This little word puts the fear of God in a lot of writers. #amediting is an oft-seen hashtag frequently accompanied by wailing and proverbial gnashing of teeth. Many authors, me included, confess to a certain amount of dread when it comes to editing.
I wonder why. Because when it comes to it, I perversely enjoy it. Ignore the initial pain and frustration; once I knuckle down, I find the process quite exhilarating and ultimately rewarding.
My work process involves two broad types of editing. ‘Me’ editing, aka the author edit. And publisher editing, aka… well, publisher editing. Right now, for my second novel, I am working through stage one, ‘me’ editing.
Having let the manuscript rest for a good few months, I have taken another good, fresh look at it and got the red pen out. Why? Well, for one, I had to. I know Sophie’s Runis at least twenty-five thousand words too wordy for commercial publication, so they had to go. And second, because I wanted to. I felt the need. With a bit of distance, I wanted to go through my work and make sure that it still zings for me. There are certain things I learned from the publisher edits of Sophie’s Turn that I wanted to apply rightaway. I’ll talk about that some other time.
Me. Myself. And HER.
Today, I want to talk about this weird split personality that I have discovered. There’s me, and there’s The Other. My Inner Editor. She of the Ruthless Cutting Mindset. The Queen of Hearts.
So, the cutting. The bloodlet. That’s the part I dread and fear most. And yet surprisingly, it’s turning out to be quite easy. I appear to have grown a second head, one that is dispassionate and detached and ruthless. An Inner Editor has quite unexpectedly and without invitation taken residence in this new, second head of mine that isn’t even attached to my normal pair of shoulders. I kid you not—that’s exactly what it feels like!
I might be reading along merrily, quite enjoying myself, when my Inner Editor pipes up, quite brusquely—not to say, rudely—and instructs me to cut, cut, cut. “Can’t you see,” she’ll tell me in no uncertain terms, “that while this scene is fun, it’s also just excess fat? It doesn’t advance the plot, it’s not necessary. Take it out. Use it some other time.” Honestly, she really is like the Queen of Hearts, all Off With His Head (or rather, Out With The Scene!). Thus out come the scissors, and my office floor swiftly resembles a cutting room floor.
Me… and HER. Isn’t she scary? Would *you* argue with her?
She’s usually right. It’s not that what I was written was bad, or wrong. On the contrary, I am quite often deeply attached to the scene in question. But if it’s not essential, then it has to go. If I can transplant the joke somewhere else, I will. If I can tell it in fewer words, I shall. And the end result: a pacy, fast, page-turning read (if I say so myself) that is better than it was before.
How much has she made me cut? I don’t know yet. I was going to start putting these edits into my manuscript in Word but owing to a small computer crisis, I’ve had a small delay. I can tell you, though, that I have cut at least four chapters; that there isn’t a page without at least five lines crossed out; and that a lot of excess verbiage has been clipped. I’m not entirely sure whether I’ve culled the required 25K but I don’t think I’m far off. And there are a few scenes that I have point-blank refused to take out (yet) even though Inner Editor was spitting with fury at my ignoring of her very relevant suggestions. These are my back up, my cushion, my fall back. With those, I will scrape over the all important finish.
I’m zinging with zest. I have this tingling in my toes that tells me I’m on to a good thing. The book feels sumptuous yet lean, luxurious and fast. Thank you, Inner Editor, and please forgive all the abuse I hurled at you. I love you, really.
Of course, this isn’t it. When I’m done, Sophie’s Rungoes back to Sapphire Star again; my lovely publisher, has, of course, already read my second masterpiece, but now it’s time for the full-on, no holds-barred, all-out publisher edits.
Bring it on!
How do you approach editing? Do you have your very own Queen of Hearts sitting on your shoulder?
Did you know I can’t juggle? Not at all. I’m hopeless with balls in the air. I have no spacial vision whatsoever and any kind of ball games involve me scrabbling around ungracefully, feeling foolish.
But write and promote a Trilogy within a contracted timeframe with a publisher while also performing my day job as a mum? Yeah, bring it on! Right at this moment, I am juggling. I’m juggling promotion, editing, planning and writing, and I’m having a ball.
