Hello, friends.
You may or may not have noticed that I haven’t been posting for a while. Last year took a huge emotional, physical, and spiritual toll on me. Dealing with three deaths and a divorce pretty much sent me over the edge. Most days, it was all I could do to pull my carcass out of bed. I had no energy to write. I just needed to disappear.
So I did. In a variety of different ways.
Not only did I stop blogging, but I also disappeared from social media. It started with my Twitter account, then eventually I got off Facebook. I just…couldn’t take it anymore.
I don’t want to get into the dirty details of it, but just know that I’ve been taking a hard look at my life and trying to figure things out. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve had to face some harsh truths about myself and the world, and there are things about me and my life that I’m trying to improve.
All of this is in addition to the anxiety and other mental struggles I’ve been dealing with for the past 2.5 years after moving to Nebraska. With the recent pandemic, things aren’t exactly on an upward swing.
But I’m trying to take some steps.
One of the decisions I came to during this time is that I’m done trying to make money off my books. It wasn’t a super lucrative endeavor in the first place, and I only feel frustrated and like a failure when I check my sales stats.
Looking back at my historical information on Amazon, I always did really well when I gave my books away. Thus, I’m going to offer my stories for free on Wattpad. My paperbacks will still be available for sale on Amazon, but you’ll be able to read the electronic versions free of charge.
I will be uploading the stories individually, and I’ve started with The Appeal of Evil.
As I’ve been uploading the chapters, I have to say that I don’t hate the story. There are some parts that I really like, and I remember how much fun it was to write. I hope that readers will find the same enjoyment reading the story as I did writing it.
By the end of the month, I hope to start uploading my Saving Humanity series. The first two, Humanity’s Hope and Edge of Humanity, are done. I have the next two books, Finding Humanity and Losing Humanity, edited and ready to go, but I’ve been sitting on them for a year. I finished them right about the time I lost my mind.
I now feel ready to share them with the world. There will be at least one more book in the series, and it’s been started, but I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to finish it any time soon.
Right now, I’m just trying to take some small steps to figure out if this is where I really want to be.
Showing posts with label the appeal of evil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the appeal of evil. Show all posts
YA/NA Pure Paranormal Giveaway
Looking for some great YA/NA paranormal reads? Then enter the giveaway for your chance to win some great books!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The book I've included in the giveaway is The Appeal of Evil. Check it out! And good luck to all of those who enter!
Katie wants to invest her heart and soul in love, but she may lose both to Hell.
Katie, a senior in high school, is torn between loving the "good" guy, her childhood friend Wes who makes promises he doesn't keep and abandons her when she needs him the most, and the "bad" guy, the new kid at school Josh who is also a real demon from Hell. Katie wants someone who pays attention to her and puts her first, but what is she willing to give up to find him?
Find out in book one of this thrilling young adult paranormal romance by Pembroke Sinclair.
The book I've included in the giveaway is The Appeal of Evil. Check it out! And good luck to all of those who enter!
Katie, a senior in high school, is torn between loving the "good" guy, her childhood friend Wes who makes promises he doesn't keep and abandons her when she needs him the most, and the "bad" guy, the new kid at school Josh who is also a real demon from Hell. Katie wants someone who pays attention to her and puts her first, but what is she willing to give up to find him?
Find out in book one of this thrilling young adult paranormal romance by Pembroke Sinclair.
New Year, New Reads 99 cent Book Sale
Who’s looking for some great reads for 2017? Well, look no further than some 99-cent reads from a multitude of authors. I have a few discounted books, so check them out! If you received a new reader for Christmas, this is the perfect chance to fill it up!
Amazon is a bit particular about running discounts, so both Wucaii and The Appeal of Evil are available for 99 cents in the U.S., but Life After the Undead and Dealing with Devils are available for 99 cents in the U.K.
It has been 500 years since Aelana has been home, and a lot has changed in that time--including her. As a half-dragon, half-human hybrid, she has been traveling the universe destroying worlds. Both anxious and excited to return, she wonders what she will find. Her memories of home are filled with pain and loss, especially for her first and only love. She knows he won't be there, but will his memory? Will her anguish remain?
What waits for Aelana on her home world? Find out in this exciting urban fantasy novel by Pembroke Sinclair.
Katie wants to invest her heart and soul in love, but she may lose both to Hell.
Katie, a senior in high school, is torn between loving the "good" guy, her childhood friend Wes who makes promises he doesn't keep and abandons her when she needs him the most, and the "bad" guy, the new kid at school Josh who is also a real demon from Hell. Katie wants someone who pays attention to her and puts her first, but what is she willing to give up to find him?
Find out in book one of this thrilling young adult paranormal romance by Pembroke Sinclair.
Dating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what?
Katie's world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh--despite the fact that he's a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren't as simple as she'd originally thought. For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it. And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.
This is book two of the thrilling young adult paranormal romance by Pembroke Sinclair.
Seventeen-year-old Krista must quickly figure out how she's going to survive in the zombie-destroyed world.
The one advantage humans have is that the zombies hate humid environments, so they're migrating west to escape its deteriorating effects. The survivors plan to construct a wall at North Platte to keep the undead out, and Krista has come to Nebraska to start a new life.
Zombies aren’t the only creatures she has to be cautious of—the other survivors have a dark side. Krista must fight not only to live but also to defend everything she holds dear—her country, her freedom, and ultimately, those she loves.
Join Krista in her quest to survive in this thrilling apocalyptic novel by Pembroke Sinclair.
Check out these other authors for more great books!
| 1. | Patricia Lynne | 7. | Francis Mandewah | 13. | Neal Roberts | |
| 2. | Tui Snider | 8. | Rochelle Campbell | 14. | Paige Warren | |
| 3. | Christine Rains | 9. | Jemima Pett | 15. | Kenna McKay | |
| 4. | Tyrean A Martinson | 10. | Mary Pax | 16. | Pembroke Sinclair | |
| 5. | A.A. Chamberlynn | 11. | Diane Burton | 17. | Kandi J Wyatt | |
| 6. | Connie B. Dowell | 12. | Jessica Coulter Smith | 18. | tara tyler |
Hello, My Name Is... Blog Hop
We’re ringing in the New Year with lots of giveaways and by sharing some fun and wacky facts about ourselves. There’s a new giveaway at each stop, so be sure to visit them all!
Hello, my name is Pembroke, and here are some things wacky things you may or may not know about me:
1. I am an incredibly picky eater. I’m getting a little better as I get older, but not much. I can’t even eat tri-colored chips. I know they all taste the same, but in my mind, the red, blue, and green ones are different. They have to be yellow or white or I won’t eat them.
2. Gremlins scared the ever-living crap out of me when I was a kid. I swear they were living under my bed and were waiting to kill me in my sleep.
3. I have a ridiculously overactive imagination, which serves me well as a writer, but also causes a lot of undue worry and stress.
