The Future

I mentioned in my last post how science fiction romance is a very popular sub genre at the moment. Lucky for me that is where my space opera romances fall and they have been my most popular books so far. And I really enjoy writing them.

I was pretty young when the first Star Wars movies came out but I found a ride to theater numerous times to watch it. It may have been the first movie I saw multiple times in a movie theater. At least it cost much less then. But that was the movie that made me fall in love with the genre. Then came Stargate the movie and then the TV show. Firefly and the movie Serenity. The remake of Star Trek has also created more fans of the genre. Great stories set in a futuristic society with space travel a routine part of life. I hope humans do someday get to travel through the galaxy and discover other societies and lifeforms though I know it won't be in my time. If I make it to heaven, (I'm really trying), I expect to get all the answers there to what lies out there among the stars.

Romance novels are mostly about the characters but successful space operas have to have more than some kisses and sexual tension. As I create the universes my series are set in, I have to decide what will human society be like. Will there still be bars and pubs? I believe so. Will there be military units? What will health care look like and education? Will there be class divisions by economic factors or perhaps birthright? What will government look like and law enforcement? Usually one of those questions will be the basis for the external conflict that brings my characters together.

In my Recon Marines series, the futuristic issue I addressed the creation of genetically-enhanced soldiers and the questions of their humanity. In my Warriors of Gaviron, encounters with alien species drove the conflict and adventure. My newest series, The Galactic Outlaws, focuses on a corrupt central government that keeps the working class under their thumbs and the rebels who rise against it are the heroes. The first book in that series is not yet released.

For each of these series, I create societies different from the others but also with some things in common. I believe colonies in space will rely on renewable energy sources such as solar power. Health care will make major advances but just like on good old planet Earth, resources won't be distributed evenly. Like on Firefly, some settlements will be poor and not have the best doctors or educational opportunities. There will be corrupt politicians, greedy industry owners, common criminals and all the human failings we witness today. In the end, the same societal flaws of today will always be with us because humans are not perfect.

In other news, the second book in my much traveled Futhark Chronicles, Beyond the Gate,  is now available on my publisher's website. My publisher keeps exclusive to there for a few weeks to cut out the middle man like Amazon taking their share. The first book, Keepers of Sulbreth is now on Amazon and other online retailers. Unlike science fiction romance, epic fantasy isn't having a big popularity bump. Despite the success of Game of Thrones, the fantasy market lags far behind many other genres. But I'll keep trying.

What things do you think will remain the same in society centuries into the future? Do you believe humanity will find its way into space beyond our solar system? Do you read or write in a genre that doesn't have a big market share?

The Fun Never Ends

November is in a hurry. Perhaps because I have so much going on. My to-do lists seems to grow rather than shrink. For everything I mark off as done, I have to add two more.

A quick roundup of what is going on in my writing world. The third and last book in my Warriors of Gaviron Series, The Warrior and the Professor is available as in individual purchase on my publisher's website. It's only offered as part of a boxed set on Amazon for now.

The Futhark Chronicles, Book #1, Keepers of Sulbreth, is now available on Amazon. This is the third publisher to have the book up on Amazon, each time with a different cover. I'm currently doing a round of final edits on Book #2, Beyond the Gate. My publisher has done a great job making the covers of both books match enough for a casual view to see they're the same book.

I also received the contract for Book #3, Beneath the Mountain. This week after I finish the above edits, I'll be working on the cover art sheet, blurb and logline for that book.

I'm also very excited to have the first book in my newest space opera romance series up on the coming soon page. I don't have the release date yet, but my publisher has already given the series its own banner.  The Galactic Outlaws starts off with The Outlaw's Prize.

There's only seven more things on my list that need done this week. And that's only my writing work. I'm still helping my husband with that huge paint job he has going on. It's over half done so this week should be the last he needs me for extended hours.

I finally rented and watched Jurassic World this weekend. I'm giving it a so-so rating. I'm glad I didn't pay theater prices to see it. On an up note, Fargo is on tonight. This season is incredible! In my opinion, I'd call it the best show on TV.

