Giveaway

Announcing the 2014 Holiday Giveaway

KWhipkey 35 Comments

 

Image by Ashley Ruggirello of Cardboard Monet

It’s no secret that Christmas is my favorite holiday, and those that have hung around here for awhile know that I tend to celebrate it by doing a giveaway every year. This year’s no exception, though I am starting it earlier than normal due to the fact it’s my birthday today, and I’m feeling especially generous. 😉

What do I have hidden up my sleeve this time? Something I think many of you will be super excited for. See, I’ve teamed up with the design genius behind the REUTS Publications book covers to bring you a self-published author’s dream — a full-fledged, FREE prize that will take your manuscript from draft to publication-ready. Yep, Cardboard Monet’s Ashley Ruggirello and I have combined our freelance prowess to offer one lucky person the following:

  • A comprehensive, top-to-bottom, full manuscript edit (including structural & line edits)
  • A polished, publish-ready eBook cover design
  • Assistance creating the all-important book blurb
  • A final proofread of the type-set, ready-for-print galley (typesetting/formatting itself is not included though)

It might not be all-inclusive, as you will still need to find a formatter and to create your own marketing materials, but I think you’ll agree that’s a pretty significant monetary value being offered up for free. Every author knows that the two most expensive aspects of self-publishing are the editing and the cover design, so why not take advantage of this rare chance to gain both in one fell swoop?

I’ve got your attention now, yes? 😉

Here’s what you have to do:

Round One:

Starting right now, you can enter to win via the Rafflecopter form. Simply fill out the various possibilities, and your name will be added to the hat. Enter as many times as you’d like until the form closes at midnight on January 2nd, 2015.  On January 3rd, I will select 100 names at random via Rafflecopter’s handy little service. Those lucky people will move on to round two. (And yes, they will be announced on the blog, so you’ll all know who to congratulate.)

Round Two:

This is where the competition gets a little fierce. The 100 winners will be required to submit a query, along with the first 5 pages of their manuscript, via email. (Specific instructions will be sent to the winners on the appropriate date.) I will review them all, and much like an acquisitions editor, I will select the final winner based both on potential and the quality of your pitch. I’ll be looking for the person I think will gain the most value from our help, so your manuscript definitely doesn’t have to be perfect yet, but it does need to be complete. Also, I will consider novellas, but not short stories.

My final decision will be made by January 30th, 2015, and the lucky winner will be announced. So sharpen those pitches, people. Make it so I absolutely have to pick you.

Good luck!

Blogiversary Link Round-up: Year 2

KWhipkey 4 Comments

Guess what? Today officially marks the initiation of Nightwolf’s Corner into the Terrible Twos! That’s right, two years ago today, I posted my first ever blog post. (Holy bejeesus, that’s a long time ago!) Things have changed a lot around here since that first step into the blogosphere — I reached 100 followers, and then passed 200 before I even knew it; I’ve featured guest posts and giveaways, and wrote my 100th blog post; you’ve watched me venture into the world of the professional editor and serialized fiction. But one thing hasn’t changed — me. I’m still the same aspiring author/starving artist who set out to provide a fun, sometimes informative, sometimes sarcastic look at all things creativity. It amazes me that there over 200 of you that care what I have to say. I’m humbled, and completely flattered, and I can’t even begin to tell you what that support means to me.

So, today, I say thanks. And look back at last year with a fond, misty-eyed moment of nostalgia (which may or may not also have to do with the fact that I just ate the last of my Cadbury mini-eggs for the year). Care to relive the glory (of the blog, not the mini-eggs, although they were epic) with me? (Good, because you really didn’t have a choice. 😉 )

Over the past year, I’ve written a grand total of 66,770 words for the blog. While my grand total in actual fiction is lurking somewhere in the 10,000 range. Good to know some things don’t change, right?

Surprisingly, my most popular post this year was How to Write Martial Arts Fight Scenes, while the least popular were Memorializing Firsts: A Celebration of Author Bridget Zinn, Channels of Distribution, The Devil’s in the Details, Plot Bunnies; Friend or Foe?, My Ode to Bose, Storytelling for Demo Teams, & Two Steps Closer Giveaway. Given how old some of those are, I’m thinking it may have had more to do with age, and not necessarily subject. (Perhaps a few will be featured in my new Featured From the Archives series . . .)

