I consider myself to be a horror author, but depending on which one of my books you read first, you may have me classified as a vampire novelist or zombie novelist. Though I am both of those things, I am a horror writer with a ton of ideas banging around in my head. It can get very noisy in there.
I am often asked the following:
How do you decide which book to write next?
If I have a contract with a publisher for a book, it's a no-brainer that I'll be writing that book. I'll drop whatever I have in progress to concentrate on the book that is under deadline to make sure I turn it in to my editor in a timely manner. When the revision letter arrives for that book, I will again drop whatever I'm currently writing and concentrate on the contracted book. This happens with the first pass pages and the copyedits when they arrive, too. That's why sometimes my indie books get delayed.
Okay, but you haven't finished my favorite trilogy/series yet, so write the next one!
At this time I have two trilogies and one ongoing series. All three have their third book in a holding pattern. AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES VOL 3 is partially written and needs some major revision. The last book in the PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES trilogy is banging around in my head ready to be born. THE LAMENT OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE, the third in the Vampire Bride series is unfurling in my mind's eye, but needs a ton of research. Fans of all three book series are sending me messages constantly asking for the next book.
Gawd, I'm so relieved that AS THE WORLD DIES is wrapped up and put to bed, otherwise I'd be crazier than I am.
So with the third book (and final book in two cases) waiting to be written for three of my lines, I have to do some math to figure out which one I will write next.
Because when it comes down to the bottom line, it really is about money.
Though I will write all three books, the top-selling series is the one I need to concentrate on. I'm a full-time writer and I have bills to pay, books to publish, and a life to live.
The reason why it took so long for PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS to be written is because the first book, PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES, didn't sell for years. It wasn't until late 2011 that the book suddenly found its audience. When the first book was only selling maybe 50 copies a year, it wasn't really worth my time to cut a chunk out of my writing time to write the sequel. When it jumped up significantly and suddenly sold around 400 copies in one month, I realized that it was time to start on PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS.
So after studying the numbers (sales, units sold, etc), financially it is more lucrative for me to write AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES VOLUME 3. So that will be my next book after I finish PRETTY WHEN THEY COLLIDE (the novella in the same universe as PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES).
But that's not the book I want...
I realize that. I do. But in the end I have to consider the business end of my writing. The next book after ATWD UT Vol 3 will be PRETTY WHEN SHE DESTROYS because of my two vampire series, that is the more popular one right now. THE LAMENT OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE is a much more intensive book to write because of all the research I have to do. It sits third on my list.
Once all three of these books are out, I will once again look at my sales and determine which direction I should go for my next big project.
But I want you to write the next book in ___________series!
This is where fans have clout and don't realize it. If you love one of my series, spread the word! I'm not the only one looking at sales figures. Tor looks at sales, too. The best way to keep a writer in the business of writing books is to buy their book, whether it is self-published or traditionally published. I constantly monitor my sales and see which series are doing well.
Showing posts with label Pretty When She Dies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pretty When She Dies. Show all posts
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Novel-Read it online for FREE!!
Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Novel is now online for your reading pleasure. Most of you are well acquainted with my zombie novels, but may not be too sure about this whole vampire thing. I don't blame you.
A lot of people have grown weary of the sparkly vampires, the romantic hero vampires, the angsty vampires, and the vampires who are just human with fangs. The TV series True Blood has done a very good job of combining the angsty, romantic vampire hero with the blood-thirsty monster of old. I think that is why it has been so popular.
Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Novel is a modern vampire tale where the vampires are NOT nice. It has plenty of blood and gore to satiate the horror fan while incorporating humor, solid characters, and dangerously sexy moments to round out the tale.
If you're nervous about reading my vampire novel, here is your chance to read it for FREE. If you like it, awesome, if not, I understand. But if you do like it, please write a review on Amazon.com, tell your friends, and/or buy a paperback copy.
And if you like Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Tale, you may want to read my upcoming novel from the Library of Horror Press, The Tale of the Vampire Bride.
