Friday, November 30, 2012

It's Grand Prize Day!!!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win the e-books donated by Andrea Pearson. The winner is ... Kayeleen!

And now for the day we've all been waiting for - Grand Prize Day!

Let me explain how this works. Every entry received for this entire month will go into a giant kettle of soup and get stirred around and I'll pull out the winner with a ladle.  That is actually a lie. Every entry will be assigned a number, and a number will be chosen by Random.org. I just thought that the soup thing sounded better.

Today you have the chance to increase your odds of winning by leaving yet another comment and receiving yet another entry. The winner will be chosen at midnight tonight, November 30th, so be sure to enter before then.

And just what is the grand prize, you ask?

It's a giant bundle of e-books. The giantest one I've ever offered!  (Yes, giantest is a word, because I said so.)

The prizes are:


Jewel's World of Romance Bundle of Ebooks, donated by Jewel Adams:
The Legacy
That Kind of Love
Against the Odds
Still His Woman
The Wishing Hour
Guardian of My Heart

Brownies and Betrayal ebook, donated by Heather Justesen

The Desolation Trilogy ebooks, donated by Ali Cross
Become
Desolate  
Destined

Disabilities and the Gospel ebook, donated by Danyelle Ferguson


Season of Sacrifice e-book, donated by Tristi Pinkston


That's twelve e-books all in one prize package. I think that's pretty cool, don't you?

All you need to do is leave a comment in the trail for this post. The winner will be chosen at midnight, so get your entry in before then.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Happy Anniversary Day #22

You might be wondering why this is day #22 when it's actually the 29th. I skipped Sundays, and then I forgot to post a couple of times - but all the entries went where they were supposed to, so it's all good.  :)

A reminder that the prize being drawn at midnight tonight is donated by middle-grade fantasy author Andrea Pearson. Click here to read details about her awesome prize. This is the last "regular" prize of the contest - tomorrow we'll be drawing for the grand prize of awesomeness, so be sure to check back tomorrow and enter to win!

Our trip down Memory Lane has been a lot of fun. We've talked about the books I've published, I've answered some questions (those of you with questions that were not answered, I will be e-mailing you directly), and it's been fun for me to reminisce. In fact, it's been so fun that I might have to share a few pictures too.



An awesome trip to Fillmore with my LDStorymaker friends in 2005.  The outer circle, starting from the left, is comprised of BJ Rowley, Stephanie Fowers, Willard Boyd Gardner, me, Heather Justesen, Julie Coulter Bellon, Shirley Bahlmann, Loralee Evans, Julie Wright, and Rachel Ann Nunes.  Seated in the center are Heather Moore,  Candace Salima, and James Dashner. Ah, the good old days ...


At the Storymakers conference in 2008 ... what can I say? Easter was the next day.


With the most awesome ladies of LDS Women's Book Review.
L-R: Shanda Cottam, me, Sheila Staley. May 2009

Hangin' out with the cool people after the Book Academy Conference in 
September. Back row: J. Scott Savage, Don Carey, Shanda Cottam, 
Julie Wright, Sheila Staley, and Traci Hunter Abramson.  Front row: me, 
Debbie (Cranberryfries) Lambson.


Holy cow - I have a book in Walmart!  I never, ever, ever thought
I'd ever have a book in Walmart!

My good-lookin' critique group: Kimberly Job, Nichole Giles,
Keith Fisher, Heather Justesen, and me

I could go on, but you get the picture. (Ha ha ... that was a bad pun.) But my point is, I've really had some amazing experiences, and I feel blessed to be on the path I'm on.

So what's ahead for me? Oh, believe me, I have plans. Many, many plans ...

1. Right now I'm finishing up Point of View Primer, which is the third book in the Write It Right series. That will be done probably within the week. 

2. The fifth and final Secret Sisters Mystery novel, titled Till Death Do Us Part, is slated to go into final edits pretty soon, and then on to publication. I don't have an official release date, but soon!  Very soon!

3. After that, I'm starting a brand-new series that spins off from Secret Sisters. Jack and Molly are two FBI agents who come to Omni with a task - to bring down the mob. But in order to stay under cover, they must learn how to look and act like Mormons, so they get Mormon lessons from Ida Mae, Arlette, and Tansy. This is a five-book series and kicks off in the spring of 2013. The first book is titled Tulips and Treason, and I'm in final revisions before submitting it.

