Back from the Backwoods

It's out!!!!! OMFG it's out. Backwoods Armageddon, the novel I coauthored with my sexy man beast of a husband, is now available!

Wow. It felt like we took a chainsaw to this manuscript and then put it back together with duct tape and bailing wire. Which is oddly fitting, considering the genre.

Back cover blurb:
The fit’s about to hit the shan...
You won’t find zombies down around Ivy Mills, where the Miller family lives in the Missouri backwoods. What you will find is a tornader that puts Dorothy’s gale to shame, earthquakes, floods, vandals, terrorists, and a merry band of rednecks who brave the storm together in search of higher ground and the kind of freedom you have no choice but to give your life for.


So, yeah. You should totally check it out. It's a pretty fast read. The print version is around 150 pages. And the ebook is only 99¢ Cain't beat that!


Some fun facts you might enjoy....


The toughest part about writing this particular book: using bad grammar in the dialog to stay in character. Every single yer and git made me cringe.... and giggle at the same time.


Top 5 Google searches for research:

1) How to hot-wire a car.
2) How to fix a radiator... (with black pepper!)
3) How many miles per gallon does a '72 Winnebago Brave get?
4) What's that wind guard/speaker thangy called on a Harley?
5) How to siphon gas without drinking it.

Yes, we know these are all vehicle questions. Yes, we found answers for them all. And no, we don't intend to test them all out (just in case the NSA is reading this).

Some really trucking lucky videos we came across:

 


Another really cool thangy we found while doing research... Vintage pamphlet for the '72 Winnebago Brave we used in the story.

And here's a little map overview of the journey the Millers and Co. took through the story...

And here's a few other little tidbits we found during our research....

 


 Are you freaked out yet? We are! Guess you better go find out if the Millers made it through Backwoods Armageddon! ; )

Oh! And we'll be signing copies at the RT book convention in New Orleans next week! If you're attending or in the area, come find us! We'd love to visit with you, preferably over a hurricane (the beverage-- just to be clear). 

xoxo

Love, peace, and jerky!
 

We Survived the Prombie Apocalypse 2013!

It has been eleven days since the Prombie Apocalypse in Sedalia, MO, and I still feel like I'm recovering. lol We had such a great time!!! Here is a brief history of how this event came to be... since you're all in for a round two next year!

Back in July of this year (2013), my honey and I were hanging out in Grand Central Station (a.k.a. our living room) and we were discussing my new book, Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend, which was due to release in October. I have three other titles out in my urban fantasy series, Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc., but this was going to be my first YA novel. I wanted to do something BIG to celebrate the release. In the past, I've always done book signings and blog tours. (btw There's a blog tour for Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend going on right now! I'm giving away a paperback, a few ebooks, and a $20 Amazon card. Check it out HERE.) I wanted to do something more to commemorate this new genre I was diving into, and I also wanted to do something nice to give back to the community I grew up in. With it being so close to Halloween, and the novel themes of zombies and prom, the idea of the Prombie Apocalypse sprang forth effortlessly. Also, with the Sedalia Public Library preparing to move back to their original building, after the big remodel, raising money for new books seemed like a worthy cause. My honey, being the supportive and adventurous guy that he is, said, "That sounds like a swell idea!" So our work began...

After finding a venue (the Convention Hall at Liberty Park), we secured insurance for the event. Then we began hoarding decorations and other party necessities (i.e. raffle prizes, crowns for the Royally Undead Court, table centerpieces, fog machine, brain jello mold, ect.). Next, we commissioned one of Sedalia's favorite karoke DJs, Char Mickle, and a photo booth from Turpin Photography. We had tickets and flyers printed. We also reached out to the SFCC vo-tech Graph Design class, and they did a tee shirt design challenge for the event. We talked to the radio and newspaper about our plans. We also sought out some fantastic sponsors! 

Sponsors and raffle donors include: Sedalia Reader's World, Stone Laser Imaging, Kay's Bridal & Tuxedo, The Academy of Salon Professionals, The Gallery Salon & Spa, Preferred Properties, Formal Affairs, Woods Supermarket, The Sedalia News Journal, 92.3 Bob FM, Precision Paint & Auto Body, and Pepsi. 

