his anchor placement in the medley.  I love what he's accomplished so much more because he had been getting a lot of nay-sayers reporting about him, and he's showing them all that they have judged him (I thing they are all jealous) and they now get to eat their words and tell the world about the most decorated Olympic Athlete!  Congratulations, Micheal Phelps!!

I love watching people's dreams take flight! 

Thank you!!

Thank you! Thank you!!   First of all, I really want to thank you for your support.  And I want to thank all of you who take the extra time to rate and review my books!!   Not only does it encourage me to keep writing, but it helps my books sell!

Second, I want to share some exciting news with you.  I recieved my information for the last quarter from Smashwords and it is very apparent that a lot of people are enjoying Ava's adventure in Taken!  I was looking through all the data that Smashwords keeps track of for me when I stumbled across some very exciting news that I was totally unaware of.  My book is not just selling here in the United States, but also in Australia, Europe, Canada, and Great Brittan!   Have I told you how blessed I am to have found Smashwords(they have given me the platform to make my dreams reach beyond what I thought my dreams could)!    I am just like a little kid at Christmas, I couldn't believe that not only is Taken doing so well, but it's doing well internationally.  Not like Stephanie Meyer well, but for a girl who took a chance and ran with her dream, not expecting much, I am quite ecstatic with the numbers!

Again, thank you!!  (I won't ever get sick of saying it)

“Some who have read the book, or at any rate reviewed it, have found it boring, absurd, or contemptible; and I have no cause to complain, since I have similar opinions of their works, or of the kinds of writing that they evidently prefer. But even from the points of view of many who have enjoyed my story, there is much that fails to please. It is perhaps not possible in a long tale to please everybody at all points, or to displease everybody at the same points; for I find from the letters that I have received that the passages or chapters that are to some a blemish are all by others specially approved.” J.R.R. Tolkien

I was sent this quote today, and it made me smile so I figured I would share it with you.  


I admit I'm guilty of checking for reviews/ratings on my book.   I'm still a young writer and I love to see what people think of my adventure stories.  As with anyone who is starting on a new endevour, I want to see if people like what I am doing, whether they've enjoyed my work. 


On the occasion that someone didn't  care for my book (and I'm happy to report it is in the minority).  I used to go through a cycle.  First I feel bad that they didn't, then I wondered what it was that they didn't like and could I have done something better, after those thoughts would sit for awhile I would start to question whether or not my writing skills were as good as I thought they were.   However, thankful for my simpleness, it only takes one person to give positive feedback and it sends my heart soaring (I love to read the comments and see the ratings that show someone really enjoyed the story I wrote), making it much easier to handle not pleasing whoever didn't like my story. 

With what I've learned in my life, I understand that not everyone is going to like what or how I write.  I love honesty and constructive critizism, and I respect other peoples opinions.  It helps me with my number one challenge: sitting back and remembering you cannot please everyone - I am still a work in progress.  Some days it is difficult to rationalize in my head that I can't make everyone happy, but slowly I'm getting there. 


So, for those of you whose path is similar to mine, you are the reason I copied this quote.  It sums up the truth about writing (as to be expected from such an infamous writer).  As for me, I'm going to stick the quote near my writing to use as a shield for the self-doubt that tries to sneak its way into my mind.

This is for my readers who want to publish too!

So I know I've said it before but I think that Mark Coker is a genius, and the more I read the more I wish all business people ran their business like he does.  I just finished reading a short and recent interview with Mark Coker and I once again find myself truly blessed to have found Smashwords!  To read the interview click here.  For those of you still debating whether or not to publish what you've written or don't know if you can do it.  Let me tell you from personal experience if the idea is there try it (just be prepared for the edit and revise cycle to be longer than you want it, but that it is worth it in the end).  And publishing is easy, especially if your working with Smashwords.  They set you up for success and they really are there to help you (which is totally awesome).  Just remember that high expectations are not met overnight well not for most people.  As far as success goes, that is all perspective.  My books have sold more each quarter and I am quite excited to see the results for this last quarter!  (Each quarter my books sold have almost doubled which to me is success.)  Like I've said before I didn't even intend to actually put one book out there, and then after I did, I didn't really expect much.  And today, for me, each book sold is a success because had I never put the books out there I never would have sold one and that would have been failure.  Now I'm addicted to writing, I've published four books, and the ideas continue to flow!  My success may not be that of Stephen King, or Tolkien, or JK Rowling, but wow I've had success!  Live your dreams, especially when you hear them calling in the back of your mind.  And if it's to publish a book, I believe that Smashwords is a great place to start, their honest, helpful, have all the tools you need to get your book out there (well they don't do covers, but they tell you where you can go that other Smashwords authors go), and they don't tell you what to do, they offer ideas and advise from what they've learned because they want you to be successful too.  Anyways, this was longer than I expected, but I hope you take a moment to read his interview!  Oh, and here's a link to the Smashwords site for those of you who want to read more about Smashwords!

