I've Got Some Spare Time!

What a shock! I'm writing my post six days early, instead of my usual night before. My time is rather calm right now. You see, I wrote six books last year, and some of them aren't selling all that great. Just as well. By the time I got to the last book in each series, I could barely speak a coherent sentence, much less write one. Calvin would lead me to bed and I'd sleep for two days solid.

My muse had fainted in a dead heat and I had fired my agent, who hadn't bothered to check my manuscript turn-in dates--one publisher against the other. I had thirteen days between books two of my Highlander bear-shifters and my firemen series. Who can write a 73,000 word book, per contract, in thirteen days? Not I! And books three of each series had to be turned in on the same day. I literally had a nervous breakdown in the doctor's office and was put on two antianxiety medicines.

But this old gal survived, drugs and all.

The quality of my firemen series, not so much.

Books two and three were never edited by my editor. I sent them in and my editor forwarded them onto production because my writing is just so fabulous. NOT!! I nearly died when I found out. Reading them was worse than having a root canal through my navel.

So, for now, I'm revamping my first book ever published, Storm's Interlude, and have a mere fifty pages yet to clean up. Then I'll set it aside before I read over it again. It's going in a self-published bundle with some other authors' first books. Here's the new cover:

Yesterday, Random House, the only publisher I'm writing for right now except for a few Indie published books, sent me my copy edits for book three of my Highlander Beloved Series, "Bearing It All."

At Loveswept, the big edits happen between you and your editor. Then the manuscript goes to the copy editor who pulls his big magnifying glass from his pocket and looks for every misplaced comma, wrong word choice, and goof in my Scottish burr. Then I go through another round of edits. The final round unless he demands I change something I feel strongly against--like remove chapter eight. I have two weeks to do this.

Once this is finished I'll have a choice to make. Read over Storm's story once more or keep writing the first book of my wounded warrior series. I've got one chapter written and approved by my editor. When we'd brainstormed over the phone, I wasn't sure I was on the same page as her. Thankfully I was. She loved it. Now I want to keep going. I can see the second chapter unfolding. "Eagle Ridge Ranch" series takes place in the Texas hill country where SEALs come to their former CO's ranch to heal and acclimate to life, back in the world, near a small town.

My editor at Random House called to ask that I write this series. Going from bear-shifters in the Highlands to ex-SEALs with PTSD is quite a leap emotionally. I'm not sure I can do it. I've read books by psychologists and sociologists, watched movies, seen American Sniper three times and wondered how can I turn all this pain into a romance? It'll be a challenge. Thank goodness my editor is giving me the time to do it. I'd kinda like to bring my muse back to life.

When Is Your Own New Year? (And book giveaway)

By Glenys O'Connell

I gave up on New Year's resolutions years ago. Good Heavens, I can disappoint myself any old time, why set myself up for more pain and humiliation by failing to live up to those nice, shining New Year's vows?

Mind you, I am attracted (like the moth to the candle flame) to all the hoopla that goes with the idea of a nice, shiny clean slate to start the year. Like the moth and the flame, the attraction has frequently ended badly.

Like the 25 extra pounds that still sit in all the wrong places, despite many diet resolutions. Like the exercise plans that have fallen by the wayside, nudged out of mind by pressing deadlines. The always tidy home? Regular notes to distant friends and family? The solid two hours a day of uninterrupted writing? Ha! All sunk without trace.

Being a bit of a contrarian, though, I've tended to celebrate two New Beginnings each year. Yes, you heard right - TWO New Beginnings a year. In September. And March.

September was when our four kids returned to school, leaving behind a summer's worth of chaos. The farm harvest was pretty well in, the garden produce jammed, jellied, frozen and canned, everything winding down to winter. Time to clean house, return to my job (journalism and freelance writing), catch up with friends, complete the house renovation projects, plan, dream....

Then March - Spring about to burst on us, pregnant with potential. Summer clothes out of storage, a cornucopia of new fabrics for little girls' summer dresses and fabric art. The camera primed and ready to catch the images that warm us in the winter months. And the seed catalogues - the excitement and anticipation of the new arrivals in the mail! Oh, my - the possibilities of summer!

Somehow, the conventional New Year's always seemed to pale by comparision to the fresh starts offered by September and March.

 
I have to confess, though, that this New Year's has been a little different. My very first Indie fiction publishing venture, The No Sex Clause, a romantic comedy, was released just before Christmas - and what a wild ride that's been! And on New Year's Eve itself, Crimson Romance published my Canadian set romantic suspense, Saving Maggie. After what seemed a long drought in fiction work, I was back in the game and loving it!

So what's up for the coming year? Two new romance books and a couple of non-fictions. Also, the Indie re-release of three books that are now out of contract with a publisher.

And I'm planning to return to practice as a counsellor and life coach.

Redecorate my home. Do some travelling. Dust off the sewing machine and quilting frame.

And oh, my - that pile of seed catalogues on my desk is positively glowing with happy thoughts....

So, there's my confession. What about yours? Does your new year really start on January 1st, or is there another time that gets your anticpation and creative juices flowing?

Leave me a comment, and I'll gift your choice of an ebook copy of Saving Maggie or The No Sex Clause to the one I like best!

