The Alignment

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Tangible

Two months have passed yet I’m still not over it: four years of mental grind has taken tangible form. This box arrived last November.

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Opening this box is my favorite part of the publishing process and must be one of the most rewarding moments of being a writer.

It’s like being handed your newborn baby for the first time. The car keys to your dream car. A college diploma. The hard work to achieve this prize is over. You’ve dusted off your hands and opened a new door. And there’s a sprawl of endless possibilities right at your feet.

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Author Interview on Indie Author Land

Head over to Indie Author Land for my author interview that went live today.

Indie-Author-LandAnd while you’re there, be sure to check out their other interviews and the page of free and discounted books. You might find something you like!

Now here’s an update on book two for the mob outside my house carrying torches and chanting something about book one? And cliffhangers? And something involving a pair of pliers and my fingernails?

Sunday night I started working at 9:30 PM and worked for four hours straight. When I checked the clock at midnight, I decided I needed to wrap it up (my alarm clock goes off at an agonizing 5:55 AM). I took a “few” minutes “wrapping it up” that ended up being a full hour and a half. (What?! LOL)

But! The great news is I got 25 pages farther! All worth it! :)

I was able to do a bit more since then, bringing my book two progress to…

Progress of THE TWO
First Draft: Complete (126,180 words)
My revisions: In progress (33.8% complete)
Professional editing: Not started
Formatting: Not started
Cover art: Not started

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Book Two Progress as of January 4

Progress of THE TWO
First Draft: Complete (126,180 words)
My revisions: In progress (26% complete)
Professional editing: Not started
Formatting: Not started
Cover art: Not started

It’s still planned for release in the summer of this year.

The free Kindle promotion of THE ALIGNMENT ends today, so if you haven’t grabbed a copy already there’s still time.

THE ALIGNMENT has made it to #15 in the Top 100 Free of the Kindle eBooks > Romance > Fantasy category and #635 Free in Kindle Store. What a thrill!

I plan to do another paperback giveaway on Goodreads soon. Sign up with your email address in the sidebar if you want notification when the Goodreads giveaway begins.

And to all the awesome people who purchased THE ALIGNMENT on Amazon this week, happy reading! I hope you enjoy it!

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THE ALIGNMENT

The Alignment
A cataclysmic love story. Mountains, magic, and an assembly line of stealthy killers. A millennium-old spell that thrusts two people into the heart of danger.

THE ALIGNMENT is now available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback format.

It’s the first book in a new series about two rival families and the people caught between them.

Sample or buy now: Kindle | Paperback

Here’s the full description.

THE ALIGNMENT
Book One

He’s killed three men in the few days she’s known him. Yes, it’s self-defense. But when he tried to kill her, it wasn’t. Her peaceful mountain refuge has been invaded, her inexplicable nausea linked to his physical presence. She’s captive in his house for her “protection,” with a churning stomach, his bad attitude, and no safe way home.

All that changed the night the stars aligned.

Now he’s talking about ancient bloodlines and celestial alignments…and other things she only believes because of what she’s seen him do. He’s heading out for revenge against the family who wronged him, and he needs her help. All she has to do is ingest one homemade dissolving tablet to allow him into her mind—to train her to be just like him.

The answer would be a definite no if she had anything of her world left. If she hadn’t fallen in love with him.

THE ALIGNMENT is a new series that blends modern fantasy, action, and romance.

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Countdown to Publication

THE ALIGNMENT, Book One in my series, will release this month. Cover art and formatting are complete. A paperback proof is expected to arrive on Friday. If it passes final inspection, I configure the Kindle version and push the PUBLISH button.

This has been a four-year journey that included countless revisions and a trek through the purgatory of querying the traditional machine. But all that time, and the rejections, have strengthened my writing and my final product. I truly believe this book is better as a result of me going indie and keeping control over my work. I hope readers will agree.

I’ve updated my Fiction page with details about THE ALIGNMENT and the other books in the series. As soon as I push that PUBLISH button, I go straight to work on Book Two.

Look for an announcement about THE ALIGNMENT soon!

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This is Three Years

As Craig Nova calls it, this is my “slag heap” generated during the past 3.83 years. I keep mine divided and tucked safely into two dresser drawers. An innocent stack on a desk like Nova’s pictured in the article is easy prey for either my cats or my two-year-old.

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In the article linked above, Craig Nova discusses the act of rewriting to better understand your story. He also mentions every novel has a stopping point.

I would like to add one warning here. Or make that two. You do come to the point of diminishing returns, and at that point it is time to stop. You have what you are going to have, and that’s that. After a certain point, the novel will get worse the more you write.
–Craig Nova

I think I’ve reached that point.

I’m finishing my read-aloud (if you haven’t done this, you should, but it requires a very patient and tolerant partner). We’re a few chapters from the end. Once all those edits get applied, I’ll shoot it off to one more reader (if she’s still willing!). Her feedback will create a few more edits, hopefully minor, and then I have a final version. I’ll probably read it one more time to satisfy my writer’s OCD.

Then, hands off.

TOO BAD IT WILL NEVER TURN OFF IN MY HEAD. I looked for a raisin face meme to express this feeling, and there is none.

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Gone Indie

I’ve been lured to the dark side. It took three years but it has a very solid hold. Don’t try to talk me out of it.

I could list the reasons, but I’m sure you’ve heard them all from other independent writers. If not, feel free to google “pros of self-publishing” or “pros of being an independent writer.”

My first novel, book one of a series, will be out this year. I’ve put up a blurb (click on Fiction above). It’s been a work in progress since September of ’09 and is currently being edited and revised for the 2,152nd (and hopefully the last) time. Photos have been shot and will be sent to the cover artist soon. I’ll post updates as it progresses.

I’ll be giving out heaps of free copies when it’s published so stay tuned!