Read Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Tale for free HERE.
And thanks for your continuing support.
A lot of people have grown weary of the sparkly vampires, the romantic hero vampires, the angsty vampires, and the vampires who are just human with fangs. The TV series True Blood has done a very good job of combining the angsty, romantic vampire hero with the blood-thirsty monster of old. I think that is why it has been so popular.
Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Novel is a modern vampire tale where the vampires are NOT nice. It has plenty of blood and gore to satiate the horror fan while incorporating humor, solid characters, and dangerously sexy moments to round out the tale.
If you're nervous about reading my vampire novel, here is your chance to read it for FREE. If you like it, awesome, if not, I understand. But if you do like it, please write a review on Amazon.com, tell your friends, and/or buy a paperback copy.
And if you like Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Tale, you may want to read my upcoming novel from the Library of Horror Press, The Tale of the Vampire Bride.
Read Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Tale for free HERE.
And thanks for your continuing support.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Pretty When She Dies is Now Available in eBook Formats!!
Due to reader request, we're now selling Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Novel for the low price of $1.99 in several eBook formats. Since it has none of the fancy formatting or a kick ass cover, we decided to offer it at a low price for those who want to download it to a portable device other than Kindle or want to download it to read it on their computer.
Check out the formats here!
We're considering adding the As The World Dies Trilogy as well. Let us know your thoughts.
Thanks!
Check out the formats here!
We're considering adding the As The World Dies Trilogy as well. Let us know your thoughts.
Thanks!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Taliesin Meets Pretty When She Dies!!
One of my all time favorite blogs is Taliesin Meets The Vampires. I really enjoy his reviews of all things vampire and, as I stated before, his blog has introduced me to movies I never knew existed.
A few weeks back he mentioned he wanted to read Pretty When She Dies, so I sent him an eBook version. I just wanted to know what he thought of it since he is such a huge fan of the vampire genre. I wasn't really expecting any kind of review, but when he alerted me he was going to mention it in his blog, I started biting my nails. He is a die hard vampire genre fan. His opinion does mean a lot to me.
So tonight (I am up so damn late) he posted about Pretty When She Dies.
*insert girly scream here*
What I was completely thrilled about was this part:
"However, I was even more impressed with the handling of Cian’s character. Here was one of the gone human, softer and more romantic vampires (though thankfully not angst-ridden) and Rhiannon took him as a character and rebirthed him into vampiredom (as it were) through his interaction with Amaliya. In many respects he was like the genre itself having gone soft, tried to be human and then remembering what it should be."
That is EXACTLY what I wanted to do with Cian's character and I loved taking him from a watered-down, more "human" vampire and bringing him back firmly into his vampiric nature.
I feel so good right now.
So, the cover for ATWD 2 is done. Pretty When She Dies gets a nice shout out.
I'm good.
I'm going to sleep now.
A few weeks back he mentioned he wanted to read Pretty When She Dies, so I sent him an eBook version. I just wanted to know what he thought of it since he is such a huge fan of the vampire genre. I wasn't really expecting any kind of review, but when he alerted me he was going to mention it in his blog, I started biting my nails. He is a die hard vampire genre fan. His opinion does mean a lot to me.
So tonight (I am up so damn late) he posted about Pretty When She Dies.
*insert girly scream here*
What I was completely thrilled about was this part:
"However, I was even more impressed with the handling of Cian’s character. Here was one of the gone human, softer and more romantic vampires (though thankfully not angst-ridden) and Rhiannon took him as a character and rebirthed him into vampiredom (as it were) through his interaction with Amaliya. In many respects he was like the genre itself having gone soft, tried to be human and then remembering what it should be."
That is EXACTLY what I wanted to do with Cian's character and I loved taking him from a watered-down, more "human" vampire and bringing him back firmly into his vampiric nature.
I feel so good right now.
So, the cover for ATWD 2 is done. Pretty When She Dies gets a nice shout out.
I'm good.
I'm going to sleep now.
