Claudia Lefeve

Cancellations, Loss of Ratings, and Spring Break

2012-02-29T09:06:00.000-05:00

Well, I had somewhat of an interesting week and it's only Wednesday!

Let's see, we'll start with Zazzle. Apparently, I cannot use my Albert Einstein quote, as it violates their content policies, so my business card order was cancelled. Ugh! But instead of emailing them to explain that a quote that is properly credited is not in violation of their terms (not to mention that the fact that I'm not making a profit by selling the business cards), I simply removed the quote and reordered. It wasn't worth the effort to make a big stink about it.

THEN Amazon had itself a lovely little glitch in their system on Monday, resulting in a lot of indie books losing their ratings. Not only that, but those with print and ebook versions were unlinked, resulting in riots, angry protesters, and authors jumping off ten story buildings. Ha, just kidding. But do I feel sorry for all the customer service rep's at Amazon that must have fielded at least a million calls these last couple of days. I did manage to speak to a very nice rep at Author Central and he manually linked my books back (thanks Andrew!). I got my ratings back, but it still might take a day or so for my books to be linked.

In book related news, I am almost done with my edits and will be sending it off to my wonderful beta readers hopefully by the end of the week! Yay! The timing couldn't be more perfect, as I realized that next week is SPRING BREAK (one of the perks of teaching at a college)! It'll be nice to have a week off and take a break from writing while my beta's tear my book apart! And it also means, I can take a mini-break and spend two days camping with the hubby and pugs. I'll probably take the rest of the time to clean the house, which has sorely been neglected these last few weeks.

It'll be a far cry from the Spring Break's I grew-up with in Texas, but being able to spend some quality time with the hubby, take a break from writing, and relaxing is just what I need.

For three months out of the year, South Padre plays hosts to partiers from all over the US during Spring Break. It's my native home and I love it, but I can do without the crowds (but I do miss the beach!).

I hope everyone has a great writing week and Happy Leap Day!! And extra day in February is always welcome, especially if you're on a publishing deadline!

Updates, Projects, and Einstein

2012-02-26T09:58:00.000-05:00

For those that missed my post on Friday, the cover for PARADOX was revealed! It feels like the days and weeks are getting closer and closer 'till publication date. I am already getting emails and comments on Goodreads asking when the release date is. That's a great feeling and I appreciate all the readers that are excited to continue with the Travelers series.

I'm still at the point I was since I last updated on Wednesday. I got another 5k words in and I am now officially in the editing process. I hope to have PARADOX out to my beta readers within the next week or two and my editor has already been given the heads up. Yay! I probably sound like a broken record, but the last stretch is pretty repetitive until the final draft is finished.

So, to change things up a bit, here are some projects I worked on last night:

Business cards! For months I've wanted to get some simple calling cards done. I run into people all the time and I never have anything to offer them once I introduce myself. I am in the business of selling books, so I finally bit the bullet and purchased these on Zazzle.

Isn't is cute? And the back of the card is my favorite part. If you've ever received an email from me, you'll notice I use the same quote as in my signature, "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales" - Albert Einstein. It only seems fitting that I would use a quote from Einstein. Being a physics teacher, my dad always referred to Einstein as "Tio Beto". I guess you can say that he was not only considered a member of the family, but a favorite uncle at that.

But I didn't stop there! I also created these great rack cards. I realized that every time I shipped a book out for a giveaway, I didn't have anything nice to accompany the book. Personally, I like receiving a little something extra, even if it is something as small as a bookmark. This is the design I cam up with:

I added the tag line from PARALLEL and some quotes from book blog reviews on the first side. For the second side, I included the cover of PARADOX and my contact info. I purposely left room to either sign or write a personal message (using white marker, of course).

The great thing about using Zazzle is their prices. For 100 business cards and 50 rack cards, I paid around $40. Not a huge business expense, considering how nice both products came out. So, don't be surprised if you end up seeing the final product if I ever send you a book!

OH, and last but not least, I FINALLY got myself an author page on Facebook. After a lot of internal kicking and screaming, I decided it was time to create yet another presence on a social media outlet. If you have the time, I'd love a LIKE!

Have a great week!

PARADOX Cover Reveal!

2012-02-24T08:26:00.000-05:00

I was going to wait until March 1st to unveil the cover design for PARADOX, but I can't help it! I just got the files back from Robin Ludwig Designs yesterday and couldn't wait to post the cover! I'm really bad about keeping things a secret, so, without further ado:

Yes, it looks very similar to PARALLEL, but I wanted to keep with the theme of the series. But if you look closely, you notice that while the PARALLEL cover features a notebook, this cover is based on a passport design. Etta does a bit of 'traveling' in book two, so I wanted to make sure that's reflected in the cover.

Can you guess some of the places Etta travels to?

And with a new cover, comes the blurb. This is always the hardest things about writing...coming up with the dreaded blurb. I had planned on taking my time on this, but once I started working with Robin on the cover design, I realized I needed to come up with a blurb, quick!

Everything is predestined.

Etta is slowly readjusting to life in her new reality, while still recovering from the shock over the news regarding her relationship with Cooper.

While learning more about her role as leader of the Council, she soon discovers that her future is linked to the five extraordinary individuals she must recruit in order to ensure her safety.

Nothing is at it seems, as rivals become allies and friends become the enemy.

Oh, and check me out over at LovelyLit. My friend Martha Bourke mentions me in her author interview! And don't forget, LovelyLit is doing a HUGE giveaway that ends 3/1 at midnight. Details here!

Have a great weekend y'all!!

ROW80 Check-In

2012-02-22T08:51:00.000-05:00

I seriously thought yesterday was Wednesday, and started to post my weekly check-in. I realized that I didn't have much to report, and that's because it was actually Tuesday. So now that I'm on the right date, I can get down to business.

Since Sunday, I've manage to get in another 1,400 words in for PARADOX. I spend a lot of that time doing some editing as I wrote, thus the low word count. But then again, I tend to have a better writing stride during the end of the week.

Yesterday, I contacted my cover artist, the fab Robin Ludwig, and she is now working on the cover for PARADOX. Yay! I already feel as if I'm at the finish line...just need a few more laps to go before book 2 is out!

Another reason I slacked on writing was due to my friend Martha Bourke. I began reading her YA paranormal debut, Jaguar Sun, yesterday and I spent almost the entire day reading it. There's definitely a new sheriff in town and her name is Martha. If you haven't checked out her book, stop reading and pick it up now!

I'm trying to get Martha involved in Round 2 of ROW80, so make sure to show her some blog love to show her how awesome we are at supporting writers!

I hope everyone has a great writing week and I look forward to seeing all your progress! And for you Catholics out there, Happy (does one say 'Happy'?) Ash Wednesday and don't forget it's fish on Friday's from now until Easter! (Once again, I'm a bit disappointed by the new McDonald's fish sandwich commercials this year. I miss the singing fish.)

Book Blog love!

2012-02-21T10:08:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd share two new reviews that were posted this week. I can't tell you how motivating that is when finishing up the second book in the series! Yay!

Forbidden Passion Reviews
"I think this first time author did a great job of creating a refreshing YA novel that is not like anything that I have read before. I want to give snaps to Claudia Lefeve for stepping out of the ordinary YA genre."

Walking on Bookshelves
"I'd like to start off by saying that I've never been particularly fond of books about time travel. The Time Traveler's Wife left a bad taste in my mouth. This book however, has made a huge difference in my opinion."

If you have a chance, check out these great book bloggers. Jeannette over at Walking on Bookshelves will be part of a giveaway hop on Friday (Feb. 24). And if you are an author, you might want to stop by, follow, and say "hi". Remember, book bloggers our our friends!

Tentative Publication Date for Paradox!

2012-02-19T10:20:00.000-05:00

I got off track last week and instead of posting my progress on Wednesday, I went a little off topic. But, I actually have some substantial updates today. I tallied up my word count since last Sunday and I've managed to get in another 6k words in, which puts me very near the finish line! I have about 10k to go (I'm estimating on what scenes I have left to finish). I should be able to finish up in the next week or two and I'm done! I normally edit as I write, so I will do another quick round of editing before I start sending it off to my beta readers.

So, readers can expect to see PARADOX published sometime around mid-March! Yay! I will be able to complete my goal of finishing up book two by the end of Round 1. A big thank you goes out to all those that have asked when book two is going to be out! It definitely gets me motivated to finish up the second book in the series. I was really shooting for a February date, but I wanted to make sure I got the story right. I didn't want to put in a half-as* effort.

In other news, I have been introduced and have been suckered into checking out Pinterest. If you want to follow me and check out my boards, you can find me here. Keep in mind, I only joined up yesterday, so my boards aren't complete yet.

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day this past week and to those lucky ones, I hope you enjoy your day off tomorrow in honor of President's Day! I unfortunately have to teach tomorrow, so no holiday break for me!

Contest Winners!

2012-02-17T09:12:00.000-05:00

A BIG thank you goes out to all who entered my 1,000 Books Sold Giveaway and for all of you who have enjoyed PARALLEL. It means to much to have so many fabulous readers!

And now for the winners:

1st Prize: Kindle/Nook Touch (winner's choice) and a signed copy of PARALLEL:

ALEXANDRA L.

2nd Prize: A signed copy of PARALLEL:

MELORA B.

Congratulations to you both, and I will sending an email out to you for your mailing information.

And for those that didn't win, I have an extra special surprise....for all those that entered, I will be giving away a FREE eBook copy of PARADOX, the second book in the series!! I anticipate publication to be early-mid March, so keep an eye out!

The Pricing Debate

2012-02-15T10:37:00.000-05:00

I have thought long and hard for several weeks on this issue: pricing. Do I keep PARALLEL at $0.99 or bump it up. Now, there seems to be a trend when it comes to indie books...price the first in a series at $0.99 and all subsequent books $2.99. For the most part, this method seems to work. The low price for the first book entices readers to read your book. To take a chance on you, so to speak. If they like what they read, they'll certainly be willing to pay more for the second.

It's a great marketing strategy, and again, one that have proven successful, but it is indicative of the book's worth? Not only that, but being a writer is a business. No, this is not to say that we, as writers, are in it for the money. Perhaps some are, but for the most part, indie writers publish books because we love to write and want our stories to be read. But there comes a point where we lose sight of the fact that we are still working.

In my previous job, I was paid roughly $32 an hour. Before taxes, that's about $256 a day, for 8 hours of work. As a published author, I don't make $256 in a month. I roughly make anywhere between $60 - $125. Now, I still have a full-time job, so I am not relying on my book income to support me, but the point is, as a writer, I probably put in around 30-35 hours a week. If I were to apply my hourly rate of $32, I should be earning about $1,000 a week.

Again, this isn't about greed or making money. It's about an author's self-worth.

Now, let's look at the numbers from a business standpoint. Indie authors do not have the financial support of a large (or small) publishing house. Sure, publishing on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, etc. are free. But what about the other aspects of publishing? What about editing! This is a part of publishing that is non-negotiable. We have to hire editors! I know there are many indie authors that use critique groups and trusted friends to edit and that's a personal decision...I'm grateful to have a fabulous editors that is not overly expensive. (FYI: Readers appreciate good grammar.)

Most authors contract out when it comes to cover art. Even if you create your own covers, you still have to purchase cover stock images. And what about formatting? Yes, you can learn how to format for eBooks for free, but personally, I like to contract that out too. My books look nicer and I do not have to worry about possible formatting issues. (FYI: Readers appreciate pretty covers and don't like badly formatted books!)

Then there's promotion. Again, this can all be done for free, but there are many indie authors that provide giveaways. And there's a cost for that.

So while the big chunk of publishing a book boils down to a small investment, you still have to take into consideration the time that is invested in writing a book. And as we all know, time is valuable.

So what, as indie authors, do we do? We can bump our prices and take a chance that our books will be purchased or keep our prices low to encourage new readers. Then again, it takes less books sold to generate more royalties, should we price our books higher. I'm not suggesting raising prices to reflect legacy publishing standards, but is $3-$4 too much? Are we being held to a different standard? That our stories aren't worthy enough, all for the sake of marketing?

There are many other arguments to this issue, one that I have studied and reviewed with great interest. But the bottom line is, what am I willing to spend on a book? Personally, I don't mind paying $2.99 when it comes to indie books. Even if the author is new to me. If it's not great, well, I can think of a lot of traditionally published books that I bought for $7.99 or more that weren't all that either.

What determines your pricing?

Kindle/Nook Giveaway Ends Wed!

2012-02-13T17:03:00.000-05:00

Don't forget, the last day to enter the Kindle/Nook Giveaway is Wednesday folks! That's a little less than three days to get that email out to me for a chance to win either a Kindle Touch or Nook Touch. So if it's time to upgrade that eReader, or you would like to try out a different device, now's your chance!

Giveaway Rules:

For those that have read Parallel, please email me (claudia.lefeve [at] hotmail.com) the first sentence in Chapter 20. If you haven't read the book, you can still pick up an ebook copy ($0.99) for a chance to win!!

One lucky winner will win a Kindle or Nook Touch (winner's choice) and a signed paperback copy of Parallel. One second prize winner will receive a signed paperback copy of Parallel. Contest runs from 1/16/2012 - 2/15/2012. Winners will be chosen at random through random.org and will be announced Friday, February 17, 2012. (Sorry, international readers, US only)

ROW80 Update

2012-02-12T09:41:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great ROW80 week! I have finally gotten to the point in PARADOX where I feel pretty good about my draft and can expect to start editing next week before I send it off to my beta's and editor! Yay! I dragged a bit on word count during the week, but I rallied and got in a whopping 4k yesterday (5k total for the week).

As I finish up the final draft, I realized I am psyched about PARADOX and I hope that my readers will enjoy the second book in the series. I already have an outline (in my head of course, I'm a pantser) for book 3! For those that are ready for PARADOX to be released, I promise it will be soon!

In other news, we had a touch of snow yesterday and I'm a bit disappointed we haven't had a really good snow in Northern Virginia yet. I am looking forward to a good snow day so I can snuggle up on the couch and finish up book 2 with my pugs snuggled up against me and a steaming cup of coffee.

That's all I got today folks. Have to get up off my bum and clean up the house. I am entertaining some folks later this afternoon and I'm really looking forward to that. Yummy brunch, complete with mimosas!

Save Fringe!

2012-02-10T11:27:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I figured I'd do something different today on my blog and share one of my favorite shows this season. I'm a self-professed TV junkie, so why not highlight not only my favorite, but why it's important to watch!

If you're not watching FRINGE, you need to clear all your plans for tonight at watch. I'll admit, I didn't get into it until last season, but once I did, I no longer make plans on Friday nights!

One of the reasons I love the show so much is due in part to Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble). He's quirky, mad, and brilliant. Walternate (the alternate reality version of Walter) is not so cuddly, but I think we can all agree Walter steals the scene.

If you were a fan of Dawson's Creek, well, it's Pacey all grown up! Walter's son, Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) is another reason to watch. How can you argue with sexy intelligence?

This season also brought us a new timeline with Agent Lincoln Lee (Seth Gable). He is much more reserved and well, geekier than his alternate counterpart (Captain Lincoln Lee) in the alternate reality. How hot is he with his Clark Kent glasses and gun?

Okay, this is shaping up to be more of a post about the 'Men of Fringe' than a reason why the show is so great. But trust me, this is one of J.J. Abrams finest shows to date. It has a mix of everything that is required for prime television viewing. Tiffany A White's Ooo Factor has a great review on the show if you want a quick run through of the show's premise.

And unfortunately, it is in danger of cancellation...not because of it's poor ratings, but because it's an expensive show and they're losing money. Already deemed a cult hit among views, the rumor mill already has us anticipating the worse: no Season 5 = no resolution.

So how can we, the fans help? Watch the show LIVE! Yes, I know, it airs Friday nights, but DVR'ing the show isn't as powerful, so here's an easy solution, if absolutely have to go out, keep the TV on while you DVR. Watching something else? Keep it on live on another TV set during the show.

Another way to help is by participating in the twitter campaign. Each Friday there is different hashtag (#) to get Fringe trending. Tonight's is #breakingout. Hashtags are to be used starting 8pm EST and again 8pm PST (to increase the chance of trending).

