Destiny Bound

So, I know this is a blog for my first novel, but since my third novel is complete, I couldn't resist looking for a cover photo for it because I plan to publish it after my sequel Return to Darkness. And by the way, things are progressing slowly but surely with the sequel. I'm more than halfway through. I have the beginning, ending, and some bits in the middle. It's a matter of connecting them together now. Easier said than done.

So, here's a preview of the cover for Destiny Bound. It still has the istock logo on it because I haven't bought it yet. I wanted to be sure that it would work out. But what do you think? I love it. I love the font too. The font name is hysterical-bleeding cowboys. Not sure that's what a bleeding cowboy would look like, but it's great nonetheless.

Playlist

I had a new playlist for Destiny Bound. I absolutely can't write without music. It totally gives me inspiration. This time around, I actually have songs for different scenes in the book. It's kinda weird, but it plays out like the soundtrack for the movie inside my head while I'm writing. Here's a few. I'll give you bonus points if you know any of the artists. No cheating by googling.

-Possibility

-Titanium

-Too Close

-Trouble

-Cosmic Love

-Time After Time

-Open Your Eyes

-Roslyn

-Let’s Get Lost

-Meet Me on the Equinox

-Heavy in Your Arms

-Decode

-My Love

-Turning Page

-Up All Nigh

-Love Will Take You

Make your own playlist and follow the inspiration it gives you.

Destiny Bound

Well, I did it. I finished writing Destiny Bound yesterday. I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with myself for writing a book in two weeks. Of course, it's just a first draft, but it's an entire book. I've lost two pounds sitting in this office chair in my cave, eating nothing but Sno Balls, M &M's, and other such crap. One doesn't have time for real food or bathroom breaks when the inspiration hits. Okay, so I did stop to go to the bathroom and make dinner once or twice. But my family are troopers having "whatever you want night" for dinner way too many nights in a row. And of course, the few loads of laundry that actually got done, are still sitting in the basket-clean, but not folded. Hey, if you need something, go dig for it yourself.
I decided I will set it aside for now so that I can go back to Return. My goal is to have it ready to print in the Spring. I'm more than halfway through with it, but I had to set it aside because I was so frustrated with how to begin the story. It has an ending, some stuff in the middle, and the first six chapters. But after some of the feedback I got about how to start a sequel, I thought I should take another look at it.
Well, here's the deal. No, I am not trying to copy other writers, but I do look to other books I've read for reference on how their sequels start. And guess what? They're not all the same. Some pretty much pick up right after the last sentence of the previous book. Some jump ahead a few weeks (which is what mine does), and throw in a few flashbacks of something important that took place in between the last sentence and the first sentence of this new book. So, as helpful as advice can be sometimes, I've decided to write my book the way I want to. Because guess what? If you read number one, you'll probably read number two to see what happens next. Whether I pick up with the last sentence or jump three weeks into their new life together.
I've never been one to care what others thought of me, until I started getting older. For some reason, I sometimes feel like I need the approval of others. But I feel like I'm starting to reconnect with the old me. I mean I didn't completely disappear. I've remained my sarcastic, cynical self, but there have just been certain things that I'm afraid I'll be judged on.
But guess what? Screw you. I didn't start writing In the Midst of Darkness because I was determined to be the next Stephanie Meyer. I didn't even sit down one day and say, "Hey, I'm gonna write a book." I saw a post on Facebook that gave me the first line of the book. It wasn't even going to be a book. I just thought, "Hey, that'd be a cool first line of a story." So my story turned into a book. I published it because my friends and family wanted to read it. And when I got to the last line, I thought, "Oh crap, this is really long, but I don't think this is the end of their story." So, here I am struggling with the sequel. And now, I'm going to write it how I want to write it. I know I'm never going to make money doing this-even though that would be my ultimate dream. But it's something I love. I didn't realize how much I loved it until I really started doing it. And maybe there are even more stories in my head, floating around, waiting to be pulled out.
For now, I'm going to write it the way I want to write it. If you don't like it, oh well, too bad so sad for you.

New Ideas

Well, I'm officially taking a break from Return to Darkness. I got so frustrated with some of the comments on how I should start it, how slow it was, etc. It made me feel like I have to completely write a new first chapter and make chapter 1 now chapter 2. The somewhat good news is that it's already more than halfway written. Though, I'll have to go through the whole editing process before it can be released.

