Jay McLean's Blog, page 3

That awkward as hell moment when you realize you've accidentally uploaded the wrong file to Amazon, and some poor people out there have downloaded the first draft of your work. -- If this is you, I'm sorry. Please get your refund and contact me.

Thanks.

It's been a week since 'More Than This' has been live on Amazon. Only one week. I can't believe it!

I'm so blown away by the response that it's had. I sent out Arcs as a way to see whether people liked the story as much as I did, I had no intention of publishing it. Not until the first ten reviews i got were 4's and 5's, asking for more of 'The Logan'.

I love reading all the reviews - even the negative-ish ones. Although, I haven't come across any that say they hate it. I'm dreading that day!

As a new author, and this being my debut novel, I try to take in every review and what is being said. I'd be completely stupid not to take every piece of criticism or advice as constructive and do something about it.

Legit! - LOL! Shout out to Jessica *The good gif witch* for your review, because if it weren't for you, I'd still have a book on amazon that has waaaay to many 'legits'. I also removed a bunch of slang i honestly didn't even know that I had written. Thanks to technology everything is shortened, and my fingers auto type them. And if your one of the ones that got the book early on, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

As far as editing and grammar go, yes, i'm getting it looked at. Thank you for letting me know, and I truly hope that it didn't deter you from enjoying the actual story too much.

I LOVE reading the mixed reviews.. and the status's as people are reading. The feedback is so mixed and i love it. LOVE IT!

I love that at some point in the book I wrote something that actually made you want to share it, with me, or other readers, or just yourself. Even if you hate it. It's something.

LOGAN - He's coming (not like that, don't be dirty) I'm still writing his story and I don't want to rush it. I don't want to be one of those authors that rush stories and release a 150 page companion novel because it's hyped and people will buy it. I want to write Logan's story and I want it to mean something.

Lastly, I want to say Thank You to every single person that has read, rated, reviewed, loved, hated, legit wanted to pull their hair out, everything. Just Thank YOU! 

There's also a handful of ladies that read it around the same time, that loved it enough and told all their friends about it. I'm not going to name names but you know who you are and i'm so glad this fairytale and Jake effing Andrews made you laugh/smile/swoon/cry.

A special thank you to Alexis *RealityBites! Let's Get Lost!* - without your rave review and ability to pimp out my book, I would still be annoyed waking up in the morning, looking at my email or GR and finding not much feedback.

Does anyone know if this guy ^^ is real life? Because if he is... LICK!!!

Everyone's ratings and reviews and feedbacks.. I have no words. Just,

So, one of the readers I've given an arc to has been kind enough to be having a conversation with me via email.

She just asked why I became a writer and I started to write her back, but it ended up being a huge reply, and one I thought I might share with everyone.

So here it is, a piece of myself..

I hated reading and writing all throughout my younger years, especially high school, when it was really forced on me. I actually didn't take up reading until last year (!!) when the 50 shades series came out. I had my second baby in July and took up reading as something to do on my phone while nursing in the middle of the night. After 50 shades, I think I read the thoughtless series, and then the Slammed series. After reading them, I just couldn't stop for some reason. It became almost like an obsession.

So, nearly a year later, I was reading these stories, that just captivated me. And I had this story in my head for weeks. it wouldn't go away. I would dream about it, and silly things, like driving in the car, scenes would play out in my head, and I'd be driving my kids home from playgroup and just keep circling the block because I didn't want the thoughts and ideas to leave my head.

So, one night, after the kids (Just turned 3 and 1) went down for the night, I did a little housework, and locked myself in the bedroom while my other half caught up on 'Game of Thrones'. I secretly started to tell this story to my Macbook.
Honestly, I couldn't even tell you how long I stayed up the first night. I think I wrote out the first 5 chapters and then did a summery of the chapters that followed.
I wrote the chapters and uploaded them to 'Fictionpress'. A free site where you can post your stories. The site allows you to see how many unique visitors look at each chapter, each day.
I could tell people were reading it, but no one left any feedback. I had a couple likes and follows but not really any actual feedback.
So, that's when I turned to the Goodreads community, and boy, has it changed my world.
I honestly didn't even think that it would get the response it has gotten. I thought that some people may like the story, rate it a 3 maybe, and that was it.
I'm the least eloquent person I've ever met. Honestly, I struggle to order at the McDonalds drive through. If you read my book you'll notice my writing style is very straight to the point. I, personally, like easy reads. Nothing with fancy words that make me use the dictionary feature on the kindle, and nothing that makes me think twice, or reread certain lines.

I really have three things that I think help with my writing.
1. I can close my eyes and play out an entire scene in my head and write it.
2. I'm an emotional person. I cry during almost every movie I've ever watched. My Girl, gets me every time - I mean seriously, the kids allergic to bees and he dies getting her mood ring, COME ON! This video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTzTt1... - makes me cry EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
3. I know what I love in a book boyfriend. And I, myself, are truly, madly, deeply in love.
I write what I know, and I think that helps.

I 'm still unsure about my work and no one else knows I've written the book, no other friends, no other family. I don't know if it's because I'm embarrassed about it, or if I'm just scared to be judged by someone I actually know.

I still can't wrap my head around being called "a writer" or an "author", and I sure as shit can't believe that I have a book on Amazon and that it's actually selling!

I can tell you now, that I NEVER. EVER. EVER. thought that writing would be something I would be into, let alone enjoy. But if there's just one other person out there that likes what I have to say, then it doesn't matter whether this is something I can do as a source of income, or as a career. Or if this is my only book, or I write 20 more. It means that my words, my thoughts, my idea, has reached out to at least one other person. And that has to mean something. To me anyway.

So, if you're asking the question, because you think you want to write something, a story, a poem, a novel. Then DO IT. Because you just never know...

Argh. I just hit the publish button on Amazon and now we wait. I'm fliiping the eff out!!!

Here is the link to the amazon page so that those people I was lucky enough to have read can add the reviews there too.. if you want to..

http://www.amazon.com/More-Than-This-...



Me right now:



Jay.

Doesn't really contain a spoiler, but you may think so, so click link at your own risk!!.

P.s - this will only make sense if you've read
Hopeless

Hit up my facebook for a sneak peak.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/jay-mc...

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When ever I read a new review...



Internally:

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I type faster than my brain works and it makes editing a bitch and I hate it and If it were a living object I'd knee it in the junk then throw it out the window.

Rant over.