Kristie Cook's Blog, page 9

It's release day! Woohoo!!! Curses, Fates & Soul Mates is on sale everywhere now! Get yours for only 99c, our way low launch price that will soon be going up to $5.99. That's 5 full-length novels for less than a dollar.

We're celebrating the day with a blog blitz, an all-day party on FB and a Twitter party tonight. We have all kinds of goodies to give away PLUS a Kindle Paperwhite. All of the details, including the Rafflecopter, are below. Come join us in our celebration!
5 full-length novels from 5 of the hottest authors in New Adult Paranormal Romance!

Escape reality and immerse yourself in these steamy paranormal romances. With everything from tattooed bad boys and sexy demons to hot, otherworldly bodyguards, youíre going to fall in love. Beware: youíll be up reading well past your bedtime!
ONLY AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME!
Retail value = $14.95
Limited time release = $.99

Recommended for readers 16+
Approximately 1,200 pages
Get your copy now at:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Kobo
IBooks
Barnes & NobleCheck out the links in this post to join us in the release day fun! We have lots of prizes up for grabs, including a Kindle Paperwhite!!
THE SPACE BETWEEN by Kristie Cook: Self-contained dancer Leni Drago and inked-and-pierced playboy Jeric Winters must discover the truth behind their connection as well as their ties to a journal from 1989 ñ and they must do it fast, before all evidence that they ever existed disappears. Two love stories, one mystery and a paranormal twist that readers call ìmind blowing.î
The Space Between kicks off her second New Adult paranormal series, The Book of Phoenix, with part two, The Space Beyond, releasing in 2014.
Besides writing, Kristie enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three sons, a beagle and a puggle.
Email: [email protected]
Authorís Website & Blog: http://www.KristieCook.com
UK Fan Site: http://www.kristiecookfansite.co.uk
Soul Saver Series Website: http://www.SoulSaversSeries.com
Facebook: AuthorKristieCook
Twitter: KristieCookAuth

FROSTBITE by Lynn Rush: Love is warm and fuzzy for most people, and it would be for eighteen-year-old Amanda Smith, too, if her kisses didn't cause frostbite.
About Lynn RushDriven to write, Lynn Rush often sees her characters by closing her eyes, watching their story unfold in her mind. Lynn Rush is a pen name that is a combination of two sources ñ Lynn, the first name of her mother-in-law, who passed away and Rush ñ since the author is a former inline speed skater and mountain biker. All of Rushís books are dedicated to Lynn, her namesake.
Connect With Lynn Rush OnlineLynn loves to hear from readers!
Catch the Rushô
Email: [email protected]
Authorís Website & Blog: http://www.LynnRush.com
Facebook: LynnRushWrites
Twitter: LynnRush

CURSED by R.K. Ryals : Sometimes being bad is betterÖ A vintage-loving witch. A cocky demon. An old grimoire. An ancient curse. A family secret that changes everything.
About the AuthorR.K. Ryals is the author of emotional and gripping young adult and new adult paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and fantasy. With a strong passion for charity and literacy, she works as a full time writer encouraging people to "share the love of reading one book at a time." An avid animal lover and self-proclaimed coffee-holic, R.K. Ryals was born in Jackson, Mississippi and makes her home in the Southern U.S. with her husband, her three daughters, a rescue dog named Oscar the Grouch, A Shitzsu named Tinkerbell, an OCD cat, and a coffee pot she honestly couldn't live without. Should she ever become the owner of a fire-breathing dragon (tame of course), her life would be complete.
Connect With R.K. Ryals OnlineI love to hear from readers. Please visit me online!
Email: [email protected]
Authorís Website: http://rkryals.com/
Facebook: RKRyals
Twitter: RKRyals
RETURN OF THE ASCENDANT by Raine Thomas: Party plans derail for college student Kyra Vaughn when sheís nearly killedÖtwice. Sheíll have to rely on a sexy stranger with unusual abilities to keep her alive and help her discover who sheís destined to be.
About the AuthorRaine Thomas is the award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine recently signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen. She's a proud indie author who is living the dream.
Raine is a hopeless romantic with a background in the fields of mental health and wedding planning...two areas that intersect far more than one would think. Her years working with children and young adults with emotional and behavioral challenges inspired her to create protagonists who overcome their own conflicts. When she isn't writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida's beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.
Connect With Raine Thomas OnlineI love to hear from readers. Please visit me online!
Email: [email protected]
Authorís Website: http://www.rainethomas.com
Facebook: RaineThomas
Twitter: Raine_Thomas
Pinterest: Raine_Thomas

