IT TAKES A TEAM TO CREATE A BOOK

It's my pleasure to have Gina Lamm visiting with us Over Coffee. We often think that once you're published you don't have writing problems, and the stories just flow without problems. Certainly a published author doesn't get writer's block, especially when they have a deadline, right? 

But... what happens if they do? I'll let Gina tell you a bit about that. 

Hi again Sia! I’m thrilled to be back here at Over Coffee, chatting with you guys again. I had so much fun with THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL’s blog tour that getting to come to your place again was a real treat. Thanks for having me! J

Today I want to talk a little bit about my writing team. No, I don’t currently co-author any projects; all my books are single-author efforts. But even single authors need a huge team to get a book off the ground, and I’m totally no exception!

It has always fascinated me to find out how some of my favorite things came to being. Like my favorite books, or my favorite TV shows. Behind-the-scenes glimpses are really fun to me. So here’s my little behind-the-scenes for GEEK GIRLS DON’T DATE DUKES.

It all started in 2011, when I met Leah Hultenschmidt, then-editor at Sourcebooks. I pitched the idea for THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL to her, and she loved it, but she told me that Sourcebooks preferred contracting series of books over single titles. Could I come up with a couple more ideas for additional books? Sure I could, right?

Denise Tompkins, one of my BEST FRIENDS EVA and super-duper critique buddy, helped me brainstorm a couple more ideas, and between us, we hammered out the idea for GEEK GIRLS DON’T DATE DUKES. Sourcebooks liked it, and contracted books 1 and 2 of the “Geek Girls” series.

And then it was time to write the darned thing. Ever heard of the sophomore slump? I hit that, and I hit it HARD. Writer’s block was too good for what was happening there. I just couldn't get past the wall in my head, and here’s where my team came in.

My husband, my parents, my sister, Denise, my incredible editor Leah, all of them combined to pull me out of this hole and get me writing. My parents would ask me how the book was coming. My husband would listen to me moan and whine about why WAS THIS SO HARD???? Denise would help me brainstorm, and my sister would read things and shoot them back to me so fast. If not for that team helping me through, I don’t know that the book would ever have been finished!

And once the book was finished, it went to Sourcebooks, and they turned that little lump of coal into gold. First my editor Leah ripped it apart (wonderfully) and helped me put it back together. Then it went through copy edits and proofreaders, I don’t know how many passes. The incredible art department made one of the best covers I've ever seen on a romance novel, one that captures the attitude and characters perfectly on the first go. You may not know this, but authors get very little input on their book covers. There’s usually a little form to be filled out, and once the author has done that, they have to trust in their publisher to get them the right cover. And I have to say, that so far I've been so very impressed with Sourcebooks’ art department. Both “Geek Girls” books have looked incredible, and I couldn't be happier.

Then the book moves forward, to Netgalley, where wonderful bloggers like Sia can review it. These guys are also a hugely important part of the team. Where would a book be with no reviews? Sitting in the bottom of the Amazon rankings, that’s where! Through reviews, good and bad, word of mouth, advertising, bloggers and book reviewers can really shape the way a book sells. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the opportunity to post here and on other blog sites. I’m honored to have you guys as part of my team!

And then, once the advanced copies have been reviewed, and release day has come and gone, I get to the biggest (and most important) part of my book team.

You guys. The readers.

Without you, Leah and Avery can only live inside MY head. But with you? These two characters have traveled the world, having their adventure again and again, causing laughs and tears in so many different time zones, zip codes, and countries. And that, my friends, is a humbling thought. This book that took me so many months to create has flown worldwide, and I couldn't be happier, or more grateful.

Thank you for being part of my team. Thanks for reading these crazy tales that come pouring out of my noggin. Thanks for laughing, for sharing, for buying and borrowing and telling your friends.

I couldn't  do this without you.

                                                                                                                                                            

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND

GEEK GIRLS DON'T DATE DUKES

The Royal Treatment

All Leah wanted was a little gallantry. But in this day and age, chivalry was most definitely dead. If only there were a way to travel back in time and snag her very own duke...

Avery Russell was polishing some boots when a woman fell through the bedchamber mirror into his arms. All he could make out from her breathless babbling was some nonsense about "my one true love, Your Grace." Clearly the chit was mad if she couldn't tell a valet from a duke!

As much as Avery wanted to give in and give her a good tumble, he knew it wouldn't be proper. No, he'd take as long as necessary to convince Leah that sometimes a duke just won't do. EXCERPT

                                                                                                                                                                              

Becoming a magician proved to be less interesting than Gina Lamm had anticipated when she was six, so in her adult life, she's turned to writing.

