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Traditional Publishing…Self Publishing…That Is The Question?

I finally did it! I finally purchased copies of my novel to send to a publishing house in New York City! This publishing house has been waiting for my novel for a few months now and I’ve been pushing it off. Mostly, I’ve pushed it off because of nerves and all the “what if’s”. What if I don’t get the deal…what if I do…what if I don’t have an agent to help me…do I want to go traditional publishing? I’ve been under a lot of stress thinking about it but I told myself that I CAN’T push it off any longer! If it’s meant to be, it will be…if not, it wont. I can’t procrastinate any longer.

So here we go!

2013!

Well, the year is coming to an end and 2013 is upon us!

I want to first start out with this; I’m not normally one to do the typical “New Years Resolutions”. However, seeing as though I have A LOT to look forward to this year, I have decided to make a list.

1. Publish my debut novel: For those of you who are new to my blog; I have a novel that I’ve been working on for 4 years and come 2013 I will be living out my dream and publishing it. This is both scary and exciting and I can’t wait until that final day that I get to hit the “Submit Button” and send my work out into the world! If you would like to see a sneak peek click HERE. (more sneak peeks to come)
2. Finish my second book in this series: My debut novel will be a compilation of three books. I currently have 16 chapters of my second novel already completed and want to finish it before the end of the year. I would like to have that novel ready for publication by November 2013.
3. Complete and launch my website.
4. Read every book on my wish list: (1) Easy by Tammara Webber (2) The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen (currently reading now) (3) Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (currently reading now) (4) The Maze Runner series by James Dashner (5) Delirium series by Lauren Oliver (6) Bitter Angel by Megan Hand (7) Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi (8) The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks (9) Safe Heaven by Nicholas Sparks (10) Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (11) Switched by Amanda Hocking (12) Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines (13) On Dublin Street by Samantha Young (14) Crossed/Reached by Ally Condie (15) The Vow by Dana Wilkerson (16) Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (17) The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard. — NOW, looking at this list you might think, that’s not a lot but I can guarantee this list will grow as the days progress. Also, I really don’t have a lot of time and come 2013 my life will get even crazier with very little time for myself.
5. Take my kids to Disneyland: I know this one is a little strange, and you might not think this is “New Years Resolution” but I have (for years) wanted to take my kids to Disneyland but for one- reason- or- another couldn’t. Well this year is the year!!

I would love to hear what your New Year Resolutions are! Leave me a comment below!

Between The Pages

To become immersed in a story that is not your own, whether it be in a book or a movie, is like finding a small place – in a little piece of heaven. It’s as if submerging yourself into a whole new world and cast away the chaos that surrounds us everyday, even if it’s fiction, is something that I truly crave and need. When reading I find myself sinking into the core of who the characters really are and really feeling every emotion. Taking in what they go through and almost living their story. That’s the sign of something great.

For me, reading is where I find myself dreaming. For my imagination lives and breathes between the pages.

Photo created by SusanSpinolaPhotogrpahy.com

And The Question Is…

I was reading on a blog earlier, YA Highway, and they do this thing called Road Trip Wednesday. Now I know it’s not Wednesday, yet, but I thought I would answer one of their questions they asked their readers awhile ago.

The question is: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Okay, everyone has been asked this question. Most likely, multiple times throughout your life but I wanted to answer it again because my answer and direction has changed drastically since I began to write. If you were to ask me that question a few years ago I might have said; I want a house in Oregon working with a big company and climbing the corporate ladder. Now that’s not the case at all. I do still want that house with a white picket fence and all but “climbing the corporate ladder” isn’t want I have in mind any longer.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that climbing the corporate ladder isn’t a good thing (because it is). What I’m saying is that it’s just not for me anymore. I want other things and have other dreams.

So, here it is! In five years time, I want this current book series to be out and selling (all three books). For a time frame I would love all of them out and selling by 2015 or sooner. I told you before (in previous blog posts and also on Facebook) that I have other manuscripts in the works and would love to put a release date on that next book in 2015. I do have a book title for that but I wont be releasing that information until I’m ready to publish it…I know I know, I’m a mean person but I guess you will have something to look forward too!