Since I'm taking a break from it, I've been working on a new story. During the Story a Day challenge in May, I started a new story with werewolves and witches. No vamps this time. I wrote two chapters, though I only labeled them as part 1 and part 2 because I only thought it would be a short story. But, when I got frustrated with Return, I thought, "Hey, maybe I should work on that story. It might be fun." Well, I just picked up where I left off, and I've been writing non-stop for days. Okay, I've stopped to see my family every so often. But... I have 204 pages written. So, it seems as if there is another published book in my future. It's weird because during book 1, I figured that was all I would ever write. Then I got to what is now the ending of that book, and thought, "This story isn't over yet. I guess I'll have to finish it in a sequel." But again, I thought that was it. But it was weird. I was in the car one day and the first line of this new story popped into my head. I thought I better write it down when I got home, and then I had a few ideas for it.

The main characters are Nick, a werewolf, and Sofia, a witch. They're sworn enemies, but when Nick transfers to Mason High halfway through Senior year, something strange pulls them to each other. Hopefully, you'll want to find out what that is and why it's happening.

Okay, I can't resist. Here's a little taste of what's coming:

“You’re sure it’s his?” I wanted to be sure, otherwise this was a complete waste of time.

“Yeah, Sof. It’s his,” he said, taking Nat’s hand in his. Even though they weren’t linked to me, they could share their combined power with me to add to the strength of the spell.

I lit the candle and placed it on the floor in front of me. I took one of the three pieces of cord lying on the floor and tied it around the base of the candle. Then I chanted,

                        By three and nine your power I bind.

                        By Moon and Sun my will be done.

I took the next piece of cord and tied it around the middle of the candle, and continued my chant.

                        Sky and Sea, keep harm from Nico,

                        Cord go ‘round, power be bound.

I tied the third cord around the candle’s base, and said,

                        Light revealed,

                        Now be sealed.

I blew out the candle, and spoke the final line of the spell,

                        So mote it be.

So what do you think? And for all of you waiting for Return, I promise to start working on it again soon.

Cheers

*Sigh*

Well, I'm struggling again. I think with the prologue to "Return" that I suck you into the story. You're thinking, "Oh, crap what's happening? When is this going to happen?" So, I just start chapter one with what's been happening since the last book ended. That's what I normally expect out of a sequel. What about you? I've had some people on scribophile critiquing the first chapter, and a few have said that it's not exciting and doesn't draw you right into the story. However, none of these people have read the first book. So, I'm thinking, "Well, duh. It's gonna be boring if you don't know how the last one ended." I need opinions from people who have actually read the book. Or even just people who read sequels. How do you like your sequels to start out?

Gross Factor

Well, the writing bug hit over the weekend. It was awesome. I'm all the way up to page 214 now. I'm just about nearing the end of the story, but will have to go back and somehow connect the beginning to the end. There are a couple of parts in the middle that are done. But sometimes I find that when I go back to read/edit the earlier chapters, I end up adding more. Like when I added the 8 pages to the first chapter the other day. That's the other hard part. Figuring out where to put chapter breaks. Anyway, prepare to be grossed out a few times. They are vampires after all. So, if you're a wuss, and hate all things gory, then don't pick up book 2. I'm going to have my husband read over the gross parts to make sure they aren't too gross. But from what I've just told him about it so far, he thinks it will be awesome. But, he's a guy, so maybe this is a bad idea. I should find a girl to read it and tell me. But, that will ruin the story for whoever I found to read it. Oh, what to do. So, opinions-what would be too gross for you? The funniest part to me, is that I'm a girl, and I think it's cool. But I had a comment from a co-worker of a friend, that said she didn't read all of the first book because some of it was "gross." I have no idea where that came from since there's nothing "gross" in the first book. I'll make sure not to sell her the second one. Some people can be such wimps. So, really, I want your opinion. Think of the grossest things you could handle as far as goriness factor, and shoot me a comment.

Forward Progress

I love writing! I especially love when I'm excited while writing a certain scene. It's like it's coming out on the screen as I'm picturing it happening. Right now, I'm working on some fun, intense scenes. I have finally figured out what is going to happen in the end. It took long enough, sheesh. I still have some questions about what's going to happen in the middle. I worked yesterday on editing the first chapter. I ended up adding eight pages, so I had to divide it. I figured a twenty three page chapter would be a little too long. I've had a few critiques of the first chapter, and they're divided, so it's hard for me to figure out how exactly to work it. Some people say it's too boring to continue right where we left off. But most of the books I like to read are exactly like that. Some people wanted some backstory of what happened in book one, but those are all people who haven't read it. I hate when I'm reading a book and they start off with a recap. It's like, "Duh, I already read the last book in this series. Get on with it already." So, I'm struggling to move right into it without sounding dull. But really, that's what happens as they move on with life. I figure the prologue sucks you in enough with action, that you want to keep reading. Just like with book one. It's like, "What the crap is going on now? I need to read further to figure it out." I like when books do that with a prologue. Someone told me once that most people don't read that part. What? Why would anyone not read that? It either gives you pertinent information as to what is going to happen next, or what will happen a few chapters from now. Either way, I love prologues.
On a side note-I keep reading/being advised that it is improper to use adverbs when describing the way someone says something. Example: "Ready to fight some more?" he asked eagerly. Or "Focus more," Finn said seriously. What's wrong with that? Every book I read in my genre uses this type of writing. And guess what? It doesn't bug me one bit. So, critics/supposed experts, get over yourself. Yes, there are times when I find ways to change things like, "seriously" to "in all seriousness." But sometimes there just isn't a better way to say what I want to say. Okay, rant over. I guess the most important thing is to stay true to myself. My story makes me happy, and I want it to make other people happy, but if they don't, I won't die.

