Thursday, April 26, 2012

Don't Read This Post

I've been listening to that negative, inner voice again. You know the one. It says things like:

You can't do this.
You're no good.
Why are you writing? There are so many better writers than you. You can't possibly compete.
Nobody likes you.

Consequently, I've written all of a paragraph this week. Let's not talk about the last three weeks.

Why do I listen to the voice? Somewhere inside me I KNOW it's wrong.  But, even so, the doubts and fears have taken root and now I have to go through the process of shaking them. Again.

Because I won't give up. Even when I sometimes want to. All the voice does is slow me down, which aggravates me. It's lure is so strong sometimes, or maybe I'm just weak. Constant rejection doesn't help. Rejection from publishers. Rejection from bookstores. Part of me wonders why I bother. Would anyone notice if I never published another book?

I would. Writing is a part of who I am, and no, I'm not in it for the money. The problem is that if I go a couple of weeks without writing I feel it. And I start to doubt. And it leaves me open to the voice. Which lengthens my writing hiatus. Which makes me feel worse. Which just prolongs the vicious cycle.

I have support. And I'm grateful for them. But sometimes it's not enough to keep me going. Nobody can fix what's broken inside you but you and God. I know He's on my side. So I guess it's just me that's not.

So how do I fix that?

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

My review: Motherhood Matters by Connie Sokol


About the book: In these hectic days where life's demands can quickly become a heavy burden, Mom Rules: A Mother's Manual helps you find more memorable moments and take the stress out of the to-do lists. Written with clarity, concision, and wit, this indispensable handbook is better than flowers, more guilt-free than chocolate, and gives back to the woman who sacrifices so much of herself every single day.

This is a truly beautiful inspirational gift book launched into the world just in time for Mothers' Day. I loved (and related to just a tiny bit) the author's words in the introduction. She'd agreed to take on this project right about the time her oldest child went to college, her youngest started kindergarten, and she found out she was pregnant with her 7th. Coming from such a place, this book is nothing short of awesome.

Every mother has hard days. Every one of us feels we aren't doing enough, or that what we do doesn't count. This book is for those days. Think about all the mothers you know, and how much you want them to realize their worth, and then consider this book as an idea for Mothers' Day. You can purchase the book HERE or, if you're in UT, probably at your local bookstore. There are things I definitely miss about UT. :)

Read more about author Connie Sokol and her amazing journey of motherhood on her WEBSITE.

And enjoy Motherhood Matters.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

You Asked for It!

I've had A LOT of people asking me when The Tyrant King will be available for purchase. So, after some deliberation, planning, plotting, and mayhem--here it is.

The date.

The OFFICIAL announcement of publication.

The Tyrant King will be available for purchase--wait for it--on June 20, 2012!

I know, why June? It's like, forever!

But actually it's not. From this side of publication, it's pretty dang soon. 71 days. Here's the breakdown:

April is editing month. This is the time set aside for The Tyrant King to be professionally EDITED (she has the manuscript right now). This is a professional job, mind you, and will likely take the rest of the month to complete.

Then suddenly we're in May. May is set aside as the month of formatting. Getting The Wild Queen available as a PRINT NOVEL has taught me that this process takes longer than one may think. First off, my very awesome friend (ahem, KAREN HOOVER) who is helping me make the inside of the book beautiful has a WRITERS CONFERENCE to go to the first part of May. She's presenting, so there's a lot of work for her to do. So that leaves about 3 weeks in May to get The Tyrant King all prettied up, check for errors, think we've found them all, find a new one, fix it, then another, then another, order print copies--and, you guessed it--find another mistake.

Which brings us straight into June. So why not release the book June 1? June 8? June 12? Aside from the simple act of padding a few extra days into my time line for unforeseen circumstances (you wouldn't want to be waiting the book's release on June 10th only to have it delayed a week, would you?), June 20th is a significant anniversary for me. It's a date that matters, which will make the book's release matter just that much more. And, since I plan to have a rockin' release week June 18-22, I don't think we'll be short of excitement.

Mark your calenders! Here comes The Tyrant King!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Upcoming Book Launch/Tour

Hi there! I'm collecting bloggers for my upcoming book launch and tour for The Tyrant King. What's super-duper exciting (I seriously just said super-duper, wow) is that I'm launching my book in conjuction with my sister-of-my-heart's FIRST book being published!!! Are you excited? I totally am.

Here's the skinny: Her author name is M.L. Chesley, and her pirate-fantasy novel is called Adversarius: Shadow of the Rose, Book One

What's it about? Glad you asked: When it comes to politics, Kayta likes to let her sword arm do the talking. The only way to gain peace for her kingdom would be to enter into an arranged marriage with her enemy's son, Alabassin. There are worse ways to end wars.

And, of course, who is this lady? Aside from my friend and fellow author who happens to be married to my husband's brother, this is M.L. Chesley: M. L. Chesley is an Alaska based author, online blogger and MMORPG junkie. She has been writing fantasy for several years. Between writing, work and family she barely has time for much gaming, but some days, raids take precedence over all. If you would like to
learn more about her world, created in this book, go to www.mlchesley.webs.com. You can also follow her blog at www.caledonialass.blogspot.com.


I would LOVE to share with you a book cover for Adversarius, but, alas, it's not live yet. I CAN share with you (again) the cover for The Tyrant King (sequel to The Peasant Queen, my 1st novel), along with my book blurb:

The kingdom of Fayterra has enjoyed four years of peace since Jareth was crowned King and married Krystal. But, on the eve of Alana’s wedding, a stranger arrives with a link to the family that threatens to change everything. An enemy is revealed. Their people are under attack. War is declared. And not everyone will survive.
As the future becomes bleaker and the mystery continues to unravel, Krystal’s enemies will learn just how far she will go to defend the people she loves.


Now for the details. Our book launch/blog tour fun will happen in June. Participating bloggers will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card, and those who enter the contest will be entered to win a prize package of books and candy. So far, for that package, I have Watched by Cindy Hogan, Ireland's Pirate Queen, Variant by Robison Wells, Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans, and a beautiful leather bound journal. I will also throw in a copy of The Wild Queen, which is the prequel to The Peasant Queen.

Both books (Adversarius and The Tyrant King) will be available in print and e-book formats to cater to all readers, so never fear. You will get your copy. :)

Now, who wants to volunteer for all this fun? I need to collect at least 15 willing blog participants to host my tour. I've had a couple volunteers trickle in, but not nearly enough. This is my official plea. Please comment with your email if you are willing to be a host so I can contact you. You might also want to specify which book you'd like to spotlight or review, or if you'd rather do an author interview (and which of us you'd like to pick on lol).

Thanks!