INTERVIEW WITH TERRY SPEAR

Terry, welcome back to Over Coffee. I always love having you visit. You share so many interesting things with the articles you written for me. You already know that I love your beautiful Bears. My McKye Bear has gotten lots of comments.

You write several series and did so while working full time. How did you manage your time to do that? 

I was working eighty hours a week. I had my 40-per week job, and then every minute in the morning before work I would catch up on promo and emails. Sometimes I had enough time to write a little. When I got home from work, I’d start writing. I had a word-goal every week. I think it was a 1,000 words a day. And then on weekends, I would write, get caught up on everything else, and write some more. At some point, I knew I couldn't continue to do that. One or the other had to go. It was just too much stress. 

You've recently quit your full time job to concentrate on writing. That’s quite a leap of faith, isn't it? 

It was a huge risk. It was really hard for me to get that full-time library job. And I loved my coworkers and many of the patrons. It was a really big step to take. Yet, I knew, just like with characters in a book, sometimes we just have to take the risk. There was no going back. I had to move forward. I had to take the chance. I had to believe in myself. And I had to work like the devil to prove I could do it. But like when a character’s life is turned upside down, I knew I had to get out of that stressful rat race and do one or the other. Or pay the consequences in health issues down the road. 

What’s happened that you weren't you expecting when left the day job and immersed yourself into your writing career? 

I am extremely goal-oriented. That means, I've been able to get at least 10,000 words a week done on my stories, sometimes as much as 5-10,000 a day. I can actually write a book in a month if I don’t have a lot of other (promotional) stuff going on. 

One of the things that I love about this is I've been able to go to readers’ conventions, something I couldn't do before this because I didn't have enough leave time. What leave I did have, would have to be divided up between my son and daughter and maybe attend RWA Nationals. 

I was able to go to 4 conferences last year, see my daughter a number of times, my son, and visit a number of zoos and other wildlife sites for research. This year I’m going to five conferences, and seeing a little of Chicago where one of the conferences is being held and to the International Wolf Center in Ely with a friend and fan. I also have a book signing while there.

In other words, I’m writing much more, and I’m getting to do lots of fun things, rather than just filling in another 40 hours at a day job. 

You are both traditionally published and publish independently. How do you blend both? 

I love doing both. I have a ton of stories I've already written way before I was published. It took me ten years to finally get a contract. Two of my Highland books were some of the first under contract. When she [acquiring editor] switched to inspirational, no violence, no sex, I started independently publishing the books. Sales from the next three highly successful Highland medieval series was what made it possible for me to quit my day job. 

Doing both means I’m always working on something. 

I have deadlines with traditional publishing and so I always work on the story that is coming up next. If I have time, like with one of the Highland series, a story that was nearly done, just needed some more research and changes, I was able to publish it in between two traditional books. Scenes come to me all the time, so I’m a fast writer. 

Your wolf series pulls a lot from the natural dynamics of a wolf pack. What kind of research did you do to make your wolf world realistic from a wolf’s standpoint? 

Wolves have distinctive personalities, just like dogs and cats do. Just like any animal does. I have a pet roadrunner. He has claimed my home for his territory. He peeks in the windows at me sometimes. He watches me while I take pictures of him outside. I can guarantee that another roadrunner wouldn't be just like him. 

When I do research on wolves, I watch their behavior—wolf reserves in Texas and Nebraska, videotapes of them. Wolves in captivity will do what they wouldn't do in the wild. Which also gives me fodder for my stories. Reading wolf biologists’ accounts also have helped me to create personalities for the wolves based on REAL wolf personalities. But when you hear about them, you think, these are like human personalities. 

Some are shy, retiring, alpha, omega. Some are playful. One was the greyhound of the wolf pack, and her alpha pack leader sister chased her off, but she was the fastest wolf in the pack and would often times chase down the prey they needed to feed the pack. Do you feel badly for her? I did. The sister tried to drum her out of the pack. Tried to force her to be an omega who couldn't share in the meals or take part in the camaraderie of the pack. And yet she was the best hunter of the pack! The sister was killed, and the alpha male took the greyhound of a wolf as his mate. HEA. And this was a true story. 

