Writerly Lesson: Success Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

We all know by now that I'm still a bit of a newb-sauce when it comes to the writerly world. Which is why I love sharing my little epiphanies with you guys. And lucky for you, I had one today.

I've been in a funk all day. I haven't wanted to write. I haven't wanted to read. All I've done is play Candy Crush Saga (I caved and joined the craze yesterday) and listen to music with the general attitude of blarg. But I haven't been able to figure out why.

At first I thought it was because I had just written a really really rough death scene yesterday. (Trust me, it's bad. Like, people might come after me with pitch forks kinda bad. Hell, I want to come after me with pitch forks after what I wrote. But I digress...) I don't think it was that, though. Yes, that sucked. But this wasn't my first death rodeo. Just my worst.

So what else could it be? Things are pretty awesome in my writerly world right now. Wattpad is going amazingly. I have over 1000 followers and votes now and close to 100,000 reads. And I was lucky enough this weekend to go meet two of my critique partners, Leigh Statham and Heather Raglin. Leigh is quite the social butterfly, enthusiastically going around to authors she might might not have even heard of and chatting them up. She would introduce me, and tell them that my book is coming out next month. And they would congratulate me, which left me turning beat red.

Why? Because I wanted to brush off the congratulations in the same way I do with my friends and family who are excited about my book being published. I want to tell them "Pfft...I'm doing it myself. It's not that big of a deal."

And that's what has hit me tonight. You see, it is that big of a deal. I want to downplay it because, in my mind, it's not like anyone has chosen to publish me. No one has picked my work out of the slushpile and said "Yes! This!!" No one chose me, so I don't deserve the congratulations.

But they did. The thing is, those Wattpad views, followers, and votes mean something. As I type this, around 1500 people have finished reading my book in the three weeks since it has been featured on the Wattpad site (only around 20 had finished up to chapter twenty-five before). Does that mean I am destined to become the next Amanda Hocking? No. But it's a pretty good start.

I suppose that is my point. Success comes in all shapes and sizes. It doesn't have to mean sales (especially if you aren't selling anything yet) or contracts. You don't have to become an overnight success. But those people that are reading your work and encouraging you? They matter more than I can say. That is how we as authors should measure our success. Because let me tell you, the highlight of my day is reading the comments people leave me and answering the messages they send. Sometimes I think my book can't possibly good enough to warrant this, but in the end, I'm not the judge of that. The readers are. And I have to say, my readers are pretty freaking awesome.

The Ups and Downs of My Writerly World

I'm sitting here, thinking I should take a nap before I set off for my evening plans. Why is a nap necessary? Well, in case you don't follow me on Facebook, here's the long and short of it:

My doctor tells me I have carpal tunnel AND tendonitis. Because, you know, I'm an overachiever like that.

So my meds make me really sleepy and it is seriously hard to type with this thing on. But I have to wear it for three weeks. And I still have the nerve conduction study to look forward to. *grumble*

That's pretty much the "down" part of my writerly world right now. The "up" part is what is keeping me awake right now. I set my release date for Heirs of War. September 13th! The cover reveal will be August 30th. I know, I know...that's cutting it closer than most. But I have a reason for that. A reason that involves even MORE good news and excitement.

Wattpad has agreed to feature Heirs of War starting September 11th! If I could dance a jig without threatening to break something or cause myself further injury, I would. As part of their promotion, they will be doing a "Cover-Off", which will help me decide which cover to use. Because, honestly, sometimes Gretchen is just too good. Since the cover-off is the deciding factor, I won't be revealing the cover until around a week after.

And, to keep the good news rolling, one of my nearest and dearest is also setting up another marketing promotion type thing for me, which she informed me of last night. More on that as it unfolds. :)

So where will I be in the weeks before my book launches? At DragonCon, of course, waving my fangirl flag high and proud. I just found out I'll have a bit more money than I expected to spend, which means my dream of being in the middle of one of the sexiest sandwiches ever for a fangirl (James Marsters + John Barrowman....Yup: Captain Jack and Spike!!) might be coming true.

