Two weeks ago, I was thanking you all for helping to put Bared to You on Amazon’s Top 100 list. This week, I’m thanking you for helping to put it on the New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. Thank you!
“Hitting a list” was a goal I had from the sale of my first book. I can’t begin to tell you the tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours I’ve spent on promotion and advertising trying to get the word out about books I’ve written in the past. It wasn’t until this most recent fall/winter that I let that dream lose its strangling grip on me. Over the years I’d become so wrapped up in the business and promotional aspect of being a working writer that I lost touch with why I write to begin with–the story and connecting with readers. It wasn’t until I started self-publishing that I let some of that driving anxiety go and reconnected with the joy of writing again.
There’s a certain zen that comes from bearing the weight of responsibility and having no one else to blame if something doesn’t work. It seems fitting that the book of mine that would “hit a list” was an independent title and that it should happen after I gave myself permission to stop hoping for it. There was no marketing plan, no co-op, no sales force or bookseller support. As a working writer I value all of those things immensely, but Bared to You didn’t have any of it. What it has are readers who love it and share it with their friends. There’s a wondrous kind of magic in that. It makes this special occasion that much more special to me.
So, does that mean I’m going to eschew traditional publishing and switch to doing it all myself? Absolutely not. I happen to like traditional publishing and I think a well-rounded career in today’s publishing landscape has three prongs–traditional publishing, digital-first publishing, and self-publishing. I think having all three in one’s portfolio is smart. They meet different needs, accomplish different goals, and offer a unique kind of stability to the writer. For me, true zen comes from feeling safe and happy doing what you love. Safety for me requires financial stability and happiness comes from connecting with what I’m writing.
Losing the magic was entirely my fault. No one else sucked the joy out of my job. I made all sorts of mistakes in every facet of my career. I made bad decisions. I focused on the wrong things and spent too little time appreciating the right things. I didn’t follow my instincts.
The fact that I still ended up here is a miracle, and I’m so damn grateful. And I really should try to focus on this moment and not think too far ahead. Milestones just don’t come around all that often.
So, to celebrate I’ll offer one commenter a prize pack that includes A Bad Day for Scandal, Colby Law, Silenced, Twisted, Bloodright, and Bared to You. Just tell me something that you’re thankful for! Happy Monday.
First, a BIG thank you to everyone who’s bought Bared to You. It hit the Top 100 list on Amazon.com Sunday morning, which thrilled me! I’m grateful and I’ll be writing readers’ choice of a scene in Gideon’s POV as I promised.
In the last two weeks since I blogged here at MSW, I attended the RT Convention, did a radio interview, talked about erotic fiction on the news, and got excited about Bared to You. It’s been a wild ride.
But now it’s time to curl up in the cave again and wrap up a book. It’s not an easy thing for me to switch my brain into writing mode and once I achieve that switch, I have to be very careful not to shut it off by accident.
It’s a special place to me, that “zone.” Really, it’s like crack. There’s a unique high that comes from being totally immersed in a story. For me, there’s nothing like it. It ensures that I will always write, regardless of external circumstances. When I’m in that headspace, I don’t want to leave it. I forget what time it is. I forget to eat. Nothing else holds my interest. I’m impatient to get back to work. I can’t type fast enough.
I lost that transcendent feeling for a couple years. Writing became a chore. I wrote books because I had to, not because I wanted to. I was severely over-contracted and while I know there will be someone out there who thinks, “Wish I had that problem,” let me tell you–you can have it. I’m still writing books that were contracted five years ago.
I’ve come to put the utmost importance on writing books that I connect with. I’ll move deadlines and release dates, throw out tens of thousands of words (or the whole damned manuscript!), and otherwise force life and circumstances to accommodate my creative process. There are many external factors that contributed to Bared to You finding an audience that loves it enough to share it with everyone they know, but I put my emotional connection to the story at the top of the list. I poured everything I had into Gideon and Eva’s story, and I think readers can sense that depth of feeling.
So today I’ll drop my kids off at school, grab something nutritious to eat, and cut out all distractions. If I don’t find the “zone” quickly enough, I’ll download a novella from a favorite author to my Kindle and switch into reader-mode. It’s much easier for me to connect to writer-mode from reader-mode than it is from mommy-mode or promo-mode. Hopefully by noon, I’ll be plugged back into the story and loathe to leave it. Wish me luck!
The winners of the dysfunctional family/character contest I ran on my last blog was chosen by random.org are Silver James, Jenn. G., and Anne. And today is the last day to enter to win an ARC of A Hunger So Wild and a copy of Bared to You.
What are your plans for the week? And what are you reading now? Happy Monday!
So… wow… I had a roller coaster of a week last week and I’m still on the ride. Maybe by the time I blog again two weeks from now, I’ll be able to talk about it.
