2013: A Year To Remember

Thinking back over the last year, I am amazed at what happened this year.

First, I became a published author. It's not a best-seller but Saving Cassie is out there and I have received some 4 and 5 star reviews. Thank you to everyone who read it and left a review - you have my eternal gratitude.

Second - I finished my second book, Invisible, and hired an editor. It will be released late January 2014. Invisible looks to be even better than Saving Cassie.


I am trying to figure out all the marketing to get Invisible and Saving Cassie into more reader's hands - there is no magic formula for selling books. If anyone discovers one please let me know!

I started a Facebook page as an author and I have over 2K Likes. It is amazing that all these people are interested in my books and the random things I post - pretty good for someone who just started writing a little over a year ago. The process of writing and now professional editing has taught me so much and I hope to continue to grow as a writer.

Looking forward to 2014 I have a few things that I want to focus on: writing the next book in the Fairfield Corners series, finding the marketing that works for me, and continuing to grow as a writer. I would like to publish at least two books next year and have them sell enough that it's starts to be an actual business and not just an expensive hobby.

What do you hope to accomplish in 2014?

What's On Your Christmas List?

First off, I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - especially to our all our men and women in uniform who won't be able to make it home this holiday season! Thank you all for your service. 

 

My Christmas list this year was short: My nephew the marine back safe and a best selling book. Well, I did get one thing on my list and it wasn't the best selling book!

 

What was on your Christmas list this year?



 

 

My Christmas shopping is done and all the gifts are wrapped. I had one family Christmas yesterday, spending time with family is the best part of the holidays. Watching my great-nephews and my great-niece unwrapping their presents is so much fun! Homemade Chex mix and a family meal are just a couple of our traditions. We were all very thankful that my nephew the marine is back in the states from his deployment in Afghanistan. He wasn't able to make it back for our Christmas celebration but he will be getting some leave soon and we will all get together again while he is home.

Next weekend I will be celebrating with the other side of the family at my Grandmother's house, so thankful we can all get together this holiday season.

This is the first year since I was in high school that I don't have to work the week between Christmas and New Year's. I plan on getting the first round of edits done on Invisible and just spending some time with the hubby. I might even get some writing done on the next novel in the Fairfield Corners series, Ragan's Song.

Merry Christmas and happy reading!

Invisible Cover Reveal!

The Invisible cover reveal is finally here! So, let's get to it...

They found each other.  Then the killer found them.

Detective Jackson “Jax” McKenna walks into a psychologist’s office and finds that the doctor bears a striking resemblance to his first love, Lainie, who disappeared ten years ago after their disastrous first date ended in violence.

Dr. Elizabeth Parker is really Elaine Wilson, Jax’s Lainie.  She’s been in hiding since the night that changed both their lives.  Jax discovers the truth when the killer lets Lainie know he’s found her.  When Jax and Lainie go into hiding to keep Lainie safe, old feelings resurface as the killer threatens their lives.  Can Jax save Lainie and help her stay Invisible?

 

 

Add Invisible to your Goodreads TBR

I Survived November!

Well, it's December 1st - do you know where your novel is? November was National Novel Writing Month, the month when some of us decide to try and push ourselves to write 50,000 words in 30 days. This year was my second year participating in NaNoWriMo and unfortunately I was not successful this time. I did get a respectable 30,000 words written and the start of a story that I may revisit sometime in the future. Who knows, you may eventually see Driving Jessie's Truck on your ereader someday.

December will also be a busy month for me. I have started edits for Invisible - I am working with an editor to get this book ready for a late January release and a February blog tour. More details here as they become available.

Invisible is now on Goodreads - you can add it to your TBR here!

I will be revealing the Invisible cover on December 15. I love this cover and I can't wait to share it with everyone. Many thanks to Cover Pub for the awesome cover and to all the authors and blogs who will be helping me on cover reveal day!

If you have an ereader other than a Kindle I will begin working on formatting Saving Cassie for Smashwords, B&N, etc. after Invisible is finished and released in January.

I'm off to work on Invisible edits...

Happy Reading!

Another Lesson Learned

What is that lesson you ask? It boils down to this - you get what you pay for. Any of you who follow my author page on Facebook know that I recently sent my next novel, Invisible, off to my new editor. I just received the file back for the first round of edits and the volume of changes that need to be made is staggering - it seems I have an issue staying in past tense when I write and I tend to start sentences with he, she, or I. I have been assured these are common mistakes (especially for new writers) and to not stress about it.