The Trilogy in Process. On the far right is Sophie’s Turn, all done and dusted. The cardboard boxes contain promotional postcards and bookmarks. In the middle is the first draft for Sophie’s Run. And the small pile of paper on the left contains the initial outline, all plans and some of the research for book 3! (Read on to find out more about that…)
Promoting, promoting, promoting
You all know my first book, Sophie’s Turn, is now out and available to buy. It’s been getting fabulous reviews in my 67-strong blog tour, and I’m doing interviews, guest posts, give-aways by the dozens. I’ve also had the local paper round to do a lovely little feature, and I’m hosting a ‘meet the author’ event at my local library in October. In addition, I’m planning to contact local book clubs, independent book stores, the WI, radio stations… you name it, I’m on a roll. I live on Twitter and Facebook as the great promotional rollercoaster goes through loop after looop. Rock on!
Editing, editing, editing
My second focus at this time is Sophie’s Run. It is completely written but at just over 149,ooo words for the first draft (yes, you read that right) it is slightly too long. I am going through page by page, scene by scene, chapter by chapter, looking for excess fat, unnecessary detours and undue verbiage in my quest to eliminate around 30,000 words from the first draft. God, that sounds a lot, right? But it will be done. I have about four weeks to get the slimline version to my lovely publishers over at Sapphire Star.
Moreover, the cover is being designed right at this time and it is going to be absolutely stunning. I don’t know when the cover reveal will take place, but rest assured, I will shout about it!
What happens in Sophie’s Run? Here’s a little taster…
Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour…
Who says that the road toward true love is straight and even? Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.
So she has finally found the man of her dreams. Well…she knows who he is, even though she hasn’t actually quite met him yet. When she misses her opportunity, her life goes crazy. Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance—even if he is just trying to be helpful. A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Just as she is getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal. And to top it all, her new boyfriend leaves her lying in the mud.
Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret that eventually gets her life back on track.
If you’ve enjoyed Sophie’s Turn, you’ll be in for a real treat, if I say so myself with all due humility. Sophie’s Run is due for release by Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 February 2013.
And planning, and writing, and planning, and writing
So then… what about the last part in the Trilogy? Well, my friends, this is all planned out and I will be writing it just as soon as I’ve sent Sophie’s Run back to Sapphire Star for proper publisher editing.
The working title is Sophie’s Encore and this book is due for release by Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 September 2013!! It’s too early to give you a teaser for this last part, but it will end the story with due style and panache. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed!
The workplan for Sophie’s Encore. Yes, I know it’s blurred! I wouldn’t want you to read it right now… that’d spoil all the fun! xx
See, so I can juggle. I can have three balls in the air, figuratively speaking. One book out, one book editing, one book writing. And so it goes… How do you cope with multiple projects (books or other) on the go?
So this is what it feels like to be in the paper. Exciting. A bit scary. A little weird.
Unlike a normal blog tour stop, this is an article written by someone else about me, having spoken to me at length over a cuppa or two and having taken copious notes, of course… but still, somebody else wrote. About me.
Now, you know me. I’m a control freak. I like to have a say in what’s written, and I’m very particular about my photos. So this experience, over which I have little control, is not unlike looking into a mirror, with the same inherent question: Will I like what I see?
The answer is, yes! Thank you to Dawn at the Lincolnshire Echo for a fabulous write-up and to John for coming all this way to take a photo. Hope to meet you both again soon!
Credits: The article below was published in Lincolnshire Echo on Thursday 13 Sepember. The author is Dawn Hinsley, Features writer, Lincolnshire Echo. Picture by John Jenkins. Thank you to Lincolnshire Echo for letting me post this article on my blog.
So here goes:
Whoop! Well chuffed. 🙂 I absolutely love that Dawn picked up my ‘what’s Sophie’s Turn like’ nugget: Sophie’s Turn is Bridget Jones rocks out in Notting Hill. What do you reckon?
Once again, words seem hardly adequate to convey what I wish to say to you all today, but a humble “Thank you” will have to do for the amazing party that was the launch of Sophie’s Turnright here on this blog yesterday.
Thank you to everyone who visited, commented, and partied along. You are amazing.
We had the launch party of all launch parties for Sophie’s Turn!
Everywhere I looked yesterday during the launch day celebrations, there were tweets flying around, comments posted on Facebooks, visitors to the first blogstops of my massive launch blogtour. You created a buzz that was tangible and audible all over the place and all the way down to my little office in this small village in Lincolnshire.