If you want more info on how to keep our beloved show, go over to More Than One of Everything, it does a better job of explaining this than I ever could.

For more about the show, check out the Wiki's FringePedia page.

Happy Update Hump Day!

2012-02-08T08:44:00.000-05:00

I don't have much of an update today, but in case you missed it yesterday, you can check out my guest post over at LovelyLit this week, as part of Indie Author Month.

And don't forget, there is only one week left in my Kindle/Nook Giveaway!

Weekend Update

2012-02-05T12:29:00.001-05:00

Yes, I missed my update on Wednesday, but as many of you fellow ROW80'ers know, life gets in the way! I don't have much of an update today, but I did manage another 1,500 words since last Sunday. It's nowhere near my word count last week, but I hope to make up for that today and this coming week.

If you noticed, I did however post on Friday, as part of the Spread <3, Not Hate anti-bullying campaign. You can still see my post below, as well as the many other authors and book bloggers that participated.

On 2/7, I'll have a featured guest post on LovelyLit, celebrating Indie Author Month. Parallel will also be featured as the Book of the Day on 2/28. So, don't forget to stop in, as LovelyLit will be having some great giveaways. I'll be giving away 3 free copies of Parallel!! Here is a short list of some the indie authors participating in this event, with some great giveaways of their own:

Imogen Rose
Brenda Pandos
Martha Bourke
Michelle Muto
Angeline Kace
Keary Taylor
Michele Madow
Kira Saito

I hope everyone has a great ROW80 week!

Spread Love, Not Hate - A Media Retrospective

2012-02-03T09:43:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone takes a moment to read my post today, as I attempt to do my part to speak out against bullying, as part of Spread <3, Not Hate, an anti-bullying campaign, spearheaded by authors K.M. Parr and K.C. Neal.

Why is this topic even important? Because unfortunately, bullying is a topic that often goes unnoticed, despite it's prevalence. Because at some point in our lives, we have all been victim to bullies, whether it's through physical or emotional harassment, either as children or adults.

And with the advent of technology, bullying has evolved right along side it. We are now introduced with the concept of 'cyber bullying'. In many instances, cyber bullying is far more sinister. Whereas before, victims could escape their tormentors within the confines of their home. Now, bullies have invaded cell phones, social media, email, etc. Victims are no longer free from harassment...it's everywhere.

What prompts individuals to display acts of hostile aggressive behavior? Psychologists feel that these portrayals of aggression is often a socially learned behavior, through parent's or peer groups. Operant conditioning can also explain bullying behavior, in which bully's receive some form of positive reinforcement from their actions.

Sometimes the positive reinforcement is as simple as acceptance. Not all bullies exert aggression behavior because they are bad. Some instigate aggressive behavior for a sense of belonging and acceptance, or rather to compensate for what is lacking in their lives (e.g. self-esteem). Simply put, it makes them feel better about themselves.

Now, remember the cult classic Heathers? Here we had a group of popular girls who embraced their role as tormenters of their school. One character, Martha Dumptruck, felt compelled to commit suicide (unsuccessfully) after being harassed by the Heathers and alienation by the entire student body. Not to mention Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder) and Jason Dean (Christian Slater) resorting to a form of bullying of their own, by killing off one of the Heathers and other such bullies in the popular set.

Which brings us to the victims of bullying. Often bullies pursue victims that are passive and are likely not to retaliate when confronted with aggression. However, while there are some victims who resort to suicide to escape the abuse, other victim's resort to violence. Let's revisit operant conditioning. One method of avoiding conflict (i.e. being bullied) is by fighting back, which represents a prime example of negative reinforcement.

Huh? Let's look at one of my all time favorite books/movies: Carrie.

Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) was an outcast. In the beginning of the movie, we see her being tormented and bullied by her classmates (this is the scene where she gets teased and harassed by having tampons thrown at her). Now, let's jump to the final scene final scene where a prank (which can be defined as an indirect physical act of aggression), where Carrie is the target of a bucket of pig's blood poured on her after being crowned queen (another joke). What do you think happen's next? She kills the entire student body with her telekinetic power!

Does this sound familiar? It should. Many school shootings are a byproduct of bullying. One of the hallmarks of school shooters is their feeling of isolation and alienation by their peers. This is not to say that all victims of bullying will resort to violence, but it is something to consider.

In Season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we find Jonathan (Danny Strong), up in the bell tower of Sunnydale High School, about to commit suicide after feelings of isolation and humiliation have gotten the better of him. Thinking Jonathan is out to kill his fellow classmates, Buffy reveals to him that everyone is in as much pain as he is and have their own problems. He is ultimately suspended and ordered to receive counseling.

So what do we do? As adults and parents, we can make an effort to incorporate early intervention in the home and in schools to prevent bullying. By the same token, efforts can be made to reach out to those victim's to provide the necessary support that is needed.

But teens aren't the only ones that perpetrate or fall victim to bullying. Those that engage in hostile aggressive behavior can continue the behavior into adulthood. We see it occur in the workplace and within social circles. This can affect victims with high levels of stress, reduced self-esteem, and a whole host of issues related to adult bullying.

So again, I ask, what can we do? Take bullying seriously. Often times we tend to look the other way when we see people fall victim to bullies. But together, we can make a difference by taking a stand against bullying by spreading the word, educating our children and peers, and offer our support to those who have fallen victim to bullying.

For more information on bullying, there are many resources available:
www.stopbullying.gov
http://bullyfree.com
http://www.athinline.org/

Claudia Lefeve, M.A., M.C.J.

Don't forget to stop at all the other wonderful authors, book bloggers, and individuals determined to Spread <3, Not Hate!

Sunday News

2012-01-29T18:12:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late on my update today, but I've been busy writing and researching. My word count isn't as great at last week's, but I've managed another 2k since Wednesday, which is actually pretty good considering how busy I was the last couple of days. I hope all my ROW80 writer pals had a great week!

In other news, I'm sure you've noticed the very cut pink badge on my blog, announcing Indie Author Month, hosted by book blogger LovelyLit, which runs the entire month of February. I'll keep you posted on what day my guest post will be featured. There'll be some great giveaways, so don't forget to check in all month! If you're an author and want to participate, just click on the badge.

On February 3rd, I'll be participating in Spread <3, Not Hate, hosted by authors K.M Parr and K.C. Neal, to speak out against bullying. So don't forget to check out my blog on February 3rd for my post. If you are an author, book reviewer, or have a blog, you can sign up to be part of the solution. Simply, click on the badge on my site for more info.

In fun news, our pug Guapo is going to be featured in an article for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel! My hubby's cousin, Alicia Rheal, is a professional artist in Wisconsin and she's actually the one being featured. She'll be doing a work in progress of Guapo, as part of the piece. You can check our her website and awesome artwork here at Rheal Imagination (the pug portrait is of our other son, Gus). I'm not sure when it will come out, but hopefully the article will be online, so I can link it when it does!

ROW80 Update

2012-01-25T06:44:00.000-05:00

Not much of an update today, since I posted yesterday, but I do want to report my progress since last check-in. I finished up another 2,700k since Sunday night. I'm shooting for a total of 10k by next check-in...but we'll just have to see how the rest of the week plays out! This is my last official week of juggling two full-time jobs, so I will definitely be in a better position to devote more time to book 2. I just gotta wrap-up lose ends and that, is what they say, is that.

Cover Design Redux

2012-01-24T20:38:00.000-05:00

Readers and book bloggers have spoken and I most defintely paid attention! As many of you already noticed, I have done a new cover redisign for Parallel. This was a tough decision, as I really liked the last design (yes, I'm on cover #3 now...the first cover, well, it's a long story...), however, there were a few folks out there that weren't impressed. This is in no way a reflection of fab cover designer, Robin Ludwig, as the design ideas for the (old) cover was strickly my own. So when I recieved a few reviews that mentioned a dislike for the cover, I went back to Robin and we came up with a whole new look:

Now this is a cover that truly reflects Etta's story. For those that haven't read Parallel yet, let's just say, there's a diary involved, pictures that are uncovered, and a pretty kick a@# scene with butterflies. I am so honored to work with such a great designer who not only agreed to the redesign, but was able to take my new ideas and put them together to create this cover. The design elements will go well with the other covers I have planned for the Travelers Series, so that's always a plus!

I hope that readers will enjoy the new design and those that were put off by the old one will take a second look and discover something new to add to their Kindles and Nooks!

Which reminds me...don't forget to enter for the Kindle/Nook Touch Giveaway! If you already own a copy, all you have to do is email me the first sentence of Chapter 20 for a chance to enter. If you haven't, now's your chance to read Parallel and enter to win!

Cheers to Writing and New Friends

2012-01-22T08:23:00.001-05:00

It's happened amigos! I've finally gotten to the point in writing book 2 where the words just seem to flow. Since I'm a pantser and don't outline, I usually don't gain momentum until I've finished various key scenes. Yesterday, I was able to get in 4,889 words! Now that I have the important chapters out of the way, I think I'll be able to get more words in by the end of the month.

I could have squeezed in another 2k last night, but I spend the evening chatting with my new author friend, Martha Bourke, who's new YA book, Jaguar Sun, I can't wait to get my hands on! She has a whole new take on shapeshifters and the December 12, 2012 Mayan prophecy.

After meeting Martha, I came to the realization that I love what I do! Being a writer, you meet the most wonderful people and everyone goes out of their way to help each other out. Maybe it's just an indie thing, but it's refreshing to be in a profession where authors help out other authors. I guess that's why I love being a part of ROW80, it's not only a challenge, but a way for writers to support each other.

I hope everyone has a great writing week!

Not Much of An Update

2012-01-18T19:04:00.000-05:00

I've been a busy bee lately and none of it involved word counts. Notice my new banner? I thought it was about time for a change... There's some other changes I'm working on that I'll announce later on in the next week or two.

And for those who missed it, don't forget to check out my 'Thank-You-Kindle/Nook-Giveaway' (see post below).

On the writing front, I've gotten another 1k words this week since Sunday. I feel like I could do more, but with juggling two full-time jobs (February can't get here soon enough 'till I scale back down to one) needless to say, it's been a bit taxing.

I hope everyone has a great ROW80 week!

1,000 Books Sold Giveaway!!

2012-01-16T08:49:00.028-05:00

When I clicked the 'publish' button on Amazon (and Barnes & Noble) four months ago, I didn't know what to expect. I hoped to sell a couple hundred, but I never imagined I'd sell over 1,000 ebook copies of Parallel! I can't tell you how much this motivates me to get the second book in the series out. I hope those that enjoyed the first book will come back for seconds. And for those that haven't picked up a copy, now's your chance!

I couldn't have gotten this far without you guys, so I hope y'all know how much your support means to me. So as a thank you, I'm hosting a giveaway!

Contest:

For those that have read Parallel, please email me (claudia.lefeve [at] hotmail.com) the first sentence in Chapter 20. If you haven't read the book, you can still pick up an ebook copy ($0.99) for a chance to win!!

Reviews...It's All Relative

2012-01-15T01:40:00.000-05:00

Reviews. This is a subject I've been meaning to cover for awhile. When we love or hate something, we're quick to give a review. As writers (at least for me), we patently wait for reviews to be written, so we can gauge how our books are received. Sometimes we squeal when it's a good one, other times we frown because we feel the reader just didn't 'get it'.

But at the end of the day, they're just that: reviews. We have to remember that reviews and personal taste is all relative. Not so different from movie or music reviews. For example, I love horror movies and am quick to give any slasher flick a rave review...my husband not so much. Today, the hubby and I made reservations 6 months in advance to attend a country music festival (Merle Haggard is the tentative headliner) and I'm sure there are folks reading this thinking, ugh, country. Then, there are NYT bestselling books that I couldn't even get past the first chapter, while others found it scintillating and satisfying.

That being said, I do pay attention to reviews about my books. For those that leave (thoughtful) less-than-positive feedback, I put aside my own feelings and generally take what they have to say into consideration. Others, I take with a grain of salt. I just have to remember that some folks expect a lot when they pick up a book and not every story will live up to their standards. I don't think there is an author out there than can make every reader happy.

Personally, I rarely read reviews on Amazon or Goodreads. I usually purchase books based on the blurb. If it sounds interesting, I'll buy it. I don't want reviews to sway my purchasing options. Perhaps I'm easily entertained and unless there are some major issues with a book, I generally enjoy them. I mean seriously, I'm not expecting Tolstoy when I'm reading a book about teenagers with superpowers. If it's fun, I like!

Now, I don't want this post to sound like I don't think there's any value to reviews, because I do. And I wish more readers would leave them (hint, hint). But as writers, we can't take reviews too seriously (unless you're receiving bad reviews all around...that might be a sign your book needs some work)...just breathe and if you believe in your work, others will too.

For some great posts on the subject, you should check out Kate Copeseeley's posts: Author Etiquette Rule Two and Doing That Indie Thing You Do...

ROW80 Update

I'm moving along in my word count this week. I hoped to get quite a bit of writing done, but I only managed to get over 1,500 words. Nonetheless, I'm happy, considering I've had a lot on my plate this week. I hope to get a full day in on Monday (I love holidays)!

Also, please check back on Monday. A super great giveaway is planned!!

Wednesday Update

2012-01-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday, time for another ROW80 check-in. I hope everyone had a great writing week thus far!

I've been a little sidetracked this week (per usual), but this I've managed to get in another 850 words on Paradox. I'm really shooting for 3k by weeks end.

On another note, I'll be doing an author interview sometime next week. Fellow Washingtonian and author, Ashley Barron, has graciously offered to do a little Q&A with me on writing. She has a great blog where she discusses her new series, The Priyas (which I'm looking forward to reading), and interviews authors from all genres. For those interested in writers and what makes them tick, you should really check out her site! And I'll keep you posted when my interview pops up.

Have a great ROW80 week and for those of you who are as superstitious as I am, it's Friday the 13th this week, so beware!

ROW80 Check-In & BIG News

2012-01-08T09:04:00.000-05:00

It's the first round of ROW80 in the New Year and I've already missed a check-in (last Wed)! What a way to kick off 2012...

My goals for this round haven't strayed from previous rounds, so here we go:

1. Write everyday
2. Finish the first draft of Paradox
3. Work (finish??) the first draft of my adult paranormal romance that's been hiding in a folder that only comes out occasionally to breathe...

This week, I've gotten in roughly 2,500 words to Paradox. I was kinda in a slump over the holidays, so I decided to just break it down and kept away from my WIP and just wrote scenes. I found that helped a lot in getting the juices flowing. I'm also a little stuck on the whole Traveler universe (no pun intended), so I need to take some time an sort all the realities.

On the home front, another reason why I've stalled a bit over the holidays is that I've struggled with a BIG decision.... (drumroll please) I have resigned from my job and have taken on a new one teaching full-time at the college! Yay!! Now, even though I'll be teaching a full load, I will have 3 days during the week that I can write from home! No more full-time job, being on-call, and working part-time as an adjunct. I now have a pretty sweet schedule and can devote more time to my writing. It means so much that I can do this and continue to hone my craft, write, and publish more books. But in the meantime, I have to juggle both full-time gigs until the end of January...

Now I've got to get back to finishing up my powerpoints for class and work on my WIP. For all those new and old to ROW80, GOOD LUCK this round!!

Debutante Ball WINNER!

2012-01-03T10:34:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had an great holiday and rang in the new year with a bang!

I know I'm a couple days behind (I blame it on the fact that I forgot what day it was while on vacation), but I am happy to announce the winner of The Debutant Ball contest!! The winner will recieve a signed copy of Parallel.

And the winner (chosen by Random.org) is.... Fiauna!!

Congrats!! I will be sending an email to the winner shortly. Thanks to eveyone who posted, tweeted and spread the word on Facebook!!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T12:02:00.001-05:00

Whether we end up sticking to them or not, everyone has their resolution list, full of do's and don'ts, ready to launch on January 1st.

As a rule, I don't make a list, as I never stick to resolutions. So this year, I decided to come up with just a simple goal to get me through the year. One that I can mold and shape into any given situation:

Work hard and do the best I can.

I can apply this to work, writing, dieting, trying new things...anything really. And if I fail in one area, I can always succeed in another. It may sound like I'm taking the easy way out of bettering myself for the new year, but who can argue with simply trying you best?