My name was the top Googled thing that led people to my little digital home, while Twitter holds the record for highest referrals. Elitism in the Arts, and funnily enough, considering its place in the least popular posts, The Devil’s in the Details received the most shares. (Hmm, maybe my stats aren’t all that accurate, after all.)

The title of Longest Post goes to Exploring the Subgenres of Science Fiction, and the shortest was Writing Workshop Alert: Have You Scene It? Not really surprising, since it was just an announcement.

This year featured a grand total of 9 Guest Posts (conveniently flagged in the Index as such) and brought you 3 new series: From the Editor’s Desk, Featured from the Archives, and Featured Art. Oh, and there was also that little opportunity to read Unmoving well before it’s finished. That was pretty cool, too. 😉

I even learned how to play with GIF’s this year — My Average Day as an Editor (In GIFs) — and interviewed two authors about their journeys to publication — A Double Dose of Awesome: Author Interview & Holiday Giveaway & Conquering the Publishing Divide: An Interview With Author Jessa Russo.

So, all in all, it was a pretty productive year.

But the reason most of you are here, I’m sure, is because today’s the day I announce the winners for not one, but TWO giveaways. (I may have been a little giveaway happy this year, too. But I don’t think you’ll complain. Right?)

Okay, I won’t leave you in suspense anymore. Here are the lucky people winning whatever it was they signed up for:

For the eBook of Divide by Jessa Russo, the winners are . . .

Kathleen P.

Courtney W.

Brock G.

And, because I received over 400 entries in my blog-birthday giveaway, the 5 lucky people walking away with their chosen book are . . .

Alexandra P.

Gabriela C.

Alexandra T.

Mandy S.

Tiffany T.

Congratulations to the winners, and a HUGE thank you to everyone who participated. I’ll be emailing the winners with information about their prizes over the next week.

That’s all I’ve got for today. But before I go, let’s raise a glass of something — water, soda, wine, or, in my case, energy drink — and have a toast: here’s to another year of snarky festivities, helpful information, and lots and lots of writing. Cheers!

Conquering the Publishing Divide: An Interview With Author Jessa Russo

KWhipkey 3 Comments

Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely adore Beauty and the Beast.  So when I stumbled on the announcement for Jessa Russo’s young adult novel, Divide, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. I haven’t finished reading it yet, so rather than bring you my thoughts on it, I’ve invited Jessa to stop by and regale us about her publication journey. This wasn’t her first time at the rodeo, as they say, but what she’s learned should be very insightful for those of us still waiting at the gates.

First, let me introduce you:

Photo of Jessa Russo

 

Jessa Russo believes in fairytales, ghosts, and Jake Ryan. She insists mimosas were created for Sundays, and that’s not up for discussion. She’s obsessed with the great city of New Orleans — where she’s collected too many beads to count, eventually married her sweetheart, and visited graveyards they don’t include on maps.

She’s loud, painfully honest, and passionate about living life to the fullest, because she’s seen how abruptly it can be taken away.

What began as a desire for reading and writing young adult paranormal has bled into stories of all kinds. From fantasy to pre-dystopian to erotic contemporary, Jessa’s stories always include romance, though she’s given up on pigeonholing her work into a category or genre box.

Jessa was born and raised in Southern California, and remains there to this day with her husband (a classic car fanatic), their daughter (a Tim Burton superfan), and a Great Dane who thinks he’s the same size as his Chihuahua sister.

