On the eve of Twilight's Breaking Dawn release, I must say...I have absolutely NO desire to stand in line for 2 hours in the godforsaken cold just so I can see a movie with a theater full of screaming girls. I don't want to sit for two hours getting kicked in the back. I don't want to huff and puff when the pre-adolescent girls pull out their cells to update their Facebook statuses mid-movie. I mean, it's SO IMPORTANT for your "friends" to know you're "watching" the movie, right? Then watch the darn movie and put your phones away.
:deep breath:
Don't get me wrong. I want to watch Breaking Dawn. I do. (I would've rather watched the whole shebang in one film instead of two, but whatever, Hollywood.) I just want to watch it when I won't have to share an armrest with a stranger or stand in long ass lines for a $4.00 box of Goobers.
I'm just sayin'...
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Vamped Up goes into the world--NetGalley Review Time!
I'm a little nervous...
VAMPED UP goes out to reviewers on NetGalley today.
I absolutely love this book. It's my baby. I fell in love with Eve and Ruan right away. From the moment they popped on the radar in INTERVAMPTION, I couldn't wait to tell their story. It's the first book I've written that elicited serious emotional reactions from me as I wrote it. (I teared up during one scene and released butterflies in my stomach for a few others.) My writing got stronger through the pages and I went deeper into these characters than I've done with any others.
But I still worry. There are bound to be imperfections and people who don't relate to the work. I'm sure there'll be bad reviews. There'll be expectations that aren't met. (Especially after the great reviews of InterVamption.)
Nothing can be done about that.
(I would like to think ALL writers, regardless what stage of their craft and career they're in, go through this kind of panic mode when reviewers get their hands on our work. You pray there are good reviews with the bad. No wait, you pray that the bad reviews are swamped by good ones. That would make the bad reviews more tolerable, wouldn't it? I know I'm rambling--told you I was nervous.)
Anyhow, I suppose I have to suck it up. Allow myself to sweat and worry. Then let the story go. It's like dropping off my youngest at school for the first day. As I left the parking lot, I couldn't help but wonder how his first day was going to go. Were the other kids going to be kind to him? Would he make friends? Would he sing and play and be happy or would he sulk by himself? Is Vamped Up going to live up to the expectation I've placed upon it? Will Ruan and Eve reach through the pages and grab readers' hearts? I sure hope so.
I'm just so damn jittery this morning and it has to be because my latest work is finally going out into the world.
Good luck, VAMPED UP. Fly, baby, fly.
VAMPED UP goes out to reviewers on NetGalley today.
I absolutely love this book. It's my baby. I fell in love with Eve and Ruan right away. From the moment they popped on the radar in INTERVAMPTION, I couldn't wait to tell their story. It's the first book I've written that elicited serious emotional reactions from me as I wrote it. (I teared up during one scene and released butterflies in my stomach for a few others.) My writing got stronger through the pages and I went deeper into these characters than I've done with any others.
But I still worry. There are bound to be imperfections and people who don't relate to the work. I'm sure there'll be bad reviews. There'll be expectations that aren't met. (Especially after the great reviews of InterVamption.)
Nothing can be done about that.
(I would like to think ALL writers, regardless what stage of their craft and career they're in, go through this kind of panic mode when reviewers get their hands on our work. You pray there are good reviews with the bad. No wait, you pray that the bad reviews are swamped by good ones. That would make the bad reviews more tolerable, wouldn't it? I know I'm rambling--told you I was nervous.)
Anyhow, I suppose I have to suck it up. Allow myself to sweat and worry. Then let the story go. It's like dropping off my youngest at school for the first day. As I left the parking lot, I couldn't help but wonder how his first day was going to go. Were the other kids going to be kind to him? Would he make friends? Would he sing and play and be happy or would he sulk by himself? Is Vamped Up going to live up to the expectation I've placed upon it? Will Ruan and Eve reach through the pages and grab readers' hearts? I sure hope so.
I'm just so damn jittery this morning and it has to be because my latest work is finally going out into the world.