On that note, I hope everyone has a great New Year! And if 2012 really does mark the end of the world, head South. Near water (if it's a zombie invasion). That's where the hubby, pugs, and I will be.

Merry Christmas from me to you...

2011-12-23T13:25:00.001-05:00

It's not possible for me to reach out to everyone individually during the holiday season, so I thought I'd share some of my personal holiday favorites on my website. So take a moment, mute the television, and sit back and relax.

Merry Christmas...from my casa to yours!!!

It just isn't Christmas without listening to Cheech & Chong's Santa Claus and His Old Lady. The local radio stations always played this around the holidays when I was growing up. Every year, I download this from YouTube and pretend I'm a kid again, driving around in the car with my folks, quoting every line to the best Christmas story ever concieved since Charles Dickens.

Turn up the volume and sing along with me to some of my favorite Christmas tunes. I've never been into Christmas Carols (probably because I can't sing), but sometimes there are songs that brighten up your day and make you laugh, while others make you reflect and make you cry.

Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses (1981) is simply the best Christmas song ever...

Merry Christmas from the Family by Robert Earl Keen (1994), is the epitome of a Texas-style Christmas. If you're from Lone Star State (or the South), y'all will understand...

Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton (1982) is hands down one of my favorites. I wait for it to come on the radio every December so I can sing (and cry) along...(I'm crying right now as I'm listing to this).

Year in Review

2011-12-22T16:47:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's the end of Round 4 for ROW80! I also can't believe that I stuck with ROW80 for 3 rounds (thats almost an entire year)! Wait, actually, I can. The amount of support and camaraderie from my fellow ROW80's was enough to keep me going. I don't know what I would have done without y'all. Seriously.

This final update will also serve as my Year in Review, so to speak. I have accomplished so much in such a short period of time, it only makes sense to tie this into my update, for I wouldn't have gotten this far without a little encouragement...

My goal for ROW80 (every round) was simple: write everyday. I figured that writing everyday, even if it was a minimal amount, would lead me to my ultimate goal - to publish my first book. And while I often wavered on my goals, I managed to publish a short novella AND my debut novel.

Of course, this last round was supposed to get me towards the end of book 2 in my series and while I didn't quite finish, I am almost done! I hope to spend the rest of December finishing the dreaded first draft.

I've come along way since last December, when I decided I was going to pursue my dreams and focus on my writing. But I didn't just focus and accomplish what I set out to do...I met some fabulous friends in the process. I thank you guys for commenting on my posts, beta reading, promoting my book, being a shoulder to cry on, and above all - just being there.

And if you're still reading this post, here are some 2011 highlights:

*Published my first story (The Fury)
*Published my debut novel (Parallel)
*October blog tour
*December book signing
*Third short story published (Demonic Dolls Anthology)
*Interviewed J.A. Konrath and Blake Crouch
*Participated in ROW80
*Sold over 700 ebooks in 4 months (Parallel)

I had none of those things last December. All I had was an idea for a story and it just snowballed from there.

And just to be sure you get the message...I couldn't have done this without you guys. Sure, I can write a story and upload it, but it means nothing without you, dear readers.

Debutante Ball - Feast of Debut Authors

2011-12-15T08:18:00.001-05:00

I may be well and married and too old for a coming out party, but when I found out about this tour, I just had to pull out my dance card and participate!

For those of you who are new to my site, I recently published my debut novel, Parallel, the first in the Travelers Series. I am currently working on book two in the series, Paradox.

I really wanted to put this post to good use and do a quick rundown of who would I would cast to star in the lead roles if Parallel ever got picked up and made into a movie (or even a t.v. show, I'm not picky). But I couldn't! I couldn't find the right Cooper and Etta, well I guess the image of her is spoiled due to the cover.

Destiny has a way of catching up. Saddled with powers she doesn’t understand, Etta Fleming’s world is turned upside-down the day she meets Cooper Everett, the man who transports her to an alternate reality. A reality she was meant to be a part of.

One minute, she’s an orphan living at Dominion House for Girls, an institution for delinquent foster kids, then finds herself attending the exclusive Dominion Hall Academy.

Plucked from the only world she’s ever known, Etta now has to deal with an aunt she never knew, a boyfriend she doesn’t know, and a best friend who can’t know.

Here's what folks have to say about Parallel:

"I give this one a five out of five - an entertaining, fast paced, page turner..." Heather, Bewitched Bookworms

"I anticipated a fun read but I was blown away by how much I loved Parallel..." Jenn, Tynga's Reviews

"Ms. Lefeve did one heck of a job keeping me entertained but also keeping me at bay from answers till the end...Seriously Ms. Lefeve, you are brilliant..." Savy, Books with Bite

"This book has everything it has to offer to all the readers who wanted to take on a new journey of reading...Absolutely Fascinating! Two Thumbs-up!" Clarissa, Teen Readers Diary

Want a signed copy of Parallel? Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win* during the debutante tour!

** Contest ENDS the 31st of December!

Winners will be announced at the end of the tour on January 2nd on each participating author's blog.
*US residents can enter to win a signed paperback copy of Parallel. International residents will be registered to win an ebook copy.

For more chances to win, check out the following author blogs on December dates below!

12 Elizabeth Mueller elizabethmueller.blogspot.com

13 Regan Guerra reganguerra.blogspot.com

14 Melissa Pearl melissapearl.blogspot.com

15 Claudia Lefeve claudialefeve.com

16 Joseph Beekman josephsstoriesandtales.blogspot.com/

17 Pendragon Innmen PendragonWrites.com

19 Alex J. Cavanaugh alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com

20 Gillian Schafer gillianjoy-livingtowrite.blogspot.com

21 FiaunaLund formyfour.blogspot.com

22 Anastasia V. Pergakis labotomyofawriter.com/

23 H. Linn Murphy murph4slaw.blogspot.com

26 Tanya Contois speedyreader-allthingsbooks.blogspot.com

27 Patti Larsen pattilarsen.blogspot.com

28 Red Tash RedTash.com

29 Annetta Ribken wordwebbing.com

30 Cindy Hogan watched-thebook.blogspot.com

Guesting, Reading, and Dancing...

2011-12-14T13:52:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is a little more than a week away! Leave it to me to still be behind on my holiday correspondence (ahem...still need to purchase cards) and shopping! But as busy as I may seem, I always seem to have enough time to take on more than I actually have the time for.

Today, I'm guest posting over at Red Tash's site!! I never get over how gracious and welcoming other authors are with their precious web space. So, thanks Red for allowing me to take the spotlight for a day! You can read my post on what to get a writer for Christmas here!

If you noticed the sidebar, there are two holiday promos that I'm involved in. The first I'm sure you've already noticed is for the 12 Days of Christmas Reading giveaway! Don't forget to stop by and check-out all the funny and memorable holiday stories from 13 awesome authors!

And being from the South, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to participate in the Debutante Ball - A Feast of Debut Authors! Don't miss reading about the 20 fantastic debut authors and their novels for a chance to win big! My post will be featured tomorrow, so check back for a chance to be entered in the contest.

On the ROW80 writing front, I have another 2k words or so on book two. It is slowly (but surely) progressing. I would really like to bang out a lot more over the weekend before Christmas comes around! Best of luck to everyone on the final days of ROW80!!

Hate Math, but Love Numbers!

2011-12-11T18:02:00.001-05:00

This will be a short update as I posted a rather long essay in yesterday's post, which is part of the 12 Days of Christmas Reading giveaway. I have another holiday guest post that I have to work on tonight for my good friend and author, Red Tash (Red, if you're reading this, I promise to have to you before tomorrow!!)

ROW80 Update:
I am making good on my word goals these past few days...yay!

Thursday - 1,000k
Friday - 1,470k
Saturday - I napped and read :)
Sunday - 1,040k and I'm still writing, so my Sunday word count might get to 2k by the end of the night.

On the humorous end of things, I'm a hit in France! Parallel is ranked #12 in Teen Sci-Fi/Fantasy, right below Veronica Roth's Divergent! I'm laughing as I write this because it only took ONE eBook sold in France to get to that ranking. So, merci beaucoup goes out to the sole reader who pushed me to the top!

But on a serious note, a BIG thank you goes out to all those readers out there for taking a chance on my book. So far this month, I've sold over 120 ebooks and it's only December 11th! So again, thank you dear readers!!!

Until Wednesday...

A Christmas Story

2011-12-10T06:48:00.002-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is almost here. The mail strewn on my kitchen counter tells me that I'm already behind on my holiday cards. And I'll be honest, Christmas isn't one of my favorite holidays. I'm much more comfortable celebrating Halloween or Thanksgiving, were I can gorge on candy or stuff myself with turkey. Sure, I love getting presents, but I'd gladly forgo gifts and holiday merriment, in exchange for not having to shop for last minute gifts.

Now, what I do love about the holidays are all the memories I have of my family during that time. Never one to be conventional, our family always celebrates together on Christmas Eve. Every year, the entire lot travels to my aunt's place, doing last minute runs to Feldman's Liquor, piling all the presents for the cousins in the back of the mini-van, to be rewarded by the savoring aroma of brisket as soon as we enter the door (we're from Texas, okay?). Not to mention the heaping pile of steamy tamales (to clarify, we're from South Texas) that my aunts prepare special for the occasion. Shortly after we load our plates up with goodies, we gather around the television set to watch A Christmas Story on TNT, for what seems to be for the umpteenth time that day, before gifts are finally exchanged in-between helpings of brisket and beans.

But there was one Christmas Eve we didn't gather. That was the year that will forever be known as the South Texas Christmas Miracle. For that particular day in 2004 boasted the biggest snowfall in Brownsville. I remember waking up that morning to my mother exclaiming, "it's snowing! Come look!" My response? Some sort of morning grumble - I think I even threw a shoe - followed by, "it's just frost. I'm not waking up to look at frost." Now, by this time, I was a bonafide expert when it came to snow. I had lived in the Washington, D.C. area several years now and had already experienced blizzards and snow day closings, so I knew what I was talking about. But when I finally managed to drag myself out of bed later that morning...there it was, greeting me in all its fluffy white splendor. Snow. That day, Brownsville, Texas made national headlines for having the greatest snowfall in day...a whopping 1.5 inches. Yes, that's inches, not feet. It was the first measurable accumulation of snow in the area since 1895. In a place were palm trees line the streets in almost every neighborhood and the Gulf of Mexico is just a few short minutes away, we finally witnessed our first official White Christmas.

Even I had to admit, it was kind of impressive, given that the year before I wore shorts and flops to Christmas Eve dinner. And now there I was, having travelled all the way from D.C. to visit family, only to being told that "there's too much snow on the ground, so we can't go to Tia Toni's." That's right, amigos, dinner, gifts, and holiday cheer was ultimately postponed a day, until everyone felt "safe" enough to travel. I had to laugh about the entire ordeal, really. The roads were too warm for any of the snow to actually stick and all the white powder soon melted of roofs and lawns by noon, but it was truly a Christmas to remember and surely one for the record books. Some even capitalized on our little miracle: one couple wrote a coffee table book, while others displayed some entrepreneurial holiday spirit and sold snow on eBay (some poor souls actually bid on it).

It's been a few years since I've been home for the holidays and if memory serves, that might have been the last Christmas I spent at home with my family. Oh, I still manage to go home once or twice a year, but usually when I can avoid the holiday spike in airfare. And no matter what time of the year I visit my family, there's still plenty of brisket, beans, and tamales to go around...and I always remember to bring my flops.

**********

This essay is part of 12 Days of Christmas Reading promotion that runs from December 10 - December 22. If you want to check out the other fabulous writers participating in this promotion, check it out here. Make sure you leave a comment to enter to win some great books, including a copy of Parallel.

For All Us Slackers...

2011-12-07T18:34:00.002-05:00

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another ROW80 Update. I don't know how much I actually wrote these last couple of days, but I did manage to write a whooping 1k this morning before I headed off to work (that's what happens when you take a 10 min nap at 7pm and wake up at 3am!)

I also wrote a fun holiday post that I will have up sometime on Friday, as part of the 12 Days of Christmas Reading Giveaway, hosted by fellow ROW80's, J.R. Pearse Nelson and Nadja Notariani!

Also, I am proud to be a part of (which accounts for my awesomeness word count the morning) National Novelist Slack-A$$ Month (#NaNoSlackMo), the brainchild of another fab ROW80'er, Jenny Hansen. This challenge is for those that didn't win NaNoWriMo (although y'all are winners in our hearts) or didn't participate to begin with (like moi). So let's see if I can do 25k this month!

Until Sunday, have a great ROW80 week!

Down to Business

2011-12-04T08:03:00.000-05:00

I've debated on writing this post for awhile now. I know there are a lot of writers that post their monthly sales figures and while I find those reports very informative, I have to question, "is this something I want to do?"

After much thought, I decided to go ahead and post my sales stats for Parallel. I don't know if this will become a regular occurance on my blog, but maybe I'll try it just this once. In the last few weeks, I've had emails from writers interested in my sales, not to be nosy, but wanting to gauge how they are progressing by comparison and since most of my followers at this point are writers, why not share my own progress?

To be honest, I actually appreciate it when writers share their sales figures. I know not everyone feels the same way, but it really does give me an idea of how other authors in my genre are doing in terms of sales/trends/etc.

So for those that are curious, here are my recent stats for the last three months:

August (I hit the "publish" button until August 26th, so this is only a few days of sales for the month):
Amazon Kindle: 12
Barnes & Noble Nook: 52

September:
Amazon Kindle: 26
Barnes & Noble Nook: 25

October:
Amazon Kindle: 64
Barnes & Noble Nook: 23
Apple iBook: 1

November:
Amazon Kindle: 224
Barnes & Noble Nook: 25
Createspace (paperback): 1

Total
eBook Sales: 452
Print: 1

All in all, not bad for three months! Since November, I am averaging about 6-10 books a day and even though we are only in the first few days of *December, I am still seeing a rise in sales. Aside from actual book sales, I've also been asked what I'm doing to get these numbers and to be honest, I have no idea...maybe the spike in November sales was due to the blog tour I did in October, perhaps I'm just in the right genre, or it could very well be the luck of the draw. This is not to say I'm killin' it, but personally, I'm pretty damn proud to have sold this many books in such a short period of time.

Book Signing!

As some of you know, I did a very small book signing in Old Town Alexandria (where Parallel takes place) on Friday. My friend Jody was kind enough to let me sell books during her Islay Trunk Show. I only brought 10 books to sign, figuring I'd sell only a couple, then I could just give the rest away for Christmas gifts, but surprisingly, I ended up selling/signing 9!! There were several folks there that were desperate to find stocking stuffers for their nieces/daughters. So now, I actually have to get a couple more to add to my gift list!

It was a nice affair, complete with champagne, cheese, and other goodies. Not to mention getting to see a few friends that I haven't seen since moving away from Alexandria. I don't know if I'll do more book signings, since it's not really cost effective (gas, chipping in for snacks, etc.), but it did get my name and website out and it was a total blast. Perhaps I'll do another small one in the future...we'll see.

ROW80 Update

A few weeks ago, I decided to revamp my goals from writing everyday, to writing at least 5,000 words a week. Well, that's not really working for me. I am writing everyday, but as we all know, life gets in the way. That being said, I guess I'll just stick to my original goal of just keeping it real and write what I can a day.

Paradox (book dos) is coming along nicely and I'm totally digging what my characters have come up with in terms their adventures. So far, I've traveled to Mexico City, Boston, and Las Vegas, and in different dimensions no less!!

I'm also working daily on my other WIP, an adult paranormal, that I sometimes forget to share my progress on. I'm about a third of the way done and I'm pretty excited about it.

On the promotion front, I'm scheduled to do three guest posts this month. Yay! I'll keep you posted on those as they are posted.

*I'm already over 500 in ebook sales as of today (all months combined).

Okay, So I Lied...

2011-11-30T20:12:00.000-05:00

I know I promised an update on Sunday, but I was enjoying my four day weekend so much, I kinda forgot. Not that I had much to report. I did get a lot of writing done and I'm happy to say that book 2 is starting to take shape, or rather, it's starting to read more like a book than just random scenes and notes.