For that, I am truly grateful. This launch went on stage rocking and rolling and I personally will certainly never forget the day. All thanks to you. So stand up proud and take a bow for my roll call of honour!
An extra special thank you has to go to my special guests, the THE HUSH BAND. I was terribly excited when they announced they were coming to the party, ready to play a song. I was not prepared for the Twitter storm and Facebook fest that followed! Moreover, THE HUSH also supplied us with generous amounts of bubbly. A box of champagne to begin with, a special edition Coppola called Sofia, and then Bellinis, too. I am completely bowled over by your support. You seriously rock!
Post-Script
My head is somewhat heavy this morning, and my brain is not functioning terribly well. If, by any terrible happenstance, I have forgotten to thank you, please don’t take the omission personally; rest assured, I didn’t mean to! And please don’t sit there quietly in a sulk and a grumble: let me know, and I’ll fix the situation post haste. Promise!
Happy Reading of Sophie’s Turn! Did you enjoy the launch party?
I’ve been dreaming of this day since I was ten, and now I’m lost for words?
What can I say? Words aren’t adequate. I’m whooping with joy and clapping my hands and jumping up and down. I’m whistling and cheering and clapping. And finally, I shout.
Hooooooray! It’s publication day for Sophie’s Turn!!
Sophie’s Turn is now available in Kindle edition from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk and many other Amazon sites. The paperback edition is also available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. In addition, you can obtain Sophie’s Turnfrom Barnes & Noble. Yes, you can grab your copy now! And then… let’s party!
If you wanted to order 10, this is what you’d get… a whole box full!
I’m expecting quite a few guests throughout the day. There’ll be music, and dancing, and food. Come and join me as I go into party rock chick mode! I’ll update the post as new things happen during the day… it’ll be amazing.
Nicky’s Launch Party for Sophie’s Turn…
OMG, I am so excited that I can barely contain myself. What will the day bring? I have, however, breakfasted in style: a special treat courtesy of the kids.
Wow, Bucks Fizz Muffins! Didn’t know these existed…
Oh… they’re yummy! Thank you, boys!
The complete works? For me? Because it’s such a big day…? I’m touched. Tuck in!
Next job… Decorate the house!
Let’s have bunting (handmade)…
…and balloons, too!
Is that the doorbell? Already???
My goodness, the guests are arriving… must hurry!
Here’s Shaz, my first ever blogger-reviewer! She says: ‘Am honoured to have been a small part of your writing journey Nicky. You deserve all the success, not only for your skill but for all the work you put in behind the scenes. Have an amazing day with the re-launch of Sophie’s Turn and here’s to your continued success… **clinks champagne glasses** Rock On!’
And Sue, my writing buddy! She says: ‘Huge congratulations Nicky! All your hard work rewarded. Can’t wait to have a paperback copy of my bookshelf! XXX’
Linn, fabulous loveahappyending.com and Sapphire Star sister, is here, too! She says: ‘When it comes to rock chicks Sophie is IT! She might be in a quandary – Tim or Dan? – but she’s sure as hell going to have some fun! Wishing you all the best Nicky and congrats on a fab-u-lous party!’
OMG, all of the Romaniacs have arrived: I’m bowled over. They say: Happy Publication Day Nicky! So glad we could make it to the party – it’s certainly busy here. Have a great time and thank you for all your support. Love ~ The Romaniacs x
So many people here… that deserves a little song, right?
*Nicky sings** I’m walking on sunshine… yeah-eah…. And thank you for coming, yeah-eah-eah….
Heading into the afternoon… let’s have some lunch first!
Well, I had to, didn’t I? Sophie adores seafood… as do I!
More guests… the photographer is here! Welcome Debbie!!
Cheers!
Ooooh! And my publishers are here: that’s a really early start for them. So thrilled they made it!
So it’s lunchtime… we must be half-way there! That reminds me of a song. What was it?
**Sings along with Bon Jovi** …we’ve got each other, and that’s a lot, for love… we’ll Give It A Shot!
And hooray, right on cue, Jessie D. is here too! We are totally rockin’ and rollin’ over here.