Entwined, the final installment of Russo’s Ever Trilogy, will be released late 2014, as well as an erotic romance written under a pseudonym. Stay tuned!

~~~

Cover Design for Divide by Jessa Russo

From senior class president to dejected social outcast, with just the flick of a match.

After accusations of torching her ex-boyfriend’s home are followed by the mysterious poisoning of her ex-best friend, seventeen-year-old Holland Briggs assumes her life is over. And it is. But not in the way she thinks.

As Holland learns the truth about her cursed fate—that she is descended from the Beast most have only ever heard of in fairytales—she unites with an unlikely ally, good-looking newcomer Mick Stevenson. 

Mick knows more about Holland’s twisted history than she does, and enlightening as it is to learn about, his suggestion for a cure is unsettling at best. Holland must fall in love with Mick in order to break the spell, and save their future generations from repeating her cursed fate. Having sworn off love after the betrayals of her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, this may be difficult to accomplish. 

Complicating things further for Holland and Mick, time runs out, and Holland’s change begins way before schedule. With Holland quickly morphing into a dangerous mythical creature, Mick struggles to save her.

Should they fail, Holland will be lost to the beast inside her forever.

How could you not want to read that? Seriously. Which is why, in honor of Divide’s release last week, I’m going to give you a chance to get your hands on this amazing story. But not until after the interview. Which starts in three . . . two . . . one . . . 😉

~~~

Hi, Jessa! Thanks for being with us today. To kick things off, please tell us a little about Divide. Where did the inspiration come from? What makes it unique from all the other Beauty and the Beast retellings out there?

I’m not sure where the inspiration for any of my projects comes from, honestly. Ideas often pop into my head while I’m driving — which is what happened with DIVIDE — and then I stew on it for a bit until the idea turns into a story or fades away. In this case, I know I’d been hearing a lot about retellings, and I loved the idea, but I wondered how I could make mine different. Then it occurred to me that my beauty was the beast. She was both, both were her. So when NanoWrimo came along in 2012, I sat down to work on The Ever Trilogy, and DIVIDE came out instead.

What’s your favorite (non-spoiler) part of the story?

Honestly, I love the villain in DIVIDE. He’s arrogant and a bit dark, and . . . sexy. I think his introduction to the story is my favorite part of the book. (As well as a private moment down the road with him and my main character, where she happens across him in the middle of the night. But I don’t want to spoil anything.)

What kind of experience should readers expect from your work?

Truth be told, I want readers to escape into my books. It’s as simple as that. Escape. Sometimes I wish I was one of these authors with a great lesson to teach, or a beautiful, moving story of overcoming abuse or self-destruction — which I do have a story of, but won’t be sharing anytime soon as it takes a lot to get that story out on paper — but I honestly think that my creative energy is more focused on the escapism side of fiction. When I read, it’s for that reason alone, so I guess it’s probably normal that my writing is the same way. Day to day life can become repetitive at times — not that I don’t love my life and my family — but I often wake up to a sink full of dishes, or laundry that is never-ending, a tween whose attitude is starting to really, painfully, mirror my own . . . stuff like that. So when I read, I want to escape into the beautiful, butterfly-inducing joy of young love or magical fantasies about Princes and vampires and Vampire Princes. I want that escapism for my readers. I won’t beat you over the head with my beliefs or try to change your mind about yours — you can just pick up my book and find your alternate happily ever after.

Divide will be your third novel. How has its journey differed from that of Ever and Evade? Did it face challenges that the others didn’t, and vice versa?

Um . . . that’s hard to pinpoint. I queried both EVER and DIVIDE, but I was a bit wiser with DIVIDE, a bit more seasoned. With EVER, I thought I was supposed to cast a wide net, querying everyone who’d ever been an agent, seen an agent or known an agent. (A common rookie mistake, I’ve since learned.) I received an insane amount of rejection for EVER — something that probably also had to do with not just the wide net I cast, but the fact that I didn’t hear about critique partners until well into my querying, and by then, I think it was a bit too late for that book, as far as literary agents go. They’d all seen it (all 80 of them), rejected it, and didn’t much care to see the revisions. Anyway, with DIVIDE, I entered a couple contests, then queried a handful or two of agents — one of which was a friend who’d already hinted at wanting to sign me. So DIVIDE had a bit of an easier go at things, but then, second children often do, don’t they? The first child is the one with the gallons of hand sanitizer and safety EVERYTHING, then that second kiddo comes along and can be a dirty little daredevil without the parent so much as blinking an eye. That’s EVER and DIVIDE. 😉

A lot of people assume that once you have an agent, publication is a sure thing. But it isn’t. Can you tell us a little about what it’s like to work with an agency, as opposed to going it alone? Are there any times you would recommend against looking for an agent?