By the time I returned to work on Monday, I was pleasantly surprised to have several of my co-workers tell me how much their daughter's enjoyed Parallel (guess their kids got in some reading time over the long weekend) and had another colleague bombard me with questions about book 2 (she said it's not every day she gets to ask an author questions).

So while I'm still grinning from all the kudos, I am going back to writing a few scenes before American Horror Story comes on tonight. I think I'm more obsessed with the house (and Jessica Lange) than the actual show. Seriously, folks, I would buy that house if I could.

Oh, I hope to have some photos up this weekend from my first book signing in Old Town Alexandria on Friday. It's nothing major, but maybe I can finally get some new photos (i.e. author pics) up, seeing that I'm no longer blond...that was soooo two years ago!

Counting My Blessings...

2011-11-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving: my family, husband, good health, the goofy pugs curled up next to me on the couch, and all of the wonderful things to come.

During this recession, I am not only fortunate enough to have a full-time job, but a part-time one that I enjoy, and of course, my after-hours gig as a writer...a job I love. Yeah, I gotta appreciate that. My checking account may say otherwise, but that just means the bills and mortgage are being paid.

This is also a time when my thoughts go out to those who aren't as fortunate as others and to those oversees, who serve this great country, that can't make it home to see their family and loved ones during the holidays...

I'm skipping my ROW80 update today, but will make up for it on Sunday.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Quick ROW80 Update

2011-11-20T20:39:00.000-05:00

I'm on a writing roll, as they say, so I'm going to keep my ROW80 update short...

Didn't achieve my 5k a week word goal, but I think I came pretty close. Today alone, I'm pleased to have gotten about 1,600 words on my adult paranormal and 500 on book two of the Travelers Series. And the words are still flowing. The writing gods are looking down on me today!

Don't forget to check out my review of Stirred, co-authored by Blake Crouch and J.A. Konrath. I also got the opportunity to interview them both, as part of their book launch. Stirred goes on sale November 22nd.

I also finished my guest post for Teen Readers Diary today, yay!

And if I don't get around to posting on Wednesday, have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving!!

All Stirred Up: Blake Crouch & J.A. Konrath

2011-11-17T19:01:00.000-05:00

Once again, I'm honored to have the privilege of reading an advanced copy of anything written by Blake Crouch and J.A. Konrath. This time, I was offered the opportunity to read their most recent collaboration, STIRRED, that concludes the Andrew Z. Thomas/Luther Kite and Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels saga, respectively.

(Book Blurb)
"Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels has seen humanity at its most depraved and terrifying. She's lost loved ones. Come close to death countless times. But she always manages to triumph over evil. Luther Kite is humanity at its most depraved and terrifying. He's committed unthinkable acts. Taken human life for the sheer pleasure of it. He is a monster among monsters, and no one has ever caught him. Each is the best at what they do. Peerless. Unmatched.

Until now...

In Luther's experience, people are weak. Even the strong and fearless break too easily. He wants a challenge, and sets his depraved sights on Jack. But with a baby on the way, Jack is at her most vulnerable. She's always been a fighter, but she's never had so much to fight for. So he's built something especially for Jack. His own private ninth circle of hell--a nightmare world in a forgotten place from which no one has ever escaped.

It's J.A. Konrath's greatest heroine versus Blake Crouch's greatest villain in Stirred, the stunning conclusion to both Konrath's Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thriller series and Crouch's Andrew Z. Thomas series."

When I began STIRRED, I didn't know if I was going to be disappointed or elated over this final installment. I loved both series separately, but equally (I don't like to play favorites) and to be honest, I didn't know if these two grand masters of words could pull it off. I'm sure I won't be the first one (or the last) to say this but, they did. Not only did they deliver on their promise, but managed to do so so in spades.

As we've come to expect from both Crouch and Konrath, there is a lot of guts, gore, and gratuitous violence in this grand finale. Personally, that's what I've grown to love and expect about the stories they tell. But if you're the squeamish kind, don't let that dissuade you from reading STIRRED, or any of their other books in the series. While Blake and Joe have a penchant for violence in their tales, there's also a very strong underlying theme of love in this book. I don't know if it's intentional, or if I just find it in a lot of what I read, but it's there. And for you literary folks, there's enough reference to Dante's Inferno to keep you intrigued and guessing as to where they're going with this.

Having read every book in both sets of books, I was able to figure out some things as I read along and followed the clues, but I was completely floored at the end. After I finished STIRRED, I actually had to go back and read the last pages of some their other works (KILLERS and BREAK YOU) to see if I had missed anything that would have hinted at the ending.

Crouch and Konrath left a few things open at its conclusion and I wouldn't be surprised if, in the somewhat distant future, we see some of our favorite villains, sipping margaritas and plotting revenge, in some touristy tropical destination (somewhere near the Bermuda Triangle, I'm sure).

(Side Note:) For those who haven't read either series or just one of the series, the author's did allow for STIRRED to be read as a stand alone novel. Not only that, but they added interactive links within the book every time a character is introduced, referencing their original appearance. Nice touch guys...but I must say to those readers out there, you lose the entire perspective if you don't go back and read both series, including all the novellas and shorts that are included in the universe.

(Oh, yeah:) A word to the wise, have some fritos or pork rinds handy before you begin reading STIRRED. For the first half of the story, Jack ate so much junk food, I totally had the munchies the entire 7 hours it took me to read it. All I had was an apple pie, so I ate that...

Q&A with Blake Crouch and J.A. Konrath

1. Did you ever imagine, when writing your respective series, that it would turn into something much grander like STIRRED?

Not at all. Even when we first wrote "Serial" (our first collaboration) we thought it was a one-off kind of thing. But as that expanded to "Serial Uncut" and "Birds of Prey" we started to understand how we could link our series together (through the villains). By last summer (2010), it was obvious that we needed to do a collaboration novel that concluded both of our series.

2. For Joe - I'm dying to know. What happened to Alex Kork? I thought for sure she'd show up somewhere, helping Luther along the way.

You've got to read Serial Killers Uncut, which is the companion double novel to Stirred and our respective series. It contains every villain we've ever written, and yes, there is an, um...interesting interlude with Luther and Alex.

3. For Blake - I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll ask this as generic as I can... Did you change the relationship between Andrew and Luther when writing STIRRED or did you already have that in mind when you wrote BREAK YOU and KILLERS?

I already knew what we were going to do in Stirred while writing Break You and Killers. Break You is essentially the set up for Stirred.

4. If STIRRED was made into a movie, who do you envision playing Andrew, Luther, Jack, and Harry McGlade?

Andy: John Cusack

Luther: Christian Bale

Jack: I will not sell the movie rights to the series, because the only person who can play Jack Daniels on the screen is me.

Harry McGlade: Due to the magic of Hollywood cinema, I can also play Harry.

5. I have followed both your writing careers, both as a reader and a writer. Do you two have any other collaborative projects in the works?

We are going to be writing a followup to Draculas called Wolfmen. It'll be Joe and Blake and two new writers. Joe is writing more in the Flee series with Ann Voss Peterson. Blake's also doing some collaborations with some new blood.

Thanks so much guys for taking the time to answer my questions!

STIRRED goes on sale November 22nd!

Sleep, Sickness, and Sales

2011-11-16T17:55:00.000-05:00

Once again, I had every intention of posting my ROW80 progress on Sunday. Really. But instead, I decided to stay in bed all day after spending the previous two days organizing and cleaning for my hubby's 40th birthday party Saturday night. But even though I flaked on my update, I did get some writing in on Sunday (@500 words), inspired by the Stephen King marathon that was on all day.

Then, I got sick. Nothing major, but what I initially thought was strep is probably some sort of cold, so I stayed home from work yesterday and slept. Still sick today, but think I can scrounge up a few words before America Horror Story comes on later tonight.

On a brighter note, I broke 100 in ebook sales on Amazon this month! Meaning, this is the first month that I've actually sold that many within a month (last month was around 70). Yeah!

Next up, the promotion front. I've kinda let marketing and networking slide this month (still exhausted from my blog tour last month), but I've got some guest posts lined up for next month and I owe Teen Readers Diary a guest post this week (I got sidetracked by being sick). And on December 2nd, I'll be doing a very small book signing...Actually, it's more like I'm crashing my friends trunk show in order to hock my books - I have very nice friends.

AND I don't want to give away any details yet, BUT I have a very special Q&A post coming up soon, where I get to interview two of the most epic authors ever! Keep checking in!!

New Goal

2011-11-09T19:02:00.001-05:00

I had every intention of posting my ROW80 progress this past Sunday, but I was having too much fun visiting the folks in Texas. I ate way to much, went fishing, played with animals on the ranch, and ate a little bit more. What can I say? I totally neglected my writing for a few short days...but I did manage to get some writing in on my 8 hour layover in Dallas.

Here are some pic's from my trip home...

My sister, cousins, and me after an awesome day of fishing on South Padre Island...that's me in the long sleeve tee. My dad treated us to beer, shrimp, and oysters!

Me and Pumpkin the Goat at my Grandpa's.

Now that I'm back home and after careful consideration, I decided to step up my game in terms of writing goals for this round. The last couple of rounds, I always just listed "write everyday" as my goal. But now, I'm thinking I have to do a bit more than that if I want Paradox to be completed by my December deadline. So the new goal is: write at least 5,000 words a week. I usually average about 2-3k a week, so if I just push a little more and watch a little less t.v., I think I can manage it. But deadline aside, I'm really doing it for my readers. Those that have already picked up Parallel really seemed to like it (yes, much to my shock) and I'd like to have book two out before the story gets stale.

So that's it...I gotta get back to writing!

Halloween Eve!

2011-10-30T11:32:00.001-04:00

I can't believe Halloween is tomorrow. Normally, I'd already have all my Halloween decorations displayed all over the house, but I realized yesterday that I totally forgot! That seems to be the theme of my month... I think I've said this before, but where did October go? It's my favorite month and I just totally lost track of time.

On the writing front, I've gotten a few scenes written out and a few more written in my head. Perhaps I should have gotten the iPhone 4S, instead of the iPhone 4 (I did save about $100 though), so I could just dictate everything that's rummaging around in my head. I'm happy with my new phone regardless. I just uploaded the Pages app and can now do edits to my documents without having to lug my laptop around with me everywhere.

Sales for Parallel have been great. I'm not experiencing sales of epic proportions, but selling a few books a day is more than I could have ever imagined. Thanks to all of you who have supported me and enjoyed reading my story (don't forget to leave a review!!). Oh, and Parallel is now available for iBooks!!

As for Halloween, I don't hold out much hope this year. We didn't get any trick-o-treaters come to our house last year (they stopped coming a block before our house...I blame it on all the old neighbors that surround my end of the street), so I have nothing planned other than teaching night class. If any kids DO manage to come to our end of the street, well, they can have the candy we still have from last year. It doesn't go bad, does it??

And don't forget to check out my guest post on November 1, over at Karly Kirkpatrick's blog, where I discuss my thoughts on Dia de Los Muertos (although the holiday is actually celebrated on November 2nd. The 1st is Dia de Los Angelitos).

Grand-Prize Winner Announced!

2011-10-26T05:59:00.000-04:00

I'm 35 today!!! Now, I know most folks dread turning another year older, especially after the age of 30, but not me. I always say life only gets better with age. Take last year for example. I didn't have a book out and I didn't have all these new wonderful friends that I have now. By this time next year, I hope to have more books out and more fabulous friends and fans. See? It only gets better.

Since it's a day of celebration, I'm going to announce the Grand-Prize Winner of the Parallel Blog Tour! And the winner is.....

Melissa from Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf!!

Melissa will recieve a signed copy of Parallel, a OOAK Battle Grounds coffee mug, a OOAK bracelet, and a custom eReader skin.

Congrats and thanks for entering Melissa! Don't forget to check your email today!

And thanks go out to all the book bloggers who hosted me this last month and everyone who stopped along the tour! It was so much fun! (Yeah, I'm totally overusing my exclamations points in this post...)

Updates

2011-10-23T18:31:00.000-04:00

I'm a bad ROW80 writer this week (again). Thank god I'm not a sponsor this round or I'd be forced to resign!

My blog tour is officially over. Well, the grand-prize winner still needs to be determined, but essentially, my part is done. Now I can go back to writing book 2!! I have worked on it off and on and I'm itching to get back to my story. Thank you again Danny and Heather at Kismet Book Touring for doing an awesome job on my tour. Seriously, I really could not have done it without you two!! XOXOXOX

Today, I spend the morning writing a guest post for fab author Karly Kirkpatrick's blog and updated the new Parallel cover to Amazon and B&N. So while I haven't written anything in a few days, I have done something on the writing front (yeah, I keep telling myself that).

Oh, I also managed to get approved as a seller on iTunes last week, so I promptly uploaded Parallel to iBook. I hope it goes 'live' soon...it's been about a week since I uploaded it and it keeps telling me they are reviewing it for quality or some such nonsense.

Just an FYI, I may not have much of a writing update on Wed. I have so much going on that day, I may just have to do my ROW80 update on Sunday.

Cluck, Cluck...

2011-10-19T18:44:00.000-04:00

...I feel like a chicken with its head cut off. Where has October gone? Do I even know what day it is? That's pretty much what's been rattling around in my mind the last couple of days. With being swamped with work, finishing up the last of my guest posts for my blog tour, and getting about four hours sleep a day, I'm just lagging.

If that wasn't enough, now I have to try to find the time to renew my driver's license (which for some reason I am not allowed to do it online) AND take my truck back to the shop after they already had it for a month putting in a new engine. Oh yeah, and my tire is going flat again.

So on the ROW80 front, I've got nothing. I had to work last weekend and work some late nights, so I barely had enough time to do anything else. Perhaps I should worry, but then again, I seem to do well when I procrastinate and get behind. I hope things will go back to normal in the next few days.

In other news, if you haven't already noticed, I have a new book showcased on the sidebar. Satan's Toybox: Demonic Dolls is now available!! I am so honored to be part of this anthology, as horror is one of my favorite genres. So if you need something creepy to read on Halloween, don't forget to pick up a copy!

Tours and Prizes

2011-10-17T07:15:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to say good luck to those who entered Red Tash's Trick or Treat Bash! The contest has ended and I can't wait to see who ends up winning the grand prize giveaway!

I'm a day late on my ROW80 Update and comments, so I'll probably do a longer post on Wednesday to make up for it. Still catching up with the last guest posts for the last week of my blog tour. Speaking of which, JL Bryan kicks off his blog tour this week for The Paranormals with the lovely Heather over at Bewitched Bookworms! If you haven't read the series, you're missing out!

And don't forget to stop by Tynga's Reviews where I'm interviewed by the fabulous Jane *squeal* and you can read her review of Parallel.

Writing, or almost...

2011-10-12T19:51:00.002-04:00

It's that time again! This last week found me writing all right, but instead of working on book 2, I've been working on guest posts for my blog tour. I'm almost done, so I'll be able to get back to my regularly scheduled program that is writing. I do have my outline and a few scenes written for book 2 (I had to use an outline this time...when you're writing about multiple realities, it's a must). So technically, I'm keeping with my goals of writing everyday. It's just not as much as I should be.

Speaking of guest posts, I reached out to author Karly Kirkpatrick yesterday and I'll be doing a guest post on her blog in the near future. If you dig YA paranormal and haven't read anything by Karly, please do so...NOW. She's super sweet and uber talented and I'm honored to be guest on her blog.

And I almost don't want to add this, because I'm so not worthy, but the fabulous Kate Copeseeley wrote a great post featuring me. Again, so not worthy. If you haven't read any of Kate's books, you are doing yourself a disservice. Compis is one of my favorites and I'm honored to have read (beta'd) the first half of book two in the series, Aeris.

That's it for today folks. Don't forget to check in at I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read, where I guest post on balancing life and writing. And over at The Book Faery, where my main character, Etta, gets interviewed!

Updates

2011-10-10T09:36:00.000-04:00

Happy Columbus Day! It's happy because I don't have to go to work today. Well, I still plan on spending the day writing, which totally counts as work, but I get to do that in my pi's.

