My First Sale
A DJ on the radio asked listeners to think about the careers they had once dreamed of having when they were children. I thought long and hard about it and ran through my list...I'd wanted to be a medical doctor (ugh. too much school), a vet (allergic to a million things), a child psychiatrist (wtf?), a chef (still holding on to this one), an artist (not enough money per my dad) and a writer. That last one took me by surprise because I'd completely forgotten that once upon a time, I'd wanted to be a writer when I grew up. So how, if I'd forgotten I'd wanted to be a writer, did I end up here? Well, lemme tell you...
Scroll back about fifteen years. Sitting in a sociology course, I had an instructor who loved to hear himself talk. I mean LOVED. While sitting there bemoaning the mandatory attendance requirement, I thought up a story about a servant and a land owner (think pre-Civil War) who embark into a marriage agreement so that he can keep his inheritance. For the next year, whenever I had a course that bored me to tears, I whipped out my story idea and wrote an actual story to go along with it. When school ended, so did my writing. I had to go work in the real world...with only 1 1/2 chapters left to go. To this day, I still have 1 1/2 chapters left of the story. One day I'll finish it. But I digress....
Scroll back about eight months ago. While perusing a publisher site for kicks and giggles, someone mentioned joining NaNo. Being the internet detective that I am, I went to the site. After reading some more, I figured, what the heck...and signed up. Since it was only October, I also figured I'd better practice since my writing was a little rusty. So I thought up a story about a man who dies. But then comes back - in a new time & place. After I finished the first two chapters, I gave them to my secretary to read. She became engrossed in the story and refused to talk to me until I'd handed her the next chapter. And the next. And the next. All of a sudden, I was writing The End.
I was very proud when I handed her that final chapter. If I say so myself, it was a pretty good story. She thought so too. She called me out of a meeting to gush over the story. And my head got too big to fit through doorways. And when she told me to submit it to a publisher, my head was so big it barely fit into the car for the ride home.
Once again, what the heck? flashed through my mind. And I submitted it to this e-publisher with a good reputation and fair terms. The fact that their authors had positive things to say about them didn't hurt either. And on Christmas Day while sitting at work I opened up my email to find a letter from Deanna Lee letting me know that she enjoyed my story too.
SOLDIER released from Cobblestone Press in April of 2008. Since then I've been contracted for an additional two stories with Cobblestone. I'm only looking forward from here. Who knew that a little kid a zillion years ago could have predicted the direction her life would head? I'm glad she did.
Hugs,
Dee
__________________
Dee Carney (aka Morgan Sierra)
SOLDIER available now at Cobblestone Press
Also coming CAREER OPPORTUNITIES and THE FALLEN
http://www.deecarney.com/
Monday, June 09, 2008
Sunday, June 08, 2008
An Interview with Leila Brown
Woo HOO!! An interview with Leila Brown!
Can you tell us a little about yourself? Well let’s see…I’m an avid reader. Always have been, always will be. I enjoy a good story whether it’s romance, science fiction, or horror. I’m in it for the story. That’s what I strive for. In every story I write I try to provide my readers with a great story first and foremost.
Were you a reader before you became a writer? Oh yes. I could read 3-4 category romances a day or one and a half single titles. I spent hundreds of dollars a month on books.
Did you always aspire to be an author? Was writing a passion of yours? Yes. I started writing in the second grade. Unfortunately, I didn’t win that first writing contest. But it created the need to write.
Have you always had the writing bug? And how long have you been writing? I’ve been writing seriously since 2002. I entered contest but didn’t start sending my work out to publishing companies until 2005.
Your real job is very different (non-creative) from writing. Does this difference drive your imagination? Some days. My day job as a computer programmer/analysts can be a drain. If I’m dealing with a particular hard problem or training people then I use the creative juices try to come up with ways to explain technical things to non-technical people. Other days I find myself coming up with new ideas while I work. I keep a notebook handy for just such an occasion.
What is the best part of being a writer? Creating stories that entertain me and getting paid for it.