Now...what was I saying about that nap? Oh, right. Not likely! =D

P.S. I redesigned the blog, too. Hope you guys like it!

The Paranoia That Accompanies Posting Your Work Online

As I talked about in my last blog, I decided to post Heirs of War on Wattpad as I edit. I've posted all the way up to chapter 16 and am currently banging my head against the brick wall that is chapter 17 and the changes that need to be made.

But I digress. So, I've been trying to become active in the Wattpad community because, well, that's what you do. I tried to do the same with Figment, but in getting so overwhelmed by spam, I just deleted my account. Which I feel bad about because I promised some people I would read their story. One thing I have learned to be annoyed by is the people in the writing community who want something for nothing. Don't expect people to read your work or comment on your work in a contest if you aren't willing to do the same. Make a commitment to the community and you will reap the rewards.

That's a soapbox for another day, I suppose. Because the point of this blog is all about writerly insecurity. Yup, I has it. I didn't think I did. Well, not that bad anyway. But man does this whole read counts and voting system really screw with a novice writer's head. I might even blame it for my current dilemma with chapter 17. You see, I have (currently) 155 reads according to my title page with the blurb. Does that mean 155 people have read that page, or total for the story? No clue. I explored the site but didn't find an answer, got frustrated, and went back to writing.

Moving on. Chapter 1 has 61 reads, and chapters 2 and 16 have 9. But! Some of the in between chapters have as little as 2 reads. Does that mean people are skipping around? Or the reads count is inaccurate? No clue.

Moving on. Out of 61 reads, I only have 2 votes (both by people I know). Does this mean it sucks? Or do people wait until the story is complete to vote for it? No clue.

And not sure if I should move on. I'm wondering if maybe this whole Wattpad thing is creating more of a fuss in my head than it has the potential to give me reassurance that all my effort is worth it. I'm not willing to do the whole "Read/vote for my story, and I'll read/vote for yours" thing that annoyed me so much on Figment. I've got a list of stories I am going to critique, but I made it clear they owed me nothing but patience in return. If someone is going to read my story, I want it to be because they like it, not because of some deal.

Maybe that means I am the wrong kinda author for sites like that. I'm going to give Fictionpress a shot since they don't appear to have anything like the systems used on Wattpad and Figment. And I suppose I will keep posting on Wattpad until the story is done...but not with much confidence I will gain anything at this point.

Why I've Decided to Post on Wattpad

Now, I know this doesn't sound like a big deal. But it is, I swear.

The thing is, I have edited the crap out of Heirs of War. I've also queried the crap out of it. There are a few critique partners who still have it, and a few have offered their insights already. Of course, I know that you can't make everyone happy, so I've been working on incorporating some of those suggestions while I mull over a few others. I'm still working on that. I've also sent a sample to my editor friend to see what kind of editing she thinks it would need before self-publishing.

Where do I start??

Because that's what I've decided to do. Honestly, I think I decided it a while ago and was just querying out of habit. I mean, why else would I go ahead and hire a cover artist if I hadn't, somewhere in the back of my mind, decided self-publishing was the way to go? Gretchen is still working on the cover, but I'm using the last mockup she sent me in the meantime. Why? Because I can't help but show off all her awesome work.

I digress. You might be asking yourself why I would decide to post my MS on Wattpad since I am A) still editing, B) still waiting on my editor friend to get back to me along with CPs, and C) intending to self-publish anyway. The answer is simple, really.

To find out if it is worth it.

