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I can’t believe an entire baseball season, spring, and summer have come and gone since I posted anything on this blog. To quote Vizzini from The Princess Bride, inconceivable!
Thankfully, the time hasn’t been entirely wasted. I’ve been keeping busy promoting Whistling Woman (the historical southern fiction I co-wrote with my sister, Christy Tillery French under the pseudonym CC Tillery), gardening ( pretty much a lost cause this year), canning (there are so many wonderful farmer’s markets here where I live), and writing (finished Sun Shadows, the third book in my Eternal Shadows series).
Plus, I’ve spent a great deal of time reading (mostly how-to-self-publish and marketing books) and pondering what I’m going to do with Sun Shadows and the final book in the series, Moon Shadows (I’m about 12,000 words into that one). Not to mention, going back and forth with the titles. For some reason, Sun and Moon aren’t ringing any bells for me so I’ve been considering Shifting Shadows for Luke’s story and Eternal Shadows for Nathan’s. Still no decision but I’m leaning toward the latter.
Anyway, the really important decision is “to self-publish or not to self-publish?” I’m pretty sure it’s going to be self-publish if for no other reason than the success Christy and I are having with Whistling Woman on Kindle. We’ve been at number one (knock on wood and fingers crossed against the jinx!) on the Kindle>southern fiction>historical fiction list for a couple of weeks now and we’ve done pretty well with the print version, too. We sold out (well, sold is a relative term, we gave away quite a few of them) the first print run and we’re hoping sales of both the e-book and the paperback will continue to be good through (and hopefully after!) Christmas.
Only time will tell, but the thing is, I’ve found that I really like being in control when it comes to publishing my books and for me, that’s exactly what self-publishing is all about: the author is in control every step of the way and as a result, any profit (or God forbid, loss) is all yours, too.
As the song goes, the times they are a-changin’–or should I say shifting?–and so am I. I want that control and my next book, whether Sun or Shifting Shadows, will be self-published and sink or swim, it’s all on my shoulders. Wish me luck!
Hilarious and depressing, not to mention incomprehensible–at least to me–article at Huffington Post. Be sure and click on the “most obnoxious publishing stories of 2010” link in the last paragraph–if you dare. Seriously, what can the publishers be thinking?
Oh wait, I know the answer to that…money, money, money. Who cares if the writing sucks, as long as it sells. Right? Right!
On a happier note, topped 29K words on Sun Shadows today. Woo-hoo! I’m slowly getting back into the groove. Biggest problem I’m having right now is ideas for the last book in the series keep popping into my head and I have to stop to jot them down. Oh well, at least I’m writing and the MS flare-up is getting better with every day.
Also, only two weeks till opening day. Yay, go Red Sox! And good choice, Tito, for choosing Jon Lester to lead us off!
My interview with Long and Short of It Reviews is up on their website today. There’s also a contest and I’m participating in a chat on their Yahoo group. Hope you’ll join us!
Oh, and don’t forget to check out their awesome review of Storm Shadows!
1. My sister and I finished the manuscript for Whistling Woman, the book we’ve been working on for two years about our great aunt’s life growing up in the small town of Hot Springs, NC. We took a few days, rented a cabin in Hot Springs, and worked on the first edit. Now we’re in the process of editing it again–this time by email–and are hoping we’ll have it polished by the end of the year. After that, beta readers!
2. Although I’m not participating in NaNoWriMo–or whatever it’s called–I’ve been working on the third book in my Eternal Shadows series, Sun Shadows. Last Monday, I set a goal of writing a thousand words a day and so far, so good. A little over 9,000 words and counting!
3. Edits, edits, and more edits on Whistling Woman.
4. Working on getting the blog for the Writers’ Guild of Western North Carolina up and running. Had a minor problem with WordPress–for some reason it wouldn’t let me add widgets to the blog–but that was solved by going to the forum and posting a question which was answered fairly quickly.
5. The contract with Red Rose Publishing for my novella, Unwilling Angel, expires on the 18th of this month and I’ve been trying to decide what to do with the book when I have the rights back. Numerous people have advised putting it on Kindle and thanks to one of the members of the Writers’ Guild, who is currently working to get his books on Kindle, I have a pretty good idea of what that entails. It won’t be easy but I think I’ll probably try.
Of course, first I have to get the rights back. As per the contract, I sent two certified letters to Red Rose Publishing 60 days before the expiration date telling them I did not want to renew the contract, but haven’t heard a word back yet. Which isn’t really a surprise given the problems other authors are having with this publisher. I’m doing my best to keep an open mind until the 18th then I’m going to send an email to the owner and inform her that per the contract, the rights have reverted back to me and she needs to quit selling my book. We’ll see what happens…
6. After a blast of cold weather to start the month, we’ve had a string of perfect fall days here in the mountains. I’ve been working to get my gardens put to bed while it lasts. I wanted to plant bulbs but haven’t been able to find the time and I know I’ll be kicking myself next spring. Oh well…
7. Still more edits!
8. Updating my website and this blog with the 2011 EPIC eBook Awards finalist button. Yep, that’s right, Storm Shadows made it to the finals. Yippee! EPICon is in Williamsburg, VA next year and since my sister, Christy Tillery French, also has a book in the finals we’re seriously considering making the drive up there and attending. I don’t have much hope that Storm will win, it’s in one of the categories that has the most finalists, but who knows what will happen.
