I've been a bit of a bad blogger latetly. Here's why.
1. Am in the the middle of second pass edits for my first Entangled book. For those who are curious, the first pass addressed major things like changing around some scenes, putting in a couple of extra scenes ( I had to rewrite a chapter), amp up the black moment etc. But second pass edits get down to the nitty gritty such as deleting repeated words and unnecessary description, being told to twist cliches (I'm being told to 'make it funny' a lot. So I'm sitting there going 'okay, make it funny. Make it funny'. Is NOT easy!), rewrite paragraphs, clarify phrasing etc. It's fiddly. And it has to be done by...tomorrow. Argh!
2. Have sent away my fourth Samhain proposal - a linked book to my Dirty Virgin Hero - and am angsting about it. Oh yeah, the angst never stops over here.
3. Have been working on a Single Title series idea (yes, I finally have one!) that the agent really liked (YAY) and will probably start to be shopped around at some stage. EEEEEK!!!!
4. Have feedback on the partial of my third Entangled book and need now to finish it by April. This will involve rewriting chapter 1.
5. SCHOOL HOLIDAYS! (need I say more? No, I don't think so)
6. Cover art and blurb forms came for my Chessman (Black Knight, White Queen).
7. I also confess to spending quite a bit of time fantasising about going to RWA in Atlanta this year, looking up flighs and staring disconsolantly at my Visa statements...
So there you have it. And all of that adds up to - BUSY!
And then I have Finn releasing in A MONTH!!! And at the same time I'll receive first pass edits for my second Entangled release, plus edits for the Chessman which has to be done by March.
Oh yes, and I'm in the process of updating my website and moving my blog (I'll post when that happens) so I can be all professional and such.
*collapses*
What about you? What has everyone else been up to?
Showing posts with label Entangled Publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entangled Publishing. Show all posts
Friday, January 18, 2013
Monday, December 17, 2012
Monday Morning Inspiration - Or Not
In the quest for blogging inspiration, I've been going over my old posts from December last year to see what was happening in terms of writing back then and I came across a post about my chess player. At that stage I was in the process of rewriting him for SYTYCW, planning to submit the whole manuscript for feedback. I'd done a few stats for the ms:
*Number of times entire ms rewritten - 3
*Number of times beginning rewritten - 6
*Size of 'deleted scenes' folder - 227k
*Number of times hero/heroine conflict changed - 3
*Number of times I wanted to kill hero/heroine - 20
*Number of tantrums pulled while writing - 50
*Number of times I wanted to give up in disgust - 100
*Number of times I DID give up in disgust - 100
*Number of times cried while writing - 5
*Number of working versions of present ms - 8
*Number of titles decided on - 0
That was in December last year. After I'd finished that post and finished rewriting the story, I sent him off to SYTYCW, plus entered him into the Aussie Emerald competition.
He got precisely nowhere.
Didn't get ANY feedback at all from SYTYCW and because one judge in the Emerald absolutely loathed him, I didn't get anywhere with that either.
Here's some stats for my Talking Dirty book from around the same time:
*Number of times entire ms rewritten - 5 - 6
*Number of times beginning rewritten - 4
*Size of 'deleted scenes folder' - Rewrite folder 37k, Original folder, 20k
*Number of times hero/heroine conflict changed - 6
*Number of times I wanted to kill hero/heroine - 100
*Number of tantrums pulled while writing - too many to count
*Number of times I wanted to give up in disgust - too many to count
*Number of times I DID give up in disgust - too many to count
*Number of times cried while writing - too many to count
*Number of working versions of present ms -50 million
*Number of titles decided on - 3
Oh and I should add one more line.
*Number of times rejected - 3
As you can see, both of these books nearly did me in. For the chess player I berated myself daily for the fact that I'd decided on a chess playing hero who everyone CLEARLY hated. For Talking Dirty, I berated myself daily for the fact that I knew I had a good story there, yet I couldn't seem to find it.
BUT
I am a stubborn-ass b*tch sometimes. And I'd be damned if I let these stories - one of which got to the 2nd revision stage with M&B - languish.
So I started rewriting Talking Dirty for the 7th time and pitched it in a competition. It got a request for a full - which I wrote in a week (from chapter 3) - and then four months later, it sold to Entangled. It's going to be out sometime in 2013 (May tentatively).
And then with my chess player, I rewrote it for the 4th time and submitted it to my editor at Samhain and that sold too. Black Knight, White Queen, will be out in July 2013.
