HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING!

EVERNIGHT IS TURNING THREE!!!

 

Celebrate like a ROCK STAR because Evernight Publishing is THREE!

In three short years, Evernight has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to readers like you! Evernight is pulling out all the stops and throwing an extreme BIRTHDAY BASH BLOG HOP in your honor!

That’s right! It’s Evernight’s birthday but YOU get the presents…

Prizes include:

Samsung Galaxy Tab

Kindle Paperwhite

Kobo Touch

$100 Evernight and Amazon Gift Certificates

Mega Evernight Swag Pack

Plus, each author on the hop will offer his/her own special prize!

As an author, I’m thrilled to share my stories with you and Evernight helps make my books shine! Here’s one reason why I love Evernight Publishing:

I love Evernight because they believed in my talent as a writer and allowed me to express my creativity when others would have stifled it. Evernight has made me feel as if I belong to a large supportive family.

Stay tuned for my upcoming title from Evernight: Goddess of Legend

Available October 14th at: www.evernightpublishing.com; www.amazon.com; allromanceebooks.com; www.bookstrand.com

Blurb:

Cameryn Kane is a Private Investigator with a spirit problem. She can talk to spirits, solve any homicide and has no love life. When an unexpected death sends her world into a tailspin, Cameryn finds comfort in the arms of a talk, dark and handsome stranger, Hades, God of the Underworld.

When Hades promises to bring her loved one back from the dead if she allows him the chance to woo her for six months in the dark Underworld, Cameryn readily agrees. While fighting her growing feelings for Hades, Cameryn must deal with the return of his ex-wife, Persephone, who is determined to get her husband back.

Cameryn will soon experience love and betrayal while discovering powers she never knew she had. Along the way she will also learn that she is at the center of a prophecy that could cost her, her life, while contending with the emergence of a mother who will stop at nothing to see her destroyed.

Excerpt:

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said lazily.

 “I think we should talk,” she said cutting right to the chase.

“Okay. I’m all ears.”

“What happened between us was extraordinary. You made me feel like I was special, and I will always treasure that.”

“But?” H asked prodding.

“I’m a mess right now. My sister was killed in an accident yesterday. That’s why I was at the bar last night. It’s also why I brought you home with me. I wanted to forget about my pain.”

“I can sense your heartache. I would never want to do anything to add to it.”

“You’re not. You’ve been so sweet. Any other guy would’ve probably run away as fast as he could if he woke up next to a hysterical female.”

“I’m not like most guys. What is it, Cameryn? Tell me.”

“I think it’s best if we don’t see each other again.”

“I see.”

“I’m not trying to hurt you. It’s just I have a lot to deal with right now, and I can’t devote myself to a relationship. I’m sorry.”

“What if I want a relationship with you?” he asked quietly.

“I can’t, H.”

“If you weren’t grieving for your sister would you consider giving us a chance?”

“I’m not sure,” she said honestly.

“You’d give anything to have your sister back, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course I would. Anything. But death is final,” Cameryn said climbing out bed and grabbing her robe.

“No, it isn’t. You can have your sister back.”

 “Are you out of your mind? Deena’s dead, and nothing can bring her back,” Cameryn said as tears started rolling down her face.

“I can.”

“You can’t. Nobody can. Just go … please.”

“Not until you listen to me,” he said getting out of bed and walking over to her.

            Cameryn tried to ignore his nakedness as he stood in front of her.

“I know this is going to be hard for you to believe, but I’m not really human. I’m Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, and I can give you back your sister,” he said softly touching her face.

            Cameryn laughed. A deep bellyaching laugh. He was out of his mind. Trust her to pick up a crazy one night stand. What a waste.

“Listen, H, or whoever the hell you are, I’m not sure if you bumped your head or something, but clearly you have some mental issues. I really think you should go now.”

“Cameryn, I can assure you that I’m in complete control of my mental faculties, and I’m more than willing to prove it you,” he said smiling.

“Go ahead. Knock yourself out,” Cameryn said now fully convinced her dream lover was certifiable.

