Monthly Archives: October 2012

Chase? Really?

Chase? Really?

or

What is in a name?

So when TENDING DEACON’S GARDEN came to me, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to call my hero. He’s a bit of a modern cowboy and I played around with a few names that might be a good fit for him. Names like Wes, Luke, Jake, Reese—ya know. I couldn’t decide, but I needed a name just to get the story going, certain I’d only be using it to sketch out my draft of the story. Until I could decide which one I wanted for him. So—I used Chase.  Yeah, I know, it’s so romance-novel-ly, but I was having some fun.

Now– my hero won’t let me switch it out. He tells me ‘my name is Chase’ and he’s adamant, won’t budge or negotiate with me for something more low-key. Heck, I don’t know much about cowboys, but apparently they are as stubborn as the ones I’ve seen in movies and on TV.

What’s a writer to do when her hunky alpha male puts his boot down, y’all? I’d like to think I know what’s best for my story but does Chase know what’s best for him? Will I miss the opportunity to really get to know this guy and the essence of who he really is by finding and replacing everywhere ‘Chase’  appears in my draft with Wes, or with ‘Luke’?

Is there a chance I will forever change the heart, mind and soul of this man by giving him the name Jake?

I can’t be the first or last writer who has had a disagreement with one of their characters. I wonder if there are writers out there who went ahead and blocked out a character’s demand, published their book only to regret that they hadn’t listened to that demand?

Let’s face it, the guy might be wrong. Maybe his character will soar to new heights and have more depth with a moniker like Houston or Buck. He acts like I’m trying to call him Chester, or Palladin.

Perhaps it’s all because Chase has been Chase for quite a few months now. And while I’ve created the world he’s been living in, and the romantic tension that is driving him looney—I’ve also given him the chance to find true love and a happy ever after. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised that he’s fighting so hard to be the one my heroine gives all her sweet lovin’ to.

While the jury is still out on this, I’ll let him keep giving me that hard stare as I begin working on this novella, and just maybe he’ll convince me – he really is Chase and not a Wes, or Jake, or a Luke.

~venice

What’s Happening?

What’s Happening?

Well, I’m officially a one week old indie writer–that’s what’s happening!

  • I’ve sold 38 copies of BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE.
  • My debut short showed up on Pat Crowell’s IR List for the week ending 10/13 report. The site is very popular in the interracial romance community. Pat is a doll to keep us all up to date with what new IRs are coming out and where to find them. Thanks, Pat!  I was doing my regular perusal down the new books published – and ‘POW’ there was Blackout!! Very nice!
  • I added my author’s profile on Good Reads, and even threw a few books on my shelf, I’ll review later on.
  • And… I also uploaded Blackout to the Barnes & Noble site on Saturday, so it’s also on sale there. Um, well it’s there, not exactly selling anything yet.

Not bad. If you would have asked me on last Monday, if I thought I’d take on the author profile on Goodreads and publish on B&N, I sure would have said, “Nope, I’m fine with getting through pubbing to Amazon.   Now I’m looking at the pros and cons of selling on Smashwords vs Lulu vs Kobo vs… oh boy, there’s no turning back now.

The main thing is I’m learning a lot. I was beginning to doubt my choice of debuting with a short story, instead of something more substantial and plot-twisting. But this is a great way to get some hands on learning, like doing a trial run. Maybe, I’m not making the big bucks this time around, but how fortunate that I get to learn how to do this indie-publishing thing while making some cash. Most important though, I don’t have to be moping around, sulking, and wondering how all these other writers were living out their dreams.

I’m amazed that I’ve been able to do this!

Oh, and I’ve posted a Freebie Short Story, check it out here.

Onward, right?

Onward, right?

So what else is coming from this Venice Kennedy chick?

Well, I’m going to jump on the next volume in the LOVE BLOOMS SERIES. While I’ve got my WIP novel  “I See You” that I’m revising and hoping, no PLANNING to publish in 2013, I don’t want folks to think I’m one of those ‘publish one short story and then go MIA writers’.  I’m in this for the long haul. I have to write, and I’m more than invested and willing to see where this writing thing takes me.

