Julie Compton's Blog

Reader and fellow St. Louisan Debbie Haupt has been one of my biggest supporters since she first wrote to me after reading Tell No Lies . When Rescuing Olivia originally released back in 2010, she invited me to participate in a book club discussion over at the Barnes & Noble fiction forum she moderates, and now, with Keep No Secrets , she did a lovely interview of me at her blog, The Reading Frenzy . You can read it here .

Among other things, I talk about why I wrote Keep No Secrets (the sequel to Tell No Lies ), what I think about reviews (good and bad), and what I'm working on now. Hope you'll take a look and show Debbie some love! While you're there, consider following her blog. It truly IS a reading frenzy!

I know I keep promising I'll write more about my reasons for self-publishing, but the work-in-progress continues to call, and I continue to stumble upon articles by other writers who say it so much better than I could. Here's one in particular that explains it so well (not surprising--given that it was written by Hugh Howey, author of the bestselling WOOL).

Here's the link, from Salon: Self-Publishing is the Future and Great for Writers

Thanks to fellow writer Robert Gregory Browne for posting the article on his Facebook page for me to stumble upon. ;-)

Now available!("Buy the book" links below)
KEEP NO SECRETS(the TELL NO LIES sequel)
After the ultimate betrayal,which is more important:trust or forgiveness?




After surviving the private and public fallout from a one-night stand four years before, St. Louis DA Jack Hilliard wants nothing more than to be trusted again by his wife, Claire, and to earn back the respect of the community he serves. Since the day Claire accepted him back into the family, he's vowed to be true to these goals, and so far he's succeeded.

But all of Jack's efforts begin to crumble when the woman involved in his earlier downfall, Jenny Dodson, returns to town claiming threats on her life and asking for his help, and resurrecting for Jack long-buried emotions and questions of her guilt for the murder of a client. Just when he thinks the pressure can't get any worse, his son's girlfriend, Celeste, accuses him of sexual assault, and he suddenly finds himself on the wrong end of a criminal case, battling for his freedom.

Can Jack trust his freedom to the legal system on which he built his career? Or will the ghost of his one-night stand four years before come back to haunt him, causing him to be convicted on the mistakes of his past?
BUY an eBook edition:
Amazon KindleAmazon UK KindleBarnes & Noble NookKobo
BUY the PRINT edition:
AmazonBarnes & Noble(the BN print edition may take a few days/weeksto show up in their system)Signed editionYou can also ask your local bookseller or libraryto order it for you (tell them it is distributed by Ingram)

Note about ebooks: Did you know you don't need a specific e-reader (Kindle, Nook, Kobo) to buy and read books from the companies that make those readers? You have choices, no matter what type of device you have. Here are links where you can download FREE reading apps to your iPad, your phone, your PC, and other devices.  Kindle apps
BN Nook apps
Kobo apps


THANK YOU to all of my readers for your continued support and encouragement!
www.julie-compton.com
 

 

 

      

I spread the word everywhere else, but I realized I forgot to post it here!

Short but sweet: the Kindle edition of RESCUING OLIVIA is FREE - that's right - FREE!! - through midnight on Friday, March 8, 2013! Grab it while you can!