REPOSSESSION by Rachael Wade: The Invaders have come for Earth, and Skylla Wardenís in the very center of the upheaval. On a mission to take back what is rightfully theirs, Earthís population is determined to make sure this isnít the end. But some endings were never theirs to begin with.
About the AuthorRachael Wade is the Amazon bestselling author of THE PRESERVATION SERIES, LOVE AND RELATIVITY, and the upcoming New Adult sci-fi series, THE KEEPERS TRILOGY. When she's not writing, she's busy going to concerts, watching too many movies, and learning how to protect animals and the environment. She's an avid Brandi Carlile fan and loves all things Tim Burton.
Connect With Rachael Wade OnlineI love to hear from readers. Please visit me online!
Email: [email protected]
Authorís Website: http://www.RachaelWade.com
LightsOn Website: http://www.lightsonlove.com/
Facebook: AuthorRachaelWade
Twitter: RachaelWade
We are celebrating this release with lots of fun, games and prizes. We would love for you to join us!!

Souls of Indie FaceBook Group

Curses, Fates & Soul Mates Release Day Party on FaceBook

Curses, Fates & Soul Mates Release Day Twitter Partya Rafflecopter giveaway

Indie BookFest was so much fun last year that I'm doing it again this year! I seriously can't wait, and I hope you can join us in Orlando for the conference in August. Today, we're doing a "Meet the Authors" blog hop. So...meet me below. :) And then hop on over to meet the other fabulous authors who will be at IBF 2014.