4. I have an unnatural fear of bats. When I was a kid, we would go back to Iowa to visit family, and they have a ton of bats back there. My grandparents would buy my siblings and me sparklers to light in the yard, but then my grandma would tell us that because we were blond, a bat was going to get tangled in our hair and bite our heads. Scared the crap out of me!
I know my fear is unnatural, so if given the opportunity, I would hold one of the winged creatures (in a controlled environment, of course) just to see if I can overcome it.
5. I’m deathly afraid of badgers and wolverines. I’ve only seen one badger in my life, but they freak me out! If given the chance, I probably would not hold one of those to overcome my fear.
Giveaway!
For everyone who comments on my blog (please leave your email address so I can contact you if you’re a winner), I will enter them into a drawing to giveaway print copies of The Road to Salvation Series, open to U.S. shipping only, which includes three books—The Appeal of Evil, Dealing with Devils, and Good Intentions.
Thanks for stopping by!
My Latest Release
On July 28th, the third book in the Road to Salvation series came out. It was exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. But this is how I feel whenever one of my books comes out.
It’s so exciting to have the story done and ready for the world to read, but there’s a fear that the world will hate it. While that possibility always exists, I know from early reviews that at least a few people have enjoyed it, and that makes me incredibly happy.
With this release, there was also a sense of relief. It felt sooooo good to have this book done. The story had been rattling around in my brain for a while, and it made me happy to write it down. Now, I can move on to other things.
But at the same time, Katie is still present at the back of my brain. It’s possible her story isn’t quite finished yet. I’m not sure. And I don’t think she is sure, either. If anything, she’s biding her time, trying to figure out exactly what she wants to say. It may turn out to be nothing.
Until then, I’m going to move forward with new projects and new stories. Katie will let me know when she’s ready—if she ever is. Until then, enjoy the Road to Salvation series!
Book 1: The Appeal of Evil
Dating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what?
Katie’s world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh—despite the fact that he’s a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren’t as simple as she’d originally thought. For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it. And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.
Book 3: Good Intentions
Katie has been through Hell—literally—and discovered that it wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. In fact, she kind of enjoyed it. She got to be with Josh, found out about her past, and discovered who she wanted to be as a person. Katie didn’t care that her actions went against social norms. She was happy.
But things are changing—again. Wes has come back into her life, and that can only mean trouble. His presence threatens to unravel her new-found happiness. She can’t allow that. She won’t let him back in. Yet, Katie can’t push him away.
Thrown back into a state of confusion and uncertainty, Katie is once again forced to pick sides, and in the process, she may lose herself.
It’s so exciting to have the story done and ready for the world to read, but there’s a fear that the world will hate it. While that possibility always exists, I know from early reviews that at least a few people have enjoyed it, and that makes me incredibly happy.
With this release, there was also a sense of relief. It felt sooooo good to have this book done. The story had been rattling around in my brain for a while, and it made me happy to write it down. Now, I can move on to other things.
But at the same time, Katie is still present at the back of my brain. It’s possible her story isn’t quite finished yet. I’m not sure. And I don’t think she is sure, either. If anything, she’s biding her time, trying to figure out exactly what she wants to say. It may turn out to be nothing.
Until then, I’m going to move forward with new projects and new stories. Katie will let me know when she’s ready—if she ever is. Until then, enjoy the Road to Salvation series!
Book 1: The Appeal of Evil
Finally, in her senior year of high school, Katie is resolute in getting over her lifetime crush, Wes. It also helps that Josh, the new and incredibly attractive boy at school with his bad boy persona, gives Katie the attention that Wes never did.
It doesn’t take Katie long to fall for Josh. However, Wes, the boy she had pined over for years, now wants back in her life and for her to stay away from Josh. Even with Wes’ warnings, the choice seems clear to Katie – until she finds out that Josh is actually a demon from Hell.
Torn between loving the “good” guy or the “bad” guy, Katie struggles with the idea that even though Josh is a demon, he might genuinely care for her. Katie wants to invest her heart and soul in love, but she may end up losing both to Hell.
The Appeal of Evil makes you question whether the “bad” guy is truly so bad and if being born a demon truly makes one evil.
Book 2: Dealing with Devils
It doesn’t take Katie long to fall for Josh. However, Wes, the boy she had pined over for years, now wants back in her life and for her to stay away from Josh. Even with Wes’ warnings, the choice seems clear to Katie – until she finds out that Josh is actually a demon from Hell.
Torn between loving the “good” guy or the “bad” guy, Katie struggles with the idea that even though Josh is a demon, he might genuinely care for her. Katie wants to invest her heart and soul in love, but she may end up losing both to Hell.
The Appeal of Evil makes you question whether the “bad” guy is truly so bad and if being born a demon truly makes one evil.
Book 2: Dealing with Devils
Dating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what?
Katie’s world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh—despite the fact that he’s a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren’t as simple as she’d originally thought. For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it. And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.
Book 3: Good Intentions
But things are changing—again. Wes has come back into her life, and that can only mean trouble. His presence threatens to unravel her new-found happiness. She can’t allow that. She won’t let him back in. Yet, Katie can’t push him away.
Thrown back into a state of confusion and uncertainty, Katie is once again forced to pick sides, and in the process, she may lose herself.
Behind the Story: The Road to Salvation Series
The third book in the series, Good Intentions, was released last week. I thought it might be fun to give you a little background on where the idea for the books came from.
There is this notion that it is accepted and expected that women will fall for the “bad” boy. The belief is that with their unconditional love, patience, and devotion, a woman will make him an upstanding and contributing member of society.
I have no doubts that for some men this is true. All they’ve needed in their life was support and caring from a devoted partner. But for others, nothing will ever change them. And that can be incredibly dangerous for women.
I am reminded of the “Hot Convict” story. This man found his way into women’s hearts because of his mug shot. From there, he landed a modeling contract.
Now, I don’t know the guy personally. I don’t know if he can be reformed or is looking for a better life, which could possibly be provided by the vast amount of women fawning over him, but an article on February 5th explains that he was sentenced to 27 months for his crimes. So he’s really a “bad” boy in every sense of the word.
Pfft, you say. It was just a weapons charge. It wasn’t like he actually murdered someone. But what if he had? What if he had been arrested for raping and beating women? Would women still find him attractive? More than likely, yes. We’ve been conditioned to think that no matter how terrible an attractive man is, they are just waiting for the right woman to come along and fix them.
There is this notion that it is accepted and expected that women will fall for the “bad” boy. The belief is that with their unconditional love, patience, and devotion, a woman will make him an upstanding and contributing member of society.
I have no doubts that for some men this is true. All they’ve needed in their life was support and caring from a devoted partner. But for others, nothing will ever change them. And that can be incredibly dangerous for women.
I am reminded of the “Hot Convict” story. This man found his way into women’s hearts because of his mug shot. From there, he landed a modeling contract.
Now, I don’t know the guy personally. I don’t know if he can be reformed or is looking for a better life, which could possibly be provided by the vast amount of women fawning over him, but an article on February 5th explains that he was sentenced to 27 months for his crimes. So he’s really a “bad” boy in every sense of the word.