I visited the local Barnes and Noble this past weekend. The good news is that the store was packed. People everywhere. The bad news now is that B&N has given over nearly half the store to things other than books. Bags, candles, games, toys and other gadgets that I guess are helping them stay afloat.  On the weird bookstore news, maybe you hear that Amazon opened their first physical bookstore. Lots of mixed feelings about it.

Wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac: Nothing sharpens sight like envy.

What is keeping you busy this week? Have you watched Fargo? Did you hear about the Amazon store? Wouldn't you like to visit it if for no other reason than curiosity to see how the giant believes a bookstore should look?

Beneath the Mountain Available Now!

Beneath the Mountain, Book #3 of The Futhark Chronicles, is available for sale on Kindle. At only $2.99, it's a real steal for nearly 400 pages of epic fantasy.

Available Now at Kindle

Beneath the Mountains continues the battle in the kingdom of Futhark. Marshal Cage Stone and his brother, King Jonared have pushed the demons out of the city of Futhark and regained the throne from the usurper. But they both know the peace is fragile and the demon solution is only temporary. Cage picks up the first hints of the evil power behind the plagues of illnesses and violence spreading throughout the city and into the countryside. He races to capture the demon lord before Keeper Sabelline Shelton embarks on a desperate mission to forever close off the opening to the underworld beneath the mountains towering over the city. Sabelline and Cage both believe going beneath the mountain will be a trip of no return.

The first book of this series, The Keepers of Sulbreth, Book #1, is now available everywhere for only .99 and the second book, Beyond the Gate, Book #2, is now only $1.99. 

There is one more book in this epic fantasy series, tentatively titled, The Heir of Futhark, is already completed in a rough draft. I'll be polishing it and getting it ready for my friend and editor, Gina. Since we're both teachers, the school year will slow us down a little. And I can't release a book without giving credit to my artist, Gayle Bower.

In a shameless bid for some free promotion, I hope some of my blogger friends will mention my new release.  Thanks for reading my blurb.

Is your TBR shelf full? I'm slowly working my shelf of paper books down, but I have a bunch on my eReader. I'll catch up on those during my lunch time at school and while riding bike as I rehab after my knee surgery.

Shaping Up

I might have shared a few months ago that I had finally worked my way back into shape. A few orthopedic issues had sidelined me for over a year but all was good. It is hard work at my advanced age. I remember the days of not working out for months and then deciding to pick it up again and go out on the road for five miles. That was 'back in the day.'

But I'm not writing today about physical fitness. I'm writing about writing. I recently received my third book back from my wonderful personal editor and decades old friends(she's much younger than me) and worked to fix all the things she marked for me. Did I tell you she's wonderful. No, I won't share her with you. I'm now waiting to get my artwork from my cover specialist, Gayle. Gotta love those young people who are magicians on their computers. It's all shaping up.

My WIP is coming along like a race horse. It's already at 23K and I hope to have it finished by the time I return to teaching at the end of August and send to New Concepts Publisher, my romance publisher.

 For both Beneath the Mountain, Book #3 of The Futhark Chronicles and for Heart of Stone, I'm going to have to come up with some one-liners and attention grabbing blurbs. I don't hate writing blurbs as much as I dread writing a synopsis, but I don't enjoy. Tada ......

Stephen Tremp to the rescue. Stephen, a success author and promoter, is running a blogfest in August for blurbs. I'll be able to get feedback for my blurbs, read lots of other examples of blurbs. I learn by studying examples. I'll get those blurbs of mine in shape. You can sign up to be part of it.

So how is your writing shaping up recently? Are you going to check out Stephen's blurb fest? Are you good at writing those blurbs?

Always Something

I know many of you are aware of my continuing laptop problems. Still not fixed.  It's more of a challenge to keep up with blogging right now but I have no excuse for not getting more writing done. I'm in the middle of edits of Book #3 of The Futhark Chronicles.  Beneath the Mountain continues the tale that started with The Keepers of Sulbreth, continued in Beyond the Gate and will conclude later this year with The Son of Futhark. 