4. I'm also looking into doing reprints of my first two novels, Nothing to Regret and Strength to Endure. I have the rights back and would love to get them in circulation again. My publisher is currently reading them over to see if they'd like to pick them up, and if they decide not to, I'll self-publish them so that one way or another, they'll be available again.

5. I've had an idea for another YA book - writing Turning Pages was fun, so I've decided to do more in this genre. This book will be called Take My Advice. I haven't started writing it yet, so I don't have a great deal of detail to give. But it will be fun - very fun.

6. A book I have started writing is a romantic suspense with a lot of humor. It's called This Is Not a Romance Novel, and it's going to be a lot of fun too.

This isn't all I've got up my sleeve, but this will keep me busy for the next year. Did I mention there's a Secret Sisters cookbook in the offing? And that I'm also writing a cookbook with my doctor? Yeah, there's lots going on.

Okay!! To win Andrea Pearson's middle-grade fantasy two-volume e-book, leave a comment on this post. The winner will be drawn at midnight tonight. Then be sure to come back and enter tomorrow for the grand prize, which is amazingly awesome! And don't forget, all the entries received throughout the month also go toward the grand prize drawing. 

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Happy Anniversary Day #21

Thanks to everyone who entered to win Diane Tolley's book. The winner is ...Roberta!!

Today's prize is super fun - two middle-grade fantasy ebooks by author Andrea Pearson


Jacob Clark's life is thrown into chaos when he discovers a path to a different world near his small-town home. The creatures of this new world are strange and have odd customs, and he is surprised to learn that everyone knows everything about him. Even the evil, immortal Lorkon, who stole the Key of Kilenya. They are jealous of Jacob and wish to control powers he doesn't know he possesses.

You can purchase the book from KindleNook, or Smashwords. Or, you can purchase the paperback version of the book from Brigham DistributingAmazon, or Createspace.



Even though he has the magical Key of Kilenya, Jacob Clark’s quest in the world of Eklaron has barely begun. Aloren is trapped in Maivoryl City by the Ember Gods, and he’s just starting his first year of high school. Balancing between his two lives has become nearly impossible. He feels pulled by both sides, hoping he’ll figure out his special powers to save Aloren in time.

You can purchase The Ember Gods, Kilenya Series Book Two on KindleNook, or Smashwords. The print version may be purchased through Amazon or Createspace.


You will receive both books in the same download as an anthology.

To enter, just leave a comment on this blog!

Okay, it's time for more questions and answers. Or I should say, one question and one answer - this one's a little bit more involved, so I'm dedicating one blog to it.  :)

Mikey asked: How did you get your start? What were the challenges presented at the beginning?

I answered: Because I write primarily for the LDS market, my task at the beginning was not to get an agent like you do if you write national - I needed to talk directly to the LDS market publishers, and there are only a small handful of those. That's one of the difficult thing with the LDS market - once you've tapped out those few publishers, your choices are pretty limited - you can self-publish, or you can change your story and go national. 

I submitted at first to a fairly large LDS publisher, feeling that they were the best choice. They made some suggestions and asked me to revise and resubmit, which I did. All told, I had a baby while I waited for their response - literally.  I really did.  They had the book nine months, and my cute little blond boy had just been born when they rejected the book. 

They didn't pick it up, however, so I sent the book to another LDS publisher. They had it for a while and really liked it. I received e-mails from several of the employees at the company telling me how much they liked it and wanted to work with me. But then I got a surprise ... they asked for some money to help pay for printing, and I didn't have the money. We were actually unemployed at the time. 

I was pretty depressed by that turn of events. Publisher loved it - hooray! I was poor - boo!

I did what I usually do when faced with something that feels insurmountable. I went to bed and cried for a little while, and then I got mad. The getting mad part is the most important part of my process.  :)  I got up, went to an all-night copy shop, printed off six copies of the manuscript (this was before electronic submissions came into vogue) and send them out to all the remaining LDS publishers in existence. I was going to get a contract if it was the last thing I did.

I got a phone call from Granite Publishing about a month later, I believe it was. They asked if I could come in for a meeting. I dry-heaved all the way there. (Hey, it's better than actually throwing up.) They offered a contract, I accepted it, and they did my first two books for me.