I am so excited for the re-release of Sophie’s Turn. I can’t believe it was just a year ago when I first read this incredible book. It was my first Kindle read, and I stayed up late into the night unable to put it down, wondering what would happen next to poor, sweet, confused Sophie. And the opportunity to do some armchair traveling along with Sophie’s own adventures was so fun. I couldn’t be more happy for author extraordinaire Nicky Wells! I’m not just a huge fan of this book because of Nicky – I’m a huge fan of Nicky’s because of this book! She’s woven a fabulous, fun tale, and I can’t wait to share this book with my friends and family… and then find out what happens next for Sophie in the rest of the trilogy! Best of luck on the re-release, Nicky… and Sophie!
This Joint Is Jumping!
Apparently, I have to do the rock chick thing now. Well, if you’re sure… You did ask!
**Strums and sings** More than words… is all you have to do…. to make it real…
What do you mean, speech, speech?
**muffled heckling from the sofa**
Oh, alright. But I’ll have to put my glasses on first… and my speech dress.
OK, then, let’s hear it…
This is a really big day for me and it wouldn’t have happened without a number of amazing people in my life. So in true Oscar style, I’d like to thank my Mum, for always believing in me, and my gorgeous husband, for ditto. Thank you to all the many fantastic people who are continuing to help me along the way, not least: Amy and Katie at Sapphire Star Publishing; Jessie Dalrymple; Shirley Mukisa; Shaz Goodwin; Sue Fortin; Linn Halton; everyone at loveahappyending.com; Deborah Smith; and the many, many wonderful bloggers who support me: know that you make this author’s world go round! You rock, one and all. Thank you!
Changed back into my party gear. Ready for a song and a dance… and some air guitar, perhaps?
And I will dance the night away….
Oh hello! My husband is back from work…
Big hugs for my lovely, smiley husband. We’ve missed you at the party!
…and he’s brought me flowers!! Time to dress up for the evening, it appears…
Now I do feel like a celebrity!
How do you know that you’ve arrived? You know when the rock stars turn up at your party!
Give it up for: THE HUSH!
WOW! Look what special guests have arrived now… IT’S THE HUSH BAND! I am absolutely and complety overwhelmed. What a party! THE HUSH also have a message: “What an honor to be Nicky’s special guest for this momentous occassion! We wish you all the best. Sophie’s Turn is a terrific read.” OK. Now I need to sit down quietly for a moment or I am going to explode….. Whoooop!
They’re setting up stage… they’re going to play. WOW! I am beside myself with glee and excitement. Rock stars a the rock star romance lauch party. AWESEOME! THE HUSH totally rocks!
Now it’s definitely CHAMPAGNE O’CLOCK!
I did it! I did it! Didn’t spill a drop!
Say ‘Sophiiieee’ for a picture with the star of the day.
(The BOOK, not me!)
‘Sophiiieee’: Me, my book, and a glass of pink bubbly. Rock on!
Whoa. So much bubbly. So much dancing. So much day left to go… Time to stock up the energy reserves. Happy eating!
Let’s have a party spread… Bon apetit, help yourself!
How and when will the party end? Will it end?
Actually, all good things come to an end.
And this, as they say, is it for this feature!
Aaaah… End of a long, happy day. CHEERS!
Thank you all SO much for coming to the party, for joining in, leaving comments, partying with me and my guests. It’s been really special and I couldn’t have done it without you. It’s been an absolute blast!
Please keep tweeting, keep visiting, keep rocking: that’s the spirit. I’ll be out and about for a long while yet, tweeting you, saying ‘hi’ on Facebook and responding to your much appreciated comments. 🙂
Thus, with the party only very nearly over,
the motto for the after-party is…
Rock the night! Rock on my friends, and happy reading.
Nearly There! On Thursday, 6 September–yes, that’s Thursday NEXT WEEK–Sapphire Star Publishing will launch my rock star romance, Sophie’s Turn, onto the world in its newly polished and better-than-ever format.
You know I’ve been working towards this day, like, forever. Let’s see… since January of this year…
Now, there really isn’t much left to do. Right? Apart from, of course, organising the rocking launch party!!!!
Coming to this very blog and to Facebookon launch day, 6 September, all day long, the launch party will absolutely rock. Get ready for food and drink, music, dancing and a host of amazing guests.
Will you be there? I
would be honoured if you were to pop in to help me celebrate!