            She crossed her arms and watched as he closed his eyes. He seemed to be concentrating hard. Cameryn couldn’t stop the gasp that came from her throat as she watched his naked body become magically swathed in black robes. She blinked rapidly, just to make sure she wasn’t imagining things. Nope. He was still standing in front of her wearing dark black robes. She started to shake when she saw a bright blue light surround him. When he opened his eyes and stared at her, she could see flames dancing in his eyes.

 “Okay. You’re a magician, but you’re going to have to do better than that,” Cameryn said brazenly refusing to believe what she was seeing.

“Very well,” he said in a voice that now boomed.

            Since when had his voice boomed? Cameryn screamed as he disappeared right before her eyes. When he reappeared in front of her a moment later, black clouds swirled around him. What had she gotten herself into?

“What are you?”

“I’m Hades, God of the Underworld.”

“You mean as in Greek god Hades? No. That stuff is only a bunch of myths.”

“And yet I stand before you now. You of all people should know that everything is not as it always appears, Cameryn.”

“What are you talking about?”

 “You can talk to the dead. You find their spirits that cry out for rest.”

“How do you know about that?”

“I know a lot about you,” he said staring at her intently.

“What do you want?”

 “A chance.”

“A chance for what?”

“To woo you. Come to the Underworld with me.”

“Huh?” Cameryn asked too dumbfounded to believe what she was hearing.

“Come to the Underworld with me. Give me six months to show you that I can love you the way that you deserve. I want to make you immortal and have you rule at my side as my wife and queen for all eternity.”

             He wanted her to be his wife! She had to be hallucinating. Maybe he’d drugged her last night when she wasn’t paying attention.

“If I agree to this, what happens at the end of six months?”

“Your sister will be returned to life, regardless of whether or not you decide to remain with me in the Underworld. It is my sincerest wish that during our time together you will come to love me as I already love you.”

“And if I stay with you, I’ll become immortal?”

“Yes. You will never grow old. You will never die. You will be eternally beautiful.”

“This is a lot to process. I don’t know what to say,” Cameryn said plopping down on her bed.

 “I don’t expect you to make a decision right now. I’m a patient man. Take as much time as you need,” he said starting to fade away.

“Wait. How do I reach you?”

“Just call for me, and I will come. Farewell, beloved,” he said caressing her face.

GIVEAWAY

In addition to the awesome prizes Evernight is offering, I will be giving away two e-book copies of Goddess of Legend. To enter to win all you have to do is leave a comment on this post about who your favorite Greek god or goddess is and why. Random winners will be selected. Make sure to leave your name and email so winners can be contacted.

 Enter to win the Grand Prizes using Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e561a316/

Hop to the next stop here: http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=314265

 

It’s the perfect time to buy the Evernight titles on your TBR list, as well as new gems you find during the event, because Evernight’s entire backlist is on sale at evernightpublishing.com and allromanceebooks.com through October 7^th!

 

MY WRITING INSPIRATION (PART ONE)

MY WRITING INSPIRATION (PART ONE)

 

 

        I have always loved to read. In school, I discovered that I was also a pretty good writer too. But I never seriously  considered being a serious writer until I discovered Jackie Collins.

 



 

 

  The first Jackie Collins novel I ever read was Dangerous Kiss , A Lucky Santangelo Novel. At the time I read Dangerous Kiss, it was the most recent in the Lucky Santangelo series. I fell in love with Jackie's writing. It was descriptive, interesting, and to top it all off, she'd created a female character who was so tough she could kick anyone's ass! Lucky didn't take crap from anyone and to top it all off she was a gorgeous, business savvy mob princess. Call me biased but I think Lucky Santangelo is the greatest female character ever created.

 

      After devouring Dangerous Kiss, I read the rest of the books in the Lucky Santangelo series before moving on to reading every book Jackie had written at the that time. Today I own them all. I love how Jackie would always tell aspiring writers that she was a reform school drop out with no writing background. She just sat down one day and decided she wanted to do it. And that is the same advice she gives to her fans. If you want to write, stop talking about it. Just do it.

