The Drug of Discouragement

There are so many things stacked against an author.

First there's writing your book. There's no time for it. You've got writer's block. All the creative ideas are gone. You have to critique other books so people will critique yours.

Then there's getting your book published. Queries are of the devil. Agents block your way. Publishers take forever. Nobody wants the manuscript. Someone else's book is always better than yours.

And finally, you're published. But now there are no sales. You have to blog and facebook and tweet just to remind people you're alive. You give hours of your time away so you can sell a book. You have to go out of your comfort zone to be a salesman.

Wow. No wonder authors are often grumpy people. In the midst of all this, the dream and allure of publication turns into, "Why am I writing another stupid book? This is pointless."

Oh writer-friend, get yourself to a writer's conference.

I find that I need a writer's conference every six months. The motivational high I get from one tapers off in the following four months, and by month six I'm lagging. But once I get there, the speakers and the experiences of other writers rub off on me, and suddenly I find I can do it again. It encourages me to know we're all going through the same thing. And then I see that my efforts aren't so bad, that maybe I'm even doing better than some.

Discouragement is a drug, and it debilitates your psyche. But you'll need help coming off it. Plan on a writer's conference. Don't know where to go? Check out Shawguides, a wonderful site with more conferences than you have the time and money to get to. I promise you'll leave encouraged. It's so worth it.

Middle school or high school visits

I have spent the past month doing a tour of local schools to sell books and introduce myself as an author. I found something that rather surprised me:

Middle school/junior highs are more supportive than high schools.


Here's how:

1) While some high school teachers handed out my order form before my visit, others felt their students wouldn't order any books and so did not. Middle school/junior high teachers handed my order forms out to students to take home.

2) All teachers promoted me, but middle school/junior high teachers took their kids to my website, watched my trailer, put me on the morning announcements, etc.

3) The high school students were not as interested. Of those who received order forms, only a few brought them back. They also were less attentive and didn't participate as much in the presentation.

4) The majority of high school teachers didn't even respond to my offer. Many middle school/junior high teachers did.

The difference in sales was so huge that I'm debating whether or not I should continue visiting high schools. I think for the middle school/junior highs, I am more of a novelty, and perhaps they simply have more time in their busy curriculum to fit in an unnecessary visit like an author. High school teachers probably get everyone and their dog offering a visit.

I still have three more months of this before school lets up, so I'll inform you of how it ends up being at the end.

School visits. Have you done them? What worked? What didn't?

Abandoned Blog

Dear readers,

My blog mistress seems to have abandoned me. I read something about a painting project and heard rumors about a disinterest in writing. I'm not sure what to do here.

So sorry you haven't had anything new to read. If I could come up with interesting and ideas and be my own blog, I would. But I can't. I'm a blank slate, just waiting for her to write upon me.

If you see her, please remind her she has a blog in need of her attention.

Thank you for your time.

Tamara's Blog

My Affair with the Paintbrush

I almost forgot I have a blog.

I've been painting my house. I'm loving it. However, paint is rather expensive, so I'm limiting myself to one color a week. This week I finally get to do the molding of the dining room and foyer, which will complete my first room.

After that is the kitchen. And then the living room. And so on. This will take months.

In all this, I kind of forgot to write. Anything.

But that's okay. March is almost here and I'll get back to it.

Who else paints in between writing spurts?

I'm an Introvert

Are you gasping in surprise? I pretty much did when I figured it out. I've always thought of myself as an extrovert...

Until I started thinking about it. The clues have been laid out in front of my eyes, and I just ignored them. Things like not liking the telephone (it's still evil!). Needing my personal space. Not liking hugs from people I don't know well (no touchy!). Feeling extremely awkward at social functions unless a close friend is there to anchor me.

So, to those of you who know me, it may not be a surprise. But I'm so outgoing. I don't mind public speaking. I love a party, getting friends together. I thought I was an extrovert.

And then I remembered grade school. All through junior high and high school, I was the quiet girl. I didn't do much to come out of my shell. I made good grades, sat in the back, and never spoke up. I envied those giggly, bubbly people who chattered non-stop and seemed to have more friends than I could count.

When I left for college, I decided to change. This was my chance to change who I was. To put on a different face and re-create myself. I put on a big smile and decided to be talkative and friendly with everyone. For the most part, it worked. But it also wore me out. I could only keep up the extroverted face for so long before I needed some major alone time in my room.

Another classic trait of an introvert.

Fast-forward a decade (give or take a few years), and I've worked so hard at being an extrovert that I thought I was one. It's nice, actually, to finally understand myself. And to know that, hey, I'm not the only one out there!

Introverts unite! What are you? Introvert or extrovert? (You might not know off-hand. Find a book/quiz/something and figure yourself out. It might surprise you.)

Telling the Truth

As promised, Kurt Chambers, the author of Truth Teller, is on my blog today.

And he has some things to say.

But so do I. Truth Teller is a fantastic middle grade fantasy. While definitely geared toward preteens, this book is a highly engaging and enjoyable read for all ages. And I have to say that Kurt is a wonderful person. So! Without further ado, I'll let Kurt introduce himself.

Thank you so much for allowing me on your blog today, Tamara. What a journey it’s been. I remember many years ago, Tamara persuaded me to enter the first ever Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award with Truth Teller. We both entered together, and Tamara made it through to the semi finals with Branca. It was very exciting. Unfortunately, Truth Teller never made it through. That seems so long ago now, but here we are today, both published, albeit through different routes. So, for me, coming here today to show off my debut novel is even more special. Let me tell you a bit about my story.
***
Ten-year-old Charlotte stumbles upon a strange shop when searching for a present. The creepy shopkeeper gives her an enchanting antique snow dome, but refuses to accept payment. All he asks is that she promises to always tell the truth. She accepts his strange request.