I assumed that too. It’s funny how I continue to grow and learn in this industry — right when I think I’ve figured it all out, something happens to humble me all over again. With EVER, I thought “Okay, well, I wrote ‘The End’, so now I get to publish.” Then I looked up Scholastic — because obviously that’s who I would let have EVER — and realized it wasn’t that easy. Doh! With DIVIDE, I just knew my agent would find a Big 5 publishing house for me right away. Unfortunately, as many of us have found, that just isn’t the case. Rejections began to trickle in. Part of me couldn’t believe it. The other part of me told me my story sucked. (Gotta love that inner writer — she’s not very nice.) What I came to discover was that I’d missed the boat on fairytale retellings. Editors said things like “We already signed all the fairytale retellings we want.” Or, “This is too similar to something we just signed.” It was heartbreaking. I would have to shelve my story. And then I realized that way of thinking was wrong. Maybe I wasn’t the first to remix an old classic, but DIVIDE wasn’t bad because of that fact. And then I realized that DIVIDE didn’t deserve to be shelved.

The fairytale redux genre is incredibly popular right now. What kind of challenges do you think authors face as the market becomes more and more flooded?

Haha, um, see above. 😉 I’d say that if you’re working on a fairytale redux right now (and really, this can go for many other genres as well — paranormal, to name a big one), make it amazing. Make it unique. Make it unlike anything anyone has EVER seen before. But even then, go into it knowing that you may have missed the boat, and if you did, that doesn’t mean your story isn’t worth reading. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share it with the world. If I’ve learned one thing about publishing, it’s that just because a large house may not want your story (and there are a number of factors that go into that decision) it doesn’t mean a fanbase of readers won’t gobble up your words as if they are the very oxygen needed to breathe. Because at the heart of every reader is, after all, a desire to read. A hunger for your words. So write the words, create the stories, and share them. Someone will thank you for it, I promise.

What advice would you give to those authors facing the gauntlet of publishing?

