Happy Wednesday Everyone! We are less than a month away from the release of my debut novel Rocky Falls and I couldn't be more excited. And nervous but that's to be expected, right?! By now, if you've been following me anyway, you've had a glimpse into the book though the prologue I released early. And, provided you follow my instagram, you have been introduced to four main characters from the story. In case you haven't, here is a basic rundown: Mason Hunt (FBI agent/Jules high school best friend who left 8 years ago), Jules Cooper (Leading lady, owner of Happy Trails the best sporting goods store in all of Washington), Angie Smith (Best friend of Jules and current employee at Happy Trails), and Mark Styles (Rocky Falls own fireman/bachelor of the year).
With all these great characters, what could possibly go wrong? Other than a serial killer hunting unsuspecting hikers in the woods of Rocky Falls, virtually undetected. With the release coming closer I decided to share some insider information with you all. Though this is the first book I've fully written, it wasn't the first story idea I had initially planned on working through. My first idea for a story (which I will keep under wraps because it's still a work in progress) was proving to be more difficult to write than expected. I was coming up with plot hole after plot hole and almost gave up writing a book completely. That being said, I'm glad I put it on the back burner and worked through another idea because now I know what it's like to write a whole book and what goes into it which makes plotting it out a tad easier. At least I think so. Eventually that first story idea will be told but I'm thinking it will be quite a ways down the road. Another fun fact about this book, in case you try googling Rocky Falls to find where this majestic place is...it doesn't exist. Well, not in the manner that you can physically visit it but pick up my book and if I did my job correctly you will be transported there within the first few lines. Though I created this place from my imagination, I did take some inspiration from places around me. I will be sure to share some of those locations with you as we edge closer to the release date. And my last fun fact for the day is that when I started writing this book, I initially had no plans of sharing it with the world. I had a few select people I was going to let read it but mostly it was therapeutic to write. As time went on, I became more serious and even started looking for an agent. I got some feedback from one in particular that helped me rework my story so that it appealed to readers. Then I nervously decided, with lots of encouragement, that I would try to self publish. Every free minute I spent researching everything I needed to do in order to publish my book which, might I add, made my anxiety shoot through the roof. So much to do, so much work. I talked to my husband and laid out everything that needed to be done and what I would have to do on my own because the cost of paying someone was outside the budget. And I will never forget what happened after that because it was the changing point from dream to reality. He asked me what was holding me back from pursuing self publishing. I said that it was a lot of work and time. I would have to create my own cover which was against all the advice from experts. I was responsible for writing the blurb, for marketing, for fine tuning, for literally everything (although I did splurge on a proofreader and I'm so glad I did because it was just what I needed). Then my husband smiled at me like some all-knowing, all-seeing guy and said, "And when has hard work ever stopped you from doing something that you want to do?" I started crying and laughing because sure, it was just that simple. Was I willing to put in the hard work or was I calling it quits? Anyone who knows me, knows I never shy away from hard work and I always make a conscious effort to continue growing and learning. This was just another opportunity for that. And thankfully my husband reminded me of that fact and my book will be out there for the world to see in September...so basically what I'm saying is, if you don't like my book blame him...just kidding, it's on me. I look forward to hearing all your feedback on my book and I deeply hope you all enjoy it! Thanks for your continued support and time! See you next Wednesday!
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For anyone who has been following me, I've been introducing you to my main characters from Rocky Falls. My main man Mason and my leading lady Jules. Today, however, I want to change bases and talk about a different character. One that I think makes her mark in so many ways as best friends usually do. Allow me to introduce you to Angie Smith.
She came waltzing into Rocky Falls four years ago looking for a job and found a home. She was lucky enough to find an apartment, a job, and a loving community. Even more than that, she is grateful for the friendship she shares with Jules. And like all great best friends she is the right amount of sassy fun and sarcastic humor. She knows how to appreciate a good looking man even though she's not the type to, as she'd put it, get tied down. As if that's not enough she's one hell of a cook and baker which means movie nights together are that much better. Snacks anyone? She's got the best of them. So what happens when Mason comes to town and Jules gets squirmy about the details of their history? Does Angie find out the whole story or does she spend her time ogling the new man in town? Find out September 13, 2020!!! See you next week and as always thanks for following my journey to published author! We are a little over a month away from the release of Rocky Falls and things are starting to move quickly. I received some great feedback from my proofread that came at the best time. I was worrying about whether self publishing was the right decision or if I was too green to be doing this. Then I get my proofread back and all those fears have been settled (at least for the time being).
