Monday, November 30, 2015

GUEST POST BY KATE MCINTYRE, AUTHOR OF THE DEATHSNIFFER'S ASSISTANT




Darrington City is on the verge of total political and economic collapse. Olivia Faraday. the eccentric Deathsniffer, is the only employer willing to consider the resume of impoverished rich boy Christopher Buckley. Soon enough, Olivia and Chris have a grisly murder to solve -- if they can manage before the city is torn apart around them. The Deathsniffer's Assistant combines fantasy and mystery and is available via BookBub for .99c on November 30 and December 1st!

Guest Post by Kate McIntyre on Writing Frustrations, Post Publication

(***silly pictures inserted by yours truly, Ann Noser***)

One of those little things about writers is that we’re never really done.  Right up until the last day before The Deathsniffer’s Assistant went to press, there were little things I wanted to change. I’d suddenly realize I wanted one scene to flow a bit different, or I’d find a place I could foreshadow for the sequel I was working on and slip it in. Like any other artist, writing is the act of tweaking and tweaking and tweaking a base structure until it’s perfect.

Of course, it’s never perfect.



The Deathsniffer’s Assistant is my debut novel. I’ve never had anything I’d written in print before, if you don’t count the writing I did for my town’s quarterly magazine when I was still in school. So I’d never experienced what I felt on July 14th 2015, when I had a great idea for a sequel hook in The Deathsniffer’s Assistant... and it was already in stores.

How are we supposed to handle that?

Nothing is more mortifying than finding typographical or spelling errors in a finished book. But that’s easy to handle. When you spot those, you can get your production team on the line and get them ironed out for updated editions.



No, I’m talking about the other changes. Sometimes when I read a passage I’ve written, I can’t believe I didn’t use this phrase or that word instead. Worse still are the moments when I see how I could take a character arc in this direction, or realize I could really seed some future worldbuilding in that spot for later books.

The feeling takes a lot of getting used to. For the first weeks, it was frustrating beyond words. How could the words I’d written suddenly be off limits to me? They were my words! If I thought of a better way to say them, shouldn’t I be abe to?

But then came a kind of clarity, and the realization that while they’d been my words once, they weren’t anymore.

Now, they’re your words.



Putting your art out there is inviting everyone else to make it theirs. With every new reader who buries themselves in the experiences of Chris and Olivia, those characters become less and less something that’s mine, and more and more something that’s share. I always say that I became a writer because I wanted to “share my stories” with a world who might want to read them.  And part of sharing is letting go of ownership.

Because an artist will always find flaws in their art, we can’t keep going back and “fixing” things. We’ll always see something that could be done better. And that’s what leads to things like George Lucas’s widely reviled Star Wars updates in the 90s! George’s defintion of “better” isn’t any more or less noble than mine.
My book is out there. And people love it. I need to trust those readers, my fans, who tell me how great they thought the book was. The desire to tweak or massage and add or take away just a little bit more is the equivalent of snatching something back that I’ve already shared. “No! It’s not ready yet, give me one second!”

Unforunately, my moment of clarity didn’t fix everything. I still see all those little things (or big things) and feel my fingers twitch. It would be so nice to get back in there with a hacksaw and some shears and do an extreme makeover on those pesky bits and pieces. And every single time I have to remind myself that even if I could, I’d find something new tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day.

So I let it go and love my work for what it is – something I’m very proud of that a whole lot of people really like. All I ever wanted was to share what’s in my head. So I’ll keep working hard not to snatch it back.





Kate McIntyre was born and raised in the frigid white north, having spent her entire life in Moncton, New Brunswick. She learned to appreciate the quintesstial Canadian things: endless winters, self-deprecating jokes, the untamed wilderness, and excessive politeness. Somehow it was the latter that she chose to write about. Kate loves crochet, video games, board games, reading, and listening to bad pop music very loudly.


Friday, November 27, 2015

#BLACKFRIDAY SALE - #99CENTS

My publisher, Curiosity Quills, is having a big Black Friday sale today.

Both of my books (in Kindle edition) are only 99 cents!


purchase link: DEAD GIRL RUNNING




purchase link: HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS



It's a great time to pick up my books and enjoy!


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

#WRITING WEDNESDAYS UPDATE


Another glorious update.

I've joined the YAtopia Blog. My first entry was posted last Saturday and can be read HERE.
(To be honest, so far I've only finished reading Harry Potter, but what a joy it is to read over again.)

I'm still reading:





And just started:



I'm on Benjamin of Tomes To Be Read List! He's a pretty famous book tuber and you can hear him talk a little about my book HERE.

Based on my research reading, I'm feeling rather witchy (as opposed to the word which rhymes with this) today. Plus I love my little eight pound, three legged black cat, so here's two more witchy pictures for your viewing pleasure:





I'm delighted to report that my newest book, Dead Girl Running, is gathering great reviews like this one from MARTHA'S BOOKSHELF.