It arrived in my inbox yesterday. It took twenty-one instalments of twenty pages at a time, almost a complete ream of paper, two ink cartridges, and a maximum dose of patience to print out on my slow, hesitant ancient little desk-jet printer. It is the final proof!
It’s a bizarrely strange and exhilarating feeling to hold this sheaf of paper in my hands. Clearly I have done many rounds of proofing before, right up to the final proof before original publication. But this is different. This is a document formatted for paperback publishing; each page is laid out exactly as it will appear in the actual book! This is a manuscript prepared and proofed for me by someone else. In a different font. It looks and feels completely different to the last version of the manuscript that I clutched in my trembling hands. This is final! When I am done with this, it will go to the printer. Whoa!
What will I do with it? First of all, I shall read it back to front, and bottom up. I’m not looking to read the story this time; I am looking once again for typos, missing punctuation marks, errant parentheses and other fine points of style and grammar. Whatever I find, I shall note down and send back to the wonderful team at Sapphire Star.
Next, I shall go through the proofing sheet sent by SapphireStar to look through and approve the last set of comments or changes made by the publisher. This, I will do during a traditional front-to-back-top-to-bottom read. So essentially, in the next week, I shall read this manuscript twice. Thank God it’s the school holidays so I have lots of uninterrupted time at my hands… not! 🙂
I am tremendously excited. This is it; this is real. Signing the publishing contract ‘way back when’ in February felt real, but in an abstract way. This is really real. Roll on 6 September when I shall hold, not a proof but an actual book in my hands. Whooooop!
It’s a big deal to me, and therefore I send apologies just in case I’m going on about it in an undue fashion. But it is very exciting… the last step on the way to actual printing.
If you’re an author, how do you feel when the final proof lands in your hand? And what proofing strategies do you employ at this, the end-stage of the process?
Roll out the red carpet! Open the champagne! It’s time to enter the Hall of Fame!
Yes, today it’s a double celebration as not one but two of my amazing fellow authors over at Sapphire Star Publishing celebrate the launch day for their books. Meet Linn B. Halton and Amy Gregory! Grab a cup of tea (or something sparkly, if it’s late enough in the day!), sit back and enjoy as you get to meet two fabulous new authors….
Welcome to the Hall of Fame: the lovely Linn B. Halton! Linn launches her novel, The Quintessential Gemini today…
I’m so honoured to be here with one of my favourite authors, the effervescent Nicky Wells! This is one rocking lady for sure and she always keeps me smiling.
I thought I would ask Katherine Dale, who is The Quintessential Gemini, to introduce herself first…
“Where do I start? It’s all rather messy actually; my life is falling apart simply because I chose NOT to listen to the fabulous astrologer Mark Ainsley-Thomas. He’s been telling me for a while that there are big changes to come in my daily horoscopes. I know I’ve buried my head in the sand and put my own spin on what that might be – now I’m paying the price. No job, no man in my life except for No. 4, my faithful cat, and when I need Mark to tell me how to put it all back together, his forecasts have become obscure … after 25 years of being my one daily ‘constant’, I feel he isn’t there for me anymore – how will I cope?”
So over to the revered Mark Ainsley-Thomas himself, I have to know what’s happening…
“Well, since acquiring a new agent, the dreaded Harriet Wensworth “Agent to the Stars”, she thinks my future lies in the US. How on earth does the woman think I can produce daily, weekly and monthly forecasts if I’m jetting around the world all the time? I’m an astrologer for goodness sake, not an A-list celebrity! The woman is driving me insane with all these talk show appearances. We’re taking on a new astrologer to help out, but I really do hate letting go of the reins – even though he’s very talented and I knew his late father, an eminent astrologer. I never thought fame would turn me into a TV face, I’m not even sure I like this new role of mine.”
Ah, I’m beginning to understand what Katherine has instinctively picked up on; there is a new guy writing the daily and weekly forecasts. His name is James Kingman and I’ve met him briefly, what a hunk! But not only doesn’t he know it, he’s fragile – he lost his business, most of his money and his long-term girlfriend has moved out now she no longer considers him to be successful.