I spent two days formatting the ebook and paperback and yes, now I know why authors pay to have that done instead of doing it themselves. ARC copies have been sent out to reviewers that requested them and everything has been uploaded to Amazon. Now, for book 2...the first round of beta reading is complete. I have taken the comments to heart and worked the scenes that needed a little something extra. Now book 2 is moving into the second round of beta reading. For book 3...I was 8,000 words away from my word count goal. I'm happy to announce that last night I reached 9,000 words for the day. So the first draft of book 3 is done and will be moving into the editing phase. My fingers are sore from typing but it was well worth it. When the words flow you just can't fight it. For those of you who are curious about my new series...I have the first book written and ready for editing. As soon as I get book 3 of the Rocky Falls series in the hands of beta readers I will start working on this new series. I've had some questions as to how many books I have planned for the Rocky Falls series. Honestly, I'll keep writing as long as everyone keeps reading so we will see what that means in the future but for now my plan is seven books in this series. I look forward to sharing all of my fictional adventures with you and I hope to keep you captivated and asking for more. Thanks all for all your continued support! As promised here is the sneak peek of Rocky Falls book one! As you can see this scene takes place on the day of Jules and Mason's high school graduation. Chapter one starts eight years later and we get to see how Mason's sudden appearance in town shakes things up. Preorders are available on Amazon (link is in the books tab). September 13th can't come fast enough. Enjoy!
Prologue Rocky Falls, WA – High School Graduation Day “Jules, I have to tell you something, and I’m worried you’re going to hate me when you hear it.” Mason was avoiding eye contact with her as they sat on the dock overlooking the lake. Even though night had fallen, she’d half expected Mason to find some sneaky, clever way to get her in the water. It had become a bit of a game for them every time they met up at the dock, but tonight was different. Mason was different. She lifted her head from his shoulder to look over at his defined face that was half-lit by the moon. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re friends. I could never hate you. Now just tell me what’s going on.” She’s been in love with him for most of their six-year-long friendship. Of course, he would never know that little fact, no sense in ruining a good thing by confessing her unrequited feelings. The muscles in his shoulders tensed, and his forehead creased as he continued, “You know I’ve been trying to find a way to honor my grandfather’s memory…Well, I decided the best way to do that is to join the Army as he did.” His fidgeting fingers finally halted as he dropped that emotional grenade on her. It took every bit of strength she had to keep the tears from falling as they pooled in her blue eyes. After a few moments of silence, she finally found her voice. “Okay…Well, I can help you do some research. We can find the best way to handle this. We can talk to some other people who have joined, so you know what to expect. I can go to the recruiting office with you tomorrow if you’d like.” She worried her quick speech, and the quiver in her voice gave away her unease. She tended to ramble when she was upset or nervous, and tonight, she was both. He put his hand on her leg to calm her words. His back straightened as he appeared to be summoning up the courage to tell her more. “I’ve already talked to a recruiter. I signed on, and I’m leaving tomorrow for boot camp.” She jerked as if she’d gotten slapped across the face. Trying desperately to process what was going on, she couldn’t stop shaking her head. Her long, chocolate strands started to fall from her messy bun as she tried to grasp what he was telling her. He was leaving. It was like her dad all over again. Maybe worse. “I don’t understand why you hid this from me. All those summer adventures we planned together. The things we were going to do before starting college and the whole time you were secretly planning to be gone. I feel like such an idiot.” The tears spilled over and started to slide silently down her reddened cheeks. It was time to leave before she said or did something stupid. She couldn’t handle the betrayal she felt or the abandonment that was rearing its ugly head. She brushed his hand off her leg. Then she started to rise, but like the clumsy fool she is, the lace of her dress caught on a piece of the dock, and her forward motion threw her off balance. She felt Mason grab for her, but it was too late. She plunged into the cool abyss. Before she could gain her equilibrium, she felt his strong arms band around her and pull her up. When they surfaced, she tried to push away from him, but he had a vise-like grip on her. “I know how to swim, Mason. Just let me go and leave me alone. I clearly don’t matter to you.” “You know that’s not true. I know what you’re thinking, Jules. I know you better than anyone, and you need to know this is not like when your father left. I will come back, and I will always be there when you need me.” The rasp in his voice made her stop struggling long enough to look up at his tortured