<!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } </style> --> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RyYW9adK6Kw..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RyYW9adK6Kw..." width="125" /></a>In case you missed my recent announcement, my next book, <b><i>Keep No Secrets</i></b> (the sequel to <i><b>Tell No Lies</b></i>) will be hitting the virtual book shelves very, very soon (ebook and print), and this time I've decided to self-publish it. Also, I recently got the rights back to my first two novels, <i><b>Tell No Lies</b></i> and <i><b>Rescuing Olivia</b></i>, and I've re-released <b><i>Tell No Lies</i></b> as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A..." target="_blank">an ebook on Amazon</a> (only $2.99!). <i><b>Rescuing Olivia</b></i> will follow any day now.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Of course, the first question I received from many folks after making this announcement (primarily other writers, but not always) was this: <i>Why did you decide to self-publish?</i> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The answer is a lengthy one, and it's multi-faceted. There really isn't just <i>one</i> reason.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So in the interest of saving myself the trouble of having to answer the question over and over, and also realizing that there are probably people who want to know but are too afraid to ask, I've decided to discuss it here on my blog. The full answer will come piecemeal – one, because as I said, it's long and multi-faceted, and, two, because on any given day I remember more of my reasons. (I'll also add the answers to <a href="http://www.julie-compton.com/" target="_blank">my website</a>, so by the time I'm done, all of my answers can be found in one place.)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Today, I'll start with two, very simple reasons.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DroT1ueep0U..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DroT1ueep0U..." width="125" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Reason #1 why I decided to self-publish</b>: As I write, it's been twenty days since I first released <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A..." target="_blank"><i><b>Tell No Lies</b></i></a> by uploading it as an ebook to Amazon. In those twenty days, I've sold more copies of the book than I've sold in the past two years. Surprised? So was I, but only a little.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">See, with traditional publishing, your book is released and it hits the shelves in some bookstores (but not, as some think, in most bookstores – I'll discuss this further in a later post), where it remains for two months or so (if you're lucky), and then any leftover copies are returned to your publisher to make room on the shelves for the next crop of releases. After that, the print book can still be purchased (1) from the bookstore if you want to wait for them to order it and get it in, or (2) online, either as a print book or as an ebook, but the print book is now competing with the used copies being resold for two cents, and the ebook, priced at $9.99 or sometimes even higher, is competing against all of the other $9.99 books by <i>New York Times</i> bestsellers <i>and</i> the free, 99 cents, $1.99 and $2.99, etc. books by authors doing it themselves. In other words, once you reach this point, you won't be selling too many more copies. The heyday of your book's life is behind it.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">By getting my rights back and re-releasing <i><b>Tell No Lies</b></i> and <b><i>Rescuing Olivia</i></b>, I'm able to give the books a little CPR and bring them back to life. Forever. Plus, I can set my own price so they stand a chance of competing against the books mentioned above. It's amazing how many people are willing to give a relatively unknown author a chance when they're asked to spend only $2.99 to do it. You don't get the benefit of that “sampling” when your book is priced at $9.99 or higher. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">You might ask, why do traditional publishers set the price of ebooks, especially for lesser known authors like me, so high? Beats me. Or rather, I <i>know</i> why – I simply don't <i>understand</i> why. Again, that's a whole other post, but if you want a great explanation now, I'll refer you to a short book (free!) called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Be-Monkey-Self-..." target="_blank"><i><b>Be the Monkey - Ebooks and Self-Publishing: A Dialog Between Authors Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath</b></i></a>. Frankly, I'd call it required reading for anyone considering <i>any</i> kind of publishing in this day and age. Do I agree with everything they say? No, but the discussion of print and digital publishing is spot on, in my opinion.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Reason #2 why I decided to self-publish</b>: The traditional publishing route isn't as glamorous as it's cracked up to be.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I could try to explain this, but I would never be able to write such a funny, yet honest explanation as given by Adam Mansbach in <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/01/17/hell_..." target="_blank">this essay he wrote for Salon.com</a>. If you really want to know what it's like, all I can say is: <i>What Adam said!</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So that's it for today, folks. Time to get back to preparing <i><b>Rescuing Olivia</b></i> for its re-release. Stay tuned for more reasons . . .</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I welcome all comments or questions about my decision and my experience. I'll try to answer as best I can. (If a question would be answered by an upcoming “Reason why” post, I may defer my answer to then so I can answer it adequately. Please be patient. I still have to find time to actually write fiction.)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Don't get me wrong: I'm not here to declare one way is better than another. My intent is to discuss why I've decided to do this at this point in time. Will I always do it this way? Who knows? This is a new venture for me and I may end up loving it or I may end up hating it. Would I consider going back to traditional publishing? It depends. I know plenty of authors who are doing both, and I can see that as a possibility if the terms were right. After all, there was a time when I didn't think I'd ever write a sequel to <i><b>Tell No Lies</b></i>. But I did. So if I've learned anything, it's never to say never. The beauty of what I'm doing is that I can be flexible.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So, if you're interested in the details of my journey, stick around and follow along. If all you care about are the books – that's great, too! I recommend signing up for my mailing list, though, so you won't miss the news of any upcoming releases.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Talk to you soon! </div>

I met fellow author Nancy J. Cohen through the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. She recently wrote a great post on her blog, Nancy's Notes from Florida, about how readers can help authors whose books they enjoy. With her permission, I'm re-posting it here for your reading pleasure.

