Cover Art

While I've had my cover art for a while now, it still makes me smile when I look at it. The cover artist was amazing in creating the right feel for my book, not only taking the comments I put in, she added her own little touches (notice where the handcuffs are.)

I am more than pleased with my cover, I love it. It makes me feel good, and to me, it tells the reader what to expect when they buy my book.

Here's my cover:

Happy Holiday's

No matter what you celebrate - have a very happy Holiday Season with family and friends.

The Editing Process

Now I was into full editing process, getting the ms in the best shape it could be with my editor helping me. This was not a quick process, and I didn't want it to be. This was my book being published and I wanted it to be the best it could be.

If that meant we spent extra time making sure every comma was in the right place, words were spelled right, used right and evoked emotion I was fine with that. And I was learning more and more about my writing and how to make my book so much better than it was.

My editor Karen is fantastic, she gave me suggestions on what could be strengthened and left it to me to fix.

I don't care what anyone says as a writer you never stop learning.

The First Week After The Call

It was a busy first week. The title of my novella had to be changed before I could sign the contract, I had a new author package to read, and forms that needed to be filled out. Plus start in on the revisions.

I worked with my critique group and we brainstormed new titles and I sent them to my editor. Once we had the new title, I filled out the contract, signed it and mailed it off.

Then I read the new author package, filled out the forms I could fill out at the time, signed up for author loops and began looking at where I needed to make revisions.

During this time, I realized that while I was spending more time on my writing than ever, it also meant I'd not been spending the time on writing I could have been. Well, that was partially true. What I did was take a little bit of my normal evening down time where I sit back and relax for an hour or so, and worked on getting everything done.

At the end of the week I was a bit more tired than usual, but it wasn't too bad. The weekend I started the revisions in earnest, and while still keeping my eye on my time I started to learn about promoting myself as an author.

My editor and I stayed in contact, I gave her a date when the revisions would be to her. I filled out the last of the paperwork and sent it to her.

The revision had to be to her by the day I promised, as I was going on an almost 3 week vacation that had been planned since April.

I sent the revisions off to my editor by the promised date. Now I could go on vacation with a clean slate. Clean but not clear, I needed to start thinking about the next book and planning it out.

Everything my editor suggested that needed to be revised, strengthened not only the story, but strengthened me as a writer. I found words I used over and over and over again, I deleted them and used better words. I found different ways of saying the same thing, but the new evoked more emotion.

The Call or Should I say E-mail

On Friday August 28th, I started reading my e-mail as I normally do, around 5:30 a.m.. That was when I saw the email from the editor at The Wild Rose Press. I opened every email in my in-box except that one. And I finally told myself to stop being a chicken and open the e-mail, if she's passed on the novella then so be it.

I think I read the opening paragraph five times before my brain believed what it said. She wanted to buy my book. I wanted to jump up and down, scream and yell. But I couldn't I was at work and no one knew I was also a writer.

I read the editors entire e-mail, she asked for some revisions and wanted to go to contract if I was willing to do the revisions. I emailed the editor back and told her yes, I would do the revisions and I was happy to become one of The Wild Rose Press authors.

Then I shot off emails to my critique group to let them know I'd sold a book. I had to wait until after 7:30 a.m. to tell my mother, and I called my sister at work and told her I'd sold a book.

It was such a good feeling to tell people who believed in me all this time I'd sold a book.