Anyway, back to the lesson learned. On my first book I had a free final edit and now I wonder if that was enough. Don't get me wrong, the editor did exactly what she promised - a final edit and she did an awesome job. The error was on my part. I'm thinking I should have paid for a full edit, especially with it being my first book. Once I get Invisible released I think I will go back and revisit Saving Cassie and decide if I should have a full edit done.

Remember, you get what you pay for and when you self-publish that could directly affect your book sales. A full edit is scary and it can be expensive but it could mean the difference between selling a few copies and selling a lot of copies.

I'm itching to get started making the needed changes but I have #NANO to finish and my word count is not where it should be. I am signing off for now so I can get back to my #NANO story.

Until next time,

Happy reading (and writing)!

Indie Marketing - No Magic Formula

If I've learned one thing during this journey - marketing is hard. There are plenty of books and articles telling us how we can sell more books if we do this or we do that. The problem is, what works for one author does not work for another. I still haven't found that magic formula to get my book noticed by that one reader or blogger that will send my book soaring up the charts.

I don't want to be that author that blows up your Facebook and Twitter feeds with "Buy my book" posts every day. With my first book, I've tried posting on free sites, in Facebook groups, Goggle+ groups, and on Twitter. I have also had an author spotlight and I have given away numerous Amazon gift cards, bookmarks, ebooks, and paperbacks. Anything to get my name out there and then I cross my fingers that it will translate into book sales.

Well, I've come to the conclusion that I need to do something more. There will be a month long blog tour in February for my next book, Invisible, to be released in January. Maybe the blog tour will help - the only thing I can do is try and see if it works.

If you have read Saving Cassie please leave a review, good reviews on Amazon help tremendously. I have been lucky that all the reviews for Saving Cassie have been 4 and 5-star so far.

Let your friends and/or followers know about it... if you need some help pimping your book on Facebook or Google+ let me know. Knowing how hard marketing is I am more than happy to help others in any way I can.

If you haven't read Saving Cassie what are you waiting for? You can get a Kindle copy for less than a cup of coffee...

US Ebook Link
UK Ebook Link
Paperback Buy Link

It's November - What Are You Thankful For?

For a lot of us November means Thanksgiving - getting together with family and friends and remembering what we are thankful for.

I am thankful for my husband of 22 years (yes, you read that right!) as of yesterday. I am thankful for my family, my sisters and brothers, and all my nieces and nephews. I am thankful everyone is happy and healthy, and that my nephews in the military are safe.

I am also thankful for NANOWRIMO - without NANO last year I probably wouldn't be a published author today. I am also thankful for everyone who helped with Saving Cassie: Karen for introducing me to NANOWRIMO and for being the first to read my mess of a manuscript, Sprinkles On Top Studios for the beautiful cover, Sarah Kaider for helping me see that Saving Cassie was worth publishing, all my Beta readers, and Editor Afloat for the free editing.

Well, I am off to work on my WIP - I'm trying for a NANO repeat!

What are you thankful for?

Giveaway Winner Annoucement!

It's day 3 of NANOWRIMO and I only have 1,100 words so far... Have no fear - I will get caught up! The weather gave me a massive sinus headache yesterday so I did not get any writing done. This will be a short post so I can get some writing done today.

The winner of the $5 Amazon gift card is (drumroll please!):

Chanzie @ meanwhoyouare

The gift card is being sent today.

To everyone who left a comment - thank you!

Until the next time...

Happy Reading!

Calling All Readers And Bloggers - You Could Win!

As I pondered what my topic should be for my blog post this week, I started thinking about my author platform and how I am marketing myself and my book.

I have over 1,500 Likes on my Facebook page, I am slowly building my circles on Google+, and I am trying to gather followers on my blog. How can I translate that into book sales? I am just starting out so I don't have much money for promotion and I have to make every dollar spent count.

That is my question to all of you readers and bloggers out there: what entices you to buy a book written by an author you haven't read? Was it the cover, review, or a blog post? Or was it something else? I really want and need to know...

Answer in a comment on this blog post and I will choose a random answer to win a $5 Amazon gift card on Sunday, November 3. Please include your email so I can contact you if you are the winner.

Let me know your thoughts. You could be the winner! Please share, if I get more than 20 comments I will add another $5 gift card - yes, that would be two winners! Only one comment per person please.

Don't forget to click on the Goodreads Giveaway tab and enter the giveaway. You could win a paperback copy of Saving Cassie!

It's Almost That Time Again...