Monday, December 8, 2008
A Quickie Update
This weekend was an epic fail on all counts. *sigh*
Basically, I was sick all weekend, miserable, cranky, weepy, and heavily medicated. I laid on the sofa and stared at the TV most of it. The upside to being taken down and out by the common cold was that I actually relaxed and watched some movies I had been meaning to see. The hubby and I saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Doom Generation, The Orphanage, and 2001 Space Odyssey. Yep, that's a pretty diverse set of movies, but they were all very good in their own way.
Because of my illness, I didn't get any writing down that I can boast about. I did get a little bit written on my newest short story on Friday night, but Saturday morning I woke up feeling like a zombie and that was that. I hope to jump back in really soon and finish that story up. I really like it a lot.
As The World Dies: The First Days continues to sell really well. I want to thank everyone who has recommended it to friends, forums, family members, and zombie fanatics. I sincerely believe that the fans are the ones fueling the sales. Just on Amazon.com alone, the book has sold over 400 copies since it was published on August 15, 2008. The sales from Kindle and other sources have pushed the total number ever closer to 500. It's very exciting as an Indie Author to see this number increasing. In all honesty, I did not know how well the book would do when I decided to go on this path. I had read where some Indie Authors only sold 50 books in the first 6 months after publication. To have the book doing so well is a confirmation that zombie fans are embracing the story with two female leads and enjoying it.
As The World Dies: Fighting To Survive continues to be on track for publication. I received the edits from the editor today in the mail. It feels awesome to have the edits in my anxious little hands.
Meanwhile, Pretty When She Dies is having a slow start. I anticipated this because I haven't really done much promotion for the novel. The first two interviews for the novel are not happening until February and I have yet to send out the review copies. Also, without the Look Inside feature and more reviews up on Amazon.com, I think its going to be slow going for a little while. But I do believe that once vampire fans discover the book, it will do well. Hell, I'm a vampire fan and I totally love it. And I'm VERY hard on my own writing.
One last thing, As The World Dies: The First Days is the book club selection of the book club I'm a part of. Oh, my gawth! I'm nervous! But the hostess finished the book in 24 hours and told me she loved it, so maybe I won't get burned at the stake.
*bites nails*
I'll keep you updated as things move forward on the next book in the zombie trilogy.
Basically, I was sick all weekend, miserable, cranky, weepy, and heavily medicated. I laid on the sofa and stared at the TV most of it. The upside to being taken down and out by the common cold was that I actually relaxed and watched some movies I had been meaning to see. The hubby and I saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Doom Generation, The Orphanage, and 2001 Space Odyssey. Yep, that's a pretty diverse set of movies, but they were all very good in their own way.
Because of my illness, I didn't get any writing down that I can boast about. I did get a little bit written on my newest short story on Friday night, but Saturday morning I woke up feeling like a zombie and that was that. I hope to jump back in really soon and finish that story up. I really like it a lot.
As The World Dies: The First Days continues to sell really well. I want to thank everyone who has recommended it to friends, forums, family members, and zombie fanatics. I sincerely believe that the fans are the ones fueling the sales. Just on Amazon.com alone, the book has sold over 400 copies since it was published on August 15, 2008. The sales from Kindle and other sources have pushed the total number ever closer to 500. It's very exciting as an Indie Author to see this number increasing. In all honesty, I did not know how well the book would do when I decided to go on this path. I had read where some Indie Authors only sold 50 books in the first 6 months after publication. To have the book doing so well is a confirmation that zombie fans are embracing the story with two female leads and enjoying it.
As The World Dies: Fighting To Survive continues to be on track for publication. I received the edits from the editor today in the mail. It feels awesome to have the edits in my anxious little hands.
Meanwhile, Pretty When She Dies is having a slow start. I anticipated this because I haven't really done much promotion for the novel. The first two interviews for the novel are not happening until February and I have yet to send out the review copies. Also, without the Look Inside feature and more reviews up on Amazon.com, I think its going to be slow going for a little while. But I do believe that once vampire fans discover the book, it will do well. Hell, I'm a vampire fan and I totally love it. And I'm VERY hard on my own writing.