Again, see above. Lol! Basically, go into it with an open mind, ready to learn. Then realize that you know nothing, and even after you think you’ve learned it all, you still know nothing. 😉 Why? Because publishing is constantly evolving, constantly growing, changing, spinning, morphing . . . so be open to learning as you go. Always. Oh, and be patient. Rushing something that means the world to you is never a good idea. Don’t race into publishing. You’ll regret it for one reason or another. That I can guarantee.

~~~

Some fantastic words of wisdom in there, no? Thank you, Jessa!

Which leaves only one thing — the giveaway. Because what better way to thank Jessa for her time than to help her celebrate the release of her book? In one week, three lucky people will be walking away with an eBook of Divide. Want it to be you? Click here to enter: Divide eBook Giveaway!

And if you’re feeling extra lucky, the giveaway for my blogiversary is still happening too. The drawings for both will happen on the same day, so be sure to head over there and enter for a chance at some of the other amazing titles up for grabs. 🙂

Nightwolf’s Corner Birthday Giveaway–Year 2

KWhipkey 2 Comments

Image of Birthday Candles

“Birthday Celebration” by Cédric Boismain
Copyright 2013

 

Those of you who have followed me for a while know that I like to do giveaways twice a year as a way of thanking you for your support. And after the heavy content of last week’s post, it seemed like the perfect time to announce one. Plus, it’s that time of year again — blogiversary time. Technically, my blog turns two (let’s hope blogs don’t suffer the terrible two’s!) on May 2nd. But we’re going to start the celebration a bit early. Because that’s just how I roll. Birthdays are a big deal, right?

So what kind of fabulous goodies do I have hidden up my sleeves? The kind that should make all the bibliophile’s out there swoon with joy — free books. That’s right, some lucky people (number of winners will depend on the number of entries I receive) will get their choice (in their preferred reading method) of the amazing books I’ve worked on over the past year. Which might those be? Well, lets have a look:

 

The Prize Options:

 
Cover Image for A Foundation in Wisdom
 

A Foundation in Wisdom by Robert Loyd Watson

 
 
History repeats itself. This is what I taught, and always believed. Then I met Sheridan, a man hitchhiking down the highway without a care in the world – a lonely figure who told me history, and the world, was ending. His evidence was the story of a mathematician who tried to prove the world didn’t exist.

It was a silly proposition. Nobody can prove the world doesn’t exist. But as I became more convinced Sheridan was right, that the proof lay at the edge of reality, I could only wonder, where would we go?
 

(An intellectual Fantasy, A Foundation in Wisdom is available in eBook or Paperback)

 

Echoes of Balance by Cally Ryanne
 

Echoes of Balance by Cally Ryanne

 
 
For Chloe Moraine, fighting wild bears — and the occasional vampire — is a better pastime than the tediousness of keeping the universe in balance. But balancing is the family business. It comes with being one of the last in the ancient line of Naimei.

So when the impending return of the Original Demons threatens global harmony, Chloe is obligated to help. Even when that means the dull-as-dirt task of following a human girl who “might be involved, maybe,” instead of the thrilling hunt she craves.

With their powerful magic and ancient Ways, Chloe’s family is unconcerned, certain they’ll quickly fix the imbalance while she’s preoccupied with human high school. But when the Ways start to fail, the threat becomes more serious, and the only person that seems to know anything is a debonair vampire with an offer to help.

If Chloe chooses to trust him, and the darker side of the supernatural he represents, she’ll betray her family and risk losing them, and herself, in the process. But if he’s right, he may just be their only chance to stop the return of the Originals and save the world.

Maybe high school won’t be so boring after all.
 

(A YA Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Echoes of Balance is available in eBook or Paperback)

 
Cover Art for "Dracian Legacy" by Priya Kanaparti
 

Dracian Legacy by Priya Kanaparti

 
 
At seventeen, Ren Pernell knows the meaning of tragedy.

But then, a year after losing her parents, Axel Knight walks through the door and changes everything. Strange creatures start to appear, her best friend suddenly finds her irresistible, and an undeniable, unexplainable bond with Axel threatens to drive her insane. She knows he’s the key. There’s something he’s not sharing, and she’s determined to find out.

Demanding answers, she finally learns the truth: everything she ever believed is an illusion. Caught in a centuries-old blood feud between races she never knew existed, Ren discovers her true destiny. She’s the chosen one, the Echo, preordained to end the bloodshed.

There’s just one catch –- in order to save those she loves and a homeland she’s never seen, she’ll have to die.

With the clock running out, she’ll have to navigate a new world of betrayal, lies and deceit. If she can forgive, finding love even in the darkest places, she just might be able to escape the prophecy. But how much is she willing to sacrifice for a cause she didn’t know she was part of? And what will it take for her to be free?