Getting There

Yesterday, inspiration hit. I was able to sit down and write another ten pages. Albeit, it wasn't all at once. I folded some laundry in there somewhere, and got some chocolate milk for a four year old. And probably some other stuff too. I'm excited about where the story is headed. For a while, I had no idea where it was going to go. I still have no idea how it's going to end-so it will be a surprise to all of us. But I got to do some research on medieval swords and daggers several days ago, and that was fun. I totally want one now. In chapter two, a new character is introduced. I'm keeping him a secret (except now you know it's a 'him'). I only stopped writing last night because I really wanted to go on a date with my husband. But I have a few more ideas in my head. So maybe tomorrow, I'll sit down after church and hash out a little more. So, 147 pages down...

Return to Darkness

Drum roll please... Here it is. The cover for book 2. This does not mean that I am in any way close to being finished with the book, but at least it has a cover. I'm hoping to have the book ready to release by next Spring 2013. Well, back to work.

Return to Darkness-Prologue

SPOILER ALERT--
Well, here it is, the much anticipated prologue to book two. If you haven't read book one yet, then you probably shouldn't read any further. For those of you who have read book one, I hope you're excited after reading this. My intention is to suck you in like I did with the first book. Let me know what you think.

Review

Thanks to blogger/book lover Laura Thomas for reading and reviewing my book. You can find it on Amazon, Goodreads, and her blog. I've really had some great feedback from those who have read the book so far. Coming soon-a prologue preview for Return to Darkness. I know you'll be lying in bed awake every night in anticipation, so I'll do it soon.

Progress

Well, sweet success. While the boys were gone, I made it to page 124. The story is forming in my head now. It's still all a mish mosh, except for the first five chapters. But, at some point, it will make a cohesive story. The only sounds this weekend were the clicking of the keys on the laptop and my muse music. This time around it's been changing. During my first book, I had a playlist that included Flogging Molly and the New Moon soundtrack. (I know, kinda cheesy, but it has some great depressing love songs). This time around,, I discovered Pandora radio. So, it was the Twilight station (Again, I know, cheesy) to begin with. Now, it's been the techno station a lot. This has nothing to do with my story, but I really love techno. Occasionally, I'll switch over to the Alex Clare station. So, not really much of a theme this time. But, hey, whatever works, right?

Ahh, Silence

Well, my fabulous husband decided to take the boys camping tonight. I was thrilled of course. I don't have any girls, so it's just me all night and most of the day tomorrow. I've been writing since they left. The inspiration hit and I don't have anything but my music to listen to. No "Mom, can I play on the iPad?," or "What's for dinner?" or "Can we go to the pool?" It's so much easier to write when I don't have to worry about taking care of anyone but myself. No wonder Amanda Hocking can write for twelve hours a day. Don't get me wrong, I love those little guys, but it's nice to have a break. It's been awhile since they've all been gone overnight. And it just warms my heart when my four year old yells, "I love you, Mom! I miss you, Mom!" at the top of his lungs as I pull out of the driveway to go to the post office while they get ready to leave. Anyway, I'm already to page 118. I love writing! I always wanted to write a book, but never had any ideas and never thought I could. But, here I am, with one book down and one to go. And maybe, just maybe, more ideas will come after that. I would love not to be a one hit wonder. Happy weekend!

Good Reviews

I just checked Amazon last night for fun to see if I had any more reviews, and surprise I did! It was another five star rating, a "couldn't put it down." Very exciting stuff! I've had really good feedback so far. I've had several people email or call and let me know how much they liked it. Return to Darkness is coming along slowly. It doesn't help, that when I sit down to write sometimes, another story progresses in my head. It's a werewolf story. It has a couple of chapters so far. Most likely it would only ever become a short story, but still, it's in there. I'm trying to focus on book 2 first. I just took a week long vacation with my family to Disneyland. The beach left me feeling rejuvenated. I miss the ocean so much here in Idaho. I feel so connected to it when I'm back home in southern California. Waverly got that characteristic from me. So, back to work this week (hopefully). I really don't want people to have to wait a full year for the next book because it drives me nuts when I have to wait that long for another book in a series. Anyway, keep telling your friends about the book and write some more reviews-Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads and every where else. And don't forget to follow my page on Facebook.