Why am I telling you this? Well, sometimes it's a good thing to give up on a story. Sometimes you don't have the experience at the time to be able to make it better. Or sometimes you're too close to it to see it objectively. I first wrote Talking Dirty back in 2008, but it wasn't until 2012 that I finally had the experience and knowledge to turn it into a book that sold. The chessplayer I started at the beginning of 2011 but didn't sell it until a year and a half later. Again, it wasn't the fact that my hero was a chessplayer that didn't work, it was the fact that I still hadn't got a handle on conflict or character.
But some stories you can't let go of. Nor should you. Some stories deserve to have their time in the sun. I don't know if this inspiration or not, but for those of you who have stories that you just can't let go of, keep going. Keep working on them. Keep learning your craft. And one day, a year and a half, or four years, or even ten years later, eventually someone's going to say yes.
And then you can shock everyone with your stats too. :-)
*Number of times entire ms rewritten - 3
*Number of times beginning rewritten - 6
*Size of 'deleted scenes' folder - 227k
*Number of times hero/heroine conflict changed - 3
*Number of times I wanted to kill hero/heroine - 20
*Number of tantrums pulled while writing - 50
*Number of times I wanted to give up in disgust - 100
*Number of times I DID give up in disgust - 100
*Number of times cried while writing - 5
*Number of working versions of present ms - 8
*Number of titles decided on - 0
That was in December last year. After I'd finished that post and finished rewriting the story, I sent him off to SYTYCW, plus entered him into the Aussie Emerald competition.
He got precisely nowhere.
Didn't get ANY feedback at all from SYTYCW and because one judge in the Emerald absolutely loathed him, I didn't get anywhere with that either.
Here's some stats for my Talking Dirty book from around the same time:
*Number of times entire ms rewritten - 5 - 6
*Number of times beginning rewritten - 4
*Size of 'deleted scenes folder' - Rewrite folder 37k, Original folder, 20k
*Number of times hero/heroine conflict changed - 6
*Number of times I wanted to kill hero/heroine - 100
*Number of tantrums pulled while writing - too many to count
*Number of times I wanted to give up in disgust - too many to count
*Number of times I DID give up in disgust - too many to count
*Number of times cried while writing - too many to count
*Number of working versions of present ms -50 million
*Number of titles decided on - 3
Oh and I should add one more line.
*Number of times rejected - 3
As you can see, both of these books nearly did me in. For the chess player I berated myself daily for the fact that I'd decided on a chess playing hero who everyone CLEARLY hated. For Talking Dirty, I berated myself daily for the fact that I knew I had a good story there, yet I couldn't seem to find it.
BUT
I am a stubborn-ass b*tch sometimes. And I'd be damned if I let these stories - one of which got to the 2nd revision stage with M&B - languish.
So I started rewriting Talking Dirty for the 7th time and pitched it in a competition. It got a request for a full - which I wrote in a week (from chapter 3) - and then four months later, it sold to Entangled. It's going to be out sometime in 2013 (May tentatively).
And then with my chess player, I rewrote it for the 4th time and submitted it to my editor at Samhain and that sold too. Black Knight, White Queen, will be out in July 2013.
Why am I telling you this? Well, sometimes it's a good thing to give up on a story. Sometimes you don't have the experience at the time to be able to make it better. Or sometimes you're too close to it to see it objectively. I first wrote Talking Dirty back in 2008, but it wasn't until 2012 that I finally had the experience and knowledge to turn it into a book that sold. The chessplayer I started at the beginning of 2011 but didn't sell it until a year and a half later. Again, it wasn't the fact that my hero was a chessplayer that didn't work, it was the fact that I still hadn't got a handle on conflict or character.
But some stories you can't let go of. Nor should you. Some stories deserve to have their time in the sun. I don't know if this inspiration or not, but for those of you who have stories that you just can't let go of, keep going. Keep working on them. Keep learning your craft. And one day, a year and a half, or four years, or even ten years later, eventually someone's going to say yes.
And then you can shock everyone with your stats too. :-)
Friday, July 27, 2012
Robyn Thomas and His Unexpected Family - Giveaway!
So proud today to introduce my CP Sister and all round fabulous lady, Robyn Thomas. Her debut book has just been released from Entangled and it is awesome! You can win your own copy here if you leave a comment! *promos shamelessly* :-)
I’d like to thank Jackie for inviting me
here today to chat about my debut book His Unexpected Family. I’m so thrilled
that we’re both writing for Entangled Publishing’s Indulgence line.
Sometimes you have to take the leap…again.
Newly widowed with a new baby, Ren Jamieson is putting her life back together after her thrill-seeking husband’s death. But when she’s called to show a high-end property to a prospective client—a commission she desperately needs—she meets a man who makes her pulse pound like nothing she’s ever known…
Cole Matthews is more than he seems. Real estate is only part of the reason he’s in Australia – the other is to see Ren, and make amends somehow for the life lost. The last thing Cole expects is a woman whose humor, sweetness and sexiness give him a rush greater than any he’s ever experienced…
Torn between her growing feelings for Cole and the risks of loving yet another adventurer, Ren will have to choose between keeping her feet on the ground…and taking the most dangerous leap of her life.