expression. She knew him well enough to know that he was hurting too. When she stopped fighting, he loosened his grip but didn’t let go completely. She could feel his hand drifting over her curves as his gaze swept across her face. When their eyes met, it was unlike any time before. It was as if their souls were connecting. She felt complete. His hand continued its exploration up her side to her soft cheek. She couldn’t help but lean into the sweet, warm caress and to savor the gentle touch as he brushed the fallen, wet strands of hair aside. She had always longed for this moment with Mason. She just never expected it to happen like this. Jules held on tight to his shoulders as she heard him whisper so softly that she thought she might have imagined the words, “I’m sorry, Jules. You deserve better.” At his admission, she thought he would pull away. Instead, he dragged her flush against his lean body and brought his lips down to take possession of hers. The first touch of their lips was a spark of electricity that turned into a tidal wave of heat. She felt the kiss through her entire body. They connected in a way they never had before. I'm at the point in my book journey where I need to decide what I'm going to do on the day of my book launch. I was hoping to gather ideas on instagram but that has not panned out like I'd hoped. So I went to the source of all knowledge...Google. I looked at article after article, post after post about what makes a great book launch.
First thing I found was to do a live video and chat it up with everyone. Answer questions and introduce them to myself and my book. Well, anyone who knows me knows I'm shy and that includes camera shy. So naturally I'm hesitant to choose this option. Yet, it's still on the table. Second, giveaways...for sure. No matter what, I promise you all giveaways. You follow me, support me, and order my book...of course I'm going to do giveaways. You support me, I'll support you. With this piece of advice was also the idea to include random trivia questions (multiple choice and true/false) to help build the excitement around the book. The third piece of advice was to include other authors in your launch to help support each other...which I'm totally game for but that also means I'm back to my first problem...going live. Everything always goes back to being on camera. Yikes! Needless to say I haven't decided yet what my plan is but I will make sure you all have ample opportunity to join in on the fun. Now on to the next bit of news...I'm well over halfway done writing book 3! Book 2 is still with the first round of betas but nearing the end. Hoping to finish writing book 3 before book 2 comes back to the editing board. I'm working hard to ensure each book has a timely release while also maintains the quality standard readers expect. If anyone has any thoughts or ideas for my virtual book launch feel free to message me or comment below. I look forward to everyone reading Rocky Falls and hope to wow you enough to keep you coming back for more. In celebration of my husband’s upcoming birthday I decided to use this Wednesday’s blog to write him a love letter. The art of the love letter is special and sacred. Some would say it’s been lost with the invention of technology but I think the love letter itself has just changed form. Its visible in the way a couple interacts whether it be sweet messages left on the mirror, text message sent at random times as a reminder of the affection they share, or it could be as simple as a kiss on the cheek for no reason.
If anyone knows my husband they would know he doesn’t exactly have a way with words. In some cases he digs himself quite a hole because he jumbles up what he says. Most of the time I can keep it all straight despite his struggle but other times it’s beyond even my recognition. However, I respect his efforts to always try to “write” me a love letter in his own way. So for his birthday, please help me celebrate by sending love out to someone, anyone. It doesn’t have to be a significant other. It can be family, friends, neighbors…whatever compels you to spread the love. Your love letter can be as simple as messaging someone ‘I Love You’ or sending a virtual hug to someone who really needs it. Anything to make someone’s day that much more special! So here’s my love letter to my other half: To my player one on his birthday, Since our first date my life has never been the same. Before you, I felt like something was missing from my life and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. I always felt like an outcast and had a hard time fitting in despite my affection for many different hobbies. Then you came into my life and I found where I fit. With you by my side I have found out so much about myself. I found and learned to embrace my fun, nerdy side. I found a confidence I never knew I had. I found a strength I didn’t know existed deep inside me. I found a way to finally be myself without fear. And sure, people think we are perfect on the surface but we’ve had our struggles too. And through them all we have grown together. We have worked together until we found a flow and rhythm that works for us. We found a life where we work as a team to accomplish our goals and back each other up. Not only do you support my career aspirations but you help me find inspiration when my mind has wandered to the darkness. You really