 

      So I took Jackie's advice and I did it. I wrote my first story ever, One In A Billion. It was about a young woman who won a contest to spend a month with her favorite male singer who ultimately left his girlfriend for her. I can honestly say that the story was so bad and so cheesy I ripped it to shreds (literally) and threw it in the trash. It was terrible, not the idea itself but some parts about it were. Still I was encouraged. Years later, the idea for my own mafia series was born: Mafia Marriage. I have written 17 chapters of the first novel in the series, For The Sake Of Convenience. Interestingly enough it is the first novel I started as an adult. One day I hope to finish it. That is if I can stop coming up with new ideas for new novels.

 

    Without Jackie Collin's simple, but yet very important advice, I probably would've never kept attempting to write a novel. Because Jackie's kick ass writing has always shown that women can do anything, I'm doing just that: following my dream of becoming a published author and continuing to write so that I can share my stories with the world.





AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHORESS PERRI FORREST

         AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHORESS PERRI FORREST

     Today I am pleased to host Ms. Perri Forrest on my blog. Perri and I connected on Twitter and became fast friends. Not only is she funny, and a sweetheart, but she is also a talented writer and is in the process of building her own empire. Her writing is thought-provoking, heart-wrenching and multicultural. As she once told me, she doesn't write urban novels. She writes suburban novels. Take a minute and enjoy the interview I did with this lovely lady. And don't forget to check out her various works.

AN INTERVIEW WITH PERRI FORREST

Ladies and gentlemen today I am happy to have with me Ms. Perri Forrest, the author of Revolving Doors, Rendezvous, & The Color of Lies.

Q: Perri thank you so much for taking the time out to talk with me today. To start with tell us a little bit about yourself. I am a passionate individual who loves to write, who is obsessed with miniature golf/badminton, and who is a perfectionist. I am addicted to knowledge, and attracted to intellect. There’s nothing sexier than a man who is intelligent…genuinely intelligent. I’m vocal and will defend my point to the death. Anyone in my immediate circle will attest to that. I’m a person who explicates just about everything when it comes to inspirational quotes – or any quotes for that matter. I think people say, and post things all the time just because they sound good without really challenging the words or looking at it critically. I don’t care whose quote it is, I need to fully assess it first before I go, “Liking/Sharing”, or otherwise. Oh! I’m an admitted control freak. And a Leo. I think that’s it. No, wait! I love life and am the kind of person who will come down really hard on myself if I feel like I’ve gone through the day without identifying something different/new about myself and those around me. Weird, huh?

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to become an author?

I’ve known I wanted to be an author since I was 12 years old. I used to write short stories with two primary themes: 1) Walking through the woods with a group of friends and finding a magical cottage with a little old lady inside telling really magical stories about the future. I remember once we got inside her house it would be glamorous and way bigger than it looked from the outside. I was really living a dream through these stories and I saw it metaphorically. It was a picture of how I saw my life at that time, versus what I wanted it to look like. Probably my obsession with glamour. 2) I also wrote a lot of stories about kids with invisible friends, though I didn’t have one myself J I think I needed one to help curb that overactive imagination.

Q: What is the most frustrating thing about being a writer?

The most frustrating part about writing to me, is not the actual writing itself, but the worrying about whether anyone will like my work or not. So much so that whenever I write a story, I never go back and read it again for fear I will find something that would give any reader ammunition to hate me and chalk me up to a wannabe. Don’t get me wrong, I know I can write and I have total faith in my writing, it’s the “acceptance” factor. I’m slowly shaking that and simply reveling in a place of finding comfort in the fact that I’m writing after having put it off so long because of fear.

Q: Are you a pantser or plotter? 100% #TeamPantser!

Q: When you think up a story idea do you concentrate on characters first or the storyline? I tend to concentrate on a single character first, and build a story around that person.