IBF Meet the Author 2014 Feb 14 - 21
Tell us a little bit about your book(s) and yourself.
The Soul Savers Series is based on the premise of “How far would you go to save the souls you love, and those that you don’t?” It follows the life of a young woman, Alexis, who discovers she is the heir to a matriarchal society that serves as the Angels’ army on earth. My plan is for this series to have seven full-length books, along with other companion novellas and short stories.
The Book of Phoenix Series is a paranormal romance trilogy with a unique twist. It’s based on the premise of Twin Flames, who have a stronger bond than even soul mates, and the idea that we humans have no idea what’s beyond this world…and this lifetime. I’m working on the second installment of the series now, and the deeper I get into the story, the more I’m loving just how complex this world is becoming.
Me? I’m a very devoted mom of three handsome young men, two in college with the third accepted to join them next year. My loved ones are incredibly important to me, and I cherish my family and friends more than anything. Beyond that, for fun I love to travel, especially on the back of my husband’s Harley! When I’m home and time permits, my favorite relaxation includes cooking an amazing meal, reading (of course), and hanging out with my boys and my dogs.
When was your first book published?
My first book, Promise, was published in July 2010.
Why did you decide to become an Indie Author?
After I finished my first book and polished it until it shined, I queried agents but was told more than once, “there’s no market for college-aged protagonists. Make her younger or older and we may reconsider.” I considered if I could make Alexis younger for YA or older for Adult, but she needed to be 18 and starting college for the entire series to make sense. I just couldn’t do it. At that time, self-publishing as we know it today was still in its infancy, but I believed in the stories that I had written, and I believed in myself, so it didn’t take me long to determine that Indie was the best path for me. Besides, what did I have to lose? It was a crapshoot and I ended up winning! J
Are you currently working on anything?
Right now I am working on The Space Beyond. It’s part two of my second series, The Book of Phoenix. In addition, I’m in the midst of releasing a box set with a group of amazing New Adult Paranormal Romance authors entitled Curses, Fates & Soul Mates. Contributing authors include Rachael Wade, Raine Thomas, R.K. Ryals, and Lynn Rush.
Who and what inspired you to write?
When I started the Soul Savers Series, I’d been thinking about angels and demons for years, but even when I decided to give fiction another try (after not writing it for 15 years), I didn’t really have a story in mind. I started with character sketches, and then a scene between two of these characters. Then ideas began to snowball from there. That’s how it works – one little kernel of an idea can quickly grow into massive inspiration, if you just let your imagination go.
Pretty much everything that I see or do can somehow influence my writing. I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling this past year, and many of the sights that I’ve seen have already found their ways into stories. Sometimes it’s something as simple as a post on social media that can trigger something in my head that will turn into a perfect moment in a story. But beyond that, personal experiences—family events, etc.—can cause my actual writing process to vary.
One of the luxuries of being an author is being able to adjust my schedule when my family needs me. Recently, I needed to spend time with my dad while he was in the hospital. I ended up writing a big portion of one of my books in the hotel near his hospital. Ironically, it was my Thanksgiving short story trilogy—all about being thankful for the important things in life.
Each author has his or her own inspiring journey. How did you begin writing?
I’ve loved writing since I was 8 years old, but when I was in college, I got “practical” and changed my major from English to business. I’d decided then I didn’t have a novel in me. I graduated with a Business Marketing degree, but my career always included writing – I thought then that I was meant to use my writing skills for business. While working as a resume writer, training program writer and editor, newspaper reporter and editor, and marketing communications developer, I raised my three boys. When they hit their teens, though, and my oldest started driving, I began to find more free time on my hands. I devoured every book I could get my hands on and loved lots of them but couldn’t find the story I really wanted to read – the one forming in my head. So I decided to give writing fiction another try. Within 6 weeks, I’d written the first drafts of what became Promise and Purpose. I haven’t looked back since. That was five years ago!
What is on your writing playlist for your book(s)?
It varies, depending on what I’m writing, but each book’s playlist may include Linkin Park, Muse, 30 Seconds to Mars, Evanescence, Red, Skillet, and Godsmack. In The Space Beyond, I have a couple of Southern born-and-raised characters, so I’ve been trying to listen to some country and Southern rock. “Trying” is the keyword, especially with the country. It’s just never been my favorite, although there are some current songs I can tolerate. Haha!
Who is your favorite character in your books?
That’s a tough one! I think I’m closest to Alexis—she’s been living in my head for quite a few years now—and I’ve really enjoyed watching her grow and develop throughout the series. As far as sexy, hot, who would I want to spend some quality alone-time with? Well…that would have to be Tristan. Although Jeric could be fun too!
What is your favorite book of all time?
I think each time I read a new book and fall in love with it, it becomes my new favorite book. I get something out of every book I read. It’s impossible to pick a single favorite.
Tell us in one sentence why we should read your books.
Besides the fact that the first book (Promise) is free so you have nothing to lose? Because the ¾ million people who have downloaded them can’t be wrong? Or, wait. Because I have the most amazing fans in the world, and you belong with them. *grin*

We're getting ready to kick off the pre-launch party for Curses, Fates & Soul Mates!!! Come join us, starting tomorrow, as we get ready for the box set's release on Monday. Join us at Souls of Indie Facebook group to stay up-to-date on all the fun we have going on - as well as to join extra giveaways.

Here's all of the fun we have planned:

Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/673496932709231/

Join us to celebrate New Adult Paranormal reads, including the upcoming Curses, Fates & Soul Mates! Because NA is much more than meets the eye. We have several authors joining us, including Brenda Pandos, Belinda Boring, Lizzy Ford, Patti Roberts, Mary Ting, Derinda Love, and many more!

Feb. 14 ~ 4-6 PM EST

Feb. 15 ~ 11 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST AND 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. EST

Feb. 16 ~ 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. EST AND 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. EST

Feb. 17 ~ RELEASE DAY!!! We'll be popping in throughout the day for random chats, contests and giveaways.



Join us for the Twitter Release Party, too!

Feb. 17 ~ 7-9 PM EST

And don't forget to pre-order your copy today! Our launch price is only 99c!!! So even if you've already read The Space Between, you get 4 (FOUR!!!) more books for less than a dollar. You seriously can't beat that. Here are the pre-order links (B&N Nook doesn't allow pre-orders for us, but it will live there by Feb. 17):

Amazon US: http://tinyurl.com/ZonUSCursesAmazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/ZonUKCursesKobo: http://tinyurl.com/KoboCFSMiBooks: http://tinyurl.com/iBooksCFSM