I know, I know. It sounds silly. I should have said something like "To help build an audience before I publish", which is part of the reason. But the real reason is simply validation. I've been trying to decide what to do with Heirs of War for months now, shying away from even looking at it because that question is so complicated. Do I self-publish and possibly shoot myself in the foot for future endeavors I might want to get published the traditional way? Do I rewrite the entire series to cater to the requests of the publishing world, telling the story of only one character instead of five? (Had multiple professionals advise this) Or do I shelve it completely, hoping something else I write works out better and opens the door for this to get published down the road?

Is your head spinning? I know mine has been. But then something funny happened when I watched the season finale of Doctor Who.

Who am I to argue with the Doctor?

I decided to write a one-shot fanfiction because this nagging little epilogue scene wouldn't leave me alone. I loved sharing that one moment of my fanfiction. I got reviews, the story gained followers, people favorited the story...And I was exhilarated. I wanted to write more. And believe it or not, that fanfiction helped me remember why I got into this gig to begin with.

I want to share my story, the story of these five girls embarking on five different epic journeys that will ultimately lead them all to the same path. Every trial, every romantic moment, every heartbreak, every loss--I am chomping at the bit to share these moments with all of you.

So I am going to do just that. And I am going to keep editing, keep incorporating my CPs' notes, chat with my editor friend, and gush over the new cover. When I get the finished product, I'll start the process of self-publishing. Or I'll just leave it there as I move on to book 2. Who knows? But for now, I'm just enjoying the ride.

You can find Heirs of War on Wattpad. Chapters will be posted as I finish editing them (this go round, anyway).

Interview with Author Priya Kanaparti (Dracian Legacy)

It isn't everyday that you come across a really awesome author so willing to connect and share their stories with you.

Okay, I have to admit. It is starting to feel like an everyday occurrence with all of the amazing people I have met through these blog tours. I have to put Priya Kanaparti at the very top of that list. The work she has done on this blog tour is awe-inspiring, her book sounds AMAZING, and she's even willing to let someone toeing the waters of self-publishing pick her brain with borderline non-questions. I'm very happy to share her interview with you guys and encourage you to go check out her book, Dracian Legacy (you can find it at Barnes & Noble and Amazon). And now let me show you guys why you should be in awe of her too!

Mara Valderran: What can you tell us about your process as a writer? Are you more of a pantser or a plotter?

Priya Kanaparti: LOL. I’m a complete Panstser. Although I’m a planner in real life, for the life of me, I can’t seem to make myself plan on what I’m to write.

MV: What inspired you to write the Dracian Legacy series?

PK: I had been reading a lot of amazing books and I wanted tell the world a story of my own. Since I had been a bit fan of paranormal and supernatural kind of stuff for a long time, the ideas that weaved through my head were similar to that and the story for Dracian Legacy was born.

MV: What made you decide to go the self-publishing route rather than traditional publishing?

PK:  I had sent out few queries to agents and publishing houses. I had received few rejections. After much thought and weighing in the pros and cons, I thought it best that at least the first book is self-published, instead of traditional. Oh, and I also wanted to publish within the first year, since I started to write the book.

MV: What advice can you offer to other authors hoping to self-publish?

PK: Self-publishing is a lot of work, which means, you need to have a lot of patience and persistence. But know that after all of that hard work, it would be worth it. Just hang in there and don’t be afraid to ask questions, ask for help…

MV: Your blog tour filled up with hosts very quickly! What do you think the trick is to marketing as a self-published author?

PK: Yes, it has! I think it’s about connecting with your readers, with the community. I made sure that I had responded to every email, every tweet personally. I also wrote guest posts on other blogs and promoted other authors and bloggers.  I think it helped build the support that I needed… I still need.

MV: The cover for the book looks amazing. How did you get the cover designed? Did you already have something in mind or find someone with inspiration?

PK: Thank you! I had inquired few awesome cover designers and found the one that I thought would best fit with my needs for my book. I had few ideas and designs that I really loved from other books. So when I talked to my designer, she had created some awesome designs and we worked to make to fit how it is today. She took in every details, from the font, to the background, the magic elements, and she just put it all together. My amazing designer is Regina Wamba from Mae I Design, if you want to know!