I would say that from the time I started submitting until the time I got my contract, it was about two years. That's actually pretty fast, just so you know. Then it was another little bit until the book came out. 

The biggest challenges had to do with being patient, facing doubt and discouragement, and waiting. Which ties in to being patient. Did I mention that I don't like waiting and being patient? I also had to be teachable and listen to the advice I was given by the first publisher as they requested a revision. 

My challenges since then have had to do with finding new publishers. If you've been reading my entries throughout the month, you'll notice that I've published in several different ways. Two of my publishers went out of business (I'm not bad luck, I swear), I had a parting of the ways with one, and I self-published. So far my current publisher hasn't died of leprosy or anything, so I think we're good.  :)  But it has been a challenge for me to keep pushing forward through dry spells where it felt like everyone in the world was getting published but me. I'm over that now.  :)

Okay! Leave a comment on this post to enter to win the two middle-grade fantasy books by Andrea Pearson, and we'll chat with you tomorrow!



Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Happy Anniversary Day #20

Just a reminder that the prize for today is a great Christmas book by Diane Tolley - click here for more details!

My current project is one I thought about doing for a long, long, long time before I actually dove in. I knew it was going to be a big project and I was a bit intimidated - I mean, I know I'm good and all, but I'm not the end all, be all - and so I delayed. But I had so many clients coming to me with various questions that I finally caved and began writing the Write It Right series, which is a line of short instructional books on the basics of writing. I'm starting with beginner elements, and next year will be writing more advanced topics.  So far there are two books out and a supplemental notebook:  



The Writer's Workbook is a journal you fill out with your writing goals and progress for the day. It also includes a page for you to plan out your writing for the next day. Over 100 pages so you can chart your writing for over 100 days.




Dialogue Dynamics helps you identify some of the most common mistakes authors make in writing dialogue, punctuating it, and presenting it. 






Creating Characters gives guidelines for the most effective ways to show who your characters are
without falling into cliches and stereotypes.

Click here to purchase the print copy

E-book coming soon!

The next book in the series, Point-of-View Primer, is in the last stages of revision and will be available soon.



You can visit the site for these books to learn what else is coming. 


Now I shall answer some questions, as submitted by readers.

Andrea asked: All your children love to read. How did you encourage them to be that way?

I answered: Love of reading comes from several different sources. First, it's genetic - my husband and I both love to read. Second, it comes from availability of good reading material - we have a ton of books in our house that are well-written, quality volumes. And third, example - because our kids see their parents reading all the time, they gravitate toward it.

Now, I will mention this - one of our sons is picky about his reading material, and sometimes he won't pick up a book for love or money. This is where experimentation comes in, finding books that he likes. Now that he's a little older, it's not as hard, but there for a while, it was very difficult. Be patient if you have a child who's this way - there are scads of books out there, and you will find some that will be a good fit if you're willing to look for them.

Pam asked: What are your views on self-publishing?

I answered: It used to be that self-publishing was considered the kiss of death for an author's career. The world is changing, though, and the market's attitude toward self-publishing is changing to stay up with the times. If you want to self-publish, I say go for it - with a few caveats.

First, make sure you're producing a quality product and not something you just dashed off in a weekend and decided to get out there. 

Second, have it edited, and make sure it has a great cover. There's no reason why a self-published book should be filled with mistakes or have a bad cover - there are so many resources out there to help you, and you really can have a nice-looking, professional book.

Third, utilize the Internet in your marketing. Get savvy, know how to reach readers, and market.

I have self-published some books - Season of Sacrifice, Million Dollar Diva, Bless Your Heart, Virtual Book Tours, and the Write It Right books. So I've gone traditional and self-publish, and have enjoyed both processes. 

Christina asked: If you could go back and do something different, what would it be?

I answered: You know, I thought about this question for a long time.  Of course I'd love to be richer and famouser (yes, that's a word - I hereby proclaim it) and all that good stuff. I wish I'd had a little less ego back at the beginning and was a little more teachable. Overall, though, I'd have to say that I'm grateful for my experiences and the things they taught me. I'm not sure I would make changes because each thing I went through was a learning and growth opportunity, and if everything had been smooth sailing right from the start, I never would have learned what I did, and I know that I'll keep learning and keep getting these rough edges knocked off. 

Mary Ann asked: How do you keep a story simple? Mine end up too convoluted. 