Glenys O'Connell is currently frozen in place  by record breaking low temperatures and snow. She'll emerge briefly in February, like the groundhog, to test whether Spring is imminent or not. You can learn more about her and her work on www.glenysoconnell.com or  Amazon page

Going Indie

Last year at this time, Ruth Cardello was a guest blogger on Roses of Prose. I read her post with interest. Ruth talked of her experience of going Indie and how she went about it. I went to her blog and followed her suggestions.

Beautiful Ireland!
Anyone want to guess where I got inspired for my next book?

Why would I even consider going Indie?

I’ll step back a tad. When I began to write, I hadn’t a clue what I was doing. I was (and still am) extremely native. I was under the mistaken impression that when you became a writer that’s all you did-write. I hadn’t a clue when I got my first acceptance letter what the world of publishing entailed. It didn't dawn on me I was only a small little fish in a large ocean.

My concentration when I first started to write was to get my book published. It was only afterwards that I discovered the other part of being an author-promoting. I found promoting my largest challenge. The challenge of getting your book read…

The answer to that came in Ruth Cardello’s post. Give a sample of your work away. Now when I read that I was like ‘Are you crazy?’ Do you know how much time and effort it takes to write a book? But looking over the dismal sales of my other books, I thought to myself what do I have to lose?

In November, 2011, I released my first attempt as an Indie- Whispers of a Legend, Part One- Shadows of the Past choosing to write under a pen name, Carrie James Haynes and yes…I gave it away. I discovered for the first time readers, not only family and friends, were reading my book.

Since my first release with Shadows of the Past last November, I have released the next two installments of Whispers of a Legend saga—The Path Now Turned and Vision of Destiny. I also have released a backlist book previously titled Dreamwalker now Dreamscape. In August, I released the second book of my Winds of Betrayal Series, Ruse of Love.

As with any venture, there have been ups and down. Being an Indie writer is a challenge. My challenge with becoming Indie—my release Daughter of Deceit- now under the title of Seductive Secrets by Colleen Connally. Besides that I do love my new pen name, Colleen Connally, this book has been a life lesson. I’m not going to go into specific particulars, but before I released Daughter of Deceit I had never in my life heard of trolls. I have now. But I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. As I said, life lesson.

On a positive note between its free days as Daughter of Deceit and Seductive Secrets being offered free, it’s had over 100,000 downloads!  100,000 readers have downloaded one of my books! I have also sold more books than I have in the past.

So what is the difference becoming an Indie.

Support. The world of Indie authors is filled with support. Most Indie authors support each other actively. Also, there are so many blogs and websites that offer free promotions for Indies.

Control. There are no more rejection letters. There is no more waiting months to hear whether it’s a go with your book. Now I am in total control over what I publish. Cover. Edits. Content. It’s on me. (This I will say to anyone that is considering going Indie…finish your product. Readers expect Indies to be just as polished as the traditional books released.)

Money. I’ve made more money being an Indie. Obviously it still depends on selling your book, but you make a larger percentage.

Ease.  Publishing your book has been made easy between Amazon- Kindle Direct, Barnes and Noble-Pubit, Smashwords, Lulu, Kobo… it will give you a complete outline on how to publish your book.

Important to note- If you’re interested in going Indie, do your homework. Remember nothing good comes easy.

So besides my semblance of advice today…I have a few free books for you.

Whispers of a Legend, Part One-Shadows of the Past by Carrie James Haynes

FREE everywhere!

So begins the legend...Whispers of a Legend saga. Kela Calledwdele was born with a destiny, a Euchoun with only one purpose in life...to protect. Torn between two worlds, Kela soon discovers she is the hope of both. Now she must find the courage to face the destiny fate has dictated to her.

AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE

Seductive Secrets by Colleen Connally

FREE everywhere!

Someone wants Alyce Hythe dead…

Shunned from London society for being the daughter of England’s most notorious spy, Alyce Hythe desires only to clear her father’s name. For years, she has been hidden away from all prying eyes, given a new identity and told to forget who she was. But strange things have been happening causing old rumors to once more be whispered. Long has Lord Julian Casvelyn lived with guilt brought on when his brother was murdered by England’s most infamous traitor. But one eventful night has changed everything Lord Julian believed about his brother’s death. Never did he suspect the woman he has just saved from certain harm is the daughter of that man. Now Julian is caught in midst of a conspiracy and desire for that woman. Thrown together by fate, the two search for answers long denied them and along the way discover a love that can free them both.

AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE

SPECIAL Today and tomorrow only- RUSE OF LOVE by Jerri Hines

FREE on Amazon!

The tides of war have shifted. When all eyes turn south, Doctor Jonathan Corbett finds himself once more thrust into the war’s turmoil. On assignment from General Washington, the dashing doctor discovers his mission has taken him straight into a conflict where the British are not the only ones to be feared.

Rebekah Morse has no time to contemplate the exploding war around her. Caught up as a pawn in a deadly conspiracy, she finds her only hope lies with her old friend, but things have changed since they last saw each other.

Yet destiny has not intervened in their lives without cause. Rebekah’s strength, courage, and breathtaking sensuality sets within Jonathan a desire he swore never to feel again. When Rebekah’s life is threatened, Jonathan is determined to save the stubborn woman whether she wants to be saved or not. Now Jonathan and Rebekah must face the perilous threat together—only to discover a passion they never imagined...

AMAZON
FREE TODAY AND TOMORROW!

Enjoy! Have a good one! Keep reading!