Forcing Myself to Learn

So, you know how my publisher went out of business last fall? At the time, I knew very little about self-publishing. But thanks to the good people at Rhemalda, I knew a LOT more about publishing than I had before I signed with them. They were very good to keep me involved in the process, patiently explaining all the hows and whys of everything they did, and because of that, I learned. And I took that knowledge with me.

Now I’m getting ready to release Birthright, the sequel to Descendant, and I’m really missing my Rhemalda family. Besides the support and friendship, I am realizing all over again how much I have left to learn. Some days it’s overwhelming. But I still know the things they taught me, and I’m adding to that arsenal of experience every day. I have some amazing, wonderful, talented friends who are patient and kind, and who have all contributed in one way or another to my success as an author. Without them, I couldn’t do this. Not the way I need to.

Even so, there’s a lot that I still don’t know. I can’t continue to ask others to help me with certain things, or have them do it for me. I have to figure out how to be a grown up author. And it’s both scary and exhilarating at the same time. There’s a certain feeling of accomplishment with each mountain of frustration I conquer and each new thing learned.  

I’m not going to lie. Publishing a book is hard. That’s why publishing houses hire entire teams of people. But I’m getting there. I’m forcing myself to learn it. Because I have no idea what’s in my future, and knowing these things can only help me grow.

Suddenly, I remember what it’s like to be in high school again, and I have a renewed sympathy for my young adult children who are having to do this kind of learning in every aspect of life. It’s hard. It’s scary. It’s exhilarating.

What about you? What scary things have you learned lately?

One of the many things I've learned this month.

Reveals, Releases, and Really Great Friends

A couple weeks ago, I was able to spend a few amazing days with four women who are my best friends in the world. The trip started as a Christmas gift from one person’s husband and then snowballed into a full-blown all-in FAB 5 hoorah: Destination San Antonio, Texas.

In the few days they were here, we did a lot of fun things, including making the very long trek to my house and the nearby beach. But the thing that struck me most—the thing that always strikes me—is that when the five of us get together, it doesn’t matter what we do. Whether we’re treated like royalty in a five-star resort, or stranded overnight in a hotel in an unsavory city because we missed our connecting flight trying to get to that resort, we are always happy to each be in the company of the others.

When the weekend arrived and my friends had departed, I drove home feeling a glow of happiness that can only come from spending time in the company of other women, and I found myself thinking, hoping. Friendships like ours are increasingly rare.

It is my grandest hope that someday my daughters will be as lucky as I have been and build the kind of friendships that fill in the spaces and gaps in each other’s lives. The kind of sisterhood that should be shared, and maybe used in a story someday.

Do you have a unique relationship with someone? Would you write about it?

NEWS UPDATE:

Guys. I know this has been a LONG time in coming. But I finally have a release date for BIRTHRIGHT! Mark your calendars for May 1st, because—hopefully—it should be available for purchase from all your favorite bookstores on that day (and if you're coming to the LDStorymakers conference in Logan, UT in April, I plan to have a FEW advance copies).

But…but…you haven’t seen the cover yet, right? How will you know what it looks like? Don’t worry. The cover is coming very soon. Like, probably in the next few weeks soon. As in…check back on or around *April 10th, when I will be posting both the cover and also a teaser chapter to whet your appetites. Between now and then, expect updates, signups for events and/or contests, and any changes or other news. 

See you soon! 

*Date subject to change, but let's hope it doesn't!

Update on the Descendant Series

Okay, so it’s been about a month since I found out my publisher is closing. In that time, the date has been moved back from January to October. The specific date will depend on each of the authors and whatever they’re planning to do when our rights revert back to us.

Because DESCENDANT was already released, and because the timeline has become so short, looking for a new publisher would mean allowing DESCENDANT to drop off the market for a while. And since it’s still very new, I hate to do that. This puts me in a position I never dreamed I’d ever be in with this particular book.

Independent publishing.

What this means for readers: Not a lot, actually. Rhemalda publishing is a very rare publisher in that they are conscious of their authors and the futures of our careers, and specifically the books belonging to us. This means that the appearance and text of the actual book will not change with one small/big exception.

Since I have to re-do a few things anyway, I’m adding BONUS MATERIAL! That’s right. The second edition of DESCENDANT will also include a sneak peek of the second book in the series, the title of which I will announce here very soon.

What this means for me: a lot of extra work, but also some unique opportunities. Like the chance to add bonus material and get people excited about book 2.  I will retain all rights to the series, and my agent and I are willing to consider offers from publishers should they express interest.