The next story in the LOVE BLOOMS SERIES, “TENDING DEACON’S GARDEN” is more a novella then short story. It’s also a much darker story.  Darker in the sense of where my characters are emotionally and in regards to the story I’ve put together to connect them. I’m already sweet on my male lead; he’s just a hunk extraordinaire, with a broody exterior, and a heart of gold. He’s all broken and vulnerable, and has a very big reason to be that way. Something horrible happening only makes those truths about him surface.  I hope I can bring him out to you guys the way I ‘feel’ him.  I’m pairing him with a woman who is equally as scarred (more about her later). What happens when two broken-hearted and angry people have no one to turn to but each other? Well, I guess we’ll find out. Lots of tension and yes, passion thrown into the mix. When I say passion I’m not talking about hot sex, sorry. There will be romance, though. And I hope readers will still feel the sizzle!

I think it’s a prudent and wise for me to push myself to get this story out there ASAP. I like the contrast of this more dramatic and heavier story to the lighter BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE. And I think I’ll even attempt to get my feet wet on marketing the story in advance, throw some snippets of it on here, and chat it up a little bit. My confidence is growing, and my purpose in sharing my writing is becoming clearer to me. Purpose? What is Venice up to? Nothing too complicated, or revolutionary.

I do believe I’m trying to do something here. Not exactly sure why though, let’s just say— I’m compelled– to write sweet IRs. Simply, I want to give folks who like sweet IRs a quality story to read and enjoy. It’s not more complicated than that.

Are you 20 people who bought “BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE” with me?!! Then let’s keep it moving people!

😉

Thanks guys!

~venice

Intervention, please!

~Newbie Indie Writer Ramblings~

 

Intervention, please!

Yep, three days into this indie publishing thing on Amazon’s KDP, and I’m already addicted to clicking on the Month-to-Date Unit Sales report thingy. I need help!

Is there already a support group out there somewhere? Somebody drop me a link, please?

My fingers are getting numb…

🙂

Twelve Again? (Newbie Writer Ramblings)

~Newbie Indie Writer Ramblings~

Well, twelve appears to be the magic number. Twelve kindle editions of BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE– sold! Yep, that’s 12, not 1200, not 12,000. Am I disheartened? Nah. Am I disappointed? I’m not sure. I’m still totally jazzed over the fact I’ve got a book (short story) up on Amazon. That I’m a ‘published’ author. And when I do a search for my first book, it keeps popping up, and my name is right next to it. 🙂 I don’t know how those twelve folks came to decide to click that ‘Buy now with 1-Click’ button. Point is – Woo hoo!—they did! Truth is I haven’t done a lick of marketing. Definitely going against everything I’ve read on what you’re supposed to do when you indie-publish a book. I haven’t even blasted a proud shout-out that my new book is available for purchase on the two IR forums I’m active on. Interesting. I’m busy with work, and caretaking an eighty-four old year dad, who every day reveals to me and my sibs a new reason why he needs to be ‘supervised’. But– I could have scrambled to do at least some of that critical marketing other writers are out there doing. For me, this first book has been more like taking a deep cleansing breath while looking out at the journey before me. I have a lot of road to travel, I get that. It’s only just recently that I started feeling like I could own this ‘being a writer’ thing. It might be the reason why I’m here. Not on WordPress, blogging–but in the world. A good friend asked me today—so how does it feel? Being a published writer? Despite the fact I haven’t hit the internet highway to sell my wares, and done all of the marketing I should have – I’m at peace for now with what I’ve accomplished. I was blessed to be led back to my gift after decades of neglecting it, and to be returning to it during a time when a newbie can step out and live their dream to be published, is a wonderful place to be.

I know there have to be a few other writers out there, like myself, green as hell—but slowly making their way. Who are stumbling, and going off the Indie publishing 101 script because their days are full of the unexpected. You guys feel me, right?

BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE was a private victory lap. Someday I hope it’ll hit sales of 1200 – or 12,000!! But for right now, to these twelve people who have bought BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE, I just want to say – Hey, come back around, I’ve got more and better stuff comin’ your way! And what are you twelve folks waiting for – LIKE my book and give me a few five star reviews, too while you’re at it, will ya? 😉

~venice

Twelve Hours

Twelve Hours!