Nancy's post :

When you finish reading a book, do you write a brief review and post it online? If your answer is negative, why not? Do you feel you have nothing to say? Are you afraid your opinion won’t count? Is it too much bother?

Reader reviews count a great deal to potential book buyers. When you’re thinking of ordering a book, do you go to the virtual bookstore and read customer reviews? I know I do. It’s possible that the more customer reviews on an Amazon page, the more chances of Amazon’s algorithms picking up the title and including it in their promotion, “If you like this book, you might like…” This recommendation is of tremendous help to authors. So are five star reviews. But be honest in your opinion and assign however many stars you feel is appropriate. Just please don’t trash someone’s work. If you don’t like the book, leave off your opinion. Nothing hurts worse than seeing someone give my book one star and condemning it. Maybe it just wasn’t their cup of tea and another reader will love it.

So how do you write a review? Start out with a blurb about the story. Pretend you are summarizing the tale for a friend, but omit any critical plot points that may act as spoilers. Then mention what you liked about the book. The exquisite setting details? The engaging characters? The non-stop action, or the quirky sidekick? Surely you can find something good to say. End your review if you can with a quotable line encapsulating your opinion. This may range from “A charming historical mystery that will sweep you away to the Victorian era” to “Starships, space battles, and snarky sidekicks…what’s not to like about this action-packed sci-fi adventure?”

Since the New Year is upon us, hereby resolve to start writing reader reviews and posting them online to support your favorite authors. Where to put them? Here are several sites where your opinion matters.

Amazon

Go to the book’s page. Scroll down to where is says Most Helpful Customer Reviews. Scroll down some more until it says Write a Customer Review. Then click there and follow the directions. You’ll need to be signed into your account. Preview and Publish your review as the final steps.

If you want to see my reviews as an example, go here.

And if you’ve read any of my books, even backlist titles, I can use more reviews! Go here to access a list of all my titles.

Barnes and Noble


Barnes and Noble is often overlooked, but with so many NOOK owners, this online bookstore still carries weight. On a book’s page, scroll down to where it says Customer Reviews. Then fill in your star rating and write your review in the box provided. Click Submit to finish. Again, you’ll probably need to be signed into your account first.

Here’s my author site on B&N. This online bookstore isn’t as author friendly as Amazon so it’s harder for us to make changes, like eliminating books under my name that don’t belong there.

Goodread

Goodreads is a popular reader site where readers review books they’ve read, file these reviews on virtual bookshelves and create genre lists. Readers participate in group discussions, offering each other recommendations. A good review here really helps, and so does a recommendation in any of the groups! You can also look for book giveaways under Explore to get a taste of new releases. It’s easy to register for a free account. Then you just go to My Books, click on Add Books, and type in the book title. The book should pop up. Click on it and give it a star rating. Then click on Edit my Review and write in your review, or cut and paste it from your home computer. Be my friend at Goodreads. 

Library Thing


Here’s another site for you to post reviews and keep track of your reads. I need to update my bookshelf here. Librarians frequent this site. Find me on Library Thing here. And, it’s another place for authors to offer giveaways of upcoming new releases.

Shelfari


This site is linked to Amazon, so any book details you add in here may show up there. I need to update my reviews on Shelfari, too: .

Admittedly, it’s hard to keep up with each place. Once I get caught up, though, I can just copy and paste my book review to each site once I finish reading a title.

Your opinion as a reader truly counts now more than ever, with professional reviews almost impossible for authors to get on their own, reviewers swamped with hundreds of titles, and the days of bookstore browsing severely diminished. Word of mouth is critical, and this is where you come in. Offering positive reviews and recommendations online of books you’ve read is one of the best forms of support you can do for authors. Consider yourselves our street team, and get involved.

Are you already doing online reviews, and if so, where?

Learn more about Nancy J. Cohen and her books at her website.

If you're connected with me on Facebook, you might have noticed a few posts in which I hinted at some exciting news. It's also a bit scary - for me, at least, because I'm trying something new and might just as easily fall flat on my face as succeed. But as I've always told my daughters - nothing ventured, nothing gained - and I figure I'd better practice what I preach. Plus, I've always been a bit of a control freak (those who know me well are smirking about now), and what I've chosen to do places the responsibility for the success or failure of my writing career squarely on my own shoulders. Just the way I like it!