Good luck, VAMPED UP. Fly, baby, fly.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Happy Three Year Writing Anniversary to me!
I started on this crazy writing journey three years ago today...or this week, or next, or whatever. Anyhow, the day is close. I remember that by Thanksgiving in 2008, I'd already had a few chapters down the chute and my fingers were buzzing.
With each anniversary comes reflection and hopefully a little appreciation of how far you've come as a couple.
Me and my writing journey...we've come a long way.
I started writing with an idea: A girl who has visions of death before they happen. I thought I'd like to read a book like that. That's it. Nothing earth-shattering. I tossed around the idea for a couple weeks, but not once did I sit down at the keyboard to spit out a novel. The reason is simple: I wasn't spectacular at creative writing in college. I found myself so bogged down by the "rules" of the writing project (whatever it may have been at the time), that I never allowed myself the freedom I needed. (This is the reflection, part.) Write a poem using the five senses? Great. I'll do it. Write a short story using these very specific, and very random, fifty words. No problem. The writing was grammatically correct, structurally sound, and the stories flowed...but there was no meat to them, and the teachers could tell. (It wasn't until I tossed the rules that I *got* it.)
One day, Husband said, "Why don't you try writing a book?"
My response was something like, "I don't know if I can." (I was thinking something like holy hell, 400 pages would take FOREVER to write!)
"Well, why don't you sit down at the computer, no pressure, and see how far you get?" he said, like it was nothin'.
And it was nothing. I mean, writing a novel is SOMETHING. It's hard and tedious and strapping. But I had absolutely nothing to lose.
That story, set in Joliet, Illinois, about a marine who goes to war and a girl who finds herself through life (and death), was written in three months. I wrote late at night when the Husband and munchkins were sleeping. I wrote furiously. No holds barred.
It wasn't great. But it was a start. The writing bug got under my skin. I took the next step. How do I learn to write great books? Learn from the best! That's when I found RWA National and went to my first RWA conference (2009 Washington D.C), where I soaked up what the best of the best had to offer an enthusiastic newbie like me. I traveled by myself. I didn't know a single person there. I was focused on, not a writing career, but writing a single book that people loved to read.
That's where the journey really began...
Because I like lists, I'm gonna break down the timeline from there on out.
2008
-First story written
2009
-first story rejected by 100 agents
-Dark Tide Rising written
-half of Intervamption written
-Dark Tide Rising rejected by same 100 agents
2010
-Dark Tide Rising given two offers of publication from e-publishers
-Intervamption finished
-Dark Tide rising sold to The Wild Rose Press
-Offer of representation from agent for Intervamption query
-lost representation (agency closure)
-New offer of representation from agent (Hellooo Nalini!)
-half of Vamped Up written
2011
-Intervamption and Vamped Up sold to Avon Impulse
-Dark Tide Rising published in February
-Vamped Up finished
-Intervamption published in July
-Claimed by Desire written
-Claimed by Desire and 2nd novella sold to Harlequin
*Vamped Up published in December
*Feralon novella 2 written
2012
*Book 3 in Vampires of Crimson Bay series written
*Claimed by Desire published in Summer
*2nd novella published in Fall or Winter
(*'s are things to come, pending the stars aligning "just so" and the current path continuing as is.)
Quite a relationship we've had the past three years, isn't it? What that list doesn't include are the amount of wonderful writers I've become friends with. The critique partners who've helped shape my work. And how my becoming President of SFARWA this year has impacted my career. Since my first conference in D.C., I haven't missed a one. I still hope that people (or even one person) loves my work, but now I've got the bigger picture--this is my career.
And I can do this. (At least that's what I tell myself when I sit at the computer, staring at the blank screen!)
I only hope the next three years are as eventful as the last!
With each anniversary comes reflection and hopefully a little appreciation of how far you've come as a couple.
Me and my writing journey...we've come a long way.