In the meantime, I’m heading off to the RT Convention tomorrow. As seems to be the usual when flying east, my flight leaves at the butt-crack of dawn and so I really should have all my stuff together in a suitcase. To say I’m behind on that task would be a total understatement. I still haven’t taken out all the stuff from my last trip a couple weeks ago! In fact, my brain is so looped from the roller coaster that I haven’t even gotten into travel mode yet. When I think about being away from home tomorrow, it doesn’t compute.
But once I get on the plane, it’ll kick in and I’ll get excited. It’ll be good to shift my mind into a different gear. It’ll be better than good.
My very first RT Convention was in Daytona in 2006 and I haven’t missed one since. I love the opportunity to hang out at length with writer and reader friends, and to meet those I’ve chatted with online. I get excited seeing the books and series that are coming soon, catching up on industry gossip, hearing about new programs and marketing ideas, and tons more. I’m especially looking forward to having lunch with the MSW gals! It’s been a while since we were last together and we have a backlog of things to celebrate. These gals are so accomplished. I’m proud to know them.
There. I’m starting to get into it.
I’m happily back to watching Game of Thrones and The Borgias, although I do wish their seasons were staggered. (Same with Dexter and Boardwalk Empire sharing the same season schedule–why can’t they spread out the goodness throughout the year?) Anyway, something the two series share is the power of family. Although the families are all dysfunctional in one way or another (I think the Starks are less so than the others), they all manage to pull their craziness together to achieve a common goal, whatever it may be. Are you watching either show?
Who are your favorite fictional crazy or dysfunctional families/characters? For me, I love the Addams family and their joyous embracing of the weird. Dexter and his Dark Passenger hold a special place in my heart. Nix makes me laugh.
I’ll pick three commenters to win their choice of a Nook or Kindle copy of Bared to You. Happy Monday! I hope I’ll see you in Chicago.
I’m so excited to welcome Joan Swan to MSW today! Joan is a wonderful writer who is sweet, super talented, crafty, generous, and a promotional dynamo! If you haven’t picked up Fever yet, what are you waiting for? It’s out now, so instant gratification can be yours! (and look at that cover! *yum*)
– Sylvia
Thanks so much Sylvia for having me at Murder She Writes! I’ve been a fan of this blog (not to mention of YOUR work) for years, so I’m thrilled to be here!
I just hope I don’t wear out my welcome on the very first visit, because I’m dying to talk…murder! (No pun intended – but it SO worked, don’t you think?)
Seriously, murder can be so cathartic! Have you ever tried it? I do, on a regular basis. Of course, I am a suspense author, but don’t tell me you readers out there don’t love a great murder. You know you do. When those ugly, evil bad guys finally meet someone with enough mojo or smarts to deliver the karma they’ve been collecting for years?
In my recent debut release, Fever, I’ve got a really nasty antagonist who escapes prison with my hero. He’s not the big villain, but he’s bad and he’s a miserable sidekick for my hero because he stands for everything my hero doesn’t. And, my heroine, who is my hero’s hostage, is bi-racial. Conflict, right? We love conflict in our novels. This guy spends the first maybe 50-60 pages earning his death. Yes, this is a spoiler, but hardly the biggest or best stuff in the book—and so damn fun to talk about!
Taz is a white supremacist—as many white men are in prison, associating with the white gangs—only he’s racist to the core. He’s also arrogant, mouthy, condescending, brutal, and as stupid as a brick wall. Hate him already right? Well, you’ll loathe him by about page 50…cause, yeah, he’s one of those human beings created by the devil and sucking up our oxygen. So when he does something beyond reprehensible and…well…I can’t spoil all the fun…gets his payback, it is sweet, sweet, sweet.
And, I have to admit, it is quite fun to name a murder victim in my books after that PITA doctor at my day job who I wouldn’t even allow touch my dog. Or create a character who resembles that parking lot attendant who gave me a $70 ticket because my tires touched the white line; she might get arrested for cocaine possession and thrown in a cell with some real brute ladies. And, man, that mouthy crossing guard who yells at me to slow down every dang morning when I’m only driving 10 freaking miles an hour? That woman is going to land in an intensive care unit in my next book…and I may just forget to tie up that thread. Oops.
It’s your turn. Come on – we’re in a safe place here. And of course we’re talking fictional. Share and you could win a copy of Fever!!
Who would you like to kill, torture or maim (or see killed, tortured or maimed) in your next book? Readers, is there a character (or two) in a series you follow that you’d like to see meet their end? And how?
Joan Swan is a triple RWA® Golden Heart finalist and writes sexy romantic suspense with a paranormal twist. Her debut novel with Kensington Brava, Fever, releases February 28, 2012. Her second novel, Blaze, follows in October, 2012.