Get the first chapter here!
Buy it here:
From Barnes and Noble
From Amazon
Visit Robyn here!
Robyn's Bio:
Romance and fairytales are the best ingredients to work with because they go with absolutely everything. Inspiration for new recipes is everywhere I look, and who wouldn’t want to pursue a career where the only limit is your imagination?
I remember making the decision to write my first book, but since then writing has become more of a compulsion than a choice. It’s less about having complete silence, a gorgeous work space, a free hour or two, and a steaming hot coffee, and more about getting my fingers to the keyboard any chance I get. The coffee helps, though.
I’d like to thank Jackie for inviting me
here today to chat about my debut book His Unexpected Family. I’m so thrilled
that we’re both writing for Entangled Publishing’s Indulgence line.
For this post I’m going way back to the
beginning of this book’s journey. It’s hard to believe now, but there was a
time when I struggled to come up with story ideas. My inspiration wasn’t lacking in the usual
sense, it was simply offering story ideas that didn’t match what I was *meant
to be writing. (I had the dreaded combination of an editor request that was
quite specific and a perpetually blank page.) As panic began to set in, I
looked inward and found my answer.
It was so simple that it was almost scary. Instead
of looking at the request as a directive to write a particular type of story, I’d
build my kind of story around an issue that mattered to me. In this case: grief
and starting over.
I find that people are fascinating when
they’re really up against it. It’s not possible for them to hide who they
really are, and yet I love to watch them try. No-one wants to be vulnerable,
and it’s tempting to hide behind humour, sarcasm or rudeness. Ren and Cole from
His Unexpected Family are all wrong – and so right – for each other. They’re
both wounded and defensive, and progress for one means a setback for the other.
Receiving conflicting messages from their head and their heart, makes them
blunder and stumble and question everything. And, for me, that’s delicious.
What do you find delicious to read (or
write) about? Leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of His Unexpected
Family.
Sometimes you have to take the leap…again.
Newly widowed with a new baby, Ren Jamieson is putting her life back together after her thrill-seeking husband’s death. But when she’s called to show a high-end property to a prospective client—a commission she desperately needs—she meets a man who makes her pulse pound like nothing she’s ever known…
Cole Matthews is more than he seems. Real estate is only part of the reason he’s in Australia – the other is to see Ren, and make amends somehow for the life lost. The last thing Cole expects is a woman whose humor, sweetness and sexiness give him a rush greater than any he’s ever experienced…
Torn between her growing feelings for Cole and the risks of loving yet another adventurer, Ren will have to choose between keeping her feet on the ground…and taking the most dangerous leap of her life.
Get the first chapter here!
Buy it here:
From Barnes and Noble
From Amazon
Visit Robyn here!
Robyn's Bio:
Romance and fairytales are the best ingredients to work with because they go with absolutely everything. Inspiration for new recipes is everywhere I look, and who wouldn’t want to pursue a career where the only limit is your imagination?
I remember making the decision to write my first book, but since then writing has become more of a compulsion than a choice. It’s less about having complete silence, a gorgeous work space, a free hour or two, and a steaming hot coffee, and more about getting my fingers to the keyboard any chance I get. The coffee helps, though.
I live just outside Melbourne with my wonderful husband
and two sons. Writing romance helps to balance the effects of living in an
all-male household. I love to cook, hate to clean up, and keep very odd hours.
My writing days used to be solitary, but they’re not anymore. I now have Seven
Sassy Sisters online, and their friendship and support is invaluable.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Giveaway at the Sassies - His Unexpected Family
I can finally announce that Robyn's debut release for Entangled Indulgence is live on Amazon! We're having a giveaway at the Sassies in celebration so do pop along and leave a comment to be in the draw.
I'm going to be having Robyn here on the blog with another giveaway in a few days so keep your eyes peeled for that one too.
I'm going to be having Robyn here on the blog with another giveaway in a few days so keep your eyes peeled for that one too.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The View from the Other Side
I've actually been waiting to post on here a while because I wanted to do a Happy Release Day post for my lovely CP and fellow Entangled Sister Robyn. But due to technical difficulties, we'll have to wait a little bit longer for that.
So I thought I'd write intead about being on the other side of the publishing fence and what's different about it.
Nothing as it turns out.
Hehe. Actually, that's not strictly true. My inbox is a lot fuller of author loop emails than it used to be. And I guess the fears about writing have changed a little. It's not not so much 'will they like my writing' as 'will they like this new story'. There's a bit of that 'difficult second album' thing going on.
