Cover Design

No word for this post. I'm too excited this morning. I will tomorrow when I have a great post on indie and traditional marketing, courtesy of someone from Book Blogs.

Here it is! The wonderful Robin Ludwig from Robin Ludwig Design Inc. helped me place my vision for the Two Halves cover into a great design. I hope you guys like it as much as I do!

Twenty-one-year-old Sarah is a child of a human mother and a vampire father and has suppressed her dark side with serums. The only memory of her mother is when Sarah killed her, soon after birth. Of her father, nothing—just a hatred for his vampire traits that made her kill her own mother.

When a disturbing nightmare foretelling her bleak future stirs the superhuman traits, underworld creatures are beaconed. On the run with William, a man she knows from her dreams, Sarah tries to learn what’s been hidden from her, for a good reason. Had she known her destiny, she may have continued with the serums that kept her hidden. 

Mark your calendars for December 1st, 2011 release.

Insecure Wednesday

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Nascent: (adj): beginning to exist or develop.

It has been busy few week(s) for me as Two Halves is almost ready. I am happy to announce the e-book release date is December 1st. Yes, in less than one month. Later this week I will post my cover as well. I’m excited beyond words (not really beyond words, because those who know me also know I can type endlessly). So, instead of me telling you about it, I added a little excerpt from the novel Two Halves in the main tab above. Enjoy!

Having said that today is the first Wednesday of the month and it’s time for my Insecurity for our Workshop. All the hoppers and more information can be found here here (or the tab above).

My insecurity this month:

With the release of my first novel approaching I hope I will be able to upload everything correctly. I am diving into new territory here. OK, I’m not a computer genius, but I am not a beginner either and I hope that my past wits and education will not fail me when I press the ‘enter’ key. I’m thinking of uploading a little earlier to test it out, (don’t tell anyone:)) just to make sure everything is up and running for Dec. 1st. 

Has anyone else done that? Uploaded before the “official” release date? I’m not counting on everything going smoothly, I’m ready to face the demons of formatting (although I’ve gone through the instructions on smashwords once and they are simple), and hope not to screw it up. Any suggestions you guys have would be great!

Happy Hopping!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Photo found here.

Another top 3 Blogs of Mine

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Hippocampus: An area buried deep in the forebrain that helps regulate emotion and memory. Functionally, the hippocampus is part of the olfactory cortex, that part of the cerebral cortex essential to the sense of smell. Or: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus
This word caught my eye in the Webste'rs dictionary where it's defined as: a sea horse of Greek myth having two forefeet and a body ending in the tail of a dolphin or fish. Then it goes into the medical definition. I thought it was neat.

Top three blogs for today:
(For writers sending out queries, pay attention to the first one.)

1. Confessions of a wandering heart:  Suzie Townsend, a literary agent is celebrating her move to Nancy Coffey Literary Agency with a contest on Nov 1st. She will respond to queries with complete honesty. Can you handle the truth? Click above for details.

2. Zoe Winters: If you like Paranormal Romance, you will love Zoe. She's an indie author and I love her voice in the novels.

3. Janet Reid:  Janet is a cool and knowledgeable literary agent! Love her posts. Honest, quirky, funny, informative. Cannot say enough!

That's it for this Friday. I'm hoping to have some exciting news next week regarding Two Halves, including a definite pub date.

Hopping Friday

WORD FOR THIS POST:

Wistful: (adj) 1. characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning

In the spirit of Blogfest which took place one week ago, I am posting three very interesting blogs I follow. All three are approximately one year old (plus or minus a few months). I chose them all to be review blogs, because it's something I will be seeking soon. Have a look at the great job these bloggers are doing. In no particular order:

1. A Booklover's Dream: A one stop blog where you can find a wide variety of genres reviews.

2. As the Spine Breaks: Review Blog

3.Bookin'it Reviews: Where readers and authors come together.

Have a great day everyone! Today I am wistfully finishing my edits for Two Halves (all the red marks to be transcribed to the screen - see last post). Formatting for publication is next.

Editing

WORD FOR THIS POST: 
earnest: (adj) 1. Marked by or showing deep sincerity or seriousness.

The past weekend and couple of days had been busy. For one, I tried to visit as many blogs as possible from the Pay it Forward Blogfest, which took a bit of time, but met some cool people and saw great blogs. I think when I get a chance I'll sit down and try to create a custom background for my own blog- something that will incorporate the essence of Two Halves. I have some ideas, but executing them, well, let's just say it will take some patience, because I have no clue where to start.

Just when I thought my editing was done for Two Halves, I was wrong. Really, deep inside I knew I'd have to give it one more sitting, read it out loud and make sure everything is perfect for the readers (which I know it will never be, but I sure will try to get it to be the best quality it can be). As I read, the pages got redder and redder from my pen. The masochist in me sort of enjoyed it, I think it comes from playing school when I was a kid, marking my own work.  I think this was the first time I liked editing, so I guess my secret is a red pen.

Bottom line: I cut out a lot. Repetition, parts that slowed the story too much and didn't move it forward etc. I'm talking thousands of words, which really, is not a lot when the novel is 104K. I'll have the final word count when I transfer the red markings to the computer and this time I'm certain, that this is it. :)  I'm curious to hear some of your stories about your own editing.

While doing that, I worked on the novella (see sidebar) which sort of happened out of nowhere. It's a prequel to Two Halves, but it's meant to be read after the book (I know it sounds weird, but it makes sense). So, in order for the novella to fit in perfectly with the novel, I had to make a few tweaks in the novel itself. Just some hints and touches that make you go 'Ohhh, that's what it was about' once you get to it. I love those kinds of stories. This novella will ROCK.

Still on track though with Two Halves. Waiting for my cover which I think should be available any day now. Depending how everything goes this weekend with formatting and how busy real life will keep me, still shooting for November. Ok, I can't really fit earnest into the blog, or I'll screw up.

Pay it Forward!

WORD FOR THIS POST:
Denizen: (noun) 1. an inhabitant; resident  2. a person who regularly frequents a place

Before we get to today's exciting business, click on the new page above TWO HALVES for a small teaser.

Big Day Today! Let's PAY IT FORWARD everyone! For Details, click on the side button.

I'm very excited and have been thinking about the three blogs to post. There are so many to choose from. Today I will share with you the more popular ones out there that I enjoy. Next Friday, we'll switch to newer bloggers, but also very interesting and informative. I'll alternate each Friday between those that have been out there for a while, and newbies (less than a year old).

So, in no particular order:

1. JA Konrath: Joe Konrath is a great writer with multitude of experience in both the traditional and indie publishing. If you ever get a chance to read his short story pointing out the common mistakes of short story writers, you will pee your pants. It's available on his website under the FREE Newbies Guide to Publishing. Joe has been extremely generous throughout his career to help others with his knowledge. Very honest about his publishing experiences.

2. Pub Rants: Agent Kristin is a literary agent who shares her knowledge of the Publishing World. Her blog includes inside scoop on query letters, how to pitch queries, agency contracts and what all writers seeing representation should know. Very smart and informative.

3.Amanda Hocking: An indie author whose hard work and determination can be heard all over the internet. Way to go girl! The rate at which Amanda writes her novels blows my mind.

That's it! Those are my three for this Friday. I'm curious to see what you think about them and how many of you chose the same ones. I can safely say I am a denizen of these blogs and hope you find them as helpful as I have.

Happy Hopping!