Pfft, you say. It was just a weapons charge. It wasn’t like he actually murdered someone. But what if he had? What if he had been arrested for raping and beating women? Would women still find him attractive? More than likely, yes. We’ve been conditioned to think that no matter how terrible an attractive man is, they are just waiting for the right woman to come along and fix them.
But not everyone can or wants to be changed, and it can be devastating for women if they don’t fulfill this societal role. It can make them feel like failures. It can keep them in abusive situations because they’ve been told their love will change everything.
Then, I started thinking about Twilight and how Bella fell in love with a “bad” boy and what happened to her in the process. From there, I started thinking: What happens if the “bad” boy is really bad? Like demon from Hell bad. How would a naïve, inexperienced girl handle it?
Teenagers have specific notions about how love should be, and they are often influenced by popular culture. I know my ideas were waaaaay back in the day. They are often romanticized. And for women, it is often cemented in the idea that men can be changed and that we need a man to have meaning in life. It feels like those were some of the ideals I strove for when I was young.
Things have changed slightly over time, and we see a lot more strong female characters in popular culture. Katniss is one that comes immediately to mind. Or Hermione. But with the strong ones comes the Bellas—teenage characters who shut completely down when their man leaves because they have no meaning without them.
I wanted to challenge these notions while writing the Road to Salvation series. I wanted to point out how flawed and dangerous this way of thinking could truly be.
Katie starts out as a very stereotypical teenage character. She is whiny, self-centered, and needy. And it’s supposed to be irritating. It’s supposed to seem ridiculous and over-the-top. She’s supposed to drive the reader crazy. She wants to love someone and be loved, and for the longest time, she thought she could have that with her childhood friend Wes. But eventually, she discovers that it won’t happen. So she moves on and finds Josh.
Like all stereotypical bad boys, Josh is incredibly hot and has moments of being charming. He knows what Katie wants and needs, which is attention. But he’s also incredibly controlling and puts her in dangerous situations. He saves her, but that only reinforces his control over her.
As the books progress, Josh gets more controlling and even verbally abusive. But he does it in such a subtle way that she doesn’t realize what’s going on. She convinces herself that he does it because he truly cares for her. She thinks that she can change him. And when she finds out that she’s part demon herself, she feels that she doesn’t deserve anyone better than Josh. But that’s also because Josh has convinced her of this through his actions. He’s made her feel important and needed, so why would she go anywhere else? She has purpose and meaning with Josh. And he accepts her for what she is—even with all her flaws.
This situation is dangerous for Katie. She allows herself to be put in increasingly dangerous situations. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to make Josh happy because she believes that he defines her and gives her meaning. She wants to keep him around because he makes her feel complete, but she loses her identity in the process.
Only when things go completely wrong and Josh betrays her does she realize how bad that situation was. But even then, she still thinks she can fix what happened. She thinks she can make Josh happy again by working harder at being bad.
When I envisioned the relationship between Katie and Josh, I thought of it as an abusive relationship. Josh knows exactly what to say and how to act to keep Katie around. He knows how to make her feel special and needed, at the same time manipulating her into doing what he wants. And he knows how to make her feel guilty and like a failure for not living up to his expectations. He’s broken her down. He’s made her completely dependent on him. He needs her weak and unsure so he can get what he wants.
This type of relationship dynamic happens on a daily basis. I chose to have a teen as my main character because of her inexperience with relationships and men, but it can happen to anyone. And a lot of it is because women are taught that their self-worth and meaning comes from their relationships and how well they maintain them, i.e., how well they take the bad out of the boy. But it often doesn’t work out well for the women.
Katie learns that some boys just want to be bad. Josh always had his own agenda in mind, and she was just a means to an end. But on the other end of the spectrum, Wes isn’t exactly the better choice either.
Within the context of the story, I purposely chose to have Heaven vs. Hell, good vs. evil, as the main conflict. It is a black and white battle that most people recognize easily. And readers chose their sides immediately: they were either Team Josh or Team Wes. And I encouraged their decisions. I wanted them to pick sides. It was rather sneaky of me to do that.
Having readers pick teams played right into the notions and expectations that Katie needed a man in her life to give her definition and meaning. If Wes couldn’t provide it, surely Josh could. And when Josh turned out to be totally evil and Wes came back, Katie could still be saved. But as I mentioned briefly above, Wes isn’t any better than Josh. Sure, he’s on the side of good, but he’s also emotionally unavailable. He’s been stringing Katie along for years, making her believe that they could have a normal relationship, but he’s incapable of being there for her.
Wes does good for the world. He rids the world of evil threats, and he loves Katie, and in his mind, he thinks that should be enough. He has absolutely no idea what it means to be there for her because he never has been. He is selfish and self-centered. He thinks that keeping her safe from herself is enough. But what Katie really needs is a partner, someone who sees all her flaws and accepts her for who she is. Wes starts to do this at the end of the series, but by then it might be too late.
Katie doesn’t exactly have a lot of choices in boys when it comes to relationships. She had Josh, who is abusive, and Wes, who is emotionally distant. And yet, these were who readers were rooting for her to be with. I laughed whenever I saw people pick a team, and I wondered: why is no one picking Team Katie?
This, of course, comes back to stereotypes and notions that Katie has to end up with a guy. It’s a convention that has been portrayed in stories since the dawn of time. And I wanted readers to believe that trope. I wanted them to think that was how the story was going to go. But what it all boils down to, and what it has always boiled down to, was that the only person who could save Katie was Katie. She might not have accomplished it in overly heroic style or without getting hurt along the way, but she accomplished it.
Life is tough, and we are constantly faced with difficult and challenging decisions. As Katie learned, she has to have faith in herself and learn that self-worth is drawn from within, not from those around her. It doesn’t matter that she possess both good and evil, we all do. In the end, she has to live with consequences of her decisions—whether good or bad or both—and no one else can define her.
Then, I started thinking about Twilight and how Bella fell in love with a “bad” boy and what happened to her in the process. From there, I started thinking: What happens if the “bad” boy is really bad? Like demon from Hell bad. How would a naïve, inexperienced girl handle it?
Teenagers have specific notions about how love should be, and they are often influenced by popular culture. I know my ideas were waaaaay back in the day. They are often romanticized. And for women, it is often cemented in the idea that men can be changed and that we need a man to have meaning in life. It feels like those were some of the ideals I strove for when I was young.
Things have changed slightly over time, and we see a lot more strong female characters in popular culture. Katniss is one that comes immediately to mind. Or Hermione. But with the strong ones comes the Bellas—teenage characters who shut completely down when their man leaves because they have no meaning without them.
I wanted to challenge these notions while writing the Road to Salvation series. I wanted to point out how flawed and dangerous this way of thinking could truly be.
