I am so excited! It's been a great week. First I got a Publishers Weekly review which says "Wacky and far-reaching, this work reveals fiery intellect." and now The Faithful has made it to #17 on the Amazon Bestsellers list in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Paranormal & Psychics! Yahoo!!!
So, a few weeks ago I agreed to be a part of a blog tour answering a few questions about my writing process (um, process? That makes it sound so, like, formal ... and legit ;) ) Anywhooo, being the dope I am, I remembered right up until yesterday. Or maybe the day before. And then today, when I was supposed to be writing the blog, I was goldfishing instead (totally legit word meaning "acting like a goldfish"): oh, look! It's sunny out! Don't those flowers look pretty? It's an ice cream kinda day. I wonder what I'm forgetting to do? Oh, look! It's sunny out! And so on ...
So, here we go. Thrown together at the last minute, just like every homework assignment I ever completed:
WHAT AM I WORKING ON?
Um ... the desire for ice cream? Oh, look! It's sunny out!
But on less goldfishy (also a totally legit word!) days I'm writing the sequel to The Faithful. I'm bogged down in research right now, all that scientific eye-glazy stuff that builds the backbone for my creative license. When I can't stand that anymore I get back to living with my head-buddies: Ryanne, Josh, Sumner and the rest. It's been really cool to catch up with them after such a long break spent editing and preparing The Faithful for release. I really missed them. And yes. They're totally real. ;)
HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS OF ITS GENRE?
Crap, was I supposed to write for a particular genre? Ummm ... oops. No wonder I'm having a hard time fitting it into a category! Seriously, though, when entering the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, I had to make a choice between Mystery/Thriller and Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror. It was a tough call. Eventually I had to go with my gut, which was telling me that it was a Mystery/Thriller with a dash of Sci-Fi. But really, a valid argument could be made for either.
Some of the best books I've ever read have been cross-genre spectacles of awesomeness, so I guess I just never thought about it. I wrote a story. It went where it went, often to my surprise, horror, or delight. At the end of the day, I really can't fit it comfortably into one specific genre. But I will say, one of the best compliments I ever received went something along the lines of "It's a sci-Fi Mystery, but it's got the writing and character development of a General Fiction book." That made me smile for days. Seriously. So thank you! If you're reading this, you know who you are. :)
WHY DO YOU WRITE WHAT YOU DO?
Um, because otherwise the story would burn a hole in my brain, and I'd be no good for anything else? Yeah, something like that. I think I'll quote a part of my Author's Note at the back of The Faithful ... and no, it's not considered plagiarizing if I'm copying myself. Right? So here it is:
"The Faithful was inspired by the meteorite that exploded over Russia in February 2013, and a news article about SPACEGUARD that got me wondering about the meteorite hunting profession. It somehow grew to encompass psychic children, kidnappings, and a really twisted organization. It’s a strange game of association that, looking back, makes me wonder just a wee bit about my sanity."
And now, where's that ice-cream?
Oh, yes! I need to give a shout-out to JD Faulkner, who tagged me in this game. Her book was just released this week. She's awesomesauce, seriously. I love her. Check her out! I promise you'll fall in love with her, too. http://www.timearchivistnovels.com
xo Shoshona
Yesterday was my birthday (yes, I'm 29 again, and planning on hanging out there until my daughter reaches her twenties. Then I'll reconsider.) Birthdays are always, well, "sensitive", for reasons I can't really explain. I spend the day counting and recounting my blessings: kind and loving husband, two amazing children, great friends, and a burning passion to put the stories that bloom inside my head onto paper (ok, screen). Best of all, everyone is healthy. I know how quickly that can change. So, blessings. So so so many blessings.
Yes, I reminded myself of all of this many, many times yesterday. I'm generally a cheerful person, and most of the time I'm able to let the bad stuff roll right off my back. But this year, for some reason, I'm feeling extra sensitive ... and I think I've figured out what's wrong. I think I'm battling the "Author Blues." For realsies.
I'm betting I'm not the first author to watch her book go live on Amazon, and then wait and watch and have a sudden desire to drink and eat lots of cookies. I'm sure I'm not the first author to wonder why so-and-so, who was so excited to buy the book, still hasn't. Or why someone else promised to write a (much needed!) Amazon review, but never did.
Is there a support group out there? Hyper-sensitive Authors Anonymous? I'm totally gonna join. After all, this must be really common for new authors. We put our hearts out there for the world to read. After that act of bravery, comes the inevitable realization that so many people just don't care. They're embroiled in their own lives and families and issues, and the fact that someone bled their insides into a story is, well, unimportant.
I cringe to think how many times I've done something similar. So, I'm vowing right now to be more sensitive to others' needs. To what's important to them. I'm sure I've missed so many opportunities to help: a kind word of support, following through on something I said I would do (but got too busy and forgot about), supporting those who are following their dreams, and encouraging others to do the same. To realize that just a few minutes of my time, or a kind word, or a little bit of giving, can make a huge difference in someone else's life. And to apologize, right here and now, for the times I've missed these opportunities. For the times I've been too focused on my life, and my own issues, to take the time for someone else. We're all human, but I hope to be a better human from this moment on.
XO Shoshona
Getting reviews is super-duper huge for any author, but especially important to authors published on Amazon. Amazon has some system I honestly haven't figured out -- probably because it has something to do with math (shudders in horror). But what I have learned is that Amazon starts promoting authors when they reach a certain amount of reviews, and the more reviews they get, the more they get promoted.
So please, everyone, keep this in mind when you buy a book (or anything!) on Amazon. If you like a product, review it. Even if you think you can't say anything that hasn't already been said, it's all about the numbers. So every review really helps! For those of you reading The Faithful, please consider leaving a review. It doesn't have to be paragraphs long, or super eloquent ... just honest.
Here's the link to my book on Amazon.
xo Shoshona
I just found out The Faithful made it through to the Quarter-Finals in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award's Mystery/Thriller category. That means it's in the top 500 (from the original 10,000 entries), and in the top 100 for the Mystery/Thriller category.
Even better, my awesomesauce author buddy J.D. Faulkner made it through to the Quarter-Finals in the Sci-Fi category. So excited for her!
The next step: Publisher's Weekly will read and review the whole manuscript. So, ok. Now we wait!
In the meantime, check out J.D.'s website here. http://www.timearchivistnovels.com
Confession time. There's a lot of brain-fry, eye-strain, and hair-tugging going on right now. Not to mention all those extra greys popping up -- hello, hair dye! You're totally my BFF.
I'm feverishly working through final edits, (sleep? Who needs it!), getting ready for -- trumpets, please! -- The Faithful's official release date: April 28th 2014. Wahoo! Check out the super-tastic countdown clock. How cool is that?
Just over three weeks, yikes! Back to work for me! :)
Everything is coming along so beautifully, and today I got to see the final draft of my book cover. I'm doing all kinds of happy dances over here, and trust me, it's a good thing no one is here to see it!
No. Don't imagine the dancing. Just don't.
I'm a writer, not a dancer, m'kay? ;)
I'm really thrilled to announce that my novel, The Faithful, made it through the first round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. They started off with 10,000 entries, and only 2000 made it past the first cut. I was super excited to be one of them! There's still a looooong way to go to the Finals, and tons of worthy competition, but I feel honoured to have made it past the first round. :)
I'm so excited to announce that my first novel, The Faithful, is almost ready! It will be available to purchase on Amazon.com in both paperback and kindle versions, and from this website for Canadians. Stay tuned! :)