This belly-dancing, wisecracking, marshmallow-addicted mother of three energetic fur-children loves nothing more than penning funny, emotional tales of love, lust, and entertaining mishaps.

A multi-published author, Gina also writes erotic romance under the pen name Regina Cole. THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL, GEEK GIRLS DON'T DATE DUKES, INDELIBLY INTIMATE, CAUGHT IN CRIMSON, and DEAR ADDI are only a few of her stories.

Married to a real live superhero, she and her family live in North Carolina, surrounded by tobacco farms, possums, and the occasional hurricane. You can find Gina:  Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter. 

MOVING FORWARD WITH GINA LAMM

If you happen to see a flying marshmallow or four, don’t be alarmed. It’s only my guest, romance author, Gina Lamm, demonstrating her astounding mouth popping abilities. 

Most writers are more introspective than outgoing. We spend a lot of time lost in the worlds we are creating. We know  very well our faults and failings. It's hard not to get tangled up in doubts and worries. Gina’s topic today is how not to get lost in navel gazing aka artistic depression. 

Hi! I want to thank Sia (which is an incredibly cool name, btw) for having me for coffee today. I’m sipping on my overly sweetened coffee with almond milk while writing this, so it’s totally appropriate. J

Today I thought I’d talk a little bit about the hard times. It’s not always sunshine and roses being an author. There are days when the to-do list seems like it’s as long as a stretch of desert with no water.

Being an author is a pretty lonely occupation. Sure, it’s not my only job. For my 9 to 5, I work in a doctor’s office, answering phones, doing paperwork, and being generally pleasant. But, like a lot of authors, I’m somewhat of an introvert. Especially on days like today, when it seems that there’s no chance to get everything done, all I want to do is hide. But that’s not possible, so I smile, keep working, and secretly pray that somehow I’ll get everything done on time.

I read a statistic somewhere that creative types—authors, artists, etc.—are about three times as likely to be clinically depressed as other types. I believe it. When you spend so much time alone, being introspective, climbing for the goal of always improving your craft, it’s hard not to see all your failings. But we creative types have a responsibility to each other. To keep ourselves from navel-gazing too long. To show each other that there’s a beautiful world outside of our mind’s eye, one that feeds our muses and soothes our souls.

So here’s what I do to keep the over-introspection at bay. I read. I play video games. I spend time with my wonderful and loving husband and family. I chat with my writer friends online, or on the phone. I try to be there for them when their own doubts catch up with them. And I keep on ticking the bullets off my to-do list. With each check, it seems that three more tasks leap to fill the space. But I keep working, and with each tick, I get a sense of accomplishment. 

There are things I could have done differently in any one of my books. There are things that I’m not as pleased with as I could be. But those books are done. They’re behind me. And each book has taught me something about writing, about life, and about me. Even the ones that didn't make it to publication were important, were critical to my growth as an author and a person. And for that reason, it’s important to keep moving forward.

THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL taught me a lot. Almost more than any other book I've written to date. It taught me that a great idea is what it takes to snag the attention of a great editor. It taught me that when I want something badly enough, I can make it happen, including writing a full-length novel in about 8 weeks. It also taught me that I have a unique voice, a unique perspective, and that my work is worth sharing. It taught me to believe in myself as an author.

• What helps to keep you moving forward? Are you a creative type? How do you feed your muse and keep your doubts at bay?

Thanks again to Sia. I’m so grateful to have been here!

                                                                                                                                       

AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE

THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL

Gina Lamm

The Stakes Have Never Been Higher...

An avid gamer, Jamie Marten loves to escape into online adventure. But when she falls through an antique mirror into a lavish bedchamber—200 years in the past!—she realizes she may have escaped a little too far.

Micah Axelby, Earl of Dunnington, has just kicked one mistress out of his bed and isn't looking to fill it with another—least of all this sassy, nearly naked woman who claims to be from the future. Yet something about her is undeniably enticing...

Jamie and Micah are worlds apart. He's a peer of the realm. She can barely make rent. He's horse-drawn. She's Wi-Fi. But in the game of love, these two will risk everything to win. 

                                                                                                                                      

Becoming a magician proved to be less interesting than Gina Lamm had anticipated when she was six, so in her adult life, she’s turned to writing.

This belly-dancing, wisecracking, marshmallow-addicted mother of three energetic fur-children loves nothing more than penning funny, emotional tales of love, lust, and entertaining mishaps.

Married to a real live superhero, she and her family live in North Carolina, surrounded by tobacco farms, possums, and the occasional hurricane.