In the News

Yep, it's official, I'm in the news. My BFF from Jr. High and High School many moons ago, writes for the Newport Beach Independent online. Her latest article is about self-publishing and she told my story. Thanks so much to Edie for her support in not only buying my book, but in helping me promote as well. I love having great friends. Here's the link so you can stop what you're doing and read it immediately! http://www.newportbeachindy.com/2012/07/13/authors-self-publish/

Writer's Block

So... I have writer's block. I guess it was inevitable. I am a writer after all. It's just weird because once I started really working on this first book, the juices kept flowing. I wrote everyday. For hours at a time sometimes. Even if I had to stop to take my kids to the pool or bowling or all the other fun summer stuff we did last year, I was able to come home and pick up where I left off. This summer, not so much. I did write a few more pages the other day. So, I'm at about 101 pages. I have the first five chapters done, but after that, there are just sections that I want to insert somewhere. I'm still totally clueless as to where I even want to go with the story. Plus, I've been trying to promote this first book a little, so it hasn't been a priority. I'm going to try to just sit down today and see what (if anything) comes out. My three youngest kids are at grandma's farm for a couple of days, and Bubba just left for baseball practice with dad, so it's now or never. Well, I'm off.

Book Signing

Looks like I will probably be doing a book signing already. My super fantastic step-mom-in-law talked to her local bookstore, the lady read a little about the book, and is interested in selling some of my books and having me come do a signing. It's a pretty small town, but if they advertise it and I get the word out, it will be really cool. I'm just excited about a little exposure. I'm working on getting into our local Hastings as well. If you haven't bought your copy yet, get it! Don't forget-it's on Amazon in paperback and Kindle, and also available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble's website.

What's in a Name?

So, I thought I would tell you how I picked the names for my book. At first, I named the main character, Madeline, but I decided that I wanted an English or Irish name. I looked up names and found Waverly, which is English. I thought it sounded so pretty, and I really wanted a three syllable name. For Finn, I have always loved that name. It's an Irish name and there's a cool legend about Finn McCool that goes along with the name. Waverly's dad's name kind of just came to me as I was writing. For some reason, I could just hear her mother calling to him, "Frank." Her name, Eveline, I thought was pretty. Finn's dad is Seamus, which is just a really cool name, and his mom is Deirdre. His uncle is Declan, which is another name I've always loved, and the leading guy in "Leap Year." His aunt is Aideen, which I also found beautiful. Kieran's name means "dark one," and when you read the book, you'll find out why that is appropriate. His dad is Darcy, another Irish name. Waverly's best friend, Jessie was also named as I was writing. It just sounded like a best friend name to me. Not sure why. So, other than Waverly being English, and Jessie's name, everyone else has a traditional Irish name. Including last names of course. It was actually a fun part of the process to name all of my characters. And not as stressful as trying to give your child a name.

Follow Me

I'm now on Twitter. I'm attempting to update my Facebook page daily with fun facts, but sometimes it's hard to think of something, so let me know if you have any questions you want answered. Anywho, they upload to Twitter if you'd rather see them that way. It's @MidstofDarkness, and on Facebook it's just the title of the book. I already have 9 followers on Twitter and 36 likes on my Facebook page. Woot! Tell all your friends. I even have a review on Amazon on the Kindle page. I can't figure out how to link the Kindle and the Paperback pages.

Mothers and Daughters

Today my mom got her copy in the mail. I sent it to her as a late birthday present. The surprise was that I dedicated the book to her. She called and as soon as I said hello, she said, "You're not supposed to make your mother cry." I'm glad it touched her. She and I went to Washington state two summers ago to do the whole Twilight tour thing. After a day in Seattle, we drove up to Port Angeles and spent the night, then went to First Beach in La Push, and back over to Forks for the day. We went back to Port Angeles the next day and even had dinner at Bella Italia (which was excellent, but make sure you make a reservation or you'll sit there for an hour picking your nose). We took the ferry over to Victoria, Canada the next morning and spent the day there. Canadians are awesome, eh? It was a great time and fun bonding experience. She's also flown up here to see every Twilight movie with me on opening night. We're kind of Twi-hards, but not too much that it's annoying and weird. So anyway, since my book is about vampires, I thought she would like the dedication. Check out my Facebook page too and get little daily fun facts about the book. Happy reading!

