Connections...Are You Making Them Or Do They Pass You By?

As authors, what are we doing to reach out to new readers that may not know us from a hill of beans? Did you know that one simple post could attract many people that may become interested in your work?

Now, it's true that I'm known as the "Best Promoter Ever" but even with that, I need a little help every now and then. Sometimes, just extending your work can be enticing enough to gain a reader who will spread the word on your behalf. Even if they didn't care for it, they may know someone that does and more than that, respect is established.

Speaking of connectivity...

I have the sixth installment of my "No Other Love" series releasing on December 24, 2013 titled, "Connections" and it's going to be a doozy! If you've been following the series, you'll remember the quiet keyboard player named Wyatt, who hangs with his fraternity brothers and is a television producer during his day job. Well, he's gained a new love interest named Elissa Patton who is a straight shooter. The real question is, will Wyatt be ready to introduce her to the other woman in his life: His Mama!

There's plenty of time to catch up on the series so get started!

Back to reaching out...

Take thirty minutes out of your day and post up an offer to gift a book to a reader that has never heard of you. See what it does and if it's effective for you. In the end, you'll gain more loyal readers and grow your fan base. Give it a try with a couple of author friends and see what happens.

Until we connect again, stay crafty!

Loretta R. Walls aka Embue #nucherte

Closer to My Dream...

Hey, Y'all,
So, since I last blogged, a lot of things have happened in my little corner of the world. Some have been on the mundane and annoying side- like the long days I've been spending trying to juggle my books with my freelance writing, keeping the house, and keeping my kids alive. Argh.
But, some of it has been pretty awesome. From July 17-21, I was in Atlanta for the RWA national conference. I've been very active in my local chapter for the past 5 or six years (barring my time in Alaska, during which I was active in their chapter), but this was my first national conference. I gotta say,  I had a great time. I think it was because of several factors:

1. The attitude about self-publishing among RWA members has improved greatly over the last few years. Very little snark, and a whole lot of excitement about it.

2. I got to spend a lot of face time with authors I admire, but don't see very often. Had coffee with Wayne Jordan, ate lunch with Farrah Rochon, Seressia Glass and Vanessa Miller, and also chatted with Valerie Wilson Wesley, who is a mystery author now dabbling in romance. It's the first time I've met her and she's a real sweetheart. :)

3. Saw some friends of mine who I also don't see often, like Kaia Alderson-Tyson, my crazy ass crit partner who lives in the ATL area, and Claritta Stinson, my awesome buddy from Little Rock.

4. Great workshops. I came home with a legal pad full of notes.

5. Great networking. I also came home with about 40 business cards. ( I marked on the back when and where I met the person, so my post- conference brain could get it together later. Some cards had a photo on them, which I find very convenient.)

But probably the best part of RWA for me was getting time with my idol, Beverly Jenkins, and the equally illustrious Brenda Jackson. OMG- I can't even describe how much I admire these ladies. I got to sign books with them and eat dinner with them, and partake of their wisdom in a workshop, all on the same day. My po' heart was just pounding, I'm sure my pressure was up. But to have people you look up to take you under their wing is a very awesome feeling. I suppose you could say I felt special, even validated as a writer.

After I got home from the conference, it took more than a week before I fully recovered from the excitement. And about time I started to feel normal- ish again, around came release day for Freedom's Embrace. Let me tell you, the pressure went up again!

Then, last Sunday, I discovered via a tweet from Kaia that my little novella had a mention in USA Today. Yes, the national newspaper.

Know what I did? Cried like a big 'ol baby. I was just overjoyed that the writer (Joyce Lamb) at USA Today thought enough of my book to mention it. I don't know what it will mean for sales, but I'm certainly honored- I was in impressive company in that article! You can see it here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2013/07/30/historical-romance-new-releases-august-2013/2597295/

So, now I'm just starting to come down from that- I wonder what's around the next bend? I have been working so hard at this writing thing for so long, and I'm finally starting to see some of my efforts be validated in a big way.

Hopefully this is a continuing trend of bigger and better things for me. And just in case the excitement gets to be too much, I'll have my inhaler nearby. :)

Until Next Time,
Kianna

Persevere! You Will Get There...