It's a rainy day, and it's been a beautifully, peaceful day.  I woke up this morning with yet another set of characters in my head (I can't wait to unfold their adventure).  I watched a movie with the kids and we all read books.  My youngest son finished Solace.  I asked him what he wanted to read next and he said book two.  I told him it's close to done.  It was fun listening to him chuckling, hearing him make comments, and voicing what he thought might happen, or had better not happen, next.  The best part was not once did I have to tell him to go read.  He would grab the e-reader and curl up next to me as I worked on another book.  My oldest is reading Harry Potter.  Which he kept putting off because he didn't believe me that the books were better than the movies, but now that he's read all of my finished books (and just about everything else we have in the house) he's been sucked into the world of Harry Potter, saying I can't believe they didn't put that in the movie.  And I, being a good mom, just smiled and said I'm glad that you are enjoying it, while inside I'm saying I told you so.  My daughter has fallen in love with Henry and Mudge, and whatever she can read (and get a sticker for her accomplishments).   I've been revising story 8.  I had to put The Shadow Dragon book 3 aside because the ideas for story 8 were getting in the way.    Of course, I need to get back to Solace book 2 also.  Especially with readers like my sons who look forward to the next book.  This is all the incentive I need.  Which now means I should stop my babbling and get back to writing on this lovely, rainy day... after some fun with Legos that is.

"Anyone who says only sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain." ~ anonymous

Just want to keep you posted.

All my books have shipped.  As of this morning I was extremely happy to see that all four of my books are at Smashwords, iTunes, Kobo, and Diesel!!   I am quite excited about that!  I didn't even think I'd publish one book a year ago!   Sony has only shelved Taken (both books), and Barnes&Nobles has shelved Taken (books one and two - book two you have to look up by its title but it is there) and Solace.   

The Shadow Dragon: Aleksertac has a release date which is at the top of this blog.  This story has really taken a life of its own.  When I began this book I only saw the one story but as it evolved it turned into two and now I've started a book three!  I love when my characters don't want me to be done with them yet!  (And people say voices in your head are bad!  Ha HA!)

My newest story which right now is titled Story 8 (It's the 8th story idea I had - which means new characters) is moving along quite well.  It is more than long enough to be a novel (which somebodies, some where decided that a novel is more than 60,000 words), but the story isn't done.

And yes, for those of you have read Solace and loved it as much as I did, I am currently working on book two for that one too!  

So, there is much to look forward too!    And that's not even getting into a few other stories that I just need to give a little more attention to (more time than I have at the moment).

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Saw this quote today and I just knew I had to share it!  I don't really have anything to add to it.  I think it says it all.  

On a side note, I have added a new countdown clock to my blog for the next book.  I was hoping to have added it before book one was published but life is busy.  Summer is such a hard time for me to write .  The outdoors call so loudly and more frequently that it's hard to concentrate, but I also can't go a day without writing.  It leaves my day incomplete, especially since I have so many things near completion and ideas constantly flowing through my mind.   

Anyways,   I guess I'd better stop babbling and get back to writing!

It has been delightful listening to my youngest son as he reads Solace.  He was a few chapters in and he comes up to me and asks if Jack dies.  I, of course, tell him to keep reading.  He walks away saying well he better not because Jack's cool.   Totally made me smile.

My oldest son finished the book he was reading and demands the next book.  I said, excuse me.  He says, there needs to be another one.  I smiled and argued that I didn't leave him hanging, and he goes on to list off several reasons why there needs to be another.  Lucky for me the next one is already started! 