For those who are interested, I'll be sharing "the story behind the story" on this blog in the next few weeks, discussing why I've chosen this new route. But for today, I'm simply sharing the meat of the news:

KEEP NO SECRETS, the sequel to my debut novel, TELL NO LIES, is just weeks away from being published, and this time I'm doing it myself! Okay, not all by myself: I've got a fabulous new cover designed by an up-and-coming designer at SCAD (who just happens to be my oldest daughter, Jessie):




For those of you who read TELL NO LIES, you probably can tell from the KEEP NO SECRETS cover that a key character from the first book will be making an appearance in the sequel. A big appearance.

For a sneak preview of KEEP NO SECRETS, click on over to my website to read the first chapter .

Speaking of TELL NO LIES, it, too, has a brand new cover (courtesy of Jessie) that nicely complements KEEP NO SECRETS, and just days ago I re-released the eBook edition on Amazon. The Kindle edition of TELL NO LIES is now priced at only $2.99! That's right, for less than a Starbucks grande nonfat mocha latte, you can buy an entire book! (Even if you've read the novel, I'd really appreciate it if you'd "Like" it on the Amazon page, and even better, if you'd write a review. I'm told these things help a book rise in the Amazon search rankings, which in turn helps other readers find it.) Oh, and did you know you can also buy an eBook and gift it to someone else?



So that's the news! If you like my books, it would mean a lot to me if you'd tell others about them.

As I mentioned above, there are a lot of nitty, gritty details behind my decision, and for those who want to know more, I'd recommend following this blog and/or connecting with me on Facebook. Eventually, the FAQ section of my website will discuss it a bit, too. And of course, I always love to get emails!

As always, THANK YOU for your interest and continued support! The notes and emails and comments I get from my readers are the best part of what I do - right up there with the incredible joy I get from the actual act of writing. Last night, on New Year's Eve, a reader posted a comment on my Facebook page that said:

"julie please im so scared! i need this book like air! ive been waiting for so long. but im so scared im scared hes going to break my heart all over again. please tell me he wont"

What a lovely note to start the New Year! The funny thing is, all of my readers, and notes like these that come from them, are MY air. So thank you for helping me breathe!


Here's hoping all of you have a fantastic 2013!

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Janet Beasley, along with Mark Miller, are two writers who organized the event and have worked their tails off to promote it. I invited them to visit my blog to talk about their writing. You can read Mark's interview here, and below, Janet's. Enjoy!<b> </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Julie: What's the title of your most recent book?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-03qt0yeZNkc..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-03qt0yeZNkc..." width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Janet:</b> Tough question - crazy right? But here's how it shakes down: <i>Hidden Earth Series Volume 1 Maycly the Trilogy</i>, is accompanied by two companion books - a full color illustration book titled <i>The Chukkons Say, 'Ye Need ta Be a-Seein' Maycly</i>, and a cookbook featuring restaurants, menus, and recipes from Maycly (all fully pre-parable and edible right here on Earth) titled <i>More Than Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>What's it about? </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Maycly Volume 1 the Trilogy </i>of the six-volume series <i>Hidden Earth</i>, is an inspirational epic fantasy that takes you on the journey of Iona, a girl in her twenties on Earth, who “has it all” and “loses it all,” nearly giving up on life altogether. She has never questioned her trust in the Grand Wizard, SUL, but when she develops multiple chronic illnesses, loses her wealth, and is forced to deal with the mysterious disappearance of her last three living family members, she chooses to believe that SUL no longer exists. Refusing to ask SUL for guidance, Iona is determined to find her family on her own; however, SUL has other plans for her. When a very special puppy shows up on Iona’s doorstep, things begin to change. The story explodes, taking you to the captivating world of Maycly 100 years prior, setting the stage for their queen’s hopeful arrival. The trilogy is full of twists and turns, monumental battles, and illustrations of never before seen flora and fauna. Tag along with Iona and her band of new-found friends as she discovers her destiny, faces a myriad of dangers, and continues searching for her family. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, maybe even say “aww.” But best of all, no matter your age, you’ll find characters, Earthly and/or Mayclysian, with whom you can relate<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ri4F9a1pgb8..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ri4F9a1pgb8..." width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Who do you see as your audience?</b> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The quickest and easiest way to describe my audience would be from a review I received (one of my favorite reviews I might add). They described Maycly like this, "...a delightful combination of Harry Potter and The Wizard of Oz," two of my favorites! Families, kids of all ages, and even your dog will love the <i>Hidden Earth Series Volume 1 Maycly the Trilogy</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Why do you write?</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I write because it allows me to escape to fantasy worlds, and forget my hectic, stressful, totally crazy days. I also write because if I were to bottle up all my creative genius I would explode. . .I came really close once, but thankfully I discovered writing was the perfect diffusion and have stuck with it sense.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>What is the most important piece of advice you'd give other writers, particularly those who might just be starting to write?</b> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you've got a story to tell, tell it. Write it (your first draft will be "junk" - so just expect that - this does NOT make you a lousy writer by any means) <i>HINT: Do a search on Ernest Hemingway's quotes and you'll see what I mean.</i> Have your story professionally edited, publish it - either on your own or through a publisher, market the heck out of it, and never...NEVER...listen to anyone who puts you down because of your passion for writing. Stay strong, persevere, remain dedicated, and surround yourself with other authors who understand your creativity and talent are worth something in to this world.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Julie's note</b>: You can connect with Janet on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JanetBeasley..." target="_blank">Facebook</a> or visit her website to learn more: <a href="http://www.hiddenearthseries.com/&quo.... <a href="http://www.millerwords.com/">... class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com...' alt='' /></div>