One last thing, As The World Dies: The First Days is the book club selection of the book club I'm a part of. Oh, my gawth! I'm nervous! But the hostess finished the book in 24 hours and told me she loved it, so maybe I won't get burned at the stake.
*bites nails*
I'll keep you updated as things move forward on the next book in the zombie trilogy.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Pretty When She Dies Is Now Available on Amazon.com!!!
The book has now gone live on Amazon.com! You can now take advantage of Amazon's special deals and grab a copy of the book with your other orders.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Vampires! Vampires! And More Vampires! And True Blood!
It seems the world has gone vampire crazy. They are everywhere right now from movies to TV to books. I've seen them on t-shirts, bags, and magazines. Vampires are all around us and looking pretty healthy for being undead.
I recently talked about two recent vampire genre movies, Let The Right One In and Twilight . The first movie was flawless, amazing, and officially one of my all-time favorite movies. As for Edward and the Fangless Gang, it was fun, but nothing earth-shattering (except for Dr. Carlisle Cullen...yummmmmmmmmmy!!).
True Blood, the TV series, has been a guilty pleasure of mine for weeks now. I have read all but the latest Sookie Stackhouse books and I enjoy them tremendously. Charlaine Harris has not gone down the same road with Sookie that Laurell K. Hamilton did with Anita Blake where she has a harem of men (thank God!) and I enjoy that aspect of the books. Sookie is delicious, but her love life is not easy. I have to admit, despite the plot lines in the books, I'm still a big Bill fan.
But there has always been a few things that bugged me about the books. One thing was the severe lack of black people in Louisiana. That has been remedied in the TV series in spades and I'm relieved for it. It gives it that Louisiana feel that sometimes lacks in the books. There is a distinct vibe in Louisiana the second you hit the border and the show does a pretty good job capturing it. Also, the books are VERY chaste compared to the show. I was so relieved when they actually swore on the show and had sex scenes. Again, it felt more "real" in my perception. I love the casting, love the acting (the accents still suck though) and I am solidly on board for Season Two.
Frankly, Season One on DVD cannot come soon enough!!
But the one thing I do love most about True Blood and Let The Right One In is that these vampires are DANGEROUS. They will fuck you up. They will kill you or make you wish you were dead. They are not pretty humans with fangs. They are something different. Something to be afraid of.
When I wrote Pretty When She Dies, I wanted to get back to that danger. I wanted to get back to that feral, dark power. My vampires are sexy and alluring, but they will rip your throat out. They will rip you apart. They can act very human, but they are still killers at heart and not "safe" at all. Even with each other, there is an element of danger. Vampire sex and romance do have their place in Pretty When She Dies, but at its heart its a tale of terror.
I checked on Amazon.com today and it looks like the novel is going live there soon. I've had a few fans ask if its cool if they get it from Amazon.com and my answer is "of course!" I totally understand how its easier to buy from there if you're buying lots of other things from Amazon.com. I'm dying to hear your feedback, so please drop me a line after you get the book and read it.
I want to give a shout out to a cool blog I check out for really kick ass reviews on everything vampire. He usually has some really good insights into vampire movies (of all kinds) and I've added a few films to my "to view" list based off his recommendations. Check out
Taliesin Meets the Vampire
Meanwhile, I'm taking a break this week from writing (or at least trying to) and then its back to work.
Thanks again for all your support!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Second Preview of Pretty When She Dies is Up!!!
If you already read chapters one to three in the previous preview, check out chapter four now!! Also in the special preview is the projected release date of the novel.
Enjoy!!!
Second Preview of Pretty When She Dies
Enjoy!!!
Second Preview of Pretty When She Dies
I Got The Final Edits for Pretty When She Dies!!!
The first comment out the mouth of the final proof reader was, "Love the sex scenes!"