Hey, y'all,
So, today I have what I consider to be a valuable word of wisdom to impart to you. As indicated in the post title, it's all about perserverance.

Going after you dreams isn't an easy undertakings. There are all kinds of obstacles that will get in your way, from self-doubt, to finances, to family and work obligations. For me, the things that could hamper my efforts are numerous- I have two young children, one with special needs; a husband in the military, a house to run, an another career as a freelance corporate writer. My days are hectic, filled with potty breaks, wiping noses, meal planning, cooking, cleaning, fielding what seems like hundreds of phone calls a day, attending to my freelance clients, and, somehow, writing fiction. When people ask me how I do it, I usually reply with this:

"I don't really know, but I don't sleep a lot."

Not  a glamourous or exciting response, but it's the truth. :)

Chasing the dream of writing fiction full-time is something I must do. In order for me to deal with the things I deal with on a daily basis, I have to believe it's a dream that really can come true. Otherwise I'd have a breakdown and just completely lose my sh*t. So I pull the early mornings, trying to wake up before the kids so I can write. As soon as I get used to getting up at a certain hour, they start waking up earlier. Crafty little scamps, aren't they?

So I stay up late and write. Or I escape to the library or a cafe on the weekends and write while my darling husband is with the children. I write in the therapy clinic waiting room on Monday when my son gets two and half hours of speech, occupational and physical therapy. I write in the hospitals and clinics I take him to for his never-ending string of doctor's appointments. I write in a Moleskin book I keep in my purse, on my cell phone's Writer App, on a scrap of paper laid against my steering wheel in the car. (Not while I'm driving, though.)

I have so many stories to tell, I can't stop. I must write. It is as much a part of who I am as my love of music, or the colors teal and purple, or my attraction to chocolate and Japanese animation. I must write, for me, there is no other option.

Recently, a dream of mine came true. I sold a book to a publisher that I've been trying to get in with for years. Not only did I sell to them, I sold the book no other house would touch. The heroine is a runaway slave and that seemed to really make folks uncomfortable. This was my  "impossible" to sell book, my one in a million shot, the story I could not just tuck away under the bed. I had seven rejections back to back before I sold it.

But I sold it.

Why? Because I am worthy, I am talented, I am good enough. And so are you.

You can grab Freedom's Embrace now on pre-order at Amazon, and it will hit your ereader on August 1st. Click the cover to get it.

You can also get it directly from Ellora's Cave. Add it to your wishlist here.

If you don't remember any of my ramblings today, remember this. No matter how hard and fast you have to run, a dream is always, always worth chasing.


Until Next Time,
Kianna

Comfort Zone

    One thing I’ve noticed in my writing is... I create characters with attributes that reflect me and what I like. (Ooh, did I just admit that?)
   I don’t smoke, so you rarely see a character who does that, this, or anything else I don’t like (for instance, eating biscuits with gravy. YUCK!) I can admit my habit because I understand the reason. It's where I feel most comfortable. I can write what it’s like to wiggle my fat butt into a pair of skinny jeans, or swaying my hips while walking in a pair of stilettos, because it’s what this diva does.
    But what I’ve learned as an author is that sometimes we have to step outside our comfort zone. Now, I don’t recommend that for new authors because I’m always quick to preach, “Write what you know.” However, as a seasoned author, we have to continue to challenge ourselves as writers. Isn’t it all about growing and developing our craft? Well, of course it is.
   One of my challenges in this coming year is to create characters who aren’t anything like me (that’s hard). And especially, to create men other than the ones I find attractive (now that's even harder). LOL. But that’s what makes writing so fun.
     As an author I can escape to a tropical island and be made love to by the finest brotha, but the challenge is to create someone different, then step into that woman’s shoes (I'll try a pair of flats) and feel what it’s like to be her. Step two. I need to have an open mind so that the next time I see a man who isn’t chocolate with a beautiful smile, dark eyes, and a goatee (I’m pausing to pant), I need to identify some other attributes that another woman might find attractive.
     Hmmm, I think that’s going to be the challenge for my next book, or better yet, a novella. Remember, baby steps. I gotta master the technique first.

 

LOL,

 

Angie Daniels