Author Mark Miller graciously invited me to participate in Authors in the Park , an event taking place this Sunday, December 16th, in lovely Mount Dora, Florida. He and another author, Janet Beasley, organized it and have been working tirelessly to promote it. I invited them to visit my blog to talk about their writing. I hope you enjoy this short interview with Mark. Next up, Janet.
Julie: What's the title of your most recent book?

Mark: I’ve got so much going on right now, it’s almost hard to pick. From my epic fantasy series, The Empyrical Tales, Book III: The Secret Queen is the most recent. I also wrote an eBook adaptation of a  Christian-themed movie called Daniel’s Lot . The paperback is coming out this month. Probably the one that is most special to me is the novel I completed with my 10-year-old daughter. We started writing it together when she was eight and it is called Sons of the King . It is a science-fiction/fantasy story about three brothers finding their destiny.

Tell us more about Sons of the Kings?

Sons of the King tells of three brothers on the planet Kaskaya. They lose their father, the King, under mysterious circumstances and are forced to go their separate ways. The story has strong Christian elements and is about their growth and change over five years. They eventually have to return home to face their destiny. While I did the majority of the writing, my daughter Olivia was responsible for all of the creativity. She named the characters and places. She helped with plotting. At her age, she already has a strong voice. Much of what she wrote went in unchanged. She has a unique sense for word choice and I wanted that to poke through as much as possible. I sometimes found myself adapting my style to match hers.


Who do you see as your audience?

I think Sons of the King does well at spanning the age groups. It is clean with a positive message for younger people, but mature enough for an adult audience. There is a Christian message to it, but it is not heavy-handed or “preachy,” so anybody who enjoys a good adventure will like this. I would say it falls somewhere between Star Wars and Chronicles of Narnia.

Why do you write?

Why? I have a passion for it. Like a baseball player gets in the zone, I can spend hours at the keyboard. My imagination is on 24 hours a day. I have done quite a few different things in my life. Aside from being a husband and father, nothing else gives me the joy and satisfaction of writing. A close second is working with kids. The time I spent in the classroom was some of my best spent time. I love the response I get from kids when I share my stories. So, I guess I write for them mostly. I write for my own children. I try to have a positive message and create good role models. When I say I write for kids, I am also including the kid-at-heart variety, too!

What is the most important piece of advice you'd give other writers, particularly those who might just be starting to write?

I used to tell people to keep writing. I feel that practice every day, like the athlete or musician, is important. Now, I also say learn patience. Everything takes time and you will only improve with age and experience. So, keep at it, but don’t rush it.

Thank you for having me on your blog today! I appreciate the opportunity and would love to hear any feedback from your readers.