I answered: It sounds like you and I have opposite problems. When I first started writing, I had to learn to add subplots because my stories were too straightforward and ... boring (I did not say that). 

As an editor, I would suggest going through and asking yourself which elements are adding to your overall story. What's the message you want the reader to leave with, and does each part of the story add to that message? If you dislike the idea of doing away with things altogether, pull them into a separate file and use them in a different story so they aren't lost forever. 

Okay, leave a comment to enter to win Diane's book until midnight tonight!!  

Monday, November 26, 2012

Happy Anniversary Day #19

The winner of the two e-books by Connie Sokol is ... Donna!!

Our next prize is donated by Diane Tolley and is a copy of her new children's Christmas story, Kris Kringle's Magic.


In a world where elves are only slaves, one boy is determined to make things right. With the elves' help, Kris decides to begin with the children. But can a pile of gifts on Christmas Eve really change anything? This enchanting story is sure to captivate kids of all ages. An instant holiday classic you'll want to read again and again!


All you need to do to enter is leave a comment!

Okay, next on our magical journey through Tristi's writing saga comes Turning Pages. This is my first young adult novel, and I had so much fun that I just might have to do it again, and soon ...



ISBN: 978-0983829362
Young Adult Sweet Romance

With his pride and her prejudice, what could possibly go wrong?

When the arrogant Blake Hansen steals Addie Preston's promotion at the library, he pretty much rubs her nose in it. But Addie, who dreams of being a full-fledged librarian, decides to stick it out. She loves surrounding herself with books and keeping her father's memory alive in the building where they spent so much time together.

Soon, Addie learns that her beloved library will be torn down to make room for a larger facility, and she has to make a choice. Fight, or let go?

To complicate things, she finds herself attracted to Blake, who is engaged to someone else. Will Blake and Addie ever resolve their differences?

Click here to purchase Turning Pages on Amazon.






Friday, November 23, 2012

Happy Anniversary Day #18

Thanks, everyone, for entering to win Marie Higgins' ebook. The winner, chosen by Random.org, is Andrea!!

Our prize for the next two days is donated by Connie Sokol, columnist for the Deseret News, and consists of two ebooks titled Life is Too Short for One Hair Color, and Life is Too Short for Sensible Shoes.
 
A collection of family columns by Connie E. Sokol originally written for Deseret News. She shares humorous family experiences combined with practical life tips to survive and thrive being a woman, wife, and mother.

To enter to win, just leave a comment today, and you can come back and leave another for a second chance to win tomorrow.

Continuing on with our discussion of my books ...

About a year and a half ago, I was approached by Big World Network to write for them. BWN is a website that features serial novels one chapter a week on their site. You can read them or download them as audio books. I was pretty intrigued by the idea, so I said sure.

After my first book had been completely aired, BWN published it as a print book. 

Estelle Watkins and her next-door-neighbor, Vera, are two older women who will not be taken for fools. In this first mystery, when Estelle's husband and then her son are accused of murder, Estelle and Vera must do whatever they can to solve the case and prove these men innocent.

You can purchase Taking Out the Trash here.

This is the first volume of the Estelle Watkins Mysteries, and right now, the second volume, Taking Care of Business, is being featured on Big World Network. Click here to check it out. After it has aired, it too will become a print book. 

Okay!! Leave your comments to be entered to win Connie's books, and be sure to check back in tomorrow for another chance to win.


Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Anniversary Day #17


Thank you all for taking a break from your Thanksgiving celebration to help me celebrate my ten-year anniversary. Today we're still entering to win Marie Higgins' novel Take My Heart. Click here to learn all about it.

Not too long after I released Women of Strength, I realized that I was spreading myself too thin. Well, I'd had this realization before, but wasn't sure what to do about it. I enjoyed all the various aspects of my author services company, but one particular task was taking up a lot of my time - setting up virtual book tours. I had fun doing them, but they weren't my most profitable enterprise, and so I decided to shut down that arm of my company and write a book about it instead, teaching others how to set up their own tours and how to do it for other authors.



Are you an author looking for the best way to market your book? Are you an entrepreneur seeking a fun new opportunity? Virtual book tours have taken the Internet world by storm, and proven valuable to authors the world over.