That's right - it's almost November! For those of you who don't know November is National Novel Writer's Month (NANOWRIMO). November is the month we all vow to write 50,000 words before the end of the month.

It's not as easy as it sounds - 50,000 words in November equals 1,667 words per day.  You have to be willing to turn off your inner editor - you just have to write the words, it doesn't have to be pretty. I am going to give it my best shot - it's not easy to balance writing every day with working a full-time job and all the other things life throws your way. I was successful last year - Saving Cassie is the result.

If you've ever thought about writing a book go check out NANOWRIMO.org and sign up. It's free and no one needs to know if you made it or not unless you tell them.  Let your inner writer loose and have some fun!

Come find me on NANOWRIMO.org - my username is lremenicky. Let's be NANO buddies!

Marketing, Marketing, Marketing...

Well, Saving Cassie has been available for a week.  Sales haven't been what I'd hoped, I've sold 12 (2 were returned) and I have had 1 borrow.  Not what I was hoping to see...

Now it's time for the marketing to really begin.  So far, I have posted on Facebook and Google+, listed Saving Cassie on Bookdaily.com and on Goodebooks.net.  I have also purchased a premium book promotion from Lovely Books (got a great deal on that!).  I also have some author spotlights coming up.  I'm hopeful that this will help.  And then there is the giveaway on Goodreads.

All this posting takes a lot of time and is frustrating when the websites freeze up in the middle of things... I was lucky and it ended up posted just as I wanted.  My poor husband had to put up with my meltdown when the computer froze - he is the best and he puts up with a lot.

I have decided I either need an admin for my author page or a street team.  I'm not sure how either of those really work so if anyone has some insight I would be forever grateful.  If you want to volunteer, just let me know...

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Saving Cassie

by L.A. Remenicky

Giveaway ends October 31, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

And that is my shameless plug for today...

Please go buy Saving Cassie and leave a fabulous review!  And don't forget to share!

Amazon UK link

Amazon US link

Signing off for now...

Happy Reading!

Saving Cassie Release Day is Here!

I jumped the gun and released Saving Cassie yesterday but today is the official release day!  The ebook is live on Amazon and the paperback should be available in about three weeks depending on when I receive my proof copy.

Remember, reviews help sell books so please leave a review - I would appreciate it more than I can describe with words. 

I loved writing Saving Cassie and I hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it.  Saving Cassie is just the beginning... Yesterday I sent a rough draft of my novel Invisible out to my beta readers and I am looking forward to their comments.  Ragan's Song (Fairfield Corners book 2) is still in the rough draft phase; I am reworking it and I hope to have it ready for beta reading by the end of the year.  I also have a few WIPs that are in various stages of completion.  And then there is NANOWRIMO coming up next month.  I hope this year is as inspiring as last year - Saving Cassie was written during NANO last year and I hope this year's story allows me to "win" again.

Release day party for Saving Cassie is starting soon... Drop by and celebrate with us!

Saving Cassie Release Day Party Oct 6, 4 - 6 pm

Until next time,

L.A. Remenicky

Saving Cassie is Live!

Get your "One-Click" fingers ready - I just couldn't wait any longer!

Saving Cassie is live on Amazon.com!

Saving Cassie US link

Saving Cassie UK link


This is the ebook only, paperback will be available soon.  I will let everyone know when that happens.

I am giving away a paperback copy of Saving Cassie - see the Goodreads Giveaway tab!


Check out the giveaway Violet Duke is having over on her Facebook page - you could win a Kindle or a Nook!

Giveaway link

Pay It Forward - I Dare You!

Sometimes we get so caught up in everything going on in our lives we forget to be thankful that we are healthy, have a roof over our heads, and the means to follow our dreams.

Others aren't as lucky.  The list is long: health issues, homelessness, job loss, birth defects, and so on.  I don't want to sound preachy, so forgive me if this comes off that way.  First, let me say that I am guilty of this too, being so wrapped up in what's going in my life that I forget that there are real problems out there in the world.  With the release of Saving Cassie only one week away, I have had a hard time focusing on anything else.

When the ladies at One More Chapter contacted me about their auction and giveaway, I put my money where my mouth is by donating.  Here's my challenge to you in two parts...

1. Go donate to the auction or the giveaway (they are also looking for donations for flash giveaways).
2. Share the auction and giveaway so they can get maximum exposure (this is for a great cause and pimping it on your FB page, Google+ page, or on twitter doesn't cost you a thing!

Book Auction and Giveaway to benefit the Spina Bifida Association

So, what are you waiting for... go pay it forward!  I dare You!