The hubby and I just got back from a great weekend camping and I totally forgot my Sunday check-in for ROW80, but I did get some writing done, so we'll leave it at that for now. I plan on getting a lot more writing done today to make up for this past weekend.

Week one of my blog tour is over and aside from one small kink along the way, every stop has been fabulous! Thanks all around to all the readers that chimed in, the wonderful hosts that kindly allowed me to stop at their blogs and for those that also posted reviews of Parallel. If you missed the first week of the tour, no worries! You still have two more weeks to stop in and win either an ebook or the grand prize giveaway! Don't forget I'll be at Kindle Fever today, discussing parallel universes.

Oh, I almost forgot! Before I left to go camping, I was able to get the print version of Parallel up on Amazon! So for those of you who wish to purchase it in paperback, it's now available. It hasn't linked up to my Kindle version yet, but I expect that to happen very soon by the good folks over at Amazon.

And lastly, there's only 6 days left for your chance to win over at Red Tash's Trick or Treat Bash. Grand Prize is a new Kindle (and by new, I mean one of the fancy newly released versions) and a library collection featuring some horror-fic authors (including me), 2nd Prize: a $25 Amazon gift card and a free copy of Red Tash's book, This Brilliant Darkness, and 3rd Prize: a $10 Amazon gift card and a copy of TBD. I'm in the middle of reading TBD and I'm totally intrigued so far!

Check-In

2011-10-05T08:20:00.000-04:00

Today is the first check-in for ROW80! I can't believe we're on our last round for the year. It's been an amazing one and I can honestly say that I wouldn't have gotten this far with my writing without all the fabulous support from all my fellow ROW80'ers...I'll be seeing you guys at the twitter party later.

I totally neglected to post my goals on Monday, so I'll go ahead and post them now.

1. Write everyday. This has always been #1 in each round and it seems to work for me.
2. Finish writing Paradox, book 2 in my series. I hope to have it released by December at the latest.

Yeah, I know. These are pretty simple goals, but I know myself well enough to know that I work best keeping things simple. Anything extra is just icing on the cake :)

So now that I have that out of the way, I'm happy to report that I've stuck to my goals so far and I am writing away, everyday. I'm going out of town this weekend, but I'm taking my laptop with me so I don't slack on my goals.

In other news...I just received my proof copy of Parallel and it looks awesome! I should have the print version available by the end of the week. And don't forget to check out the third stop on my blog tour today for a little bit of This and That over at Smitten with Books!

A Day of Firsts

2011-10-03T08:47:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day of my blog tour *squeal* and the first stop in the tour is over at Alice Marvels, where I discuss the heroes in Parallel. She's a very gracious host, so don't forget to check-in and leave a comment. Every stop on the tour will be offering an a ebook giveaway and each comment left throughout the tour will enter you for the grand-prize giveaway!

Also, don't forget today is the first day of Round 4 for ROW80! For more info on this awesome writing challenge, click on button at the bottom of this site. There's also a Rock the ROW twitter party on Oct. 5th. We worked hard Round 3 and we deserve a party, so don't forget your virtual baked goods and beverages!! For details, click here.

Parallel Blog Tour!

2011-09-30T10:57:00.001-04:00

I can't believe October is just around the corner! When I first contacted Kismet Book Touring in August, it seemed like forever until my blog tour. Now it's just a couple days away!

Monday, October 3rd, is the first day of my blog tour and I am so excited! Don't forget to check-in throughout the tour for your chance to win a free copy of Parallel (eBook) and a chance to win the big Grand-Prize!

Each comment posted throughout the tour will enter contestants into the grand prize give-away: a gorgeous bracelet, a travel coffee mug with the Battle Grounds logo (Battle Grounds is a fictional coffee shop that figures throughout Parallel), an eCopy of the book and a eReader skin (Nook, Kindle or Kobo – winner’s choice) and a signed, hard copy of Parallel!

The girls at Kismet made up these awesome buttons for the tour. Feel free to add it to your blog to promote the tour! You can link it to either my website or my official tour page.

New Cover Reveal

2011-09-28T20:26:00.000-04:00

For reasons I won't get into, I am thrilled to announce the new cover design for Parallel! Yeah, I know, it's only been one month since it's realease, but again, no need to go into the details why... So that means I'll be able to release the print version of Parallel very soon!

After much consideration, I decided to go with Robin Ludwig Design Inc. to do my cover art. She has such an amazing portfolio and has designed some of my favorite covers for other indie authors: Susan Bischoff, Sarra Cannon, Zoe Winters, and Karly Kirkpatrick...just to name a few.

I am so pleased to have worked with an A+ professional on this and am totally stoked at how great the cover came out!

But while I do have a new cover design, I am going to keep the current eBook version up until the end of October (i.e. when my blog tour ends), so there's no confusion. So for now, the new cover will be used for the print version until November when I do the complete overhall.

Speaking of which, I'll be posting the 411 on my upcoming blog tour in the next day or two! Yay!

Living in an all gringo world? I think not.

2011-09-25T14:40:00.001-04:00

Why is National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15) important to me? Well, for starters, I love any reason to celebrate and secondly, I'm Hispanic.

Almost daily, people ask me where I'm from. What they're really want to know is, what's my nationality. I'm American. I was born here, my parents were born here, and even my grandparents were born here. That being said, I have both Spanish and Mexican roots. I was born in the border town of Brownsville, Texas. If you pull up a map, you'll see that its only minutes away from Matamoros, Tamaulipas. If you ever partied down in Texas during Spring Break, you'll know exactly where I'm talking about.

Spanish was, for the most part, my first language. I didn't incorporate English into my vocabulary until I started school. Having grown up in Texas, I grew up eating chicken fried steak and bbq brisket, alongside beans and tortillas. I still speak Spanish to my relatives down South. It's my culture.

Why is this important? Well, as a reader, I can't help but notice that we (i.e. Hispanics/Latinos) aren't represented as much as we should be. As one of the largest minority groups in the U.S., you'd think folks (*ahem* writers) would be clued in on the fact that we're everywhere! We come in all shapes and sizes and while we may not all be the stereotypical Hispanic that comes to mind, we're here and we not going anywhere. Case in point...did you know almost half the cast of Jersey Shore is actually Hispanic? (JWOW, Snooki, and Ron).

Today, I read a great post by Marcela Landres, former editor at Simon & Schuster, on paying tribute to Latino authors/actors.

But support isn't limited to just writers and actors though. What about supporting Hispanic bloggers? Check out the Latina Book Club for a great reading list. If YA is your thing, try Books with Bite, run by the lovely Savannah (who coincidentally, is from the same hometown I am). Need a gossip fix? Let's not forget one of the most successful tabloid blogs, run by none other than Perez Hilton.

What about books? I know what some of you might be thinking, I don't really want to read a cultural book. Hey, I hear ya. Personally, I'm not big on those types of books either, but just because a book has minority characters or is written by a Hispanic author doesn't necesarily make it cultural. It just makes it realistic. Because seriously folks, do we really live an an all gringo world? I didn't think so.

So here's a list of some books I've come across where the authors are ahead of the game by incorporating Hispanic characters in their books:

The Zellie Wells Trilogy, Stacey Wallace Benefiel

The Paranormals Series, JL Bryan

Into the Shadows and Bloody Little Secrets Kacey Kirkpatrick

Sure, I can sit here and say, "Buy Latino!", but sometimes it's not always about celebrating Latino authors, but recognizing those that support us.

2011-09-25T08:45:00.003-04:00

Last week, I received The Versatile Blogger award from one of my writing pals over at ROW80. This is my first blog award and I am so touched that Em thought of me.

The rules are as follows:

Anyone who accepts this is asked by the person selecting them to do three things:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Pass this Award along up to 15 recently discovered blogs and let them know about it!

Thank you Em!

Now, here are 7 things about me you may or may not know about me:

1. I speak Spanish everyday at work (full-time job). I feel pretty lucky to be able to speak a second language fluently. Thanks mom!

2. High school was super fun {insert sarcasm here}. My dad was my chemistry AND physics teacher, my mother was my Spanish teacher, my uncle was the head coach of our football team, and my cousin's wife was my English teacher. Yeah, I was mucho popular.

3. I change my hair color constantly. Sometimes I'm blond, other times its my natural brunette color. My hubby thinks it'd be fun to let my gray show, but I'm not ready to be Cruella Deville just yet.

4. It's pretty cheap in Virginia to have vanity plates, so they're pretty common. I've sported the same license plate for almost 10 years. I won't give out the exact plate info, but it has to do with Texas. I gotta represent!

5. While I love the 80's and always listen to 80's on 8 on XM, I'm a honky-tonk girl at heart. I get giddy whenever I hear my favorite country tunes and miss going to country dive bars to dance.

6. Sixteen Candles is my favorite movie...EVER. I love it so much I even had a line from the movie inscribed on my hubby's wedding band. And no, it's not, "thanks for getting my undies back."

7. I've never read Harry Potter, nor seen any of the movies. I haven't read or seen Lord of the Rings either. Don't judge.

So hear are some peeps I'm passing the Versatile Blogger award to!!

Stacey Turner, not only my editor, but a fabulous writer and friend.
Sean Thomas Fisher, because he's hilarious and I'd like to know more about what makes him tick.
Nadja Notariani, a great ROW80 friend and supporter.

Last ROW80 Update & Good Reads

2011-09-21T20:20:00.000-04:00

I believe I missed the last check-in for ROW80. I thought it was today, but I guess I was mistaken! Work has kept me pretty busy the last couple of days, so I'm days behind on everything. But if today IS the last check-in, here ya go...

I'm happy to say that I pretty much met my goals and beyond. For the most part, I stuck to my goal of writing everyday, released Parallel, and spent some time promoting it. I can't you guys how much being a part of ROW80 has meant to me. I received so much support from you guys and I cherish all the friends I've met during this challenge. I hope to see ya'll during Round 4!!

Now for some fun stuff. I managed to find two gems this past weekend. Now, once again, I'm not a book reviewer, but from time to time, I like to let ya'll know what I'm reading. I don't know how I missed these two, but I am so glad I stumbled upon them.

Fast-Tracked by Tracy Rozzlynn
OMG. I LOVED this book. I almost threw my Kindle against the wall when I realized book 2 will not be released until December. If you love YA dystopian, this book is a must read.

Into the Shadows by Karly Kirkpatrick
Another brilliantly executed YA novel. I was moved and touched by the underlying theme. A must read for any teenager.

Both these books have strong heroines amidst a political, historical, and controversial backdrop.

Updates, Giveaways, and Gratitude

2011-09-14T13:46:00.001-04:00

I've been a little slack on my updates, but I promise I've been working hard!

I recently submitted a short story for an upcoming anthology, Satan's Toybox: Demonic Dolls, published by Angelic Knight Press. So this week was spent working on the suggestions kindly sent back to me by the editor, but I am happy to say I'm officially 'in'! The anthology is scheduled to be released by Halloween, so check back for more updates.

Speaking of Halloween, author Red Tash is hosting a Trick or Treat Bash to celebrate her new release, This Brilliant Darkness. Yours truly has offered up a free copy of Parallel and The Fury as part of her grand prize giveaway, along with countless other horror-fic authors. See yesterday's post for contest info. Don't worry, I'll do another post to remind ya'll to enter!

Now that I finished up my short story, I have been working on Paradox (book two) of the Travelers Series. I'm still in the researching phase, but I have a haphazard outline done to guide me in the right direction. This is my favorite part of writing...the research. For Parallel, I read a lot of physics books on quantum mechanics (half of which I didn't understand), just to make a couple of scenes more 'believable'. Now, I'm looking into defunct government projects to add some realism into a few scenes I plan to have in book two. It seems like an awful lot of research for just a couple of key scenes, but whatever, I'm sure my readers will appreciate it!

On the promotion end, I've been working on a few posts for my upcoming Parallel Blog Tour, that is scheduled for October.

Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone who has supported my writing by purchasing a copy of Parallel. I'm not selling hundreds a day or anything like that, but in the two weeks since its release, I've already beaten the odds. That's more than I ever expected to achieve, so thank you... Oh and if you enjoyed it (or didn't), don't forget write a review!

Red Tash Trick or Treat Bash!

2011-09-13T12:33:00.000-04:00

Halloween is coming a little early this year... That's right folks, October is just around the corner and there's nothing like celebrating the awesomeness of the holiday than with a giveaway!!

Red Tash is hosting a Trick or Treat Bash to celebrate the release of her new book, This Brilliant Darkness. Fabulous treats will be given away, including a Kindle 3G!! But wait...there's more! Not only will the Grand Prize Winner receive a Kindle, but will also receive a virtual bag of goodies filled with some great horror, sci-fi, paranormal, and fantasy ebooks by a haunting collection of authors...including me!

"It’s a virtual Trick or Treat bag of Halloween awesomeness—we’re talking ghost stories, zombies, vampires, and other fantasy adventures."

Other prizes include a $25 Amazon giftcard and a free copy of Red Tash's This Brilliant Darkness.

You have to play to win, so check out Red Tash's website for more details on how to enter. Contest runs from now until October 16th.

Looking Back at 9/11

2011-09-09T13:56:00.000-04:00

I never thought I'd be in a position to write about where I was during such a horrific and influential event. I say influential, because what happened on September 11, 2001 not only shaped out opinion, but impacted our lives.

Having only just moved to the DC area less than a year prior, I was an idealistic 24 year old with dreams of working on Capitol Hill. At that time, I was working for a special interest lobbying group and our office was located near the Capitol. I remember going into the office that day, business as usual, when my boss called me to her office to inform me that the Twin Towers had been struck.

About half and hour later, we were informed that another plane had crashed, this time it was the Pentagon in Arlington. Being a small office, I was immediately instructed to go home - before the official evacuation had been ordered. Everything seemed to be happening so fast, we still didn't even know about the other hijacked plane headed towards Pennsylvania. On the news, there were reports that there was a possibility that the next plane was going to hit the Capitol.

Scared and confused, I got detoured several times and ended up in the really seedy part of DC (the section you always see on the news). I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to leave and that no one would be able to direct me out of there. After shedding a few tears, I finally found an open ramp to I395 and headed home to Alexandria, VA.

The implications of what had occurred still hadn't sunk in, I was so focused on getting out of there. Until I saw the smoke. In order for me to get home, I had to drive past the burning building...the Pentagon. That's when the smoke from the building came filled my car through the open window. I was devastated. This time, I wasn't fearful for my safety, but for the lives that had been lost.

Finally, I'd made it onto GW Parkway, than runs alongside the Potomac River. From there, it was only a couple miles to my house (the distance between my office and house was only about 5 miles) when I came upon a sea of cars that weren't going anywhere. The news on the radio was still speculating about that other plane...would it hit the Capital? The White House? Reagan Airport (which was visible and to the left of me)?

I sat in traffic for almost 6 hours. Only two miles from my house and I just sat there. I didn't have a cell phone, so I couldn't call anyone, not that anyone was getting through. It was a hot day, so I was sweating up a storm since I had turned my car off to conserve gas. Not once in my life had I ever felt so terrified, confused, sad, and desperate all at the same time.

After I got home, I didn't know what to do. But I knew I didn't want to be alone. My roommate and I decided to go over to a friends house and watch the news coverage. There, in our friend's living room, people with different political ideologies, faiths, and opinions, all crowded in front of the TV set and watched in silence. We put aside our individual beliefs for a moment and became united.

Every now and then when I pass the Pentagon, I still remember that day. I can't believe that was 10 years ago. I don't work in politics anymore, I live further south of the district, and I have a greater appreciation for those that continue to fight for our country - thank you.

Updates

2011-09-07T23:36:00.000-04:00

I've been slacking a bit I know...but I'm back. You'd think I'd have something substantial to report since I missed my last ROW80 post on Sunday...but I don't. For those just who have just discovered my blog, you can find out more about ROW80 by clicking the cute button at the bottom of the page. If you're a writer, Round 4 is just around the corner!

UPDATE: I have been working on a short story that I plan on submitting to an upcoming anthology (the theme is evil dolls), so it'll be another horror short. It's coming along, but I'm having trouble with the ending. I hate that!

As you guys can see, I've updated my website/blog again. I just can't seem to leave well enough alone. This is exactly why I don't do my own cover art anymore, or why I'm not an artist, or a chef.