As with any event this big, there was the last minute hand grenade. In our case, it was the insurance, one of the first things we secured. We received a call 4 days before the event stating that underwriting had decided they couldn't insure us. They had even sent us a certificate the month before. : ( So we ran around at the last minute trying to find new insurance. Most places told us it was too short notice for them to put together a bid. When we were just shy of heart failure, Ahrazue Wilt with American Family Insurance in Sedalia came to our rescue! She even found us a great price.

Everything finally came together, and we had a great time! Here are some pictures and a final shout-out to all the fantastic people and businesses who helped us make the night a huge hit!
 





So there you have it. Come join us on the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PrombieApocalypse 

We'll be discussing themes for next year, music selection, and also, as with this year, we'll have the court nominations and tee shirt designs up on the page for voting! You'll also be the first to know when tickets go on sale. Can't wait to see you all again next year for a spooky good time!

Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend Blog Tour & Giveaway

Life is currently chaos, and I seem to be running on fumes these days. I have a ton of follow up work to do for the Prombie Apocalypse, and I'll be posting some event coverage in the next day or two. Right now, I'd like to kick off the blog tour & giveaway for Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend! I've been hearing a lot of really nice feedback. There were even a few teens at the Prombie Apocalypse who tracked me down to let me know how much they enjoyed my new novel. ♥ You all are the greatest!

For the blog tour, I'll be giving away a signed paperback of Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend and a $20 Amazon card, along with a few swag goodies, like Ghoul hand sanitizer and bookmarks. I'm also giving away an ebook of Crazy Ex-Goulfriend to 3 runner ups. Be sure to check out the other blogs on the tour! There are some fun interviews and guest posts, plus additional ways to gain giveaway entries for tweets and blog comments. For my blog comments, tell me what famous person you'd like to see raised as a zombie! : )

10/21 - Roquet's Reapings 

10/22 - Romance Junkies 

10/22 - Toot’s Book Review 

 10/23 - Fang Freakin' Tastic Review 

10/23 - Must Read Faster 

10/23 - Stacey Clifford 

10/24 - Fundinmental 

 10/25 - EclipseReviews 

10/26 - For the Love of Bookends 

 10/27 - Coffee Talk Writers 

10/27 - Literal Addiction

10/29 - Living an Eternal Fairytale 

10/30 - Book Pages and Dripping Ink 

10/30 - Mythical Books 

 10/31 - Kimber Leigh Writes 

10/31 - Mad Hatter Reads

10/31 - Notebook of Books 

10/31 - Tome Tender 

11/1 - FUONLYKNEW 

11/2 -3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! 

 11/3 - Books Books and More Books 

11/4 - Salacious Reads 

11/5 - Book Lovin Mamas 

11/7 - Book Monster Reviews 

11/8 - URBAN FANTASY LAND 

11/9 - I SmellSheep 

11/9 - A TiffyFit's Reading Corner 

11/9 - Close Encounters with the Night Kind

 11/9 - Dalene's Book Reviews 

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Janie Parker is in love with the boy next door, but he's dating Miss Popular. That is, until she wraps her car around a tree and bites the dust. Just when things settle down and Janie thinks that she might have a shot at going to prom with the boy next door, Miss Popular comes back from the grave, and she's one crazy ex-ghoulfriend.

 
Kindle | Nook |  Smashwords |  Paperback 

OMGZ! Zombies, Books, & Events

Radio Interview with Behka at 92.3 Bob FM

I had so much fun talking with Behka this morning about the signing this afternoon and the upcoming Prombie Apocalypse! If you missed it on the radio, you can listen to the interview here:

http://923bobfm.com/prombie-apocalypse-kicks-off-with-sedalia-book-signing-interview/

A History Lesson and Advice for Aspiring Writers

I really expected the nerves and excitement to diminish as I published more novels, but I can honestly say that I felt like vomiting and chewing my fingertips off just as much with my fourth book as I did with my first. I kind of like that about writing. Not so much the temporary insanity and nausea, but the excitement that is still full-throttle with every new project. 



Lately, I’ve been getting more requests for writing and publishing advice. With four books out, you’d think I would feel like a pro by this point, but I’m still learning new and wonderful things about writing and publishing every day. It’s amazing and humbling. I definitely don’t consider myself a pro, but I do feel like I finally have something worth sharing with aspiring writers out there. I could probably write a novel about my (mis)adventures in publishing, but I’m going to try to condense it down to a blog post instead. This definitely won’t cover all the bases, but it might give you a helpful nudge in the write (I just can’t resist a bad pun) direction. 