Rather than go into the long list of things I've been doing other than writing, I'll share the thought I had this morning while mowing the lush grass in my back acre.  When you have children, a day job, and a generous property to care for, there's always something that needs done.  There's always something I can spend my time doing.  There's always something I can work on besides writing.  And if I keep giving into the demands surrounding me, I'm never going to get done editing Beneath the Mountain.

Some things must come first like my daughter's softball playoffs, the day job, food, shelter, but I really have to give my writing more priority if I want to get my career moving forward. There will always be laundry to do, weeds to make war upon, meals to cook and some shopping that needs done.  With school over for the summer, I'm hoping to find more hours in the day to devote to my literary aspirations. Sunshine outside usually distracts me, but I'm determined to resist.

What's the 'something' that distracts you at this time of year? Do you have a lot of household chores, inside or outside, that cut into your writing time during the summer?

eXact

eX:  I know exact doesn't start with X, but I'm cheating a little  here. In the few spare minutes I have after visiting dozens of blogs each day, I'm editing Book #3 of The Futhark Chronicles. This is my final edits before I sent it to a professional for polishing. I printed a hard copy because I see mistakes better that way.  And I'm finding lots of them.  I thought it was nearly perfect but it is far from it. I've been adding and deleting those commas, rewriting sentences to vary their style and messing with those dialogue tags.

As a relatively unknown writer, I need to make a good impression on readers and any writing professionals I can convince to consider my work.  As a writer, I constantly judge the books I read. Even books published by major houses and written by very successful authors are far from perfect. Not everything in them is exactly as it should be.  They have mistakes those of us not so well-known aren't permitted to make.  I recently tried a new suspense author and found every cliche and stereotype in the book I've always tried to avoid.  The dialogue was stilted, the actions of the characters completely predictable and heroine 'too stupid to live.' Somehow the author sold this book and has the second installment in the series coming out soon.  I couldn't read it past the first fifty pages. 

So, I'll keep working on my imperfect manuscript and try to be as exact as I can on spelling and style. Hopefully if someone puts my book aside, it won't because of the mistakes that could have been prevented with a good edit.

Do you try to get everything exact or do you depend on your editors to help it become perfect? What things do you think established authors get away with that newbies don't?

So Many Stories, So Little Time



From FB

Busy, busy, busy. I've been trying to build my blog presence and am having fun getting to know online friends. My other big project is editing on the third book in my fantasy series, Beneath the Mountain. I enjoy it but it's going slower than I'd hoped.  In the meantime, I haven't worked on new material for a few months. 

I spent the end of 2011 getting the first two books in The Futhark Chronicles up for sale in the ebook market. After taking back my rights to The Keepers of Sulbreth and Beyond the Gate, I self-published them.  It was time consuming as I navigated those paths for the first time.  Now I have the third and fourth books to get ready. 

On the back burner is my second fantasy series of which I have the first book written and the second book started. I'm researching some small publishers to find a home for it. I long to get back to writing something new but feel I have to do the self-publishing on my other series first.

On top of that, I have a fantasy romance I want to polish up and send to my romance publisher, New Concepts Publishing. And circling around in my head is the plan for another fantasy series.  I love starting new projects but I'm swamped with the other stuff.

Do you enjoy diving into a new book or do you like getting that first draft out of the way and then getting into the editing process?  How long does it take you for a first draft?

Saturday Special

Today over at the TBR blog you can catch some short glimpses, commonly called blurbs, of some recent and upcoming fantasy novels.  There will sampling of all sorts of fantasy, urban, paranormal, and my favorite, epic fantasy.  Epic fantasy is sometimes called sword and sorcery or high fantasy of a brand similar to JRR Tolkien.

I will be presenting a blurb for Beyond the Gate, the second book in my epic fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles.  This four book series follows the adventures of Marshal Cage Stone and Keeper Sabelline Shelton as they fight to save their world from an ancient evil working its insidious claws of destruction into the kingdom of Futhark. 

I've mentioned before on this blog that I'm hopeful the success of George RR Martin's Game of Thrones series on HBO will be the first wave of an upsurge in epic fantasy sales.  And maybe some of those new to the genre or returning to it will take a chance on a new author named Susan Gourley.