In between battling illnesses, more remodeling, preparing for the launch of Curses, Fates & Soul Mates (less than a week - eep!!!!), and pulling everything together for IndieGirl Con next week in Charleston, SC, I've still been hard at work at The Space Beyond. Here's a little snippet from Leni's POV for Teaser Tuesday (this is rough draft still, so no guarantees of quality writing):

“The music from the last eight years sucks major balls,” Jeric said as he threw down his headphones on the bed.
I shrugged. “There were some good songs.”>
“I think I’ve heard them all already.”>
That was possible. He’d been listening to music every chance he could since regaining his hearing. After the first couple of weeks, I enjoyed it because he’d learned the words and sang along. Lately, though, he only scowled. Maybe because he found that most of it sucked, as he’d just put it, or, just as likely, because he’d been in a bad mood and nothing was bringing him out of it. Not even music.
“Of course, maybe if you danced for me, it would sound a lot better,” he said as he trailed his fingers over my hip.
I laughed and shook my head. “Even when you’re pissy you’re horny?”
He smiled and moved his fingers to my chin. “Leni. Whenever I’m with you, I’m horny. Hell, I don’t even have to be with you. I just have to think about you. You make my mind live in the gutter, imagining all the dirty things I want to do to you.” He leaned in closer and brushed his lips against mine. As if I didn’t already have goose bumps crawling all over my skin. “But I like to watch you move. Your body does this thing that’s … mesmerizing. Takes the rest of the world away. And that makes me less pissy.”

Eek! Curses, Fates & Soul Mates will be out in less than 2 weeks! This project has been so much fun to work on with the other authors (how could it not be - they're full of awesome!) and we're all excited for the release. I just know it's going to be a success. I mean, how can you beat 5 fab novels for only 99c? That's the launch price, although it won't last for long. You might want to get your pre-order in now.

Yep, we have pre-order links. Pick your poison:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I5UQT2U/kriscook-20

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00I5UQT2U/kriscook-20

iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/iBooksCFSM

Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/KoboCFSM

Unfortunately, we can't get Nook to work with us on a pre-order button. But no worries - the box set will be live there by release day on Feb. 17.

The Space Between is featured in the box set, which means I've been buckling down on The Book of Phoenix #2, The Space Beyond. How about a little Teaser Tuesday? (It's still very rough. No judging, please.)

From Jeric:

Mat’s essence darted through the water until he was in my face. “Get off your self-righteous high horse and do what you’re supposed to do, Jeremicah. You chose this, remember? We all did in the Space Between. So buck up and be the leader everyone needs. Or, at least, do your god-damned job so the rest of us can do ours and maybe actually live a while longer. You keep this up, and you’ll get us all killed. Including your own dyad.”
I stared at Mat’s form, seething.
“Kel, call your bitch off,” I growled.
Mat glared at me for a moment longer, then sauntered back to Kel. “No need, babe. I said my piece.”
I turned on them, and Leni came up to me. I needed her to back off, too, though. I could imagine my heart racing in my physical body, and the need to punch something was overwhelming. I didn’t want to hurt her. What made me angrier than anything was that Mat was right. I chose this life to be a Guardian, and part of that choice was taking my rightful place as Leni’s protector. I couldn’t imagine not being by her side and keeping her safe. But part of that was being the leader with her that we were meant to be.

And fuck. How do you reconcile who you thought you were for the past 23 years with something like that?  

Exciting things are on the horizon, and we're kicking them off with a couple of amazing cover reveals! One of the reveals is for Raine Thomas' upcoming release, Return of the Ascendant. Let's start by sharing the scoop about exactly where Raine's new book will appear...and reveal that cover, too!

Raine is collaborating with bestselling authors Kristie Cook (me!!!), Lynn Rush, R.K. Ryals, and Rachael Wade on a boxed set featuring 5 full-length Paranormal New Adult Romances. How exciting is that?? The set, titled Curses, Fates & Soul Mates , is launching on February 17th, and the authors are putting out a call to bloggers who are interested in participating in the launch tour.

To participate in the LAUNCH TOUR, please click here.
The authors are planning a fun and innovative launch, including a Facebook party, huge giveaways, pre-orders and more! Outside of blogging, there are other ways you can join in the fun. The authors have created a Facebook group called Souls of Indie , and the aforementioned FB party will run from 2/14 to 2/17. Click the link and ask to join the group so you don't miss out!