**Content Note: This is classed as a YA, but parents should be aware that the content, in my opinion, is appropriate for 16+ years. There’s nothing too explicit, but it does contain swearing, discussions about sex, and steamy make-out sessions that will leave adults looking for a cold shower.**
 

(A YA Paranormal Romance, Dracian Legacy is available in eBook or Paperback. The Paperback version contains additional bonus material and will be signed by the author.)

 
A Need So Insatiable by Cecilia Robert
 

A Need So Insatiable by Cecilia Robert

 
 
“You’ve owned me from the moment I walked into that music room. You’ve wrapped yourself in my heart and mind. I can’t get you out. I don’t want to.” ~ Rafael Van Rees

Sophie Fisher’s life is on fire. If she’s not ducking around corners or slipping out of windows to escape the debt collectors her father’s death has left knocking on her door, she’s dealing with her rebellious, fifteen-year-old sister, Lilli. And, as if that’s not enough, Rafael Van Rees crashes into her life—literally—bringing with him a past the public has no idea of. Can she unravel his mysteries before he unravels her, or will his presence finally force her to face the demons she’s trying to outrun?

Rafael Van Rees prides himself on being in control of his destiny, music and women. As far as he is concerned, his past is a black cloud in the distance–until he meets Sophie, that is, and his world spins out of control in more ways than one. He knows the darkest sins and secrets eventually reveal themselves, but when it comes to Sophie, he’ll stop at nothing to protect her from his past. Even if it kills him.

**Content Note: Contains mature content — swearing, violence, sex — that is appropriate for 18+ years.**
 

(A NA Romantic Suspense, A Need So Insatiable is available in eBook or Paperback. The Paperback hasn’t been released just yet, so if chosen, there may be a brief delay.)

 
A Soul to Take by Emily Taylor
 

A Soul to Take by Emily Taylor

 
 
Dying is the least of Elixia’s worries.

The world has changed. Demons are no longer legend, but part of life, integrated into our society . . . or so the Government claims. Things are never that simple, though, and neither side favors the new union. Agent Elixia Albelin knows the dark nature of demons firsthand, and will do everything in her power to protect the innocent from their wrath.

But when a mission from the Agency goes sour, Elixia finds herself in a predicament. Murdered, with her last living family-member kidnapped, her only hope is an offer from the very thing she despises: a demon. It’s no ordinary demon offering the contract, though, and his motive for such a deal is unclear. But if she’s to discover the truth and save her sister, she must commit the greatest taboo for an Agent:

Sell her soul.

Now, Marked and shackled to the terms of the contract, she must try to uncover the mystery of her sister’s abduction before her new “owner” comes to claim what is his. Her past may hold answers, but what happens when her investigation finds something far more sinister? Something not even the demons can condone?

**Content Note: Contains swearing, graphic violence, and sexual situations. Appropriate for 17+ years.**
 

(A NA Paranormal Romance w/ elements of Dark Fantasy and Steampunk, A Soul to Take will be released 4/29/14 in eBook & 5/13/14 in Paperback.)

 

Unmoving Cover Image
 

Unmoving by Kisa Whipkey

 
 
Derek Richards renounced his humanity after losing the woman he loved in a horrific car accident. Like flipping a switch, he turned off his non-cynical emotions –- including compassion and empathy –- and closed himself off from the world. But, three years later, his callous disregard has finally caught up to him.

After watching his current fling angrily storm out, he meanders through the streets of Portland to his favorite spot –- a park bench by the river. His peace and quiet is interrupted by a homeless woman, and he quickly finds himself entangled in a confrontation where money isn’t the only change at stake.

Now, literally turned to stone, he realizes karma’s giving him a second chance. Like Ebeneezer Scrooge minus the helpful ghosts, he has to relive all his bad decisions –- every selfish, incorrect choice he’s ever made –- and reevaluate his life. If he can’t find a way to redeem himself, he’ll spend eternity as a statue. But after what he’s done, maybe he deserves it.
 

(An Urban Fantasy, Unmoving is currently only available in serialized form. Winners choosing this prize will be enrolled in my VIP First-Look Subscription program.)

 
Excited yet?

Here’s how it’ll work — the giveaway will run from now until Midnight on May 1st, at which time I’ll let Rafflecopter’s Random Winner Algorithm draw some names from the proverbial hat. The number of names is entirely up to you guys. For every 100 entries I receive, I’ll add another chance to win. So tell your friends, bribe some people, or enter multiple times yourself. 😉

Until then, let’s bust out the confetti and champagne, and get this party going! Click here to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Double Dose of Awesome: Author Interview & Holiday Giveaway

KWhipkey 1 Comment

