Launch Day Encore

It’s deja vu all over again for Switched, Too. I’m happy to announce that the second book in the Switched series is now available in print. While Switched was the book of my heart, Switched, Too was a labor of love.

And labor it was. Childbirth was easier. Okay, maybe not. LOL Childbirth certainly was shorter. Scott and Veronese’s story rolled around in my head (and in my computer)  ever since Switched was first released in 2001. Bringing it out as an e-book in June gave me such a feeling of accomplishment. Yay, I did it! It was thrilling to see it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. That pales in comparison to holding the physical book.

At Hubs’ insistence, I reluctantly succumbed to the fascination with e-readers two years ago and “let” him buy me a Kindle. That opened up a whole new world. The convenience, the ease of ordering a book and receiving it almost instantaneously was great. My new books were all on a device a little bigger than a paperback. I didn’t buy print books anymore. What a shelf saver. Considering my overflowing bookcases, the Kindle was a godsend. When we went on vacation, there was no need to make space for, and cart around, six or eight books. Then, I resurrected my writing careers by publishing both Switched and Switched, Too as e-books.

Being so enamored of e-books, it came as a surprise to feel such a surge of pride when I held my copy of Switched, Too. I guess I’m still such a newbie at this author business. I hope that feeling never goes away.

If you're not familiar with the story, here's the blurb:

Be careful what you wish for...you might get it.

Scott Cherella's lifelong dream to go into space quickly becomes a nightmare. Veronese Qilana must protect him, a Terran masquerading as a starship captain. When sabotage erupts, they must work together to get the crew safely home. In doing so, they discover opposites really do attract.

Excerpt:

“I will eat here.” Scott selected a corner table, away from those that were occupied. Once they were seated, he nodded to his companion. “You may order for us.”

Drakus looked flabbergasted. “But, sir, I do not know what you wish to eat.”

“Surprise me.”

Drakus shook his head then pressed a small square pad flush with the tabletop. “Two hot selerias and Mid-Day Repast for the captain.”

Scott settled back in his chair. “Playing it safe, Drakus?”

Moments later, a robot server rolled between the tables, a tray clutched in its metal appendages. The robot set cups of steaming liquid in front of them then departed.

Scott picked up the mug and sniffed the dark green depths. Fragrant, gingery maybe. He took a sip.

“Captain,” Drakus began hesitantly. “I have noticed your speech is peppered with American slang. I mean no disrespect, but you didn’t act or look this different before you went to Earth. May I ask why you decided to come out of the closet?”

Switched, Too is available at Amazon.

print:  http://amzn.com/147919669X

digital:  http://amzn.com/B008A70CSU

Meet Alexa Grace

I'd like you all to meet author Alexa Grace. I met Alexa through that marvelous online group I've mentioned before, Authors Helping Authors. She is very supportive of fellow authors.

Welcome, Alexa. Please tell us a little about yourself.

My writing journey started in March 2011 when the Sr. Director of Training & Development position I'd held for thirteen years was eliminated. At first I was devastated by this job loss. But in time I realized a door had closed for me but another one opened. I finally had the time to pursue my dream of writing books — my dream since childhood. My focus is now on writing riveting romantic suspense novels starting with my Deadly Trilogy.

I earned two degrees from Indiana State University and currently live in Florida. I'm a member of Romance Writers of America (national) as well as the Florida Chapter.

I am blessed that my books Deadly Offerings and Deadly Deception have consistently been listed on Amazon's Top 100 Bestselling Romantic Suspense Books. I was recently surprised by being named one of the top 100 Indie authors by Kindle Review.  It is such an honor.

My writing support team includes five Miniature Schnauzers, three of which are rescues. As a writer, I am fueled by Starbucks lattes, chocolate and emails from readers.

My book Deadly Offerings is the first of my Deadly Trilogy. The second book of the trilogy is Deadly Deception. The third book is Deadly Relations, now available on Amazon.

Love that support team. LOL When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I've wanted to be a writer since I was a small child. I wrote a romance novel in 1985, went the traditional route and it was not published. I made a career change that year and for the next 25 plus years; I devoted myself 100% to raising my daughter and my training management positions. When I lost my job in 2011, I did a lot of Internet research in self-publishing. Indie authors like Theresa Ragan and John Locke really motivated me to take the indie route. Like them, I wanted to retain control of book design, writing, marketing, etc. Thus, my indie journey began.

How do you come up with ideas?

I have always had a vivid imagination. I think of a possible plot then play the "what if game" with myself.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

My favorite part of writing is playing the "what if game" with myself. Since my books include crimes and crime scenes, I play this game quite a lot.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I treat my writing as a job. I work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day. Although, I'd love to spend all that time writing, I spend at least two hours a day marketing my books.

If I was a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

Although each of my books can stand on their own, you might start with Deadly Offerings because is the first book of my Deadly Trilogy.  Deadly Offerings will give you a good introduction to the characters of the three books as well as my writing style.

I agree, it does. What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work?

After reading one of my books, I want my readers to say, "Wow, that book was so good I couldn't put it down!"

I just started reading Deadly Offerings and, unfortunately for my own writing, it is very hard to put down. LOL When you're taking a break from your own writing, what authors would we find you reading?