How did you get your break and sell your first book? It’s kind of funny. The first book I sold will actually be my fourth book released. When Cobblestone Press first came out with their Vampire Oracle line I loved the oracle card images. I submitted three proposals. Battle, Lust, and Hunger. On Aug. 10th 2007 (like how I remember the date?) the publisher contacted me and expressed how much she liked my Hunger proposal. But she felt it fit the Sacrifice card better. After reading through her reasoning, I had to agree.
Has your writing made you adjust your lifestyle in any way? I’ve learned sleep is for wimps! No, actually I learned to take care of my family first. After that the day job and finally all free time is spent on writing and promoting my books.
Are you planning on writing any series books or do you have any more books that lead on from your existing titles that we should know about? You betcha. The sequel to The Diamond Heartstone is The Pearl Heartstone. I am working on that one right now. It’s the story of how the nasty prince meets his match.
The sequel to A Chance Encounter is also in the works. It will detail how Monique, Heather business partner and best friend, gets caught by her own set of powerful Faeries. Yes, it’s another ménage.
And…as if that wasn’t enough, in September and October of this year I will be releasing Mastering Mirage and Making Mischief. These will be the stories of Soundwave’s sisters who are out searching for big sis when they cross the wrong men. Is that enough? J
www.leilabrown.com
www.leilabrown.blogspot.com
~Addictive Erotic Romance You Can't Resist~
Can you tell us a little about yourself? Well let’s see…I’m an avid reader. Always have been, always will be. I enjoy a good story whether it’s romance, science fiction, or horror. I’m in it for the story. That’s what I strive for. In every story I write I try to provide my readers with a great story first and foremost.
Were you a reader before you became a writer? Oh yes. I could read 3-4 category romances a day or one and a half single titles. I spent hundreds of dollars a month on books.
Did you always aspire to be an author? Was writing a passion of yours? Yes. I started writing in the second grade. Unfortunately, I didn’t win that first writing contest. But it created the need to write.
Have you always had the writing bug? And how long have you been writing? I’ve been writing seriously since 2002. I entered contest but didn’t start sending my work out to publishing companies until 2005.
Your real job is very different (non-creative) from writing. Does this difference drive your imagination? Some days. My day job as a computer programmer/analysts can be a drain. If I’m dealing with a particular hard problem or training people then I use the creative juices try to come up with ways to explain technical things to non-technical people. Other days I find myself coming up with new ideas while I work. I keep a notebook handy for just such an occasion.
What is the best part of being a writer? Creating stories that entertain me and getting paid for it.
How did you get your break and sell your first book? It’s kind of funny. The first book I sold will actually be my fourth book released. When Cobblestone Press first came out with their Vampire Oracle line I loved the oracle card images. I submitted three proposals. Battle, Lust, and Hunger. On Aug. 10th 2007 (like how I remember the date?) the publisher contacted me and expressed how much she liked my Hunger proposal. But she felt it fit the Sacrifice card better. After reading through her reasoning, I had to agree.
Has your writing made you adjust your lifestyle in any way? I’ve learned sleep is for wimps! No, actually I learned to take care of my family first. After that the day job and finally all free time is spent on writing and promoting my books.
Are you planning on writing any series books or do you have any more books that lead on from your existing titles that we should know about? You betcha. The sequel to The Diamond Heartstone is The Pearl Heartstone. I am working on that one right now. It’s the story of how the nasty prince meets his match.
The sequel to A Chance Encounter is also in the works. It will detail how Monique, Heather business partner and best friend, gets caught by her own set of powerful Faeries. Yes, it’s another ménage.
And…as if that wasn’t enough, in September and October of this year I will be releasing Mastering Mirage and Making Mischief. These will be the stories of Soundwave’s sisters who are out searching for big sis when they cross the wrong men. Is that enough? J
www.leilabrown.com
www.leilabrown.blogspot.com
~Addictive Erotic Romance You Can't Resist~
What is a blog tour...?
Beats me. But it sounded like fun, so I signed up. :)
Watch here during the following 14 days for posts about some of my fantastic fellow authors with Cobblestone Press.
Shannon
Watch here during the following 14 days for posts about some of my fantastic fellow authors with Cobblestone Press.
Shannon
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