Q: So tell us a bit about your two novellas Rendezvous, & The Color of Lies? Where did the inspiration for these novellas come from? Oh! I love talking about that! Rendezvous was actually part of an anthology with the instruction to just “go for it…make it no longer than 10,000 words…setting Mardi Gras…start it out with a bang!” Enter the limousine scene. I came up with the bang first and built from there. I had a complete ball writing that story because it took even me to another place and it was what I wanted for the reader as well. Gabriella Alexis Sandoval, the main character in my debut novel, was introduced in this novella. Rendezvous tells a small portion of her life – the secret portion of her life – and that is her time spent in Brazil as a high priced call girl. This particular piece of her lifestyle is something that she’s held onto since a young adult because it was a release there for her during a tumultuous time in her life. She has her own wealth and a full life outside of that secret life, but continues it because for her it’s a place of comfort for her that was there for her when she felt she was at the end.

Now The Color of Lies is my absolute favorite story. I think it’s my favorite because of how it was developed. There are so many memories with that story. Let’s begin with the fact that it was written in four days out of a nervous energy. Imagine working every day all day on a book and then all of a sudden you’re done. It’s the one thing you’ve done every day for months – morning, noon, and night. Then it’s off to be edited and you’re inside your own head about what the feedback will be and wondering if the editors and beta readers will hate it. Since I’m a girl who wants the truth, and sugarcoating, I was prepared for the worst and I had nowhere to put that energy. So what did I do? I wrote a story and honestly as I wrote TCoL, it flowed so fluidly I was scared. That had never happened to me before and I was deathly afraid of what it meant instead of embracing it as a talent (something I have a hard time doing). The story has several characters, but its focus is on an agency called Pandora’s Box that outs the cheaters of the world. In this particular installment, we had Erik Warren a super dog! He is a married man living a single life and when his wife’s women’s intuition kicks in, she enlists the help of the beautiful Brooklyn Kellogg, and her agency to get to the bottom of things. The Color of Lies is my best seller to date, ironically and I am currently at work on the next installment which closes up some loose ends with a few characters, and introduces some new ones along the way. 

Q: What made you decide to continue Gabriella’s story in Revolving Doors? I knew early on that I wanted to give her a full story. I wanted to read her story! Lol! I wanted to see what led her to that secret life in Brazil, and what else she had going on in addition to that life. Gabriella told me that she wanted her story told and it was my job to tell it. There’s depth to her and it needed to be revealed alongside her life at the beautiful resort of Belo Paraiso. I wanted to tell the story of how heartbreak led her to become one of Valentina’s girls, how she found herself there, and how she developed as both a woman and a businesswoman from that experience.

Q: What do you want readers to take away from your work? I want them to see that I work extremely hard to make my stories, and characters individuals. I don’t look at other author’s characters and take from them, I build these characters…these stories from scratch, and I feel that I owe it to them to tell their stories as thorough as possible, from the glorious to the imperfections. I want them to take from my work that I put my all into it because it’s important for me that I deliver a fine piece of work.

Q: What was your road to publication like? What made you choose the self-publishing route? I haven’t had a road, per se. I just got in my car and drove, and am still driving until I reach a destination. I will say that the beginnings were awesome in how it all came to be. It came in the form of, “you never know who’s watching.” Literally. I used to blog heavily. I’ve since retired that blog (but will resurrect it one day soon), and had a pretty decent following. Well, there was one follower who I didn’t even realize was watching my work. Never commented, never emailed, but I knew she was a follower because I kept up with that list of people, for the sake of seeing who my audience was. After about two years of blogging, I received a message one day from her asking me if I’d like to participate in an anthology. I was so green that before I responded, I had to look up what that even was. I have always been an avid reader, but had only ever read complete novels, so wasn’t up on the lingo. As soon as I got the definition, I responded back with, “you know I’ve never published anything before, right?” to which she responded, “well you should. I’ve followed your blog for years now and you can write!” I think I started crying at that moment in front of my keyboard. It was the first time that my writing had been officially validated, and it felt good. It was years in the making.