In a natural wolf pack differences and actions can cause members to be ostracized. 

My example of the greyhound wolf, that’s a good case in point. The sister didn't like her, probably because she was just as alpha, and the other wolves couldn't help but see her as a beneficial pack member. Even the male never tried to chase her away. Just the sister. She would go for days on her own, but she was a real pack animal. And being on their own is really dangerous. So they need a pack’s protection. Yet, she was persistent in wanting to belong to that pack, to that family. They were her family, no matter how much her sister tried to get rid of her. Even going to another wolf pack can spell a wolf’s death. So they can’t just always look for another wolf pack to join up with. 

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Which brings us to the heroine, Elizabeth, in your current release, Silence of the Wolf.  She also had some serious obstacles to overcome to find her happy ever after. Tell us a bit about her? 

Elizabeth was close to her mother and father. They were good for her. They showed her a love and compassion that everyone deserves to have. But when she lost them, she lost her protection. Yet, she couldn't leave the area either. She still had that draw to be near the wolf pack. She finally had to leave, or be killed outright, but when she had evidence of wrongdoing in her parents’ deaths, she had to return and set things right.  

What do you admire about her? 

Her persistence to do what was right, but when she feared it would cause another wolf’s pack involvement and might hurt them in the process, she was willing to sacrifice her need for setting things right, and protecting a wolf pack that had done nothing but treated her with kindness and respect. So putting aside her needs to protect someone else is what I truly admire about her. And for going on with her life and making the most of it, despite all that she’d been through. 

What’s coming next from Terry Spear? 

I’m currently working on A SEAL Wolf for Sale, set in Montana, so doing lots of research in the new area. After that will be A Silver Wolf Christmas. I’m also working on The Viking’s Highland Lass to release this year, and Phantom Fae, the next in the teen fae series.

Terry, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions. I’m looking forward to reading Silence of the Wolf. 

Thanks so much for having me here today, Sia! Always a pleasure!!!

• My question to readers is do you like to learn fun facts when you’re reading fiction, or does it matter? I always wonder when I’m reading a book if there’s any truth behind the fiction.

                                                                                                                                                      

Terry Spear

"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality." 

Heart of the Wolf--Publishers Weekly "Best Books of the Year!" 

A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing--USA Today Bestseller

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MONDAYS MUSINGS—THAT'S LIFE BABY

"I've been up and down and over and out...That's life, I tell you I can't deny it, I thought of quittin' baby, but my heart just ain't gonna buy it..."

Good news—it's spring!

I haven’t been around much in March for a number of reasons. I lost my brother and have been grieving and dealing with family things that come with that. Most of April is going to be shot as well. I’m very thankful to my co-host, Kat Sheridan, for handling the blog in March and she will be handling it in April as well. No A-Z for me. I doubt I’ll be around much the first part of the month. But Kat will be here. Do stop in and give her support. 

March 28^th is an interview with USA and NYT bestselling author,Terry Spear, her research of wolves and jaguars and writing life.   

As some of you may know, the night after my brother, Jonny was admitted into ICU, I fell on the ice. My mind wasn't on my feet but miles away with my brother. I had a split second to react and tried to fall relaxed and do a tuck and roll. Didn't work—the roll, that is. I hit hard on my left shoulder and bounced and skid a few feet across the ice and gravel of our drive.  This isn't the first time I've been injured—I've led a very active outdoor life and it comes with the territory. I can honestly say I can’t remember the last time I felt the magnitude of pain that had me fighting a blackout. I knew not to move until the initial tsunami of pain eases enough to evaluate your body. That also means breathing, once you find your breath, and making your body relax. Easier said than done. 