I started writing with an idea: A girl who has visions of death before they happen. I thought I'd like to read a book like that. That's it. Nothing earth-shattering. I tossed around the idea for a couple weeks, but not once did I sit down at the keyboard to spit out a novel. The reason is simple: I wasn't spectacular at creative writing in college. I found myself so bogged down by the "rules" of the writing project (whatever it may have been at the time), that I never allowed myself the freedom I needed. (This is the reflection, part.) Write a poem using the five senses? Great. I'll do it. Write a short story using these very specific, and very random, fifty words. No problem. The writing was grammatically correct, structurally sound, and the stories flowed...but there was no meat to them, and the teachers could tell. (It wasn't until I tossed the rules that I *got* it.)
One day, Husband said, "Why don't you try writing a book?"
My response was something like, "I don't know if I can." (I was thinking something like holy hell, 400 pages would take FOREVER to write!)
"Well, why don't you sit down at the computer, no pressure, and see how far you get?" he said, like it was nothin'.
And it was nothing. I mean, writing a novel is SOMETHING. It's hard and tedious and strapping. But I had absolutely nothing to lose.
That story, set in Joliet, Illinois, about a marine who goes to war and a girl who finds herself through life (and death), was written in three months. I wrote late at night when the Husband and munchkins were sleeping. I wrote furiously. No holds barred.
It wasn't great. But it was a start. The writing bug got under my skin. I took the next step. How do I learn to write great books? Learn from the best! That's when I found RWA National and went to my first RWA conference (2009 Washington D.C), where I soaked up what the best of the best had to offer an enthusiastic newbie like me. I traveled by myself. I didn't know a single person there. I was focused on, not a writing career, but writing a single book that people loved to read.
That's where the journey really began...
Because I like lists, I'm gonna break down the timeline from there on out.
2008
-First story written
2009
-first story rejected by 100 agents
-Dark Tide Rising written
-half of Intervamption written
-Dark Tide Rising rejected by same 100 agents
2010
-Dark Tide Rising given two offers of publication from e-publishers
-Intervamption finished
-Dark Tide rising sold to The Wild Rose Press
-Offer of representation from agent for Intervamption query
-lost representation (agency closure)
-New offer of representation from agent (Hellooo Nalini!)
-half of Vamped Up written
2011
-Intervamption and Vamped Up sold to Avon Impulse
-Dark Tide Rising published in February
-Vamped Up finished
-Intervamption published in July
-Claimed by Desire written
-Claimed by Desire and 2nd novella sold to Harlequin
*Vamped Up published in December
*Feralon novella 2 written
2012
*Book 3 in Vampires of Crimson Bay series written
*Claimed by Desire published in Summer
*2nd novella published in Fall or Winter
(*'s are things to come, pending the stars aligning "just so" and the current path continuing as is.)
Quite a relationship we've had the past three years, isn't it? What that list doesn't include are the amount of wonderful writers I've become friends with. The critique partners who've helped shape my work. And how my becoming President of SFARWA this year has impacted my career. Since my first conference in D.C., I haven't missed a one. I still hope that people (or even one person) loves my work, but now I've got the bigger picture--this is my career.
And I can do this. (At least that's what I tell myself when I sit at the computer, staring at the blank screen!)
I only hope the next three years are as eventful as the last!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
VAMPED UP's got a COVER!
Wanna see something cool?
Awwwwww, yeah!! That's the grand reveal I've been waiting for--the cover of VAMPED UP, Book 2 in the Vampires of Crimson Bay Series. And (holycrapIcan'tbelieveit) do you see that unbelievable quote in the corner?!? Yup, that's from #1 New York Times Bestselling author Christine Feehan. Yup, that's what she had to say about my book. Yup, I'm passing out from lack of oxygen. I'm walking on air. Drowning. Spinning. Elated. Somebody pinch me.
VAMPED UP releases December 6th from Avon Impulse. It'll be available at all local e-retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders.com, Books-a-Million, etc, etc) for e-books and print on demand.
If you haven't read the first book in the series, INTERVAMPTION, it's still .99 cents at your local e-retailer, too!