The temps have been a bit unbearable here in Michigan, well the high temps with the high humidity, but it's been nice that everyone is reading/writing.  We have gone out and played soccer regardless of this extraordinarily hot week(yes that's how much I like to play) and the kids have gone swimming, but we have fallen back into enjoying the love of our imaginations.  I hope you all are staying cool and I am working hard to get the next books out! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th!  It was a hot one, but after a soaking water war the temperature was manageable.  We played baseball, cooked dinner on a bonfire, kids played, adults socialized,  smores were consumed, and fireworks were watched!  All the great Traditions of living in America.   Our 4th of July is a bit of a tradition (54 years, my family has been getting together to celebrate America) we have things that are set (the baseball, the bonfire, the smores) and then things that change from year to year (the fireworks, sometimes we play soccer and/or volleyball, the water wars) but the one thing that I love most is every year, rain or shine, people gather and fun is had! 

I was even able to get a little writing in (the day is not complete without writing).  I've been a bit obsessive about this new story that I started.  It's already over 80,000 words.  I cannot wait to finish it! Not so I can start the revising process, which, happily, isn't as long as it was, but it'll be another adventure that I can share with you.  But I'll blog about this book another day - I just wanted to let you know that my ideas haven't run dry. 

I am also happy to report that my youngest boy is reading Solace: Uncharted Territory and loving it.  He read for two hours and still didn't want to put it down.  My oldest boy is reading a "not quite ready" version of the book I'm going to be releasing in October!  So far he is very satisfied with it.  This in itself makes me proud!  Proud because my boys are reading.  Proud that the books they're reading and enjoying are books that I've written! Proud because they are witnessing first hand that when focused amazing things can happen! 

Writing

So for my timeline, I have put out four books in under a year with another I'm hoping to have finished and released by October.  October being the month I published my first ebook!  So far, Smashwords, Apple, and Kobo have all four of my books for sale.  Barnes&Nobles and Diesel have shelved both Taken books and Solace.  Sony has just the Taken books. 

6 stores with books written by me!  Even in my dreams, I didn't realize I was capable.  I thought one book, that's all I have.  But still the blessing of my Lord flows from me.  I have more stories than I have time to work on them, for that I will not complain, because writing is more amazing than I had ever thought.

I have to admit that this is so very exciting!  I know when my family and friends were encouraging me to epublish, I had no idea what a great experience this would be.  Don't get me wrong, it's still a lot of work and surprises that I've had to figure out, but amazing all the same.    Even when I wanted to be writer as a kid I had not thought about the exciting ride that would ensue.  I suppose as a kid the ride isn't what you dream about and maybe that's where I failed myself.  So even though it disappoints me to think that had I persevered through those nay-sayers, I could have been writing all along, I am not disappointed with where I am now.  Perhaps it all made me stronger in the long run.  I  now can take people's opinions and know that is all it is. 

Self-doubt is a horrible thing, but it keeps us humble.  With each book I write I wonder if it's as good as the first, but I don't allow that self-doubt to block me from continuing.  In everything that has happened in my life that is what I have learned, I'm my only obstical.  I control how I recieve what other say and put it in my heart.  There's a song by Evanescence called "Bring Me To Life."  I think that song is the theme to Taken.  I listened to that group a lot while I wrote it, amonst other songs.  But that song pulled hard at me with Ava and Gabriel.  In book 2, I listened to that song over and over as I wrote the scene where she wakes up from a dream and just can't take the life she is living anymore.  At the end she finds the one thing that makes her life compete.  Writing was a wake up call to the life I had lost touch with.  I love being able to pour all of me into an adventure.  It gives everything more meaning.  Writing Ava gave me self-confidents, strength, and inspired me to be more than I thought I was.  

My firend told me that they like that I continue to put myself out there and try new things all for the sake of my books.  But have I really put myself out there?  I sometimes think that I'm still letting myself down.  So, for the next month, I'm going to work on this blog more than I have (hopefully I will not stop in a month - but a month is a goal that I can work with).   Some of you might not like it, might get bored - feel free to tell me, some of you might love it, feel free to let me know, ask questions, whatever.  I have totally been lacking at the concept behind blogging. 