Famous

So today, I sold a book to another mom at swimming lessons. We've talked a little about books before, and today I just so happened to bring my last copy with me. I gave her the ordering info, but she was so excited that she wanted to buy that one and have me sign it. She was like, "I've never known a real life author before." I was really nervous, but I guess if I'm going to try to sell this book for a living, I'm gonna have to get used to talking to people about it. Now, if my readers will give me a few good reviews on Amazon once you read it, that would be awesome. If you think it's the worst book you've ever read, (which you won't because I rock) then keep your opinions to yourself. After you've written your own book and put yourself out there like that, then you can judge me. Also, if you have any questions about the book, the story, how I wrote it, etc., please don't hesitate to ask. I'll do my best to answer them in an individual post.

Just Like Christmas

The ten copies I ordered of my book came today. It was like Christmas cutting the box open and holding one in my hand. It turned out great. I'm happy with the way it looks. Although, my friend pointed out that the inside gutters are way huge. Thanks for pointing that out Amber. (Heavy sarcasm) I already noticed. Anyway, that's the minimum requirement through Createspace. I'd rather have them be a little wider than have the words all running into the crease. Anyway, it is also now available on Amazon and Amazon Kindle. Here is the direct link if you don't want to do a search. http://http://www.amazon.com/In-Midst-Darkness-Volume-1/dp/1475220650/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339633620&sr=1-5 Which I really don't suggest searching just by my name because apparently there's another Nicole Bailey out there who writes erotic books. Hello! Totally not me! So, force my book's title into your brain. And there's also another In the Midst of Darkness out there by another woman (that also happens to take place in Ireland), but it's historical fiction about some warring clans or something. Not nearly as interesting as mine. And my cover is way cooler too. And, also, I totally had the title first. I checked like two years ago when I first titled my book and there weren't any other books out there with that title. I'm thinkin' her title doesn't even fit well with her subject matter. At least it doesn't sound that way from what I read of the description. But, vampires-darkness, duh they totally go together. I've already sold about a dozen copies, so this is the most exciting thing to happen since my last child was born. Hopefully, I'll be able to focus on the sequel now. I promise I'm not going to have 6 books or even 3 in the series. That drives me nuts. There will just be two.

HOORAY!!!!

It's official! My book is now available on Createspace. In about a week you will be able to purchase it on Amazon, and in a couple of months, it will be available at other sites likes Barnes and Noble. I'm super stoked. I've already bought ten copies that will be here next Wednesday the 13th, that I will be selling to anyone local who wants one. Best day ever! Here's the site if you can't wait until next week to get it on Amazon. https://www.createspace.com/3855101

Almost There

Well, the end is in sight. I found the absolute perfect picture on DeviantART.com already completely photoshopped the exact way I wanted it. Thanks to Amaira who took 3 different photos and combined them into one. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to find something already done. Bonus-she was flattered that I wanted to use it for my cover and said I could use it for free. I just needed to notify the people who she took the other photos from. All three of them allow anyone to use their photos for free as long as they receive credit. Bran helped me that night to get it all the right size and add the title to it. I'm so stoked. It turned out freakin' awesome! I don't know how I could've done it without him. And thanks to Brian Lewis for suggesting the website in the first place. So, I sent it all in to Createspace and they approved it within a day and I am able to proof it online rather than having to purchase one. I've been working hard all week to get it done. There are a few spacing issues here and there, but other than that, it's looking great. I should be able to finish it up tonight and send it in again, and once they approve it again, it will be ready for you to get your hot little hands on a copy. It will be available on Amazon and I need to figure out how to put it on Barnes and Noble and a few other sites. If I didn't have kids in baseball and swimming lessons, I might have gotten it done earlier in the week. But such is life as a mom of four boys. If you want it autographed, I would be happy to oblige. Let me know and I'll buy it and you can pay me for it, plus shipping. Since I'm going to be famous, you should probably get it signed now. Okay, just kidding. I'm sure no one other than my dad wants it autographed. But a girl can dream. Another local author of a paranormal book did a book signing at Hastings, so I'm hoping I might be able to get in to them to sell my book (not necessarily for a signing). I'm looking into making it into an e-book as well. That will come after I get the actual book figured out. As far as pricing goes, I had to set it at what Amazon wanted so that I would get even a few cents royalties. It's comparable to other books its size out there. So, anywho, I'll update this as soon as it's available with the link to direct you to it. Can't wait. I know you're holding your breath and biting your nails.