Julie's note: You can connect with Mark on Facebook or visit his website to learn more: www.MillerWords.com

I first met author Lynnette Hallberg several years ago at SleuthFest, the annual mystery writer's conference put on by the Florida Chapter of MWA. This past March, I saw her again at SleuthFest, where she had just learned from her agent that the rights to her latest novel, Somebody Like You , (written as Lynnette Austin) had been sold to Grand Central (a Hachette Book Group imprint). I found her publishing journey so interesting and inspiring, and I hope you'll feel the same.
Julie: Would you explain a bit about your publishing journey? How did you go from unpublished, to published by small presses, to landing an agent and then a contract with one of the big boys? And how did you find your agent? At a conference? By written query?
Lynnette : Where do I begin? :-) I’m certainly no overnight success, but then very few authors are. We read stories about the ones who send in a manuscript and are bought the next day for six figures. But the reason we read about them is because they are, indeed, the exception.
I have so many unpublished “practice” manuscripts that I could wallpaper my home with them. My first “break” came when I finaled in the Golden Heart contest, which is RWA’s worldwide contest for unpublished authors. I signed with an agent—not the one I’m with now—when that was announced. Does entering contests help? I’d say yes, it certainly can.
I sold my first book, Enchanted Evening, to Kensington, and it was released in 2000. (By the way, this was not the book I finaled with in the GH.) I was ecstatic and certain that I was on my way. I had an agent and a book out. What more could I want? A second sale maybe? Before that could happen, the line I was writing for closed, and I was without a publishing home. It took me nine very, very long years to sell that second book—and then I sold three in one year—to The Wild Rose Press—Moonlight, Motorcycles, and Bad Boys, Night Shadows, and Chantilly Lace and a Pretty Face. They have excellent editors and I learned so much! I sold my next book, Just A Little White Lie, to Carina Press, the digital arm of Harlequin Publishing, one of the biggies. So I was taking small steps, slowly advancing. It’s like eating an elephant—one bite at a time.
I met Nicole Resciniti, my agent, through Southwest Florida Romance Writers. She was writing at the time and joined our group. So we actually were friends first, which is unusual but not unheard of in the writing world. She’s with The Seymour Agency and is an absolutely fantastic agent! When I finished Somebody Like You , the first in my Maverick Junction series, she sent it off—and I crossed my fingers. We heard back amazingly fast and had two offers, one from Grand Central. Can you say happy dance?
To make it even more special, when I found out about the offer from Grand Central, I was at my agent’s house and three editors were there for SWFRW’s conference—which I was chairing. What could be better than that? To have a great offer and to be congratulated by three editors whom I admire (none of them, by the way, was the editor who bought my book). Oh, what a night, as Billy Joel would say.
Julie: Your new series with Grand Central will be published under a pen name, Lynnette Austin. What made you decide to use a pen name for this series?

Lynnette : Actually, the use of a pen name was the publisher’s decision. New publisher, new series—this was a rebirth almost, so we wanted to start fresh with a name they could brand. My editor, Lauren Plude, and I brainstormed to come up with one that would work. Since this series takes place in Maverick Junction, Texas, we wanted something with a Western sound. She and I threw the name Austin on the table at the same time. We decided fate had intervened and ran with it. I have to say that it seems rather strange to suddenly have a new name!
Julie: The first time I read your bio, I was struck by some similarities between us (a "motorcycle" book, a love of Wyoming (you actually stayed!), two children, giving up our "real" jobs to spend the day hanging with our characters in our PJ's, "writing" in the car and in the shower . . .). I once had that happen with another writer; we found so many parallels, we decided we were sisters separated at birth. So now I'm curious, do you like the Dave Matthews Band? ;-) Seriously, though, are you a panster or a plotter? Can you tell me a little bit about your process? And is it influenced by your experience as a literature teacher?
Lynnette : We do have a lot in common, Julie! And, yes, I do like the Dave Matthews Band. “So Damn Lucky”—what a great song! But my true love in music is country-western. I earned my master’s degree at the University of Wyoming. Go Cowboys! :-) Gotta love’em.