First scan of my body: I couldn't feel my left arm but I could feel the volcano of pain in my shoulder, ye gads. Deep breath. Still didn't move, second scan, legs moved okay, right arm was fine, head was sore where I hit it, neck stiff but seemed fine. I carefully rolled on my right side and pushing left arm up to lie full length against my side. Hot July fireworks flashed, but it took the pressure off of the arm. Rested and relaxed a minute and then felt along the arm for any obvious problems. By now I could move the fingers, wrist, and forearm. The left shoulder, however, had a bulge and felt weird shaped. Yep, the bulge said I dislocated my shoulder. I massaged and then shoved it and the fact that my right elbow slipped on the ice adding the needed pressure was dumb luck. I felt it slide and saw a lovely rainbow of polka dots and fireworks dance across my vision.

It was dark, cold, and I was lying about 50 feet from the house, on ice. Even had I been inclined I didn't have the breath to yell. My husband had fallen asleep in his recliner (he wouldn't have heard me anyway) and my son wasn't home, which why I went outside to get my Dane. Fall had nothing to do with anything she did. My mind was elsewhere.

Getting up was a bear. When you’re in a situation like that you feel helpless and then you put it away and figure things out. Thirty minutes later I walked back into the house.

I went to the emergency room the next morning. Concussion (but I knew that already), but the x-rays showed no breaks. Lot of swelling, definitely blunt force trauma and bruising and they sent me home with a sling, orders don’t use the arm and make an appointment with your doctor for an MRI. And some serious pain pills. Yay! 

MRI showed a wrecked shoulder. Torn rotator cuff, tears in ligaments, cartilage damage, and fluid build up, floating debris, and a fracture. What does this mean?

Surgery. Absolutely no way around it. And rest. Lots of it.

My surgery is March 27^th. I’m totally out of commission the first couple of weeks of April. I have about 6 months of physical therapy to regain use of the arm, but I will regain at least 90% usage. Without surgery it will heal, eventually, but the shoulder would be unstable and I’d lose 50% usage or more of my arm. Not acceptable.

Ah well, in the words of one of my dad's favorite songs, "I pick myself up and get back in the race..." That's Life. 

THE ROAD TO WRITING

My guest is paranormal romance author Nancy Northcott. Her road to writing a book and publication was a winding road. 

Nancy is a sucker for fast action and wrenching emotion, she combines the romance and high stakes she loves in the adventures of her Light Mages. 

Some writers always knew that was what they’d be.  They never wanted to be anything else.  I’m not one of them.  I sort of edged into writing a little bit at a time.

My grandfather and I used to make up stories and illustrate them with stick people.  From there, I progressed to writing in crayon, starting in about second grade.  The stories were sort of fairy tale-ish or else primitive space opera.  They also weren't the kinds teachers encouraged kids to write.  They weren't “serious.”  So I drifted away from writing, but I never stopped reading.  I sampled pretty much every kind of fiction, finally gravitating toward romance, science fiction/fantasy, and mysteries.  Those genres influence pretty much everything I write.

From the time I was about seven, I also read comic books.  The monthly adventures of the characters let me get to know them better than the characters in the books I read, even the series.  At some point, I found myself thinking about what happened to the characters off-page.  That led writing fan fiction involving my favorite characters, the Legion of Super-Heroes.

I’d also written part of what I now realize was a fantasy romance set in a preindustrial society, but I hadn't finished it.  At the time, I didn't know how to plot anything long.  But my fan fiction kept getting longer and longer.  By the time I left active fandom, around 1996, I was writing sagas.  I’d also written about half of a traditional fantasy novel, but I’d gotten stuck in the middle and abandoned it.

My fan fiction was written for amateur press alliances (APAs) I belonged to.  APAs are groups of fans who send multiple copies, one for every member, to a central mailer at regular intervals.  The central mailer then collates the contributions into sets and mails them to the membership.  The positive feedback my APAs gave me for the fan fiction encouraged me to try again at creating my own worlds.  But I was still worried about that middle-of-the-book roadblock.