Almost There

Well, the time is almost here when the book will be complete. Like fully complete. I met with my friend Rebecca today and she's going to work on the cover this week. It won't be long now. As soon as I upload the cover, it will be ready to print a proof copy. I'm not sure how long that takes, but hopefully it will be ready within the next month for you to buy on Amazon and Barnes & Noble online. I've been trying to work on the sequel, but it's slow going. Instead, a random idea came to me yesterday. It probably won't be more than a story, but it's about werewolves and witches. I'm four pages in. I know that's not impressive, but for a random idea that came to me in the car yesterday afternoon it's pretty good. It took me awhile to come up with the main character's name. So, here's hoping inspiration hits today while I sit and stare at the second book. I'm five chapters in and struggling to figure out where the story will go next.

UPDATE

So, come to find out, the company I was thinking of publishing with, is one where the author pays the publisher to do the work for them. Now, I'm not knocking that, I just don't have the bob (you'll find out what that means in Irish slang when you read the book) to do that right now. Therefore, I am in the process of creating my book online through CreateSpace on my own. Yep, that's right; I'll be one of those lame, self-published, indie authors. But, maybe someday when I'm rich and famous and someone is buying the movie rights, like Amanda Hocking, I'll be able to afford to publish somewhere else. Or, publishing companies will be beating my door down. Anywho, after a day and a half of trying to format the stupid thing just right, it's now officially downloaded and saved. My 183 pages, ended up at 412! On to the cover. My super awesome friend, Rebecca has offered to help me design it. I know what I want, so hopefully it will turn out. I didn't want to go with one of the plain cheesy templates that were already made up. Because we all know, that you do judge a book by its cover. At least I do anyway. I went to Barnes and Noble a few months ago to check out the "Teen Paranormal Romance" section, and if the cover was lame, I didn't even bother to read the back to see what it was about. If it looks cool, it probably is cool. I'll keep this updated once I get my proof back and it becomes ready for sale on Amazon and possibly Barnes and Noble. Then, you can all run to your computers right away to buy 6 copies of it because you know you want one for your mom, sister, teen daughter, friend, friend of a friend, and even your grandma.

Publishing News

So, exciting news ... my book has officially been sent in to a publisher. Here's how it happened- my mom's cousin Lori (that makes her my second cousin I guess), knew that I had written a book. She happened to have a local contact who she then sent my blog address to. She read it and was already interested without even reading any of my book yet. She just liked my writing (probably because I'm totally awesome at it). I sent her the first eleven chapters because that was all that had been edited. She also sent me the number and email for the owner of the company. My editor finally got off his duff and finished editing, so I contacted her and she asked me to send it in. So, there you go. Hopefully, I will hear back sooner rather than later. I was not born with an ounce of patience. I've wanted to publish since I finished the book this past summer. Hopefully, more good news will follow.

In other news, Book 2-Return to Darkness-is already a whole 33 pages long! Okay, so I realize that's not a lot. But remember that's how Book 1 started before I just sat down and wrote for an entire summer and finished it. It's baseball season at our house, so I don't have tons of time to write, and actually, the ideas are lost in my head somewhere and haven't yet manifested themselves. I have really felt the itch to write lately, so I plan on sitting down tomorrow and at least stare at the screen for an hour.

Lastly, my editor/cousin Brian has also decided that he's a writer and has started his own blog. Check it out here http://heylookimawriter.wordpress.com

EDIT-
In honor of Brian, I thought I would also include his exact quote, "Thanks to my awesomeness, my cousin has been inspired to try some writing, pretty much as an homage to me. Isn't that cute? Go visit his blog and see his amusing first efforts, and try to be patient with his lack of expertise,"

