Writing a Series: Book 1 Is Done, Now What?

I’ll admit it. I’m a slow writer. On average, it takes me about 2 years to write a book. Not 2 years straight. There’s a lot of down time, a lot of distractions (aka kids), and a lot of procrastination. One of the side effects of being an indie author who’s not under contract with a publisher or who doesn’t have an agent breathing down her neck asking, “When will the next book be done?” is you’re free to work at your own pace. Some authors’ paces are slower than others. *raises hand* Without the pressure of a deadline, we’re free to take our time and write when the muse is in the mood. Until…

A month ago I published my second indie book, Fire of the Dragon. I wrote it a while ago, but I’d been sitting on it since it’s the first book in a planned series and I wanted to have book #2 well under way (or better yet finished) before putting the first book out. I had visions of releasing books #1, #2, and #3 a month or two apart from each other, just like the traditional publishers do to increase series sales and reader anticipation. However, after my dad passed away last fall, I was finding it hard to write anything new. One of my critique partners urged me to go ahead and publish DRAGON since it was ready to go, so I did.

I did virtually no promo aside from announcing the release on Facebook and a few writers’ loops. I suck at self promo, plus I was sick with a sinus infection at the time so DRAGON was tossed out into the world with little to no fanfare.  Imagine my surprise when the book took off on its own a week later.  Somehow, readers found it and it climbed up the Kindle Time Travel Romance Bestseller list, hitting #2 at one point. I was freaking out. A month later, it’s still bouncing around on the Top 20 Time Travel Romance Bestseller list and the Hot New Releases list. I’m beyond thrilled.

But along with that success comes pressure. Readers know it’s the first book in a series, thanks to the little byline I put on the cover: Book One in the Bestiary Series. And I intentionally left a few threads hanging at the end of DRAGON to carry over into the next book. Now just about every review that’s been left for the book mentions that they can’t wait to read the next one. That’s a good thing, right?

Not if you’re a slow writer like me. Now I don’t have the luxury of taking 2 years to write the next book. I need to get it out there before readers forget about the first one. So what do you think? How long can an author go between books in a series? 6 months? 9 months? A year? How long is too long?

When Is A Book A Book?

It used to be simple. A book consisted of pages bound together with a cover either of hard or soft material. Shorter pieces (essays, short stories, novellas, etc.) were either printed in magazines or several were bound together into book form. From the time the printing press was invented, this was the way things were. Then the ebook was invented, and everything changed.

I have two novels and a novella published. The novel is available in both electronic (ebook) and paperback format. The novella is only available in electronic format. So, do I have three “books” or a two books and something else? And since the second full length is only available in ebook format right now, does that mean it won’t be a real book until it’s printed? The rules have changed, and both readers and writers are confused.

Conventional wisdom says that anything over 65,000 words was a novel. Above about 10,000 was a novella, and under 10,000 was a short story. Now, frequently 40,000 words is a novel. As I said before, a bound volume was a novel (or book), now an ebook can be almost any length.

So what are we, as readers and writers, to do? Well, my opinion is, to quote Steve Winwood, “Roll with it, baby!” If you’re buying an ebook, check the length to make sure you’re getting what you want. If an ebook says short story or novella, double check to see you’re getting what you paid for. Try different lengths, different authors, different genres. Leave reviews. It’s a new world, go forth and play!

In case you’re interested, my new book is The Ugly Truth, a full length novel (over 65,000 words) published by The Wild Rose Press. It's available only in ebook and only from Amazon until August 16th. Then it will be available in all the usual outlets—in ebook and in that magical paper format.

Have a great weekend!
Cheryel

Ghosts Along the Silk Road (and Beyond)

By Eilis Flynn

With my friend and workshop copresenter Jacquie Rogers, I present a series of workshops looking at familiar myths and legends and how they change as we look at them around the world. I was an anthropology major and write fantasy and paranormal, so this works well into what I’m interested in. But as I was doing the research for the latest, on ghost stories around the world, I realized something interesting. Most of the time I’ve been doing the research, it’s been more or less an academic interest I’ve had, research for the sake of research. But in the case of ghosts, there’s more than a smidgen of belief.

Everyone’s got a personal ghost story, whether they’re believers or not. It’s that something that can’t be explained, something that no matter how much rationalization goes into it, remains a bit—off, somehow. Everyone, every culture has a belief about ghosts. Whether it’s a message from an ancestor or an odd vibe in a place that turns out to have had a dark past, ghosts are everywhere, in more ways than you can imagine.

Well, maybe you can imagine it. Jacquie and I have gone through many forms of mythological creatures in our journeys along the Silk Road, and it wasn’t that surprising that sometimes we wouldn’t be able to find a true example. We found that stories about vampires are scarce in China (the hopping vampire was the best of it), while werewolves couldn’t be found in native form a lot outside of Europe, faeries were thin on the ground also out of Europe (but then there were plenty under other names), and dragons in variations, but ghosts … ghost mythologies can be found anywhere and everywhere. Where there is death, there is a ghost myth. There are feetless ghosts in Japan and hungry ghosts in China (complete with a festival to go with it), a friendy ghost named Casper in American kiddie entertainment, séances in any number of variations in every culture that has a ghost legend in order for the living to speak with the dead.