Thank you to those who read my posts, I've come a long way and your the ones that I have to thank.  It's inspirational to see that my blog is being looked at, that people are curious about the adventures that I'm writing/publishing.

The Shadow Dragon:Orbs of Fire

I love it when things comes together before I expected, especially when nothing else is.  My newest book The Shadow Dragon:Orbs of Fire is now selling at Smashwords.com, and should be showing up at Apple, Barnes&Nobles, Sony, Diesel, and Kobo in the next couple of weeks!  To get to the smashwords page, you can click here, to the right, or on the title at the top of my blog. 

I hope you enjoy the newest adventure!

The Shadow Dragon Chapter 1

With the release of The Shadow Dragon: Orbs of Fire being released in less than a month, I've add Chapter 1 to the "Read A Chapter" pages on the left.  Just click on here or on the page title underneath "Read A Chapter" and begin reading!   I hope you enjoy the beginning of Sonia's adventure.

Happy Memorial Day

Thank you to all of you who serve or have served in the Military that have put your life on the line for the freedoms that we take for granted. 

I went to a Memorial Day Ceremony this morning where my boys took part in the color guard of raising the flag, and there was an 11th grade student who wrote an essay about what is a Patriot.  They of course reminded us of the servicemen/woman who risk their lives for us, but they also mentioned the everyday people who stand up and protect those around them.   The neighbors who watch over their neighborhood, who say hello, who stand up against those doing wrong, who do their best to uphold the rights that our troops fight over seas for.  The student who stands up against those picking on the less fortunate, or whatever it is that people feel the need to attack their peers about.  These too are Patriots.  They too fight for what our country was built upon.    

Our soldiers are the ultimate Patriots, and are those whom we should always adorn.  They don't talk about what it means to sacrifice, they show us what sacrifice is.  They put their lives out there for us because they believe in what this country was founded. 

So today, and everyday, thank you to those who love this country and fight for the freedoms of others.  ALL of you and your families are in my prayers.

Happy Memorial Day!

Cover for The Shadow Dragon

Since my computer is in the shop I'm going to take this moment and post the cover for my newest book that is going to be out in about 6 weeks:  The Shadow Dragon: Orbs of Fire  Here is the short description if you  missed it earlier:

Sonia has always been driven to be in the Tournament, more so than anyone else.  She is at the top of the team that she has been training with for the last six months, always striving to be the best.  However, when the trainer of her team decides to discipline her for being better than all of his boys, he sends her into the Batwas Valley.  The most dangerous place in all of Lord Vertas' land.   Before the sunrises, Sonia comes face to face with creatures that very few have ever lived to talk about.   She attempts to survive the encounter, but orbs of fire appear, burning bright against the darkness that surrounds them.  

No one could have foreseen the journey that is laid before her.

Solace: Uncharted Territory

You can now buy Solace Uncharted Territory at Smashwords.com  for $2.99 and this ebook should be arriving at Apple, Barnes&Nobles, Sony, Diesel, and Kobo within the next few weeks.  (I do not control when it shows up at these locations, I only know that it will and I'll keep you updated!)    I hope you give this book a look.  I have received great feedback, some saying it's even better than Taken!

Click on the title up top or Smashwords.com to the right to discover a new adventure!  :)

For the Month of May

In celebration of the awesome month of May, I am going to drop the price of Taken: Marks of the Satrii to FREE.   (It'll be free at Smashwords as of May 1st and everywhere else shortly after that - I'm not sure how quickly a price change will take to get to Apple, Barnes&Nobles, Diesel, , Kobo, or Sony.) 

Why is May such an awesome month? 

1) Solace: Uncharted Territory is going to be released (WOO HOO!)
2) It's my birthday month (the celebration of surviving another year Ha Ha!)
3) Mother's Day (every woman I know loves a good love story and yearns for adventure, and mom's are no exception)
4) Memorial Day (This day, perhaps, more so than any other makes May an awesome month.  A day to always remember our history and  those who fought and fight selflessly for the love of our country!)

So for 31 days if you haven't already read Taken: Marks of the Satrii you can purchase it for FREE!   With May only a few days away I'm going to say it now:  Happy Awesome Month of MAY!!!