“A new job helps take my mind off my financial worries, but can I deliver? My style is so different to Mark’s and he’s a really hard act to follow. He’s not only a brilliant astrologer (and astronomer) but he’s so … charismatic. My readings are good, I know my stuff, but I don’t wrap it up in the same way, it’s rather plain by comparison. I also answer the Emails that come in to the website and there’s a woman who keeps asking questions. Her name is Katherine and even though she is one of our paying customers and receives all her personalised forecasts by Email on a daily basis, she’s a real pain. I don’t know what this lady wants, but I’m getting rather exasperated. She can’t really live her life according to her daily horoscope, surely?”
The Quintessential Gemini is available in paperback and e-book from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
Linn B Halton lives in the UK, in the small Gloucestershire village of Arlingham, on the banks of the River Severn in the UK with her adorable husband and cat with attitude – Mr Tiggs! She writes about: Life, love and beyond … but it’s ALWAYS about the romance… Linn signed with the amazing Sapphire Star Publishing in 2012.
Many of the paranormal events that feature in some of her books are real life experiences. Linn is also a featured Author on http://loveahappyending.com/ and Editor of the feature ‘Author & Associate Catch-Ups‘on the website’s magazine-style blog.
Wow, thank you to Linn for introducing Katherine, Mark and James. I can’t wait to meet them!
And now it’s over to the amazing Amy Gregory: Welcome to the Hall of Fame! Amy is launching Racing to Love ~ Carter’s Treasure today…
Amy, I think I heard you say that there’s a lot of ‘you’ in your books. Tell us some more!
Something I’ve always wondered over the years when I read a book is, just how much of what is written on the page is from the author themselves. Not one to read mysteries or suspenseful books, I stick more to the light-hearted, fun love stories. When reading those, you can see personalities emerge: how much of that personality is directly from the author?
Well, (as I blush) I have to say in all my books, my personality is glaringly obvious. I have a wicked smart-mouth, that I don’t apologize for very often, and a naughty sense of humor…yeah,I don’t apologize for that much either. I love to laugh and want nothing more than for those I’m around, either in person or clear across the Internet, to laugh with me. I’ve learned to tailor myself to be polite around those who I might offend, and I have my close friends who I can totally just be myself around, all varying degrees of me.
That’s really fascinating! Is this a conscious choice, a strategy that you have, or does it just kind of… emerge?
My characters are all very different and I don’t think long and hard about their personalities before I start writing, I have a premise and I just go. I see them come alive as I type, but going back and reading each scene, then each chapter and finally the book as a whole, I’ll start laughing. Looking at things they’ve said or done and I’ll think to myself…oh I have soooo done or said that! Or they’ll do things I can totally see myself doing, then I’ll start cracking up. Just me and my laptop, a cup of coffee and silence, but I’ll have tears running down my face as I picture the scenes in my head.
What can I say…life’s short, enjoy it!
LOL, I like your style. Let’s hear some more about the book you are launching today: Racing to Love ~ Carter’s Treasure
From the outside, Molly West had everything, beauty, brains, and a career she’d retired from not once, but twice. Being in the limelight and in a sport that was male driven, she was often surrounded men. She ignored first the boys, and as she got older, the men. Unfortunately, they were all the same, all after one thing, and she had absolutely no use for them. Her cold shoulder and patented not a chance in hell look were usually enough to get her point across. Occasionally, she had to resort to her sass—and her brother.
Molly had no plans in changing what was a perfectly good system. That is until she walked into the pits. When she stood toe-to-toe with the sex in jeans, she knew right then and there that the man her adoptive mother always told her was out there, was now standing right in front of her.
Carter Sterling had traveled the racing circuit since he was a boy. He’d heard all the old standbys, She’s out there somewhere, love comes along when you least expect it. Good things come to those that… Yeah, he’d heard them all. The last place he expected to meet the love of his life was on a pro track. All she did was smile, and he knew, looking into her sapphire blue eyes, Molly West was his. Forever.
If it was only that easy. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he had a gripping feeling in him. An overwhelming need to protect her. A girl he’d just met. Carter had learned a long time ago that gut feelings are almost never wrong.
Molly now held his heart in her hands, but it was going to take a lot more than just love to protect her from the past she thought she’d buried a long time ago.
And here’s the really exciting bit! Racing to Love ~ Carter’s Treasure is now available in from amazon.com and amazon.co.uk!