In other good news...I've revamped my website: www.kristinmiller.net It should be easier to navigate now. I've also added updated snippets of the books I've written and am writing, including Claimed by Desire.
And did you know I blog at Darker Temptations now too? I post there every other Thursday. (Not this one, but the next one.) We'll be giving away some pretty cool things next month (LIKE A FREAKING KINDLE!!), so check back.
I'm gonna leave you a song that's got me rocking this week. I'm trying to work (and focus all my creative energy) on the second novella in the Feralon series, but once this song got under my skin, all I can think about is a character you'll meet in VAMPED UP. This is HIS song. Angry. Bitter. Redeeming.
So here you go--the song that's in my head every day. The song I sing picking up my kids from school. The song blaring from my radio as I'm driving.
So if you happen to be local, and see me flipping out in my car, I'm not crazy, I promise. I'm rocking out. Got any songs stuck in your head lately?
Awwwwww, yeah!! That's the grand reveal I've been waiting for--the cover of VAMPED UP, Book 2 in the Vampires of Crimson Bay Series. And (holycrapIcan'tbelieveit) do you see that unbelievable quote in the corner?!? Yup, that's from #1 New York Times Bestselling author Christine Feehan. Yup, that's what she had to say about my book. Yup, I'm passing out from lack of oxygen. I'm walking on air. Drowning. Spinning. Elated. Somebody pinch me.
VAMPED UP releases December 6th from Avon Impulse. It'll be available at all local e-retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders.com, Books-a-Million, etc, etc) for e-books and print on demand.
If you haven't read the first book in the series, INTERVAMPTION, it's still .99 cents at your local e-retailer, too!
In other good news...I've revamped my website: www.kristinmiller.net It should be easier to navigate now. I've also added updated snippets of the books I've written and am writing, including Claimed by Desire.
And did you know I blog at Darker Temptations now too? I post there every other Thursday. (Not this one, but the next one.) We'll be giving away some pretty cool things next month (LIKE A FREAKING KINDLE!!), so check back.
I'm gonna leave you a song that's got me rocking this week. I'm trying to work (and focus all my creative energy) on the second novella in the Feralon series, but once this song got under my skin, all I can think about is a character you'll meet in VAMPED UP. This is HIS song. Angry. Bitter. Redeeming.
So here you go--the song that's in my head every day. The song I sing picking up my kids from school. The song blaring from my radio as I'm driving.
So if you happen to be local, and see me flipping out in my car, I'm not crazy, I promise. I'm rocking out. Got any songs stuck in your head lately?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Really good reason to be MIA this month. AND A TWO NOVELLA DEAL TO HARLEQUIN!
Yes, I've been MIA for, like, a month. (You may throw stones now.)
But I've got good reason. Swear.
We're doing a massive remodel on our kitchen and bathroom. Everything in our kitchen cabinets has vomited into our living room. Laundry is a pain since my laundry room is stuffed to the brim. I've been swallowed in edits of Vamped Up, Book 2 in the Vampires of Crimson Bay Series. They turned out great, better than I'd hoped. I've spent the last two days writing the back cover blurb for the book, and since there seemed to be a consensus among reviewers that the back cover blurb for InterVamption didn't do the book justice, I'm trying to redeem myself. (But that comment in and of itself is a compliment, don't you think? The blurb didn't do the book justice. Ah yes, the meat of the book was great, but the blurb fell short. I'll take it.) We've been battling some sort of Sheetrock dusting cold, which means the kids get the coughs and sneezes and pass it around like a hot potato. And I sold a two novella deal to Harlequin.
Wait. Hold the phone. OHMYGOSH, DIDN'T I TELL YOU?!?
I wrote a 25k word novella titled, Claimed by Desire, this summer. Super Agent Nalini pitched it and sold it to Harlequin Cravings. I'm so beyond thrilled that they wanted two novellas instead of the one. I absolutely love the world I created and want to spend more time there. I can't wait to dive back in. (Did I mention I've got nothing written on the second one? Not a single plot line or sketch of a character. And I've got a due date! Whoa! This "real writer" stuff is heavy. I better get my backside in gear.)