One day, my husband stopped beside the desk and picked up a page of fanfic.  To save copy costs, we printed long stories in Times 8-pt., two columns to a page (yes, ouch!).  That particular story was part of a lengthy Batman series I was doing.

He picked up a page.  “How long do you think this would be if you put it in standard manuscript format?”

“Hmm.  Four manuscript pages to one of these…a hundred and twenty pages or so.”

“Okay.  If you put all the parts of this whole story arc together in that format, how long would it run?”

Silence while I did mental math, not a history major’s strong suit.  Finally, I ventured, “Four hundred pages.  Maybe more.”

He nodded.  “So tell me again why you think you can’t write a whole book?”

I had nothing to say.  So I dug in, went to the library and read plot books (which I should’ve done in the first place), and finished that traditional fantasy.  And revised it.  And revised it again.  It never sold, but I learned a lot from writing it.  A few years ago, I pulled it out and looked at it. I still love the story, but I don’t write that way anymore.  Maybe someday I’ll pull it out again and clean it up.

Meanwhile, I’m writing mages (think wizard if that term isn't familiar to you) who owe a lot to the dashing super-heroes of my childhood.  And I’m having a blast.  I hope readers will, too.

• What about you?  Is there something you've always wanted to try but haven’t gotten to yet?

                                                                                                                             

More on Nancy's Book Page

SENTINEL

Release: Wednesday, March 26th

He’s on a Quest for Justice 

 When mage investigative reporter Rick Moore gets the chance to clear his father’s name, it’s a dream come true. But there’s a price. He must first uncover the truth about the mage world’s most wanted fugitive.

 Her Secrets are His Only Hope

Caroline Dare knows her beloved brother had a reason for killing a prominent mage. Heroes don’t go rogue on a whim. Burned by shady reporters, she pours her devastating worry for him into her fabric art career and avoids all questions. But when her art is panned as a fraud because she’s blind, she’s forced to seek help from Rick, a man she knows only as a sexy arts writer.

Helping beautiful, determined Caroline prove herself gets Rick inside her well tended walls. But as he wins her trust, he finds he’s losing his heart. Now he has a choice–give up his dream or betray the woman he loves.

BOOK ONE

She follows the rules

He breaks everyone of them

Now they are each other's only hope

Excerpt

  

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Nancy Northcott’s childhood ambition was to grow up and become Wonder Woman.  Around fourth grade, she realized it was too late to acquire Amazon genes, but she still loved comic books, science fiction, fantasy and YA romance.  A sucker for fast action and wrenching emotion, Nancy combines the romance and high stakes she loves in the adventures of her Light Mages.

Her debut novel, Renegade, received a starred review from Library Journal.  The reviewer called it “genre writing at its best.”  Nancy is a three-time RWA Golden Heart finalist and has won the Maggie, the Molly, the Emerald City Opener, and Put Your Heart in a Book. 

Married since 1987, Nancy and her husband have one son, a bossy dog, and a house full of books.

MEETING EXPECTATIONS

Have you ever had a character you wanted the author to write about? Suzanne is giving away a copy of Vanished to a commenter.

My guest, Suzanne Ferrell, discovered romance novels in her aunt's hidden stash one summer as a teenager. From that moment on she knew two things: she loved romance stories and someday she'd be writing her own. Her love for romances has only grown over the years. It took her a number of years and a secondary career as a nurse to finally start writing her own stories. 

Her topic today is meeting expectations.

For years I had the extreme luxury of writing books simply for my own pleasure. Other than my critique partners or the few beta readers I trusted to give me feedback, the only person to really read all my work…was me. I worked hard at my craft in the hopes that the books would find an enthusiastic agent or editor, who would then get them birthed onto the publishing road. During that time, I didn't realize what a joy it was to simply write characters how I saw them in my head.

Even when I independently published the first three books in the Edgars Family romantic suspense series, I had no real expectations from others in their formation. The books were pretty much written and ready to go when I made the decision to send them out into the e-book world.

Then a funny thing happened.

