I know. I know.
He shows up in a lot of novels. You know who I'm talking about. It is that dark brooding bad boy that we all love. We love the guy who can't be tamed and whose rough exterior hides passion and allure. The heroine may hate the man or want to fix the dude, but no matter what by the end of the story she is with him. You might want to roll your eyes at this theme, but it is as old as time. There are many instances of this trope in classic literature, and it became particularly prominent in the 1800s. A famous example is Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights or Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre (I read that when I was sixteen.) Anyway, the point is, this guy is here to stay, and he offers a particular challenge for authors. You see the character must be bad to bring that danger and tension to the story, but he can't be so bad that he turns into the bad guy. Also, there is a slim line that must be walked so that we don't hate the character by the end of the novel. I have had that happen to me before. As I write I keep in mind the characters overall morality and likeability. This is complex. I have to have him honorable in some ways but ruthless in others. I want him cold yet with his love match, he has fire. I need that compassion in some places, but we all love a rule breaker, don't we? I tend to like outsiders because I feel that way in my own life. So often my bad boys are not family oriented, but I want them to yearn for connection. I am working on a character like this right now. He is a handful, but I'm getting there. I can't wait for you to meet him in 5:05 a.m.
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There is a saying that goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
No matter what you choose to do, that saying holds true. Writing a novel is no small journey. And writing lots and lots of them and building a writing career is no joke. I think no matter what, we all have to start somewhere and that is what I am doing. After 3:05 a.m. came out, I felt like I was back to square one. Because of taking so long to release my book, I had to try and remember what to do like I am a new author again. And then I realized, it might always be this way. Every book that I release into the world is new and shiny and I don't know what is going to happen next. I can plan and guess, but in the end, it's a surprise. What I do know? I know I can't worry about it. I have come to discover that I have to accept the good with the bad. I am here and showing up as an author because I must create. I write to breathe and if people love it, great. If not, it changes nothing. I must write. I must. We would like to give a big thank you to all of you who did a review for our new Ice Era Chronicle. 3:05 a.m.
Reviews are so important because rarely will someone give a book a chance if they have zero reviews next to the picture. For everyone who said a little something good and bad, thank you. When I first started writing, I used the hate any reviews. If they were five stars, I used to think I didn't deserve that rating. When I look at a book, I can see the mistakes I've made. And as for the one star? That is just a big giant bummer. Now, it's all cool. I like the five stars because I am happy that I created something that gave you some enjoyment. If you offer one star... it's okay if it wasn't your bag. Life is full of books that I shrugged at, but in the end, I always keep in mind that someone spent their time to write that and so good on them. Anway, one more time. Again, thank you for the reviews my friends. And if you are on a kick, stop by some other author pages and do some more. If you are at work, don't worry about it. Your boss won't mind. Digital publishing is everywhere in this day and age. And while it poses challenges, it also offers opportunities for writers.
Writers like me. For me, I know it is important to explore a range of places to publish so that I can cast a wide net. I don't know where my readers are, but I am actively looking for them. They might be holding their phone instead of a paperback. And that's cool. Right now, there are new trends to publishing that are showing up every day. They vary from site to site, app to app, as well as the models for reading and payment. That's why I must forge partnerships with many popular online novel platforms. This way I can release my books in multiple markets and give them the nest chance for success. I know some of you don't love reading on your kindle or your phone, but some of you do. If you do like a digital book, you can find me on Kindle Villa, Kindle, Nook, or even Novelcat or Webnovel or Dreame. When I am not working directly with Troll River Publications on my Ice Era Chronicles, I am expanding on other sites! You've probably heard the old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Well, I do it and you might do it too. In the end, the cover of a book ultimately matters. Yes, yes, the writing and the story are important. However, for readers to judge the merit of your book, you need to first convince them to put in the time to read it. And this is where covers come into play.
For me, this is a place that I struggle with. I like super sexy covers that let you know you are going to be reading the steamy things. At the same time I don't want someone to be holding a book with a half naked man on the cover. So back and forth I go. In today's world, readers are slammed with images, all vying for their attention. Physical bookstores and online ones alike display dozens of titles in any one genre or style, all of which will seem interchangeable to the customer they target. How do you increase the odds the book they pick is yours? This is a good question and I have not found the answer. As it is, right now I just choose what feels like the pictures and designs that capture what this book is about. Its the best I can do without a huge marketing team behind me. Honestly, I think the blurb is what gets the reader to take a book home, but I could be wrong. I have never chosen a book purely on the cover art alone. I have to read the back. Do people just choose a book by the cover? If they do, I have not met them. |
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