On another note, here is a list of books I read this past week:

Heroes 'Til Curfew by Susan Bischoff
How to Date a Werewolf by Rose Pressey
Momentum by Imogen Rose

Have a great ROW80 week! (I can't believe Round 3 is almost over!!)

My Quest for Bacon-y Sweets

2011-09-01T18:59:00.001-04:00

Okay, enough bacon already!!! Just kidding...but seriously, there's been so much talk of bacon on twitter lately (#booktitlesreplacedwithbacon), that I had to do a post on it. If you're on twitter and follow writers, you'll find that we are obsessed with bacon (and chocolate).

Earlier today, I asked if anyone had any bacon cookie recipes and I got no response. I don't know if my tweeps just ignored me, or if the lack of response meant that no one had a recipe. I bet it's the latter :) Yeah, that's it.

Photo credit: Pete Bakes! (yeah, the link will take you to another bacon cookie recipe)

So for your gastronomical pleasure, I have complied a list of bacon delicacy delights (yes, including a bacon chocolate chip cookie recipe):

Vosges Haut Chocolate Mo's Dark Chocolate Bacon Bar
This is my favorite bacon chocolate bar from Vosges . I usually buy one of these once a week from my local Wegman's. They also makes it in milk chocolate if you don't like dark.

If you're in Las Vegas, check out the Double Down Saloon, Birthplace of the Bacon Martini. They infuse their own vodka with, you guessed it, bacon! If you don't care for martini's, you can always order a Bloody Mary made with their home brewed bacon vodka. The hubby and I paid homage there on our last trip to Vegas. Oh, and there's a Double Down in NYC too.

If you live in my neck of the woods (Northern Virginia), you must cheek out Simply Sweet on Main, located in Old Town Manassas. I recently discovered this little gem when I found out they served bacon lattes!! You'll find me writing here from time to time when I need my bacon coffee fix!

Now, for you bakers out there, NPR posted an article a few years back, Bacon Gets Its Just Desserts. Recipes for Chocolate-Bacon Peanut Bark, Maple-Apple-Bacon Cake, Chocolate-Chip-Bacon-Pecan Cookies, and Bacon Fudge are included in the article!!

And directly from The Daily Bacon, a recipe for Peanut Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies!

So the next time someone asks if you know of any bacon cookie recipes, you can respond back!!

(Guess what I'll be baking this holiday weekend???)

Can You Read This?

2011-08-31T11:51:00.000-04:00

My dad emailed me this today. I think it's pretty neat, so I'm posting it.

Only great minds can read this...This is weird, but interesting! This will put your dyslexia into a catatonic fit!

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too

Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it

eonvrye taht can raed tihs rsaie yuor hnad.

Isn't it interesing that only boys have their hands up?

Morse Code is this way too. The great code operators didn't separate the letters but actually heard the words or, in some cases entire sentences.

Yes, I could actually read it without difficulty. When I was growing up, my parent's realized I was dyslexic. Still am. My mother was always amazed at how quickly I could go through books. My dad often theorized that I memorized words...to me, 'birkc' is still 'brick'.

Are you a great mind? Leave a comment and let me know if YOU could read it!

RWO08 (yes, I'm messing with you) Update:

Since Sunday, I've spent the last few days writing and doing research for Book 2 of Parallel. So for those of you that have already read Book 1, be prepared to meet more folks with psionic abilities, another reality, and a relationship in the making!

I am also working on a short story to submit to an anthology that's being released late Oct. I'm not sure if it will be accepted, but I was encouraged to submit. It will be another horror short.

Whirlwind Week

2011-08-28T10:47:00.000-04:00

In what's been a dramatic week, it ended on a good note. I experienced my first earthquake (we live a little over an hour away from the epicenter) and got to leave early from work. Yesterday, we got some meager rain (hello, it was a category 1) due to Hurricane Irene and I didn't have to teach Saturday morning.

Friday, I uploaded Parallel on Amazon and B&N (yay!) and finished up the print formatting for CreateSpace. It was a major pain in my a**, trying to get the page numbers to work for me, but I figured it out in the end.

Yesterday, I didn't do anything writing related. I watched TV and read. I hadn't read in weeks and I was happy to take a day and just relax. Yesterday's selection, Fallen Eden by Nicole Williams, had been sitting in my TBR pile for awhile.

Today, I plan on doing some housework and laundry, work on Book 2 (Etta, my main character, wants to know what the hell is going on) and watch Jersey Shore (according to my mom, the big fight scene is going to be on tonight, not next Thursday).

I'm hopeful that this week will be a bit tamer in terms of weather and ya'll have a great ROW80 week!

Parallel is now ON SALE!!

2011-08-26T21:08:00.001-04:00

That's right folks, I just hit the "publish" button on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!! Hopefully it won't take to long for it to appear live. You can be sure I'll keep you posted!

Thank you, thank you, to everyone who offered their unconditional support!!!

8/27 Update: Parallel is now live on Amazon (Kindle) and Barnes and Noble (Nook)! I also finished formatting my book for print and am just waiting to get my full cover file from my cover artist so that I can order a proof.

Done and Done!

2011-08-24T23:31:00.000-04:00

I am happy to say that I have just sent Parallel off for formatting! Yeah, I know... I should learn to do my own formats, but with my full-time job, part-time job, and everything else that seems to land in my lap, I just gotta outsource this one. Ted Risk at Dellaster Design provides a fabulous service and I'd recommend him to anyone!

So, once he sends me the files, that's it folks. Since I obviously don't know how to re-format the files, they are as good as published at this point. I expect to have the files back in a couple of days, which means Parallel should be uploaded on Amazon and Barnes & Nobles no later than Sunday (I hope).

Now I just gotta format my book for print (yes, I'll be doing that on my own)! But that can wait until tomorrow...

Is My Main Character Me?

2011-08-21T02:08:00.000-04:00

At what point do we give pieces of ourselves onto our characters?

The other night, my best friend swore that my main character, Etta, is me. Why? Because we both like to wear jeans and we like to eat stew. I don't know if that's enough for a convincing argument, so I decided to examine the similarities the two of us:

1. We both watch a lot of TV.
2. We're both brunettes.
3. Etta's father is a physicist. Mine is a physics teacher.
4. Etta lives in Alexandria, VA. I lived there for 10 years.

Here's where the similarities end:

1. Etta has powers. I don't.
2. Etta is/was an orphan. I'm not.
3. Etta goes to a posh private school. I went to public school in a small town.
4. Etta doesn't care for designer clothes. Even though I love my jeans and sweats, I love my designer dresses and heels.

Maybe we do rub off on our characters a bit. Giving little pieces of ourselves into the characters we've grown to love.

What about you? Do you give your main characters some of your own traits?

On the ROW80 front, I've been working on final edits (yes, still) and formatting. I don't have any set word counts, but I've been working on Book 2. Hey, you keep your goals simple, you have simple updates! But classes start back up on Monday, where I'll turn back into Professor Lefeve for the fall semester, which means limited writing on Monday nights and Saturday mornings. This makes my daily goal of writing a bit harder, since all I want to do is sleep!

Book Updates

2011-08-17T13:05:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy week since my last post. Going over edits with my editor and receiving comments back from my beta readers...of course, all of this could have been a lot simpler had I not totally flaked and got my book out to my beta's in time. I am so ever indebted to them for the time they've spent tearing my book apart... I can't thank them enough!! One is convinced it's going to turn into a movie (ha, doubtful). But it's nice to have positive feedback like that. I'll just be happy if the rest of the general public doesn't think it sucks.

In the next few days, I'll be polishing off the last of the edits. My goal is to finish by the weekend and start formating for both ebook and print! So, yes, I'll still meet my August publication deadline (Monday I thought the end of August was next week, until I realized I have another full week)!

That being said, I'm totally behind on my reading. I have so many books I've accumulated in my queue and I haven't had the time to read these last couple of weeks. That's just not like me. I generally read 3-4 books a week! I did however re-read JL Bryan's The Paranormals (Jenny Pox and Tommy Nightmare) in preparation for the third book in the series, Alexander Death, coming out in September. We'll both be doing book tours in October, through Kismet Book Touring, so check back for more info. I'm going to have some great one-of-kind giveaways!!

Newish Blog Design

2011-08-12T21:34:00.002-04:00

Yes, I've changed my banner...again. This time, it's for a good reason. I realized last night that mac does not support flash (at least, not well), so that means I can't view/edit my website! Sooo, I am going to shut down www.claudialefeve.com in the next couple of days and keep my blog as my main site for now. Which is fine, I get more views on my blog than my website!

I love my little sugar skull with pigtails!

UPDATE: www.claudialefeve.com will now be directed to this blog!

Post Meltdown

2011-08-10T22:47:00.000-04:00

This time it isn't my sanity, but my laptop. I finally got myself a new one and I'm now the proud owner of a Mac Air! It's taking some getting used to and I won't bore you guys with all the details...just know I'm back and operational.

On the ROW80 front, I've received edits back from my editor and have spent the last few days ironing out a couple of chapters before turning it back in to her. Even though I went through a couple of setbacks these last couple of weeks, I am happy to say that I'm still on schedule for an August release.

Sorry this is such a short post, but it's been a taxing week with final edits, trucks dying, and laptops freezing. Have a great week ROW peeps!

Freeze Out

2011-08-07T14:45:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been an interesting couple of days. First, my laptop crapped out (I'm currently on 'safe mode' - it's the only way this pc will work without freezing) and I've spent the last couple of nights researching mac's (thanks Amber for you support and advice!). Hopefully I will have a new mac by next weekend! I'm grateful that I already have PARALLEL out for editing or I would have busted a gut!

Then yesterday, the hubby and I were on our way to my mother-in-laws to get ready to attend a wedding in D.C. Well, not ten minutes into the drive, we stall and (long story short) get towed to the nearest Land Rover dealership. Several hours and a $75 cab ride later, we made it to the reception at the Swedish Embassy just in time. We weren't exactly sad about having to miss the ceremony until we found out the groom passed out...so we did miss that.

Needless to say, I didn't get any writing done yesterday, but I did manage to get some writing in Friday afternoon, working on Book 2 and another WIP I'm trying to get started on. Today will be spent backing up files, preparing them for a new home.

Confessional

2011-08-03T10:33:00.001-04:00

Bless me blogger peeps for I have sinned. It's been one week since my last post.

Okay, I feel better now. Now that that's out of the way, I am thrilled to be able to say that PARALLEL is now in the capable hands of my editor, Stacey Turner. I finished my last round of edits on Monday and sent it not only to my editor, but my faithful betas, who have waited patiently for me to get them a cleaner copy (I'll be going through a 2nd round w/ Stacey, so I'll have a chance to incorporate all your wonderful comments).

I took Monday off from writing - I really needed it and last night I began working on a very rough draft of Book 2. I say 'very rough' because for those of you who know me, know I'm a pantser. Once I have the general idea, I just let my characters take control of the story.

Now that I've got PARALLEL out to Stacey, a rough sketch of Book 2, my mind can't help but go back to another book I'm working on. It's still in the infancy stages, but I can't get it out of my mind, so I'll probably be working on that as well.

And if you're mulling around on this overcast Wednesday (well, in Northern Virginia it is), check out my new blog tour page at Kismet Book Touring! Danny and Pushy did a fabulous job...thanks guys! In fact, they've done such a great job, they've received way more requests than needed to host me during my tour...this is both exciting and terrifying, all at the same time.

Oh Sookie...

2011-07-24T11:32:00.000-04:00

This will be a short #ROW80 update:

Editing. I've been eating, sleeping, dreaming my book and I still have to pass it on to my editor - I think I've lost 3 pounds (not because I'm deliberately not eating, I just haven't had time to go to the grocery store!)

I've already put in 3 hours this morning and I'm about 60% done with edits. So the rest of today I plan on doing laundry, go to Starbuck's and work for a few hours (a nice change from my couch), clean the house, and go back to editing. True Blood is on tonight, so I want to get at least to the 75% mark by the time Sookie makes her appearance.

That's it kiddos! Have a great writing week!

Going on Tour

2011-07-21T11:42:00.001-04:00

Why do I always feel like I'm running behind. PARALLEL is still in the editing phase and it's taking longer than I originally planned. I really have my work cut out for me on this one. So while my beta's will be getting their new copy a bit behind schedule, it's still on-track for a August release, even if it means August 31st!

My ROW80 goals were pretty simple: write everyday. Even during the editing phase, I still find myself adding new scenes, so that counts. But I also have a promotion goal, especially when PARALLEL comes out. So, after a lot of research, I decided to contact Kismet Book Touring to organize my blog tour. You might recognize this dynamic duo as two of the contributors over at Bewitched Bookworms. These gals certainly have it going on and I am honored to be working with them on this project. For now, it looks like I will be on tour in October and I will keep ya'll posted once things get underway.

That's it for now!

Post Breakdown

2011-07-17T23:26:00.000-04:00

Feeling better since my mini-break down earlier this week. I actually had another one, where I emailed all my beta readers and begged for them to let me send them another copy of PARALLEL. I had gone back to edit and it was riddled with typos/errors/plot holes. My beta's were very understanding (thanks guys) and supportive. I've already got feedback from Kate Copeseeley (you're the best) and I feel better about my story. You can fix your writing, but you can't fix your story...

I've been editing and polishing off PARALLEL and it's taking damn near forever. I swear it's taking 2-3 hours per page! I'm only half way done, and I've been editing since Thursday. But I actually managed to add another 3,000 words to it. It will probably end up being a total of 10k words more than what I originally intended.

And thanks to everyone for all your supportive comments this past week! That's what ROW80 is all about, right? I feel much better knowing I'm not the only one who's gone through this!

Kate - I'm breathing again!

Channeling Ernest Hemingway

2011-07-13T14:17:00.001-04:00

With PARALLEL already in the hands of my trusted beta readers, I spent the last few days since Monday happy as a clam. But now the fear has set in. What if my book sux? I was confident a couple of days ago, then I go and read a great book (ahem, Glow by Stacey Wallace Benefiel) and now I'm nervous. Now, I read great books all the time, even as I'm writing my own, but something about reading a book a day after sending mine out to get critiqued has given me a great case of the terrors!

So this week I am taking a little mini break from writing and plotting the outline to Book 2 until I hear back from my beta readers at the end of the week. Of course, I am still keeping my goal of writing everyday...an application to HGTV to renovate one of the rooms in my house counts, right? This is one of the hardest writing "assignments" I've ever done: "Describe what you want your dream room to look like...be imaginative." Um, I want to turn my study into a relaxing cabana-type lounge that even Ernest Hemingway would have wanted to hang out and write in.

Great News!

2011-07-11T15:07:00.001-04:00

PARALLEL is finally finished! I worked all night and took the day off work today (no silly readers, I didn't call in sick, I took a legitimate day off) and wrapped up the end of Book 1.

I have just a few tweaks left and I will be sending it to my wonderful beta readers later today! Hopefully they'll offer up some constructive criticism and feedback so I can then send it off to my awesome friend and editor, the talented Stacey Turner, in the next couple of weeks for proofing and edits.

Thanks to everyone who were supportive in your comments and emails these last few months!!

Christmas in July

2011-07-10T11:25:00.001-04:00

No, not really. But it feels like Christmas. PARALLEL is almost complete and ready to be sent out to my beta readers in the next couple of days. All that's left is for me to decorate my Christmas tree! That's how I envision my book. The chapters and the body are the tree, and the editing process is a lot like adding ornaments. Once my beta's get a hold of it, I'm sure I'll be adding the tinsel, and when my editor does her magic, the star that goes on top.

Now that I'm almost done, I do feel a little like a girl opening gifts on Christmas morning. In between edits, I've been working on a rough outline for Book 2.

I'm hoping to put up some preview chapters soon so you can tell me what you think. I'll keep ya'll posted.

Post Vacation Update Blues

2011-07-06T18:15:00.000-04:00

I feel as if I just posted a ROW80 update...but here I am again filling everyone one in on my progress so far. Well, even though the first week of this challenge fell during a holiday, I did get some quality writing done on PARALLEL.