If epic fantasy isn't your first love, visit TBR and find something you do like.  Have you checked out The Game of Thrones?  Did you read the books? Before or after watching the series?

What's Up and What's Down?

I recently visited my elderly mother and helped her understand her bank statement. New technologies allow the banks to include more and more information on something as simple as her monthly feedback from them.  If she would use a computer, she would even need to get that paper statement. Along with her bank statement, she also had her electric bill waiting to be paid.  She lives in a small apartment and only heats three rooms yet her bill was nearly $200. Taking a closer look at the bill, I saw she used only $54 dollars of electric and the rest of the bill was fees and delivery costs from the electric company.  It was crazy. 

From FB

Everyone us can probably come up with many other examples of the price of services and products spiraling upward out of control. Everything seems to cost more.  Except for the price of good books.

More and more authors and small publishers are offering excellent products at bargain prices.  Books for less than $5 dollars are available in the hundreds and thousands.  And lots of them are great.  I'm sure there some poor quality stuff among the bounty, but there's also some gems.  As more and more people read on electronic devices, writers and smart publishers are going to answer their demands for affordable books.  After taking back my rights to my epic fantasy series, I self-published them and have started making some money on the first two books.  Even at $1.99 for The Keepers of Sulbreth and $2.99 for Beyond the Gate, I'm seeing profits better than from my previous publisher who held back 75% of all sales against returns.  Do you think I'll ever see any of that money?   I'm happy to be selling books and the reader is happy to be able to buy quality books at a reasonable price. I wish the rest of the things I have to buy would be priced within sane ranges.

What product's rise in price is really bugging you lately? Are you keeping warm this winter, or cutting back on utilities due to the prices and freezing like me?

The World As Our Characters Know It

One of the really fun parts of starting a new fantasy series as a writer is creating the world the story will take place in.  Some created worlds are so different from ours the world is a story unto itself.  Brandon Sanderson is a good one for creating settings that are more than just background noise for his characters.  In the first three books of his Mistborn series, the world is a gloomy place on the verge of total annihilation.  Only as the reader gets toward the end of the novel, does one come to understand that the reasons behind the harsh conditions of that world and what it will mean to the beloved characters struggling to survive.  Sanderson's novel, The Way of Kings, is another great example of a world very alien to ours and I know as that series progresses, the physical and political aspects introduced in the first novel will slowly start to make sense and become like another character in the books.

As an author of fantasy, there are lots of decisions to make.  A big one is how much different do you want your world to be from ours? Will gold and silver still be precious? What will the political system be? Will the sky be blue and the sun yellow? Are apple trees still apple trees?  It's fun, but also a challenge and that's without getting into how magic will work in the invented world.

In my Futhark series, Beyond the Gate and The Keepers of Sulbreth, some of the creations in the fantasy kingdom of Futhark are demon creatures.  I've pulled them from my imagination but made most of them similar to beasts we often fear as children.  Some are wolf-like but with bigger teeth.  Some run in packs and are like rats with poisonous bites.  Some fly and are similar to pterodactyls but all the demons have a taste for human blood and destruction. They're fun to write about.

Scifi authors have fun things to create too, though I would guess they have to follow some scientific rules.  But since none of us know what other worlds are like or what ships that zip from galaxy to galaxy will use as fuel, they can dig deep into their own imaginations for their stories also.

What author do you think creates exceptional or memorable worlds? Do you enjoy doing it as an author? Have you read a novel where the world differences bothered you?

2012 Goodies

I was very busy with blogging this week and some deadlines fast approaching on the day job. Two meetings after school and one before made for three long days out of five. Then it was so cold most of the week until today.

But on the writing side, I felt pretty good about putting together a blog for the TBR blog kickoff week. I'll announce the winner of my giveaway later this week.  Then it was the fun first Wednesday blog for The Insecure Writer Group.  I met some new friends and learned how much writers have in common.  I feel I should take a sick day from school the first Wednesday in February so I can visit blogs all day. 

I visited a blog, forgive me but I don't remember who it was, and enjoyed her list of what she's anticipating for 2012.  What a great idea. There are some things I'm looking forward to, professionally and personally.