That’s how long it’s gonna be until my first indie published book, a short story titled BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE shows up for sale on Amazon.

Wow!

My intention, when I first started this blog back in March, was to talk about my journey to indie publishing. As you can see, it didn’t exactly happen that way. But—I did end up publishing something in 2012!! Amazing! It’s been a few months of one thing after the next working to distract and put mental and physical roadblocks in my way, so I don’t mind admitting that I’m a bit shell-shocked that I just hit that publish my book button.

I’m wise enough to understand this is a single step. I hope, of course, lots of folks buy and read BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE—hey, I’d love that!!   BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE was supposed to be an entry for a short story contest for a new-on-the-scene interracial romance publisher.  I went back and forth weighing if as a new writer, I’d have a better chance to get publish by looking for publisher or if I should jump on the bandwagon and go the indie publishing route.  That new IR publisher sending out a call for writers didn’t appear to get off the ground, and well— that fallout was the last bit of encouragement I needed to leap into the indie pool.  In some upcoming posts, I’ll share more about writing BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE, which is Vol#1 in my new series called LOVE BLOOMS, which I’ll be talking about, too. I just had to put a marker – right here and now that, sigh—I’m twelve hours to officially becoming a published author.

How cool is that!

~venice

Let’s Do This!

I’m New Here!

I write romance.

I will write romance.

Stories about how the whole world tips, curls, furls and jerks to bring two lonely souls together.

I write IR.

For now, these are the love stories I want to read and write. I can think of a whole lot of reasons why this is so, but you know what? I’m not going to fill up this first post with them.  For now, I’ll say that for me – like the folks finding their destiny in the arms of the one unseen forces have catapulted them into—this is the story of me arriving at the discovery of me being an IR writer. And it feels just as right as finding my true love.

I read IR.

It’s so strange. A few years back, on one of my regular late into the wee hours searching the internet marathons, I ran across an IR book. A real hunk on the cover caught my eye, as did the story synopsis. But, not really sure about my ‘interest’ in reading romance period, I had never been drawn to the genre; I just saved it to my Amazon wish lists.  I did however have a co-worker who was avidly reading them and she occasionally would point out a great IR read to me. The door was cracking open for me.  *creak* My initial hesitation about reading IRs—well, I’ll save reflecting on the reasons for that in another post.

:O

I got a Kindle for Christmas!! I got a Kindle for Christmas!!

See where this is going?

🙂

A couple of years and lots of interracial romance books later…

I’ve got a short story, “BLACKOUT IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE”, which I’m indie-publishing any day (minute) now!! Two more short stories drafted (one of them almost completely outlined) AND a rough draft for a novel “I SEE YOU” I plan to publish in late 2013.

And…

This blog.

LOVE BLOOMS!

There are many interracial romance writers out there.  What makes me so special?

As a writer—I’m growing here, but think I know what kind of stories I want to write. I’ve even found a tag for them.

‘Vibrant Interracial Romance’

What do I mean by ‘vibrant interracial’ romance? I want my stories and characters to resonate — to set off an empathetic vibration in my readers because life has taken them down into some of the same valleys and has them hoping to reach the same mountain tops.

I also want to share with you all my journey to becoming a published IR author.

While I primarily write sweet, sensual, inspirational romance, I have been told my writing can slip into gritty every now and then. And I’m not averse to using a curse word here and there. Just so you know. My critique buddy, Mae Clair, has used the term ‘slice of life’ to describe some of my work, and I guess that’s not only a great compliment, but a realistic description of some of my scene work and dialogue. Thanks, Mae! (More about her coming—Mae Clair who’s first book “Weathering Rock”, a PNR, got picked up by Lyrical Press, is already available on Amazon, B&N, Nook, and ITunes — Congrats, friend!) We’ve shared an amazing journey together; every writer should be blessed to have a writing pal to keep it moving.

Of course, I’ve got tons to learn. About writing, about marketing, indie publishing and what it takes to be a writer putting out books that touch reader’s hearts and or make them think.  But there isn’t anything else I want more than to write stories that connect with you guys. I feel blessed to have the job as my mission in life.

And I plan to have some fun making that happen!

~Venice