Whether you are seeking greater Internet exposure for your masterpiece or hoping to increase your income by helping others accomplish their life-long dreams, this comprehensive how-to guide by Tristi Pinkston, an experienced virtual book tour coordinator, is your guide on your exciting journey.

You can order this book here.

By shutting down the virtual book tour arm of my company, I have freed up time for mentoring and editing, and that's almost exclusively what I do for my clients now.

All righty!!  Tear yourself away from your pie and football games and leave a comment to be entered to win, and I'll randomly select a winner at midnight tonight. Again, Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Happy Anniversary Day #16

Have you ever had an entire day where you go, "Dude, where'd that entire day go?" That was yesterday for me, so I apologize for the total lack of new blog post. But ta-da!!  Here I am now!!

Thanks to all those who entered to win Janette Rallison's book - the winner is ... Lori!!

Today's prize is donated by Marie Higgins, and is a PDF copy of her historical fiction novel Take My Heart. 



Mercedes Maxwell’s sister’s last wish was for Mercedes to find evidence against Kat’s husband, William Braxton, and have him hung as a traitor to the crown. Mercedes isn’t naïve when it comes to capturing traitors, because her own deceased husband had once been an agent for the King when they lived in England.

When she meets William Braxton for the first time, all is not as it seems. Portraying her twin, Mercedes knows this is the only way to get close enough to William to discover his secrets. What she finds along the way are little surprises she hadn’t counted on, especially when she begins to give her heart to a man who may be a spy.

To enter to win, all you have to do is leave a comment.

Moving on down the line of my published books and how they came to be ...

I've been writing nonfiction articles for various Internet sites over the last seven years or so, and I've always wanted to write some nonfiction books. I did publish Bless Your Heart, my cookbook, but I had been wanting to do more. One day the idea came to me that I should write a book for women about the inherent strengths that lie within them and the tremendous power they have to do good. I pitched the idea to my publisher, they loved it, I wrote it during NaNoWriMo (but I didn't win, because the book wasn't 50k words long) and it was released in March of this year. Interestingly, this book's release date and my birthday are the same.

ISBN: 978-1599928463
LDS Nonfiction

The need for courageous, faithful women has never been greater than it is today. As we draw nearer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we are faced with temptations on every side. But we can prevail as we gain true strength from living the gospel. 


In Women of Strength, Tristi Pinkston shares inspiring stories, as well as insightful quotes from Church leaders, to demonstrate the power and influence of righteous women. This book invites women everywhere to deepen their relationship with the Savior, rely on the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and learn what it really means to be strong.

You can purchase Women of Strength at Amazon.com.
 
Now, let's answer a few more Questions for Tristi.

Andrea asked: What's your favorite meal to cook and your favorite meal to eat?

I answered: Well now, that's a tough question. I enjoy cooking, but lately it's become more of a necessary evil. My favorite thing to cook used to be chocolate chip cookies, but that's not really a meal, and I don't make them anymore.  Thinking ... thinking ... I like to cook chili, and beef stew, and last night I invented a chicken cacciatore that turned out well. Inventing food is the most fun, I'd say.

Now, as far as favorite meal to eat - I enjoy my vegetable lasagna quite a bit. And my spaghetti squash spaghetti.

Andrea also asked: When did you know you wanted to be an author? Apart from wanting to write - when did you know you wanted to make it your profession? Same with editing.

I answered:  I have wanted to be a published author for as long as I can remember, literally. It must have happened around five years old or so. I have always dreamed of having my name on books, and that was a dream that didn't fade away as I got older (my dream of being a ballerina did, however). 

The desire to become an editor didn't hit until about ten years ago. I started critiquing for other authors, realized I loved it, started studying and asking questions, and then started taking on paying clients. I spent some time working as the senior editor for a small publishing company, and then went freelance. I've had my own freelance editing company for just over two years now. I say "company" with a bit of a smile - it's just me. It's a company, but it's a company of one person.

Shantal asked: Have you ever had to choose between writing for an audience vs. writing for yourself?  (and hope you have an audience)

I answered: Yes, indeed. I think that's a dilemma every author faces. We know what sells, we know what we want to write, and they aren't always one and the same. 

I have always been of the opinion that you should write what makes you happy to write. Creativity is a joyful process, and if you aren't taking joy in what you do, the creativity will dry up and it won't be any good anymore. You also need to feel good about yourself, and many times, authors who only write what their audiences want feel less satisfied with the outcome.