Katie starts out as a very stereotypical teenage character. She is whiny, self-centered, and needy. And it’s supposed to be irritating. It’s supposed to seem ridiculous and over-the-top. She’s supposed to drive the reader crazy. She wants to love someone and be loved, and for the longest time, she thought she could have that with her childhood friend Wes. But eventually, she discovers that it won’t happen. So she moves on and finds Josh.
Like all stereotypical bad boys, Josh is incredibly hot and has moments of being charming. He knows what Katie wants and needs, which is attention. But he’s also incredibly controlling and puts her in dangerous situations. He saves her, but that only reinforces his control over her.
As the books progress, Josh gets more controlling and even verbally abusive. But he does it in such a subtle way that she doesn’t realize what’s going on. She convinces herself that he does it because he truly cares for her. She thinks that she can change him. And when she finds out that she’s part demon herself, she feels that she doesn’t deserve anyone better than Josh. But that’s also because Josh has convinced her of this through his actions. He’s made her feel important and needed, so why would she go anywhere else? She has purpose and meaning with Josh. And he accepts her for what she is—even with all her flaws.
This situation is dangerous for Katie. She allows herself to be put in increasingly dangerous situations. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to make Josh happy because she believes that he defines her and gives her meaning. She wants to keep him around because he makes her feel complete, but she loses her identity in the process.
Only when things go completely wrong and Josh betrays her does she realize how bad that situation was. But even then, she still thinks she can fix what happened. She thinks she can make Josh happy again by working harder at being bad.
When I envisioned the relationship between Katie and Josh, I thought of it as an abusive relationship. Josh knows exactly what to say and how to act to keep Katie around. He knows how to make her feel special and needed, at the same time manipulating her into doing what he wants. And he knows how to make her feel guilty and like a failure for not living up to his expectations. He’s broken her down. He’s made her completely dependent on him. He needs her weak and unsure so he can get what he wants.
This type of relationship dynamic happens on a daily basis. I chose to have a teen as my main character because of her inexperience with relationships and men, but it can happen to anyone. And a lot of it is because women are taught that their self-worth and meaning comes from their relationships and how well they maintain them, i.e., how well they take the bad out of the boy. But it often doesn’t work out well for the women.
Katie learns that some boys just want to be bad. Josh always had his own agenda in mind, and she was just a means to an end. But on the other end of the spectrum, Wes isn’t exactly the better choice either.
Within the context of the story, I purposely chose to have Heaven vs. Hell, good vs. evil, as the main conflict. It is a black and white battle that most people recognize easily. And readers chose their sides immediately: they were either Team Josh or Team Wes. And I encouraged their decisions. I wanted them to pick sides. It was rather sneaky of me to do that.
Having readers pick teams played right into the notions and expectations that Katie needed a man in her life to give her definition and meaning. If Wes couldn’t provide it, surely Josh could. And when Josh turned out to be totally evil and Wes came back, Katie could still be saved. But as I mentioned briefly above, Wes isn’t any better than Josh. Sure, he’s on the side of good, but he’s also emotionally unavailable. He’s been stringing Katie along for years, making her believe that they could have a normal relationship, but he’s incapable of being there for her.
Wes does good for the world. He rids the world of evil threats, and he loves Katie, and in his mind, he thinks that should be enough. He has absolutely no idea what it means to be there for her because he never has been. He is selfish and self-centered. He thinks that keeping her safe from herself is enough. But what Katie really needs is a partner, someone who sees all her flaws and accepts her for who she is. Wes starts to do this at the end of the series, but by then it might be too late.
Katie doesn’t exactly have a lot of choices in boys when it comes to relationships. She had Josh, who is abusive, and Wes, who is emotionally distant. And yet, these were who readers were rooting for her to be with. I laughed whenever I saw people pick a team, and I wondered: why is no one picking Team Katie?
This, of course, comes back to stereotypes and notions that Katie has to end up with a guy. It’s a convention that has been portrayed in stories since the dawn of time. And I wanted readers to believe that trope. I wanted them to think that was how the story was going to go. But what it all boils down to, and what it has always boiled down to, was that the only person who could save Katie was Katie. She might not have accomplished it in overly heroic style or without getting hurt along the way, but she accomplished it.
Life is tough, and we are constantly faced with difficult and challenging decisions. As Katie learned, she has to have faith in herself and learn that self-worth is drawn from within, not from those around her. It doesn’t matter that she possess both good and evil, we all do. In the end, she has to live with consequences of her decisions—whether good or bad or both—and no one else can define her.
Cover Reveal for Good Intentions
On July 28, 2015, Good Intentions, the third book in the Road to Salvation series, will be released into the world. I'm super excited about it, and my team and I have been working hard to get it ready.
The cover was recently finalized, and I'm excited to share it with you now. However, before I do, I also want to share the other two covers so you can see how it fits with the series.
Are you ready? Here they are:
The cover was recently finalized, and I'm excited to share it with you now. However, before I do, I also want to share the other two covers so you can see how it fits with the series.
Are you ready? Here they are:
Book 1: The Appeal of Evil
Book 2: Dealing with Devils
And finally (drum roll)
Book 3: Good Intentions
Should I Defend My Characters?
In several reviews I've received for The Appeal of Evil, people have commented on how unlikable Katie is. In fact, some have even gone so far as to say they hate her.
My first reaction to that was that I needed to come to Katie's defense. I felt like I needed to protect her like I would protect my own children. I would explain that she acts that way because she's a 17-year-old girl or give some other excuse, like she's naive. I was upset that they would attack her like that.
Then, I stopped. I was talking to an author friend of mine about how not all main characters have to be likable. The point of stories is to put characters in challenging situations and see how they react to them. Not all of them come out fighting. Some are more passive and maybe a lot more self-centered. Some are unreliable. You can't trust anything they have to say, and they often twist the truth to their own benefit. Some are sneaky. Like the real world, characters in fiction display a wide range of personality traits--not all of which are desirable.
Katie is young, naive, self-centered, needy, and whiny. She has moments of being strong, but they are fleeting and quickly devolve into self-doubt and insecurity. Katie is who she is, and she shouldn't have to apologize for that or explain it to anyone. And neither do I. If she was any other way, it wouldn't be the same story.
I understand that readers don't like her. That's fine. They don't have to. She's not always my favorite either, and I know her really well. I don't cringe anymore when reviewers write about how much they despise her. In fact, I laugh. To me, that's an awesome compliment. I love to see that my character evokes such a strong emotional response. It means I'm doing something right.
My first reaction to that was that I needed to come to Katie's defense. I felt like I needed to protect her like I would protect my own children. I would explain that she acts that way because she's a 17-year-old girl or give some other excuse, like she's naive. I was upset that they would attack her like that.
Then, I stopped. I was talking to an author friend of mine about how not all main characters have to be likable. The point of stories is to put characters in challenging situations and see how they react to them. Not all of them come out fighting. Some are more passive and maybe a lot more self-centered. Some are unreliable. You can't trust anything they have to say, and they often twist the truth to their own benefit. Some are sneaky. Like the real world, characters in fiction display a wide range of personality traits--not all of which are desirable.