Oh, and also I am planning to build my newsletter list and Facebook author page. Keep an eye on the blog here (or the newsletter, or Facebook page) for some super-fun promotions. And as always, your help in spreading the word is always, always appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

Where I Was Standing

Word is spreading about my publisher’s recent announcement that they are closing. I have only had days to process, and because there are a lot of details and options to sift through, I can’t tell you with any certainty what will happen next with my newly released baby, DESCENDANT. (But don’t worry—I won’t let it just disappear!)

I’ve remained relatively quiet about this news because frankly, I’m a bit in shock. Less than a week previous to receiving this notification, my publisher and I discussed details about me turning in the sequel to DESCENDANT, which is about finished. Also, the way I found out was… less than ideal.

You see, I was at WorldCON, a science fiction and fantasy convention which happened to be held in San Antonio this year. It was midnight, and I was attending a social gathering, surrounded by other authors, fans, readers, and generally AWESOME people. At some point, amongst our giggling and chatting, I pulled out my phone to friend one of my new acquaintances on Facebook and my eye landed on a notice in the private Rhemalda Authors Facebook group. I won’t go into details, but I will just say the notice was lengthy, detailed, and devastating. And yes, I saw it first on Facebook.

Standing in a dark room, surrounded by excessively happy people, the floor fell out from under me. And for a few very long seconds, I couldn’t breathe.

I don’t remember exactly what happened next, but I handed my phone to a friend, who whispered something to my brother and cousin (who both awesomely accompanied me to the Convention—along with my awesome friend), and then all these arms enveloped me in a giant group hug while I cried.

When the fog lifted and the arms were removed, a swarm of supportive people joined in. Not just my family, but so many other supportive people, some of whom hardly knew me at all, but who were genuinely concerned for my welfare and happiness. Everyone in that place hugged me at some point, even though few of them knew why.

I received support from a woman who works for a company specializing in publicity, from a number of successful authors, from a Hugo winning artist, and also an editor. I was serenaded with a Monty Python sketch, and saluted, and cheered on, and held up until the tears turned to laughter, and my feet somehow found the floor again.

That night, a friend reminded me that there are no mistakes, only happy accidents. And by the time he said it, I knew that no matter what road I choose from here, I am going to be okay. My career is still moving forward, and I can still look forward to celebrating enormous success.   

The world righted itself because I realized that no matter what happens, I will never have to stand alone.

In the days that followed, I received more proof in the form of messages, phone calls, texts, and emails and so much verbal support I almost can't keep up with it. 

There will be news in the future, and soon I will go through the painful process of making decisions and figuring out details. But for now, I am more than okay. I am amazing and wonderful and zen. I’m happy with all my future possibilities. And I attribute that in large part to where I was standing when I got the news, and where I continue to stand daily. Completely surrounded by love.

Why Are You In It?

Every once in a while, the publishing world breaks out in highly publicized debates about big publishing versus small publishing versus self-publishing. It’s not a new argument. Not a new debate. And most people in the industry have super strong opinions one way or another about whatever roads they deem worthy or unworthy or right or whatever.

And I get it. We’re all entitled to our feelings and our opinions and our ways of thought. I have some of my own even. The thing is that we are all here to survive a different journey, and we are so much better off for the many available choices of roads. I could share my opinions and experiences and whatever whatever, but the thing is, it doesn’t matter. Because even though I’m writing with building a career in mind, that career isn’t necessarily the reason I create.

I write because I love it. It frees me. It makes me think deeply and notice the small things and observe people and situations and places. And also, it clears my head of all the voices. And those voices are the thing that make me believe that I was absolutely put on this earth to create, so it’s like a vicious cycle that boils down to this: I write to stay sane.

So there. I said it. Doesn’t matter which path I choose or how I find my success. The point is that I’m sane, and that’s what matters. And I’m proud of the quality of work I’m learning to produce. I’m successful in so many little ways, and I plan /expect/ am working toward more success in the future. So I’m going to take the advice of Caitlin at All the Write Notes and make my excited face as often as I can, and I’m going to remember how many successful roads have been traveled by Jennifer Armentrout, and be grateful for my publisher and my agent, and all the other people working hard to help me make good things happen, and I’m going to stand up and dance. Because people, I’m in it for the insane-sanity of the thing.  

And really, I don’t know of anyone who can argue with that. So tell me, why are you in it?

Guest Post: Donna K.Weaver, author of A Change of Plans

Hi all! Today, I have the pleasure of hosting fellow Rhemalda author, Donna K. Weaver, whose book, A Change of Plans comes out TODAY! Yes, that's right. It's Donna's book birthday.

*throws confetti and blows up balloons*

Happy book birthday Donna! Today, Donna is going to tell us a bit about how setting is important to her story.