If all of that wasn't enough to convince you, how about this gorgeous cover for Curses, Fates & Soul Mates designed by Robin Ludwig Design?
Incredible, right? One of the unique aspects of this boxed set is that Raine is opting to release Return of the Ascendant exclusively in the set upon its initial release. That's right, Raine Thomas fans...you'll have to get it in the boxed set first!

Without further adieu, let's find out more about Raine's book and check out the beautiful cover designed by Regina Wamba of MaeIDesign...

Return of the Ascendant BlurbExpecting to enjoy another typical college night at a frat party with friends, Kyra Vaughn’s plans derail when she’s almost killed…twice. Her savior, a tall, sexy stranger who calls himself TaeDane, claims that he’s the personal bodyguard for the Ascendant of Alametria. She’s convinced he’s crazy.
Especially when he insists that she’s the Ascendant.
With dark enemies hunting her down, Kyra has no choice but to trust her supposed bodyguard. Ty vows to help her remember her past and return her safely to Alametria, but someone seems intent on interfering, challenging his abilities at every turn.
As Kyra’s memories emerge, she remembers that Ty is more to her than he’s let on…much more than he’s allowed to be. She’ll also discover that there are many things about her planet and herself that she’d rather forget. In the end, she’ll have to make a choice: cling to the life she knows, or risk it all to become the person she’s destined to be.

And now, the big reveal!
We hope to see you all at the Curses, Fates & Soul Mates party!

There have been all kinds of survey results circulating recently about how indie/self-published authors are "really" faring in comparison to their traditionally published counterparts. Mainstream media reports that self-publishing isn't all it's cracked up to be - the majority of indie authors earn less than $1,000 or $500 a year (depending on the source survey). The funny thing is that no authors in the many groups I'm a part of - including big names and not-so-well-known ones - were ever a part of these surveys. The most common question has been, "Who did they ask????"

You see, we're doing a lot better than they want to make out (and "they," most likely, is comprised of the legacy system - the Big 5 publishers, agents who cling to the old ways, their avid supporters, and mainstream media). They're correct in saying that only a small handful of indies have made the NYT Best-Sellers and USA Today lists or have made millions a year, but the same can be said of traditionally published authors. There are only a few superstars, but many thousands of midlist authors - those of us who sell well, but haven't hit the "big" lists. Here's what they're getting wrong, though: midlist indies make MUCH MORE income than midlist trad-pubbed.

Finally, someone surveyed indies and hybrids who are professionals, rather than hobbyists. Who are working their asses off, offering new products on a regular basis, and, well, making this a business. And who are earning a very good living. My hat goes off to Beverley Kendall who created the survey, collected and analyzed the results and compiled them into this informative report . If you're a writer, I highly recommend you read it. Wait, I take that back. I insist you read it. You deserve to know the real story.

In the interest of transparency, I'll share my numbers below. This is not to brag or to make anyone feel superior or inferior. It's to show that you don't have to be a NYT Best-Seller to make a nice living at self-publishing. In fact, I haven't even had a book on Amazon's Top 100 Kindle Paid list since 2011 (although in 2013 I made the Nook, iBooks and Kobo Top 100 lists - for iBooks, the Top 20 list). I started from scratch; I was never published by New York.

You'll see that I fall in the second highest group in the survey for income in 2013. I also have fewer titles out than everyone else in that group, but I'm working on that this year. As is consistent with the survey, income and unit sales increased in correlation with both number of books given away (the first book in my series has been perma-free since mid-2012) and number of titles available (note that although I added 5 titles in 2013, 3 of those were the holiday short story collections released at the end of the year).

One last thing I need to share: I have what many indies call a "vested partner." For most authors who are lucky enough to have such a partner, this is usually their spouse. However, I could never work like this with The Man, so I have Chrissi. This means that I don't personally earn every bit of what I'm showing here. As most indies do, we have an LLC, and this is what the LLC brings in. We don't publish any other authors and don't offer any services (at this time), so this is all based on my books' sales. We also had no capital going into this. Our arrangement is no different than a husband-and-wife team who created an LLC to publish her/his/their books - we're just not married. Just thought I should share that.