It’s that time of year again. Trees are dressed like girls going to prom, boxes accumulate like snow, and I disappear for a few weeks. That’s right, it’s Christmas! And because I said it would be an annual occurrence, (and really, I just like giving you stuff) that also means it’s time to announce this year’s Holiday Giveaway. But first, I have an extra bonus. The lovely Cally Ryanne, author of Echoes of Balance, has agreed to stop by and give us some insight on what it’s like to be a new author, what her publication journey was like, and what you should expect from her debut novel.

I featured Echoes of Balance a few weeks ago under my From the Editor’s Desk series, so if you’re curious about the book, hop on over there. Otherwise, I’ll let Cally tell you about it herself. 😉

~

 
1. First, thank you for joining us today and congratulations on the release of your debut novel! Tell us a little about it; what kind of experience should readers expect?
 
Thank YOU for featuring me, editing Echoes (y’all — Kisa is a phenomenal editor), and making this book an awesome first experience. Really. 🙂

(Note from Kisa: Aww, thanks Cally! That means a lot. <3)

Echoes is about Chloe Moraine, the youngest of the Naimei, an ancient line of beings charged with keeping the universe in balance. But she wasn’t always sold on this particular responsibility; following their Ways can be boring, and so, for a long while, she set off to be a vampire hunter, to do something that felt more immediate and important. It’s not until her family receives warning that Pan and Damonos, the original demons and premiere forces of chaos, are set to return that Chloe resumes her Naimei duties, and then she does so with a conflicting view of the world: things can’t all be as black and white as the Ways would have the Naimei believe.

When the Ways, themselves, begin to fail, Chloe is approached by Josef, an unnervingly charming vampire who seems to know more about the Originals than anyone outside the Naimei fold should. It seems as if her best bet to save the world is to trust him, but doing so will lead her to a darker side of the supernatural than she’s ever seen, and may alienate her family in the process.

I think the experience readers should expect is immersive. The book has been a long time coming — there’s a lot to Chloe and her world beyond just this story. Get ready. 🙂
 

Chloe Moraine, high school superhero by day, universe balancer and occasional vampire hunter by night. — Echoes of Balance, 2013

 
2. This is the first in a trilogy, isn’t it? Anything you can tell us about the next book?
 
It totes is the first in a trilogy! Echoes stays pretty focused on Chloe’s life in the immediate right now, and the things she’s (mostly) used to experiencing. It’s her world, as far as Echoes is concerned. Book two — literally, that’s what the document is called right now, I’m so terrible at titles — expands a lot of Chloe’s borders, so to speak. There are new places, and a lot of new characters. Her world starts expanding — quickly — and she sort of has to deal with the fall out of that, along with all the decisions she’s made in book one.

Also, as it stands now, the first word (prologue aside) is Ducante. Man, I just love that guy. Can’t get enough of him.

(Note from Kisa: Awesome! Ducante was one of my favorite characters. Nothing like a snarky, bar-tending demon to complete things, you know? 😉 )
 

Meeting a vampire at a bar was certainly not the most dangerous thing she could do. But it was far from the least. — Echoes of Balance, 2013

 
3. This story is clearly one that’s very dear to you. Please tell us a little about your road to publication. What steps did you take? How did you ensure the story you love is the one that readers can now hold?
 
If we go back to the Way Back, the first step to publication was to totally “murder my darlings”. Chloe & company have been around for some time, and they’ve had lots of starts to their stories. That’s what happens when you think you can write novels in like, middle school. Plot holes, bad writing, plots that didn’t lead anywhere, and none of them fit, really. So eventually, there had to be a time where the pallet was cleansed — all these things I’d been building and thinking about and the what if this happened’s had to get out to make room for something real and solid and logical, but still true to the characters. Because, in the end, they were what mattered most to me.

Then I wrote and wrote and wrote forever, reworked and edited, got sick of editing, edited some more, agonized over a query letter, and then sent that query letter out to ten thousand people. Then got rejected by ten thousand people, put the book on hold for awhile, and repeated that last process again a few more times.

And, FYI, when you actually do get accepted, you have to go back to that write/edit/get sick of looking at your own words process all over again. It’s a blastity blast.
 

He was handsome . . . with chiseled features that screamed there was an aspiring actor resumé with his name on it somewhere. — Echoes of Balance, 2013

 
4. You chose to publish with a new, indie publisher instead of following the popular trend of self-publishing. What has that experience been like? Would you recommend working with a smaller press? (And please answer honestly. I promise I won’t hold anything you say against you.)
 