Until next time.

L.A. Remenicky

Busy, busy, busy...

It's going to be a short post today.  I am hip-deep in final revisions on Saving Cassie as well as working on formatting for the ebook to be released on Amazon on October 6.  After that is finalized I will start on the formatting for the paperback.  I am about half way through the final edits and it is starting to really sink in:  I will soon be a published author!

There will be a release day party on October 6 from 5 to 7 pm on Facebook.  I hope everyone can join us for the fun!  There will be giveaways - you could win a copy of Saving Cassie.

Release day party for Saving Cassie

Time to get back to the final edits - I hope everyone has a great day!

Happy reading!

Saving Cassie Release Date Announced

Saving Cassie to be released October 6!  Come join us for a release date party from 5 pm to 7 pm EST.
https://www.facebook.com/events/220363201461695/

Hope to see you all there!

Another Book Hijacked - When Will This End?

A friend and fellow author released her debut novel this past Friday.  I went to Amazon and bought mine and started reading it this weekend; it's really good and I can't wait to finish it.

Last night, I found out that her book was purchased, copied, returned and then put up on "free" websites.  I cannot believe this is happening to her.  Her legitimate sales are lower than they should be, but the illegal free copy has been downloaded by the hundreds.  She is completely disheartened by this, and rightfully so.

As an author with my own debut novel being released soon, this issue is very important to me.

I am asking all of you - if you see a free book please, please, please, make sure it is from a legitimate source before you download it.  These "free books" are illegal and negatively impact the author.

When you see a book on one of these sites, please report it to the author so they can report the copyright infringement and try to get the sites to remove the illegal copies.  Prosecution is expensive and not always an option.  We all work very hard on our books and there are costs associated with them.  Book covers, promotional costs, and editing are just a few of the monetary costs; these do not include the blood and sweat that went into writing the book.

So, let's show this author what we are made of - go out to Amazon and purchase her book legally.

Kindle link: http://www.amazon.com/Muse-Descended-From-Myth-ebook/dp/B00E3E8SCQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1379211254

Paperback link:  http://www.amazon.com/Muse-Descended-Myth-Book-One/dp/1490994777/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379068514&sr=1-1

 

And The Winners Are... And Other Things

Drumroll please...



Digital ARC of Saving Cassie from L.A. Remenicky - Stephanie Ulakovic
$10 Amazon Gift Card from L.A. Remenicky- Amy Bowens
1 Kindle ebook up to $1.99 from I'll Be Reading - Sheila Brannan Lake
Kindle (.mobi) version of Be All from Marie Wathen - Heather Lindsey
Swag Pack from Rissa Blakeley - Heather McNaughton
Ecopy of Coming Back To You from D. Youngblood - Kim Finn
Ebook of Overexposed from Adrianne James - Melissa Phothisane
Signed bookmark from L.A. Remenicky - Sara Bender, Rachel Schultz, Liz Upton, Jennifer Vanni, Megan Stietz

Winners are being notified.

For my first Rafflecopter giveaway I think it went well.  I kept it short so it didn't take more than a few minutes to enter.  The bookmarks I ordered (my first attempt at designing one and I think they look pretty good) arrived so I added some to the giveaway.

Congratulations to all the winners!


And other things...

While I wait for Saving Cassie to come back from the editor I have finished the rough draft of Invisible and have started the editing process - hopefully this one won't take as long as I am starting with a better first draft (Saving Cassie was originally written during NANOWRIMO and was a complete mess).

Invisible already has a cover thanks to the awesome CoverPub https://www.facebook.com/coverpub - I won a free custom ebook cover and it is gorgeous, I can't wait to share it with all of you.  After Saving Cassie is released, I will have more time to devote to Invisible and will hopefully have it ready for publication early 2014.

Just to give you a little taste of Invisible, here is the current synopsis (subject to change).   Thank you to CoverPub for the first line.

They found each other.  Then the killer found them.

Detective Jackson McKenna walks into a psychologist’s office and finds that the doctor bears a striking resemblance to his first love, Lainie, who disappeared ten years ago after their disastrous first date ended in violence.

Dr. Elizabeth Parker is really Elaine Wilson, Jax’s Lainie.  She’s been in hiding since the night that changed both their lives.  Jax discovers the truth when the killer lets Lainie know he’s found her.  When Jax and Lainie go into hiding to keep Lainie safe, old feelings resurface as the killer threatens their lives.  Can Jax save Lainie and help her stay Invisible?