are the peanut butter to my jelly and I am excited each and every day I get to spend with you. Life is never boring with you by my side. Or our two crazy children who seem to both be a fun and adventurous mix of our personalities rolled in cute packages. It has been an interesting adventure watching them mold into the unique people they are but I also get a kick out of seeing the same facial expression cross their faces as you unconsciously do the same. Or how you all stick your tongues out while concentrating really hard on something. As far as watching you mold into a dad, I’m floored every day. You are by far the very best dad to our two kiddos. You think you’re not doing a great job because they say or do something that hurts but I see it all and I know for a fact you are the absolute best dad. You sit and play with them even if you don’t quite understand the game. You show them pictures of their favorite animals and you read them their favorite books. When you don’t know something you find a way to figure out how to do it. When we had our first child you struggled to even change a diaper and now you’re a seasoned pro. It’s all those little things you do that add up and make you something special. Stop doubting yourself and remember to enjoy these times with them. You’re doing great! All-in-all I consider myself lucky to have found you. Lucky to have caught your attention. And lucky to have you in my life. I love the life we are building together and wouldn’t change a thing. No matter what comes our way I am confident we have all the tools we need to find our way through the tough times and enjoy the good times. So here’s to you sweetheart! I wish you a very happy birthday this year and am looking forward to many more by your side. Love You Babe! Since I’ve started in my quest to become a published author, I have learned a lot about the process. Of how important each piece of the puzzle is to the whole picture. Writing the story is just a small portion of the work you have to do. There’s also editing, rewriting and repeating until the story is a polished manuscript ready to read. It goes through stage after stage of the writing process before it even sees the light of day (beta readers, editors, proofreaders…etc). This work is all in your hands and your responsibility.
However, today I am going to talk about the importance of your tribe or following whatever you prefer to call it. The piece of the puzzle that’s out of your hands. They are a very significant part of your success as an author (especially if you are a new author). You really can’t do it all on your own as much as you would probably like to. They say it takes a village to raise a baby and this work of art is just that, your baby. So you have to call on your village to send out reviews, promote your book, and recommend it. Now this is the scary part because if they don’t like your book, and yes there will always be someone who doesn’t like it, you will have to deal with an unfavorable review. The hope is the reviewer will give you helpful feedback that will provide you with the opportunity to become a better writer (Sure that won’t always happen but that’s at least the hope with a bad review). Though this is where good reviews come in handy too. When writing your review be thoughtful about what you liked. Give the author feedback that will help them make each story better. You like an author, that’s great…now tell them why. Reviews help the author get better. That’s not the only reason a review is so important. Reviews are necessary for readers to discover new authors. As an author you get a 200-word blurb to draw someone in, to entice them to read your book. You can’t put everything you’d like to in but the reviews will help accent the key qualities in your book that made someone continue reading. That made someone give up a night of sleep so they could finish. (Yes, I have heard this about my book but to be fair it was my mom and she is very bias…though I will say one thing about her, she hates reading and she loved my book so much she couldn’t put it down so there’s something to be thankful for). So why am I telling you this…well, I promise it’s not to further my agenda but to help support authors everywhere. I never realized how important reviews were until I entered the writing community and spoke to seasoned authors. Reviews are a vital key to being an author and if you truly like an author’s work you should tell them that. Trust me, writing is a long and arduous process and hearing good things about your book inspire you to continue working hard to create more stories. Thank you all for reading and I will see you next week! So much has already happened this month. Sounded like a good time to give an update on where each of my current projects stand. Let's start with the release of Rocky Falls. The cover reveal went off with a bang and preorders are live on Amazon. I gained quite a bit of support and can't thank everyone enough for the part they played in making that day something special whether it be the likes, loves, preorders or shares. Thank you! For those of you reviewers, bloggers, and bookstagrammers arc copy sign up is now live on my website (Under the Get in Touch tab) and links will be sent out at the beginning of August. The book is set to release September 13th, 2020 and I hope you all enjoy what I have in store for you.