My daughter will make her decision shortly about what college she'll be attending next year.  She's an excellent student with limited only by what we can afford. It will be tough on me when she leaves and I'll miss her twenty times a day, but it will also be a bittersweet joy to watch her move forward toward the dreams she's worked so hard to make reality. 

Some of my favorite TV shows will be back in 2012 like Justified, White Collar, Haven and my new love, Person of Interest. In April HBO will bring us the second season of Game of Thrones.  Can't wait for that one.  Add to that some movies like the next Batman movie and The Avengers. And I can't forget The Hobbit.  I'll have eyes on the screen for a few hours this year.

I'm really hoping it doesn't rain so much this year.  Our area of the USA had nearly twice the normal amount of rainfall this past year.  I hope when warm weather arrives I'll be able to keep up with the outside chores.  I usually love doing them, but with all the rain last year the weeds won.

And perhaps my biggest source of anticipation for 2012 is starting my last year of teaching.  I'll be retiring at the end of the 2012-13 school year.  I love teaching teenagers but there's so much bulls*** surrounding the profession today and it's only going to get worse. I'll be glad to be out of it and be, hopefully, a full time writer starting in June, 2013. I'm sure I'll write more about this in the coming 17 months.

In the book world, I know a number of my favorite authors have books coming out I'll purchase the first day they're available.  I'll give shout outs when they happen and maybe some reviews.

On a slight continuation of my vow to do more promotion, I must mention that Beyond the Gate, Book #2 in my epic fantasy series, is finally available on Barnes and Noble for Nook.  It's been for sale on Smashwords and Kindle for a over a week but now it's everywhere.  That's a lot of places.

What are you looking forward to with great anticipation this year?  Will it arrive before the world ends in December?

Insecure Writer: Me, Me, Me

When I first starting writing, I thought all I had to do was sit down at my keyboard and spew out my creativity for all the world to read.  Then I joined a writer's group and learned how much I didn't know about editing, submitting, and the publishing world in general.

The glorious day came when a publisher offered me a contract for one of my manuscripts, and I thought the fame and royalty checks would soon be flying my way.  Little did I know how much work I had yet to do. That awful nine letter word, promotion. 

Promotion is time consuming, frustrating and difficult.  I know some people who do a great job of promoting their work, getting their name out there and building a reader audience.  I've tried to absorb the advice they offer so freely and generously and apply it to my own promotional efforts. I admit, except for blogging, I don't much enjoy promotion.  Appearances in person are usually fun but I find facebook, twitter and most everything else a chore. I'd rather be writing.

I've noticed some authors appear all over the web when they have a new release, but I have to push myself to even promote on my own blog. This I must get over and do more to make sure my books are seen, lots of places and lots of times.

One of the places I'm doing this is a new blog, called TBR.  TBR was started by Cate Masters, my heroine for promotional genius, as a place for a few authors each week to talk about writing and their latest works.  We all have 'To Be Read' stacks of books, and after you check out the lineup on the TBR blog for the next few months you're going to add a few more.

Today I'm appearing at TBR promoting my latest release, Beyond the Gate, the second book in my epic fantasy series.  Beyond the Gate follows The Keepers of Sulbreth, book #1.  To help celebrate, I'm giving away a print copy of Keepers to one commenter over at TBR and for those of you who prefer digital, I've reduced the price of Keepers to only $1.99 on Kindle and Smashwords. 

So for today, I've managed to do promotion for my books here and over at TBR, as well as helping other authors by directing my readers to TBR. 

So how do you feel about promotion? Are you confident in your commitment to it or do you think you could do more?

New Year: New Deal

One of my goals for 2012 is to do more promotion and I'm starting today.  To celebrate the release of the second book in my epic fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles, I'm offering the first book at a bargain rate.

Today you can purchase The Keepers of Sulbreth for only $1.99 at all your favorite retailers including for Kindle and at Smashwords.  

I've followed closely the debate on the pricing of digital books. It's definitely an ongoing discussion and the decision are tough to make. Hopefully, I'm doing what's best for my career by making my first book more affordable.  The plan, of course, if that people will love the first book so much, they'll flock to get the second book.