With the self-publishing route, I decided that it would be much more effective for me to just write and get editing and publish my works to get my name out there, rather than wait for weeks, months, and YEARS, to find a Literary Agent who believed in me to get behind my work, or a huge publishing house that already has their focuses on a particular genre of work. I wanted to see who Perri was first before I introduced her to that population of individuals. It was kind of like finding myself, and building my brand before I got my “30 seconds to tell me your story,” type deal going. I want to get to a place where if I meet someone in the Literary world one day, I can tell them without blinking, why I’m their girl and be able to sell that with confidence and truth. Right now, I’m figuring out where I fit and thus far, I can tell it isn’t in any one box so I need to figure out how to clearly articulate that. I do feel that my day is near though. It isn’t wishful thinking, I just feel it. I’m hardworking and this writing thing is what I would for free, so I know I’ve found my purpose.

Q: What’s easier for you? Writing the first draft or editing? Definitely the first draft! Which brings me to something that is so embarrassing to talk about. Don’t judge me when I tell you! Lol! Okay, so you know how when we get our first jobs we are so new to everything? Well, when I got my first job I started it in I believe May. One day I was talking to the office manager and asked her, what day do we begin our summer break? I just remember her staring at me for the longest time and then as clearly as she could explaining to me that grown ups don’t get summer breaks. I think she wanted to laugh, but when she saw the seriousness in my demeanor, she decided against it. What does that have to do with the question? Well, let me first answer the question and say that “first draft,” is easier. Then, I’ll tell you that I was under the impression that when it got sent off, that the editor would make the changes for me! I had no idea that I’d have to get that beast back and do more work! Not once thinking that if I allowed someone else to make said changes, it is no longer my story! Whatever, don’t judge me. I told you. I was as green as Kermit!

Q: What’s coming down the pipeline next? I’m finishing the second installment of the Pandora’s Box series and have just ordered the cover for the 3^rd installment so those are back to back projects that I plan to deliver on before Thanksgiving. Then I’ve gotten a lot of feedback lately for Revolving Doors and am going to begin mapping out a sequel to that. It may be a bit shorter, and in fact I may make them into smaller series of one another versus trying to tackle a full novel again. I think I might have tackled a complete novel too early in my career. A Type-A like myself needed to start small. I am too much of a perfectionist! I was actually reading and re-reading while the book was gone to editors. It made the work more difficult for me because I was finding errors that I knew they would find and fixing them before they came back so the cross-referencing process was a bit tedious. Thank God for dual monitors!

Q: Besides writing are there any other hidden talents you have? Oh boy…let’s see. I LOVE to build Wix websites. I like watching them come to life. I love writing business proposals. For some reason a lot of people come to me for advice in their relationships. I read somewhere that the people with the best advice are the ones who have been through a lot. That would be me, so maybe they sense that when they come. I hear I’m pretty good too. I braid hair. I keep that a huge secret though, but I’ve been braiding hair professionally since I was a young girl. There’s actually really good money in that. Okay here’s one that some might find a bit weird, but that I’m very proud of…explicating dreams. I love helping people decipher their dream’s meanings.

Q: Before we go what’s your advice to aspiring writers? I would say more than anything don’t try to impress others before impressing yourself because then you begin to lose touch with your organic writing voice. I did that for a bit – and in some ways am still trying to get away from it. In my case, it almost made me not want to write anymore. I’m thankful that didn’t happen. I think that aspiring writers should just write from the heart and that no matter what comes during their day, to make sure they at least give a part of that day to writing something! Keep the ideas fresh and flowing. Even if it’s building a dream character on paper, just write. It’s the most important thing you could for your career. Also try as hard as possible to surround yourself with like people of like minds. Don’t get so caught up in the popularity game that you allow anybody into your space. If they must be deleted, do so. Add and follow the ones who want to see you do well. Seek healthy relationships that you can learn from and grow with. When I entered this world, I automatically expected others to embrace me and that didn’t happen so I had to feel my way around – much like everyday relationships. There will be trial and error, but at the end as long as you have a healthy balance of genuine people, it will be worth the trouble.

Q: Where can readers find out more about you and your works? The best place to go would be to my website: www.perriforrest.com. There you can find what I have up to date, complete with links to their location.

