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

Let The Summer Madness Begin!

Hi, Y'all,
We're back from summer hiatus, and as Founding Mama, it's my job to get this summer thing started with a bang. I hope you had a lovely Fourth of July. I enjoyed a very small cookout at my home in Middle of Nowhere, North Carolina, attended by a total of eight people, myself included. What can I say, I like my summer gatherings as laid back and low-key as possible.
I wish I could say I've eased into summer, with a cool lemonade in one hand, and a notebook and pen in the other. This, unfortunately, is not the case. My six year old is out of school, and even though I've been dealing with my three year old all school year, the two of them together is too much, honey! My son is now co-signing his little sister's foolishness. She can't reach something she's not supposed to have? He gets it for her. She can quite open the door to the room she's not allowed in? Her brother rips it open with his super strength. Lordy, lordy. They are really putting a damper on my summer writing mojo.
Still, I will have respite, in a way. In about a week, I'm leaving for the Romance Writer's of America national conference. It's being held in Atlanta this year, the closest it's been to me in years, so I coughed up the registration fee. I intend to do as much networking and learning as I can, without damaging my fragile sanity. I've scheduled daily "decompression" breaks into my trip, so I can sit myself down, take a breath, and chill before I start hyperventilating in that fancy hotel. I also plan to get with some other writers I don't get to see that often, including Wayne Jordan and Beverly Jenkins, and I'm pitching to an agent as well. It will be a busy week, but I need this time to get away from my darling little ragamuffins and focus on my writing. Writing is, after all, what keeps me from having an epic, nuclear level meltdown. When you realize your babies have painted your walls with craft paint, or spilled straight pins all over the floor, you need a little something to take the edge off.
Well, that's it for now. At the time of this writing, I'm in the process of making another deal with Ellora's Cave, but it's not finalized so I'll tell you about it in my next post. In the meantime, don't forget my next release, Freedom's Embrace, drops August 1, and it's already up for pre-order at Amazon and BN. Thanks for all the love, and I'll see you on the flip-side.

Until Next Time,
Kianna