Nichole, thank you for having me for a visit. I'll touch on one of the settings in my book, A Change of Plans. It's the story of a cruise excursion gone bad. The main character ends up marooned on a tropical island where a Banyan tree plays an important part. These fig trees are characterized by aerial prop roots. With age, they grow into thick woody trunks and can become indistinguishable from the main trunk. Sometimes the core of the tree can die, but it continues to live and spread out because of the aerial root system.

I took this picture in Kona, Hawaii a few years ago.

When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old Colorado high school teacher wants is to forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. What she plans is a vacation diversion; what fate provides is Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship’s make-believe world and its temporary friendships, her emotions come alive.

However, fear is an emotion too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he navigates, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship—on the very anniversary Lyn came on the cruise to forget. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic.

Things are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise’s snorkeling excursions in American Samoa and paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped. Lyn’s fear of a fairy tale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.

Donna K. Weaver
Website
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Goodreads

Celebrate Good Times, Come On! (A massive DESCENDANT giveaway)

Yahoo. Dun dun dun dun dun dun…

*dances around the house where I’m staying*

*sees you looking*

*sheepishly blushing*

Oh, uh, yeah. Hi! So today is the beginning of the Descendant Blog tour, and that means PARTY! Also, FREE STUFF! Yep, that’s right. You are invited to visit any of the participating blogs, where you will have the opportunity to enter to win.

But, um, what do you win? Well.

Do you know what a galley is? It’s basically a printed, unbound copy of the book. Sometimes they have author notes and other doodles in them. Sounds cool, right? (Or lame—I don’t know. You tell me!) I will be giving away one complete doodled galley copy of DESCENDANT. IF we make the review goals, this will include the three bonus scenes I promised (but if we don’t make it, I can’t reveal them. Sorry!).

Also, because there are healing crystals involved in this story, I have a few of these beautiful healing crystals, which have been put into necklaces by my good friend Gail. I will give away Four of these.

But that’s not all! Oh no. My amazing friend Tova, has created some lovely, and oh-so-amazing healing body spray. And yes, it really does HEAL things. She also created these gorgeous DESCENDANT lip balms. (Tell me those aren’t the cutest things ever!) So I’m going to give away one bottle of healing spray and a lip balm as a package prize.

And also, I love the idea of packaging all these things together, so I will offer one more prize that includes a body spray, a lip balm, a healing crystal a signed poster, a wrist band, some bookmarks, AND… a doodled, signed galley segment that includes at least two chapters of DESCENDANT.

Sound good? Cool. Okay then. Go forth and enter, my friends! Good luck to you.

*Bloggers may enter as long as the entry doesn’t come from their own blog.
**Sadly, I need to restrict this giveaway to USA mailing addresses only.
***Contest runs from today, May 6, 2013-June 5th, 2013.
****You may enter once on each participating blog, but please be kind and leave the bloggers a comment. Thanks!

  

May 6    A Dream Within A Dream                   

              No Thought 2 Small                    

May 7    Coffee, Books,and Me                               

May 8    Cari's Book Blog    

May 9    My Passion for Books            

              Fire and Ice          

May 10  Krista's Dust Jacket           

               Basia's Bookshelf                    

May 13  Manga Maniac Cafe            

May 14  Romancing the Dark Side                                                             

May 15  Cari's Book Blog                                                              

              My Reading Room                                                                     

May 16 Views from Hobbit Hole                                                                 

              Me, My Shelf, and I                                                                                   

May 17 Books and Coffee                                                            

              An Avid Reader's Musing

             Bookworm's Multiverse 

May 20 Late Bloomer Online                             

May 21 Books of Love                                                                                   

May 22 Min's Read and Reviews                                            

             What's Beyond Forks?              

May 23 Tarheel Bibilobabe                                

             Kathleen Brebes                  

May 24 Lily Pond Reads                   

May 27 Books and Coffee                  

May 28 Read-A-Holicz              

              Reading Lark               

May 29 Reader Girls                                                  

              My Bookish Fairytales         

May 30 Girls in the Stacks                    

May 31 Rex Robot Review      

Cover Reveal: A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver

Hello again! I know I don't usually post on Thursdays, but, well, my publisher sister's cover has been revealed today and I just had to share!

Isn't it pretty? I love the waves and the beach, because, well, you know me. A Change of Plans is scheduled for release from Rhemalda Publishing on June 1st, 2013.

Here's what the book is about:

When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old, Colorado high school teacher wants to do is forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. Lyn plans a vacation diversion; fate provides Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship’s make-believe world and temporary friendships, her emotions come alive. 

However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he's navigating, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship--on the very anniversary Lyn is on the cruise to forget. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs from Braedon and what he has to offer.