Beyond the Gate, book #2, takes up the story of Marshal Cage Stone and Keeper Sabelline Shelton the moment after the first book ends.  Despite all the training and preparation the two soon face dangers and situations beyond anything they've been led to expect. Meanwhile King Jonared and the remaining Keepers and Marshals discover they have more enemies than their swords or diplomacy can handle. Even should Cage and Sabelline succeed in their quest, they may never be able to return to the lives and families they've left behind.  You can get Beyond the Gate at Smashwords and Kindle, soon at B&N.

Ebook pricing if going to be the center of controversy for a long time. I think the time will come when readers will not pay more than ten dollars or even less for a digital book even the author is someone well-known(more famous than me).

I've never paid more than $7.99 for an ebook.  What is the top price you would pay?

BAM

At the start of December, I shared my excitement that a BAM was moving into the large store standing empty after the demise of Borders. I spent so many hours in Borders, writing in the cafe, browsing through magazines and enjoying ice coffee.  Even after I owned an eReader, I would purchase some books and carry a stack to the cafe where I would peruse the first chapters to decide if I wanted it as an ebook.

The first time I visited BAM, they had hurried their opening to attract customers on Black Friday. It was a mess and the cafe wasn't open.  Books were stacked sideways on the shelf and often in the wrong genre sections.  I reserved my judgement.  The second time I went in, the shelves were better organized though not very full.  I couldn't find a single book on my list of 'want to read.'  The worker in the cafe didn't understand how to make an ice coffee and called a manager.  I eventually asked for just an ice tea but they didn't have any.  Settled for a bottled juice.  I still didn't write them off. 

I went in before Christmas to get a requested book for my daughter.  Finally found someone to help me.  It was a new release by a successful author.  They had two copies on the shelf and none on the new release tables up front.  Okay.  My dear husband bought me a BAM gift card for Christmas so I spend a few hours in there yesterday.  I'm still disappointed at the number of books on their shelves. (They don't even have mine! LOL)  They have large, messy tables of clearance books that remind me of Sam's Club.  I walked around most of the storm to find an employee to ask a question about their calendars. 

My daughter and I spent an hour or so in the cafe while she decided which book to buy with a rare 50% off coupon.  We didn't buy a drink from the limited menu.  We went to Starbucks after ward for our favorites.  The cafe has too few tables, giving it a cold, empty feel.  And it is empty compared to how it was when Borders ran it.  And so was the parking lot, relatively speaking.  Borders at Christmas time was packed with the checkout line snaking to the back of the store. I usually had to park at the very end of the big lot.  Not the same for BAM.

I want to have a local bookstore, but I'm not a fan of BAM.  I'll still go on occasion, but it won't be a can't miss destination for me.  And as with my last post, I wonder if it can survive.  The service and atmosphere provided by BAM isn't comparable to B&N or the now-gone Borders.  Will they last? I'm not going to hold onto my gift card for long, in case I don't get to use it.

Some of you lovely readers shared your opinions on BAM when I first mentioned they were moving into my neighborhood.  I know BAM has taken over more Borders than just my own.  Any thoughts on your new stores? I already know L. Diane Wolfe's.  She's a smart lady and I'm starting to agree with her.

Hell Week

I don't say much about my day job except to mention when it's cutting into my writing time. This week there are some exceptional things going on. For instance, out of six people in our department, three are going to be absent most of the week. It will be challenging and hectic, not good for coming home and jumping right into another job.

I also must do some Christmas shopping this week. My husband is taking some of the burden off and buying some things for the adults on my list.  I also did some shopping online and the gifts should arrive on my doorstep before the end of the week. 

I'm trying to get Beyond the Gate, Book#2 of The Futhark Chronicles, up on Smashwords and am running into the same situation as before but now I realize it's not all my fault. If a lot or people are trying to upload at the same time, it does strange things and claims you've made an error.  I still get frustrated.