Katie is young, naive, self-centered, needy, and whiny. She has moments of being strong, but they are fleeting and quickly devolve into self-doubt and insecurity. Katie is who she is, and she shouldn't have to apologize for that or explain it to anyone. And neither do I. If she was any other way, it wouldn't be the same story.
I understand that readers don't like her. That's fine. They don't have to. She's not always my favorite either, and I know her really well. I don't cringe anymore when reviewers write about how much they despise her. In fact, I laugh. To me, that's an awesome compliment. I love to see that my character evokes such a strong emotional response. It means I'm doing something right.
Writing News
Late last week, I uploaded book 3 in The Road to Salvation series. It's called Good Intentions. It is now ready for the editor, but she won't be able to get to it for a couple weeks. I'm fine with that. I need a break from the story.
People keep telling me that I got through this one really fast. I've been working on it for 5 months, so it doesn't feel that fast to me. Granted, if I consider that Dealing with Devils came out almost exactly a year after The Appeal of Evil, then, yeah, it probably was pretty fast. Still, it didn't feel that way.
For some reason, it felt like a struggle to get through this book. A lot of it was because I wanted it done. I didn't want readers to have to wait forever and ever to read what happens. It was also hard to write because self-doubt crept in. The voices in my head kept asking me if what I was putting on the page was good enough, and the answer was almost always no. But I pushed through and finished. Now, I need feedback to see what can be improved.
I'm fairly happy with how the book turned out. I think feedback from the editor and my book manager will help so I'm very happy with it. It follows what I had planned in my head, with a few surprises along the way. I hope that readers enjoy it, and I'm looking forward to it being released into the world.
People keep telling me that I got through this one really fast. I've been working on it for 5 months, so it doesn't feel that fast to me. Granted, if I consider that Dealing with Devils came out almost exactly a year after The Appeal of Evil, then, yeah, it probably was pretty fast. Still, it didn't feel that way.
For some reason, it felt like a struggle to get through this book. A lot of it was because I wanted it done. I didn't want readers to have to wait forever and ever to read what happens. It was also hard to write because self-doubt crept in. The voices in my head kept asking me if what I was putting on the page was good enough, and the answer was almost always no. But I pushed through and finished. Now, I need feedback to see what can be improved.
I'm fairly happy with how the book turned out. I think feedback from the editor and my book manager will help so I'm very happy with it. It follows what I had planned in my head, with a few surprises along the way. I hope that readers enjoy it, and I'm looking forward to it being released into the world.
Happy Release Day!
Dealing with Devils, the second book in The Road to Salvation series is now available! The first is The Appeal of Evil. I’m so very excited!
Dating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what? Katie’s world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh—despite the fact that he’s a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren’t as simple as she’d originally thought. For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it. And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.
My amazing book manager created some fantastic teasers about the book. Check them out! And check out the book when you get a chance!
Dating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what? Katie’s world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh—despite the fact that he’s a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren’t as simple as she’d originally thought. For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it. And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.
My amazing book manager created some fantastic teasers about the book. Check them out! And check out the book when you get a chance!
Old-School Style
Recently, I finished the very rough draft of the third book in The Road to Salvation series. The first two are The Appeal of Evil and Dealing with Devils. It still doesn’t have a title, but it will eventually. I’m not a fan of coming up with titles. I actually dislike it quite a bit. I’m always looking for the perfect way to describe the book in just a few short words. It’s hard.
Anyway, when I write, I usually use a combination of handwriting and working on the computer. What I use depends on what I have access to. When I’m doing anything with the kids, I handwrite. It’s a lot easier to drop a notebook and pen if something happens than a computer. Plus, I don’t have to worry about the battery going dead.
This time, however, I hand wrote the entire manuscript. I’m not really sure why. Part of the reason was because with Dealing with Devils, it irritated me to have to type out chapters before moving along with the story. It felt like I was going backwards instead of forward, so I changed it up for the third book.
At the moment, I’m in the process of getting the chapters typed up. It’s a bit tedious, but it gives me a chance to revise as I go along. And, really, the hard part is still done. The story is still on paper.
I’m not sure I can tell you which way I think works better. Either way, the story is getting written. Either way, it makes my wrists hurt. To be honest, I’m just happy it’s done.
Anyway, when I write, I usually use a combination of handwriting and working on the computer. What I use depends on what I have access to. When I’m doing anything with the kids, I handwrite. It’s a lot easier to drop a notebook and pen if something happens than a computer. Plus, I don’t have to worry about the battery going dead.
This time, however, I hand wrote the entire manuscript. I’m not really sure why. Part of the reason was because with Dealing with Devils, it irritated me to have to type out chapters before moving along with the story. It felt like I was going backwards instead of forward, so I changed it up for the third book.
At the moment, I’m in the process of getting the chapters typed up. It’s a bit tedious, but it gives me a chance to revise as I go along. And, really, the hard part is still done. The story is still on paper.
I’m not sure I can tell you which way I think works better. Either way, the story is getting written. Either way, it makes my wrists hurt. To be honest, I’m just happy it’s done.
Making the Most of My Time
Over the Christmas break, I had the pleasure of getting 9 days off. It’s a perk of my job. I’m not the only one who gets it, everyone does, and it’s fantastic!
With that much time off, there’s a chance for lots of things to get done—or not. On either end of the spectrum, I could have done absolutely nothing or rearranged the entire house. I’m not one who likes to live at either extreme, so I usually do just enough so I don’t get bored. This year, however, I had a goal.
I’m working on the third installment in The Road to Salvation Series, which includes The Appeal of Evil (book 1) and Dealing with Devils (book 2, which will be available January 16), so I challenged myself to write a chapter a day while on break. Normally, I’m pretty good about writing every day, but not necessarily a chapter—I get down what I can get down.
I’ll admit it, it got tough a few times. The boys were home with me, and we have pets. And we didn’t sit in the house all the time. We went out and did things. I had errands to run, and we went swimming. There were also holidays sprinkled in there, so family came over and I had laundry to do and the house to clean. I also planned on getting to bed at a normal hour (which for me during break was between 9:30 and 10:30) and sleeping in (which, most days, wasn’t past 7:30), along with napping in the afternoon, which I totally did.
But in the end, I accomplished my task. They aren’t the prettiest chapters ever, but that’s what editing is for, and at least I have something to work on. My goal is to continue this trend until the book is finished, and I’m hoping it will get easier. As soon as school starts again, the boys will be back on a schedule, and while they are at wrestling practice, I have an hour and a half twice a week to work.
My goal is to have the first draft of the book finished by the end of January. If I keep up with my current writing trends, I should be able to make it.
And speaking of The Appeal of Evil, the Kindle version is currently on sale for 99 cents. We're celebrating the release of Dealing with Devils, so go check it out!
With that much time off, there’s a chance for lots of things to get done—or not. On either end of the spectrum, I could have done absolutely nothing or rearranged the entire house. I’m not one who likes to live at either extreme, so I usually do just enough so I don’t get bored. This year, however, I had a goal.