Their confusing relationship is bad enough, but when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise's snorkeling excursions in American Samoa things get worse. Paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped and Lyn's fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.

You can add it to your Goodreads lists and vote for it here.

If you'd like to stay informed about author Donna Weaver and her book A Change of Plans, you can follow her on Facebook and Twitter. To stay informed about all of Rhemalda Publishing's titles (including mine) you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter as well.

About the Author:

Donna K. Weaver is a Navy brat who joined the Army and has lived in Asia and Europe. Because she sailed the Pacific three times as a child, she loves cruising and wishes she could accrue enough vacation time to do more of it with her husband.

At fifty, Donna decided to study karate and earned her black belt in Shorei Kempo.

After recording city council minutes for twenty years, Donna decided to write something a little longer and with a lot more emotion--and kissing.

Donna and her husband reside in Utah, they have six children and eight grandchildren who live all over the world.

Interested in more? This book has a trailer. You can view it here!

Let IT Begin

And by IT, I mean launch prep.

So a few things I feel I should make public. First, I hope all my friends who are not writers (and even those who are) will forgive me for any promotional efforts that might feel excessive or over the top. I promise I will do my best to not over do it, but I think everyone has a different threshold of tolerance. I hope I don't cross yours. (But I promise not every post will be about me and/or my book. Most won't, so please do keep coming back.)

Also, be prepared for an unusual number of contests, excerpts, and mentions of reviews, etc, because that is what writers do when their first book is released. And their second. Maybe even the third. Okay, let’s face it. We do it for all of them until we become well enough known that our work promotes itself. Yeah.

Now, this is where I could use your help. 

I’d like to hear about your favorite unique promotion for a book or product. For instance, Bree Despain gave away custom nail polish that matched the covers of The Dark Divine series. Elana Johnson gave away a limited number of exclusive custom art pieces by the talented Dustin Hansen when she released Surrender.

Those are two of my favorites. Now I’d like to hear yours.

And, um, if you share an idea (not T-shirts, bookmarks, or posters) and I do something similar, you will receive the first of that type of prize for helping me out. No drawing. No tweeting or sharing or anything else required. Deal? Okay.

And…GO!

Spring Things

I don’t know about you, but I’m really quite relieved to say goodbye to February and usher in March. It’s like the light at the end of the long winter tunnel. Also, this spring I am looking forward to lots of things. Spring THINGS!

Like my cover reveal. Because I’ve been waiting to show that off for weeks and weeks, and now I finally can!

And blog tour and book launch planning, searching for contest prizes, stuff like that. Because I like to give things away, and I am ridiculously excited about the release of DESCENDANT and can’t wait to share it with the world.

And like spring break. Wherein we take our kids and drive a few hours to Galveston, TX, where there is a cruise port, and we board a ginormous ship and leave all our troubles behind for a week. (Yes, it’s a Carnival Ship, YES, we were scheduled to sail on the Triumph and had to change our reservation, and no, we are not nervous to sail on the Magic, because we’ve cruised before and we know that what happened a couple weeks ago is not something that happens often. It’s like flying on a plane. Crashes happen so rarely that when they do, it’s BIG news. But there are thousands of planes taking flight every single day.)

I am also anxious for spring flowers and planting season and sea turtle hatching season. (Oh my goodness, there’s a national beach near me where this is a seasonal thing and you can go watch the baby turtles waddle out to sea. True story!) And dolphins in the harbor and baby bunnies which show up randomly on my front lawn.

And Cadbury Mini Eggs, because, well, who isn’t excited about those?

Now it’s your turn. What are you most excited about this spring?

It’s HERE! The Descendant Cover Reveal.

AAAAHHHHH! Can you believe this gorgeous cover? Seriously. I know I’m a teensy bit biased. I mean, LOOK! That’s my name. That character? I created her.

Um. Forgive me. I believe it’s possible I’m overexcited. But still. This is it. The cover for my first published full-length YA fiction novel. This is a day for which I have been waiting for a very, very, way-too-long time.

And now I will stop gushing and let you read the cover copy (which may not actually end up on the cover—but it works for now).

Descendant

Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed—or cursed—with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it’s not just Abby’s life at stake.

Now, just FYI, there is no purchase link yet because this book isn’t released until May. You will be able to preorder it sometime in the next few weeks, but if you’re interested and want to keep track, you can always add it to your Goodreads “want to read” list. Talk about it, send yourself reminders, whatever. And also, keep checking back here, where I will be posting teasers and contests and other exclusive activities you won’t want to miss.

Thanks for celebrating with me!    

Find Descendant on Goodreads.

**UPDATE** 
Interested in joining us for the blog tour in May? Sign up here!