9. Edits, edits, and more edits with a little research thrown in on the side!
10. More great news on Storm–The Long and the Short of It gave it a fabulous review last week which means it’s up for Book of the Week. Woo-hoo! If you’re so inclined, you can vote by clicking here. That page also gives you access to Xeranthemum’s excellent review, if you’d like to read it. Here’s a little taste of what the she had to say:
Storm Shadows is a well written and beautiful romance filled with charm, humor, vivid and lively descriptions and a well earned happily ever after sure to make a reader sigh in satisfaction. Despite the conflict, Ms. Hunter wrote a story that is uplifting and optimistic and just plain fun to read.
So, there you have it, the top ten reasons I haven’t posted anything here for almost a month. As you can see, Whistling Woman is taking up the majority of my time with the Eternal Shadows series running a close second. Next week it’s going to be all about Storm since I have an interview and a chat scheduled with LASR. Which reminds me, I need to come up with a contest for the chat. Better get busy…
Thank goodness it’s Friday and the final day of my author spotlight at the Long and Short of It! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed being in the spotlight, and for the most part, I’ve also enjoyed all the other promotions I’ve been doing, but I’m ready to get back to writing now.
One good thing about not being able to write whenever I want to, it just makes me want to write even more. And while I was suffering from a bit of a block when I started all this promotion, I think that’s over for now. Hmm…could that be the cure for writer’s block that every author’s been searching for–no time to write because of too many other commitments? Could be or maybe it’s just that I’m contrary that way.
Whatever, after I clean up a few more summer contests and promotions I’m doing, I’m going to take at least a week to do nothing but write. Woo-hoo! In my world, that’s what you call paradise!
So anyway, here’s your little bit of BSP for the day: on my final day in the spotlight over at the Long and Short of It, I’m talking about my favorite place in the world, the library. Hope to see you there and don’t forget to enter the contest for a free signed copy of Snow Shadows and a large Storm Shadows coffee mug!
Those are the reasons I haven’t posted anything or gotten any writing done for more than a week now. My father-in-law passed away last Thursday–RIP Dad, we all miss you–I had a new book come out–Storm Shadows, Book 2 of Eternal Shadows is finally up on Amazon, B&N, and other on-line book sellers!–and what little time I’ve been able to spend on the computer, I’ve spent on promotions–blech! So…sad, happy, and blah.
I am not enjoying the promotions but unfortunately, that’s part of being an author so I’m doing it. What I am enjoying is seeing the results of some of the promos I’m doing. And a funny thing, since Storm Shadows came out, sales on Snow Shadows seem to be picking up again. Hmm…guess it’s true what they say, the best promo an author can do is to write the next book and get it out there.
Anyway, I’m working on a post that’ll let everybody know what I’ve been doing and also what I’m planning in the way of contests. Stay tuned for your chance to win a free book or two…
so you have to believe it right? Well, in this case I do. Mr. Wilde, poet, novelist, dramatist, and critic, said, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.”
Life, in this case, is the trial going on in Catoosa County Georgia in which Tonya Craft, a teacher is accused of allegedly molesting three of her students. I have no idea if Ms. Craft is guilty or not but when I saw her story, I was somewhat astounded because it so closely resembled something that happens in the second book of my Eternal Shadows series–the “art” in this case, though I use that term very loosely!
In Storm Shadows, which will be released soon, by the way, the heroine, Betty Sue Corn, is a middle-school librarian and she is wrongfully accused first of improper behavior in front of her students and then of sexually molesting some of her students. She is suspended from her job while the school board decides what to do with her and while she waits, Nathan–who’s feels he’s responsible for her suspension–offers her the use of his cabin on Eternity Mountain. And of course, while she’s there she becomes involved with Marc, one of Nathan’s blood brothers. Marc, living under the same curse as Nathan and the other two Tassel men, Matt, whose story was told in Snow Shadows, and Luke, whose story is next in Sun Shadows, is an immortal shape-shifting cougar with psychic abilities. He is determined not to have anything to do with Betty Sue because he’s been “seeing” her for years in his visions and he “knows” if they get involved one of them will die.
Given that I first started writing this book over a year and a half ago and at the time I’d never heard of Ms. Kraft, although she was first accused in 2008, I’d say this one’s a close call. So what do you think…is life imitating art or art imitating life?
Hmm…maybe it’s a case of six of one, a half dozen of another. And speaking of another, here’s my favorite Oscar Wilde quote:
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Love that!
ETA: Tonya Craft was found not guilty of the charges today. I’m sure that’s a relief but what happens now? She’s lost her job, her home, and two years of her life. I’d say make the students who accused her do something to pay her back somehow…but they’re not even ten years old!
Got a Google alert last night that the ebook of Storm Shadows was up at Mobipocket which means it should be up at Amazon and Fictionwise soon. Yippee!
Here’s the gorgeous cover L&L Dreamspell came up with:
Looks like next week’s writing challenge needs to be updating my website and this blog with the cover and the blurb. Now that’s the kind of challenge I can get behind!
I know, I know, that’s not really a challenge since I’ve done it before but since WordPress seems to be going through some sort of midlife crisis right now, updating my sidebar and the Storm Shadows page is sure to be a challenge.
And what’s up with WordPress anyway? I’m kind of tired of seeing that message asking me if I’m sure I want to navigate away from the page I’m on every time I try to link to something or insert a picture or…can’t remember the other thing that gave me that message but the point is I’m tired of getting it when I’m not trying to navigate away from the page. I sincerely hope all the techies are working on that problem and that they get it fixed before next week!
BTW, this is my fifth and final post for this week! I met the first challenge! Now I need to come up with 51 more–okay, make that 50 more since I know what I’ll be doing next week.
CAIT-TALES 