MV: How has your process changed from writing the first book to writing the second?

PK: *chuckles* not much. There were so many things I had learned about writing, like showing versus not telling concept or the punctuation or the kinds of words I could use. So I’m using everything I’ve learned while writing this book. So apart from that, and having one less draft to work on, everything else is pretty much the same. I’m still a panster.

MV:  If you could turn your book into a movie or television series, who would you cast?

PK:  Gosh, I don’t even know.  But if I need to pick how they look, I would say, Ren in my mind looks like a mixture of Emma Watson and Jessica Alba. For Axel, I totally could see Jensen Ackles fitting  the looks perfectly!  Um, Dean is a tough one. I’m not sure who would fit the bill.

MV: How do you balance your time as a professional, a mother, and an author?

PK: One word. Negotiations! Since I can’t control my time when it comes to my daytime job, I negotiate my time available at nights and weekends with hubby. So ever Friday and Saturday nights, I work through the night, almost until 3 a.m. Then following morning, hubby takes care of my little man until I wake up. It’s kind of nice!

MV: What is ahead for your writerly future?

PK: Well I have two WIPs scheduled for this year. One is the book 2 of Dracian Legacy. Which is currently labeled as Dracian Origins. And I have a NA Contemporary Romance.  At currently time, I don’t have blurbs for either of these stories. But I’ll post them on goodreads as soon as they are available.

Want to know more about Priya or the Dracian Legacy series? You can visit her website, check out the Goodreads pages for Dracian Legacy and Dracian Origins, or connect with her by following her on:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Google+
• Goodreads
• Pinterest

Interview with First of Her Kind Author K.L. Schwengel

It isn't every day that you get to interview one of your writerly cohorts, but today I was able to interview one of mine! K.L. Schwengel is a member of the Fellowship of Fantasy writers (alongside me and some other wonderful fantasy authors I hope to interview one day!) at There & Draft Again. She just self-published her debut novel, First of Her Kind. You can find the book on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble.

Mara Valderran: You've posted some very insightful thoughts on why you decided to self-publish. Can you give the readers a brief overview of what led to that choice?

K.L. Schwengel: It basically boiled down to belief in my book and a desire to get it out in front of readers. Time-frame and control both played big parts in my decision. First, following the traditional route would have meant, in the best of worlds, at least a year to two years before First of Her Kind ever saw the light of day. Between finding an agent, an agent making a sale, the publishing house scheduling, it takes about that much time. I found I wasn't willing to wait. Second, I'm somewhat of a control freak. (Those of you who know me, pipe down.) To be able to have full say in every aspect of my book was very appealing. Of course, that means I have to accept the consequences of its success or failure as well.

MV: You tried traditional publishing first, which can be a very exhausting and discouraging process. What was your experience like and how did you keep it from discouraging you from moving forward?

KLS: Frustrating. Following the traditional publishing route can be likened to a crap shoot, winning the lottery, or finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. Agents, or mainly their assistants, read hundreds and thousands of query letters every week. You have a few hundred words to catch them in just the right mood to like what you're pitching. What they don't like one day, they might the next, but once they pass, it's done. The main thing that kept me from becoming discouraged is that I have a very thick skin. If you're putting yourself out there, no matter what venue, you need one. Chocolate helps. I also knew that I had written a good book, and it wasn't my manuscript being judged and passed on, but my query letter. Two very different things. And seriously, I had my moments of doubt. I still do. But then I get a note from someone who says they read something I wrote and they loved it. Nothing beats that.

MV: I love the cover! I feel like that is one downfall of self-publishing: It's hard to find a good cover artist you can afford. How did you go about getting your cover designed?

