Categories
Tag: writing
Categories
Mine to Spell Release Date
It’s official. I’ve been working on MINE TO SPELL, book two in the MINE series, for one year today. Which doesn’t even account for all the note taking and plotting I did before officially starting to write it. This is the longest I’ve ever taken to write a book.
Honestly, it’s driving me batty. 2013 ended up being crazy year, both in my writing life and personal life, which contributed to taking longer than expected. It’s also why you haven’t seen me around as much here and on social media. I’m still lurking, but almost all my writing juice is busy elsewhere. I miss you guys! But I think we’d both rather have more books out, yes? Enough explanation, off to the fun stuff!
Everything is finally coming together, writing/editing moving along faster, feedback coming in positive, almost all the words are there, and I’m doing the polishing on it now. Which means:
MINE TO SPELL will be released May 5, 2014
Cover and description will be following in the weeks to come!
Categories
What is a Novella Anyway?
Truth: Before I got serious about publishing a book and began researching a lot about the industry, I had no clue what a novella was. Since I’ve announce MINE TO TARNISH, I’ve gotten a lot of people who, like me, don’t know exactly what it is.
Novella short unofficial definition: Think shorter than a novel but longer than a short story.
Novella unofficial numbers definition: It varies some depending on who you ask, but typically somewhere in the range of 15,000 — 40,000 words.
What? Word count? What about page count?
The problem with page count is it varies. A lot. Font size, style, formatting are all things that can play a part. For example, YOU ARE MINE can range anywhere from 270 to 372 pages. Same exact text, over 100 pages difference!
Whichever way you look at it, YOU ARE MINE is about 94,000 words. MINE TO TARNISH is about 29,000 words. So about one third of the size. Approximately 98-128 pages depending on the format. It’s a quick read, an evening perhaps. And it officially launches in one week!
Any questions about novellas?
Categories
Indie Life – The Joy of Being Indie
I’m very excited to be joining Indie Life. The second Wednesday of every month a group of indie writers post on things related to being an indie author.
When it comes to being an indie author, I feel like a baby. I’ve only been published just over two months. The decisions to self-publish was only about seven months ago. There’s still so much out there to learn and do. But I love it! So I’m starting my first Indie Life post with my top five reasons I find joy in being an indie, in no particular order. And yes, some of these are applicable whether you’re traditionally or indie published.
- Control. Yup. I’m a control freak and being able to have control over all the little details makes me giddy. Okay, fine, it also brings the occasional headache, but overall I love it.
- Support. I’ve been very blessed to be surrounded by family, friends, and other writers who have whole-heartedly supported my decision to self-publish. Knowing those around are behind the choices I make, even when I announce I’m taking the indie route, makes me thankful.
- Connections. Between other authors, book bloggers, and readers, I love the way I get to connect with other people as an indie.
- Flexibility. I love that I can maneuver however I want/need to. Like releasing a prequel. I didn’t think that would come until later, but readers wanted to know more about a character and I’m so happy to give it to them sooner instead of later.
- Dream. I get to live my dream every. Single. Day. Yes, sometimes it gets exhausting to write/edit/market/ect. but on the whole, I’m so happy to share my stories with others!
What do you find joy in?
Categories
You Are Mine Excerpt
If you didn’t hear last week , Mine to Tarnish, a Mine prequel novella, will be released Dec. 2, 2013. Very excited about this story. I’ve also been busy with another secret project (more on this soon, and guys, I’m so excited to share! Think contest and with an awesome prize) along with working on Mine to Spell which is going really well. While you’re waiting for fun news, I thought I’d share one of my favorite experts from the You Are Mine. And as always, feel free to drop me a question or thought. Enjoy!
I slump against the wall and slide to the floor. My sisters. I’ve worked seventeen years to protect them. Apparently, I haven’t been doing enough. Yet, the little I was able to do, I’ll no longer be able to provide. Marriage will stop me from being with them more than she thinks. I’ll never be more than I am now. Only less. Less able to help them in any way. My ability to choose will fade. I’ll take on the role of a breeder.
Or worse. I’ll become like that haunted tarnished. Bald. Inked. Barren. Emotionless. Not worth the shadow I cast.
Categories
Writing, Editing, and Extras
Before we get to it, I have to say one thing. Thank you!
I know I’ve already said it, but I’m going to keep saying it. Each and everyone of you that takes the time to comment here (or anywhere), talk about my book, add my book to Goodreads, show interest in it, and/or personally tell me how excited you are for it make my day. There’s been a lot of day making and day long prem-a-grins. So thank you for supporting me!
Been another quiet stretch, but I can assure you, it’s anything but quiet on my end. Edits have been going really well, and I’m getting close to being finished with it. It’s a lot of work, but I’m super excited. YOU ARE MINE is looking good and shiny. Soon it will be time for formatting and readying it for you to read. Plus the cover is finalized. I would love to do nothing but stare at it, but sadly I have a life. There’s going to be some fun details coming up about the cover in April, so keep you eyes open for posts about it.
Also, I’ve been working on swag and extra content for you guys. This is one of the funnest things I’ve ever done. Think bookmarks, deleted scenes, and scenes from the hero’s point of view. Plus some fun giveaway ideas I’m hoping to make work.
So despite my quietness, know I’m working on not only editing and writing Mine #2, but awesome giveaways and insider information for you guys. Can’t wait to share! Wish it was time for a giveaway already, but we’re not quiet there. Keep following for one to come the end of March/beginning of April!
P.S. My camera is finally working (yay!), so there is now a picture posted with the Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Recipe.
Categories
My Big News
As I’m sitting down to write this little butterflies are fluttering around and quickly turning to rays of sunlight struggling to burst out of me. And I’m a touch weepy. So here we go- before I turn into a puddle.
About a year ago, I got an idea. What if girls were married off, but for something other than money. Something they had, but they couldn’t control. Like…magic! And that was the start of a Young Adult Fantasy that’s taken over my life.
About six months later, it was fully written, revised, rewritten, revised again, given to critic partners, revised again- well, you get the picture. I dutifully sent it off to a list of agents. While I had my moments of doubt like all authors do, I believed in it. It felt right, good. Replies came in. Contests were entered. There some really great comments from a few agents and other writers. People liked the bits they were seeing and wanted to see more.
But then something wasn’t feeling right. I stopped sending queries even though I still had a list of agents. I let it sit while I worked on another project. But I keep thinking about not only how much I loved my book, but other people’s response to it. I couldn’t bring myself to do nothing. I hemmed and hawed. Should I send it to agents again? Should I go directly to publishers? Should I look at smaller publishers? What would be best for me and my book?
At first the answer came slowly. It had always been there tugging in the back of my mind. But soon it was tugging harder and harder. Then it morphed into a full on yank that felt not just better than any other option, but like it was the right option. The one I needed to go with. And so I decided to self-publish. That’s right, I’m going indie!
My debut YOU ARE MINE, a YA Fantasy, will be published on May 6, 2013.
To all those who have already given me so much support and encouragement and to those of you who will help in the future thank you, thank you, thank you! And yes, I’m no longer just a touch weepy, I’m full out bawling. No, you don’t get a picture.
And typical me, I rambled longer than I meant to. So, without further ado, here’s the blurb and a link to good reads if you’d like to add it.
YOU ARE MINE
Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.
Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.
Janeal Falor 