Monday - By the 4th, I was already fried by the sun, so I stayed inside the pop-up four a couple of hours watching Real Housewives of NYC (yes, you can get cable tv at a campground on the beach), and wrote a couple hundred words before the evening fireworks extravaganza!

Tuesday - With a little foresight, I charged my laptop in preparation for our 4 hour - turned 7 hour - trip back to VA. I managed to get in 1,000 words on the way home, in-between keeping the pugs settled and eating a Sonic burger. After we got home, I finished off a chapter before turning in for the night.

Wednesday - Still too soon to tell what I'll be up to tonight, but I did manage to write a whole paragraph this morning. Wrote and sent in my inspirational post to Kait (one of my requirements as a ROW80 sponsor).

**For my fabulous beta's, I should have something for you by Sunday or mid-week.

Camping, Writing, ROW80

2011-07-04T13:13:00.004-04:00

Greetings from The Outer Banks (NC)! I hope everyone is having a blast this Fourth of July weekend! The hubby, pugs, and I have spent the last five days at the beach and in-between fun and sun, I’ve actually managed to write, read, and post my goals for Round 3 of ROW80.

Before I get to my goals for this round, I wanted to share some pictures of our trip. Some may scoff and turn their noses, but we actually camp when we come to the OBX. Our little pop-up rocks and we always meet the most interesting folks while camping. Last night we were treated to a seafood extravaganza hosted by a fellow camper and ended the evening with s’mores while watching Pirates of the Caribbean, using a projector with the side of an RV serving as our screen. Tonight, we are going to spend the 4^th devouring venison burgers with my sister-in-law and her friends who rented a beach house just down the road from us (her boyfriend claims our pop-up is nicer than their rental).

Notice the skulls? We actually have a Jolly Roger flag and skull lights that hang from the awning, but we had to take them down due to the high winds today.

The hubby chillin' with the pugs on the beach.

Patiently waiting for the internet to pick back up as I write this post. It's taken me two hours!

Okay, I'm done messing with the wireless connection here at the campground, so excuse any typos, grammatical errors, etc. Time to make a sandwich and relax on our last day here. Have a great holiday and ya'll will be hearing from me soon!

Now for my Round 3 ROW80 Goals...

1. Write everyday. This is a goal I have kept since Round 1 of ROW80 and I found this to be a must have goal, especially if you want to keep publishing books. I don’t set word limits, but writing everyday keeps me disciplined enough to get me to the finish line.

2. Finish PARALLEL. I have two chapters left, one last push for final edits, and send to beta readers. I’m still keeping my deadline of an August publication date.

3. Work on prequel to THE FURY. I have already started on the first and final scene and I hope to have a good draft done by the end of this round. I hope to have at least 15,000 words for this novella.

4. Start Book 2 of the Traveler Series. I have already begun a very minor outline to guide me in the last couple of chapters of PARALLEL.

5. Promote PARALLEL. I would like to do a blog tour sometime in September and have already checked out some blog tour promotion sites.

As long as I stay focused on Goal #1, everything else will all come in to play.

End of ROW80 Round 2

2011-06-23T10:51:00.000-04:00

It's the end of ROW80 Round 2 ya'll! For those just joining me and are wondering what the hell ROW80 is, I gotta tell ya, it's the best writing challenge, tailored to suit your own goals, not someone else's. This challenge has not only kept me in check, but has seriously helped me stay focused on my writing.

With Round 3 on the horizon (July 4th!) I hesitated about participating again. But then I looked at my goals and how much I accomplished and I'd be foolish not to join up for another round. And as a sponsor, I also had the opportunity to support my other fellow ROWers. Plus, I met some fabulous friends through ROW80 and being able to work alongside other writers, that are going through the same trials and roadblocks, made me feel not so alone in the process.

So let's take a look at the goals I had set up for myself for Round 2 and see how I fared:

1. Write everyday - I don't have many distractions other than work obligations, so I have to condition myself to put in writing time in the morning and at night. I get easily distracted by the t.v.... Despite certain days when I didn't get the opportunity to write, I pretty much kept up with this goal. I didn't set any particular word counts and I think it helped...I could just write without worrying about numbers.

2. On weekends, spend at least 3 hours writing a day - my weekends, other than Saturday mornings, are are almost always free. Some Sunday's I'd find myself thinking, where the hell did my day go? It turns out that writing five hours straight will do that to you.

3. Promotion - I will have my first novella published, The Fury, in April. The Fury was met with warm reception and I was able to raise a bit of money for Pandora's Project. I've networked and socialized on Goodreads and gained some new readers :)

4. Finish WIP - I need to finish writing, researching and editing the final draft of Heir. Now, I haven't finished Parallel (new title), but I'm going to be positive and say I got pretty damn close to achieving this goal. With just a couple more chapters to go, I'll finally be able to send it out to beta's by the first week in July.

So if you're a writer and are looking for a great way to stay focused, you should definitely join up for Round 3.

Parallel Cover!!

2011-06-21T18:19:00.000-04:00

For those that haven't noticed, I've made a few changes to my blog. I have a bad habit of not being able to leave things alone, hence a new blog revamp. Plus, I wanted my blog to match up with my website.

This is one of the reasons I outsourced my cover design (I'd have gone through hundreds of covers if I did it myself), so once again, if you haven't already noticed, here's the new cover for Parallel!

Sarah at Warm Onion Designs, did a bang up job designing the cover. With very little direction from me, she was able to capture the feel of what my story is about. Part time-travel, part paranormal romance, I think this cover fits the bill. Plus, since my tastes tend to run a little on the dark side, this is definitely a cover I'd personally be drawn to.

If you are looking for a great cover designer at a very reasonable rate, you can take a look at Sarah's portfolio, rates, and contact info by clicking on the link on the right hand column of this blog.

Father's Day, Cover Art, and ROW80 Update

2011-06-19T17:55:00.000-04:00

First off, Happy Father's Day to those dads who read my blog! Hope you had a fabulous day spending time with your kids.

I just got off the phone with my dad and surprised him with my own special gift: a dedication in Parallel, because he's not only my dad, but my former high school physics teacher and since my book deals with alternate realities, I thought the dedication was fitting. And to my surprise, he was pleased. He wanted to know if it would be available in print (yes, it will be) and I promised him a couple books to do giveaways for his classes, after I assured him it was YA and appropriate for high school students.

In other news, I got in contact with a fabulous and talented cover artist, Sarah at Warm Onion Design, to create the cover for Parallel and I am thrilled to be working with her. You can check out her amazing covers here. While I enjoy doing my own cover art, my knowledge is limited to ebook front covers and am clueless on how to proceed with doing a full cover for print, so in an effort to save what precious hours and whatever sanity I have left, I decided I wanted to work with Sarah on this project.

ROW80 Update:
Two chapters left folks! That's all I need to wrap it all up and send to my patient beta-readers. How long will that take? I'm not sure, as a pantser, I could finish tomorrow, or next week. Either way, Parallel should be done by the end of the month. Yea! I know, I keep promising, and I really hope I can live up to that promise.

Minding My Own Business

2011-06-15T13:44:00.001-04:00

Writing books really is running your own business. You have a said product, that said product has to be promoted, then you patiently watch the sales figures go up. Obviously, there's more to it than that, but being a writer is no different than any other business trying to sell themselves to the general public.

Right now, I only have one book out. A small one at that. But it doesn't make me feel any less of a writer. I've sold a few short stories and I feel pretty good about that too. Soon, I hope to add another book to my list of credits and I'm pretty damn excited.

I may be a pantser when it comes to writing, letting my characters do as they please, but I'm a planner at heart. Again, I may not have a long list of books out (yet), but I plan as if (and when) I do. You would never go into business for yourself without a solid business plan, so why would I decide to write books without doing the same?

I've done a lot of research on the matter. Not only how to publish my books, but also how to run my business as an author. At home, I'm in charge of all things finance. I pay all the bills and do all the household budgeting, so naturally, I'm thinking about finances in terms of running a business. How does making money off my writing affect my taxes? How much do I have to save if I actually have to pay taxes? Can I actually afford to quit my day job one day? These are some of the thoughts that cross my mind.

Finances aside, I just can't take myself seriously if my business has no name. So I decided to make a home for my books. Now, this is strictly a personal choice for me. Some authors create their own company name, while many don't. But for me, it is much easier to treat my business like a business, if it has a name. And thank you fellow indie authors, Sarra Cannon and Scott Nicholson, for answering my questions on the subject.

Anyone who knows me won't be too surprised to learn that I decided to dub my business Sugar Skull Books. That's the name that's been rattling in my brain the last couple of months. Again, this is a decision that seems right for me and it's one that I'm happy with.

ROW80 Update

I don't really have any new updates other than being on schedule to finish Parallel within the next two weeks. I think I've written more this past week than the last couple months combined. That's how the mind of a procrastinator works I guess. One of my goals (aside from writing everyday) was to finish this book by the end of Round #2 and it looks as if I might be able to pull it off!

Update

2011-06-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've been writing like a bandit these last few days. The story is just flowing and my characters keep surprising me. To be honest, I can't stop writing because I want to know how it all ends! That's what happens when you're a pantser and let the characters tell the story.

For my new followers, I should probably clarify how my book came about. Earlier this year, I had an almost complete first draft of Heir. But somewhere along the way, the story changed. My characters demanded that the story be told from a different viewpoint. I listened and as a result, I've spent the last few months writing, re-writing, cutting, and editing. It went from a story about fantastical elves to alternate realities. It was an ambitious switch, but one that I'm completely happy with. The theme is still there, but the world is quite different.

Now that I'm almost done, I have decided on another drastic change. After much consideration, I decided to rename my WIP from Heir to Parallel. I also anticipate a cover change to reflect all these changes.

Until next time, when I hope to have an even better update (i.e. release date!)

Family Folklore and Footloose

2011-06-10T11:25:00.001-04:00

With a self-imposed deadline looming ahead, I've been writing like crazy and needless to say, I've got paranormal on the forefront of my brain. Maybe that's why I think I'm psychic. You see, my character Etta, has both active and passive psionic abilities. She has the ability of telekinesis and telepathy (among other gifts). Perhaps I'm projecting a bit of her powers onto myself.

Growing up, my mom would tell me stories on how the female line in our family has psychic abilities. Now, I never met any relatives that were actually psychic...apparently this gift comes with certain rules and if you break them you can't be psychic. I've always chalked it up to old wives tales, but according to my mom, it's a family fact (so it must be true).

Here's why I think I might have dismissed her stories a bit prematurely. When we were in Vegas last week, the hubby and I hung out in the lounge bar listening to a band that played mostly oldies (Elvis, Frank Sinatra, etc.), with some modern favorites thrown in the mix. By the end of the evening, I really wanted to hear Footloose (don't ask). My hubby didn't think they'd play Kenny Loggins, so he discouraged me from requesting it.

And what did the band play next, you might wonder...Footloose! The band leader asked who had requested it and I just sat there thinking, I did. In my head! Not two seconds after the song ended, the hubby and I made a mad dash to the roulette table and I put $20 on black. I lost.

Maybe I'm not psychic after all, but I will always continue to request songs in my head and keep my money where it belongs...in my wallet.

Update

2011-06-08T12:27:00.001-04:00

This has definitely started out to be a word bangin' week! I am near the finish line with Heir and it has certainly motivated me to finish it already! I am really hoping to wrap it up by the end of the month, before my long awaited, much deserved, beach vacation (where I'll be editing with my feet in the sand), which pretty much coincides with the end of Round 2 of ROW80. I'm really shooting for an August release date so that I can finish up some of my other writing projects. Keep your fingers crossed!

I know...this update is strange coming from the Queen of the Slackers :)

New Office Space

2011-06-05T09:35:00.001-04:00

There's nothing like several hours of hard labor in order to spur up some much needed motivation. I spent half the day yesterday finishing up the backyard (I still had to pick up fall leaves, okay?) and what can I say? In just four hours I managed to finish repotting my hibiscus trees and transformed my leaf infested yard into a relaxing haven, resulting in a outdoor office.

Now, I bought this wicker set on the cheap ($50 for the whole shebang) and thought it would make a great writing area out on the deck. Well, I finally plunked down and started writing last night and realized that the chairs aren't very comfortable to write in (the arm rests get in the way if I sit all the way back). I'm actually writing this post from said wicker chair and I am trying my damnest to make this work!

See my hibiscus? I've got yellow, pink, and red. Being from South Texas, my knowledge of plants extends only to tropical ones. Too bad I can't actually plant them. Now, I've posted on my other gardening endeavors (hydrangeas, peonies, etc.) and with those varieties, I spent more time on google trying to figure out how to prune and water them than I did actually planting them!

So once I finished up with the backyard, I decided to relax and enjoy a good book poolside. I wasn't sure what I had currently on my Kindle, but I was happy to find that I had Seed by Ania Ahlborn. This is her debut novel and I absolutely loved it. It reminded me a bit of Amityville Horror, only better. A great horror novel with Southern flair. And check out her blog, it is highly informative and hilarious.

Now for my fellow ROW80's, I didn't waste ALL my time on hard labor and relaxation. I actually managed to get some writing done. Like I said, nothing like a great office space to get the creative juices flowing!

ROW80 UPDATE:

When I last left you, I had managed once again to have excuses for putting my writing on the back burner (albeit only a few days).

Thursday - I realized that The Fury wasn't finished. Encouraged by readers, I decided to do a prequel. I spent Thursday afternoon coming up with a draft outline and will be working on that inbetween other projects. And for those who read my last post, I decided Erin's story takes place in 19th Century London, England.

Friday - Finalized some more scenes for Heir. It is slowly but surely coming along.

Saturday - Worked on some more scenes for Heir. I really hope to have the first draft finished by the end of the month.

Sunday - Aside from my goal of writing everyday, I also had a goal of promoting The Fury. Well, this morning (I've been up since 5am, don't ask me why) I decided to work on my website (http://www.claudialefeve.com/), adding some reviews and more information on upcoming projects. Let me know what you think! I also plan on getting in some more done on Heir. I need to finish this already!

PS: Looks are deceiving! Our cheap house in the boonies just happens to have a pool, but our deck is falling apart and we still don't have our a/c fixed because we can't afford $4,000 to get a new one! But if 6,000+ people purchase The Fury, they'd really be helping me out :)

On Being Late and Lazy

2011-06-02T13:22:00.000-04:00

Yes, I realize my ROW80 update is late. Again. I swear, I am never this late in my everyday life. But then again, my blog IS a part of my life, so perhaps I need to reevaluate that statement.

My fabulous weekend in Vegas came to an end Monday night, so I don't have much of an update. I stayed home Tuesday to recoup from my trip (not to mention the three our time difference) and trust me, I TRIED to get some writing done, but it was so HOT and of course, our a/c is busted, so I spent the day lounging by the pool instead. Yesterday was no better, but I did manage to get some editing done until my laptop got too hot for me to work with.

But now that the weather has cooled off a bit today, I will be catching up on some much needed writing. I have a few new ideas for a possible prequel to The Fury (you guys keep asking for one) and right now I'm stuck with the setting. I can't decide on London, NYC or LA. Erin will be the focus, as she has an interesting story to tell.

And for those that are wondering...I won $170 playing nickel slots, it was cold and windy our second day there, and I now know that anything over two bottles of Champagne is too much.

Work, Excuses, and Sin City

2011-05-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

I've been a very bad sponsor again for not posting an update on Sunday. I had to work most of the weekend, which left me little time for other household duties.

And I won't have an update this coming Sunday either. I'll be in Las Vegas!! My little sister is turning 30, so the family is headed to Sin City! So while I won't be writing or updating, I will of course be reading, thanks to a 6 hour flight each way. Here's what I've loaded onto Kindle in preparation for the trip:

Ethereal by Addison Moore

Eternal Eden by Nicole Williams

and

Promise and Purpose by Kristie Cook

If you have any other recommendations, let me know! I can always upload a few more for the trip :)

As for my ROW80 Update:

Thursday - Did get some writing done on Heir. Not as much as I wanted, but enough to get through a sticky scene.

Friday - Worked a bit on my other WIP. Glad I decided to continue working on it!

Saturday - Had to work all day, then napped.

Sunday - Planted all day. Aren't my peonies beautiful???