I’m working on the third installment in The Road to Salvation Series, which includes The Appeal of Evil (book 1) and Dealing with Devils (book 2, which will be available January 16), so I challenged myself to write a chapter a day while on break. Normally, I’m pretty good about writing every day, but not necessarily a chapter—I get down what I can get down.
I’ll admit it, it got tough a few times. The boys were home with me, and we have pets. And we didn’t sit in the house all the time. We went out and did things. I had errands to run, and we went swimming. There were also holidays sprinkled in there, so family came over and I had laundry to do and the house to clean. I also planned on getting to bed at a normal hour (which for me during break was between 9:30 and 10:30) and sleeping in (which, most days, wasn’t past 7:30), along with napping in the afternoon, which I totally did.
But in the end, I accomplished my task. They aren’t the prettiest chapters ever, but that’s what editing is for, and at least I have something to work on. My goal is to continue this trend until the book is finished, and I’m hoping it will get easier. As soon as school starts again, the boys will be back on a schedule, and while they are at wrestling practice, I have an hour and a half twice a week to work.
My goal is to have the first draft of the book finished by the end of January. If I keep up with my current writing trends, I should be able to make it.
And speaking of The Appeal of Evil, the Kindle version is currently on sale for 99 cents. We're celebrating the release of Dealing with Devils, so go check it out!
Being Part of Something Big
Earlier this week, it was announced that Booktrope, one of the publishers I am published with, had made a deal with Amazon. THEN, I recently found out that they also made a deal with Intellectual Property Group to bring books to Hollywood. I couldn't believe it!
Of course this news is incredibly exciting. It could mean big things for authors, and I'm so happy to be part of that group. It's going to be interesting to see how it works out.
When I first thought about submitting to Booktrope, I was incredibly hesitant. I mean, I already had a couple indie publishers (who are absolutely amazing and fabulous), why would I want to add another one to my list? It seemed silly to me. Then, I met Wendy on Facebook, and she was so nice and so sweet and so proud of what she was doing with Booktrope, she convinced me to give them a try.
When the book was finally finished and I was ready to submit, Booktrope was closed to submissions. I figured that was probably a sign, but Wendy had read the manuscript and really liked it, so she talked to Katherine (one of the co-founders), who was willing to publish the book based on Wendy's recommendation. It was awesome.
You can really tell a lot about a publishing company by the way they talk to their authors. Both Wendy and Katherine conference called me to explain to me what Booktrope was all about and answer any questions I might have. I was still unsure at that point about publishing with them, but talking to them calmed my fears and hesitancy, and I couldn't wait to be part of the team.
Incidentally, the only other publishing company I spoke to was Scarecrow Press, who published Life Lessons from Slasher Films. At the time, another publisher was interested in the book, and the editor at Scarecrow really wanted it, so he went that extra mile to persuade me to publish with them.
And it worked. It's so nice to know that a publisher is invested in you and your work.
Recently, Wendy had to step down as my book manager, after doing an amazing job. Pam became my new book manager, and she is just amazing. Even though I've never met her in person, I feel like we're friends. The relationships that are formed between author and book manager are just amazing.
I don't regret submitting my manuscript to Booktrope, and I wouldn't hesitate submitting more. In fact, they are the ones who will be publishing Undead Obsessed and Dealing with Devils. I have more books brewing in my mind, including another zombie novel, and you better believe I'm going to let Booktrope publish them if they want to.
Of course this news is incredibly exciting. It could mean big things for authors, and I'm so happy to be part of that group. It's going to be interesting to see how it works out.
When I first thought about submitting to Booktrope, I was incredibly hesitant. I mean, I already had a couple indie publishers (who are absolutely amazing and fabulous), why would I want to add another one to my list? It seemed silly to me. Then, I met Wendy on Facebook, and she was so nice and so sweet and so proud of what she was doing with Booktrope, she convinced me to give them a try.
When the book was finally finished and I was ready to submit, Booktrope was closed to submissions. I figured that was probably a sign, but Wendy had read the manuscript and really liked it, so she talked to Katherine (one of the co-founders), who was willing to publish the book based on Wendy's recommendation. It was awesome.
You can really tell a lot about a publishing company by the way they talk to their authors. Both Wendy and Katherine conference called me to explain to me what Booktrope was all about and answer any questions I might have. I was still unsure at that point about publishing with them, but talking to them calmed my fears and hesitancy, and I couldn't wait to be part of the team.
Incidentally, the only other publishing company I spoke to was Scarecrow Press, who published Life Lessons from Slasher Films. At the time, another publisher was interested in the book, and the editor at Scarecrow really wanted it, so he went that extra mile to persuade me to publish with them.
And it worked. It's so nice to know that a publisher is invested in you and your work.
Recently, Wendy had to step down as my book manager, after doing an amazing job. Pam became my new book manager, and she is just amazing. Even though I've never met her in person, I feel like we're friends. The relationships that are formed between author and book manager are just amazing.
I don't regret submitting my manuscript to Booktrope, and I wouldn't hesitate submitting more. In fact, they are the ones who will be publishing Undead Obsessed and Dealing with Devils. I have more books brewing in my mind, including another zombie novel, and you better believe I'm going to let Booktrope publish them if they want to.
Another Book Under My Belt
I can't tell you how excited I am that Booktrope is going to be publishing Undead Obsessed. They are the ones who put out The Appeal of Evil, and they are fantastic to work with.
I was a little disappointed that the agent route didn't work out, but I honestly wasn't surprised. How many books have I queried for? At least five, and not one of them enticed an agent. But I'm not letting it get me down. I can't. If you think about it, I have quite a lot stacked against me. I live in Wyoming, I don't have an MFA degree (although I do have my Master's in English), and I write genre.
These may seem like inconsequential things, but when agents want you to have a platform (which is just a fancy way of saying they want lots of people to know/follow you), I'm at a disadvantage. I'm not near any major cities. And I'm definitely not near New York.
Having an MFA degree would mean that during my education I would have had access to the publishing industry and famous writers. Sadly, when I was getting my master's, the university I attended didn't have a formal MFA program. They do now, but I'll be damned if I'm going to go back to school. (And yes, I'm well aware that this is a personal choice that could affect my career, but I'm OK with that too.)
Writing genre is really difficult. For one, there aren't necessarily a lot of agents who represent that genre. For another, the genre can be so saturated with authors or have greats that still dominate that it's hard for a newbie to break into.
Now, don't get me wrong, new authors with less connections than I have make it big in the publishing world. I have a close friend who landed an agent. All I'm saying is that I have a lot stacked against me. But, again, I'm fine with that. It doesn't bother me. At least I can say I tried.
In addition, it's not going to stop me from writing. I've come a long way since 2009 when Coming from Nowhere was published, and I really enjoy creating books. Just because an agent doesn't want it, that doesn't mean I'm going to stop.
Wow. I kind of got off on a tangent there for a minute. Let's get back to Undead Obsessed!
