Thursday 13: What I've Learned

One of the most-asked questions I get about my new book, The List (buy it on Amazon!) is how I wrote the book, and what I've learned. Here's a list of 13 answers to those questions.



1. I always think of my creative ideas in the middle of the night, like a dream.
2. Once I have an idea, it doesn't let go until I do something about it - write it down, etc.
3. I needed something to push me to write, I couldn't get motivated on my own, so I participated in National Novel Writing Month, at NaNoWriMo.com
4. For one month, I wrote about 3000 words per night to finish the contest.
5. I learned that I can do anything that I put my mind to.
6. I've also learned not to give up.
7. Another lesson: you have to fight for what you believe in. You'll have a lot of people tell you "no" or think you're crazy.
8. If you have other people that believe in you, it makes things easier.
9. Rejection letters are to be saved for when you are proven right, and then rolled around in. (This day has yet to come, but it will!)
10. Self-marketing is the hardest kind of marketing I've ever done.
11. I've also learned that a good editor is probably worth the outrageous price you'll pay.
12. Writing takes discipline. And patience. Both something I lack, but I learned.
13. Write what you know.


Home of the new Thursday 13

The Virtual Book Tour Continues

Today, I'm being interviewed by my blog-friend and Vegas soul-mate's blog, the Virginia Monologues. She asked some great questions about my novel, The List, and how I wrote the romantic comedy. She asks if I like the genre of chick-lit, who are my fave authors, how much is autobiographical, etc., so I hope you'll stop by and leave a comment!

Local Fame

In case you didn't see it on my Facebook or Twitter posts, here's a link to a newspaper article (that was featured on the FRONT PAGE of my hometown paper) about me and The List.

Read the article

I'll be adding this to my press kit shortly.

The article mentions that I'll be appearing as an exhibitor with my romantic comedy book at the 2009 Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, Va on March 21. I have no idea how many books to take with me. I'm open to suggestions. :) Do people sell a lot of books at book fairs, or mostly network?

Guest Blogging

In case you can't get enough of my ramblings here, I'm guest blogging today over on Love, Romance, Passion. Don't worry, it's nothing sappy, it's just about how I got the idea for this book, the process of writing, etc.

It's the New Zoo Review Contest!

EXTENDED, new end date Feb. 26.

Welcome to the easiest contest ever.

Almost 60 of you should now have, or be getting very soon, your one-of-a-kind, signed copy of "The List." If you don't have a copy, you can buy one now!

I have four reviews so far on Amazon, all great (aw, shucks *blushes*), but I want more, more, more!

So here's all you need to do to enter. Read the book you received. Go to my Amazon page and write a review (you may have to log into Amazon.)

How easy is that?

Anyone that writes a review between now and February 9 (that gives you a while to read it) gets entered in the contest. (You'll need to let me know in comments on this blog if you have a username that isn't obvious as to who you are.) If you're one of the lovely folks that's already left a review, you rock, and you're already entered once.

If you copy your review onto the Facebook page in the review section, you get TWO entries. (So those of you who reviewed on Amazon can be entered again if you do this part.)

On Feb. 10, I'll randomly select a name (probably from a hat) and that person will win a $50 hotel discount card, and a really cool new "The List" bookmark.

If I made the contest any easier, I'd just hand someone the prize, and that's no fun!

13 Wacky Items on Candace's List

More and more people are telling me that the theme of the book really resonates with their life. Well, duh! ;) Everywhere I go people are telling me "My wife had a list!" or "My list has that!"

Here is a list of 13 things that are on Candace's list the main character in my romantic novel, The List. (They're in no particular order) You can now buy The List on Amazon, made easy thanks to this sentence of shameless self promotion.



1. Likes to hold hands
2. Has good taste in furniture
3. Doesn't live with Mom
4. Not a vegetarian
5. No tattoos
6. No piercings
7. Hair in the right amounts and in the right places
8. Good kisser
9. Not tone-deaf
10. Likes to dance
11. Has a steady income (no moochers!)
12. Good dresser
13. Taller than me


Home of the new Thursday 13

Excerpt Post

Wow! I'm learning a lot about book marketing and promotion from my Facebook and Twitter author friends. My new friend Sara, author of paranormal romances (check out her blog) pointed out that I didn't have an excerpt from the book on my site. (Duh, she says as she *slaps* her forehead.)

So I added it to my list, and now it's live! It's a snippet from the first chapter.

READ THE EXCERPT

Of course, after reading it, you'll want to buy the whole book! Which you can do on Amazon.