*blushes and crawls under her desk*
*blushes and crawls under her desk*
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Pretty When She Dies Update and More!!!
I handed off the proof copy of Pretty When She Dies to the final proof reader on Tuesday. She was pretty excited to get her hands on it and gave me the biggest grin. I anticipate her getting the final edits back to me next Tuesday. After that, I just have to make the changes and upload to the publisher. I believe we are on track to have the book out the final week in November.
I've been handling a few queries about Pretty When She Dies, which I find very exciting. The As The World Dies Zombie Trilogy was originally online, so it had a built in fan base. I was a little concerned about Pretty When She Dies because it did not originate online. But the response at Fear Fest to the novel and the queries I have received do give hope that readers will find it intriguing.
Update!
The proof reader is loving the book and moving through it swiftly. It looks like we're on track!I do feel that Pretty When She Dies has something to add to the vampire genre. It's a break away from the paranormal romance and recent urban fantasy novels. I'm not sure what I would classify it as, but it has got its own pulse going.
Meanwhile, I'm almost done with the As The World Dies: Fighting to Survive rewrite. I hope to have it with the editors sometime next week. Which feels AWESOME!
All in all things are going well right now. I can't complain. If you have any questions about the Indie Author movement or about the books, please drop me a line at gothgoddessrhia at gmail.com.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I Love My Vampires!
The Pretty When She Dies proof copy has arrived. I can't stop looking at it. The cover looks so awesome! It's very striking and intense.
I'll announce a release date on here very soon.
I'm so excited!
I'll announce a release date on here very soon.
I'm so excited!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
So Basically This Is What Is Going On....
Good news and bad news in this post. I actually put off posting until I had a good handle on what exactly was happening (or not happening) in this craziness I call my life.
First things first...
New Website Is Up!!
Check out my new and improved website! My husband has totally revamped it and I think it looks pretty cool. He was not satisfied with the first version. I liked it, but I saw his point. I think the new one looks really good.
I'm Not Going to BiteFest....WAAAAAAAAH
Our car continues to give us issues. We considered renting a car to head down to San Antonio, but I just started getting flash fevers and I'm having issues with asthma. I know this feeling oh too well. I'm getting sick. So we have opted to cancel (sadly) and stay home. I think I'm going to go on a horror movie marathon to make myself feel better.
*sigh*
Maybe next year...
I'm Not Going to Zombie Fest at the Monroeville Mall...but As The World Dies Is!!!
Dr. Pus is a total love and he is taking pamphlets of the book to Zombie Fest with him. They have the first part of Chapter One in them along with information on where to buy the book and a little bio about me. I'm so excited! He is SUCH a great guy to do this for me. He will also be putting them as bookmarks in the first Library of the Living Dead novel called "Dead Tide." It just came out, so I haven't read it yet, but you may want to check it out.
What Katie (from ATWD) and I Have In Common
We share the same voice! I am now doing the voice work for Katie Kiel in the Library of the Living Dead Podcast! Episode #65 will be my debut. I think I'm doing a fairly good job doing her voice. I absolutely adore the voice work of April as Jenni. Her performance is GREAT! And Dr. Pus is doing a fantastic job at narrating the story. I'm so excited about this endeavor and I hope you check it out.
Pretty When She Dies Is Closer to Publication!!!
If you love vampires, please check out my new vampire novel, Pretty When She Dies, when it is released. I think you will really like it. It's modern, its fun, it's gruesome, it's sexy, and it's intense.
The new cover is now done and the proof copy of the novel is ready to be reviewed by the proof reader.
Check out the final version of the cover!
I absolutely love it!
Once the proof copy is reviewed, we will set a publication date and announce it on my blog and website. The first chapter will probably be going up sometime tomorrow night for you to get a sneak peak at.
Amazon. Com Reviews
If you hop over to Amazon.com and look up my book, you'll see that reviews have been coming in for both the paperback and Kindle version of ATWD:The First Days. Yes, I do read the reviews. I do it for two reasons:
1. To find out what people think of the story and characters
2. To see if there is any critiques I can learn from
My husband takes negative comments a lot harder than I do and I love him for that. I do try to examine what is being said and determine if I need to adapt. So far, nothing has really stood out to me.