I spent a year writing this book. In the scheme of things, a year really isn't that long, but it's also really long. I dedicated a year of my life to this one project. And I'm damn proud of it. I've always wanted to write about zombies, but I never knew exactly what I wanted to say. When the inspiration for this book hit, it just took off.
There were ups and downs along the way, some criticism that cut deep, but in the end, it all contributed to making Undead Obsessed what it is. And I can't wait to share it with the world. And I can't thank Booktrope enough for agreeing to help me share it.
As I mentioned yesterday, we are currently looking for reviewers. You don't have to be a formal reviewer or have a blog, you can be an average reader with a love for zombies and access to Amazon. A secret group was set up on Facebook, so if you're interested, let us know and we'll add you. You can download the ARC from there.
I didn't need another reason to enjoy Halloween, but now I really can't wait for it to get here!
I was a little disappointed that the agent route didn't work out, but I honestly wasn't surprised. How many books have I queried for? At least five, and not one of them enticed an agent. But I'm not letting it get me down. I can't. If you think about it, I have quite a lot stacked against me. I live in Wyoming, I don't have an MFA degree (although I do have my Master's in English), and I write genre.
These may seem like inconsequential things, but when agents want you to have a platform (which is just a fancy way of saying they want lots of people to know/follow you), I'm at a disadvantage. I'm not near any major cities. And I'm definitely not near New York.
Having an MFA degree would mean that during my education I would have had access to the publishing industry and famous writers. Sadly, when I was getting my master's, the university I attended didn't have a formal MFA program. They do now, but I'll be damned if I'm going to go back to school. (And yes, I'm well aware that this is a personal choice that could affect my career, but I'm OK with that too.)
Writing genre is really difficult. For one, there aren't necessarily a lot of agents who represent that genre. For another, the genre can be so saturated with authors or have greats that still dominate that it's hard for a newbie to break into.
Now, don't get me wrong, new authors with less connections than I have make it big in the publishing world. I have a close friend who landed an agent. All I'm saying is that I have a lot stacked against me. But, again, I'm fine with that. It doesn't bother me. At least I can say I tried.
In addition, it's not going to stop me from writing. I've come a long way since 2009 when Coming from Nowhere was published, and I really enjoy creating books. Just because an agent doesn't want it, that doesn't mean I'm going to stop.
Wow. I kind of got off on a tangent there for a minute. Let's get back to Undead Obsessed!
I spent a year writing this book. In the scheme of things, a year really isn't that long, but it's also really long. I dedicated a year of my life to this one project. And I'm damn proud of it. I've always wanted to write about zombies, but I never knew exactly what I wanted to say. When the inspiration for this book hit, it just took off.
There were ups and downs along the way, some criticism that cut deep, but in the end, it all contributed to making Undead Obsessed what it is. And I can't wait to share it with the world. And I can't thank Booktrope enough for agreeing to help me share it.
As I mentioned yesterday, we are currently looking for reviewers. You don't have to be a formal reviewer or have a blog, you can be an average reader with a love for zombies and access to Amazon. A secret group was set up on Facebook, so if you're interested, let us know and we'll add you. You can download the ARC from there.
I didn't need another reason to enjoy Halloween, but now I really can't wait for it to get here!
Decisions
This week it became clear that Undead Obsessed wasn't going to be picked up by an agent. The revelation was bittersweet. Of course I would have loved to get a agent, but it wasn't meant to be. But don't fret. All is not lost. The book will still see it's way into the world.
I'm currently in discussions with a publisher. They will more than likely take it, but some details about photos in the book need to be worked out. I have confidence that it will work out. As usual, I will keep you informed of progress.
Other than that, I've been booking library visits to give my various presentations. I have one next week, then two in October. I'm also doing a program called Ignite Laramie, and I'm hoping to be part of the Cheyenne Zombie Fest. So many fun things coming up in the near future!
On top of that, I finished the first draft of Dealing with Devils. It's the sequel to The Appeal of Evil. It still needs a lot of work, but at least I have something to work with. It felt good to get that accomplished. For a while there, I didn't think I would get it done at all!
It's been a productive week, and I'm feeling energized and inspired. It feels great!
I'm currently in discussions with a publisher. They will more than likely take it, but some details about photos in the book need to be worked out. I have confidence that it will work out. As usual, I will keep you informed of progress.
Other than that, I've been booking library visits to give my various presentations. I have one next week, then two in October. I'm also doing a program called Ignite Laramie, and I'm hoping to be part of the Cheyenne Zombie Fest. So many fun things coming up in the near future!
On top of that, I finished the first draft of Dealing with Devils. It's the sequel to The Appeal of Evil. It still needs a lot of work, but at least I have something to work with. It felt good to get that accomplished. For a while there, I didn't think I would get it done at all!
It's been a productive week, and I'm feeling energized and inspired. It feels great!
A Good Week
This week was a good week. Nothing overly exciting happened, and I was incredibly busy with freelance edits and editing The Ifs Return for the publisher, but it went by fast.
I crossed a bunch of agents off my list this week. Their window of response had closed. It was bittersweet as that meant several less agents were interested in my work, but it gets me one step closer to knowing where the book will be published. That doesn't make me sad. At least it has a home. And I'm already brainstorming a whole bunch of promotional ideas that should be really fun. Of course, I'd do those no matter who put the book out.
I still have one agent interested--I think. He hasn't given me a concrete rejection, and when I email him updates (which happens incredibly rarely), he says "Thanks for the update." On one hand, it's a great response because I assume that means I'm still being considered, but on the other, it's irritating because I want a concrete answer either way. Sigh. I guess I just relish in the moment that he hasn't rejected me outright.
Speaking of the nonfiction zombie book, I got it back from the editor and sent it off to the people I interviewed for their approval/input. I gave them until the end of the month to get it back to me, so I'm sooooo close to being done done. It feels so freaking good!
As I mentioned up top, I'm also working on edits for The Ifs Return. I just need to finish those up and send them back to the publisher. I will get that done today. I feel bad because I've had it for two weeks now, but I wasn't kidding when I said I've been busy.
My goal this coming week is to work on Dealing with Devils (the sequel to The Appeal of Evil). I'm close on that one. Maybe five chapters left before my first draft is finished. To me, that's the hard part. I like editing and rewriting--that means I actually have something down on paper!
I feel like this month is flying by super fast. I feel like I haven't accomplished everything I want to accomplish, but I've done a LOT! All I can do is keep plugging along, and that's what I plan to do.
Happy Saturday!
I crossed a bunch of agents off my list this week. Their window of response had closed. It was bittersweet as that meant several less agents were interested in my work, but it gets me one step closer to knowing where the book will be published. That doesn't make me sad. At least it has a home. And I'm already brainstorming a whole bunch of promotional ideas that should be really fun. Of course, I'd do those no matter who put the book out.