KLS: I designed and created the digital painting for the cover myself. I have an art background, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and I've worked as a designer and freelance artist off and on since -- well, a long time. So I'm fortunate in that regard. I agree that one of the biggest problems I see in self-publishing is lack of a good cover. In some genres you can probably get away with a stock photo cover. Fantasy has a long history of awesome covers, more so than other genres in my opinion. Fantasy buffs demand it. I know as a reader, it's the cover that grabs me first. If I like that, I'll look closer at the book.

I would suggest to authors on a tight budget, contact art colleges in the area, or possibly on-line. See if you can get a student to create your cover as a portfolio piece. It's great experience for them, and gives them a piece they can use in their professional portfolio.

MV: Another downfall to self-publishing can be the urge to publish too soon, which I've talked about in some of my other posts. As an advocate of self-publishing, I feel we need to discourage the idea of publishing as soon as the first draft is done. There's a lot more work that goes into prepping a novel to be published. What can you tell us about your process leading up to self-publishing? How did you know when your novel was ready?

KLS: I was already pitching my novel to agents so I was pretty confident it was ready. *ahem* However, over the course of the year I was pitching, I was still tweaking. Every time I read the ms, I found something else. I could probably go over it again and find things. But that's just nit-picking at this point. I wrote a first draft, had it read just to make sure it wasn't tripe, then started rewriting. I wrote another draft. Edited. Fine-tuned. Added. Subtracted. Had it read again, by different readers. This time they were looking at continuity, character development, plot structure, tension. Another draft, more editing, more editing, another draft. Beta readers. Now we got down to the nitty-gritty, the push to tighten up this section, make that scene more intense, learn how to properly use a comma (which I'm still really bad at, by the way). And then? Yeah. One more time.

Anyone who writes a novel, quickly edits it, has maybe one person read it, and the puts it out there, better be the most amazing writer on the face of the planet. Not that every manuscript needs what mine did. I'm hoping book two won't need quite as much. But if it does, then it does. I don't want to put something out there I'm not sure about. All it takes is one bad book, and are you ever going to trust that author with your investment again?

MV: What is your writing process like? Are you more of a pantser or a plotter? Soundtrack or absolute silence?

KLS: Pantser all the way. Well, okay, pantser who has some idea of direction. I have a rough sketch of where I want the story to go. That is always subject to unruly characters deciding it's going somewhere unintended. I usually know the beginning and the ending. Both are written before I fill in the middle. And definitely soundtrack. Always. Music helps me visualize, feel, immerse myself in that different world. If it's a bright, sunny day and I'm writing a dark scene, the right music will put me there.

MV: What was your inspiration for First of Her Kind?

KLS: Honestly, it all started with the line, "There was nothing for it, in another turn of the glass Meriol would be dead." That line didn't survive editing, but that was the seed to the whole series. I had no idea who Meriol was, why she was dying, or where it was leading. I just went.

MV: What can you tell us about your main character, Ciara?

KLS: She has a lot of growing up to do. But she's in a tough spot. She comes from a line of woman who have always been simple country healers. Unfortunately, she not only has a healer's earth magic, but another wild power as well. A power that she has a hard time controlling. A power that others want. It means she can't live a simple healer's life. It's hard because she loses a lot and she's very niave in the beginning. She's been sheltered her entire life, and is in no way prepared for what's coming her way.

MV: If you could turn your book into a movie or television series, who would you cast?

KLS: I really hate to put images in the reader's minds, but . . . okay. Bolin is, without a doubt, Gerard Butler. *sigh* Donovan has to be Richard Armitage, clean shaven, not scruffy. Ciara . . . wow, I don't really know any 20 something actress's I would cast. We might have to do a casting call for her. She would need to have a quiet beauty, an innocence about her but not necessarily soft.

MV: How do you feel like the process of publishing has changed you as a writer?

KLS: I'm not sure it's changed me as a writer. I think, if anything, it's pushed me to be a faster writer because I can't devote all my free time to penning my latest manuscript. There's marketing, social networking, editing . . .