Readers not only bought and read them, they fell in love with my characters.

I know this because I've received emails and FB messages about them. Many wanted to know when Luke, the youngest of the three brothers in the series, would get his own story.

Now the pressure was on.

You see, Luke was the smart-ass, computer geek, flirtatious younger brother. Dave was the eldest and took that spot very seriously. Matt as the second oldest had always been the rule follower. Sami as the only sister and baby of the family had her own expectations to live up to. But Luke? He was able to bend rules with just a beautiful smile and great charm. Which worked well when he was a secondary character, but when it came to his own story, how could I make him step-up-to-the-plate?

I was very concerned, because I wanted his book and him to meet the expectations my readers had for him. How do you take the charmer, the kid who talked his way out of trouble and turn him into hero material?

Then it hit me. You give him the one woman he’d die to protect.

Enter Abigail Prudence Whitson. Years earlier he’d tried to protect her by getting her assigned to desk duty at the Treasury Department instead of active field agent work. Once that happened, he moved on about his own life. Things were going well, he was half playboy, half secret agent. Then he finds Abby standing in a bloody crime scene and her best friend, the victim, missing.

That was the moment that Luke grew up. Right there. On paper and in front of my eyes.

See, Luke, despite his charm and smart-ass remarks, had the same core as his brothers. Deep seated honor, protective instincts and a one-woman-only heart. Put his woman in jeopardy and he will do anything to keep her safe, even if she doesn't like it.

Luke met my expectations, and I’m hoping he’s met the readers’ expectations, too!

So, readers, what do you think? Have you ever had a character you wanted the author to write about? Did they meet your expectations? Did they leave you wanting more or something different?

                                                                                                                                                               

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They had a history… 
Five years earlier Luke Edgars and Abigail Whitson met at FLETC, the training center for government agents. It was instant dislike. She thought him an arrogant, showoff flirt, he thought it would be safer for everyone if she stayed behind her analyst’s desk. 

She’s in trouble… 
Now Luke’s world turns sideways when he finds Abby standing in the middle of a bloody crime scene and the victim has vanished. 

He needs to protect her… 
Luke realizes that not only does Abby need his help to find her friend, but the friend has put Abby in the cross-hairs of a dangerous group who will stop at nothing to hide their secrets.

                                                                                                                                                                

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ROMANCE BANDITS

Suzanne Ferrell is a double finalist in the Romance Writer's of America's 2006 Golden Heart with her manuscripts, KIDNAPPED (Long Contemporary Category) and HUNTED (Romantic Suspense), both available at Amazon.com and B&N.com. Suzanne has also won The Beacon Unpublished and the CTRWA's contests in the erotica categories with her book, The Surrender Of Lacy Morgan (available from Ellora’s Cave).

Suzanne's sexy stories, whether they be her on the edge of your seat romantic suspense, the heartwarming small town stories, or her steamy Western Eroticas, will keep you thinking about her characters long after their Happy Ever After is achieved. 

PART TWO: HOW TO BECOME A BEST-SELLING AUTHOR IN 20 YEARS OR LESS

Today’s guest is New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Olivia Cunning with part two of her special two part series on finding success as a self-publishing author. Part one, covering her early attempts at publication, is here.

 Part Two: My Own Brand of Insanity

So my first traditionally published book, a rock star erotic romance, was having a little success. I was far from quitting that day job. With my second book, I started to gain some popularity. With the third, I hit the USA Today bestseller list for the first time. Then all of a sudden, the erotic romance genre exploded with the success of Fifty Shades of Grey. People were looking for more sexy books to read. That’s when my career really took off.

It was also at this time that the self-publishing craze took hold and I decided to try my hand at it. I started with something a little different, a time travel erotic romance series (Lovers’ Leap) where the lead characters travel through time quantum-leap-style and fix the sex lives of people in the past. I love the premise. I love the characters. I love everything about that series, except that I don’t have time to write more of it. And it pretty much sells nada. Even with my best-selling-name on the series, people don’t buy it. Why? Because I wasn't being insane enough. I needed to do the same thing over again. Lovers’ Leap was just too different from my norm. (This is a good lesson for novice authors).