I still have one agent interested--I think. He hasn't given me a concrete rejection, and when I email him updates (which happens incredibly rarely), he says "Thanks for the update." On one hand, it's a great response because I assume that means I'm still being considered, but on the other, it's irritating because I want a concrete answer either way. Sigh. I guess I just relish in the moment that he hasn't rejected me outright.
Speaking of the nonfiction zombie book, I got it back from the editor and sent it off to the people I interviewed for their approval/input. I gave them until the end of the month to get it back to me, so I'm sooooo close to being done done. It feels so freaking good!
As I mentioned up top, I'm also working on edits for The Ifs Return. I just need to finish those up and send them back to the publisher. I will get that done today. I feel bad because I've had it for two weeks now, but I wasn't kidding when I said I've been busy.
My goal this coming week is to work on Dealing with Devils (the sequel to The Appeal of Evil). I'm close on that one. Maybe five chapters left before my first draft is finished. To me, that's the hard part. I like editing and rewriting--that means I actually have something down on paper!
I feel like this month is flying by super fast. I feel like I haven't accomplished everything I want to accomplish, but I've done a LOT! All I can do is keep plugging along, and that's what I plan to do.
Happy Saturday!
New Project
While I'm waiting for the nonfiction zombie book to be edited, I have moved on to another project. Currently, I am working on Dealing with the Devil, which is the sequel to The Appeal of Evil. I'm about seven chapters in.
This story has been a lot of fun to write. I always enjoy coming back and revisiting my characters, especially when they have a story to tell. It's also a lot of fun for me because I'm incorporating the Devil into this book. I have such a fascination with him. It started when I was in college and read Paradise Lost by Milton. The way he portrays Satan in that story totally intrigues me. It's going to be a lot of fun putting my own twist on this character.
I have no idea when the story will be done, but I'll keep you updated on the progress. There are fun and exciting times ahead!
This story has been a lot of fun to write. I always enjoy coming back and revisiting my characters, especially when they have a story to tell. It's also a lot of fun for me because I'm incorporating the Devil into this book. I have such a fascination with him. It started when I was in college and read Paradise Lost by Milton. The way he portrays Satan in that story totally intrigues me. It's going to be a lot of fun putting my own twist on this character.
I have no idea when the story will be done, but I'll keep you updated on the progress. There are fun and exciting times ahead!
The Week in Review
A lot of really awesome things happened this week, so I thought I would share them. My goal as of late has been to try to focus on the positive. At first it wasn't very easy, I've spent most of my life being cynical, but once I started, it's been hard to stop. I still have a cynical side, but it's not nearly as large as it used to be.
First and foremost, the blog tour for The Appeal of Evil has been going fantastically. I've gotten a lot of exposure on many different blogs around the world. I've received some really fabulous reviews and some OK reviews, but the point is that people are reading the story. That's all I could ask for.
I've finished two out of the three edits I needed to get done, and I started on the third. That should be done by next weekend. I finished chapter 4 of my nonfiction zombie book, so I now have chapters 1-4 and 6 done. I've also started research for the pandemic part of the book.
Earlier this week, my friends helped me edit my query letter for the zombie book and I sent it out to a few agents. Thanks to their awesome insight, two agents requested my proposal--one within an hour of sending out the query and one within a few minutes, which is very rare. The one within a few minutes was so shocking, I honestly thought it was an auto-reply to let me know they received my query. I'll probably have to wait months to hear anything back, but it's totally worth it. It gives me a chance to get more writing done.
While rooting around in my gmail account, I found an email in my spam box that I had been waiting for but thought I would never get. I felt bad because they sent the response on January 6th and I didn't see it until January 27th, but I apologized and hopefully they'll respond. It made me happy to see that they didn't blow me off!
I received some emails from high school teachers to set up a time to visit their classrooms. I always enjoy hanging out with the kids and talking to them about writing. It's a lot of fun.
Despite my better judgement (or maybe because of it) I also started the sequel to The Appeal of Evil. I'm not sure why I did, I still have to finish the nonfiction book, but I had an itch to get some words on paper. I almost finished chapter 1. It felt really good. I will probably continue to work on it every now and again until the nonfiction is done, then I'm jumping in with both feet.
With all the wonderful things that happened this week, I'm excited to see what the next week will bring!
First and foremost, the blog tour for The Appeal of Evil has been going fantastically. I've gotten a lot of exposure on many different blogs around the world. I've received some really fabulous reviews and some OK reviews, but the point is that people are reading the story. That's all I could ask for.
I've finished two out of the three edits I needed to get done, and I started on the third. That should be done by next weekend. I finished chapter 4 of my nonfiction zombie book, so I now have chapters 1-4 and 6 done. I've also started research for the pandemic part of the book.
Earlier this week, my friends helped me edit my query letter for the zombie book and I sent it out to a few agents. Thanks to their awesome insight, two agents requested my proposal--one within an hour of sending out the query and one within a few minutes, which is very rare. The one within a few minutes was so shocking, I honestly thought it was an auto-reply to let me know they received my query. I'll probably have to wait months to hear anything back, but it's totally worth it. It gives me a chance to get more writing done.
While rooting around in my gmail account, I found an email in my spam box that I had been waiting for but thought I would never get. I felt bad because they sent the response on January 6th and I didn't see it until January 27th, but I apologized and hopefully they'll respond. It made me happy to see that they didn't blow me off!
I received some emails from high school teachers to set up a time to visit their classrooms. I always enjoy hanging out with the kids and talking to them about writing. It's a lot of fun.
Despite my better judgement (or maybe because of it) I also started the sequel to The Appeal of Evil. I'm not sure why I did, I still have to finish the nonfiction book, but I had an itch to get some words on paper. I almost finished chapter 1. It felt really good. I will probably continue to work on it every now and again until the nonfiction is done, then I'm jumping in with both feet.
With all the wonderful things that happened this week, I'm excited to see what the next week will bring!
Goodreads Giveaway for The Appeal of Evil
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Appeal of Evil
by Pembroke Sinclair
Giveaway ends February 03, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Publishing Milestones
There are many milestones in an author's life that make us do a little happy dance. The first is getting the story finished. Then, it's editing it to the point where we feel we can send it out to agents/publishers/whoever. Next is getting the story accepted. After that, it's getting the cover. And finally, it's getting the physical copies of the books in the mail.
This last one is better than Christmas. There is nothing more magical than seeing the fruits of your labor before your eyes. It's amazing to be able to hold your baby and cradle it against your chest. It's a very exciting time.
I had an awesome week this week because of the release of The Appeal of Evil. There were fantastic blog posts and promotion for the book, which will continue into February. Help me celebrate this milestone by happy dancing with me. And if you get the chance, purchase a copy of the book.
This last one is better than Christmas. There is nothing more magical than seeing the fruits of your labor before your eyes. It's amazing to be able to hold your baby and cradle it against your chest. It's a very exciting time.
I had an awesome week this week because of the release of The Appeal of Evil. There were fantastic blog posts and promotion for the book, which will continue into February. Help me celebrate this milestone by happy dancing with me. And if you get the chance, purchase a copy of the book.
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