We have been praised (and criticized) for the editing of the book. This does not really bother me considering we had 3 editors work on the novel. All are highly qualified to do that job and I felt they did a good job. If there is a goof up, it was probably me missing one of their editing notes. Plus, I have read so many NYC bestsellers filled with misspelled words and grammar mistakes, I just kinda shrug it off. I can't do much more than I am with all my proof readers and the editors scouring the books for any goofs I committed.
As for remarks on the plot or characters, I read those comments, consider them, and discuss them with my husband. So far I think the comments that have been made are very subjective. It reminds me of the old days when the story was online and there were comments about a variety of things that didn't make much sense to me.
For example:
Comment: Katie is a lesbian so she should be hooking up with Jenni.
My Answer: Katie is actually bisexual (is attracted to both men and women) and Jenni is straight. Their relationship was that of sisters/best friends. There is no reason for them to "hook up."
Comment: Isn't it convenient how they find a hunting store and everyone has guns..not realistic!!!
My Answer: I had to wonder if this person had EVER been to Texas.
Comment: Jenni is so dreamy and off-kilter in the beginning and its all nightmarish and surreal...why does that stop? ...not realistic!!
My Answer: Err...she comes out of shock...and gets a gun. And wants revenge on the zombies.
Comment: pfffffffft..an old woman who was an Israeli sniper...yeah right!
My Answer: I know one in real life. It happens. Get over it.
And it goes on and on and on....hehehehehee... I've come to realize people are always going to have an opinion on how they perceive that the story should go, or how a character should act, or how you should write the book in general. And they absolutely, positively have a right to that opinion. But in the end, its my story and I have to write it the way I see fit.
But if someone were to point out a legitimate issue with a plot point or in the character development, I would embrace that in a second and learn from it. I have in the past and I will in the future. I am not a perfect writer, but I try damn hard.
So far, I really like all the reviews I've read and I'm so pleased that those people took the time to write them. I am very thankful.
Of course, when that one star review comes in....I may rant. :)
Meanwhile...
FearFest 3 is coming up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and I will be there!!! If you're anywhere in the area, please come by and say hi!!!
In closing, it's a crazy but good time right now.
Thank you for all your support!!
First things first...
New Website Is Up!!
Check out my new and improved website! My husband has totally revamped it and I think it looks pretty cool. He was not satisfied with the first version. I liked it, but I saw his point. I think the new one looks really good.
I'm Not Going to BiteFest....WAAAAAAAAH
Our car continues to give us issues. We considered renting a car to head down to San Antonio, but I just started getting flash fevers and I'm having issues with asthma. I know this feeling oh too well. I'm getting sick. So we have opted to cancel (sadly) and stay home. I think I'm going to go on a horror movie marathon to make myself feel better.
*sigh*
Maybe next year...
I'm Not Going to Zombie Fest at the Monroeville Mall...but As The World Dies Is!!!
Dr. Pus is a total love and he is taking pamphlets of the book to Zombie Fest with him. They have the first part of Chapter One in them along with information on where to buy the book and a little bio about me. I'm so excited! He is SUCH a great guy to do this for me. He will also be putting them as bookmarks in the first Library of the Living Dead novel called "Dead Tide." It just came out, so I haven't read it yet, but you may want to check it out.
What Katie (from ATWD) and I Have In Common
We share the same voice! I am now doing the voice work for Katie Kiel in the Library of the Living Dead Podcast! Episode #65 will be my debut. I think I'm doing a fairly good job doing her voice. I absolutely adore the voice work of April as Jenni. Her performance is GREAT! And Dr. Pus is doing a fantastic job at narrating the story. I'm so excited about this endeavor and I hope you check it out.
Pretty When She Dies Is Closer to Publication!!!