INCONCEIVABLE by TEGAN WREN RELEASE WEEK TOUR




A popular, young royal couple can't produce an heir? INCONCEIVABLE!

When Ozarks native Hatty goes “whole hog” during karaoke, she catches the eye of Prince John. He isn’t what she expects the heir to a small European nation to be: he's affable, witty, and isn’t put off by her tell-it-like-it-is demeanor. Their flirtation should be short lived, but a force stronger than fate—Hatty’s newspaper editor—assigns her to cover the royals. After spending time together, she and John soon begin dating, and Hatty finds herself making headlines instead of writing them.

But challenges loom that are even more complicated than figuring out how to mesh Hatty's journalism career with life at Belvoir Palace. Hatty and John soon find themselves embroiled in an unusual sex scandal: they can't produce an heir. Tabloids dub Hatty a “Barren-ess,” and the royals become irate. Hatty politely tells them to shove it. But beneath her confident exterior, she struggles to cope with a heartbreak that invades her most intimate moments with John. Pressured to choose between invasive medical procedures and abandoning John’s claim to the throne, the couple feels trapped until a trip to Ethiopia shows them happy endings sometimes arrive long after saying “I do.”


Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24910975-inconceivable?from_search=true&search_version=service


Buy Links:  Amazon 
                                               


Author Info
The best compliment Tegan Wren ever received came from her sixth grade teacher: “You always have a book in your hand!”

Guided by her love of the creative process, Tegan grew up acting in theatre productions and writing poetry, short stories, and plays. She turned her eye to writing about real life when she worked as a journalist, producing reports for various radio and television stations in medium and large markets in the Midwest and also filing some stories for a major national news network. Wren has both a Bachelor’s of Journalism and a Master of Arts in Communications. After completing her graduate degree, Tegan had the opportunity to teach journalism courses at a major state university. She absolutely loved training the next generation of journalists.

Tegan’s thankful that she’s had the opportunity to travel overseas, and uses those adventures to inform her writing. She also draws inspiration from her own struggles, joys, and other life experiences. Tegan and her husband, Patrick, experienced infertility for five years before becoming parents through adoption. Because she understands the financial stress of the infertility journey, Tegan is donating half the royalties from her book to Baby Quest Foundation. This charity awards grants to people all over the U.S. for fertility treatments. Tegan is thrilled to use her story to help other people find their happily ever after.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads




Inconceivable Excerpt
He leaned closer and sang softly. I recognized the opening lyrics to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” His singing voice was soulful and sexy, and something deep inside me responded, making my heart beat a little faster.
He stopped and looked me in the eyes. “That song’s about someone who’s alone. But that’s not you. You’re too lovely to be lonely.”
A nervous laugh escaped my lips. “Are you kidding? Aren’t we sitting in a sanctuary for the lonely?”
“I don’t feel lonely right now.”
“Me either.” I blew into my mug, then took a sip. “Have you had one of these?”
“I don’t think so. What is it?”
“It’s called a chocolate kiss. It’s peppermint schnapps and hot cocoa.”
He reached over and picked up the steaming mug. His movement conveyed authority while his neat fingernails screamed uppity. They looked better than mine, damn it. After taking a long pull from the cup, he handed it back. Our fingers brushed together, sending a flash of heat through my body.
“Thanks for sharing a kiss with me,” he said, reaching over and lifting my chin.
Our eyes met, and I couldn’t tear myself away from his gaze. Yowza. Was he going to kiss me? Did I want him to?
“You guys know each other?”
I flinched at Plato’s words―I hadn’t seen him coming toward us―and pulled back. I sloshed a healthy dollop of my drink onto Farmer Joe’s pants. We both reached for the stack of napkins, but I got there first.
“Sorry. Here, let me,” I sputtered, dabbing at the wet patch.
I blotted along his pants, and my hand moved a little too close to the inside of his leg. A burning sensation rose up behind my ears. “Umm. I’ll just let you do it.”
I dropped the wad of damp napkins onto his open palm. Glancing at his face, I saw a half smile. I closed my eyes and touched my forehead, gently rubbing the area above my eyebrows as I always did when embarrassment overwhelmed me.


Rafflecopter Giveaway (Signed Paperback copy of INCONCEIVABLE! (US and INTL))



Wednesday, November 11, 2015

#WRITING WEDNESDAYS



Welcome to my Wednesday.
It's been another busy week.

I'm reading (done? nope, not done yet, but soon) with rereading Harry Potter and The Real Witches' Handbook. (If you read that too fast, it sounds like one book, but it's not--unfortunately.)



After much delay, I've once again begun writing Pet Vet articles for the local newspaper. This time around, the topics are xylitol and rat poison toxicity (such happy topics).

I've also agreed to publish an article very close to my broken heart on my mother's terrible decline into Alzheimer's disease, but you won't see this until the next May/June issue of Rochester Women's magazine (the mother's day issue).