The Shadow Dragon: Orbs of Fire

Sonia has always been driven to be in the Tournament, more so than any one else.  She is at the top of the team that she has been training with for the last six months, always striving to be the best.  However, when the trainer of her team decides to disipline her for being better than all of his boys, he sends her into the Batwas Valley.  The most dangerous place in all of Lord Vertas' land.   Before the sunrises, Sonia comes face to face with creatures that no man has ever lived to talk about.   She attempts to survive the encounter, but orbs of fire appear, burning bright against the darkness that surrounds them.  

No one could have forseen the journey that is laid before her.

The Cover

The cover for Solace: Uncharted Territory is posted to the right!  Tammy is so amazing! I am very, very blessed.   I am so very excited!  This will be the third book I've published in under a year and I have two more that are very close to being ready!  For now, to live in the moment... Solace is an adventure you won't want to miss! 

Less than a month!!

I love it when the countdown clock has less than 30 days.  The release for Solace is so close that I can hardly wait!  Don't forget to take a glimpse of the first two Chapters  (click here for Chapter 1 and here for Chapter 2)!  The day is almost here where you will get to read a great adventure story about Karissa. She is about to take an adventure that, even with all her experience,  she never saw coming. 

A day of writing

As far as writing goes, yesterday was a day of getting things accomplished!  I feel really good about it all too.  So good that I couldn't stop, which means I'm a little sleep deprived today!  I've learned that when the writing flows, it's best to keep on writing, revising, and editting!    

Solace is almost ready to be epublished, and I already have another book very close to being ready to be released for your reading enjoyment.     Yep, a whole new book to introduce to you!  It is entitled The Shadow Dragon: Orbs of fire.   Can't wait to be able to take you into the adventure that Sonia takes on!I'll keep you posted.

Solace Chapter 2

Less than six weeks to go!  Chapter one is the introdution to Karissa, and i think you get a pretty good sense of what she's been up against her whole life.  Now, the tensions building and Karissa's patience is wearing thin. Can she stay in control long enough to find what she's looking for?  I just posted Chapter 2 for you to enjoy.  Just click on Solace: Uncharted Territory Ch. 2 - to the left, underneath chapter one.

Solace:Uncharted Territoy Ch. 1

Normally, I would post the cover art first, but it's still a work in progress, my apologies.   However, I won't leave you with nothing.  So here is a look at Solace: Uncharted Territory.  I have posted Chapter One for you to read - it is located to the left, just click on the title.

Karissa was a step out of my comfort zone, but I love how amazing she turned out to be.   I hope you like this small taste.  I can't wait for you to be able to read the whole book.  It was a great adventure to write.

Here's to the adventure

The adventure of writing is one of the most amazing trips I've taken yet.  I've learned so much already, but I know that I'm just at the beginning.  I would have thought that all I had to do was sit and write.  But, oh no, I have to write, revise (again and again and...well you get the point), be willing to take someone else's opinion on my ideas (which I actually like, it really gets me thinking), market (yikes, so out of my realm), admit that there will never be enough hours in the day, and the list goes on. 

All of this is definitely worth it though.  How horrible it would have been to have written these stories  and not shared them with anyone.  (Thankfully, I am blessed to have a  cheering section that did not allow me that regret!)

Yesterday, I swallowed my worries and fears, once again, and started a Twitter account, which you can find the link to on the right under the Facebook link.

My biggest stumbling block is myself.  Why should I have been worried about Twitter?  Right now all my reasons look silly.  Sure, I have no idea what I'm doing, but I am excited that I  did it (just like when I set up this blog, or decided that I was going to be an Indie writer).  It does get a little easier to swallow my silly fears and venture out into the unknown.    The best reminder to myself is that this is the best part of writing - moving through the unknown, and sharing the adventure.

 Here's to the adventure!

My first taste of publicity!

I am truely blessed.  Today a blog went in the Rochester/Rochester Hills Patch (A city newsletter) mentioning me and my books!   Follow this link to read: For a Good Read, Try an Independent Author.   It is really well written.  I especially love that the author of the blog, Karen Lorenz, is so excited about Indie Writers.   So now, not only does my book getting publicity ( helping my dream become an even more amazing reality), but so does Smashwords.com, which interns helps other writers achieve their dreams of becoming a published author too!