MV: What is ahead for your writerly future? 

KLS: Well, I'm roughly 21k words into book two in the Darkness & Light Series, I have a short story due out in an anthology coming out in April (I believe). There's another project that's still under wraps that I'm excited about. And, if time permits, I have an urban fantasy that's been languishing for several years, half written, that I'd really like to dust off and put out there.

First of Her Kind Release Date!

Today is a very special day for a near and dear writing friend of mine. Some of you may recognize the name KL Schwengel from the Fellowship of Fantasy Writers over at There and Draft Again (seriously, check us out!) or just from the writing community in general. Today is the release date of her debut novel, First of Her Kind, and I am so excited to share it with you guys!

KL is self-publishing and has made quite a few very informative posts over on her blog about the subject. I can't wait to interview her on the 15th so we can learn more about her and what this process has meant to her. You can find First of Her Kind on Amazon for Kindle and print, Barnes & Noble (print), and Smashwords (ebook). If you need me, I will be trying to master that clone recipe I got so I can find the time to read this book. Or trying to get the flu. Something that gets me a guilt-free vacation because I really don't think I can wait until Spring Break for this one!

Everyone, it seems, wants to dictate what Ciara does with her life: Serve the Goddess, destroy the Goddess, do as you promised your aunt. All Ciara wants is to keep the two magics she possesses from ripping her apart.

And that won't be easy.

Not only are they in complete opposition to each other, blood ties pull her in divergent directions as well. And then there's Bolin, the man sworn to protect her. There's no denying the growing attraction between them, but is it Ciara he wants? Or her power?

None of which will matter if Ciara can't overcome her fear and learn to use her gifts. No one knows the depths of the ancient power she possesses, or what will happen if it manages to escape her control.

Will she lose herself entirely? Or be forever trapped between darkness and light?

Interview with Author Vanna Smythe (Anniversary of the Veil series)

I feel like it has been forever since I posted any personal updates on here, but I have so many exciting authors lined up for blog tours that they are all I want to talk about! Today's author is Vanna Smythe, who penned Protector and the recently released sequel Decision Maker in the Anniversary of the Veil series. Stay tuned after the interview for the blurbs on both books and the chance to win Protector!

Question: Decision Maker is the second book of the Anniversary of the Veil series but you mention on Goodreads that the book can be a standalone. What can you tell people about the series that are just hearing about it for the first time?

Vanna Smythe: Anniversary of the Veil is a planned 3 book series and tells the story of a young soldier, Protector Kae, and Princess Issa who get caught up in a huge, world-altering and life-changing event.  Each of them has a separate role to play in this event (the so-called Anniversary of the Veil) and both have tough choices to make. Decision Maker concludes the story started in Protector, but I thought that, as a story in itself, Decision Maker can be read as a stand-alone novel.  Though it is greatly enhanced by the first book ;)

Q: I love how your biography on your website reads like a story itself. You've lived in European cities for most of your life and seem to be inspired by them. Do you have a favorite spot in any of these cities where you feel more inspired?

VS: I like Paris for its whimsical, historical feel, but I feel most at home in Italy, Venice and Rome mostly. Something about the easy way of life there just pulls me right in.

Q: What can you tell us about your process? Are you more of a pantser or a plotter?

VS: By natural inclination I’m more of a pantster. I can sit down and complete a novel in 3 weeks from start to finish. But I am very bad at revising, which is why I’m now learning how to plot better before I start writing.

Q: You have a pretty quick turnaround between the publishing of the first and second books (which makes us readers cheer!). What can you tell us of your process for writing the series? Did you already have the second book mapped out before the first was published?

VS: This kind of ties in to the last questions. I did a scene-by-scene, plot outline for Decision Maker, which greatly shortened my writing and revising time.  It basically took me 6 months to write and revise the second book. I want to short this time to 4 or 5 months for the next one ;)

As for planning a series, I have a document where I write all the major world-building points and the different characters’ traits. I also have a general idea of where I want the story to go and how I want it to end, but I generally let the story itself dictate the ending, if that makes sense ;)

Q: Could you see your series turned into a movie or television series? If so, who would be your ideal cast choices for Kae and Issa?