Books I Love

I have lots of series that I love. But here are just a few of my top ones (besides the Twilight series of course).
-Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead (these are kind of PG 13). These are not numbered (which really bugs me when authors do that). Six books in order-Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound, and Last Sacrifice.
-Bloodline Series by Richelle Mead--This is a companion series with Vampire Academy that follows one of the characters. One book so far, but #2 to be released in June. She probably won't order these ones either, so #1 is called The Golden Lily.
-Nightworld series by LJ Smith-- Now, this one has 9 books in the series (they're small/quick reads), but back in 1998 #10 was supposed to be released. It's finished, but there was some kind of deal with her publisher, and now, she's been focusing on the Vampire Diaries series because of the totally gay TV show they did based on the books that do NOT follow the series at all). About all night creatures-vampires, shapeshifters, witches, werewolves. These aren't numbered, but they have been re-released in three books with three titles each, and those are numbered.
-Vampire Diaries series by LJ Smith--Originally, there were 4 books when they were first released in the 90s-The Awakening, The Struggle, The Fury, and Dark Reunion (the newly released covers have the characters from the show on them-which look nothing like the description of the characters in the book). Then, she wrote 3 more-The Return series-Nightfall, Shadow Souls, and Midnight. And now, she is continuing in one last set of 3-The Hunters Series-Phantom (which has already been released), Moonsong to be released March 13th, and Destiny Rising (no release date yet as far as I know). The original four are by far the best.
-Secret Circle series by LJ Smith--Also a TV show now (although it's much closer to the books). Three books about witches. I believe they have been released together into one book.
-Dark Visions series by LJ Smith--(can you tell she's one of my faves). Three books about kids with special powers.
-Mortal Instrument series by Cassandra Clare--So far, there are 4 books, but two to come (first one in May). She is also writing a prequel series that takes place in the 1800s called the Infernal Devices series that has two out so far and next one to be released in Dec. About Shadowhunters, vampires, werewolves, warlocks.
-Fallen Series by Lauren Kate. Four books so far about angels, but #5 to come in June. Her website also says that they're making a movie that is supposed to be due out this year. These ones aren't numbered either. So here is the order-Fallen, Torment, Passion, Fallen in Love, and Rapture.
-Nightshade series by Andrea Cremer. Three books about werewolves (also not numbered) Nightshade, Wolfsbane, Bloodrose.
-Shadow Falls series by C.C. Hunter. So far there are 3, and #4 is to be released in April. About vampires, faeries, witches. Again, not numbered (what the crap is so hard about putting a flippin' number on it). Born at Midnight, Awaken at Dawn, Taken at Dusk.
-Revenants series by Amy Plum. Only 1 out, but #2 to be released in May. Don't know how to describe what this one's about, so just check it out. It's clean and awesome and takes place in Paris!

I went to Barnes and Noble a month or so ago and decided to go to the "Paranormal Teen Romance" section to check out some new series to read. (I found 23 series to read this year). I also wanted to check out front covers and read the back covers to see what caught my interest. I realized that, unless it has a cool cover and good description, I don't even want to waste my time. So it was good to get an idea of how to do the cover of my book.

Prologue Preview

So here it is. You know you've all been waiting for it. Pacing back and forth staring at your computer day after day since you first discovered my blog. This is just a teeny bit of the Prologue, but hopefully enough to make you extremely annoyed that I didn't post more. And enough to make you want to actually read the book.
*****

So, there I was—on the edge of the cliff.

Staring down into the eternal abyss below me. Gazing out at the vastness of the Atlantic.

I was mesmerized by the dark and violent waves slamming with full force into the rocks below. I had never realized how beautiful the dark ocean was. Far off, it was so peaceful, yet below me, raging against the rocks, it was so angry. I stood there wondering whether the rocks would get me first, or if the waves would take me down past their anger to where the darkness becomes peaceful again. Maybe it would be both. Maybe I would break a little when I hit the rocks, then the waves would take over from there.

It didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered anymore. Whether or not the sun came up, or I never saw another starry night. Not with this emptiness inside of me... I already felt nothing. As soon as I took a step forward, it would all be gone. One step. I didn’t need to jump or take a huge leap. Just one small step, and the loneliness would be gone. The crying—sobbing every day for the past two weeks until the tears had all dried up—would be gone.

Vampires

Okay, so a little about my vampires. I have brought something new to the table. My vampires do not sparkle (although, Edward did look kinda pretty). And they really don't have any similarities to other vampires in any current books out there. I'm not going to spoil it and tell you exactly what is different about them, but just know that other than drinking blood and living forever, they're not like other vampires. Mine are way cooler. :)

Welcome to My World

So, I decided that I would create a blog for my book. This is mostly to keep everyone updated (my millions of fans) on the status of publication, sneak previews, and all things I'm currently working on. First off, the title of the book is the title of my blog. This is my very first book and so I'll give a little background on how this all got started.

A couple of years ago (two I think), I had a friend on Facebook that posted the following sentence, "So there I was..." I thought, What an interesting sentence. It could be finished in so many ways. I got in the shower and instantly an idea came to me. It was the strangest thing, but a story started to form in my head. I could picture the opening scene of a girl standing on a cliff about to make the biggest decision of her life. I got out of the shower, sat down with a notebook and pen, and immediately wrote it all down before I forgot the story. Needless to say, the first line of the book is, "So there I was." I was excited about it and read it to my husband. He's a saint and thought it sounded awesome and that I was the best writer ever (okay so he didn't say the last part). So I decided to type it up on the computer. It started out as "Nick's book." But it soon turned into the Prologue.