Okay, finally, the numbers:


Self-publishing is not a bubble that's going to burst, although it will likely level off. Most importantly, though, the hype surrounding it is not a lie. It's not a get-rich-quick scheme that will make anyone off the street tons of money within months. But as you can see, putting in your time, working your ass off and taking calculated risks - just like for any business - pays off.

Bottom line: It's a great time to be a writer. Whether you go traditional, indie or hybrid, you have more viable opportunities than ever.

CRUX (Aurora Lockette Series 2) by Miranda Kavi
Cover Artist: Mae I Design and Photography
Release Date: January 29th, 2014
#CRUX #MirandaKavi #CoverReveal #TBRList
I’ve been captured by the Shyama.
 They’ve revealed their origins… and mine.
 I will escape, I will live, and I will see Gavyn again.
 After the Shyama brazenly kidnap Aurora in a crowded Las Vegas Casino, others in the Organization soon go missing. Her friends, family, and Gavyn sink into despair as hours pass into days with no leads, but Gavyn refuses to give up the search.
 During Aurora’s captivity, she learns the terrible truth of the identity of the Shyama and her own kind. Worse yet, the Shyama have horrible plans that will destroy everyone she loves.
 Aurora needs an army to stop them. But first, she has to escape…
~MARK YOUR CALENDARS!~Start the Aurora Lockette Series with BOOK 1 – FLEE for only $.99! - http:// amzn.to/1cuXdBP Follow Miranda Kavi:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MirandaKavi
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6452986.Miranda_Kavi
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Miranda-Kavi/e/B00935U7B0
Website -  http://mirandakavi.net/

Author Bio –
Miranda Kavi is a romance and paranormal fiction author. Her books have been listed on the top 100 best seller lists on Amazon and I-tunes. She has worked as an attorney, an executive recruiter, and an assistant in a biological anthropology lab. She loves scary movies, museums, and is hopelessly addicted to chocolate. She lives in Houston with her husband and daughter.

Just when I was starting to feel caught up for the New Year and actually felt productive yesterday, life happened again. Everything that should have been easy yesterday became quite the long, drawn-out process, throwing me way off schedule. And then...I get the call from my son that he'd been in an accident. If you're a parent, you know how you dread "the call" since the first minute you hold them in your arms. This one was minor, thank God. And I thank God profusely that he and everyone else involved wasn't injured. As much as yesterday and last night sucked as we started adding up the financial costs and other consequences, at least we weren't spending our time in the ER.

So, anyway, my afternoon was blown to bits yesterday, which has put me behind again today. Which means, I don't have a blog post written. Luckily, there is this really awesome event going on over at Facebook that I'm more than happy to pimp.

BLOGGER APPRECIATION DAY
If you're a blogger or an author or both, please go check it out (https://www.facebook.com/events/59433...). And do it NOW! Although the official event isn't until Feb. 10, there's already all kinds of fun happening. This is a great way to discover new-to-you bloggers and authors and to make all kinds of new friends. On the actual date, there will be some amazing giveaways and more fun to be had.

Go join the event and be sure to "Like" and follow any blogs and authors that catch your eye. And have lots of fun!