I also (and I know that I’m dreaming really BIG now)  want to have this current book series in the works for movie rights. I CAN DREAM CAN’T I? hehe

I also want to be working full time as an author! Composing, writing, making stories that are in my head come to life onto the page and sharing that with the world, that would be just a dream come true for me! I currently work a day job but I have to say (before I go on) that this job (working as a property manager) has been the best job I have every had. I work with an amazing company and some amazing people and to say that I’ve been more than blessed is an understatement! It truly was my saving-grace back when I was searching for a job. At the time no one would hire me because for four years I was a stay-at-home-mom but then I got that wonderful call asking if I would like the job. That was a good day! However, being able to wake up everyday, sit down at my desk with a cup of coffee and dreaming up a story, that’s heaven!

So there you have it, my 5 year plan. I would love to know what your five year plan is! Please leave me a comment below and tell me what it is. I’ve always said that if you keep on speaking it out, believing in yourself and work hard, you can achieve anything!

Taking You Back

It’s a beautiful crisp fall day here in Northern Nevada. The trees are beginning their normal transformation–changing vibrant colors of reds, oranges and yellows. Hot coffee is steaming in the coffee pot, the fire is roaring in the fireplace and comfy robes are a necessity on days like this. Sitting here, all bundled up on the couch and looking aimlessly outside my window, I began to think back on the time when I lived in a small two bedroom home with three boys all under 5, I was 28 years old and not a clue as to what I should be when I grew up. I have always had dreams, dreams I would be a famous singer or a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson (don’t laugh you know you had dreams like that also) but like many of you who are older with families your dreams begin to slip away from you as time goes on. And lets face it, even though you keep telling yourself every year that, “next year I will start,” life just always gets in the way and you never end up doing what it is that you love.

Up until that point I think in some ways I stopped dreaming a little and just went on with everyday life. Until one day on my oldest sons birthday in October 2008, this amazing idea for a manuscript hit me. For a moment I didn’t know what to think because this idea was way to good for me to think up. The more and more I thought about the idea, the more I found myself wanting to know how the story would go and more about the characters. So the next month I decided I had to begin writing, even if it was only for me. It was my only escape from the everyday motherly duties. Although in-between my writing I still had laundry to do, diapers to change, meals to make and a house to clean. I wrote whenever I could. Most of the time it was early in the morning when the kids were still asleep or really late at night when the whole world was silent. It was something that I wasn’t going to give up on.

I’m glad to say, four years later I am thankful that I never gave up!

I’ve always said that anything worth doing isn’t easy; and I tell you it wasn’t. In the early days of my writing I lost my manuscript 3 times! I literally signed in one day to find that all three chapters where gone! No getting it back. The second time my computer had crashed and I lost everything and the final time was when my laptop froze and I couldn’t grab what I had wrote. It was then on the third time of the almost laughable situation (because at that point its the only thing you can do without going insane) was when I knew that I really had something. Something was telling me that this ms was something to not give up on! So I just took a deep breath and began to write again. I just wrote without stopping.

So for all of you out there with big dreams, don’t shove it in the closet never to be opened. The truth is you will wake up one day old, looking back at your life and wondering, “what if?” We only get one life to live and I want to make sure it’s a full one.

Today is my birthday!

So another year gone by.  As I was working on my blog today my husband and I (who is the same age as me) were chatting reminiscently about our high school years.  My husband is getting ready to go back and finish his degree in Political Science mentions to me that he found it depressing that he was thinking we both entered high school nearly 20 years ago.  That number just didn’t seem real to me as the words left his lips.

I am one who believes that you are only as old as you feel, so depending on the day I am anywhere from 16 to 84.  All those mothers out there can understand that theory.

Putting aside age and the increasing feeling of seniority, I look forward to the next year of my life.  I am confident that it will bring to fruition hopes and dreams of years past.  This is my year! I boldly proclaim that all of the hard work and effort poured into this project will finally find its resting place among the best of the best.

So be it!

Let me leave you today with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Always do what you are afraid to do.”