Anyway, Claimed by Desire will release Summer of 2012 with the second one releasing Fall or Winter of 2012. I wish I had something more concrete to give you. Oh wait. I do.
Claimed by Desire Blurb
As teenagers, dragon shifter Rafe Landon and empath Misty Burke shared a heart-stopping love and heated passion that neither expected…especially since on the mystical Isle of Feralon, dragons aren’t supposed to embrace members of other races. Fearing for Misty’s life should she be claimed as his rider, Rafe commits the ultimate sacrifice and sets his love free, banishing her from the enchanted isle.
The last thing he expects is for Misty to return to Feralon ten years later as a very mature, and deviously sexy woman on a mission: use her heightened sensory powers to locate the missing Draco stone, a sacred gem that strengthens the dragon race. But Rafe is hiding a secret of his own. Forsaking a rider will end his life…in two days time. Despite his eternal love for Misty, he refuses to imprison her on the isle, condemning her to an early grave.
For Misty, Rafe will gladly pay the ultimate sacrifice—he’ll die, so she can live.
It’s not long before Rafe and Misty are swept away by undercurrents of passion that never waned. Their quest to find the sacred stone may be more of a journey than either realized—one that not only leads to the lost gem, but to true, undying love.
Whatcha think?
But I've got good reason. Swear.
We're doing a massive remodel on our kitchen and bathroom. Everything in our kitchen cabinets has vomited into our living room. Laundry is a pain since my laundry room is stuffed to the brim. I've been swallowed in edits of Vamped Up, Book 2 in the Vampires of Crimson Bay Series. They turned out great, better than I'd hoped. I've spent the last two days writing the back cover blurb for the book, and since there seemed to be a consensus among reviewers that the back cover blurb for InterVamption didn't do the book justice, I'm trying to redeem myself. (But that comment in and of itself is a compliment, don't you think? The blurb didn't do the book justice. Ah yes, the meat of the book was great, but the blurb fell short. I'll take it.) We've been battling some sort of Sheetrock dusting cold, which means the kids get the coughs and sneezes and pass it around like a hot potato. And I sold a two novella deal to Harlequin.
Wait. Hold the phone. OHMYGOSH, DIDN'T I TELL YOU?!?
I wrote a 25k word novella titled, Claimed by Desire, this summer. Super Agent Nalini pitched it and sold it to Harlequin Cravings. I'm so beyond thrilled that they wanted two novellas instead of the one. I absolutely love the world I created and want to spend more time there. I can't wait to dive back in. (Did I mention I've got nothing written on the second one? Not a single plot line or sketch of a character. And I've got a due date! Whoa! This "real writer" stuff is heavy. I better get my backside in gear.)
Anyway, Claimed by Desire will release Summer of 2012 with the second one releasing Fall or Winter of 2012. I wish I had something more concrete to give you. Oh wait. I do.
Claimed by Desire Blurb
As teenagers, dragon shifter Rafe Landon and empath Misty Burke shared a heart-stopping love and heated passion that neither expected…especially since on the mystical Isle of Feralon, dragons aren’t supposed to embrace members of other races. Fearing for Misty’s life should she be claimed as his rider, Rafe commits the ultimate sacrifice and sets his love free, banishing her from the enchanted isle.
The last thing he expects is for Misty to return to Feralon ten years later as a very mature, and deviously sexy woman on a mission: use her heightened sensory powers to locate the missing Draco stone, a sacred gem that strengthens the dragon race. But Rafe is hiding a secret of his own. Forsaking a rider will end his life…in two days time. Despite his eternal love for Misty, he refuses to imprison her on the isle, condemning her to an early grave.
For Misty, Rafe will gladly pay the ultimate sacrifice—he’ll die, so she can live.
It’s not long before Rafe and Misty are swept away by undercurrents of passion that never waned. Their quest to find the sacred stone may be more of a journey than either realized—one that not only leads to the lost gem, but to true, undying love.
Whatcha think?
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