I've finished the first draft of my next Indulgence and am now working on the next book for Samhain. Both are proving bears to write. I somehow thought the writing would all get a lot easier once I was accepted but turns out not. I'm worried my ed won't like my next Indulgence book as much as the first - I wrote the first one a while ago after all. And I'm really worried my Samhain ed won't want to buy the one I'm going to send her because, well, it's got angst up the wazoo and is totally crazy. I went a little 50 Shades on it even.
I guess the fears never end do they? They just get a little different.
What is weird is being a published author and yet not having a book out yet. I've got six months to wait until my Samhain book is released and then another few months after that before my Indulgence book is good to go (though release dates for that are yet to be finalised). Which is SO LONG! Argh! And yet part of me is glad of the wait because I'm not sure if I'm ready for reviews and all the stuff that comes along with complete strangers reading your book. Especially the bad reviews and I will get 'em because if I've learned one thing from the New Voices comp it was that not everyone likes what you write.
Anyway, I'm rambling. I should be posting crafty-type stuff but instead I'll leave you with a link to an awesome post by Maisey on balancing internal and external conflict in category romance. It's really good. In fact, I heartily recommend you ask her questions in the comments if you have any because she is an expert in this type of thing.
And when you've done that, go here to Brenda Drake's blog. She's running a pitch competition with the Entangled eds for all the Entangled lines. First 200 comments and they're up to 163 already so get thee hence quickly! I'm recommending this because I sold to Entangled through a pitch competition so it's worth a crack!
Also if you've got a question about pitching or about Entangled then feel free to ask me!
So I thought I'd write intead about being on the other side of the publishing fence and what's different about it.
Nothing as it turns out.
Hehe. Actually, that's not strictly true. My inbox is a lot fuller of author loop emails than it used to be. And I guess the fears about writing have changed a little. It's not not so much 'will they like my writing' as 'will they like this new story'. There's a bit of that 'difficult second album' thing going on.
I've finished the first draft of my next Indulgence and am now working on the next book for Samhain. Both are proving bears to write. I somehow thought the writing would all get a lot easier once I was accepted but turns out not. I'm worried my ed won't like my next Indulgence book as much as the first - I wrote the first one a while ago after all. And I'm really worried my Samhain ed won't want to buy the one I'm going to send her because, well, it's got angst up the wazoo and is totally crazy. I went a little 50 Shades on it even.
I guess the fears never end do they? They just get a little different.
What is weird is being a published author and yet not having a book out yet. I've got six months to wait until my Samhain book is released and then another few months after that before my Indulgence book is good to go (though release dates for that are yet to be finalised). Which is SO LONG! Argh! And yet part of me is glad of the wait because I'm not sure if I'm ready for reviews and all the stuff that comes along with complete strangers reading your book. Especially the bad reviews and I will get 'em because if I've learned one thing from the New Voices comp it was that not everyone likes what you write.
Anyway, I'm rambling. I should be posting crafty-type stuff but instead I'll leave you with a link to an awesome post by Maisey on balancing internal and external conflict in category romance. It's really good. In fact, I heartily recommend you ask her questions in the comments if you have any because she is an expert in this type of thing.
And when you've done that, go here to Brenda Drake's blog. She's running a pitch competition with the Entangled eds for all the Entangled lines. First 200 comments and they're up to 163 already so get thee hence quickly! I'm recommending this because I sold to Entangled through a pitch competition so it's worth a crack!
Also if you've got a question about pitching or about Entangled then feel free to ask me!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Sold to Entangled!!!
I've thought about how I would write this post a million times. And for the past week I've been imagining all the ways I would write it. But now the time has come, I can't think of what to say!!
So I guess I'll just say it.
I have a three book deal with Entangled Publishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a series and will be out in the summer, fall, and winter of 2013.
I'm going to post details of my Call story (can't believe I have a Call story!!!) on the Sister's blog when I get a moment so stay tuned.
Anyway, I'm kind of at a loss for words right now - you would not believe the week I've just had - but what I will say, to all of your who have read my blog and have stuck around to provide support and encouragement for the past four years, is....
THANK YOU.
I could not have done it without you. Simple as that.
So I guess I'll just say it.
I have a three book deal with Entangled Publishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a series and will be out in the summer, fall, and winter of 2013.
I'm going to post details of my Call story (can't believe I have a Call story!!!) on the Sister's blog when I get a moment so stay tuned.
Anyway, I'm kind of at a loss for words right now - you would not believe the week I've just had - but what I will say, to all of your who have read my blog and have stuck around to provide support and encouragement for the past four years, is....
THANK YOU.
I could not have done it without you. Simple as that.
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