Monday - Thankfully, my goal is to just write everyday with no word counts. I did some editing and managed to write a bit more scenes for Heir.

Tuesday - Packed for my trip to Vegas.

All in all, a poor ROW80 showing this past week. Maybe I'll have better luck in Vegas!

Back to Business

2011-05-18T18:48:00.000-04:00

Today I'm finally getting down to business. My WIP has been swirling around in my head for days and it's driving me crazy! I told the hubby it was time for me to go back to my office (which has been serving as my laundry station as of late) and not to bother me until Modern Family. While I have been writing, I feel as though I've been slacking too (no surprises there).

ROW80 Update:

Sunday - Didn't get any writing done. I got some kind of bug and I napped the entire day.

Monday - Stayed home, as I was still feeling sick, and got no writing done. But I did manage to read the new Sookie Stackhouse novel. Thought it was much better than the last one. Oh, and I lowered the price of The Fury to 0.99 on Amazon and B&N, now that the donation period is over. Thanks to everyone who purchased a copy to benefit Pandora's Project!

Tuesday - Got a bit of writing done on one of my other WIP's. An idea struck and I just went with it.

Today - Currently sitting in my office, Season 2 of Buffy DVD boxset ready to go, and once this post is done, I'm going to get down to business!

What I Did and Didn't Do

2011-05-12T10:39:00.000-04:00

For some reason, I haven't been able to get my days straight this week. I thought my hair appointment was for Tues (it was Wed), I thought the gutter folks were coming on Tues (it's actually today), and I thought I had to turn in final grades today (nope, it was yesterday)!

So last night, I spent five hours grading final exams, averaging and entering grades before the midnight deadline. I was so jubilant on Monday when I gave the last final, I totally forgot about having to grade them! The upshot is, I don't have to work late Monday nights and I can sleep in Saturday mornings until next semester. Oh yea, and I have more time to write!

That being said, I got absolutely NO writing done since Sunday. I did manage to finalize the last chapters and did a backwards outline (which I swear works). So I did get something done.

Of course I can't blame my schedule for my lack of focus this week. As usual, a few books got in the way. This is what I've really been up to the last few days...

I picked up both of Kate Copeseeley's books. Compis reminded me a little of The Giver and Six Keys was a great mystery mixed with local folklore and witchery. Must read more...

Right now, I'm in the process of begging Kate to let me beta read her next books.

I also discovered a new indie author, Sarra Cannon. Sure enough, when I like an author, I have to read everything they've put out all at once. So I spent Monday and Tuesday reading the Peachville High Demons series. The fourth book, Shadow Demons, will be out later this month (I think/hope!).

Not One, but Two...and an Interview

2011-05-10T11:16:00.000-04:00

It's been a great week so far and it's only Tuesday! First off, two great reviews for The Fury.

What Heather at Bewitched Bookworms had to say: "The Fury is an enjoyable read, full of emotion and accurate details of what a small town can be like."

What Stacey at See Spot Read had to say: "If I had to give a description I'd say "think Friday Night Lights meets the Twilight Zone"."

Not only that, but I did my first online interview over at What Passes for Sane on a Crazy Day.

What a great way to end the last week of sales benefiting Pandora's Project.

Ode to Moms

2011-05-08T22:20:00.000-04:00

I'm not a mom, but here's a little essay for all those childless folks like myself, but have a different kind of 'child'.

Children. It was the one thing my husband and I had decided early on and one thing we would never waiver on. “We don’t plan on having any,” is the canned response to most inquires regarding kids. We reserve the right to change our minds and accidents do, on occasion happen, but the idea of being parents still daunt us.

Even now, just a few months shy of thirty-five, I have no desire to become a mother. Perhaps I was overlooked the day they passed out maternal instincts. But when I look at my two adopted children, my heart softens and I truly believe that my husband and I were blessed with the best kids a parent could ever have.

You see, my husband and I are owned by two pugs.

I’ll be the first to admit, raising two little guys isn’t the same as being the parent of a child. In some ways, it’s harder. When they're sick, they can’t tell you where it hurts. Unlike children, they are not welcome wherever you go. Most restaurants don’t allow dogs - even those with patio seating. And it’s almost impossible to find a good babysitter.

But in many ways, they’re very much like children. Our pugs appear on our Christmas cards, they go on vacation with us, and when they visit grandma, they get presents. But most of all, they are loved.

As pug parents, we’ve even developed clairvoyant parent-like reflexes. Like when we both wake from a deep sleep just as little Guapo is about to puke his dinner from the night before. Not unlike a mother who briefly loses her child at Wal-Mart, I know the exact moment when my pug escapes from the backyard fence. And almost daily, the house is filled with the sound of my voice, “Stop whatever it is your doing. I can see you from the back of my head!”

Like any good parent, you also make sacrifices for your little ones. We often turn down parties and events to stay home with our kids. We’re limited on where we travel, so we bought an air-conditioned pop-up trailer to stay at campsites, in lieu of hotels, so they can travel with us. Our pugs have spent summers touring Civil War battlegrounds, Spring Break at the beach, and on one occasion, they were even invited guests at our friend's wedding – that just happened to be at a petting zoo.

I worry about things like college too. In my daydreams, Gus is destined for Harvard (yes, he is smarter than most humans) and Guapo will probably end up at some vocational school. But then reality sinks in and I remember they aren’t human. Then I smile at the realization that I don’t need to pay for things like college tuition.

“I am the luckiest mother in the world.”

Happy Mother's Day!! I hope all you moms out there had a great day. You deserve it!!!

ROW80 Update:

I've kept my goals pretty simple: write everyday. You'd think a goal that didn't include word counts would be easy, but it's not. For the most part, I've kept up with my goals since last check-in, but I slacked yesterday...and today. But, I still have another hour or two of writing time before I say "good-night."

Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-05T12:27:00.001-04:00

It's already May, but I feel as though it might as well be June. Every weekend is accounted for and that's going to put a serious damper on my writing time. Not to mention the fact that we can't start camping until June, due to all the parties/events we are obligated to attend this month. The only good part about May is that I get the summer off from teaching, so I'll have my Monday nights and Saturday mornings back..until last August.

ROW80 UpdateNow that I figured out my conflict glitch, I am now writing away and finishing off the last few chapters of Heir. Fortunately, my goal is to write everyday (no word count), so I've been pretty successful on that front.

PS: Today, on the celebration of the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, I find it ironic that I'm a TexMexican with a French last name.

It's Not Too Late to Donate!

2011-05-03T11:48:00.001-04:00

This is a friendly reminder that there are only 12 days left to purchase The Fury, which benefits Pandora's Project. Even though Sexual Assault Awareness Month is behind us, I'm offering Pandora's Project the benefit of an entire month of sales!

While I realize that $1.99 might be a bit steep (going by other indie books) for a short 10,000 novella, please remember that after Amazon and Barnes & Noble get their cut, less than a $1 for each sale goes towards this fabulous organization that supports and assists survivors of sexual violence.

And yes folks, there will be a price reduction after the donation period ends, but I'd prefer you spend that extra buck between now and May 15th, to support a great cause :)

The Fury is available on Kindle and Nook.

Slow Week

2011-05-01T09:31:00.000-04:00

I have been a bad ROW80 sponsor this past week. I haven't done a bit of writing. Of course, this is not to say I haven't thought about my story...I finally figured out my conflict, so I'm please to say I'm back on the saddle again this week.

On the reading end of the spectrum, I had the pleasure of reading Shari Emerson's (fellow ROW80 writer) WIP and it was great! I am anxiously waiting for her to finish it! I also read Water for Elephants in preparation to see the movie. I enjoyed the book so much, I decided to skip the movie.

That's all I got folks.

Something New

2011-04-24T08:35:00.000-04:00

Picked some new authors to read this past week. Of course, I stuck to my usual favorties and read Tommy Nightmare (the second book in the Jenny Pox series) by JL Bryan and Liquid Fear by Scott Nicholson.

But I also took a chance on some new writers and had a very entertaining week.

Act of Redemption by C.C. Cole

While I've always been a fan of urban fantasy, I've never really gotten into medival fantasy. This novella changed my view and I'll certainly be reading more fantasy in the future.

Children of Discord by C.C. Cole

Finished the second book in the Gastar series this morning. This one has vamps! But not the shimmery Twilight kind. I was plesantly surprised.

Tiempos de Lucifer (The Times of Lucifer) by Jose Miguel Diaz

Yes, this book is in Spanish, but I couldn't pass this up for $.99. I'll admit, it's taking me awhile to read this, but that's because I have to translate in my head. But this doesn't take away from the book. It has all the makings of a good thriller: the Vatican, satanists, a police detective and a global upheaval.

ROW80 Update

1. Wednesday - I sent out a few copies of The Fury to some book bloggers. And it got some great reader reviews this week, so I'm hopefull I can raise enough for Pandora's Project before May 15.

2. Thursday - Worked on Heir. Ever since the major rewrite, I have the begining and the end, but I am stuck on the conflict. Ugh. I announced my frustration to my husband and he's like, "What conflict?" Exactly.

3. Friday - More of the same.

4. Saturday - Didn't do much writing. Taught my Saturday class, went shopping and planted some plants.

Today I plan on finishing up this post, comment on some ROW80 posts, do some more planting (maybe while I'm doing that, I'll come up with my conflict). Then I'm off to my mother-in-laws for Easter dinner. Between all of that, I'm going to try to finish up a scene or two and if I'm lucky, I'll even get some much needed laundry done!

Scre4m Review

2011-04-20T19:50:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday, it felt like my birthday. No, it had nothing to do with the weekend release of my book...I was going to see Scream 4!

IMDb Synopsis: Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer.

I really didn't know what to expect. It's been ten years since the last installment in franchise and I really hoped it would live up to the hype. Honestly, I still don't know what to think. When the movie was over, I left knowing I enjoyed the movie, but I couldn't come up with anything more than that.

Not wanting to give up any spoilers, I will discuss characters: LOVED Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell as the obligatory celebrity cameo. Gail (Courtney Cox) and Dewey (David Arquette) have always been one of my favorite odd couples, but I was a bit disappointed in their lack of screen time. Emma Roberts did absolutely nothing for me. But the one actress/character that caught my attention was Hayden Panettiere. She did a fabulous job as the cool side-kick.

Maybe it's because I saw it in the theatre, something I don't do often, that left me feeling wanting a bit more. I will no doubt watch it again when it becomes available On-Demand. I'll enjoy it much more without the added soundtrack of laughing teens.

ROW80 Update:

Sunday: Aside from watching Scream 4, I did manage to write most of the morning. I finished two scenes and I felt pretty good about it.

Monday: I edited one sentence.

Tuesday: Since Heir is set in alternate realities, I actually had to sit down and outline each universe and its respective characters. I also used the outline to draft some more scenes, so that I don't get confused!

Wednesday: Haven't had a chance to write, but I have a scene I need to tackle after Modern Family and Cougar Town tonight. :)

Sunday Update

2011-04-17T10:02:00.000-04:00

It's check-in time! I finally put The Fury to bed and it's now available on Amazon and B&N. Yea! Got my author website up and running. Now that those two items are done, I can now focus all my attention on Heir.

Most of Heir is completed, but because I decided to change the central idea, I have some major rewriting ahead of me. I got a lot of done Saturday and I will spend most of my morning working on it before I go to the movies later this afternoon (going to see Scream 4!!). If I keep this pace up, I should be able to finish it by mid-summer.

I'd say it was a pretty good week for ROW80.

Thanks!

2011-04-16T23:10:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy week. Everyday I ended up working late, while trying to finish the final edits on The Fury, in between late night dinners and sleep.

In the end, everything seemed to fall into place and I was finally able to upload my book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble late Friday night! This is my very first foray into indie publishing, so of course I celebrated with some lambic beer (raspberry is my absolute favorite) and carrot cake!

Now that I've entered the realm of publishing, I decided that I'm glad I started with a novella and not a full-length book. I realized that while self-publishing sounds easy, it's quite a learning curve. Since I'm not a full-time writer, I had to rely on others for help and I figured out pretty fast that you can't always depend on people. Well, maybe that's too strong of a statement...I guess what I meant to say is, not everyone will have the same sense of urgency.

Under other any other circumstances, I wouldn't have been pressed for time, but because I want to donate sales to a wonderful non-profit, Pandora's Project, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April), I didn't want to release my book so late in the month. It would kind of defeat the purpose, no? Since we're already in the middle of April (how did that happen?) I will be donating sales from April 15 - May 15, to ensure they benefit from an entire month's worth of sales.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the folks that were such a huge help...Charisse Berree and Shari Emerson, you guys rock and thank you so much for your input!! And if there is anyone looking for an awesome ebook designer, you need to talk to Ted at Dellaster Designs. He always responded to my emails within a few hours and had my book formatted in less than a day!

You Say Potato...

2011-04-13T07:30:00.000-04:00

"I'd like a coke please."

"Sure, what kind?"

"A Dr. Pepper."

In Texas we say 'coke' in favor of soda or pop.

My best friend and I are still involved in an on-going debate on whether those wonderful insulated beverage holders are pronounced 'koozie' or 'cozie'. (It's koozie).

The nice man at the grocery store was confused when I asked for the 'pee-can' crusted tilapia. "Oh, you mean 'puh-cahn'".

When refering to my parent's female siblings, I say 'ant', while my husband prefers the more stuffy sounding 'aunt.'

Is it a lanai or patio? Sofa or couch? Supper or dinner?

As writers, we not only have to come up with creative synonyms (how many ways can you say 'looked'?), but be cautious of the words we chose. Especially if we use a setting/location that's foreign to us. Perhaps that's why authors stick to familiar places (i.e. our home states, places we've visited, etc.). Sometimes it even goes beyond the words we chose, it's how our characters pronounce them.

That's all I have to say on that subject.

ROW80 Update

Well, this is one of those check-in's where I have nothing exciting to report. I wrote a bit on Sunday and yesterday, but Monday (as always) was a wash. I don't have any specific word counts, as long as I write, so I guess I'm not that much of a slacker. I DID manage to work on my cover for my novella (release date this weekend??), read, and finished creating my website.

I don't plan on getting much writing done today, as I have a late night event for work. Speaking of which, I have to get ready for...

Updates

2011-04-10T09:37:00.001-04:00

I had planned on sleeping in today, with Sunday being my "official" day off, but my internal clock had other ideas and my dogs still needed to be fed at 7am.

I've spent the last few days reworking my WIP and it's coming along. Sticking to my ROW80 goals have certainly helped, especially when I feel like slacking off. So far, I've written (and rewritten) every day.

Waiting to get my novella back from editing, so I am crossing my fingers for a release date of next weekend!

That's it folks. Today, I plan on having a few mimosas, write a bit, then off to my mother-in-laws to celebrate her birthday.

Yeah, Don't Have a Title for This One

2011-04-08T19:29:00.000-04:00

It's exciting when I get feedback from beta readers that all say they loved my story (thanks Shari and Charisse!). Of course once it's published, there is always the risk that not all readers will agree.

Ever since I decided to go indie, I've done research and have poured over blogs, websites, and forums on how how to price your eBooks, how to market your book, and how to drive sales. Ugh, if it's one job I hate, it's sales. I was never any good at it. It's always been my belief that if a product is good, it will sell itself. Is that naïve of me? The abundance of information on this topic has my mind spinning in circles, almost to the point where I feel like Alice in Wonderland with Money by Pink Floyd as the main title track.

As I scramble towards the finish line (i.e. release date), I have to take a second and ponder what I hope to gain from this. Is is about money? I'd be lying if I said it wasn't about the money. Granted, I don't expect to make a living off being an writer, but being able to help pay off my student loans every month doesn't hurt! I'd also be less than truthful if I said I didn't have daydreams about being a full-time writer and being self-employed. That's the dream, isn't it? But I know that the odds are pretty stacked against me. So why am I doing this?

Because I like telling stories and in the end, it's about telling a good story. Something I can be proud of. If people like it, well perhaps they'll spread the word.

That's what I want.

**I wrote this post awhile back and banked it for a rainy day. Then a couple days ago, Kristine Kathryn Rusch wrote a post on promotion and let me tell you, it was like a load being lifted off my shoulders! She pretty much confirmed how I feel on the subject.