If you love vampires, please check out my new vampire novel, Pretty When She Dies, when it is released. I think you will really like it. It's modern, its fun, it's gruesome, it's sexy, and it's intense.
The new cover is now done and the proof copy of the novel is ready to be reviewed by the proof reader.
Check out the final version of the cover!
I absolutely love it!Once the proof copy is reviewed, we will set a publication date and announce it on my blog and website. The first chapter will probably be going up sometime tomorrow night for you to get a sneak peak at.
Amazon. Com Reviews
If you hop over to Amazon.com and look up my book, you'll see that reviews have been coming in for both the paperback and Kindle version of ATWD:The First Days. Yes, I do read the reviews. I do it for two reasons:
1. To find out what people think of the story and characters
2. To see if there is any critiques I can learn from
My husband takes negative comments a lot harder than I do and I love him for that. I do try to examine what is being said and determine if I need to adapt. So far, nothing has really stood out to me.
We have been praised (and criticized) for the editing of the book. This does not really bother me considering we had 3 editors work on the novel. All are highly qualified to do that job and I felt they did a good job. If there is a goof up, it was probably me missing one of their editing notes. Plus, I have read so many NYC bestsellers filled with misspelled words and grammar mistakes, I just kinda shrug it off. I can't do much more than I am with all my proof readers and the editors scouring the books for any goofs I committed.
As for remarks on the plot or characters, I read those comments, consider them, and discuss them with my husband. So far I think the comments that have been made are very subjective. It reminds me of the old days when the story was online and there were comments about a variety of things that didn't make much sense to me.
For example:
Comment: Katie is a lesbian so she should be hooking up with Jenni.
My Answer: Katie is actually bisexual (is attracted to both men and women) and Jenni is straight. Their relationship was that of sisters/best friends. There is no reason for them to "hook up."
Comment: Isn't it convenient how they find a hunting store and everyone has guns..not realistic!!!
My Answer: I had to wonder if this person had EVER been to Texas.
Comment: Jenni is so dreamy and off-kilter in the beginning and its all nightmarish and surreal...why does that stop? ...not realistic!!
My Answer: Err...she comes out of shock...and gets a gun. And wants revenge on the zombies.
Comment: pfffffffft..an old woman who was an Israeli sniper...yeah right!
My Answer: I know one in real life. It happens. Get over it.
And it goes on and on and on....hehehehehee... I've come to realize people are always going to have an opinion on how they perceive that the story should go, or how a character should act, or how you should write the book in general. And they absolutely, positively have a right to that opinion. But in the end, its my story and I have to write it the way I see fit.
But if someone were to point out a legitimate issue with a plot point or in the character development, I would embrace that in a second and learn from it. I have in the past and I will in the future. I am not a perfect writer, but I try damn hard.
So far, I really like all the reviews I've read and I'm so pleased that those people took the time to write them. I am very thankful.
Of course, when that one star review comes in....I may rant. :)
Meanwhile...
FearFest 3 is coming up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and I will be there!!! If you're anywhere in the area, please come by and say hi!!!
In closing, it's a crazy but good time right now.
Thank you for all your support!!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Interview, Website, and other Fun Stuff!!!
The Odd Mind Magazine Talk Radio Interview!!!
My interview Monday night with AngelLesa of The Odd Mind Magazine was quite a bit of fun. I rambled on (as I'm tend to do) a few times, but I felt we had a good discussion on why I chose to be an Indie Author and about As The World Dies: The First Days.Indie Author Thoughts
Someone asked me if any publishers have approached me. The answer is yes. What did they discuss with me? That is private, but I am still standing firm at this time to being an Indie. Will my mind change in the future. I don't know. I would have to consider any offer made very seriously and see if its in sync with my personal writing goals.
But even if I do sign with a publisher at any point, I will STILL be putting out my own books and free fiction. I just love the whole process of creating my own novel from the story itself to how it is presented.
