Well, it actually snowed before Christmas, something almost unheard of in the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia. I don't mean it snowed, as in we got a dusting, but it snowed as in we got 6 to 8 inches, depending on where you live. I'm even told some areas to the south of us have over a foot! Many folks in Kanawha County are without power, but thankfully, we are not one of them. Our power was off at somepoint last night, but it was working just fine at 4:30 when I woke up this morning. My internet was down, however, and for a time, until my wonderful, blessed, most adoring husband got up out of bed and fixed it for me, I thought I might go in to fits. i mean, y'all, no google! No FaceBook! I thought I might not make it through this storm! :D
On a different note, I have finished the first rough draft of my next book! It's the sequel to "Wild Heart" and it's called, "To Tame A Heart". No idea when it will be out; I have yet to figure out how i'll get it published. I'm thinking about self publishing, like I did with my children's book, but honestly, it's so expensive. I do know one thing, however, I WILL NOT GO WITH PUBLISH AMERICA!!! Think I need to be more clear than that? haha! Seriously, Publish America treated me dirty, and from what i've seen on their author message boards, they are very rude. I mentioned their rudeness to them, and they promptly deleted my comment and kicked me off the message board. But, I'm doing good without them. I order books off their website, when I need to, but other than that, I don't have any contact with them, and it's ok that way. I had thought of becoming my own self publisher...you know starting my own publishing company, but after talking with the hubby, it seems a bigger undertaking than i'm financially ready for. Y'all pray though, because people are being scammed, and there needs to be a decent company out there to spread God's word.
So, I was saying about the book, I have finished it and sent it along to three different reviewers for feedback. The first reviewer says it doesn't give her what she hoped it would, that it doesn't follow "Wild Heart". She seems bored with it, even though some parts are good. She made me doubt that it was even worth worrying about, making me think i needed a total make over. however, the second reviewer has a totally opposit opinion. She seems to think it's great, and likes it. So, I am anxiously awaiting the third reviewer's opinion.
For those of you who have read "Wild Heart", help me out here. If you can, leave a comment with the answers to these questions, so I'll know what you want to see happen in the second book.
1. Do you think the next book should have bad guys chasing good guys with gunfights, as it was in "Wild heart"?
2. Do you want Maggie to be a main character? should she have a new man in her life?
3. Do you want to hear more about Kenni and chase?
4. Do you think you could tolerate a slower book, focused more on personal journeys, rather than physical journeys?
5. What more are you looking for that I have not mentioned, yet?
Oh yeah, one more question, if y'all don't mind, would you rather have a paperback or an ebook, and how much would you pay? Of course, you don't have to answer, but it would be nice if you could.
Well, to wrap up this post, I first want to say, I hope you are enjoying the author interviews. I think i have enough authors lined up to keep you reading until the middle of February, but honestly, I don't think I'll take anymore. I'm getting tired of keeping up with them, but I do have to say, it seems to be paying off; authors are getting noticed. I just wish it would influence someone to purchase my books, as well. The second thing I want to say, is thank you for reading, and thank you for following my blog. It's nice to see I have so many followers. I am sorry that I don't write personal messages as often as i used to, so I will try to do better.
Well, I think the hubby is going to put in a dvd, and the girls are going to need baths real soon, so I'll close for now. Y'all have the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of new years, and thanks again for reading. God bless!
Hi Shannon,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on finishing the draft of your second book! Regarding self-publishing, though, there are self-publishing services which are reasonably priced - for instance, Lulu (if you don't buy an ISBN) or CreateSpace. Another advantage is that you would be able to set the price of your books. PA-printed books can be a little costly.
It might be difficult to find a publisher who will accept the sequel to your first novel, though, unless the sequel can stand alone and doesn't depend on the first book.
Best of luck in your writing, and Happy New Year!
Pub-SHAM-erica is the worst place ever to take a book. I'm glad you're away from them!!
ReplyDeleteYou keep warning people about them. If you Google their name + "scam" you'll find you're not alone. There are many others who feel the same way!
But why self-pub your new books? It's not supposed to cost you anything. Writers are supposed to get paid for their work.
Why not submit your work to commercial publishers the way other writers do? Why self-publish and sell just a few copies on the web when you really could be in bookstores?
Of course you have to work at your craft and learn it, but that's just part of the job. I read everything in the 808 section of my library to learn--then I read the rest of the library! (Being a writer is the best job ever, because you get to READ a lot!!)
You can find publishers by going to bookstores, looking inside the front page of books like yours, and getting their addresses. The you read their guidelines on the websites. You can find an agent the same way by writing to writers and asking. Most don't mind helping out another writer.
That's how I sold my first book!
There are lots of on-line places to keep you safe from bad guys like PA. Google "Writer Beware" and "Predators and Editors" and you'll find the watchdogs of publishing. They've been warning writers about places like PA and others for years.
As for honing your writing skills, look around for a free board called "Absolute Write." You can get feedback from 100's of serious writers. It's troll-free, too, and run by pros. I think it will be a great place for you to check out.
Good luck on more writing and congratulations on getting away from PA!!!
E-books are cheaper, but not as many people buy them.
ReplyDeleteI only buy paperbacks I see in bookstores. Self-published books aren't in bookstores. Only online, and I don't buy books online unless I can read samples first.
I don't pay more than 7.99 for a book in a store. With e-books you don't have to pay for shipping. But not many people buy them.
If you get your book into a bookstore I might read it.
I never saw a single publishmerica book in any bookstore. I went to their website 'cause a friend has a book with them and their books cost way too much and they don't show samples. My friend is heartbroke 'cause she thought her book would be in stores with them. You did the right thing dumping them, good luck!