I caught myself doing something absolutely horrible the other day, and it made me wonder how often I do it without realizing. So I've been paying more attention for the last few days and am appalled at myself. Now I wonder if I'm the only one or if others have fallen into this same self-defeating trap. Before I can tell you what crime I've been committing, let me explain a little about the life of an author.
These days, whether self-published, indie published or trad-published, being an author is a business. If we don't think of ourselves as a business - with all of the financial management, marketing, customer and vendor relations, and everything else that goes into running a company - our careers will fail. We're not just writers. Yes, we must spend the majority of our time writing and creating, but there is much more to what we do than that. We must wear a lot of hats. We must juggle a lot of tasks and activities, and we have to manage our time carefully. This is even more true of self/indie published because we have added responsibilities that our publishing houses and editors don't do for us. Throw in household duties, children, school, and for many, day jobs, and it's easy to see how important time management is.
For me, this means compartmentalizing my days and hours. I plan my weeks and days ahead of time, scheduling my writing time, my business time, and my personal time (of course, when a deadline is soaring at me, all bets are off, but this is the ideal situation). Whatever "time zone" I'm supposed to be in, I try to keep my focus on that area, get things done, and move on. Otherwise, I can bounce all over the place from one task to another without actually accomplishing anything. And I can easily keep myself busy 18 hours a day without writing a single word, which is no bueno.
There is also the whole thing about needing to be more present. More in the now. We writers have this uncanny habit to drift off in the middle of conversation because our minds have gone to the story we're working on. We're "listening" to characters talk in our head and "watching" scenes play out in our minds. If you've ever been talking to a writer and see them get this glassed-over look in their eyes, that's what's happening. We don't do it because we're bored, and we certainly don't mean to be rude. We just can't help it - the voices in our head become louder than everything around us. But after many complaints from family, friends, and business partners, I've had to remind myself to be more present. To be a part of life as it is right this minute because I'll never get this minute back again.
So here's what I busted myself doing the other day: I let my mind wander away from the task at hand, which was organizing some business stuff (the professional term) and creating monthly and weekly to-do lists. You know, those things we do at the beginning of the year so we can be even more productive this year than we were last. Or at least, less chaotic than we were last year. Anyway, my brain had the nerve to go to other places, like to characters and stories and scenes I want to write, rather than focusing on what I was doing. That's not the crime, though. Ready to hear what I did that was so bad? Ugh. I'm embarrassed to even write this.
I told myself: "You can't think about that right now. It's not writing and creating time. It's business time. You need to focus on organizing this crap." And I immediately turned off the flow of creative thoughts before they really got started, and I focused on what I was doing. Turned them off like they came from a faucet.
This may not sound bad, especially to those who are OCD control freaks like me who think, Yeah, you should be focused on the task at hand. But it is really, really bad for creative types. Especially when this kind of thinking becomes so ingrained, we don't even realize we do it. We're subconsciously stifling our creativity! Or maybe I'm the only one who does it, so I'm stifling my creativity.
When I started paying more attention, I realized I do this throughout the day. Many times. A. Lot. In fact, whenever I'm not in the "writing time" zone, I cut off my thoughts every time they try to go to the story or characters, and remind myself to focus on what I'm "supposed" to be doing. This used to be impossible. My characters would talk to me all day long and at the most inopportune times, and I couldn't do a thing to stop them. I'd have to pause whatever I was doing to write down notes so I wouldn't forget everything when it came time to actually write. But somewhere along the way while juggling way too many things for one person, I've learned to completely mute the voices. I taught myself too damn well to be "present."
The bad part comes when it's time to write - when I'm "allowed" to be creative and let my brain go there. By then, I've stymied the flow so much that my creativity comes in trickles rather than gushes. It takes longer to get into the story and allow myself to be there. Sometimes the voices have been told to shut up so much that they do so permanently.

I'm not really sure what to do about this, because those other things still need doing, and they need focus if I'm going to do them right. My family and friends still deserve to have me fully present when we're together. But at least I'm aware of this criminal behavior and admission is the first step, right? I'm hoping that when I catch myself about to tell the voices to shut up that I can allow them to talk at least a little more, to start with. I think I'm going to have to make it a point - and forgive myself ahead of time - to drop what I'm doing and let my mind wander when it goes to story stuff.
I wrote this blog post two days ago, but Blogger was giving me a fit and I couldn't publish it. And in that time - in fact, on the way home from the grocery store yesterday - my mind began wandering and I let it. But then ... a brand-new character popped into my head, and then another, and then a scene. They have absolutely nothing to do with either of the series I'm currently neck-deep in, and I was easily tempted to tell myself to shut up, to not think about these intriguing people whose story I want to know, because I need to be thinking about Jeric and Leni or Tristan and Alexis. Not about sexy college dude answering his parents' door in jeans and no shirt and no shoes, and holding a baby ... or why he's holding a baby ... or who's on the other side of the door .... And I caught myself doing it again. Trying to cut off the creativity. So I'm letting myself go with this one while I can. Who knows what could happen with it?
So I apologize in advance if I get distracted with this new and shiny idea. For me, it's a good thing as I unlearn my tendencies to stifle my own creativity. No worries - Jeric, Leni and a new(ish) girl in The Space Beyond, The Book of Phoenix #2, are also talking quite loudly. And I will make it a point to not tell them to shut up, regardless of what I'm doing. And now I apologize in advance to everyone who knows me in real life. I'm a writer. What can I say? I will never be the normal you want me to be.