Amy Gregory leads an incredibly active lifestyle in Kansas City with her husband and their three fantastic kids who keep them running in three very different directions. When she’s not rushing her oldest daughter to tumbling, her youngest daughter to music lessons, or sitting track-side watching her son practice motocross, she’s taking the few minutes in between to scribble the next pages in her Racing to Love series. When asked, “When do you have time to write?” Amy Gregory giggles. “In bits and pieces,” she says.
Amy is known for her snarky, off the cuff sense of humor, which you’ll find shining through in the characters she’s created. I’ve spent my whole life trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up, and now I’ve finally found it. – Amy Gregory
Do you know that old saying, “what a difference a year makes”? Well, it’s not even a year–it’s just under eleven months, actually–since I started my publishing journey. Lately, I’ve introduced quite a lot of changes and have blogged about them as I went along. I felt it was time to take stock and consider how this here ‘hapless duckling’ has morphed into… well, not quite a graceful, soaring swan, yet, but perhaps one that is poised and ready to fly.
That was then…
The day is 9 July 2011. It’s Monday morning, 9:30 a.m., and my debut novel, Sophie’s Turn, has just this minute appeared ‘live’ on Amazon Kindle. After four months of writing, several rounds of editing, seven years of maturing, and a frantic few weeks preparing my masterpiece for self-publication, it is finally ‘out there.’ I shed a tear or two; it is a very emotional moment. Unsurprisingly, however, nothing much happens. No, Sophie’s Turn does not hit the bestseller lists within days, or go viral.
This was my author platform then:
A cover, lovingly, expertly and painstakingly crafted by hand…
…and a photograph (well, a cut-out).
Nicky’s author image, mach 1
That’s it? you say. Uhm, yes. But fear not, I have learned a few things along the way. Take a look at…
This is now!
I’m a fast learner, and things changed quickly. I reached out to friends for advice, and then to bloggers. I started building a network, garnering reviews and visibility, making new ‘virtual’ friends. In October, I was honoured to join the unique and interactive reader/author project, loveahappyending.com. And in February 2012, I was thrilled to sign with trail-blazing US publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing. So let’s take a look at my platform as it is today. Spot the difference?
My slogan.
My glamorous author photo (if I say so myself). Find out here about the provenance of this photo!
Romance That Rocks Your World! Meet Nicky Wells, Author.
My brand. Read all about the unveiling of the Rock Star Romance brand here.
My stunning cover. Find out about the people who helped create this cover here.
My social networking platform.
(still under construction… ever expanding)
So, it does feel like I have come a long way. Hopefully, I am poised and ready to fly when Sapphire Star Publishing is launching Sophie’s Turn on 6 September 2012. Thank you to all the many fantastic people who are helping me along the way, not least: Amy and Katie at Sapphire Star Publishing; Jessie Dalrymple; Shirley Mukisa; Shaz Goodwin; Sue Fortin; Linn Halton; everyone at loveahappyending.com; Deborah Smith; my gorgeous husband; and the many, many wonderful bloggers who support me: know that you make this author’s world go round!
After all this, it still makes me uncomfortable to ‘boast’. I don’t mean to boast, as such. I abhor boasting, and would rather hide in a corner. So why this post?
Well, for one, I simply mean to share my joy and excitement. And for another, I hope that sharing my experience may perhaps help new and aspiring authors find a shortcut to building their own strategies and platforms.
So here’s the question for the day, Id’ love to hear your thoughts:
All you amazing established authors out there, what was YOUR biggest ‘aha’ moment along the way?
All you wonderful aspiring authors, what is YOUR biggest challenge on the road to publication?
Photos and images used on this blog stem from one of two sources. Either they are Nicky Wells' own images or photos, or photos and images supplied by, and used with permission of, the author(s) featured in a given post. Logos and blog award images are used with permission of the originating organisation(s). Occasionally, the blog will feature images used under a Creative Commons license, which will be clearly indicated and credited. Copying, sharing or distribution of these photos and images is not authorized unless prior written permission is given.
Copyright by Nicky Wells
Copyright of Nicky Wells, 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material on this blog without express and written permission from Nicky Wells is strictly prohibited. Nicky Wells does not authorise any copying or distributing of any content of her blog except through the intended channels of sharing (Twitter, Facebook, Press This, etc.). Excerpts and links may be used if direct and full credit is given to Nicky Wells with a direct link to the original content. Nicky Wells reserves the right to delete any inappropriate or offensive comments.
Nicky Wells: Love & Thrills 