Thank you so much for your time today Perri. I look forward to more from you.

Who Knew Greek Mythology Was So Sacred?

     Growing up I loved Greek mythology. I can't remember if I discovered these wonderful myths on my own or if I learned about them in school. I can only remember that these wonderful tales of supernatural, mercurial beings with all too human tendencies fascinated me. My particular favorites were Hercules and Hades. Hercules: The Legendary Journeys was particularly influential in sustaining my love for this ancient lore as was Xena: Warrior Princess.
      I always loved Hercules because to me he represented that no matter how many times the gods (or in our case, life) knocks you down, no matter how broken and defeated you feel, you have the strength to get back up. Hercules also represented the absolute best in mankind (At least Kevin Sorbo's version did.)
     I don't know what it is about Hades, but something always drew me to him. It didn't matter how many times he was portrayed as a weird, sinister villain (Disney's Hercules, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: Lightning Thief movie) there was something about him that I really liked. My love of all things Hades lead me to The Goddess Test series by Aimee Carter. After reading it I thought, "Wow. Here is someone who likes Hades as much as I do and showed the world a fresh take on the much maligned mythical god. I was happy and impressed, so impressed by Ms. Carter's daring that I decided I too wanted to write about my favorite Greek mythology character. That is how my debut novel, Goddess of Legend was born.
     As much as I loved Hades, I decided it was time that he had a real love and a character makeover. The heroine of my story Cameryn Kane is the yin to Hades' yang. She has all of the qualities I imagine you would need to rule the Underworld. But besides that, Cameryn Kane also has a controversial ability...she has the power to kill a god.
      When the idea to give her this ability came to me, I thought it was daring and brilliant. Here truly was a woman worthy of Hades, but with enough strength and character not to take any shit from the gods who are known to be petty and cruel at times. When I started submitting Goddess of Legend I thought that agents and publishers alike would appreciate my new and innovative twist on Greek Mythology. Boy was I wrong.
     After several rejections I emailed the last publisher to ask if they could give me a reason they did not take my book. This was their response: We had an issue with the mythology. While we loved your creativity, a few of our team members actually love Greek Mythology but the idea of killing some of the gods didn't fit with us too well.
      When I received this response back I was floored. So despite the fact that I had written what I thought was a pretty awesome book, I was dealing with "Greek Mythology Purists" who didn't like the idea of my heroine having the ability to kill a god. Since then I have heard the same thing on more than one occasion. Apparently some people are really super offended by the thought of anything happening to the Greek Gods. I find this absolutely ridiculous. Here are a few other shocked responses I received: The god-killing ability is extremely problematic, given that this is story deals with Greek mythology.
       Cameryn’s ability to “kill gods” is against everything in the Greek mythology.
For any demigoddess to be able to just start killing gods goes against all that makes the Greek mythology itself.  Starting to get the picture now? Some people do not like change. Thinking outside of the box scares some people and as a result they have no creativity. To the "Greek Mythology Purists" out there allow me to cite a few incidents where the gods were killed and no one was up in arms.

1.God of War (The Video Game Series): In this highly successful series, the hero Kratos is a demi-god son of Zeus who kills Ares, the God of War, and takes his place on the pantheon. In God of War III, Kratos kills Zeus himself. In God of War: Ghost of Sparta, Kratos kills the God of Death, Thanatos. The entire God of War series has sold almost 22 million copies.

Now I'm sure everyone who is playing these games is not a Greek mythology buff. (My brother isn't and he loves the games.) So the success of this franchise should prove that a new take on Greek myths and the gods no longer being all mighty and invincible is not a turn off to people. If anything the games are bringing in a new generation who might have never discovered Greek Mythology otherwise.

2. Xena: Warrior Princess (The TV Series): In this highly successful series, the redeemed hero Xena is pursued by Ares, the God of War, throughout the entire series. Ares' love for Xena is so great that when Xena is granted the power to kill gods as long as her daughter lives and successfully slays most of the Greek gods and is badly injured, Ares gives up his immortality to save Xena and Gabrielle from death.

Now considering how highly successful Xena was in the 6 seasons it ran and the numerous merchandise, comic books, fan fics and cult followings all these years later, I'm sure no one was up in arms and calling the producers to tell them that they were totally wrong for daring to tamper with Greek Mythology. I'm sure no one cared.

3. The Goddess Test (Novel Series by Aimee Carter): The series is a modern day sequel to the myth of Hades and Persephone. In it the Greek gods have taken modern names. Because they fear that Hades might fade since he has no mate, they set up a number of tests that a maiden must pass to be worthy of becoming a goddess and Hades' might. We learn that the heroine of the novel, Kate Winters, is actually the daughter of Demeter and Zeus and sister to Persephone. The idea of a new demi-goddess already might be controversial to some, but to keep the spice going, Ms. Carter has a goddess die in the final book in the series. I'm not going to tell you who, so go read it!

Now considering the success that Ms. Carter has received with her YA series, I'd say that the people who read her books (like myself) could care less that she did something new with Greek Mythology. What her series has done is get more people to care about Greek Mythology much the same way Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & Heroes of Olympus series has.

        Permitting there are no hiccups my novel, Goddess of Legend, will be out sometime this month. I have no idea if people will take to my adaptation of the Greek myths into our modern world as they have done for Xena, God of War, and The Goddess Test. All I know is that I have written a novel with a creative premise that I am extremely proud of. Who cares if I took a little liberty with the Greek Myths? After all at the end of the day, none of the stories are real. They are works of fiction created by writers long past dead. And that's what my novel is...fiction. So if you're a "Greek Mythology Purist," unable to breathe at the thought of anything being changed in the Greek myths then my story will probably make you have a heart attack so I doubt you'll be picking it up. But for those of you who are interested in a new take on ancient myths, I believe you will enjoy Goddess of Legend.
     A final thought to the "Greek Mythology Purists": Get your panties out of a wad. It's only fiction! There are more important things in the world you could spend your time defending!

SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME

     My first novel Goddess of Legend will be out sometime this month. As I just recently signed my book deal, I am more than a little behind the 8 Ball when it comes to promotion. As such, I've found myself running around like a chicken with its head cut off as I try to prepare for this momentous occasion, in the midst of staying on top of all my graduate school work for this very important and last semester of school. To try and stay organized I have put together a list of things that I believe I need to do to be prepared for my book release day.

1. Set up a website- After a suggestion I chose Wix as my platform of choice to set up my website. Once I played around with it, things became fairly easy. With the help of the wonderful and talented +Perri Forrest my website looks absolutely amazing. Why is a website so important? It gives potential readers their first impression of you and lets them know about your work.

2. Create an Author page on Amazon- Amazon has overtaken all other sellers when it comes to books. With people all over the world buying from Amazon, you'd be crazy not to have a profile on here. Exposure is everything.

3. Create an Author page on Facebook- While Facebook may not be as popular as it once was, it is still another way to reach potential new readers, without the 140 character limit on Twitter.

4. Set up a Twitter Account- Twitter is where it's at. In 140 characters or less you can build one on one relationships with everyone from aspiring authors to published pros. Twitter opens up a whole wonderful world where you are able to connect with amazing people who can encourage you along the way. In addition Twitter is the perfect venue for tweeting a link to your book or website. You must have a Twitter!

5. Create a Goodreads Author Page- Goodreads is a wonderful resource to learn about new releases everyone is reading, and having yet another platform to let readers know about your book.

So as you can see there are many things to do to prepare for your long awaited release day. There are still some things on this list that I need to do, but I know somehow it will all get done. In the meantime, try not to pull your hair out!

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE DIARY OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER

 

 

Picture by RyouGirl on Deviant Art

 

 

   I guess now you could say that I am a writer. Maybe. I have completed 2 novels: Goddess of Legend and Siren’s Choice. A few months ago I was in what I call Writer’s Hell. To me Writer’s Hell is the dreaded time after you’ve sent off your synopsis and sample chapters to agents and publishers and you wait as best you can to see if someone else will love your work as much as you do. After a few weeks I decided that it was nice that I had finished my second novel but it was time to get busy writing again. I needed to do something to distract myself from Writer’s Hell.