Intrigued by ghosts? Of course you are. We all are. Some of us are terrified, but we are still drawn by them. Before there were myths and legends about dragons and faeries or werewolves or vampires, there were stories about ghosts. As I mentioned before, ghosts—or more precisely, stories about and the presence of deceased ancestors or others no longer on this mortal plain—have been around since humankind itself has been around. As long as there have been people of one kind or another, people who have experienced death among their kind or against another, there have been ghost stories.

It’s not hard to say why ghost stories have been around for so long. Death and speculation about what lies beyond death have been the source of fascination for humans from the time that humans started to develop their own cultures. Was it that odd feeling of being watched when there was no one else around, or some sign that a recently deceased relative was somehow, inconceivably, sending a message from beyond? While there are many variations of how ghosts are perceived, one thing remains the same, whether as a source of comfort or terror: They are with us, unseen. Sometimes they indicate their presence, sometimes they are mute, sometimes the manifestation is human in form, sometimes when something is simply moved—the variations seem endless. As long as mankind has been sentient, there has been a ghost story waiting to be told.

Come along and check out what kind of ghosts you can find all over the world. Let us take you on a walk around the world to examine those myths, and see how they shift, change, and evolve as we travel. We’re with the Carolina Romance Writers for the next couple of weeks starting on May 13, looking at ghosts all around the world.

Eilis Flynn spends a lot of her time doing research, which is more fun than you can imagine! She writes various things under various names, but mostly fantasy romance. She lives in Seattle with her patient husband and ghosts of spoiled rotten cats. Find out more at http://www.eilisflynn.com. 

Inspired by the Remarkable, the Unusual and the True: Facts about the Human Body

When we know something really well, we sometimes say, 

“I know it like the back of my hand.” But how well do we really know our bodies? 

Each person has a body. A thing we’ve grown up in, a thing we might be trying to downsize and a thing we will grow old in. But how much do we really know about our own bodies? I bet I can share an anatomy fact that’s new to you.

Header courtesy of samulli

1. Every hour an average person sheds about 600,000 particles of skin. That equals about a pound and a half each year.
2. Hair is also shed. On a daily basis, an individual loses 60-100 strands of hair.
3. Skin and hair aren’t the only human part that’s renewed. Apparently, a person’s stomach lining changes every three to four days. This continual rebirth keeps the strong acids used for digestion from eating up the stomach. One source declared stomach juices strong enough to dissolve razorblades.
4. The small intestine is also involved in digestion. It’s the largest internal organ and can be 18 to 23 feet long.
5. Another amazing organ is the lung. Although the human lung is about the size of an American football, inside it has a surface area as large as a tennis court. Lungs have thousands of branching airways and hollow cavities that hold air.
6. Speaking of air coming in and out, it’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. Sneezes regularly come out of the body at 100 mph.
7. That’s pretty fast. A cough is slower. It clocks in at 60mph.
8. And now we’re talking about the mouth. Know what the strongest muscle in the human body is? The tongue.
9. Teeth are the only parts of the human body that can’t repair themselves because their outer layer is enamel, not living tissue.
10. People need saliva to taste food. You can test this theory by drying off your tongue and trying to catch your snack’s favor.
11. Know how much saliva you’ll probably produce in your lifetime? Enough to fill two swimming pools.
12. If that fact makes you grin, you’ve just used 17 muscles. If it inspires a frown, you’ve used 43 muscles.
13. Depending on when you’re reading my blog you may be taller or shorter. If it’s evening, you’ve lost about centimeter in height. That’s because standing, sitting and all the things we do daily compress the cartilage between bones.

Did any of these amazing facts surprise you? Which ones? Do you have any to share? If you’d like to learn more, check out my sources. Thanks.

A weekly blog where writers share their inspiration.

Sources

http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/parts/16-unusual-facts-about-the-human-body2.htm

http://www.makemegenius.com/cool_facts.php?mId=

http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/parts/16-unusual-facts-about-the-human-body.htm

http://icantseeyou.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/100-very-cool-f.html

Time Travel and Knights and Dragons, oh my!

Please forgive the blatant self-promotion, but today is release day for the first book in my Bestiary Series, Fire of the Dragon. If you like time travels, be sure to check it out.

Being sent back in time to the Middle Ages wouldn't be so bad if the knight in shining armor who comes to your rescue didn't swoop down in the form of a fire-breathing dragon. Unfortunately for Jill Donahue, that's just the way things have been going in her life lately.

A Maiden

Wrenched back in time through the magical power of an old dragon tapestry found in a vintage clothing store, Jill Donahue lands in an ancient medieval town where the villagers decide to sacrifice her to the local dragon. As if the threat of being eaten alive by a giant flying lizard isn't bad enough, she learns there’s a curse surrounding the tapestry and she has to break it in order to get back to her time. But she isn't the only one whose fate is tied to the ancient weaving...