This Friday, New Concepts Publishing, my romance publisher, is releasing my latest fantasy romance, A Tiger's Courage.  I had work to do for that. Sorry to complain but I needed to vent a little.  I do need to stock up on the wine this week and perhaps even the strong stuff. 

Is holiday planning or the day job work load infringing on your writing time? Any big events happening with your writing before the end of the year?

Absent For a Few Days

Sorry I haven't been around much this week to visit blogs despite my intention to use that new smartphone to keep up with you all.  I'm been deep into getting Beyond the Gate, Book #2 of The Futhark Chronicles, ready for publication.  Some of you were with during my last attempt to self-publish the first previously published book in my epic fantasy series.  Now I'm about to delve into those same frustrations again.  Yes, I bought a few bottles of wine today. Just in case.

I can't help but dread it despite all I've learned from the first time. Hopefully by next week at this time, it will all be behind me and I can start on the promotion for my next romance coming out in a two weeks.  A Tiger's Courage is the third book in The Tigers of Salubria fantasy series from New Concepts Publishing.  My publisher is hosting a chat and lots of contest giveaways next Saturday. More on that later this week. 

So think of me now and then over the next few days as I pound my head on my desk and use words not usually heard in my writing office. If you notice me visiting your blog everyday, it means I'm too distressed to work on what I should be doing.

Busy, Busy, Busy

From FB

So much to do, so little time. The housecleaning will have to wait. I'm traveling to University of North Caroline today with my daughter for a college visit.  We did a lot of visits this past summer and this is the last school on her top three list for us to check out. Financially it's the best fit as compared to George Washington University and University of Boston.  And it is warmer.  I'll be out of blog touch for two days until Saturday.

When I return, I have to jump on my edits for my next fantasy romance. Courage of a Tiger will be released in mid December from New Concepts Publishing.  I hope to have the edits done by Monday. Then I need to dive back into the edits for Beyond the Gate, second book in my epic fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles. 

Two weeks from Saturday, I'm part of an author panel at a local independent bookstore, The Midtown Scholar.  I'll be speaking on writing fantasy and romance. I'm excited but I have to put together a 5-7 minute talk and be ready for questions. I'll also get to sell my books. (Remember all those remainders)

It's the end of the grading quarter at work so I have some extra work at the day job.  But I love being busy and having deadlines.

How busy are you for the upcoming month? Have you visited your local independent bookstore lately?

Remainders....

A little while ago, I reclaim my rights to my fantasy series from the publisher who had broken my contract. I know I did the right thing by taking them back. I decided to self-publish since the original publisher had already released the first two books and I didn't expect to be able to find a new publisher for a series already started.  By next year at this time, I'll let you know if it's worked out in any financial way.

One of the ways my first publisher broke my contract was when they decided they wouldn't publish my second and third book in The Futhark Chronicles in mass market paperback as well as ebook.  The first book, The Keepers of Sulbreth, received excellent reviews and sold rather well.  After I took my rights back, the publisher offered me an opportunity to buy the 'remainders' of the print run of my first book.  I'd heard or remainders but didnt' realize my book would have any. 

Of course I had to purchase huge quantities to get the massive discount and pay a big shipping bill.  They had over a thousand, but what did I need that many books for? What could I do with them? I purchased a much smaller quantity to use as prizes, send out for reviews and even sell a few at the rare booksignings I have at independent stores.

I've compiled a list of reviewers to send some free books to and today I thought of my blogger friends. I know some of you have already purchased my book(thank you, I love you all) but for my bloggy friends who would consider a review, I'm offering three FREE print copies to the first 3 people(in the USA) who email me at:
sgourleyauthor@gmail.com


No strings or promises required. Hopefully, you'll like The Keepers of Sulbreth enough to say something good and maybe even purchase the second book.  I'm waiting to hear from you.  In the meantime, I'm almost done with the edits on book#2, Beyond the Gate.  Then you all can read about my exploits with Amazon and Smashwords again. LOL

So, have you ever had any of your books go out of print? Have you purchased remainders? How many of your own books to you have sitting in the corners of your house?