I drive my two critique partners crazy with my “shower” writing. Although we live in Florida, one of us has a second home in South Carolina and I have one in the Georgia mountains. We run away to one or the other several times a year for a week of intense writing and critiquing. My books tend to come to me in out-of-order scenes and, when they do, I’ve learned to grab them and write them down. It’s not unusual for me to head into the shower and, by the time I’m finished, have four to six pages written. Tape recorders work well, too, there and in the car.

The scenes come fully fleshed-out. I see them in my head. My characters come to me that way, too. I keep a three-ring notebook and compile all my scenes, my notes, pictures, name charts, whatever comes along. Then I go through the mad mess, put the scenes in order, and I’m ready to start writing my book. I add to this WIP notebook as I go. So I probably fall somewhere between a panster and a plotter on the writing food chain.

Everything we’ve ever done or experienced helps to make us who we are. This is reflected in our writing. I taught eighth grade gifted language arts for more years than I can count! I’ve always loved to read and this was almost an extension of that. I had a chance to share great literature with my students and hopefully some of those authors’ expertise rubbed off on me, even in the tiniest way. And I know that some day I’ll see my students’ work in the bookstores. What incredible talent is coming along.

Julie: What have you found most surprising about the writing/publishing business? What misconceptions did you have when you first started?

Lynnette : When I first got serious about writing, I thought of the publishing world as this enormous unknown. There was so much to learn and I really felt as though everyone else had the secret code, and I didn’t. That’s so not true. There is, unfortunately, no secret code.

However, there is a great support system—other authors who have been there, done that. By belonging to FWA, members have already accessed a wealth of knowledge. If you’re just starting out in the business, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Writers are a wonderfully sharing group of people.

One of the best pieces of advice anyone ever gave me? Someone told me early on to keep in mind that the writing community is actually quite small. Editors and agents move around a lot. Don’t burn your bridges—ever. Always remember that this is a profession and behave accordingly. Don’t let your emotions rule.

Julie: We first met several years ago at the SleuthFest conference. Do you attend a lot of conferences? Which ones? And what do you find valuable about them? What advice would you give writers to help them get the most from a conference?

Lynnette : I do go to conferences. They’re invaluable for the networking and the information. They pump you up and get those creative juices flowing. It’s also a great way to stay current. A word of caution, though. Don’t write to trends. By the time you finish that WIP about the time-traveling vampire set in Bermuda because an editor said she’d like to see one, the market for that will be on the downside and you’ll be frustrated and will have wasted a lot of valuable time. Now if you’ve always had your heart set on writing about a time-traveling vampire who lives in the Caribbean . . . :-)

Don’t be afraid to volunteer. I met my former agent, Deidre Knight, at a conference when I acted as timekeeper for her agent/editor appointments. You make valuable contacts. Also, don’t be afraid to talk to people. Most writers are introverts. We enjoy sitting by ourselves in a room all day. It’s hard to step out of that comfort zone. But do it. You’ll gain so much. The knowledge and expertise at these conferences is mind blowing.

Julie: Any words of wisdom about writing in general you'd like to share?
Lynnette : Writing is a habit, kind of like exercise. Train yourself to grab spare minutes rather than waiting for those huge blocks of time. When I was still teaching, I’d get up at four-thirty or five in the morning so I could write for an hour or so before getting ready for school. When I came home, I’d write for half an hour before starting dinner. It’s often about making time. Setting expectations.
Keep writing—every day—and keep your story moving forward. Don’t worry about getting every word, every scene perfect the first time through. You won’t. So many new writers work and rework those first few chapters, polishing them until they shine. That won’t get the book finished. Chances are, by the time you do finish, you’ll have to go back and edit those first chapters again anyway because by then you’ll know your characters inside and out. You’ll know what they’d do and how they’d react so much better than you did when you started that manuscript. Don’t waste time striving for perfection on that first draft.
Also, perseverance truly is the keystone of getting and staying published. Yes, your manuscript is your baby. Yes, you’ve poured your heart and soul into it. Yes, you’re deathly afraid an agent or editor might say something bad about that baby. If you don’t submit, though, you won’t sell. That’s one of the few guarantees in this business.
Wishing everyone great success with your writing!
A final note from Julie : Lynnette's new novel, Somebody Like You , was just released on December 4! To peek inside the novel at Amazon, click here. To learn more about Lynnette and her writing in general, visit her website at www.authorlynnetteaustin.com.