Woken in the night, Charlotte is drawn by the globe’s eerie light and hypnotic power. Suddenly, she finds herself stranded and all alone in a dark forest where she is discovered by a sword-wielding maniac. He calls himself Elderfield, and he turns out to be a kind and brave teenage elf. He offers to take Charlotte to his family farm on a promise that he will help her find a way home.

They embark on a journey to find out why Charlotte has been brought to this realm and to pursue the one person who might be able to help. But none of them realise just how much is at stake. Strange things start to happen; visions come to Charlotte in dreams. They are hunted by real life monsters that attack with terrifying fury, but a far greater assassin shadows their every move.

Fleeing for their lives, they reach the safety of an ancient mountain fortress and find the shopkeeper who gave Charlotte the dome. Her hopes of returning home are dashed as she is abducted by the assassin. Charlotte thinks she is defenceless against such a powerful foe, but in this realm, she is not the vulnerable little girl she thought she was.
***
This is just the start of Charlotte’s action-packed adventures. There are currently two other books in the series, The Wrath of Siren and Favian’s Law. Both books are complete and in the editing process. I hope to release these titles some time in the near future and make a compilation of all three books in a special hardback edition. In the meantime, I’m working on a fourth book in the series, Lost Magic.

Your chance to win a free copy of Truth Teller:
As part of my blog tour, I would like offer all you blog readers a chance to win a free copy of my story. Simply read the post here, leave a comment below and share this post on Facebook or Twitter, or both if you’re feeling generous. One lucky commenter will win a free copy of Truth Teller in e-book format via virtual dice. Please mention in your comment where you’ve shared this link, and include an email address where I can send you your prize if you win. Thank you!

Truth Teller Reviews:

Dawne Dominique - Multi-published author and professional cover artist.

Truth Teller is one of the best children's fantasy book I've read in a long while. Charlotte is so easy to picture in my mind, and the fantasy aspects are brilliant! There are underlying currents of "real life lessons" that are subtly included...ideal for parents looking for that perfect bedtime story to read to their children. I loved the entire premise of the novel and will definitely be purchasing the next ones in this series.

Kurt Chambers has captured the genre with a wonderful story that will delight many a child's (and adult's) imagination.

Annie McMahon - Editor, published author and Novel Workshop moderator.

This book has everything a bestseller should have: compelling story, endearing characters, vivid descriptions, genuine emotions, and a lot of surprising twists and turns. This is a story about a friendship that transcends race, gender, age, and even realms, between Charlotte, a ten-year-old girl, and Elderfield, a teenage elf. Beautiful and heartwarming. I strongly recommend it and have reviewed Kurt’s story on my blog, Dutch Hill News.

Ralene Burke – Writer, Editor for Wives in Bloom:

Honestly, I can’t wait until my kids are old enough to read these books. Kurt has written an amazing series that emphasizes such wonderful themes as friendship, family, hope, and faith. I’ve read Truth Teller and Wrath of Siren and, even though they are MG, enjoyed them immensely. If you’re looking for wholesome reads for your children, check out the next big thing for MG.

Assistant Editor, Alicia Crouch

There is a lot of good humor in Truth Teller, things that actually made me laugh out loud. I especially enjoyed watching the bond of friendship between Elder and Charlotte continually strengthen until they had become like family – that’s one of my favorite concepts in fantasy, and the author did a wonderful job of bringing it to life. He has got the skill to make the reader care about his characters, the most important and most difficult task an author must undertake. I really enjoyed the story, and look forward to working on the next book in the series.



Truth Teller is now available in all e-book formats from here:

Amazon UK: Click here to sample or buy
Amazon US: Click here to sample or buy
Smashwords: Click here to sample or buy
Goodreads: Click here to sample or buy
Shelfari: Click here to sample or buy
Barnes & Noble: Click here to sample or buy

You can connect with the author at:

Author’s Web page http://kurtchambers.net/
Author’s Blog  http://geniusborderinginsanity.blogspot.com/
Twitter  https://twitter.com/emailmanROCKS
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kurt-Chambers/296957780317055

I Get by with a Little Help from my Friends

I've learned something over the past month. I mean, I think I already knew it, but now I really know it.

You can't market yourself as effectively as other people can.

The problem is, nobody will be as passionate about marketing you as you are.

But others can help, right? Right.

So I have an idea. I'm going to call it my "Authors Project." Each week I'm going to "adopt" a book, preferably an unknown book that I've read, loved, and is not seeing the public attention I know it deserves. And then I'm going to toot its horn EVERYWHERE. Remember me talking about the Kindle forums, where readers ask for books BUT YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT YOUR OWN? So, I'll talk about somebody else's book.

The first book I'm going to do is TRUTH TELLER, by Kurt Chambers, someone I met on an online review forum... oh goodness, about five years ago. (Has it really been that long??) First of all, Kurt is simply awesome. He's from England, and he's been a great supporter/critiquer over the years. Second of all, a few years ago we had a two-week review frenzy and I was assigned to read Kurt's middle grade fantasy, Truth Teller.


What absolutely shocked me was that a book that good wasn't being snatched up by publishers.

It's a wonderful story about a girl who gets sucked into a world where elves still battle evil. She's human, and thus lacking in magical powers, and yet something about her humanity makes her the very key to save her new friends.

After years of trying to get an agent, Kurt decided to do it himself. A few weeks ago, he launched Truth Teller. On Friday, Kurt is going to be a guest blogger here. I can't wait for you to meet him and learn all about his book. If you can't wait either, go check out his blog here.

And get yourself a copy of Truth Teller. At $2.99, it's a small investment to make to discover a fantastic author. Get it here for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Teller-ebook/dp/B006TI8JLY.

Want me to talk about your book? Let's talk!