So, I feel like I should stress that my experience was definitely different than people working with big publishers (because duh) and probably a little different than most people working with indie publishers (because new). I was actually approached by Ashley, one of the REUTS founders, on a writing site and encouraged to submit my then mostly-finished-and-edited manuscript, and I’m the first book (!) to come out of REUTS.

That being said, I had never really seriously considered self publishing. I was sort of the exhausted mom that really needed it to be summer so her kid could go away to camp for awhile. I loved my manuscript, but I just didn’t have it in me to do everything that’s needed to self publish successfully, so that it was actually polished and professional looking and not just something that was stuck up on Amazon at 3 a.m. I figured if no one would accept me now, I would just keep writing and try again in a few years, or something, and if that didn’t work, I’d have to self publish when I actually had time to devote to it. (Which isn’t really an option when you’ve just graduated college, moved to a new city and started a new job.)

If I’m super honest, the first time I emailed Ashley, I was stupid nervous that this was just going to be some prank or grandiose dream of authors-who-wanted-to-publish-other-authors that wasn’t really going to go anywhere. But, a little over a year later, and there are real paperback copies of my fully edited book. And it’s awesome.

I’m a fan of indie and a big fan of smaller presses in general, and working with them is great. There’s a lot of personal attention, everyone involved in the press is queued into what’s happening, they really care about helping you and being new, and small, and indie, they’re totally open to being experimental and adaptive. Some things to consider, though, is that small presses — and new small presses, at that — don’t necessarily have the same experience as bigger names. REUTS is awesome, but I can see how you could easily get other presses who think they know what they’re doing but really don’t (my initial panic when Ashley emailed me). So, I guess, tread with caution if you seek a new operation to publish with. Also, consider what you want out of publishing — I just wanted to be able to share my story, but some people want to be able to walk into Barnes and Noble and see their book on the New and Now table. Different publishers have different resources that can give you different things!
 

Night was several hours off, and she didn’t have time to play host to a pseudo-corpse. — Echoes of Balance, 2013

 
5. Could you please describe what actually happens during the publication process? What should authors expect after they sign a contract?
 
Let’s start with what you should not expect:

That your book magically goes away to some factory-land that puffs out rainbows, and comes out the other side this polished, beautiful thing ready to head to booksellers everywhere.

Don’t expect that.

As soon as you sign the contract, you start in on your book proper. Finding a title that fits (this might be a personal problem — I’m pretty awful at titles), making cover decisions, starting the process of editing. I was lucky enough to be able to edit right in my Google Doc, (instant feedback, whoo!) but that also meant coming home from work and having thirty to fifty comments I needed to address on top of normal life. It can be a lot. And you’re going to keep having to tweak, cut, change, rewrite, and add to this thing you thought was great because, duh, someone wanted to publish it. But just because someone wants to publish you doesn’t mean your book is perfect. Yet.
 

She knew nothing of high school beyond the basic conventions, structure, & potential for heaping amounts of teenage angst. — Echoes of Balance, 2013

 
6. What’s been your favorite part?
 
I actually love getting edits. They’re tiring and sometimes I’m just like, ugh, I can’t look at this, but it’s also awesome to see comments from someone else who is as critical of and as invested in your story as you.
 
7. And lastly, what advice would you give to other aspiring authors out there?
 
Gut check your expectations. That being said, keep on keeping on!
 

Why did vampires always incorporate puns into their conversation? Did they try, or did it just happen? — Echoes of Balance, 2013

 

~

Thank you, Cally! 🙂

To find out more about Echoes, The Ways Trilogy, and Cally, be sure to visit her author website, or connect with her on Twitter: @callyryanne.  And, of course, Echoes of Balance is out now! So head to your favorite online retailer or meander over to REUTS Publications to pick up a copy.

Which leaves us with only one more piece of business: the Holiday Giveaway. In honor of Cally’s achievement and the first release from REUTS (which I might have had a small part in), I decided to give away 3 copies of Echoes of Balance. Yep, 3 lucky people can score one of the beautiful paperback editions for free! (Why 3? Who knows. That seems to be my magic number.) Ready to enter? Click here!The drawing will be held on New Year’s Day, and the winners will be announced that following Friday (1/3/14).

Until then, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday and I’ll see you in the new year! 🙂