Progress
Website Update
My husband is also revising my website. Since we are new to the publishing game, we're still figuring things out and he realized we needed to revamp the site. The new version should be going live soon. Once we're sure we have what we like, we'll most likely be moving the site to rhiannonfrater.com at the end of the year or the beginning of next.As The World Dies: Fighting To Survive
I'm writing away. Writing on the way to work, on my lunch hour, and on the way home. The evening is left for spending some time with my husband and having dinner, before diving into the edits for Pretty When She Dies. But what I am writing out by hand for ATWD2 is really, really awesome and a lot of fun. Today was a huge Jenni scene that I forgot to write the first time around. Or maybe I thought I had written it. I was shocked to not find it when I read through the story. It left a big huge plot hole and it left me shaking my head.That is definitely one good thing about the rewrite: patching up the holes!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Sweet Dreams of Zombies and Vampires
Book Signing v 2.0
Saturday went quite well at the book signing. I actually signed books! That were already bought and brought in for me to sign, but, hey, I actually got to sign my lil' name! Everyone was cool about the shipment not arriving on time and the store has asked me back on October 11, 2008. That is the day the Zombie Ball happens at Elysium down on Red River and 7th in Austin, Texas. The store will be supporting the ball by doing a little pre-party and I will be there with my zombie novel.
I Feel Famous!!
The book shipment came in Monday. I dropped the pre-ordered books off at Secret Oktober. I also left five copies for whoever wants to snatch up a copy locally. While I was hanging out talking to my friend (who is the owner), she got a phone call from someone asking if the book was in stock. They wanted to pick one up. She was grinning like crazy when speaking to the customer and pitched the October 11th book signing. I was glowing!I Feel Famous!!
The As The World Dies t-shirt RAWKS
My husband wore it this weekend and got a ton of compliments. It's really awesome. So go ahead and order one if you want one. They're really cool. I'm going to see if a local Austin t-shirt vendor can make the shirts for me locally, so we'll have them at the conventions next year.
Pretty When She Dies-A Vampire Novel
Well, what can I say? I do tend to be a ditz at times. I thought I had done all the revisions on the novel, but could not find the first nine chapters when I sat down to do them. So I thought that maybe I had already done them and forgotten. Uh. Yeah. That would make life easy. I botched it and didn't do those nine chapters. I am not going to put my copy editor through that kind of hell. So I'm reading through the chapters and fixing them up.This is the novel I wrote in two and a half weeks. Because I was writing as fast as my little fingers could go, I have a lot of run on sentences. To be specific, I linked two sentences with an "and" that didn't need to be linked. If that makes sense.
Anyway, fixing that issue.
We're still trying to get this one out ASAP.
I hope to get the first chapter or two up on Scribd so you can take a sneak beak.
I've Been Interviewed!
CL. Fiere, the editor-in-chief of TREI Literary Magazine, contacted me recently about an interview for the October issue of the online magazine. I was thrilled to answer her questions and my interview is now up! Please check it out!
The entire magazine is fabulous and you'll have plenty to read and enjoy. I'm so glad to be part of such a wonderful issue.
And this zombie girl from TREI Literary Magazine will eat you if you don't check it out.
How's that to give you nightmares?
Dr. Pus Loves Me...or at Least My Book
To finish this off, I must give you the fabulous news that Dr. Pus' Library of the Living Dead podcast will feature the ENTIRE novel of As The World Dies: The First Days complete with voice actors, sound effects, music and Dr. Pus' own narration. Of course, this won't be dumped into one podcast, but spread out over time. I'm so excited!
Finally...
I'm making headway with As The World Dies: Fighting to Survive. I'm even dreaming about Jenni and Katie and lots and lots of zombies. That is a good thing, of course. It keeps me inspired.
I have to admit the best part of the book signing was when one woman said to me, "When is the next one coming out? I'm on pins and needles!"
It's coming. I promise. It's coming!
And One More Thing...
Here is a mock up of the cover for Pretty When She Dies. Rose Munoz of Excentric Visions Photography has been kind enough to let me use her awesome photograph on the cover!
I'm so excited!
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