Now, don't misunderstand - I know a lot of authors who have found a great balance between writing what sells and writing what makes them happy. I'm not saying that it has to be a choice one way or the other. But for many authors, it is a choice, and that's what I'm addressing.

Whatever you write, if you're true to yourself and to your own creative juices, you will find an audience. It might take a little longer to ferret them out, but you'll find them, and they'll be faithful to you because they get where you're coming from.

Anji asked: Do you use an agent?

I answered: No, I don't. I write primarily for the LDS market, which doesn't require agents. If I were to go national, I would need to get one because the national publishing houses prefer working with agents, but for now, I'm good.

All righty!! Leave your comments on this post to be entered to win Marie Higgins' book, and stop by tomorrow to enter again. Twice the chances, twice the fun ... no, this is not a gum commercial ...

Monday, November 19, 2012

Happy Anniversary Day #15

My thanks to everyone who entered to win Ali Cross's trilogy. The winner is ... Emz!

And yes, we're running a tad bit behind - I was gone all day on Saturday. But I trust that you'll forgive me.

Today's prize is offered by the incomparable Janette Rallison.


After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.

To enter, just leave a comment in this trail. The winner of this print book will be chosen by Random.org.

Now, to continue my publication journey ...

After the release of Targets in Ties, I tried something totally and completely new ... I did a financial self-help book with the Insurance Mavericks, Brett Kitchen and Ethan Kap. They taught me some things about finances, and I detailed everything they taught me in this book.



Brett (left) and Ethan (right) were really great to work with, and I learned so much about how to take charge of financial matters and work toward financial freedom.  You can purchase a copy of Million Dollar Diva here.

All righty!! Leave your comments to win Janette's book, and don't forget that you can come back tomorrow and enter again! And all entries all month long go into the grand prize drawing at the end of the month.


Friday, November 16, 2012

Happy Anniversary Day #14

Hi, folks! A reminder that today's prize is a trilogy of YA paranormal ebooks donated by Ali Cross. Click here to learn more about them.

It's time for another round of "Let's Ask Tristi Our Questions!"

Andrea asked: What's the best part of being a mother AND an author?

I answered: The best part is that I get to do what I love and to stay home while I do it. The kids can come up to me at any time and get what they need, and they get to see me doing something that taps into my talents. Because of this, they all believe that they can make their own dreams come true, and they know it will take hard work and determination to bring it about. But they aren't scared of it because they've seen it work. 

Nanette asked: Which authors inspired you?  What novels do you recommend?

I answered: I was inspired by Dean Hughes and Ann Rinaldi for my historicals, Dee Henderson and Terri Blackstock for my romantic suspense, and Dorothy Gilman, Diane Mott Davidson, Ann George, and Selma Eichler for my cozy mysteries. Any of their novels are very enjoyable reads. I also love Leif Enger's richness of language.

Robin asked: How do you handle it when you get a beta reader or an editor who has terrible bedside manner and is just plain mean in their critiques?

I answered: This is something an author will go through a lot - having to deal with someone who doesn't know how to share their thoughts tactfully. If it's a beta reader or an editor you hired yourself, you don't have to go back to them in the future. Just thank them for their thoughts and move on to someone else. 

Every piece of critique will have something in it you can use. I've never seen a critique that was 100% useless. Set their comments aside for a little and do something else to clear your mind, and then come back to it and be objective. Casting the mean tone aside, which of their comments make sense? Then incorporate those, be grateful for them, and throw the rest out.

If you're assigned to a cranky editor at your publishing house, which is something you have less control over, you may have to just smile and do the best you can. Choose your battles and stick to your guns, professionally, when you know for certain that you are right. Be willing to take counsel if there are things you need to learn.  

I wrote an article on choosing an editor and another on working with an editor. I hope these are helpful.

Amber asked: Which character have you enjoyed writing the most?

I answered: Hands down, the trifecta of Ida Mae, Tansy, and Arlette in the Secret Sisters Mysteries. I can't really mention one of them without also mentioning the others. They are so fun, quirky, and alive - I have fun every time I write them. 

Okay, folks -  leave your comments here by midnight tonight to enter to win Ali's trilogy, and keep in mind that every entry also goes toward the grand prize at the end of the month. And if you have any questions you'd like me to answer, leave them in this comment trail as well.

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