Monday, May 6, 2013

The (awful) Good Ole Days & #New Books!

I would never want a fellow writer or writer-friend to suffer.

But looking back, I'm almost a tiny bit glad I suffered through the experience of Query Purg(-atory). And I almost wish all writers did.

What is wrong with me, and why would I ever say such a thing?

Well, let me break it down for those who might not know (or remember)...

Query Purg used to be the only way to get published. It was a long slog of sending a query letter to a literary agent and then having to wait, in horrible radio-silence for six weeks (or more!) ...

To see if you made it to the next round: A request for more or all of your manuscript! (Yay!!!)

And then it started all over again. Waiting... as much as another two months--sometimes longer.

The bad news I learned was once you did land an agent, it just started all over again. The agent sends it to editors, and another round of waiting begins.

It's possible the query process is the most sophisticated method of torture ever invented.

BUT! if it weren't for Query Purg, I would never have ventured online to find support. I would never have found Janet Reid, I would never have started this blog, we would never have found each other!

Or maybe we would've? Now I'm thinking of that Sliding Doors post I did a while back.

Anyway, my whole point is that while I'm so happy the self-publishing revolution has (almost) made Query Purgatory a mere (horrible) memory, I feel sorry for these new writer-friends who'll never have that great bonding experience that brought so many of us together.

Hmm... or maybe I'm just looking for the bright side of life. Who knows? All I know is I'm glad to know you guys, and I'm glad something wonderful came out of a super-difficult time in my life.

Now for the new books!

First is a new Craft book by an experienced Editor and one of my first writer-friends, Jessica Bell. Jessica is the co-publishing editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the director of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca.

She's SUPER qualified--here's the scoop: Too many adverbs and clichés in your writing? I've got just the fix for you.

On Amazon
Writers constantly have rules thrown at them left, right, and center. Show, don’t tell! Stop using so many dialogue tags! More sensory detail! More tension! Speed up the pace!

I used to feel overwhelmed by it all too. In fact, I still do sometimes. It’s hard enough to get the words on the page, let alone consider how to put them there.

My name’s Jessica Bell, and my own struggles with feeling overwhelmed inspired me to write the Writing in a Nutshell Series of pocket-sized writing guides. So you can learn to hone your craft in bite-sized, manageable pieces.

In the first book of the series, I focused on demonstrating how to transition “telling” into “showing.”

In Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs & Clichés into Gourmet Imagery, you will find thirty-four examples of prose which clearly demonstrate how to turn those pesky adverbs and clichés into vivid and unique imagery.

LTM: This book is fantastic, and Jessica's a SUPER teacher. Get it today, and get writing!



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Next up, super-sweet and talented writer-friend Cassie Mae has a contemporary New Adult novel coming out this July, and I'm participating in the gorgeous Cover Reveal!

Drum Roll please.....

Get me
Is that gorgeous or what? Here's the blurb...

In the wealthy town of Sundale, Kelli Pinkins has hatched the perfect plan to capitalize on her sweet reputation. For a generous fee, she will be every trust-fund baby’s dream: a Friday-night alibi, the “girlfriend” or “BFF” parents dream about. 

With college approaching in the fall, Kelli’s services are in demand more than ever, which means that her social life is nonexistent. But Kelli is A-okay with that. She’s raking in cash for school. Besides, relationships are tricky, and sometimes very messy. She’d rather be at home on Xbox LIVE, anyway. 

Then the unexpected happens: She meets college stud Chase Maroney.

Chase isn’t like the preppy, privileged guys Kelli usually meets in Sundale. For starters, he’s twentysomething, always wears black, and he shoots back one-liners as fast as she can dish them out. But Kelli’s attempts to drive Chase away falter when she realizes that he treats her like he really knows her, like he cares about knowing her. 

When Kelli finally gives in to the delicious kiss she’s been fighting for so long, she faces a tough decision: make Chase a real-life boyfriend and risk her heart . . . or keep her clients and lose her first true love.

LTM: Squee!!! I absolutely loved Cassie's first book Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend (link), and this one promises to be just as great!


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Last, but in no way least, fellow Indelibles sister GP Ching has released the latest in her SoulKeepers series!

I love the sound of this installment as well as the cover, and as your reward for hanging to the end here, enter to #WIN a $100 Amazon Gift Card (link)!

On Amazon
Dane Michaels has been to Hell and back and isn't interested in repeating the experience. 

But as a human caught up in the Soulkeeper's world, his life isn't exactly his own. No one can explain why Dane was allowed through the gates of Eden, but it has changed everything. Now, the only one who can make him feel safe is Ethan, the telekinetic Soulkeeper with a dark past and a heart of gold.

When Malini asks Dane to be part of a mission to find the last Soulkeeper, Cheveyo, more than one team member thinks she's tempting Fate. 

But Malini suspects Fate has had a hand in Dane's life for some time and that he could be the key to unraveling Lucifer's latest plan of attack.




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That's it for me, reader- and writer-friends! I'm out of the cave, Dragonfly is on GoodReads (click here to add it!) and starting tomorrow, I'll be sharing excerpts and teasers leading up to the June 6 release date! SO exciting.

Have a super week~ <3

14 comments:

Pat Hatt said...

Thankfully I skipped the query thing, tried it a few times though but waaay to much of a pain in the arse

Old Kitty said...

Amazing Jessica and Cassie Mae are doing the rounds this Monday but I've not seen Soul Catcher so yay for GP Ching!

I hope you continue to have a positive and upbeat time, lovely LTM!

Take care
x

Summer Ross said...

Congrats all around- Jessica, Cassie and you! Beautiful covers.

~Summer

Janet Johnson said...

So much good stuff out there! And honestly, I do think the Query Purg is a great learning experience. No fun, but I'm glad I went through it, too. :)

Cassie May's book sounds fascinating, and Jessica is simply brilliant.

Jessica Bell said...

Aw, and I love you too. Not sure what I would do without you, you know that? :-) <3

Thanks for featuring me today. And congrats to Cassie and GP!

Adding your new books now. You're on a roll!

Barbara Watson said...

Thanks for word on all these great books! I love the way writers support one another.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Lots of great looking books. Excited especially for Jessica.

And is that a new header? If so, I like it.

cleemckenzie said...

Writing to a specific audience and a specific cause is great discipline. It just seems like you're tearing your heart out during the process.

M Pax said...

Congrats to GP, Cassie, and Jessica!

I still query sometimes -- usually short stuff, but may query longer stuff again. I love all the options these days. It's fab. :D

Theresa Milstein said...

I don't think querying is going away any time soon though people can certainly choose to stay away from the process. I guess I'm a sucker for pain. Agony.

Stina said...

I agree with you about querying. My writing is better because of it, but I'm glad I know have options.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Yes. Query Purg was so like listening to silent-radio or movies. It seemed like when one hurdle was overcome, the next was right behind it. I do think all the frustration that brought me has made me more grateful for where I am today.

Oh, and amazing books out now! Jess - of course. Cassie - I just saw this on another site. Congrats to her!

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi, LB.. HI, G.P,

First, Congrats to Jess.

WOW< book four.

How many more do you have planed for this series G.P.?

Stephanie said...

I've had 2 agents and multiple books on submission...it's crazy to think I might be done with all those stages of hell, including the revise-to-what-publishers-think-readers-want-even-if-it's-not-your-vision stage, which is my least favorite. Now if I can just make some actual money from my self-pubbed books, I'll have it made!