A Dragon

Baelin of Gosforth is a valiant knight who has been cursed by a vindictive witch to live as a dragon for eleven months out of each year. Now he has thirty days to break the curse or he turns back into a fire-breathing beast and, as much as he hates to admit it, he needs Jill's help to do it.

And A Curse

Forced to face many challenges along the way—from the harsh world they travel through to the fiery passion they both try to deny—each is determined to break the curse so the other can get their happily-ever-after. And it just might work, if Jill can manage to overlook the fire-breathing, bat-winged remnants of Baelin's dragon half long enough to see the man beneath the beast and get the job done.

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On Vacation

Who doesn’t love vacation? This weekend I’m going to the Atlantic City beach. I’m giddy with anticipation and, of course, there are so many things I should do before I go.

Here are 13 things I need to remember to pack.

1. My camera
2. Sunscreen. You can never be too careful.
3. A light coat
4. Some fun money
5. A sweater
6. Jeans
7. Good walking shoes. I want to walk up and down the boardwalk for sure.
8. Tea.
9. My Nook.
10. My computer, in case I feel like a little work.
11. A swimsuit
12. My phone
13. Makeup

Help. I’m so excited I’ll probably forget something essential. What else would you suggest?

Thanks.

Steampunk and Victorian Vampires

By Eilis Flynn

A touch of the future, set in the past. Pure attitude. And the awesome fashion. That’s only the start of the charm of steampunk.

That was basically what I thought when my friend and occasional writing partner, Heather Hiestand, persuaded me to consider writing a steampunky story with her. Now, mind you, I’m not a big one for writing historicals. And at the time, I knew virtually nothing about steampunk—just that it seemed to have a lot of style. The only thing I knew was the term was probably a variation on the science fiction neo-term “cyberpunk.” But Heather has a nose for these things, so I figured I’d look at what steampunk really was. I dipped into “Girl Genius,” the web comic/graphic novel created by Phil and Kaja Foglio (Google it—you won’t regret it!). I read whatever else I could grab on short notice. And I was astounded.

Holy cow, it was a whole culture. There were conventions and websites and a whole lot of literature. And I was sucked in!

Okay, I was in on the concept, I told Heather. Now we had to create the story! Now, I’d always wanted to do a story in which vampirism was a product of science, not just legend and lore. This seemed to be the perfect time to use that idea, using the sciences that were on the rise in the Victorian period. Combining all that with the secret societies that we’ve both found fun, using all that British history that Heather has jumped into for her own work (not steampunk at all is her Kensington historical romance, Marquess of Cake, coming up in July), spinning a story out of a historical figure who has been forgotten—we came up with an adventure story with a bit of romance, a bit of history, and even a bit of vampires (made of science, not legend or lore!).

So we came up with something that was fun. And if you can enjoy writing the story, I figure you’ve got a great start! Here’s what Wear Black is all about:

Death did not end his service to the British Empire: Beneath Windsor Castle, a shadow network of immortals keeps the British Empire safe. Army captain Lucas Fitzrobbins becomes one of them when the cure for his mortal wound turns out to be a vampirism potion. He is abruptly inducted into the secret St. George Protector Society…and it’s not long before the Society’s newest recruit discovers it has dark mysteries as well…

Marked as a target: Hampering Lucas’s efforts to adjust to his after-life is An Tighearn operative Nellie Clifton, a beautiful and enigmatic assassin, who has marked Lucas as her latest quarry. But then…

Secrets are threatened to be revealed: A brutal killer stalks the seamy underside of London. Protectors and assassins alike must leave the shadows to find the fiend before their existence is revealed to the world. Tasked with the job of tracking down the murderer, Lucas discovers that the crazed butcher may have connections that go to the heart of the British Empire. One thing is certain:

The Queen must never know!

Got questions? They’ll all be answered in WEAR BLACK, on sale now at Amazon.com, Smashwords, and other online retailers!

Eilis Flynn can be found to argue with at Facebook, Twitter, or her website at www.eilisflynn.com. Come visit!

Inspiration: Car Rides, Conversation and Puns

A weekly blog hop where writers share their inspirations. Please join us!

My son and I are busy people. Our days are rushed and so are our conversations unless we’re in the car traveling to or from his sports practices. Seatbelted and trapped in traffic, we talk about all kinds of things from deep insights to silly observations to his tastes in music and my questions about technology. Lately, he’s been on a pun kick. Here are 13 he’s shared with me.

1. What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus!
2. What does a clock do when it's hungry? It goes back four seconds.
3. I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
4. Broken pencils are pointless.
5. I tried to work out for seven days, but I was too week.
6. I did a theoretical speech on puns, it was a play on words.
7. I learned sign language the other day, its pretty handy.
8. I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid, but it's okay, he says he can stop anytime.
9. What is a requirement for being a pope? You have to be Pope-u-lar.
10. That new weed whacker is cutting hedge technology.
11. I've been to the dentist several times so I know the drill.
12. I get my large circumference from too much pi.
13. She got fired from the hot dog stand for putting her hair in a bun.

Someday, my son will be old enough to drive himself to his extracurricular events, but hopefully, we’ll still have interesting conversations. Perhaps, I’ll collect some puns to tell him. Do you know any? Please share.