Goodbye to Summer

It's hard to believe that September is here already and summer is almost over.

What did you do over the summer?  Any exciting vacations?

No vacations for me this year, spent the summer working on Saving Cassie and Invisible.  Cleaned up the front room and set up my "writing zone" with help from the hubby and my bestie.

 I'm hoping the writing zone will help with the creative process and help me focus on my writing instead of playing on Facebook.

This summer wasn't great for the lake - on my free weekends it seems like the weather didn't cooperate.  Did get to spend the 4th of July at the lake - I love watching fireworks over the water. 

One bright spot of fall (at least this year) will be the release of Saving Cassie.  I found an editor willing to edit for free as it's my first book.  The only downside is that she will do it in between her paying customers so I'm not sure when she will have it back to me for final revisions.  I'm hoping to be able to publish the first part of October.  Stay tuned...

It's goodbye summer and hello fall.  No more flip-flops and shorts, time to dig out the jeans and sweaters and boots.

What will you miss the most?

The Waiting Game

As I sit here at my laptop thinking about my blog post for this week, I am thinking about Saving Cassie and how my book is now with my editor being picked apart.  Working on another WIP doesn't seem to help, reading someone else's book doesn't seem to help, nothing seems to help.

Sending my work off to someone whose job it is to find the mistakes sounds like it should be easy, but it's not.  Will she like it?  Will she tell me it's complete garbage?  Ack!

I was lucky to find an editor willing to do this for free since Saving Cassie is my first novel, but I have to wait longer as she will work on my book in between her paying jobs.  Still, I am thankful that she is doing this for free.  Here's hoping that I won't have to do a complete rewrite; that would push my hoped-for publication date back too far to think about.

Many thanks to Editor Afloat for agreeing to edit for free, it is appreciated!

Good News This Week

I do have some good news for this week - Cover Pub sent me the concept artwork for the custom cover I won.  I decided that Invisible will be the lucky recipient of the cover and she is doing an awesome job capturing my vision.  I really like two of the concepts so now I have to decide which direction to go.

Hopefully, I will be able to get Saving Cassie published soon so I can concentrate on Invisible.


So much has happened since that borrowed laptop and a little thing called NANOWRIMO.  It's hard to believe that it hasn't even been a year since I started on this journey.  Sometimes, I feel like a complete fraud when I hear other authors talk about how they've been writing since they were eight.  But then I remind myself that I can do it even if I just started on this journey.

Happy writing!

L.A. Remenicky


1,000 Likes Giveaway is Live on the Giveaway Tab - get entered!

To swag or not to swag - that is the question

  What is your favorite swag?

I see authors all over Facebook giving away swag - keychains, bookmarks, and other items depicting their latest books.  Does this really help their book sales?

As the publication of my first novel, Saving Cassie, looms ever closer I have been wondering if all these items really make a difference.  Publishing on my own on a limited budget I am examining all my options.  I can see the point of having something for giveaways other than gift cards but is it worth the cost?

 So, what are your thoughts?  To swag or not to swag...

Saving Cassie Release Getting Closer

As I type those words in the same sentence, Saving Cassie and release, I can't believe I am going to put it out there for the whole world to see.

Some days I'm confidant that it will sell at least enough copies to cover the cost of the cover. Other days I'm sure it's going to be this huge flop that no one will want to read.  I had no idea last November when I started writing on a borrowed laptop that it would go this far. I was writing to see if I could write 50,000 words in a month, not realizing that it would lead to this.

Then, I started reading the story and editing.  My best friend read it and liked it.  Now I was on my way!  Did some more editing and gave copies to my mom, my sister, and another friend.  They all told me they liked it also.  Wow, I began to think that I might have a book.

First, I thought about going the traditional publishing route.  Decided that wasn't for me, with KDP and Smashwords and Createspace I could do it myself.  I found a fellow author and sent my book off for another opinion.  She really liked the story, giving me some much appreciated feedback.

Now, I have a cover and a Goodreads author page and a tentative publication goal.  I see a few people have put it on their "want to read" shelf.  Amazing!  I had no idea when this started that I would have people waiting to read it.

Now, I am on my way to publishing my first book, with multiple stories in various stages of completion.

Here's hoping you'll stick around to see my dream become a reality...



Add Saving Cassie to your Goodreads

 

Saving Cassie is now on Goodreads

Well, another step forward on my journey to publication.  I now have an author page on Goodreads and you can add Saving Cassie to your Goodreads TBR shelf.