Since the Lovers’ Leap series flopped—and continues to flail like a fish out of water—I started writing a different rock star series with a shorter, serialized format, One Night with Sole Regret. And… that’s when it happened for me. When I could finally make a career out of writing and make good money doing what I dreamed of doing.

My first two One Night with Sole Regret books did very well because fans of my Sinners series were waiting for my traditional publisher to get its shit together—I mean, publish the next book. Because Sole Regret was less expensive than my trad pubbed books, I picked up new readers. Many of those went back to read Sinners. Then my fourth Sinners book hit the NY Times best-seller list and my third Sole Regret came out at about the same time and the two releases fed off each other. A delicious vicious cycle. After a few months of smashing success, I quit the day job and started running my own self-publishing business. This is where the late night, sleep deprived, sugar high induced rants that Sia “enjoys” come in.

Self-publishing is not as easy as I thought it would be. Especially since I’m a bit of—cough a complete cough—control freak. I need to do everything myself. If the book doesn't get done and I spell misspell “mispell” and the cover is stupid and I released it on a day when five big names in my genre also released, it all comes back on me. I’m responsible. I can’t blame anyone but me.

So what does this kind of responsibility look like?

I write the book. I edit. I rewrite. I edit. I send to beta readers. I rewrite. I send to my editor. I rewrite. I edit. I re-edit. I re-edit some more. Notice all those I’s in there? And how little writing is involved now?

Okay, the book has been edited and re-edited dozens of times, I can finally collect my cash, right? WRONG! I still have to create the cover, format, upload, distribute to various sites, and market and promote, and market, and market, and promote. I also have to answer reader questions, which come at me through social media and email and my blog and other people’s blogs and who knows how much I miss. I try to interact with fans online while avoiding the negativity that seems to slap me in the face when I least expect it. I never take a day off. I might not write every single day, but I’m doing something related to self-publishing all the time. And don’t get me started on the pain that is bookkeeping.

Traditional publishing is difficult to break into, but it does take a lot of pressure off an author. Someone else does most of those “I” tasks. So that’s why when I was offered a cushy advance for my next series, I said, “Thanks, but no thanks, I’m going to self-publish it.” Say what? You read that correctly, after spending twenty years in pursuit of traditional publishing, now that I’m in a position to get good, guaranteed advances, I turn them down.

Do I regret leaving traditional publishing behind to pursue self-publishing full time? Not at all. I like having control, but it’s a lot of work and it isn't easy.

So, have you figured out the secret yet? On how to become a best-selling self-published author? I’m here to share all my knowledge and expertise, right? So here it is:

The only one who can guarantee your success in self-publishing is… no one. It isn’t guaranteed. Some of it is working hard and producing the best book you can write. Some of it is knowing how to market and gaining reader attention and maintaining reader loyalty. And most of it is pure dumb luck. If I knew how to ensure luck, I’d share the secret, or maybe I’d charge for it, but I wouldn't keep it to myself. I’m baffled that so many authors self-publish their debut novel—without twenty years of rejection angst to back it—and not only succeed, they flourish. That’s amazing! I wish I could have done that. That’s who you should seek advice from. Not me. My method of success isn't a method at all. It’s madness.

So you too can become a best-selling self-published author like me! But I can’t tell you how. Every journey is different. You have to find your own path. And maybe you do have to be a little insane and keep persisting at the same thing—that thing you believe in, that book you wrote, that dream—and expect amazing results. 

Because only when I fed my insanity did I finally find success.

Even Sinners need love... 

When Sinners tie the knot, things don't always go as planned.

Combining her love for romantic fiction and rock 'n roll, Olivia Cunning writes erotic romance centered around rock musicians. Her latest release, Sinners at the Altar, is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers.