A brief history lesson about me… 

I knew that I wanted to be a writer when I was sixteen. Before that, I was determined to be a cartoon animator. I was constantly doodling and coming up with storyboard ideas, and I would write out scripts to go with them. My English teacher during my junior year of high school read one of my scripts and said that she thought it would make a great novel. That was the first time I considered turning my stories into books rather than scripts for cartoon shows. 

From the time I was seventeen until I was twenty, I started half a dozen novels that I never finished. Life was chaos. I moved out on my own at seventeen, so there was work and bills that took precedence over writing. (My very first tip to young writers would be to stay with your parents as long as possible. Trust me. It’s much more conductive to writing than working double shifts and remembering to change the furnace filter.) When I was twenty-one, I finally completed a full length novel. It was YA high fantasy, and it wasn't very good. I didn't know that at the time though. I also didn't know what to do with it once it was finished. 



So I dug around online and found out that the next step for most writers was to find an agent. I bought a copy of the most recent Writer’s Market and read loads of books on how to solicit agents and editors. I sent out a dozen query letters to various agents and got rejected by all of them, which is pretty common in the traditional publishing realm. Lots of great authors were repeatedly rejected before eventually being published. Even J. K. Rowling got a nice heap of rejections before someone decided Harry Potter was a good idea. I also found out, in the process of my research, that my novel was twice the length that most publishers preferred for an author's debut. They wanted something between 70,000 and 80,000 words, and mine weighed in at 140,000. 

I sadly set aside my novel and wrote another one that was shorter and urban fantasy rather than high fantasy. The new novel was set in a very diverse afterlife where all the religions were right and the gods of every faith had to coexist. It made for a TON of research. It was worth it though. I sent out more letters, and I got more rejections. I did get a phone call from one agent though, and I was completely over the moon about it, since she had represented two of my favorite authors. She requested my whole manuscript, read it, and called me back within a week. She suggested that I make a few changes, so I did. She deemed it worthy, said she would be my agent, and then told me that she would be in touch once she submitted my novel to a few publishing houses. I waited six months. I emailed her and didn't get a reply. Then I went to a book signing for one of her past clients that I adored, and I mentioned to him that I was working with his former agent. He gave me a funny look and said that he thought that she had retired. : ( Heart. Stake. I’m sure you can imagine. 



So when I got home, I emailed her again and waited a few more months. I did more research in the meantime, and that's how I discovered the budding world of self-publishing. I wasn't sure about it at first, but the more research I did, the better it sounded. I'm still rather artsy, so I really liked the idea of designing my own book covers. I was also able to release my books much sooner than I would if I went through a traditional publisher, which usually takes a year or longer from the time they accept a manuscript. The royalties were also much higher and they paid out more regularly than traditional publishers could. I thought about trying to find another agent, but I had already wasted a year at this point on an agent who had suddenly dropped off the grid. 

In October of 2009, I published GRAVEYARD SHIFT, the first novel in my Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc. series. Since then, I have published POCKET FULL OF POSIES and FOR THE BIRDS, the second and third books in the series. And just recently, a Lana short story was published in an anthology, OFF THE BEATEN PATH, with several other indie authors. Also, in the last few weeks, I published CRAZY EX-GHOULFRIEND, a YA zombie comedy. Next year, I'll be publishing the fourth Lana book, and I'm also coauthoring a novel with my husband. We're going to New Orleans in May to present a marketing panel at the RT Booklovers Convention. Things are going well, and I couldn’t be happier. Well, okay, I guess selling movie rights for my novels might make me a little happier. But I am pretty content regardless. : ) 

It might be nice to work with an agent and a traditional publisher someday. There are some fair benefits to traditional publishing. Brick-and-mortar distribution is easier, some of the promotional duties are handed over, the editing, formatting, and design are taken care of, though I actually enjoy the design work. Literary agents are also more in the know about book conventions and worthwhile publicity ventures. They have connections that most indie authors just plain don’t. Now that I have a few books under my belt, I am feeling more confident and patient these days, and the query letters aren't as stress-inducing.

So there’s the quick rundown on how I got here. Point A to point B, as my dad would say. There are lots of fun little stories in between, editing mishaps (like shiny back hair that should have been black hair), and book signing tour faux-pas (sometimes you can’t always tell an ‘adult’ bookstore by their name), but I’ll save those for another day. 



Onward, to the cliché advice aspiring writers are tired of hearing… 

I know. You’re probably feeling psychic about now. 