VS: I am so woefully out of touch with who’s who in Hollywood right now. But I see my series being more of a TV or HBO show, with maybe a bunch of new, non-famous but excellent actors ;)

Q: Do you have a soundtrack that you write to or are you more of a quiet writer?

VS: When writing Decision Maker I listened to those sounds of nature mp3s. Sometimes it was the only way that I could get into a writing mood. I can’t listen to anything with lyrics when I write, but I might try some classical music in the future. 

Q: What was the inspiration for Anniversary of the Veil series?

VS: I did some research into the phenomenon of Twin Souls and soul mates once, and thought it would make an excellent fantasy plot line.  Twin Souls are basically two halves of the same soul, existing in separate bodies.  In my story, Issa has a Twin and she feels a very strong pull to join again with.  This is a central point of the story, but I build a very complex world around it ;) I don’t want to give too much away, though.

Q: Some self-published authors set out to do so from the start whereas others try to go the route of traditional publishing first until they decide to strike out on their own. What made you decide to self-publish?

VS: I didn’t even try the traditional publishing route first.  I’d spent over a year and a half revising Protector, and I really didn’t feel like waiting another year or two before it was published. This, and the success indies are enjoying right now was why I decided to self-publish. So far, I don’t regret it.

Q: Publishing too soon with too few edits is one of the biggest complaints people tend to have about self-published authors. Your blog announced when you had sent the manuscript of Decision Maker off to the editor. What is your editing process with self-publishing? When do you finally say "This is ready" without the fear of publishing too soon?

VS: Well, to be completely honest, I wasn’t 100% sure that Decision Maker was ready when I published it.  But I also didn’t know how I could make it better still ;)  I had three good beta readers and my editor go over it, and all agreed it was good. One reviewer even said it was better than Protector, so I guess I was right about it being complete ;)

For Protector, on the other hand, I had about 10 beta readers and my editor go over it, so I was fairly certain it was the best thing I could produce. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and can’t let other people read what I write unless I am absolutely certain it is the best work I can produce. I’ve worked in journalism and copywriting for over ten years now, which helps in seeing when something is good enough to be published. But I would definitely advise any indie author to not get lazy on the editing part. 

Q: What is ahead for your writerly future?

VS: I’m starting Book Three next week ;) I hope to release it in spring. Then I also have an idea for a new series I want to start. 

Q: Your covers look absolutely amazing. What can you tell us of the process of choosing cover art?

VS: I designed the cover for Protector myself. I put more then 40 hours into finding the artwork, figuring out the concept, etc. mainly because I had to learn Photoshop to do it. For the second book, I had the concept but not the time, so I hired an excellent cover designer. I’ve also, since then, found many awesome images on sites like shutterstock.com and bigstock.com, which I might use for future books. If I have more time, I might actually do the last cover myself ;)

Duty versus love is the one battle warrior Kae doesn't know how to fight.

Kae has trained his entire life to become an elite Protector of the Realm. But when he earns that honor he finds himself protecting something far greater: the Veil separating two worlds. On one side of the Veil lie untold stores of magic. On the Realm's side, magic is all but obliterated, and Kae is one of the few who can use it. The priests who secretly rule the Realm will do everything they can to control his growing magical abilities. He's willing to pay the price, even though it comes between him and Issa, the princess he loves.

But the Veil has weakened over a thousand years and powers on both sides will stop at nothing to keep it intact. Strangers from the other side have kidnapped Issa to take her across the Veil and sacrifice her to strengthen it. Kae is the only one who can find her. If he goes after Issa, he loses everything he's worked so hard for. But if he chooses duty over love, Issa will die.