PART ONE: HOW TO BECOME A BEST-SELLING AUTHOR IN 20 YEARS OR LESS

Today’s guest is New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Olivia Cunning. This is the first part of a special two-part series on finding success as a self-publishing author. Part two will run on Monday, March 17^th. 

We hear so many great success stories in writing and from the outside it often looks so easy. But here’s Olivia to tell us about the truth about becoming an “overnight” sensation.

Part One: The Drawer Books

Sia asked me to talk about my experiences self-publishing. I've known her since before I was published. She’s seen all my ups and downs. Apparently, she thinks my late night, sleep deprived, sugar high induced rants are hilarious. Thanks, Sia. I’ll have you know my angst is real.

Back in the olden days—yes, the early 1990s are the olden days—I read a Silhouette Desire book by Nora Roberts. It wasn't the first romance book I’d ever read, but it was the book that made me want to write my own romance novel. Not because I thought I could write better than Nora-freakin-Roberts, but because I wanted to be like her when I grew up. This was before Nora Roberts was one of the biggest names in the romance genre, but even then I was blown away by her writing style.

I was nineteen years old, in a bad marriage, with a baby on the way, no college education, and my only job experience was in fast food. And I thought, hey, I’ll be a writer! How hard can it be? Don’t answer that. I was young and naive.

This was the “olden days.” There were no e-books. No Internet. Self-publishing consisted of paying out of your own pocket to have 1000 copies of your book printed. You would then stand in a parking lot and beg strangers to buy your book. If you were lucky, your mom bought a copy and used it as a coaster or something, pointing it out to visitors—“that’s by my kid, the writer”—which met with a lot of ceiling gazing and an occasional guilt-sale. So self-publishing never crossed my mind. I didn't have money to print copies of my book, and I’m much too shy and afraid of being punched in the face to annoy strangers in parking lots. So I went the traditional route.

I wrote my masterpiece—cough tripe cough—and when it was finished (with no editing), I saved it on my 5.25” floppy disk and took it to my second cousin’s house to use her dot matrix printer. I was too poor to buy my own printer. Hell, I was too poor to buy paper to put in the damned thing. Luckily, my cousin had a spare, yellowed ream. I looked through publisher marketplace books to find submission guidelines. I sent (via snail mail—there was no email in the olden days) a synopsis and three chapters to Harlequin and Silhouette. Those were the only romance publishers that would take unsolicited manuscripts from authors without agents. Then I waited. And waited. After ten thousand years (so it was more like ten months), Harlequin sent me a letter and requested the full manuscript. Which is good—because it gave me hope. And bad—because it gave me hope. So back to the cousin’s house to print out the entire manuscript and rip off more printer feed edges and separate each page along the bottom perforations. Oy! (Excuse me for a second. *goes to hug laser printer*) I borrowed money from my grandma for postage and sent off the book with big dreams for myself and my son. This was going to change our lives.

And…

You know this is coming, right?

It was rejected with a form letter.

Ugh. I was gutted. Devastated. Destroyed. I was never going to be an author, much less make a living at it. So I went to college. And worked my ass off. And became a science teacher. But my dream was still to be a fiction author. I never stopped writing. I wrote after I put the kid to bed. I plotted during my commute. I wrote on weekends. I plotted some more while in the shower. I wrote during vacations. But I wasn't writing romance. If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, I was the opposite of insane. I tried writing every genre I could as I attempted to find my niche. I could write. I just didn't know what to write.

I tried my hand at another series romance for Silhouette. The manuscript was rejected and shoved in a drawer.

I wrote a fantasy novel five hundred pages long. Agents wouldn't touch it. TOR, who also accepted unsolicited manuscripts at the time, rejected it. Shoved in a drawer.

I wrote a medical thriller. Rejected and shoved in a drawer.

I wrote a YA science fiction novel. Rejected and shoved in a drawer. Removed from drawer and entered into a contest. Lost contest and shoved back in drawer.

I wrote a paranormal romance. Rejected and shoved in drawer. Removed from drawer and entered into a contest. Lost contest and shoved back in drawer.