For Better of For Worse

As many of you know, I recently re-released The Keepers of Sulbreth on Kindle after having a falling out with my publisher.  It hurt when my publisher made the decision to break my contract.  With my first book released and doing pretty good in mass market and the next two under contract, I felt my career was really taking off and the next big step with a sale to a major publisher was around the corner. 

Then the phone call came.  My publisher wanted to release my second book, Beyond the Gate, in ebook only.  I was crushed.  My spirits were low for nearly two months as I tried to make the decision.  I made the wrong one.  I allowed them to release my book and they made a real hash of it.  No promotion, no reviews, and they didn't even get it to the retailers on the release date.  So I divorced them.

It's very strange.  I was angry, beyond angry, with the publisher when they told me they would only be doing ebook, but I hid it and held on.  I tried to work with them on promotion and pin them down on what they would be doing.  They did nothing despite their promises.  But once I told them to forget it and give my rights back, I felt free and energized.  I no longer felt my writing future was out of my control.  I no longer felt so helpless before the cold-hearted decisions of a corporation.

Being contracted with a publisher is something like a marriage but it can turn into a bad one.  An abusive one where the party holding the power takes advantage of the other member.  I'm happy with my separation because I decided I didn't have to put up with the 'Worse.' I deserve better.

Have you had a bad experience with a publisher?  Do you know someone who has?

Begin Again

A little over a year ago, the publisher of my fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles, called me to say they were breaking my contract and not releasing my book in mass market paperback.  With my permission they would release my book as an ebook only.  I considered requesting my rights back to all three of my books like many of the other authors contracted with them did.  I believed even then the way to go in the future would be ebook though the disappointment of not having my book in print was huge.  In the end, I stayed with them, mostly because they had already released the first book in my series, The Keepers of Sulbreth, earlier in the year.  I feared I would never find another publisher.

Though uneasy about the company's commitment to making my book a success, I dove into promotion and did everything I could to prepare for the release of my second book, Beyond the Gate on January 1st, 2011.  The big day came, although my first book was available before its due date, and tada....nothing happened.  It was up for sale on Amazon, B&N, or any of the other ebook retailers.  I called my publisher on the very next business day.  My publisher had the nerve to blame it on the booksellers.  Weeks later, Beyond the Gate, finally was available.  Some blips still existed like a few days of bleary cover art.  So many long days after my blog tour and all the online promotion I did, readers could purchase my book.  Was it any wonder word didn't get out? 

I nearly pulled my books right then, but I thought I would wait for my first statement.  You can guess how it looked.  So at the start of the summer, I asked for all my rights back on the three books my publisher had contracted.  It was simple since they had broken my contract.  Now my options were to either find another publisher who would be willing to take on a book series where the first two had already been on the market though not marketed or to take the plunge and publish them myself.

I dove into the self-publishing chaos storm.  I love reading books on my eReader and believe thousands of other people do also.  The first obstacle I face was my lack of computer literacy.  I read the directions on Kindle self-publishing and felt a little overwhelmed.  I lingered over editing, spreading it out over the entire summer months.  I talked to colleagues and friends, gathering information on the steps I needed to know before I could get my books back into the hands of the readers.  I compiled an entire folder with dozens of emails, blogs and printed instructions from Amazon and other retailers to help me find my way. 

So I'm now in restart mode and very hopeful.  I realize I had lost confidence in my publisher long before I pulled my rights from the dark pit of their possession.  I have lots of people to thank for helping me renew my dreams of a successful career as an author.  Let me start with Cate Masters.

Cate answered my call for help.  She answered no less than five emails filled with questions, general and specific.  And she responded every time within a day and she added encouragement each time.  More than a few of her books are in my ebook library.  She's a production machine just not in producing new material but in keeping an up to date blog and promoting her books 'every' where and how.  Her work ethic shames me when I whine about how little time I have to write.  Somehow she gets it all done.  So thanks, Cate.

In the next few weeks, I'll be doing a lot of posts on my experience wading through these new waters including introducing the talented young artist who designed my entirely original cover.  During that time, I'm hoping to not only pass on what I've learned but also to receive even more tips and advice from my followers. 

Has anyone in particular helped you recently in advancing your career or getting over a bump in the road?  Have you helped anyone?