More news on the Rocky Falls series...book two is in stage one-first round of beta reading. Once I get the feedback I will do another round of editing and release it to the next round of beta readers. I will do this until the book has been through all beta readers. While I am patiently waiting for the first round to be complete I am working hard to write book three of the series. I am three chapters deep and hoping to continue that progress with each passing day. Fingers crossed I can get a first draft written quickly. On another front I do have book one of another series written. It is sitting on the back burner as I put my complete focus on the Rocky Falls series, for now. However, I will return in good time to the new series I have planned for y'all. If you like sexy assassins and strong female leads...stick around because this series will be one to knock your socks off. As of right now book one is written and plans are in store for two more books after. Three best friends running a security company, a little bit of mischief, and a whole lotta love on the horizon. Bullets will be flying and the stakes will be greater than the danger lurking around every corner. If you are curious about the upcoming book, Rocky Falls, have no fear a prologue is near. As we edge closer to the release of Rocky Falls I have so much fun in store for y'all. I can't say for sure when but I will be releasing new teasers, an early look at the prologue, and fun giveaways. So if you haven't yet, head on over to Amazon and snag your preorder today. follow me on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date on all my news and as always thank you for your continued support! What do you think...? I'm pretty sure when my husband hears these four words come out of my mouth it fills him with dread. He's probably thinking "What fresh hell is my wife leading me into this time?" (And he hears these words a lot by the way). I'm a thinker and a planner. Sure I have rare times where I can fly by the seat of my pants but generally with big decisions and projects I spend weeks plotting before I actually execute my big idea. (Oddly I don't plot much with my books before I start writing but that's a story for another day).
The thing is when I think back to every time I've said these words to him, he was always supportive and comforting. Even when I said I was going to rip our kitchen to shreds to remodel it (I also added that I wasn't sure I could fix everything that could go wrong and was worried about doing irreparable damage). Yet, he smiled at me and said he had faith that if I didn't know something I would find a way. That's my thing. I was floored that he had so much faith in me. Shocked that in his eyes I could tackle any crazy thing that could come my way. So why am I telling you all this? Well, if your thinking it's to brag about my husband, it's not. Though he is amazing and I am thankful to be living my happily ever after with him, that's not the point I'm trying to make here. Everyone has their journey or if your into nerdy comic books an origin story (yes, I've learned to embrace the slightly nerdy side of myself). These four words were how I started on my journey to writing a book. I had the thoughts rolling around about writing a book for weeks. I even joked about becoming a romance writer one day and my hubby said he was surprised I hadn't done it sooner. It made me take a closer look at my life and what I wanted to do. After weeks of deliberation in my head and cute little jokes about not seriously considering it, I started to seriously consider it. One thing led to another and after those four words, along with the support of my closest people, I decided to pursue it. It has been a long and scary adventure part of which I had the insane thought I could remain anonymous. It's not an exaggeration to say the road to becoming a published author is like riding a roller coaster. Nothing is as it seems and just when you think you know what you're doing someone comes in to change your whole view. (Kind of like motherhood...expectation vs reality is always very different). I am, however, happy to announce that my first book is closer to being published than I ever thought possible. ARC copy sign ups are available for reviewers on the Get in Touch page and the cover reveal (with the release date) is only two days away. Perhaps some surprises will be coming the as we edge closer to the release date. Stay tuned for more! As always thank you all for your support and I will see you again next week! This blog post is coming a little later in the day than I usually post but at least it's here right?! I ran into a snag while I was working on my book and spent most of the morning trying to fix the issue. After some very extensive research I learned that even though we aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover, everyone does. Most of what I read says that if someone can't determine your genre within the first five seconds they might not even venture into your book blurb which you spent precious time perfectly crafting to intrigue them, lure them in.
Now whose to say that's an accurate assessment...certainly not me as a first time author. I initially modeled my cover after well known authors like Nora Roberts where it's a beautiful landscape relevant to the book. My fatal error was that those authors have name recognition. Then I looked into what makes for a good romance cover...oh boy did I spend hours upon hours looking into different covers and styles. My head is spinning. There's still no telling if I did a good job but I'm hoping that all my time spent working will payoff and romance readers will love it. That said, I would also like to announce that a teaser for the new and hopefully improved book cover is waiting just around the corner. So be on the lookout. As far as my writing progress, I have a proofreader scheduled for July so things are moving forward. Perhaps a little quicker than I might be emotionally ready for but I gotta pull the trigger sometime. Can't live in the shadows forever. My nerves are constantly firing on all cylinders and I am feeling both excited and nervous. Fingers crossed I gain a big following who all appreciate my writing style and find enjoyment from my books! Thanks for reading and I look forward to your continued support as I fumble my way to the finish line! |