You guessed it: READ and WRITE. All that you can. Seriously. You hear it all the time, because it is sound advice. The first and only detention I was ever awarded was in fifth grade. I was caught reading a novel tucked inside my ENGLISH book. Ironic, wouldn’t you say? When I discovered Francine Pascal’s FEARLESS series, I sometimes read two of them a day. I think there is a lot to absorb, even subconsciously, when you’re reading. There is a lot to learn about rhythm and style, dialog and setting, structure and plot. 

Okay. I can give you a little more than that. Here are a few additional things that I would recommend to aspiring writers… 

Read outside of your comfort zone. Read the kind of books you want to write, but don't stop there. I love Jim Butcher and MaryJanice Davidson, but I also read a book picked by my book club each month. I try to read nonfiction books too, because there is some great inspiration to found in them. Many fiction stories blossom from science, history, and mythology. Mary Roach has a book called Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers. It's creepy and fascinating, and I try to read it again every few years. There is also a book by Ray Kurzweil called The Age of Spiritual Machines, and one by Daniel Quinn called Ishmael. These are all books that I normally wouldn't have read, since I like to maintain a steady diet of vampires, werewolves, and zombies. But once I read these books, I fell in love with them. They inspired me in ways that my typical urban fantasy books couldn't. Also, read books on writing. Stephen King has a popular one, simply titled On Writing. There are many, many more out there, covering everything from breaking through writer’s block to outlining a novel. One of the best books on writing I’ve come across is The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman. It changed everything about how I began a novel. In fact, I rewrote the first three chapters of my last novel twice, all because of this book. Another good read on writing is 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing by Gary Provost. 

Go to a book signing. There is nothing more inspiring or motivating than seeing an author shining in the moments after releasing a novel. Get a book or two signed, ask questions, get your picture taken with them. Imagine what it might be like to be in their shoes one day. Most authors and bookstores have a calendar of events posted on their website. Look up a bookstore near you and check out who’s visiting soon. 

Join or start a writing group. If you can’t find a group, you can create one through various sites like Facebook or Meetup.com. Feedback is crucial when you’re a writer, and sometimes, loved ones tend to be biased. Band together with a few other writers (4-6 seems to be ideal), and seriously critic each other’s work. Be tactful, but honest. Be constructive, not destructive. “You might want to work on this some more,” not “Are you sure you didn’t hire a chimp to write this?” 

Subscribe to Writer’s Digest magazine. No, I don’t work for them. No, they’re not paying me to solicit new subscribers. They’re just awesome. It’s the best writing magazine ever. EVER. They have great articles on improving your writing and on the business of writing. They also have multiple contests for multiple genres. They have writing prompts, and they advertise for some of the best writing conventions. They also interview authors, agents, and editors. 

Butt in chair. Fingers on keyboard. I’m coming back to this, because it’s kind of the writer's mantra. Writers write. Forget writer’s block. Forget your tight schedule. If you can find time to watch television, then you can find time to write. Even if it’s only for ten minutes. Even if you have nothing to write about. Just do eet. Look out your window, let something catch your eye, and imagine what if… Let it be sweet. Let it be ridiculous. Let it be boring. But whatever you do, let it be on the page. Practice makes perfect, and a million other clichés that you will continue to hear for the rest of your life. 




I hope some of that was new and helpful for you hopeful aspiring writers out there. I'm sure I'll have more to contribute on this subject in years to come, and if you plan on attending the RT Convention in New Orleans next May, come by and check out the marketing panel I'm on! We'll be going over some of the finer points of self-promotion, with several authors who have taken different approaches. Until next time, good luck with your wordsmithing!

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

The Blog Tour for OFF THE BEATEN PATH starts October 1st! Woot! The anthology features eight short stories from some great indie authors. We'll be giving away copies of the Kindle ebook edition and several Amazon gift cards, so be sure to check out these great blogs from October 1st - October 8th for some fun interviews and the chance to enter the giveaway!

Blog List 

Sharon Sant, author of Sky Song and The New Moon

Angela Roquet, author of the Lana Harvey series and Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend

Monica La Porta, author of The Ginecean Chronicles and The Prince's Day Out

D. R. Johnson, author of The Phoenix Curse saga

Jason Graves, author of On the Bridge, Blood Roses, and Morning Stars 

Chip Putnam, author of The Reason Why Grandmothers Should Not Be Allowed To Read Vampire Novels and Prairie Zombies


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