In addition, this Saturday is my first post as a new blogger for YATOPIA BLOG. This shall be another exciting new venture.

What all this means, however, is that I'm busy writing all sorts of short things. Don't worry, I'll get serious about writing my sequels soon. Very soon.

To my delight, the social maven N. N. Light gave a fabulous review for Dead Girl Running. Read all about that HERE.


I'll keep this short, and get back to work (busy, busy, busy).

Happy Wednesday to everyone!

Monday, November 9, 2015

A #PIT2PUB SUCCESS STORY - AUTHOR SAMATHA HARRIS


1.     What is your name/pen name?
Samatha Harris

2.     What do you write? Genre?
Primarily Contemporary Romance and Urban Fantasy

3.     Tell us about yourself?
I’ve always been an artist. Focusing mainly on drawing and painting my whole life. I found tattooing 11 years ago and fell completely in love, but I’m always searching for new and different ways to express myself creatively, writing was just that. To be honest I never thought I could write a novel let alone publish one, but once I got started the story just flowed out of me.

I have always been an avid reader with interests in many different genres. Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and Humor to name a few. I simply write the kind of stories I, as a reader, would want to read. 

4.     What prompted you to pitch your book in #Pit2Pub?
I actually did it kind of on a whim. I had been querying for months and had a couple of request pending at the time. When I saw #pit2pub I decided to enter to see if I could get a bite from a publisher directly, rather than going through an agent.

5.     Tell about your #Pit2Pub experience.
I was surprised by the response I got. I wrote a few pitch ideas down and decided to alternate them throughout the day. I through in a couple of quotes from my book to mix things up and was pleasantly surprised by the result. Within the first 2 pitches I was already getting favorites. Some of the pitches I posted got 2 or 3 favorites a piece. Friends of mine who were also pitching would retweet my pitches as I did for them and those would result in more favorites. I was kind of methodical about my posts. I posted every 30 min from the time it started until the end, setting a timer on my phone to remind me to post. By the end of the day. I had requests from 8 different publishers!

I was so excited and completely overwhelmed. I started to doing so research on the publishers who favorited my tweets and decided to submit to 6 of them, based on their cover quality, and the reviews other authors had given regarding their experiences with each publisher. I sent off the requested material to all 6 referencing the tweet they favorited during #pit2pub. The next day, I received an email from Limitless Publishing. They requested a partial submission of my novel initially and they wanted to see more so I sent them the rest of the novel. Twenty-four hours after sending them my complete MS I had an offer, but it didn’t stop there, 3 other publishers I submitted to offered contracts as well. I was floored. I went from months of hearing nothing but no to 4 contract offers in 1 week!

6.     Which publisher did you sign with?
I did a lot of research, and I spoke to authors that were signed with all the publishers that offered contracts. I looked at the cover designs and reviews of books that they had published. The success rates, and the support the offered. When it came time for a decision I signed with Limitless Publishing. They network of Authors and staff support is amazing. It really is a family, the authors support each other and are there to answer questions about anything you need. I have had an amazing experience working with Limitless. 

7.     Tell us about your upcoming book.


My Debut Novel SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN tells the story of Alexandra McCabe and Drew Collins, unlikely friends who fall in love with each other at different times in their lives. 

Alexandra McCabe​ is disconnected from the world, grieving the loss of her parents...

Content with studying and keeping to herself, Alex has no interest in the campus playboy, Drew Collins, trying to get close to her. But even dousing him with beer doesn't deter the easy-going charmer, and against her better judgment, the pair fall into a reluctant friendship.

Drew is bored with college life, and Alex's romantic rejection intrigues him...

Their friendship is good for both of them, but Drew is used to getting what he wants, and he's tired of shallow sorority girls. He's much more interested in the feisty redhead, but despite his growing feeling, Alex keeps him firmly in the friend zone.

Old heartaches and new tragedies deepen a complicated relationship...

Whatever life throws their way, Alex and Drew remain best friends with their own traditions. Drew is Alex's family, her rock, and Alex keeps Drew grounded, always challenging him to better himself.

When years of buried feelings rush to the surface, they threaten to change everything...

Drew promised his mother he'd tell Alex how he feels, when the time is right-but how will he know when that is? Alex is terrified to reveal those 'three little words' certain Drew doesn't feel the same, and she'll lose the only family she has.

Should Alex and Drew open their hearts, and risk being crushed? Should they be satisfied with a deep, lifelong friendship? Or does the only chance for happiness lie...
Somewhere In Between?


8.     When is your book scheduled to be released?
SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN will be released Nov. 10th. Pre order goes up Oct. 31st.

9.     What is at the top of your bucket list?
To become a best seller of course!

10.  Parting words for other authors?
Go for it! The worst thing you can hear is no. While yes it stings, it is true that it only takes one person to say yes to make a dream come true. Keep writing, and tell the story you want to tell. If you love your story and your characters then your readers will too.


 Thanks for the interview, Samatha Harris! Good luck with everything!


Author contact info: