tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52702208074133972732024-03-05T08:38:52.725-07:00Christine Kersey - NovelistChristine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-2025610513725729832014-01-19T16:18:00.001-07:002014-01-19T16:20:30.764-07:00New Website<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">New Website</span></div>
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I have a newly revamped website where I will be putting my blog posts from now on. This website has much more information about my books and I will be updating it frequently. Please visit me at </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://christinekersey.com/">christinekersey.com</a></span></div>
Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-83672588407039197842014-01-16T14:31:00.000-07:002014-01-19T07:46:15.914-07:00Lily's Story book release<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i>Lily's Story</i> News</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm pleased to announce that the final book in the <i>Lily's Story</i> Trilogy, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/JS5uZT" target="_blank">Love At Last</a></i>, is now available! </span></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/JS5uZT" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-at-last-christine-kersey/1118043222?ean=2940148240297" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Barnes & Noble</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Christine_Kersey_Love_At_Last?id=tn6PAgAAQBAJ" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Google Books</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/love-at-last-3" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Kobo</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/396877" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Smashwords</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/love-at-last/id795845227?ls=1&mt=11" target="_blank">Apple iBooks</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've also released a boxed set of all 3 full-length novels, which includes </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">He Loves Me Not, Don't Look Back, </i><span style="font-size: large;">and</span><i style="font-size: x-large;"> Love At Last. </i><span style="font-size: large;">If you've only read </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">He Loves Me Not</i><span style="font-size: large;">, you may want to purchase the box set, as it is less expensive than buying each book individually.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1kvQ3qT" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lilys-story-christine-kersey/1118043676?ean=2940148259176" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Christine_Kersey_Lily_s_Story_The_Complete_Trilogy?id=nI6PAgAAQBAJ" target="_blank">Google Books</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another announcement is that </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">Over You</i><span style="font-size: large;"> is now FREE. I'm working on a sequel to </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">Over You</i><span style="font-size: large;">, called </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">Second Chances</i><span style="font-size: large;">. Pick up your free copy of </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">Over You</i><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008RH5MZG/?tag=christinekers-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Christine_Kersey_Over_You?id=HkAUAgAAQBAJ" target="_blank">Google Books</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Coming soon to Barnes & Noble</span></div>
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Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-32235791357302833542013-12-13T09:55:00.001-07:002014-01-08T13:10:10.429-07:00Lily Story Book 3 Announcement<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><i>Love At Last</i></span></div>
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<b>Cover Reveal and Publication Date</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hope everyone's December is going well! I'm finally ready to start my Christmas shopping. I've been putting it off because I've been working hard writing the final book in the Lily's Story saga. The title is <i>Love At Last</i>, and it will be released on January 17, 2014! I'm super excited for everyone who loves the Lily Story series to read it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is the cover:</span></div>
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Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-40646753666648754442013-11-06T12:27:00.000-07:002013-11-06T14:03:41.181-07:00HUNTED is available!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunted-Parallel-Trilogy-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00GGMSV9S/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1383765847&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=hunted+christine+kersey" target="_blank">Hunted</a></i>, the final book in the Parallel Trilogy, is now available! </b></span></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunted-Parallel-Trilogy-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00GGMSV9S/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1383765847&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=hunted+christine+kersey" target="_blank">Hunted</a></i> is now available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunted-Parallel-Trilogy-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00GGMSV9S/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1383765847&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=hunted+christine+kersey" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hunted-christine-kersey/1117327401?ean=2940148891550" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>, and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hunted/id738020698?mt=11" target="_blank">Apple</a>. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunted-Parallel-Trilogy-Christine-Kersey/dp/1493682741/ref=la_B001JP8KIE_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383766020&sr=1-5" target="_blank">print book</a> is also available on Amazon.</div>
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If you have yet to buy <i>Imprisoned</i>, the second book in the Parallel Trilogy, you may want to just purchase the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GH0JKS0/ref=docs-os-doi_0" target="_blank">box set</a>, which contains all 3 full-length novels (Gone, Imprisoned, and Hunted). The box set, called <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GH0JKS0/ref=docs-os-doi_0" target="_blank">Parallel Trilogy: The Complete Story</a></i> is available for the reduced price of $4.99 until November 15th, then it will go up to its regular price of $6.99. </div>
Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-52329871773694624832013-10-23T12:04:00.000-06:002013-10-23T12:04:55.925-06:00Upcoming BooksNow that I'm writing full-time (YAY), I can better plan my upcoming books. My plan is to release a new book every 3 months. Below is my planned release schedule for the next year or so.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>November 11, 2013</b></span> <i><b>Hunted</b> </i>as well as the <i><b>Boxed Set of The Complete Trilogy</b></i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>February, 2014</b></span> <b>Book 3 of Lily's Story</b> (I don't have an official title yet)<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>May, 2014</b></span> and <span style="color: red;"><b>August, 2014</b></span>: Two additional books related to the <i><b>Parallel Trilogy</b></i>. This is due to overwhelming requests by the beta readers of <i>Hunted</i>, who want to know MORE about the characters and where things go in their lives. I don't want to give a hint about the subject of the books as that might give too much away for those who have yet to read <i>Hunted</i>.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>November, 2014</b></span> <b>sequel to <i>Over You</i></b><br />
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I'm so excited to write these books, as well as other books that I've already started writing. I appreciate all of my readers SO MUCH and am SO GRATEFUL to each and every one of you who have bought my books!Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-79221518103980509742013-10-15T10:58:00.002-06:002013-10-15T11:05:12.699-06:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">BOOK SALE</span></h2>
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This week I'm participating in a book sale. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Three of my books are on sale now for $1.99</span></b> (normally $3.99). </div>
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The sale price ends on Friday.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Imprisoned-Parallel-Trilogy-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00DFSO2OO/ref=pd_sim_kstore_4" target="_blank">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Way-Out-novel-suspense-ebook/dp/B004BA52K8/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Over-Romantic-Suspense-Christine-Kersey-ebook/dp/B008RH5MZG/ref=pd_sim_b_2" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/imprisoned-christine-kersey/1115689714?ean=2940016566467" target="_blank">Barnes&Noble</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-way-out-christine-kersey/1101303957?ean=2940011949227" target="_blank">Barnes&Noble</a> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/over-you-christine-kersey/1112328018?ean=2940014932271" target="_blank">Barnes&Noble</a></div>
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/imprisoned/id699168714?mt=11" target="_blank">Apple</a> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/no-way-out/id702442594?mt=11" target="_blank">Apple</a> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/over-you/id701028142?mt=11" target="_blank">Apple</a></div>
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<a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/imprisoned-parallel-trilogy-book-2" target="_blank">Kobo</a> <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/no-way-out" target="_blank">Kobo</a> <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/over-you" target="_blank">Kobo</a> <br />
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Also, there are a number of other books by other authors that are reduced for this sale. The official sale is Wednesday, October 16th through Friday, October 18th. <b><span style="color: red;">Enter to win a brand-new Kindle.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://bookmarkedbargains.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">BookmarkedBargains.blogspot.com</span></a></div>
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Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-68564267167197966562013-10-06T10:35:00.000-06:002013-10-06T10:35:18.842-06:00Hunted - Official Release Date AnnouncementNow that <i>Hunted</i> has been sent to the first group of beta readers, I can give a firm release date. <i>Hunted</i> will be released on <b>Monday</b>, <b>November 11!</b><br />
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On that same date I will release a boxed set of the <i>Parallel Trilogy</i>. It will include all three books in the <i>Parallel Trilogy</i>. Here is the cover of the eBook boxed set:<br />
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Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-41603519048052145782013-09-28T20:30:00.001-06:002013-09-28T20:31:07.562-06:00Beta ReadersThanks to all of you who volunteered to be a beta reader. I have enough now to give me the feedback I need.<br />
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Soon I'll announce a specific release date for <i>Hunted</i>.Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-32288797275271815002013-09-27T21:37:00.000-06:002013-09-27T21:37:49.625-06:00Updated Hunted cover and a call for Beta ReadersAfter taking your suggestions into account, here is an updated cover for Hunted. What do you think?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2h9m0AWBu7K_1FdNvGcdPBFcPUMqqhaRvq0ImBmM8XHUc34CtXQ253eMnfMsrO1GBdLVgfJJx35lnIQOjhBRKHMGasAY75yDgTmK-Yn7g0y_myIX_Hwm2U-qxJvi-OPj7t2gw2mIljUs/s1600/Hunted+Final+with+title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2h9m0AWBu7K_1FdNvGcdPBFcPUMqqhaRvq0ImBmM8XHUc34CtXQ253eMnfMsrO1GBdLVgfJJx35lnIQOjhBRKHMGasAY75yDgTmK-Yn7g0y_myIX_Hwm2U-qxJvi-OPj7t2gw2mIljUs/s400/Hunted+Final+with+title.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I'll be done with the first draft in the next day or two and then I'll work on revisions. After that I will give the book to beta readers for feedback. (This should happen in the next week or two.) I have several beta readers that I use, but I'd like to have more input. <b>If you are interested in being a beta reader for <i>Hunted</i></b>, please email me at: christinekersey at hotmail.com </div>
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If I get a lot of responses, I'll limit it to the first ten people who respond.</div>
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If you would like to be a beta reader, here is what I need from you (and be aware that you will receive the manuscript as a pdf file):</div>
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<li>You need to have read the first two books in the Parallel Trilogy.</li>
<li>You need to commit to reading <i>Hunted</i> and filling out the questionnaire within one week of receiving the pdf file of the manuscript.</li>
<li>You need to promise to not send the pdf file to anyone else.</li>
<li>If you are so inclined, once the book has been released, a review on Amazon would be much appreciated.</li>
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What you get from me:</div>
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<li>You get to be one of the first people to read <i>Hunted</i>.</li>
<li>I will give you a free eBook of <i>Hunted </i>after all editing has been completed. This would be either an epub or mobi file.</li>
<li>If I find your comments helpful, I may use you again for other books (if you would like me to).</li>
<li>I'll give you a questionnaire so you know what kind of input I'm looking for.</li>
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There's no better feedback for me than from those who read my books, so it is a great favor to me if you're willing to read an early copy of <i>Hunted</i> and give me honest feedback.</div>
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Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-19640113741192249372013-09-24T17:43:00.000-06:002013-09-24T20:54:16.050-06:00Preview of Hunted coverI'd love everyone's opinion on the cover for Hunted, the final book in the Parallel Trilogy. What do you all think? By the way, I'm almost done writing the book. It will be done by the end of this week. The way it's going, it will be released in mid-November. I'll announce a specific release date once I finish revisions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYOzwjLoJaTBjFG7283FCTFtTQdAd-ykT2l02xnZ0nrjbkxZolgFySnS197DCn1LBVU5riJTpVmoF_Rlixm2Xn0Mbtnz1yyrkGFGSN22hANiuZ4pX-oVyLjzQW5sUQlJJz6UGixsB1bY/s1600/Hunted+Final+with+title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYOzwjLoJaTBjFG7283FCTFtTQdAd-ykT2l02xnZ0nrjbkxZolgFySnS197DCn1LBVU5riJTpVmoF_Rlixm2Xn0Mbtnz1yyrkGFGSN22hANiuZ4pX-oVyLjzQW5sUQlJJz6UGixsB1bY/s400/Hunted+Final+with+title.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-69989136741677158902013-09-12T12:31:00.000-06:002013-09-12T12:37:47.415-06:00Life Changes (for the better!)There are times when big changes happen in our lives, and for me, this is one of those. I'm so grateful to each and every one of you who have bought my books!! Because of you, I have been able to quit my day job and write full-time! This is something I've dreamed of doing for the last sixteen years as I've written on and off.<br />
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I started writing in 1997 when my baby was three years old. I fit my writing time around taking care of her and her three older siblings. I wrote two novels over the next few years: <i>No Way Out </i>and <i>Suspicions</i>. Then, when that baby girl went to first grade, I went back to school and spent four years as a full-time student.<br />
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I graduated with a B.S. degree in Information Technology in 2004. Shortly after graduation I found a job and began working full-time outside of the home. That was really hard for me as I'd been a stay-at-home mom for eighteen years and really loved that role. I remember as I drove to work each day, I would pretend I was just on my way to run errands--trying to trick myself into forgetting I would be away from home all day.<br />
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I loved my coworkers and enjoyed my job, but I really missed being at home--I'm a homebody at heart. By then my oldest had just graduated from high school and my other children were 16, 14, and 10. Fortunately my husband got home from work in the late afternoon, so he was there to keep an eye on things until I got home, but it wasn't the same as being there myself.<br />
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Around this same time I was offered a publishing contract with a small regional publisher, which was something I'd worked toward for quite a while. Though thrilled, I knew I wouldn't earn enough money to quit my job. They published <i>No Way Out</i> in 2005 and it sold reasonably well, but I only earned a few thousand dollars. It was nice to have the extra money, but certainly not enough to quit my job!<br />
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I thought I was on my way--of course they would publish everything I wrote--but it was not to be. They turned down <i>Suspicions</i> and then <i>He Loves Me Not</i>. As you can imagine, I was extremely discouraged and basically stopped writing. What was the point of taking time away from my family if all my hard work wasn't going to go anywhere? So I put aside my writing and focused on living my life.<br />
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At this point it was late in 2006. My second child had graduated from high school and the other two were 16 and 12. It wasn't until four years later, in late 2010, that I learned about the possibilities inherent in eBooks. It was as if the passion for writing that had been down to a flicker suddenly burst into a bright flame. I could write what I wanted and publish it, and readers could decide for themselves if they liked it! The possibilities seemed infinite and suddenly my desire to write reignited.<br />
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I got the rights to <i>No Way Out</i> back from my publisher and made it available on Amazon. <i>Suspicions</i> soon followed. I made revisions to <i>He Loves Me Not</i> and put that up in 2011. I wrote the sequel, <i>Don't Look Back</i>, and published that a few months later. Sales were slow at first and I would get so excited each and every time I sold a book, but I was still working full-time and my family still needed a lot of my attention, so it took a little while before I released my next book. <i>Over You</i> didn't come out until the summer of 2012.<br />
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Sales started picking up in 2012, which helped to stoke the flame of writing passion and I got busy writing <i>Gone,</i> which I released early this year. <i>Imprisoned</i> followed a few months later, and <i>Hunted</i>, which I'm writing now, will be out by December 1st.<br />
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I've been pleasantly surprised by how much people have enjoyed Lily's Story (<i>He Loves Me Not </i>and <i>Don't Look Back</i>). I've had a number of people request a third book telling what happens to Lily next, so after I'm done with <i>Hunted</i>, I'll write a third book in Lily's Story, which I'll release early next year.<br />
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All this great news leads to the best news of all, which is that I'm selling enough books now that I've been able to quit my day job and now I'll be able to focus full-time on writing! It's so strange to have so much time each day to devote to writing and other writing tasks, but it's fantastic!<br />
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My baby girl, who was only three years old when I started writing, is now in her second year of college, so it's pretty quiet at my house. During the day it's just me and my two cats, Cooper and Nala, who can be such troublemakers. I miss having my children around, but I relish being able to spend so much time on writing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooper</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nala</td></tr>
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I have lots of plans now, like making all of my books available as print books as well as audio books. I never had time to do that before as I only had a couple of hours a day to devote to writing and that time had to be used to <i>write</i>.<br />
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I should also be able to get more writing in each day, which will help me produce more books. My goal is to release four books per year.<br />
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Again, I want to thank each and every one of you who have bought my books. It's only because of your support that I'm able to transition to writing full-time, which will allow me to write more books!<br />
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Thank you!!<br />
Christine<br />
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<br />Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-78106950126759473412013-06-17T06:43:00.001-06:002013-06-17T06:43:26.784-06:00Imprisoned (Parallel Trilogy, Book 2) is available!<span style="font-size: large;">I'm excited to announce that book 2 of the Parallel Trilogy, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/17g0OXT" target="_blank">Imprisoned</a></i>, is now available!</span><br />
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It is available on <a href="http://amzn.to/17g0OXT" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and will soon be available on Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Sony, and iBooks.Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-37592214922908630702013-05-01T07:37:00.000-06:002013-06-17T06:55:45.551-06:00Book 2 of the Parallel series is coming along!I'm working hard on finishing book 2 of the Parallel Trilogy. The title is "Imprisoned". Here is the cover:<br />
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My goal is to have it available for purchase by July 1st. I'm almost done with the first draft. After revisions it will go to my beta readers, then my editor. If you liked "Gone", I think you'll really like "Imprisoned"! </div>
Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-9743439960280996412013-03-28T16:45:00.000-06:002013-06-17T06:56:00.751-06:00Gone is now available!I'm super-excited to announce that my new dystopian novel, <i>Gone (Parallel Trilogy, Book 1)</i>, is now available! Here is the final cover:<br />
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It's available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Parallel-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00C27ZEQO/ref=la_B001JP8KIE_1_7?%20%20ie=UTF8&qid=1364424508&sr=1-7" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gone-christine-kersey/1046329218?ean=2940016248370" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>, and <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Gone-Parallel-Series-Book-1/book-3L8csFKDmU-XAj4hf9dGCQ/page1.html" target="_blank">Kobo</a>.<br />
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If you read it, let me know what you think!Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-13237491580038321082013-03-24T13:31:00.000-06:002013-06-17T06:57:15.398-06:00Latest newsWow! I stay away from my blog for a few months and everything changes. I've been busy working at my day job and squeezing in writing time whenever I can, so I haven't had much time to spend on my blog. Today I went in there to do some updates and the interface had completely changed.<br />
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Anyway, I wanted to share my excitement. In the next week I'll be releasing the first book in a new trilogy. The first book is called <i>Gone. </i>It's a YA dystopian, sci-fi-ish novel. Here is the cover.<br />
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I love dystopian stories and read them whenever I can spare a few minutes. You can see the books I've read over on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1319695?shelf=read" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.<br />
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Here is what <i>Gone</i> is about:<br />
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What if everything you knew was suddenly gone?<br />
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Sixteen-year-old Morgan Campbell runs away from home and when she returns the next day her world is turned upside-down. Not only is her family missing, but another family is living in her house and claims to have lived there for weeks. As Morgan desperately works to figure out what has happened, she finds society has become obsessed with weight in a way she has never seen before. The more she searches for answers, the more she begins to wonder if she has somehow ended up in another world—a world she doesn't want to be a part of. <br />
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Can she survive in this world until she can get home?<br />
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I hope you enjoy this book! I'm working on the sequel now and plan on publishing it this summer.Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-85987999987452779022012-08-17T06:15:00.000-06:002012-08-17T06:15:19.290-06:00New Novel: Over You<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Over You</span></i></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Over You</i> is my latest novel. This one is a romantic suspense story. Here's what it's about:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Jessica Stevens temporarily moves in with her elderly aunt to help care for her, she plans to use the time to heal from a recent break-up. But when her aunt decides to do some remodeling on the old house, Jessica is dismayed to discover that the contractor is her ex-fiance, a man who dumped her several years before. Helping distract her from her troubles are mysterious fifty-year old letters she finds in her aunt's attic. The contents of the letters spur Jessica to do some digging, but as the truth of the past begins to be revealed, Jessica regrets ever finding the letters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Over You</i> is available for $3.99 at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Over-You-Romantic-Suspense-ebook/dp/B008RH5MZG/ref=pd_sim_kstore_5" target="_blank">Amazon </a>and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/over-you-christine-kersey/1112328018?ean=2940014932271" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>.</span></div>
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Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-51845010271196899192012-04-22T13:19:00.003-06:002012-04-22T13:19:38.899-06:00Guest Post - Melissa A. Smith<br />
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This week's guest post is by Indie Chick Melissa A. Smith.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Writing Out the Grief</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Melissa A. Smith<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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A common question people ask a writer is what made
them decide to sit down and start writing in the first place. For me, it was
grief.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While in high school, I wrote. I had taken journalism
and the teacher loved my writings. Two pieces of my work had been published in two
different school publications. I was also asked to join the staff for the
school paper, but declined. I just didn’t like writing the things wanted for a
paper. I liked creating stories to take you places. Inventing new worlds and
people to live in them. I stopped writing after getting out of school and
didn’t start again for several long years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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December 2008 had started like any other December
before it. I was out shopping for those perfect gifts for each member of my
family, and loving every minute of it. By my side was my shopping partner. My
mom. My best friend. This year was a little different, as we made our rounds
trying to get most of her shopping done earlier than her normal pace of slow
(she was known to be out shopping as late as Christmas Eve), because she was
set to have her final knee replacement surgery on the 19<sup>th</sup>. That day
was also the last day of work I had before school let out for Christmas Break.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We had almost done everything she’d wanted to have
done, done. But there were still a few things to gather, like stocking stuffers
and things of that nature. She went in for her surgery and everything went
great! The last time she’d been in the hospital, for the first knee 6 months
prior, she’d contracted <span lang="EN">hospital-acquired pneumonia. Her doctor, wanting her to be healthy for
the rigorous knee therapy that follows two days after surgery, released her the
following day. The 20<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Wanting to forgo giving you all the details, I received a phone call
early on the 21<sup>st</sup>. A phone call no one wants to get. My father,
who’d awoken to find his partner for the past 34 years gone, couldn’t make that
call. The responding police officer had to do it for him. Pneumonia had taken
her from us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">So started my decent into grief.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">We were supposed to do some shopping before I took her to physical
therapy that day. We were supposed to do a lot of things during my break,
because she too had it off for recovery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Instead, I had to help my dad organize a funeral.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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During the year and a half that followed, I read over
230 books. All while working full time and tending to a family.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was the start of summer vacation in 2010 when I’d
run out of books to read. I dove into spending time with my boys and vegging at
the pool daily. I thought it had been long enough, and maybe the grief wouldn’t
be so sharp. I was wrong. Without having someplace for my mind to wander, to
live in, I was a mess of tears.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was then I’d woke up in the middle of the night, leaving
a dream that made my brain buzz. I tried to shake it off, leave it where I
found it. In my dreams. But it wanted to be let out. So I sat down in secret
and started writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At first when my family noticed my switch from books
to the computer and all my constant typing, they asked what I was doing. I
lied. I told them I was writing to my sister who lives in Texas. At first they
bought it, but as the typing went on, they were puzzled as to why I didn’t just
call her and talk to her. Again, I lied. But this time I said she’d asked me to
write down some things about our mom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While they still were puzzled by all the clicking
going on at the keyboard, they left me alone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Three months later, I’d written and finished my first
novel. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004D9FF54">Cloud Nine.</a> During
that time I also started on another story which I finished and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004SI48J4">released four months later.</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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While writing started out as therapy for a grieving
soul, it is now something I must do to keep all the exciting characters quiet.
I love it! I only wish it could have developed without such dark beginnings,
but nonetheless, my mother would be proud.<o:p></o:p></div>
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******<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is one story from <i>Indie Chicks: 25
Women 25 Personal Stories</i> available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0060ZTM62"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a>
and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1107017601?ean=2940013212725&itm=1&usri=indie+chicks"><span style="color: blue;">Barnes & Noble</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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for the wonderfully low price of Free! To
read all of the stories, grab your copy today!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also included are sneak peeks into 25
great novels!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My young adult paranormal romance, Cloud
Nine is one of the novels featured.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004D9FF54" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Amazon</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/Cloudnine"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Apple iBooks</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cloud-nine-melissa-a-smith/1100306875?ean=2940011868573"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Barnes & Noble</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/31412">Smashwords</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Want to find out more about Melissa and
her books?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://melissasmithbooks.wordpress.com/">My Blog Come by for a visit!</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/Melissa.Smith.Books">Facebook Authors Page I love new visitors!</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-6002507642955255342012-04-15T13:57:00.000-06:002012-04-15T13:57:57.280-06:00Guest Post - Michelle MutoThis week's guest post is by Indie Chick Michelle Muto.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The Magic Within and the Little Book That Could</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">by</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Michelle Muto</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">That's what I've been calling <i>The Book of Lost Souls</i>, the book that started my path to publication. I’ve always loved to write. I’ve always loved the way imagination and words blend on a page, the way they transport a reader to faraway worlds, or right next door, where witches live. From the time I was very young, books were an amazing world to me. There was no greater joy than going to the library with my mother whose love of books knew no measure. When I was very young, my mother read to me every night. As I grew older, we’d talk about the books we were reading. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Even as a young child, I knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. But, writing wasn’t what paid the bills. I got a regular job and life went on, although I still dreamed of writing. My father always told me to believe in myself and to never give up on what I firmly believed in. A few years after his death, I took up writing again. My mother, who was now ill and who had moved in with my husband and me, was happy to read what I wrote, or to set the table in order to give me a few more minutes of writing time. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And so I wrote and edited and revised. Just before the book was ready to send to agents, my mother died. I set the book aside. Writing was too painful, too full of memories.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But, the stories in my head wouldn’t let up, and so after a few years I started writing again. This time, I wrote about a teen witch named Ivy and her life in a small town, and I quickly fell in love with the story and the eclectic group of characters. I think of it as <i>Buffy</i> meets <i>Harry Potter</i>. When I typed the last line, I actually felt a pang of sorrow—I didn't want to say goodbye. Ivy and her story became <i>The Book of Lost Souls</i>, and after polishing it up, I sent it off to agents. Plenty were interested and requested the full manuscript. Unfortunately, most of them thought the book was too light. Too cute. Too <i>Disney</i>. They offered to read whatever else I had, as long as it was darker. Darker sells! Or so they said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So, after two revisions for two separate agents that eventually didn't pan out (they said the book still had a lighthearted feel to it that wouldn't appeal to publishing houses), I set <i>The Book of Lost Souls</i> aside and started working on an outline for a much darker book. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It was around this time that the economy began to collapse—hard—and I was given the pink slip on Friday the 13<sup>th</sup>, right after I had completed a project that saved the company $400,000 annually. Say goodbye to eighteen years of loyal service! Suddenly, writing a darker, more dystopian book about the afterlife on top of losing my job seemed too much to take. Still, I recalled my father’s wisdom of believing in myself even when no one else did. I wrote and finished the next book, <i>Don’t Fear the Reaper,</i> in about seven months. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Still unemployed despite literally hundreds of applications, I began to worry we would lose our home or deplete our savings before I found a job. My career in IT was gone—off shored as they call it. I also wondered if I’d ever see any of my books published. I was so close to getting an agent so many times. Agents wrote back: <i>You’re a strong writer.</i> Or, <i>The Book of Lost Souls</i> is <i>a great story and is well-written, but it’s not for me. </i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Nearly every morning, my inbox was filled with rejection letters from jobs and agents, yet I tried to stay positive. I kept repeating my father’s words to believe, to never give up. For every rejection, I sent out twice as many applications, twice as many query letters. I just tried harder.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I had been querying <i>Reaper</i> for about three months when I got an editorial letter from one of New York’s biggest literary agencies who'd had <i>The Book of Lost Souls</i> for nearly a year. A year! But, the letter was so enthusiastic about the story and my writing that I sat down and made every last revision they suggested. I turned it in and waited. Months went by. In the end, they rejected the story—not because they didn't love it, but because in the year and change they’d had the manuscript, another client had submitted a proposal for a story about a teen witch. Conflict of interest, they called it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And that was that. My novel, the book that was finished, was dumped for someone else’s book that hadn't yet been written. Somewhat angry and depressed, I set <i>The Book of Lost Souls </i>aside. Again. By now, I was at the end of my rope. I was still unemployed and out of unemployment benefits. The only work I could find was the occasional short-term computer job, some tech writing gigs, or dog-sitting. Nothing full-time, and certainly nothing we could count on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">If the near-miss with Super Agency wasn’t enough, I found myself running into similar situations with <i>Don't Fear the Reaper</i>. Now, agents were saying, <i>Too dark! But, you're a talented writer and we'd love to see other work. </i>Or<i>, Y</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">ou’re capable of incredibly incisive scenes—the opener is still one of the best things I read all year.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"> And</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">, my personal favorite, <i>In this economy... <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It was then that I learned about self-published authors such as Karen McQuestion and Amanda Hocking. I decided to go indie as well, starting with <i>The Book of Lost Souls.</i> What did I have to lose? A <i>lot</i> if I didn’t figure out a way for our household to stop hemorrhaging money. The only problem? I had no idea where to start. I sent an email to Ms. McQuestion, in the hopes she could point me in the right direction. She was so incredibly kind! Not only did she reply, she sent me a wealth of information on self-publishing. Today, she shares all that information on her blog. I’m incredibly grateful to her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I got a cover I could afford with the help of another indie, Sam Torode. Two editor friends went over my work. Finally, I formatted the book and the rest is history. I uploaded <i>The Book of Lost Souls</i> in early March, and it’s been getting consistently great reviews ever since. As for being too lighthearted? I receive emails all the time from people who love that the book is funny, upbeat, and clean.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Within my first five weeks of self-publishing, I hit three best seller lists on Amazon. Me. An indie author without a publicist or a big agency or publisher behind them. Just me, my computer, my loving husband, and the devotion of two dogs at my feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’ve been asked if there will be a sequel to <i>The Book of Lost Souls</i>. The answer is yes. Two more books, maybe a third. I just haven't thought that far out yet. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And the other, darker book? After some revisions,<i> Don't Fear the Reaper</i> debuted in late September 2011. On its first day, the book reached lucky #13 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases, Children’s Fiction, Spine-Tingling Horror. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’m only sorry that my parents aren’t here to see this. I took my father’s advice and my mother’s faith and reinvented myself. I still dog-sit and take on small computer jobs and tech writing gigs to help keep us afloat financially. But one day, I hope that my hard work will pay even more of the bills. Until then, I’m at peace with the way things are. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Great advice. And so, <i>The Book of Lost Souls, </i>the book that nearly <i>wasn’t,</i> became the little book that <i>could</i>. <a href="" name="OLE_LINK25">I’m a firm believer that hopes and dreams are something to hold onto and fight for. Believe in the magic that is <i>you</i>. Keep your dreams close, and set your imagination free.<o:p></o:p></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’d like to dedicate my section of this anthology to readers everywhere—words alone cannot express how much I appreciate you believing in me. You’re every bit as much a part of the magic as Ivy herself. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So, thank you, Dear Reader. Sincerely. Because, every author with a story to tell writes with you in mind. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcH6ig8i2uwH3MOmKA1npt9KLP7o0JtpNtAn3oBIGQVh7oc2wr330KuQSZUz5kcghW27OXgsAvuXxLmkerUgoKRnUbOWM4abZ1o8obHI2xMbmtkrkqVItO5T6xFwr-ZvQEz8K726kZ3Zk/s1600/LostSouls3SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcH6ig8i2uwH3MOmKA1npt9KLP7o0JtpNtAn3oBIGQVh7oc2wr330KuQSZUz5kcghW27OXgsAvuXxLmkerUgoKRnUbOWM4abZ1o8obHI2xMbmtkrkqVItO5T6xFwr-ZvQEz8K726kZ3Zk/s200/LostSouls3SM.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Come connect with me. I’d love to hear from you:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://michellemuto.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Blog</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-Muto-Author-Page/154882381238003"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">FaceBook</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://twitter.com/MichelleMuto"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Where to find my books:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/3lm9mfr"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Amazon US</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias?stripbooks&field-keywords=Michelle+Muto+&x=0&y=0"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Amazon UK </span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/michelle-muto"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Barnes & Noble </span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/michelle-muto/id428434082?mt=11"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">iTunes</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Michelle+Muto+"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Smashwords </span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Createspace: </span><a href="https://www.createspace.com/3711611"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Book of Lost Souls</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><a href="https://www.createspace.com/3707752"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Don't Fear the Reaper</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-51248467984733570332012-04-08T08:03:00.000-06:002012-04-08T08:03:30.411-06:00Guest Post - Talia JagerThis week's guest post is by Indie Chick Talia Jager.<br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Paper, Pen, and Chocolate<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Talia Jager</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yV7SYCvNeFsn9liseGuzNEKpAqMzpUGV2TGqBLFKwrQfRTHv8pTlSXQXKHRE6ceH0ughMYJMWMK89nPn3TT-8YC5QE19IhikGV9y_mxV8fIJ2w_zGwIcx0-cJ0Ks432fMA-wJ23zZjE/s1600/Talia2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yV7SYCvNeFsn9liseGuzNEKpAqMzpUGV2TGqBLFKwrQfRTHv8pTlSXQXKHRE6ceH0ughMYJMWMK89nPn3TT-8YC5QE19IhikGV9y_mxV8fIJ2w_zGwIcx0-cJ0Ks432fMA-wJ23zZjE/s200/Talia2011.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Mom!” a voice yelled from the other room. “Make her stop!”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“I didn’t do anything!” another voice yelled before I could even get up to see what was going on. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I sighed and struggled to get off the couch where I had just started writing a scene. Four months pregnant with our sixth child and the varicose veins were already causing problems for me. I wondered where my husband was hiding that he couldn’t handle this.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fortunately, the yelling quieted down. Instead of checking on them, I made an Executive Decision. I snuck into my closet, grabbed some Hershey’s chocolate from my stash, and slipped into the bathroom where I ate it with the lights turned off. Nobody would find me there.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Flicking on my flashlight, I took out the notepad and pen I had stashed in the magazine rack and wrote down some thoughts on the scene I had been writing.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The quiet lasted 3.5 minutes. Then my time in the bathroom was up. I crept back out to the living room where I settled a new argument, secretly wishing I could go back to the bathroom.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, you may ask…Married with how many kids? And you write books? WHY? HOW? Let me tell you.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">From the time I was a little girl, I have had two dreams. One: To have a large family. Two: To be an author. There was a time not long ago when it seemed neither would come true.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Maybe it was being an only child that allowed my imagination to run wild and my mind to create stories; it definitely made me wish for a big family of my own. It’s lonely to grow up without a sibling. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In school, writing was my passion. I wrote constantly. I’d slip my story under a notebook in class and when I was supposed to be taking notes, I’d really be writing my story. At night when I was supposed to be asleep, I’d hide under the covers in bed with a flashlight, pen, and paper. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Time went on, and although I had many stories written, I was too chicken to do anything with them. So, they sat. When I fell in love and started a family, writing got pushed to the side. Sure, I still loved it, but I never had time. Deep down, I was mad at myself for not at least trying to do something with them. But, at the time, I felt I couldn’t. Family came first. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My dream of having a large family wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but it had begun to come true. We had two beautiful little girls and wanted more. Unfortunately, I suffered through many miscarriages over the years. After having a number of tests done, I was diagnosed with a blood disorder so complicated that I have no idea what it actually is except that it can cause miscarriages. Getting pregnant had never been an issue; staying pregnant was. When I didn’t get and stay pregnant for over a year, the depression got worse.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Losing a baby is a devastating thing to go through; losing six is downright depressing. There’s no amount of crying, begging, negotiating, or praying that brings them back. Believe me, I tried it all. It didn’t matter how many people told me it wasn’t my fault–I blamed myself anyway. Finding out that it was due to a blood disorder made my guilt that much worse. It was my fault. My body’s fault anyway. Then I started asking myself: Why do some of my babies live and others don’t? What did I do different? I had children before I started medication for the disorder, and I’ve had miscarriages since getting on the medication. None of it makes sense and it’s still something I struggle to understand. I was in such a deep depression; it was like my creative button had been turned off. I had no desire to write. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When we finally “gave up” and decided that we’d be a family of six, we found out I was pregnant again with our fifth daughter.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This pregnancy was much harder on my body than the others. I found myself on the couch most of the day with my legs up. It was around this time that some online friends found out that I loved to write and encouraged me to share my stories. I did so nervously and they loved them! I reached deep down and found the courage to start submitting queries to agents. Each time my hopes were smashed to pieces. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My husband started talking about eBooks and self-publishing. I wasn’t too sure about going that route. I wanted to see my books in print, so I could hold them in front of my face. I wanted to smell my book. But, as time went on, eReaders became more popular and I figured…why not?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, here I am, with five children, trying to find the time to write, while juggling mom-duty, wife-duty, household chores, errands, and more. During the earlier part of this year, you could find me up until the wee hours of the morning writing. You see, that is the only time it’s quiet enough to get anything done. Three a.m. is the time when all little girls are sleeping, the husband is snoring away, and my mind is clear. I can throw myself into a character’s psyche and let my imagination flow. Everything was going perfectly. I was getting a lot of writing done and then we got a surprise. Baby #6 was on the way.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As happy as we were, this put a serious damper on staying up until three a.m. I just couldn’t do it. My one-year-old is at the age where she needs to be followed around and supervised constantly. If I don’t, I find my computer monitor has become a coloring book. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My four-year-old is in between the “play with me” stage and the “playing alone” stage. The older three are in school, which provides a break for me, but since my four year old adores her older sisters, it makes it hard. She’s constantly whining for them to come home. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s hard enough juggling the four younger ones, but throw in a hormonal teenager and chaos ensues. Dealing with her has made me positive that my mother cursed me for acting out as a teenager. Not a week goes by that I don’t find myself in tears over something she does or says. Like the time recently when I told her I was pregnant again, she made nasty comments accusing me of ruining her life. Or the time I had to punish her for kicking her sister, and she informed us that she could run away and be adopted by her friend’s parents.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m sure you find yourself wanting to ask how I get a minute to myself. Or how do I deal with no time alone? Or what if I get an idea during the day? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Remember that stash of chocolate in the closet? I simply get some, slip into the bathroom, and take a few minutes. Sometimes I just think. Sometimes I jot down a few ideas on that hidden notepad. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As crazy and chaotic as my life is, I wouldn’t change a thing. And it sure gives me plenty of things to write about. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, when life hands you lemons…toss them out, grab your stash of chocolate, your writing materials, and head for the bathroom. You may just end up writing a book.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">This is one story from <i>Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories</i> available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Indie-Chicks-Personal-Stories-ebook/dp/B0060ZTM62">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1107017601?ean=2940013212725&itm=1&usri=indie+chicks">Barnes & Noble</a>. To read all of the stories, buy your copy today.<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Also included are sneak peeks into 25 novels!<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">My young adult drama, <i>Damaged: Natalie’s Story</i>,<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">is one of the novels featured.<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2hqPT54erkrePui9T5Y9vAUg90XGsxV68f4dAbxp-UAxdcRFh3Hdxz58_kp2ZQxndybKjFwQumSSNfb8EnJa4DW98FVQIl1GPqREMbd63xPvNHb12ckNIrmVlYqmoXyu6R3wjGPLL7Y/s1600/Damaged-option-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2hqPT54erkrePui9T5Y9vAUg90XGsxV68f4dAbxp-UAxdcRFh3Hdxz58_kp2ZQxndybKjFwQumSSNfb8EnJa4DW98FVQIl1GPqREMbd63xPvNHb12ckNIrmVlYqmoXyu6R3wjGPLL7Y/s200/Damaged-option-1.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Damaged-Natalies-Story-ebook/dp/B003X4M6R0">Amazon</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/damaged-natalies-story/id443059680?mt=11">Apple iBooks</a><o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/damaged-talia-jager/1100093431?ean=2940012106575&itm=2&usri=talia%2bjager">Barnes & Noble</a><o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48545">Smashwords</a><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">Find out more about Talia and her books:<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://taliajager.blogspot.com/">http://taliajager.blogspot.com</a><o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/taliajager">http://www.facebook.com/taliajager</a><o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/taliajager">http://www.twitter.com/taliajager</a><o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://amazon.com/author/taliajager">http://amazon.com/author/taliajager</a><o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;"><br />
</div>Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-87379550275810545572012-04-01T18:03:00.000-06:002012-04-01T18:03:49.669-06:00Guest Post - Julia CraneThis week's guest post is by Indie Chick Julia Crane.<br />
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<h1 align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span class="centered">Julia Crane</span><o:p></o:p></h1><h2 align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span class="centered">Moving </span><span class="centered">to the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place></span><o:p></o:p></h2>Separation was normal in my marriage. My husband was in the military, and usually gone six months a year. We had adapted quite well to the schedule. Of course, we had the normal period of adjustment when he would return, but that was part of the lifestyle. We were looking forward to his retirement, and being able to spend more time together as a family. That didn’t work out quite as we expected. My husband was offered a job in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> that would set us up to <i>really</i> retire. The kicker? It would last a year. We thought the sacrifice would be worth it, so off he went. One year became a year and a half.<o:p></o:p><br />
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While he was gone I took care of our small business, running a gym. I loved it. It was very time-consuming, but it was also very rewarding. It started to wear on me only when my pre-teen children complained that I was always at the gym, and never had time for them. Finally, I told my husband that it was time for him to come home.<o:p></o:p><br />
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He put in his notice and started a stateside job. Though the new job still required him to be gone for six months of the year, the absences were in manageable blocks of two weeks. When he was home, he would take care of the gym and I would have time off. It was perfect. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Then he got a call from a friend, with a job offer that was just too good to turn down…in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Dubai</st1:place></st1:city>. We discussed it, and decided he should take the job, even though we had a new one-year-old.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Not long after my husband left for <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Dubai</st1:place></st1:city>, I was at the breaking point. I felt trapped with the business, our teens, and a one-year-old always needing my attention. I had no personal space, and I’m a person that requires time alone, or else I get cranky.<o:p></o:p><br />
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As luck would have it, the new job offered to bring family members over to live in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Dubai</st1:place></st1:city>. My first thought about moving to the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place>? “Yeah, right.” However, I researched <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Dubai</st1:place></st1:city> and was surprised at what I found. The country seemed very modern, and the schools sounded good.<o:p></o:p><br />
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So I told my husband, “Ok, we’re coming.” While I was both nervous and excited, I was ready for a change, and moving to the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle East</st1:place> sounded like just the adventure I needed.<o:p></o:p><br />
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When we got off the plane in October, the hot air hit my face and it felt like I had walked into a sauna. I thought, “Uh oh, what have I agreed to?” Yes, the heat is hard to handle, but you learn to live your life around it. We do most things early in the morning or after the sun sets. It is very much a nighttime culture. The city is beautiful and the <st1:place w:st="on">Arabian Sea</st1:place> is breathtaking. I have grown comfortable living here, and easily call it my home. Though I can now see myself here for a few years, there are of course many things that I miss about <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>, and most of them involve food. Some things are just impossible to find: I’ve searched high and low for a Butterfinger, with no luck.<o:p></o:p><br />
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After a couple of months of enjoying my newfound free time, I eventually started to twiddle my thumbs. I was used to being busy, and with all the free time I needed to find something to fill the void. I saw an article that went into detail about how e-books had flung open many doors for writers. I thought that was interesting, and I mentioned it to my husband and he said he had also seen many articles saying much the same thing. I jokingly said that I was going to write a novel. My husband, who believes I can do anything, thought it was a great idea. I have always enjoyed writing even though I had not written much since having children. As a teen, I used to mail short stories to magazines and such, and like most avid readers, I always dreamed of someday writing a novel. Now I had my chance.<o:p></o:p><br />
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That same night I sat down to write, and the story quickly formed in my mind. I knew I wanted to write a young adult novel that would involve my Irish roots. The story just seemed to form itself: I would get ideas at random times and rush to write them down. It was frustrating at times, because I need relative quiet to focus. As you can imagine, with two teens and a two-year-old, finding quiet time is not easy. I wrote most of “Coexist” late at night when everyone was asleep. It took approximately three months to write the first draft, while the revision and editing process lasted longer than the initial writing.<o:p></o:p><br />
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A great part of the writing process for me has been interacting with other writers. I have met some amazing people from online writing groups and chat rooms. I learned a great deal in a short amount of time. I don’t think this undertaking would have been nearly as fun without the community I have found. Moving halfway across the world has allowed me to have both more time with family, and the ability to pursue a dream I’ve had since a child.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">***<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">This is one story from <i>Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories</i> available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Indie-Chicks-Personal-Stories-ebook/dp/B0060ZTM62">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1107017601?ean=2940013212725&itm=1&usri=indie+chicks">Barnes & Noble</a>. To read all of the stories, buy your copy today. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Also included are sneak peeks into 25 novels! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">My paranormal romance novel, <i>Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles #1</i>, <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">is one of the novels featured. <o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitc-NDiUZU1oYec8WlMrBOfN6YJuHFX-Vf28e1lCsyJyf3X_7m_1mF3MR6gc2M8D3mWQcEiHzHoEB0aT6gLgwkLcDcVx8PAm6Z_JYtESKRtZ7m9OoQjQfQ55QJSepdkYDInLuEXznyuP4/s1600/coexist-aqua-final-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitc-NDiUZU1oYec8WlMrBOfN6YJuHFX-Vf28e1lCsyJyf3X_7m_1mF3MR6gc2M8D3mWQcEiHzHoEB0aT6gLgwkLcDcVx8PAm6Z_JYtESKRtZ7m9OoQjQfQ55QJSepdkYDInLuEXznyuP4/s200/coexist-aqua-final-1.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><h2 align="center" style="text-align: center;">Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles #1<o:p></o:p></h2><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Coexist-Keegans-Chronicles-1-ebook/dp/B0055HFZ3A">Amazon US<o:p></o:p></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coexist-Keegans-Chronicles-1-ebook/dp/B0055HFZ3A">Amazon UK<o:p></o:p></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coexist-julia-crane/1103651817">Barnes & Noble<o:p></o:p></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/66384">Smashwords<o:p></o:p></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-60100060984190441272012-03-25T07:53:00.002-06:002012-03-25T07:54:46.643-06:00Guest Post - Carol Davis LuceThis week's guest post is by Indie Chick, Carol Davis Luce.<br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SELF-TAUGHT LATE BLOOMER<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">by</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Carol Davis Luce<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfm7qhD-bgpj7K7QJYRv8RKOhNHcnFyo-rdkunZJZ4yzWOrNM1hi7XdUkjjn-RkWhKmInOnU2MYQafc7DdA6KZOi9YzpPnuiMVv5josW9Raumd19KWfEU0avqVgoNDsLnja3v28OXaPE/s1600/Carol+larger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfm7qhD-bgpj7K7QJYRv8RKOhNHcnFyo-rdkunZJZ4yzWOrNM1hi7XdUkjjn-RkWhKmInOnU2MYQafc7DdA6KZOi9YzpPnuiMVv5josW9Raumd19KWfEU0avqVgoNDsLnja3v28OXaPE/s200/Carol+larger.jpg" width="138" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">My motto is, “If I can do it, anyone can do it.” I wasn’t born to write. I didn’t aspire to be a writer from the time I could hold a Crayon. I could, however, draw, and make things take shape through form and color on paper and canvas, and that’s the path I traveled well into midlife. The artist’s life opened up my eyes and mind to expression and sometimes stories through composition on that blank eighteen by twenty-four inch stretched canvas. Then one day it changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> As a voracious reader, I was content to read what others wrote. I admired those writers who had mastered the craft. I was happy to dwell in their world for 300 pages, to laugh, cry, and be enlightened and surprised. Until one day when I closed a book by my favorite author and felt something was missing. The novel was a mystery/suspense with elements of romance. The suspense was killer. The romance, however, was lacking, missing those subtleties that resonated with me. I wanted more. The promise of romance was there, but fizzled somewhere along the way. For me, it wasn’t about graphic sex. It was about sexual tension, passion, love. After searching unsuccessfully for novels to satisfy my romantic suspense fixation, looking for just the right balance, I realized I had to write the book myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Only I knew nothing about writing a novel, let alone a genre book with a sub-genre. So I went to the library and checked out a reference book titled, HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL. Easy enough, right? If dedication is easy, then it was easy because I was driven. My artist’s passion shifted to focus on the writer’s canvas. That canvas was structure, words, emotion, and truth. And the rest is history. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Well, almost.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I burned up two electric typewriters before investing in a computer. I checked out every book on the “book writing” reference shelf, and many grammar and stylebooks, and two years later, my 800-page opus, NIGHT STALKER, was finished—<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Almost. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I learned about the important shaping process, without which most stories would be unreadable. Editing. The passion and pain of cutting and revising. Finding the jewels that lie buried in too many, or misguided, words. Three years and a dozen revisions later, 400 pages lighter, it found a home with a traditional publisher. Within the first few months of release, it went into three printings and became the flagship for the sub-genre "Woman in Jeopardy/Romantic Suspense" at Kensington Publishing. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Where it started. . .<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I left school at sixteen to marry my high school sweetheart. Six years later, as a housewife and mother, I channeled my artistic talent into sketching and painting, selling my work at a local art gallery. A quarter century later, I traded in my paints and brushes to hit the keyboard. Our three sons, not much for novel reading, are waiting for my books to be made into movies. That childhood sweetheart I married a lifetime ago is now my soul mate of 50 plus years. His encouragement fueled me, and his support allowed me to pursue my goals. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Going back to my motto of, “if I can do it, anyone can.” There has never been a more opportunistic time to try your hand at writing a book. Or taking the plunge and self-publishing. My decision to self-publish my upcoming suspense novels came about when I hit the proverbial brick wall after five published books. With a stalled career, I had a choice. Teach, or see my stories in print again. I chose the latter. My first self-published book is the short story trilogy, BROKEN JUSTICE, followed by my suspense novel, NIGHT WIDOW. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Agents and editors think they know what readers want. They don’t always know. <i>Readers</i> know what readers want, and they’re expressing their wants by buying books written by indie authors. Give yourself a hardy pat on the back if you’ve completed a manuscript, but the big applause goes to our devoted fans and readers. Without them, we would be nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Davis-Luce/e/B000APHQU2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Find Carol's books on Amazon</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
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</span></div>Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-17912117546370855242012-03-16T17:52:00.000-06:002012-03-16T17:52:56.528-06:00My Indie Chicks post<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">This week, I'm the featured Indie Chick author!</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Never Give Up On Your Dreams<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">by Christine Kersey<o:p></o:p></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p> </div><div class="MsoNormal">I love to read and lose myself in a good story – forget all that is going on around me and be <i>in</i> the story with the characters. One day in 1997 I finished reading a novel by Joy Fielding and realized she hadn’t needed to be an expert in a particular field, like medicine or law, to write a good suspense story. This fact inspired me to try my hand at writing. It also didn’t hurt that we’d just gotten our first computer and I can type much faster than I can write longhand.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At this time in my life I was thirty-two and my youngest child was three. I also had three other children who were in elementary school. A stay-at-home mom, I was able to carve out some time to work on this project. At first I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing. What if I couldn’t complete it? What if I failed? After a short time I told my husband, mother, and sister and they were supportive.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I kept working at it, day by day, until after about four weeks I’d finished a complete novel. At that point it was nowhere near ready to be published, but I’d proven to myself that I could write a novel with a beginning, middle, and end. I continued working on the story, then put it aside and began working on another. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I gathered the courage to have a few friends read it and they all said they loved it. Encouraged, I decided to attend a conference called Bouchercon , which is for fans of mysteries. At the conference I mingled with published writers and talked to an agent or two. Afterwards I sent queries to several agents, but none of them were interested in my completed novel. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Shortly afterwards I started working part-time and didn’t spend as much time writing as I had before. When my youngest child started first grade I decided to go back to college full-time and earn my degree. Over the next four years I did very little fiction writing and focused on getting my education.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As I approached my final semester my schedule wasn’t quite as heavy and I decided to do some revisions on one of my two completed novels. When I felt the story was ready, I submitted it to a small, regional publisher. In April, 2004 I graduated with a B.S. in Information Technology. That same week the publisher got back to me and said they were interested in publishing my book, but first they wanted me to do revisions. Though they hadn’t offered a contract yet, I did the revisions and resubmitted the manuscript. They were pleased, but wanted yet more revisions. In 2004 the job market was down and I was spending a lot of time job-hunting, but I did the revisions as requested.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In October of that year I finally found a full-time position and within two weeks of starting my new job, the publisher got back to me and offered a contract. Needless to say, I was thrilled. Seven and a half years after I’d written my first book and I was finally getting published!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was assigned an editor and worked closely with her. The book hit bookstores in July, 2005. I thought I was on my way. I had one book published with a real publisher, so now I was set, right?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The book sold reasonably well, but when I submitted another manuscript, my publisher decided not to publish it. Discouraged, I focused on my family and my job and didn’t spend very much time writing. However, I still read as much as ever. In fact, when the nook eReader became available I bought one and started loading dozens of books onto it. I was in reader heaven.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’d had my nook for nearly a year before I caught on to the possibilities indie publishing presented. The book I’d published with a traditional publisher had gone out of print and I was able to get the rights back. That book, <i>No Way Out</i>, was the first book I made available as an indie publisher. The first month it was available I sold exactly one copy. But that one sale was very exciting. Since then I’ve published three more novels and have sold thousands of copies. I love that I have complete control over what I publish. I also love to read the work of other indie authors. There are so many talented people that are now able to publish their work. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m glad I didn’t give up on my dream to be published and am so excited at the endless opportunities that are now available. One thing I’ve learned is that if you persist in following your dreams, eventually you will be able to accomplish what you’ve set out to do, whatever it may be. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That three-year-old child that sat near me as I began my writing career is now a senior in high school. Whether or not I had chosen to continue writing, time inexorably moved forward. It’s never too late to follow your dreams, but why wait?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Visit my <a href="http://christinekersey.blogspot.com/">blog</a> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>No Way Out</i>, about a woman whose husband disappears, is available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Way-Out-suspense-ebook/dp/B004BA52K8/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_4">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-way-out-christine-kersey/1101303957?ean=2940011949227">Barnes & Noble</a><o:p></o:p></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>He Loves Me Not</i> is currently only available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/He-Loves-Me-Not-ebook/dp/B004SBO41S/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1">Amazon</a>, although if you have a nook, email me and I’ll send you a free epub copy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmauM5o9py7ss5sQz8yVFyVlUl4cigDBhyphenhyphenKpJTXRcKrBrKgQRHnJfDO5PrB8I4FHsol01Gu0jskU2QIIzd81JNolrIX_NTvevnxlBjCTz1sP1IrWyCwGCecXMDtaS3vbE0RGge5_4REbc/s1600/He+Loves+Me+Not.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmauM5o9py7ss5sQz8yVFyVlUl4cigDBhyphenhyphenKpJTXRcKrBrKgQRHnJfDO5PrB8I4FHsol01Gu0jskU2QIIzd81JNolrIX_NTvevnxlBjCTz1sP1IrWyCwGCecXMDtaS3vbE0RGge5_4REbc/s200/He+Loves+Me+Not.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i>Don’t Look Back</i> is the sequel to <i>He Loves Me Not</i> and is available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Look-Back-sequel-ebook/dp/B0050JAVGY/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2">Amazon</a> as well as <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-look-back-christine-kersey/1100985925?ean=2940012411211">Barnes & Noble</a>. </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-2610363804978875242012-03-10T19:55:00.000-07:002012-03-10T19:55:55.685-07:00Guest Post - Mel Comley<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This week's guest post is by Indie Chick Mel Comley.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpL419tpDzXTTq23lKq457xLlHugW5K2cN1-wWah5J2o3xZP4QAkPUw1gCqPY9hXTgjt1RvsXQsE8o-RcrSHAdt227RLpDMpJparoxbS7DhkgJ_WVQxLOE0qbDTA6TcaoK7K6GW1M5I0/s1600/DSCF0059+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpL419tpDzXTTq23lKq457xLlHugW5K2cN1-wWah5J2o3xZP4QAkPUw1gCqPY9hXTgjt1RvsXQsE8o-RcrSHAdt227RLpDMpJparoxbS7DhkgJ_WVQxLOE0qbDTA6TcaoK7K6GW1M5I0/s200/DSCF0059+(3).jpg" width="124" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18pt;">French Fancies!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">by Mel Comley</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In 1993 I walked out on my sad and abusive marriage, one that I had stuck with for seven years. At the time I jointly owned a shop with my ex-husband and my Mother, so we had to sell the business when the marriage broke down.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">If I thought that was hard it was nothing to what I had to endure the following six years. To make ends meet, I had to work two jobs for 70-80 hours a week over 6½ days. Take my word when I say it wasn’t fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">But onwards and upwards, when Mum retired we made a spur of the moment decision to leave England and move to France. We’d never set foot in the country before we came out here to house hunt, I know, we’re either brave or stupid. I like to think we’re the former, but I sometimes wonder if that’s the case!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">We bought a farmhouse and barns that needed total renovation. In 6 months I decorated 22 rooms while a local builder created a gîte (a holiday home) out of a couple of the barns. After the renovations were completed I grew bored with my ‘early retirement’ and enrolled in a creative writing course. I threw myself into it and over the next 4-5 years I sat down and wrote three romances and two thrillers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In October 2009, I discovered the writing site run by Harper Collins called Authonomy where I uploaded the first 10,000 words of my thriller <i>Impeding Justice</i>. It took me 8 months to reach the editor’s desk where I received a favourable review from a Harper Collins editor. The trouble was they weren’t taking on any thriller writers at that time, they were only interested in printing Celebrity Autobiographies!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Therefore, in October 2010 I decided to upload <i>Impeding Justice</i> as an ebook. It took a while to take off but in January 2011 sales really started gathering momentum, but it wasn’t until I released the second book in the series,<i> Final Justice</i> that sales really took off.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">After selling over 30,000 books in April, I was in the fortunate position of having several agents knocking on my virtual door. I finally agreed terms and signed a contract with top New York agent, Richard Curtis. I sent him <i>Cruel Justice</i> the third book in the thriller series and he tried for 4 months to get me a traditional publishing contract, but at the moment he admits he’s finding it difficult to place any books with publishers because of the Indie revolution, which I’m extremely proud to be part of.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">During last Summer, I edited the romances I wrote at the beginning of my journey. I uploaded <i>A Time To Heal</i> towards the end of August and immediately received a couple of 5 star reviews (no they weren’t from my family, they don’t know I write!) some of them were from my thriller fans who were equally impressed by my romance endeavours.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">At the beginning of September I uploaded <i>A Time For Change</i>, another romance which is actually a TRUE story of how my dear friends met and fell in love. Obviously they’re names have been changed, the story has a mystery element to it too.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In October 2011, I uploaded the third book in my thriller series, <i>Cruel Justice</i>, which is actually the prequel to my best-seller <i>Impeding Justice</i>. It’s been very well received and has even reached #2 in the Police Procedural chart on Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I’m very fortunate to be able to write full-time (it’s addictive, don’t you know!) and have several more projects outlined that I intend tackling over the coming winter months.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">This is how my day pans out, first thing, providing it isn’t raining, I take my two dogs for a walk, actually they tend to drag me round our small village. Then I sit down to answer any emails and facebook messages I’ve received overnight from fans (yes I do have them) I then set out to write a minimum of 2-3000 words per day, before I dip into hours of necessary promoting. That’s the hardest part of being an Indie writer, the fact that we have to promote ourselves long and hard. I used to be quite a shy person, but I’ve had to overcome that quickly. I think deep down, every writer would love to be a recluse and be able to focus full-time on their creations, unfortunately that’s unrealistic in an Indie world.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Do I ever think about my life back in England? No, never, but my ex features heavily in my books. When I need to think up a baddie character it’s his image I picture in my mind. As for my murder scenes, I find them VERY easy to write. LOL </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas> <v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"> <o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"> </o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype><v:shape alt="Description: ;-)" id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 11.25pt; visibility: visible; width: 11.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"> <v:imagedata o:title=";-)" src="file:///C:\Users\CHRIST~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png"> </v:imagedata></v:shape></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You can purchase my books in ebook format or paperback from my website. </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.melcomleybooks.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">http://www.melcomleybooks.com/</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Or follow me on Facebook. </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mel-Comley/264745836884860" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mel-Comley/264745836884860</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">My twitter id is </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://twitter.com/melcom1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">@melcom1</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">You can find out about me and my books at the following blogs. </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://melcomley.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">http://melcomley.blogspot.com/</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://melcomleyromances.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">http://melcomleyromances.blogspot.com/</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-40232633748648181682012-03-03T13:11:00.000-07:002012-03-03T13:11:34.163-07:00Guest Post - Barbara SilkstoneThis week's guest post is by Indie Chick Barbara Silkstone. I haven't read her book <span style="line-height: 30px;"><i>The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters</i>, but after reading why she wrote it, I'm intrigued! In this blog post, read what happened to her that inspired her to write the novel and you'll be intrigued too.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvFlTKyg7vdMZeUArPznrrsmliiaP0IGgFVd-iEBrie0fLJHTvTD7WL4j6kZ2lrfkcL_pFErCPV9FRuQNBkGICtK3Gjrf_oPHgFxqf9Tnxp-ojo6NCG4utap_PPxtIbo6xDITfyNCcDU/s1600/barbara%2520silkstone1%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvFlTKyg7vdMZeUArPznrrsmliiaP0IGgFVd-iEBrie0fLJHTvTD7WL4j6kZ2lrfkcL_pFErCPV9FRuQNBkGICtK3Gjrf_oPHgFxqf9Tnxp-ojo6NCG4utap_PPxtIbo6xDITfyNCcDU/s200/barbara%2520silkstone1%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="line-height: 30px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;">HAVE YOU EVER LOST A HAT?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: large;">By Barbara Silkstone</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">I lost everything including my home, my car, and even my retirement accounts. I was physically attacked inside and outside a court building. My daughter and baby granddaughter were threatened. I came at the bad guys like a mother tiger. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">A few years earlier I had agreed to testify against a real estate developer in a civil racketeering case. He was obscenely rich and could afford a hanger full of Lear jets, four sneering lawyers, and a greedy judge. In an effort to discredit my testimony in <i>his</i> upcoming trial and to frighten me out of appearing against him, his team of legal manipulators pasted together a bogus suit against me designed to keep me tied up in court and unable to function. They underestimated my sense of justice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">I’d been sitting on the witness stand for the better part of a day… one of many in my five-year<b> “</b>trial.” The judge, forgetting her microphone was on, had just proclaimed me “a pretty tough cookie.” I’d given up expecting justice. It was much too late for fairness. I was in an out-of-body state observing my own funeral and laughing about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">When the four-hundred pound lawyer asked me if I’d ever lost a hat, I thought one of us had lost our minds. I was pretty sure it wasn’t me. He blinked as if he realized the absurdity of what he asked and dropped the line of inquiry. The question struck my funny bone and sent me into giggle-fits. And that was the moment when <i>The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters</i> was born.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Within a few months the lawyers I hired to help me sucked up every penny I could muster. When I was broke, they walked off the case. Unlike in criminal cases, defendants in civil litigation must pay for their own attorneys. No money – no lawyers. I was on my own. I needed to defend myself. But how when the case was nonsense? How do you fight silly? The <i>lost hat</i> question was a perfect example of the charges brought against me. But the more ridiculous their charges, the stronger and feistier I grew. For each thing they threw at me, I came back that much harder, roaring and taking notes for my someday book.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Since I was a child my driving passion has been to write. In Catholic grade school I started an underground newspaper. When our nun forbade me to continue, I carried the paper further underground. While I continued to write as an adult, life eventually got in the way of living and my writing took a backseat. But now as I sat in the courtroom I was inspired and chomping at the bit to get this real-life fairytale on paper.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Anger boiled in me as I saw the precious time I had carved out for writing being eaten up as I defended myself in bizarre proceedings. I was spending all my time in the law library studying the Rules of Civil Procedure in order to write Motions and Pleadings and filing them against the court in such rapid fire I would have made Rambo back off. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Earning a living on commission sales is impossible when you are spending 14 hours a day fighting a pack of legal sharks. I had to take the creepiest part-time jobs… things that still give me nightmares. Things like working for a gold broker who brought us the teeth from dead people. We were expected to separate the gold from the molars – not unlike the lawyers I was dealing with. I needed the money but not that badly. I ran to the nearest exit.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Locked in a deadly struggle with the notorious real estate developer, I chose that time to become romantically involved with a Brit who, it turned out was not what he seemed to be. I stepped into the perfect storm. The Brit’s upper-class accent and polished manners hid a not-too-clever conman, but clever enough to fool my starry eyes. The developer and the conman clashed in a rage of wicked deeds. I was sandwiched between them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Is <i>The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters</i> true? Would Lewis Carroll say <i>Alice in Wonderland </i>was true? The emotions are real and still raw, but the journey was worth the results. Would I do it again? You bet your tushie. My sense of justice would not permit otherwise. But I would not be quite so naïve. I would expect slimy tricks and dirty pool. Merely because someone wears a robe and speaks of the law does not mean they abide by the law.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">“The Hail Mary Pass” refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success. It’s used in football and occasionally courtrooms. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">My Hail Mary Pass knocked the bad guys on their butts. I filed a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari, which is a request to the United States Supreme Court asking that Court to review the decision of a lower court. I cast a spotlight on their dark shenanigans. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">And as my Petition worked its way along the queue in the United States Supreme Court, making it almost to the finish line, the judge on my case went strangely silent, the notorious developer disappeared, and the Brit wandered off. I had become a writer but not in the way I had envisioned. I was a self-taught legal guerrilla who had managed to land her petition to be heard by the highest court in the United States… right through the goal post. Unfortunately, in the end corruption won and I barely escaped with a toothbrush and a change of clothes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Were those five years tough? Yes. But I fought because I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I rolled into a ball. I fought with the wit and sarcasm of Alice in the original <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>. Standing on the outside watching the <i>Jabberwocky</i> operate on the inside. I knew that someday my story, fictionalized with absolutely no resemblance to anyone living or dead and the names changed to protect the corrupt, would make a darn good yarn. And each step of the way, like Lewis Carroll and my out-of-body ordeal, I would allow the action to the skate on the edge of logic.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">In <i>The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters,</i> a few murders have been thrown in for comic relief, and the characters have been shaken <i>and</i> stirred, then presented in a Pythonesque light. Any similarities to the jerks I dealt with are purely coincidental.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Have I ever lost a hat? Probably.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">But did I retain my passion for writing, and even kick it up a notch? Absolutely. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Every adventure contains a novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Sometime you have to pay dearly for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">~<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">Quoting the Cheshire Cat:<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" (Alice)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">"I don't much care where---" said Alice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">"---So long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">"Oh you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This is one story from Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. To read all the stories buy your copy today. All proceeds go to fund breast cancer research. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="SCENEBREAK">About the Author<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Barbara Silkstone is the best-selling author of The Fractured Fairy Tales series that currently includes: <i>The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters; Wendy and the Lost Boys</i>; and <i>London Broil.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Silkstone’s writing has been described as “perfectly paced and pitched – shades of Janet Evanovich and Carl Hiaasen – without seeming remotely derivative. Fast moving action that shoots from the hip with bullet-proof characterization.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Wendy and the Lost Boys topped the charts in comedy, climbing over Tina Fey, Sophie Kinsella, and Ellen DeGeneres. The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters has been a consistent best seller in comedy. Both Wendy and Alice have been in the top 20 Amazon comedies at the same time. Silkstone has been fortunate enough to take part in writing workshops with Stephen King, Robert B. Parker, and James Michener.</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"> She lives in South Florida but has no time to visit the beach.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Barbara Silkstone loves to hear from her readers. You can write to her at: <a href="mailto:barbara_silkstone@yahoo.com">barbara_silkstone@yahoo.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Or visit her at: <a href="http://barbswire-ebooksandmore.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Barb’s Wire eBooks & More</span></a> </span>http://barbswire-ebooksandmore.blogspot.com<o:p></o:p></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Twitter @barbsilkstone <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/barbsilkstone">http://twitter.com/#!/barbsilkstone</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Barbara-Silkstone/100000778601230">http://www.facebook.com/people/Barbara-Silkstone/100000778601230</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Pinterest: <a href="http://pinterest.com/barbsilkstone/">http://pinterest.com/barbsilkstone/</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><br />
</div><div class="SCENEBREAK" style="text-align: center;">Fractured Fairy Tales by Silkstone</div><div class="SCENEBREAK" style="text-align: center;">Criminally Funny Fables</div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"> </span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpK-TihkrETdxfx5f8Eem41lqBvXryGBeYoG2EAblaa_sNLQ5HByHAu5L7PApPu_ZbfoskHNvm2zZHZRE87ouLhzVxE07pDRkCb-lzgNTVCCGEJefPIj5W58dtGH5czsjuGEjUZZYRNw/s1600/alice_new_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpK-TihkrETdxfx5f8Eem41lqBvXryGBeYoG2EAblaa_sNLQ5HByHAu5L7PApPu_ZbfoskHNvm2zZHZRE87ouLhzVxE07pDRkCb-lzgNTVCCGEJefPIj5W58dtGH5czsjuGEjUZZYRNw/s200/alice_new_large.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="SCENEBREAK" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><i>The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters</i></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK" style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">This author has a unique narrative voice, and reading the story is like taking a smooth slide into Alice’s surreal world. The premise is outstanding – a classic we all love, with a contemporary, intelligent twist. ~ Elizabeth Lindberg, author Upper West Side Stories<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Purchase for your Kindle at: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BIGFSE/">Amazon</a><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Purchase for your Nook at: </span><a href="http://bit.ly/s66sst">Barnes & Noble</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpjEk_6qWolrv_80ZlU5zxsRg6HceOfod7BrcSAfDeDBC3FKLzjmwcRNOWJmXyH1VuEQJ94sP3KvUAywKCBtEtQmvLmtAzOl36W3drUkHMYN44lZSfbHLstiKBi-7QgrOUnkYxMnJ4wQ/s1600/wendy_new_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpjEk_6qWolrv_80ZlU5zxsRg6HceOfod7BrcSAfDeDBC3FKLzjmwcRNOWJmXyH1VuEQJ94sP3KvUAywKCBtEtQmvLmtAzOl36W3drUkHMYN44lZSfbHLstiKBi-7QgrOUnkYxMnJ4wQ/s200/wendy_new_large.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><i>Wendy and the Lost Boys</i><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Be aware, this is not the Peter Pan story you want your kids reading. It is clearly intended for adult readers. Yet it appeals to the childlike part of us that loved the classic original stories. Combine that childlike love with modern politics and technology, and you get this smart, snarky, hilarious mystery. The story is richly developed and leaves you guessing until the very end. I am liking this grown-up version of Peter Pan even more than the original. ~ Tiffany Harkleroad for Tiffany’s Bookshelf<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Purchase for your Kindle at: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Fractured-Fairy-Silkstone-ebook/dp/B005FKHKTE/">Amazon</a><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Purchase for your Nook at: </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wendy-and-the-lost-boys-barbara-silkstone/1104703983?ean=2940013182059&itm=1&usri=wendy+and+the+lost+boys+silkstone">Barnes & Noble</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8IHio3AbzyzulDwsZHBuhWV8Oqu9iwvoaGd2pAIazPSe-JmLaKEAC0tA5-bWqQ1RxgwSFTT-88wRvNsex_vQAgOYuztaTVKA8ni3DOkieTESi1_KLfRYzXucXn96Tv0GzeleLHztZhI/s1600/londonbroil_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8IHio3AbzyzulDwsZHBuhWV8Oqu9iwvoaGd2pAIazPSe-JmLaKEAC0tA5-bWqQ1RxgwSFTT-88wRvNsex_vQAgOYuztaTVKA8ni3DOkieTESi1_KLfRYzXucXn96Tv0GzeleLHztZhI/s200/londonbroil_large.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><i>London Broil — the sequel to Wendy and the Lost Boys</i><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">The snarky Python sequel to Wendy and the Lost Boys. A murderous rollercoaster ride through London during a killer heat wave. ~ Ravan Reviews<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Purchase for your Kindle at: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/London-Broil-Fractured-Silkstone-ebook/dp/B006IH6LHA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1323986392&sr=1-1">Amazon</a><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Purchase for your Nook at: </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/london-broil-barbara-silkstone/1107875365?ean=2940013457362&itm=3&usri=barbara+silkstone">Barnes and Noble</a><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><br />
</div><div class="SCENEBREAK"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Zo White – coming Summer 2012</span></div>Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5270220807413397273.post-82017411658427370812012-02-25T21:59:00.001-07:002012-02-25T21:59:33.171-07:00Guest Post - Sibel HodgeToday's guest post is by Indie Chick Sibel Hodge. Read about the phenomenal success she's found in Indie Publishing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismB8ZXe0UhoCLcMV9iFT7T13lsdLsmwCFJO-QBGocErZIon0nrV56668HuldR4b8kd51bv2HsIsM8-hSLouvJmXG8yLruCKL6UIoMA5zYapRffdy7oHQEMmqXhse_gdaSXeBD61jUpOw/s1600/thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismB8ZXe0UhoCLcMV9iFT7T13lsdLsmwCFJO-QBGocErZIon0nrV56668HuldR4b8kd51bv2HsIsM8-hSLouvJmXG8yLruCKL6UIoMA5zYapRffdy7oHQEMmqXhse_gdaSXeBD61jUpOw/s1600/thumbnail.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">From 200 rejections to Amazon top 200!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: large;">by Sibel Hodge</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Ever since I was old enough to scrawl my first word, which was <i>Halibaaaaa,</i> I knew I wanted to write books. OK, so the word didn’t actually make sense, and it might take a little longer for me to actually string a whole sentence together, but that didn’t put me off. I was going to write books and no one would stop me…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">From when I was really young, my mum encouraged me to read. “If you can read books, you’ll never be bored,” I remember her telling me. I secretly think it was a ploy to keep me out of her hair and quiet for a while. I was always a loud kid with lots of energy, and always getting into some sort of trouble with the boys down our street. (Yep, even then I was a sucker for boys!). After discovering the wonderful world of books, I thought I’d have a go myself, and remember scribbling down stories whenever I had a spare moment. Shame I was only six, and there was no way anyone would publish a book with <i>I Want Big Girls’ Knickers</i> in the title.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">When I was in secondary school my favourite subject was English language. I’d lose myself for hours. And even though I hadn’t thought about my forthcoming career before I left (apart from being Wonder Woman or an astronaut), I knew, even then, I had a love of creating. I also loved to make people laugh from an early age. In the beginning, it wasn’t intentional. I was always saying ridiculous things that I thought were quite serious. Like the time I went to the butchers shop with my nan, and the lady behind the counter asked where I was from. “<st1:place w:st="on">South America</st1:place>,” I said. (I know, where the hell did that come from? I must’ve had an overactive imagination from the start.) So when people started laughing at me, I thought, hey, this is pretty fun! We live in such a hectic world and laughter is a perfect way to de-stress. Because my personality is quirky, fun-loving, and slightly nuts, it was probably a given that I would eventually write chick lit, although I have recently delved into the dark side of my brain (which is a pretty scary place to be sometimes!) and written a psychological thriller.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">But when I left school no one mentioned writing as a career. It was all boring things like secretarial jobs, travel agents, office work. I didn’t even know about creative writing courses until about ten years ago! I think they considered that writing wasn’t a “proper career.” No one suggested journalism or further education in writing. So what was a girl to do? Although my mum wanted me to go to University and study to be something like a doctor or lawyer (eeek!), </span>I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do for a career, so I flitted from one job to the next, trying to find something that interested me, and eventually ended up working for the police for ten years. So there I was, too busy paying the mortgage, working shifts, and living in the rat race of life to have the proper time or opportunity to write a novel. It didn’t stop me trying, though. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">It was drastic things like splitting up with a boyfriend that made me start my first novel when I was about seventeen. I never got further than the first three chapters, though, because I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, other than using a typewriter! Then I started another one (I got dumped again – can you see a pattern here?) when I was about twenty-three, and ditto (I’d hate for those to ever see the light of day). </span>I just knew that I loved writing and therefore it stood to reason that one day I’d do it, didn’t it?<span lang="EN-GB">And although I look back now and think I wish I’d started writing earlier, actually, I have to say, that it would’ve been bad timing. Back then I wouldn’t have had anything to really write about. A lot of the things that go into my books now are based on my experience of life. People I’ve met, places I’ve been, books I’ve read, things I’ve done, struggles I’ve achieved. At twenty-three, what did I really know about any of that? </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And then five years ago, hubby and I had had enough of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region></st1:place>. We got fed up with the constant grey weather, bills that seemed to increase as you looked at them, working constantly to pay them, and never having quality time for ourselves or our family. Right, it was time to make my childhood dream come true and move somewhere exotic, where the cost of living was lower, and we would actually have time to enjoy each other and life again. Then I would finally have the time and opportunity to dedicate to writing. Yes, we’d have to sacrifice a lot of things to achieve it, but it would be worth it in the end. So we moved to <st1:place w:st="on">North Cyprus</st1:place>, and <span lang="EN-GB">it was like my brain suddenly said, Hallellujah! Now we divide our time between <st1:country-region w:st="on">Cyprus</st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn’t actively think about what I was going to write, but a year after we’d moved there I had an exciting idea for a story, using my unique Turkish Cypriot/British cultural heritage, and my debut romantic comedy<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fourteen-Later-Romantic-Comedy-ebook/dp/B003B3O0UE/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_4"><span style="color: black;">Fourteen Days Later</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>was born. Then I actually became the guinea pig for the sequel,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IK93XS/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d10_g351_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1Y41F76DX5G7B1HX3033&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846"><span style="color: black;">My Perfect Wedding!</span></a> But it was all very well completing my dream of writing a book, but until it was published, no one would get to read it. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So I started querying hundreds of agents and publishers. I got too many rejections to even count! OK, small white lie, a while ago I did count them out of morbid curiosity, and it was a whopping two hundred!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I did come close a couple of times to being traditionally published, but it never quite worked out. It was either, “one group of editors liked it but another didn’t”, or “the chick lit market is saturated”, or “we love it but…”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I first looked into publishing independently, platforms like Amazon Kindle didn’t support international authors. So the way I saw it, I had two choices. Either I could write another book, hone my writing skills and learn all I could about my craft, and wait for an opportunity to come up, or I could let all the rejection letters get me down, think my writing career was over before it had begun, and stick my head in the oven! Since heat tends to turn my curls into a ball of frizz, it was no contest, really. I wrote my next novel, a chick lit mystery called <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003B3NYS8/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=06JDG4DC4Y6RT9H3Y9S0&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294"><span style="color: black;">The Fashion Police</span></a>, and waited. Because I knew, I just knew, that I COULD do this. I could write novels that people wanted to read. If only I could get the chance.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the meantime, I also entered several writing competitions. And while I was still getting the dreaded rejections, Fourteen Days Later was shortlisted for the Harry Bowling Prize 2008 and received a Highly Commended by The Yeovil Literary Prize 2009. And The Fashion Police was a runner up in the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition 2010 (and later nominated for the Best Novel with Romantic Elements 2010 by The Romance Reviews). Surely I was doing something right, wasn’t I? But I STILL couldn’t get a publisher!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then last year, when Amazon opened up their doors to non-US authors, I uploaded Fourteen Days Later and The Fashion Police onto their Kindle store. I couldn’t believe it when I finally saw my books on sale. It was scary, rewarding, exciting, amazing – so many experiences rolled into one. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But what if no one liked my novels? What if I had all bad reviews? What if all the two hundred rejections were right? What if, what if…?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Time for a deep breath, Sibel. If you want to be an author, you have to repeat this mantra everyday… “I can do this. I can do this. I CAN do this.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So I did. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And boy am I glad I did! The first month with Fourteen Days Later and The Fashion Police, I sold 44 books (another eeek!). Then I released my third novel, a romantic comedy called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Wedding-Romantic-Comedy-ebook/dp/B004IK93XS/ref=pd_sim_kinc_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2"><span style="color: black;">My Perfect Wedding</span></a>, and later released my second chick lit mystery <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Careful-What-Amber-Mystery-ebook/dp/B004VGWJYE/ref=pd_sim_kinc_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2"><span style="color: black;">Be Careful What You Wish For</span></a>. In the last 6 months alone I’ve sold over 40,000 ebooks, and all my novels are consistently in the Amazon top 100 genre categories for humor, contemporary romance, comedy, and romantic suspense. My highest overall sales ranking to date is 136, just missing out on the Amazon top 100 bestseller charts. Considering there are over 900,000 Kindle books on Amazon, that’s not bad! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And this is one lesson I’ve learned in the last couple of years…<strong>You can do anything you want to in life. It may mean you have to go a different route than you originally planned, but if you’re determined enough and believe in yourself, you can overcome any obstacles.<o:p></o:p></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So I’m toasting all you women out there with my glass of wine. Cheers to dreams and making them come true! Looks like I got my big girls’ knickers after all!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVmCN58X44OwBmKt-JvuxXlFNm2EEvdIlBsBQd0u4KBTh8yh2hxc9SYp-UB1147cnJ4JjCz6q5PTNMlYYa3RnEP4dI_Uo5HauTJSA_wF6rtkBBckICJTWKw3DgcsHA1zAD1fSisCmbRs/s1600/Sibel-MPW-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVmCN58X44OwBmKt-JvuxXlFNm2EEvdIlBsBQd0u4KBTh8yh2hxc9SYp-UB1147cnJ4JjCz6q5PTNMlYYa3RnEP4dI_Uo5HauTJSA_wF6rtkBBckICJTWKw3DgcsHA1zAD1fSisCmbRs/s200/Sibel-MPW-small.jpg" width="140" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouVKmnx9yjtIiZqcBief3kAD6nGZ-yr_UXk79o1sC7d2fBS_40cxYN5Jt0uqIkj_f8qvN35sTYmPxdj_Pagx2LrLvHc2d6Vw88UEvN5RhftzP9hrVl5OwXt7iPAj_DgVa9XKgkuMGoFE/s1600/FDL+NEW+600x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouVKmnx9yjtIiZqcBief3kAD6nGZ-yr_UXk79o1sC7d2fBS_40cxYN5Jt0uqIkj_f8qvN35sTYmPxdj_Pagx2LrLvHc2d6Vw88UEvN5RhftzP9hrVl5OwXt7iPAj_DgVa9XKgkuMGoFE/s200/FDL+NEW+600x800.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-GB">You can find Sibel’s books in paperback and all ebook formats. For more info, please check out her </span><a href="http://www.sibelhodge.com/">website</a></b><b><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<b>This is one story from <i>Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories</i> available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Indie-Chicks-Personal-Stories-ebook/dp/B0060ZTM62"><span style="color: #0856aa;">Amazon</span></a> and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1107017601?ean=2940013212725&itm=1&usri=indie+chicks"><span style="color: #0856aa;">Barnes & Noble</span></a> . To read all of the stories, buy your copy today.</b><b><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>Christine Kerseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04814251383066902193noreply@blogger.com2