I wasn't sure where I was going to go with it at first. I thought, Maybe I can make it a short story. That would be awesome. So, I started to think about where this girl on this cliff actually was. I traveled to England a little over 7 years ago as my graduation from college present, and I loved it. It was so green. That's what this cliff looked like in my mind. I decided to research towns in Scotland and Ireland because I wanted the story to take place in the most northern place possible, right on the coast. And I wanted it to be a smaller town with a University. I found the town of Portstewart in North Ireland. (Where I really hope to visit someday). They have a college just a few minutes away in a town called Coleraine.

I love to read young adult books. All kinds-vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, angels, witches, and all sorts of supernatural abilities. My cousins, Amanda and Rachel (who I happened to have as the best roommates ever in college), introduced me to the world of L.J. Smith books in high school. The Nightworld series instantly became my favorite. And so began my obsession. I'm a voracious reader. I can read a 400 page book in two days (a trait which my awesome 9 year old has inherited). Wow, that was a long winded way of telling you that I am really getting tired of these high school romances. Is this really going to happen to a 16 or 17 year old girl? As much as we all want to believe in true love at first sight when we're that age, it's just not a reality. And what the heck is up with love triangles? Now granted, these annoying things aren't stopping me from reading these books, but I wanted something a little different.

So, I created Waverly Quinn. She just graduated from high school and is on her way to University in Ireland. What could be a more romantic setting, right? I needed a town that was similar to Portstewart, but in the States. She had to be American after all. I started researching the smallest towns on the Pacific coast, and I found Yachats (pronounced Ya-hots), Oregon. Population in 2000: 617. It's right on the coast, and the weather is very similar.

Waverly heads off on a journey that will change her life forever. Soon after her arrival in Ireland, she meets Finn O'Neill. Now, I have these characters and now I need to come up with a name. I played around with different ideas involving the word "darkness," but finally settled on In the Midst of Darkness. (Don't ask me how because I won't tell you).

The story got put aside for awhile because, alas, my ideas ran away. But I decided to start researching Ireland and Vampires a bit more. Very interesting books at your local library on the history of vampires by the way. The ideas started to come a little here and there, a few pages at a time. I thought that if I could even end up with 50 pages when I was done, it would be a huge accomplishment for me. I never dreamed that I would be capable of writing a book, but always thought it would be really fun.

When I got to 20 pages that following summer, I was stoked (yes, I just used the word "stoked"). Because my story had only just begun. Again, the ideas ran away for a year (little snippets would come on and off). But this past summer of 2011, something miraculous happened. I thought, Dang it, I feel like writing. And so I did. The weird thing is, that except for a couple of chapters towards the beginning of the book, it all came to me in order. I sat down one day, and started writing. And wrote and wrote some more, until my kids drove me nuts from their constant badgering for ridiculous requests like dinner. Sheesh, what selfish kids. I did take them to the pool and library and movies several times a week all summer, but I still took time to write almost everyday. The laundry and dusting pretty much got ignored though. My saint of a husband put up with with "whatever you want" dinner nights, and late nights not hanging out with him while I sat at the computer until 2 a.m. I sat there for like two weeks straight doing research and writing until my back hurt so bad I couldn't stand up straight. Lots of Aleve and heating pads.

It was odd how, as I wrote, it just flowed out of me. The sentences just kept coming. My fantastic 11 year old encouraged me all along. He would ask all day everyday, "How many words do you have now, Mom?" And then he would give me a goal for x-amount of words by the end of the day. The end result is a 108,018 word book. Since then, I've gone over it many times and edited and added here and there. I thought that it would be fun to self-publish just for the heck of it so my family could all have a copy. I posted on Facebook one day about the editing process, and another fabulous cousin, Brian, volunteered for the job as chief editor. I say "fabulous" because he has 7 kids and a real job. Which means late nights and snippets of time here and there for him to actually devote to my book. Sure we went a little past deadline (okay, a lot) ;), but I am absolutely loving the end result. It's a good thing he's a grammar nerd, and a guy because he's giving me fabulous (I really like that word) ideas on how to change things here and there to make things make sense to other people, and I love having a guy's point of view (even though he is sometimes rude about how wonderful Finn is). They make perfect sense in my head, but I guess it needs to make sense to everyone else.

So, my new goal is to have it done and published by Mother's Day. I will keep you all updated on the progress, and perhaps even give you some sneak peeks. I am currently working on the sequel. I know, I know, I hate waiting for sequels too. By the time they come out, I can't remember how the first book ended. But Brian has promised (okay, not really) to finish it in a more timely manner. I'm only about 20 pages in, but more research was required, and once again, for the time being, the ideas ran away. One of my resolutions is to have it finished by the end of the year so that the editing process can start earlier.

Well, I've written a novella here as my first entry, but if you're still reading, then you're actually interested in reading my book. I would love to answer any questions you have. I'm sure there's a lot I've forgotten to explain, so I'll write more as I think of it.