There is still so much to do and not much time to do it - I'm hoping to have Saving Cassie ready for publication late September/early October.  This means final edits, formatting for ebook and formatting for paperback over the next six weeks.  I hope I can get all of this done on time.

Look me up on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads and follow my twisted path to publication.

Here's to Saving Cassie being a success!

Until later,

L.A. Remenicky

Cover Reveal Scheduled

I am so excited!  I cannot wait to share this gorgeous cover with you!

Cover reveal for "Saving Cassie" is scheduled for Sunday, August 4th.

Mark your calendars and come check it out!

Big News - Title and Synopsis

Wow, it's been a big day for me.  I decided on a book title, my Facebook page reached 500 Likes, and I found a cover for my book.  It feels like this book thing may actually happen!

And here it is...

Saving Cassie

Everyone has secrets.  Sometimes secrets can get you killed.

After ten years in the big city, Cassie Holt is moving back to her hometown to take over the bookstore left to her by her beloved Gram, vowing to live her life alone.  To her best friend, Sheriff James Marsten, Cassie seems to be the same girl that left Fairfield Corners to go to college but Cassie has secrets and one of those secrets could get her killed.  When one of her secrets becomes a threat to her life, James turns to his new deputy to help him keep Cassie safe. 

Deputy Logan Miller has been burned by love and is not looking to get involved with anyone anytime soon.  When he is thrown into close quarters with Cassie, the sparks begin to fly and he begins to see through the walls Cassie has built around her heart.  As the threat gets closer, can Logan protect Cassie and protect his heart? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned - cover reveal coming soon!

Inspired by Life

What inspires you?

I am inspired by everything around me, especially music.  Songs just seem to speak to me, sending my mind off on a tangent of "what if".

My first novel written during NANOWRIMO last November, "The Deputy's Destiny" (which I hope to self-publish later this year), was inspired by "Everything I Do" by Bryan Adams.  The deputy was inspired Alex O'Loughlin's blue eyes on Hawaii Five-O.

My current WIP came about when I was thinking about growing up as a red-head who wears glasses.  Suddenly my brain is thinking "what if someone wanted to be invisible" and "why would they want to be".  28k words later and I am about 3/4 of the way through my first draft of "Invisible". 

Any Nano's out there?  I'm going to try it again this year and I already have a storyline tentatively titled "Driving Jessie's Truck" inspired by "I Drive Your Truck" by Lee Brice.

Another WIP was inspired by a comment made by my boss about the trail on the other side of the lake by the railroad tracks.  I only have a couple of chapters written so far but I'm sure I'll get back to it someday.

So, what inspires you?

Don't Skimp on the Editing!

How many spelling or grammar errors did you find in the last book you read?  Was it an ebook or a traditional book?  How do these errors color your overall feeling about a story?

I try to look past the errors to the story itself but sometimes there are so many errors that the story gets lost.  I feel like a grammar geek, seeing all these errors out there.  Finding all those errors doesn't have to be expensive - have a friend or family member read through your story.  I found a couple of people through Facebook to read through my book and they found quite a few errors that I missed.  I am too close to my writing to edit it effectively, but I can spot errors in other author's books with no problem.



I even found a Facebook page for a free editing service.  Unfortunately, that didn't work out so well, the service has been temporarily discontinued. There was a complete lack of professionalism, I found out the service was being discontinued from a post on their page but they indicated they would complete any projects already in process.  In my opinion they should have notified their "customers" personally (through email or pm).  I have sent emails but have received no replies and the promised completion date is long past).  I guess you get what you pay for.

What is your editing story?  Did you have a good experience or a bad experience?

1st blog post ever!

Welcome to my first blog post.  I hope you will decide to stay for a while.

This all started back in October/November 2012 when a friend of mine told me about NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writer's Month).  It isn't a competition where you submit what you've written, it's a competition to see if you can write 50,000 words during the month of November.  I thought it sounded like fun so I signed up.

Turns out, it's A LOT of work.  You can't edit or you will never make your word count.  I sat down and started writing, over 1,600 words per day.  I managed to write almost 51,000 words and ended up with a very rough draft of my first novel, tentatively titled "The Deputy's Destiny".  It's a romance with some mystery and paranormal elements.

After a lot of revising and editing, it's almost ready for publication.  I am hoping to publish it on Amazon within the next few months.  This publishing thing is new to me, so I'm hoping everything will go smoothly.  Within the next couple of months I will be getting a cover and formatting for uploading to Amazon.

I hope you will enjoy hearing about my journey.