  
  I thought about what did I want to write next. My first two novels were strictly  urban fantasy romance, happily ever after types. Did I want to write the same kind of novel again? After all I had already planned to make my first and second novel into 2 different 3 book series, but didn’t I need a break? I decided I did so I picked up some of my other WIPs that had been pushed to the side while I worked on my first two novels. One of my WIPs already has 17 chapters done but it was a contemporary romance with a mafia twist. “Erin, you have to think about doing something different”, I told myself. You need to continue to grow as a writer. I put my story down and rummaged through more of my journals looking at other WIPs.
  
    Finally I had an epiphany. A few weeks later I turned off the TV and laid down on the couch. I was going to take a nap but it never happened. After about 3 minutes of having my eyes closed I sat up and frantically began writing. The idea for my 3rd novel was born just like that. In about 5 minutes I’d written down a few bullet points of what I thought the story might be about. I was amazed. I couldn’t believe I’d come up with something that fast. I had no idea what the title was going to be at the time, but I knew I was going to completely flip the Cinderella story on its head and write from the perspective of one of the ugly stepsisters and that Cinderella would be the villain.

     I was pleased with my idea but then something in my mind nagged at me. Hadn’t someone else already done this? I scoured the Internet and sure enough I came across Gregory Maguire’s Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. For a minute I was crushed. Then I read through what the novel was about and decided the points I’d written down for my novel were nothing like his. I could continue on with my idea and not be compared to him at all. But still I hesitated. Should I start this brand new idea or go back and finish another WIP? I decided to ask one of my Twitter followers whom I nicknamed Mama Muse @kseniaanske. This wonderful lady said work on the idea that is fresh in your mind. You can always go back to the other one.
 
    I decided to take her advice. I started writing THE DIARY OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER on June 8th and I have completed 18 chapters. (I write by hand). Working on this novel which is completely different from anything I’ve ever written and is not in my usual style has lead me to the realization that my growth as a writer has been influenced so much by two wonderful ladies, Editor Leanne Sypes @PentoPaperCom and @Kseniaanske.
    
      Leanne is the type of wonderful person who you just want to hang around to bask in her wonderful positive energy. She is also supremely talented at what she does. Leanne and I had been working together on my first manuscript Goddess of Legend. Already I could see how she was taking my raw and unpolished idea and turning it into the blockbuster I know it could be. Leanne always tells me to push myself and delve deep. Don’t be afraid to share what you feel. Slowly but surely I have started taking her advice and not being so cut and dry with my writing, but infusing emotion into the situation. I am Leanne’s Number #1 fan and as we continue or friendship I know she will continue to push me in ways I can only imagine.

    I don’t know if Ksenia followed me first or if I followed her first, all I know is that this lady is absolutely brilliant! Her tweets will inspire you to stop procrastinating and start that novel. Her tweets will inspire you to dig deeper and share your darkest secrets. That has been what her influence has done for me. Some of the things I am writing about in THE DIARY OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER, I would have never even thought to even attempt to write about if it had not been for her constant message, “Share everything. Bleed onto the page.” 
 
   I have taken her words to heart and I am writing a much darker story than what I am used to. I am also not plotting out this novel. Now granted I have a few questions I will answer somewhere throughout the book and I have a few scenes I know I will include, but other than that this novel is a pantser. I look forward to writing everyday because I have no idea what will happen. I’m not forced to simply describe an outline. My heroine, Kataniya is troubled in ways I could never imagine. The pain she feels is real and for the first time in my writing career I believe my heroine will not get her happy ending.
 
  I don't know whether anyone but me will appreciate my new and controversial take on the Cinderella fairytale. I don't know if I will find an agent to represent me or a publisher willing to take the risk on a story that is pretty out there. All I do know is I have a fresh idea that excites me about writing everyday and I have the inspiration of two wonderful ladies that keeps me going everyday. Writing is all I need to think about. The rest will work itself out.