I wrote an erotic romance about rock stars. And…

Tada!

That manuscript and the rest of the five book Sinners on Tour series was picked up by a small publisher.

The first book was released in October 2010. Finally, after 20 years of trying, I was published. I could go to a bookstore and see my book on a shelf. I could do a book-signing and have half a dozen people show up and have a customer ask the bookstore owner when they were going to have good writers like Stephenie Meyer do a signing. True story. When the customer asked that, she was standing directly in front of me, my book in her hand and her nose turned up. But my first five fans, my family, and Sia showed up at that very first signing, which made me feel a little better about not being a good writer like Stephenie Meyer.

At first, my rock star erotic romance didn't do so well. It did okay for a first book. People discovered it slowly. Very slowly. So I was published, but I wasn't making a living at it. Not by a long shot.

• So how did I finally manage to quit my day job?

Come back on Monday for Part Two: My Own Brand of Insanity

                                                                                                                                                        

Combining her love for romantic fiction and rock 'n roll, Olivia Cunning writes erotic romance centered around rock musicians. Her latest release, Sinners at the Altar, is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers.

SOMETHING IN THE COFFEE WITH ROSE MAYBUD

What could be more perfect for a blog called “Over Coffee,” than a terrific romance called “Something in the Coffee?” And while the coffee here on the blog has no magic potions in it, I can’t promise it doesn't occasionally have a wee drop of whisky!

Today’s guest is Rose Maybud, talking about her funny, sexy contemporary romance, Something in the Coffee, and real-life embarrassing on-the-job situations. I've had funny, cringe-worthy things happen in the office, but nothing like the wickedly sexy plot that Rose dreamed up for this novel! Even better? There’s a prize for the best comment! YAY prizes!

Here’s Rose, on just one embarrassing real-life office mishap:

Trial and (Clothing) Error

Here’s a true story (and I swear it wasn't me): One day, young female lawyer wore her workout clothes to the gym and brought her suit on a hanger, because she was due in court that morning for a very important case.

But when she went to put on her business clothes, she discovered…NO BRA. She’d forgotten to pack it in her gym bag. No time to shop for a replacement. Her sports bra was too bright to wear under her thin white blouse. 

So she had no choice—that day in the courtroom, “The Girls” hung free.

What about you?  I’ll send a free download of Something In the Coffee to the commenter with the most awful, embarrassing, funniest work story ever.

 Inquiring minds want to know!

Something in the Coffee: Office Life Can Be Hell

Have you ever worked in a job you couldn't wait to quit?

Or maybe you didn't want to quit, but you sure wish you could change certain things about the office? Or your co-workers. Or your boss!

Attorney Alex Poindextre knows that people just aren’t getting along at his uncle’s law firm, Sangazure and Poindextre, LLP.

Lawyers are rude and unpleasant to the administrative assistants. Paralegals argue with the IT personnel. Can’t they all just get along?

Alex has a plan: Hire a sorcerer—well, a Potions Account Executive—to slip a little something into the office coffee pot, something to make everyone friendlier to each other.

And boy, do they get friendly…soon everyone in the high-pressure law firm is wildly attracted to the first unattached person they see. Uptight lawyers cavorting with admin assistants, grim-faced paralegals stripping in the copier rooms, serious tech support personnel finding new uses for their extra power cables…chaos reigns supreme, and it’s All. Alex’s. Fault.

Good thing Alex is a clever lawyer, because it’s going to take all his ingenuity to fix this mess…and win back the love of his fiancée, Eileen.

Take a look at the video book trailer for Something In The Coffee

Rose Maybud is a retired lawyer who enjoys singing opera in the shower. She is a wholehearted fan of Gilbert and Sullivan, although she has never performed in any of their comic operas. “Something in the Coffee” was inspired by G&S’s work, The Sorcerer. Currently she resides in Central Ohio. You can fnd Rose on the web at her blog or on Facebook.

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase Something in the Coffee at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.