Decision Maker is the second volume in the Anniversary of the Veil fantasy series. It concludes the story started in Protector, but can also be considered a standalone book that you can read at any time. Though it is enhanced by both Book One and the upcoming Book Three.

Kae, a warrior Protector, has followed Princess Issa across the Veil separating two worlds. They were told Issa will be a key player at the Anniversary of the Veil, but have been mislead! Kae will have to make a terrible choice when the Anniversary finally comes. He is the Decision Maker and will have to play a part in a ceremony that will join Issa's Life Force with her Other Half - but in so doing, it could leave her senseless or worse, dead.

As the King fights to find his daughter, as the Priesthood is falling apart; Kae has to decide if he will kidnap the Princess to stop her Joining and force her into a life of unhappiness, or if he will allow her to Join and thereby leave her a mere shell of herself. Meanwhile friends and foes alike are showing only half-truths to both Kae and Issa. They must make the most important decision of a lifetime without enough knowledge. How can they know it will be the right one?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Writerly...Insanity??

Call it insanity, if you will. I call it daring. Okay, maybe daring isn't the right word for what I just did, but I'm not convinced insane is either. Not yet.

Now, friendly readers, you might be asking yourself the obvious question: What the hell did you do already?? I'm not trying to build up dramatic suspense here. It's just a little hard to say out loud (which I tend to do as I type--again with the question of insanity.). So what did I do?

...I queried.

Self Publishing Too Soon

I get it. I completely understand how this happens. It has been one of my biggest complaints in reading self publishing works as well as one of the biggest cons I have seen in articles about self publishing. You can always tell when an author published their work before it was truly ready for public consumption. You can see it in the typos, the formatting, the cover art, and sometimes in how the story is presented as a whole. Editing and cover art are the two issues I am going to touch on because they are the ones I am struggling with right now.

From what I understand of the traditional publishing world (which is admittedly very little as I am still peering over the cliff that is publishing before making that leap), a manuscript is usually not only given a copy editor but a content editor as well. And from what I understand, typically you have more than one copy editor. They are given (or create, little confused there) a style sheet that is basically a cheat sheet to you and your work and then they get to editing. 

Writerly Cheats

Let me preface this post by saying that calling the tools I use to (hopefully) make me a better writer "cheats" is a bit tongue in cheek. I've never actually come across writers who think using a thesaurus is a short cut, but I've read quite a few that I wish would use one. That being said, I've decided to blog about the tools I use in the hopes of not being one of those writers.

I tweeted about this earlier (@MaraValderran for those who want to follow), but I'll elaborate here. In scouring the B&N store on my Nook, I came across this wifty book called The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi (available on the Nook and Kindle as well as hardcopy). I have to say that this book has been my saving grace for some really sticky points in my books. I'm a very conversational and dialogue driven writer, so when you get down to descriptors I am usually banging my head against the keyboard with a lot of choice expletives, but not exactly the kind of words I'm searching for. This book has really helped me to expand on the way I describe the emotions of my characters so that I am not depending on the dialogue so heavily and I am not resorting to just telling the reader how my characters are feeling ("He was sad. He cried."=lame).  Instead, I can look up "sadness" from the list of emotions they give you in the contents, and find the physical signs of sadness, the internal sensations, the mental responses, cues of acute or long term sadness, cues of suppressed sadness, and even what sadness might escalate to.

Meet Mara

As this is a new blog, I feel that the best way to kick-start it is by telling you who the heck I am. As you might have guessed by the title, I am Mara Valderran. I am a soon to be self published author currently right smack dab in the middle of writing my very first series, which is titled Heirs of War. I'll be posting excerpts from the books, character profiles, and other fun stuff as well as posting about my writerly exploits in general. And since I am also an avid reader, I will most likely be posting reviews and recommendations on here as well. I look forward to blogging more as it is sure to lessen the amount of time I spend talking to myself about these things!