Not to mention the fact that the ackowledgement of my books in a city newsletter says that someone really enjoyed my writing!   To see my books in an article, tells me that my books are great stories, which is always nice to hear!

Thanks to EVERYONE who is enjoying my books!

The Next Story

The next book in line to be shared with you is titled Solace: Uncharted Territory. It is another adventure that falls across the fuzzy line of Sci-fi/Fantasy. This book leans a little more towards sci-fi (in my opinion) than Taken does. I posted a small teaser earlier (click here to read it), but the book took me a little longer than I had anticipated to get it moving. Now it's moving, and I am excited to be able to share it with you in the near future. Hopefully in three months (maybe sooner)!

Distributed

Book 2:Blades of the Ytinu Srebas has been distributed to all the online stores you see to the right.  Now it's just a waiting game for the stores to put it on their e-shelves.    For those of you who are impatient Smashwords.com has both books, one and two, formatted for most of the different ereaders out there.

Patient or not, either way, I thank you all for taking the time to check out my books. 

Taken book 2

Taken: Blades of the Ytinu Srebas is offically released!  As of right now you can find it at Smashwords.com, Apple, and Diesel!  It should show up on Barnes&Nobles any day now.  And in the next few weeks it will be at Sony and Kobo.  I hope you enjoy this book more than the first!  

I am looking forward to bringing you a new story, hopefully, in the next few months!  :)

Self-publishing

Did I mention how much I enjoy self-publishing, even with people's first thought being that my book must not be that good because I did (which I am happy to say that I - and a lot of other authors - are proving wrong, and many readers are noticing!).   Joe Konrath put up a great blog on "The Myth of the Best Seller" and it got me thinking about why I took this path.  The biggest turn off for me for traditional publishing is that they(traditional publisher) think they deserve a bigger cut than me after they decide whether or not my book is worth their time.  Sorry, I don't think so - I've already done that.

However what really keeps my energy to up to continue writing and self-publishing, the BIGGEST reason for me to self-publish - and I do love self-publishing(for many reasons), is this:  it's 100% me!  

Love it or hate, I did it and I'm proud of what I've accomplished.

Book 2: Available

Things have moved along quicker than I had expected, which means that my distributor:  Smashwords.com has it available for purchasing.  It'll still be about 2-4 weeks for it to get to the other stores, but you may purchase Taken: Blades of the Ytinu Srebas from them directly!  Have a GREAT day!

Two Weeks!

Taken: Blades of the Ytinu Srebas:

Ava was taken from the world she knew, tortured, trained, and almost killed by Will - a power-hungry Lanigiro. Wasn’t she? Ava awakens in the world that should feel like home with her best friend Ashley by her bedside, but it’s not right, something is missing. Ava is not at all certain about what has happened, but one thing is for sure her life has forever changed.

Two weeks to go!  I am so very excited!  I've been getting a lot of positive feedback about book one and anticpiation for book two.  Thank so much for everyone's support!

I posted a page for Chapter One to the left.  Enjoy!

Cover art for book two!

Okay, I just couldn't wait any longer to show you the Cover.   My amazing cover is done by Tammy Boneburg!  She is a wonderful artist to work with! 

 Book Two: Blades of the Ytinu Srebas [een-you s-ray-bah-s] is so close to being released.  I am very excited and hope you will find it as good as the first!  :)

30 Days!

 After being taken, enduring excruciating pain,  forced to fight for her survival, finding acceptance, and a hero that she never dreamed of, she is left dying in his arms.  Or was she?  Was it all a dream?   She has awakened in her room with uncertainty of who she is, and what has happened. 

 In approximately 30 days I will be releasing Taken: Blades of the Ytinu Srebas! The cover is almost done, the final revision is almost completed, and I am quite happy about that! I can't wait to bring you the next book in  Ava's story.

Happy New Year!

Here's to a New Year full of excitement and dreams come true.  I look forward to the adventures I have ahead of me as well as the adventures that I will be writing!  May the Lord keep us strong through our trials, blessed each day that we have, and help us stay on a path to uphold our new year resolutions.