I'm an avid reader of romantic suspense and there are many authors in this genre who have my respect. My current favorite authors are Allison Brennan, Christy Reece, Karen Robards, Laura Griffin and the prolific Nora Roberts. Each of these talented women is an expert at spinning an exciting tale around believable and loveable characters.

Tell us about your latest book.

Deadly Relations is a romantic suspense that is the third book of the Deadly Trilogy and was just published.

In Deadly Relations, a serial killer of young women hides in plain sight in a quiet county in the Midwest. He hides behind a friendly face that inspires trust, a personality that is charming and persuasive, and has a rage to kill he can't control.

Detective Jennifer Brennan knows that an abduction is the equivalent of a nuclear blast to a family. So when three young women go missing and are found murdered on her watch, she vows to find the killer — or die trying.

Detective Blake Stone has been looking for a woman like Jennifer Brennan his entire life. Now that he's found her, can he convince her to trust again?

Two detectives race against time to find the killer before he strikes again. It is the most important case of their careers. It could be their last.

That definitely sounds intriguing. Where can readers find your books?

Deadly Offerings:

Kindle:  amzn.com/B006QD261G 

Nook:  http://tinyurl.com/cnbzlgc

iTunes:   http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/deadly-offerings/id496491476?mt=11

Deadly Deception:

http://amzn.com/B0087WZBS4

Deadly Relations:

Amazon U.S. http://amzn.com/B009EJ1BDS

Amazon U.K. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009EJ1BDS

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/237887

Lastly, where can readers find you?

Website: http://www.alexa-grace.net/

Email:  Alexagrace@cfl.rr.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexaGrace

YouTube: Deadly Offerings on YouTube

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/AlexaGrace2

WattPad: http://wattpad.com/AlexaGrace

Thanks so much for being here today, Alexa. All the best with Deadly Relations.

Focused Writing

Book in a Week (BIAW). National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). What do they have in common? A dedicated, focused time to write. I’ve read references to the two events, heard people talking about them but never tried them. Do they work?

Is it possible to write a book in a week? 50,000 words in a month? From the popularity of these two events, the concept seems to attract a lot of people. I wonder if it’s the idea of setting a goal and attempting to reach it. Earlier this year, I blogged about goal setting. When I set a goal, write down my intentions, I’m often successful. One thing I never tried until recently was tracking how many words I write each day. That was a revelation. I can tell at a glance my good days. Obviously, I can tell the bad ones, too. Worse, I have a record of the days when I let life interfere and didn’t write at all. Does it help to be accountable for the number of words you’ve written each day? I know I do better when I have something to shoot for.

One of the instructions for BIAW is not to reread what you’ve written. Just keep going forward. For people like me who do circular writing—write, go back, revise/add/delete, write, go back, etc.—BIAW would be difficult. At the same time, it would force me to keep moving the story forward. Sometimes, I can actually do that. When I’m “in the zone”, the words flow. So as not to stop the flow, I’ll write notes to myself instead of going back and “fixing” something. I noticed that’s one of the instructions for BIAW.

When I taught journaling to elementary kids, I told them the pencil couldn’t come off the paper. Even if they couldn’t think of something, they had to keep writing even if it was nonsense like “I can’t think of anything to write” until something came to them. One of the suggestions from BIAW for when you get stuck is to skip to the next scene. Just keep writing. Some of us linear thinkers would have a hard time writing out of sequence. Maybe that’s what we need to get us out of ruts.

Another suggestion from BIAW is to warn the family that you are going to do this. In a perfect world, our families support us. They don’t interrupt our writing time. They handle their own problems without us. Pardon me while I laugh. Oh, they mean well, but apparently you’re the only one who knows where the peanut butter/favorite shirt/homework is. You’re the only one who knows how to cook/do laundry/drive to soccer practice. Our families don’t mean to, but they can sabotage our writing. But what if it was only for a week? Would they treat us differently if they see we’re very serious about reaching a goal? If they can do it for a week, it might be possible to keep their support going.

To succeed with BIAW or NaNoWriMo, I would think you’d need a plan—besides the goal of a book or 50,000 words. I can drive fast on expressways (okay, within speed limits). Just because I can drive 2,000 miles in three days it doesn’t necessarily mean I go anywhere. Because of the interconnectivity of expressways in my state, I could conceivably drive 2,000 miles in giant circles and never leave Michigan. I need a map, directions and the place I want to reach. To utilize the BIAW or NaNoWriMo effectively it makes sense to have a rough plot, some structure. Otherwise, at the end of the week or month, you could have a lot of words, not necessarily a novel.

If indeed you write 50,000 words in a month, you could have the “bones” of a novel. You’ll need to go back and flesh it out—layer in characterization, setting, dialogue, whatever. But you would have a framework, which is more than you had before you started.

So, I’m curious. Have you ever attempted either BIAW or NaNoWriMo? What was your experience?

Tomorrow, I’ll be over at Krystal Shannan’s blog http://krystalshannan.blogspot.com  Stop by and say hi.

On Thursday, Florida author Alexa Grace will be my guest here.