In her day job, she works as a sonographer for one of the top ten medical facilities in the nation and lives on the California central coast in beautiful wine country with her husband and two daughters.
Like many readers, I’m a big fan of reunited lovers stories. The idea that true love will find a way no matter what really gets to me; I like to believe that’s true.
There are all sorts of reasons why a romance may not have worked out the first time around, but there’s no doubt that the pain of losing something makes us appreciate it all the more. It takes a strong person to be able to recognize the mistakes that were made, to own those mistakes, and to make amends for them. It’s hard to do that when emotions are running high and there’s so much to lose. There’s a quiet heroism involved in making personal changes to be good enough for the one we love. Those kinds of emotional stakes are what drive reunited lovers stories and they’re what reel me in every time.
My Guns and Roses story, “Blood and Roses,” is a reunited lovers tale. Jake and Ana were high school sweethearts.
When Jake was asked what his first impression of Ana was, he had this to say:
The first time I saw Anastasia Miller was when her family moved into town. Ana’s got the most amazing hair. To call it red wouldn’t do it justice. I was standing there on Main, watching the Miller’s drive through on the way to their new house and I couldn’t take my eyes off the beautiful redhead sitting in the backseat. I had plans with friends that day, but I blew ‘em off and followed Ana out to her place instead. I introduced myself to the Millers and offered to help them move their stuff in. There was no way in hell I was gonna give any of the other guys a chance at her. Ana was mine. I knew it the moment I saw her.
We were kids. She was sixteen and I was just two years older. But by the end of that first day I was damn sure she was it for me–the only woman I’d ever want. Her smile can shred me. Her legs drive me crazy. She’s so damn smart. And there’s something in her eyes, like she has a secret she’ll never tell you.
So, back to your question. What happened the first time I met Ana? I fell in love. Hard. Twelve years later, I still haven’t recovered.
So what kept these two apart? You’ll have to read the story to find out, but here’s an excerpt:
Ana scrubbed, shaved, and perfumed herself like a woman bent on seduction, a mindset she hadn’t adopted for a very long time. She hadn’t packed anything sexy, so her simple cotton baby doll nightgown would have to do.
“Ten years,” she murmured to her reflection in the mirror, fluffing out her damp curls with her fingers. “You’re bound to be a little rusty.”
When she opened the bathroom door, she knew immediately that Jake was home. There was a palpable energy in the air and it flowed over her, awakening her senses. She could hear the shower running in his bedroom and appreciated the time to finish prepping dinner. She smiled when she saw the white roses in a vase on the dining table and when she went to pull out the salad, she found one of Victoria’s famous cheesecakes in the fridge.
She was tossing the salad when she heard Jake pad into the kitchen behind her. A moment later, his arms were circling her from behind and his lips were pressed to the side of her neck.
“Hi,” he murmured, his voice low and husky.
“Hi back.” Her head fell against his shoulder and she allowed herself the temporary luxury of leaning into him. His chest was bare, hard, and warm. “I like the flowers.”
“Good.” The tip of his tongue touched the lobe of her ear, then he caught it between his teeth. “I walked in the door and the smell of dinner made me hungry. Now I’ve smelled you and I’m starving.”
He wasn’t talking about food, she knew. That was proven when his hands slid down the flat plane of her stomach and gripped her thighs just beneath the hem of her baby doll.
“Did you get some work done?” he breathed, bending his knees to press his erection against the swell of her buttocks.
Ana became so aroused the denim of his jeans and the cotton of her baby doll might as well have not been there. She dropped the salad servers into the bowl and gripped the edge of the counter, shaken by the lust that burned through her. It felt as if she’d been numb for ages and was suddenly reawakened to sensation, overwhelmed by the vibrancy of it after living through miserable loneliness. “Yes, I did. How was your day?”
“I spent the last half of it thinking about you and cursing the paperwork I needed to clear so I could stay home tomorrow.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “Oh?”
“Before you leave my bed, Anastasia, you’re going to explain to me why we’re not together.”
In celebration of my birthday and the wonderful reviews we’ve been getting for Guns and Roses, I’m going to give away 5 copies of G & R (from your choice of e-tailer–or my upcoming release, Bared to You, if you already have G & R). You can post a comment about anything, but I’d really love to hear what the last reunited lovers story was that you read and what your favorites are!
Other Posts by Sylvia Day 
But once I get on the plane, it’ll kick in and I’ll get excited. It’ll be good to shift my mind into a different gear. It’ll be better than good.
I just hope I don’t wear out my welcome on the very first visit, because I’m dying to talk…murder! (No pun intended – but it SO worked, don’t you think?)
So what kept these two apart? You’ll have to read the story to find out, but here’s an excerpt:
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