Happy New Year (A Day Late)

Happy New Year!

We made it to 2013!

I didn't exactly make a list of my New Years Resolutions, but I know what I'm going to do this year, so I guess that's good enough. I hope.

Anyway, my cover release will be on FRIDAY.

So make sure you stop back then!

I'll also be posting it on my Facebook Author page.

Okay, now I have to get back to catching up on my school work, because I'm still a tiny bit behind. That is also why this post is so short, and why I'm posting so late.

Have a nice day! (Or whatever's left of it…)

--Jess

Updates and Help Anyone?

Hey guys!

Sorry for posting so late today.

I'm really pressed for time at the moment, seeing that I'm extraordinarily behind in school. And it doesn't help that Monday's are our craziest day of the week.

Once again, I have failed to submit my back text to CreateSpace because it's just not quite right yet. I'm really hoping to have it done by TONIGHT. Otherwise, I'll be in big trouble.

So yeah.

We're eating pho tonight, which are amazing Vietnamese noodles. They're delicious.

And if anyone wants to help me with my cover release…

From the Ashes will be coming out on Amazon sometime in February, and if you'd like to help with my cover release, please sign up on the linky list below!

The blogfest will be held on Friday, January 4th. I'll email you with the book cover, and the summary on Wednesday, the 2nd, and then you can just link to my blog. If you decide to sign up after January 2nd, that's fine, but you probably won't be getting an email with the cover and summary from me. So you can just get it from a fellow blogger.



Have an awesome day!

--Jess

Cover Release Blogfest, Anyone?

I'm horrible at summarizing things.

I wrote a novel because I couldn't tell the story in a few paragraphs. Not because I actually had my mind set on a novel.

After working on writing a summary all week long, I have *almost* perfected the back text for From the Ashes. Unfortunately, due to my failure at being able to summarize things, the back cover text is very… unique. So I'm a little nervous about how you guys will react to it.

Secondly, I have not been getting to bed on time this week.

So if this post is really rambly, or doesn't make much sense… just understand that I'm exhausted.

OKAY. Now for some exciting news. I have decided to hold a blogfest for my cover release! It will (hopefully) be ready by Friday, January 4th. So, I have TENTATIVELY scheduled the blogfest for the 4th.

So, if you're free on January 4th, grab the button ^ and please sign up on the linky list below! Please tell your followers about it, and see how many people we can get to join. I'll email you with the cover and summary on Wednesday, January 2nd.

Thanks!

--Jess

Random Stuff

You will not believe how exhausted I am.

I'll admit, I stayed up to 11:00pm last night, and the past two nights before that I've stayed up until 1:00am. But it was for a good cause, I can assure you!

In fact, I'm so tired I honestly slept in until 8:30 this morning. And then when I finally did wake up, I was relieved to think that I'd already scheduled a post for this morning.

Unfortunately, I was wrong.

I had not scheduled a post for this morning.

Hence, the lateness of this post.

The good news is, on Monday I passed BOTH of my Ice Dancing tests :)

Oh, also… I shall be receiving the FINAL draft of my cover VERY shortly. And shortly after that, I'll be releasing my cover to THE WORLD.

And I was wondering if any of you would like to help me out with that? I don't have a specific day set, but I can assure you it will be on a Friday.

Never done this before, so if you have suggestions for my cover release day, let me know!

--Jess

Launched!

Okay, I finally did it!

Made a facebook author page, AND a website. So, if you haven't "liked" me already, I'd really appreciate it if you took the time to check my Facebook Author Page. Oh and here's My Website. The site isn't very helpful yet, due to the lack of information, but I'm still only in the middle stages of publishing, so it WILL be updated once I've got more content.

I still can't believe that I'm ACTUALLY getting published. For the longest time, it seemed so far off in the distance, and I never fully thought I'd get here.

Anyway, I have to take two ice dancing tests today, so wish me luck! I'll tell you how they went on Wednesday :)

I will be revealing the cover to all of you soon!

--Jess

AHHH!!!

Okay, so if you didn't see my post on Facebook, or didn't receive an email from me asking your opinion, then HERE'S THE NEWS.

I

GOT

MY

BOOK COVERS!

So, after running around the house, screaming "OH MY GOD… OH MY GOD…" then staring at my covers again, I had a choice to make.

There was a darker cover and a lighter cover, and I LOVED them both so much! I cannot describe how beautiful both of them were.

Honestly, I can't say how amazed I was with both of them. Both covers gave a beautiful face to my precious baby.

The first was definitely more sophisticated. I liked it better than the second, until I noticed a few details I hadn't seen before. And then, I was completely torn between both.

Believe me, it was the hardest choice EVER. People buy a book based on the cover, the title and the summary. So those three things had to be ACTPAP (as close to perfect as possible).

In the end, what made a difference was that the first, darker cover lost detail from farther away. So, I chose the colorful one.

Boom.

There you have it :)

Oh, in case you wanted to know, my new blog layout is based on the cover. So that should give you SOME idea as to what the cover looks like.

I just hope the rest of you love it as much as I do!

--Jess

P.S.
Now I just have to work on that dreadful back cover text…

P.P.S.
Also, I've been contemplating changing my URL so that my blog can be my website or something. Does anyone know if that would change who follows me? I know it would change for links, and stuff. Suggestions?

IWSG: Yes, I'm Very Insecure

Okay.

Here's the dealio.

I'm going to be published sometime in February.

At least that's the plan.

Yet, unlike those of you awesomely amazing people who have landed agents and publishers, I decided that I want to go indie.

Which is cool, because it moves along quite nicely, and I've got tons of input on the final product.

I love my story. If I didn't, I wouldn't have written it.

Yet as a writer in the process of being published, I also long for public approval. I mean, I know everyone isn't going to like my story, and that's alright. I just hope that the number of people who do like it outweigh the people that don't.

What makes me more insecure is the simple fact that I haven't been accepted by a publisher. No one (except for you super nice peeps :) ever said my writing was any good. No editor looked at it and said, "Oh, I like this and I think other people will like it."

The scariest part of going alone is that… well… I'm pretty much alone.

Anyway, I should be getting the first draft of my cover either today, tomorrow or Friday. I'm so nervous about it, and I really hope it's absolutely amazing. But it's been so excruciatingly painful waiting for it!

I even dreamed about it last night. I remember it looked really cool though, so hopefully it was one of those prophetic dreams. I'll be sure to tell you when I get it :)

What are you guys insecure about?

Don't forget to stop by Alex Cavanaugh's site to check out other insecure writers!

Have a nice day!

--Jess

It's Moving Along…

Yesterday, I got to talk to the CreateSpace team again (which I was actually looking forward to since they were so nice to talk to last time). And YES it was on the PHONE, which I usually hate. But they're so easy to talk to, so my usual "phone panic" didn't really occur.

Anyway, I discovered that I'll be getting a good look at the first draft of my cover sometime late next week! And I cannot describe how excited I am (actually I can… I just don't feel like it)!

Also my previous goal of getting published by the end of the year has sort of been tossed out the window. Due mainly to all the stuff I have to get done.

SO… my new goal is to be published by February 9th!

Which is Chinese New Year's Eve, and the LAST DAY of the Year of the Dragon.

And to those of you who've read my story know why it should be published on that day :)

Finally, I have a surprise for you on Monday, so make sure to stop back then! It's going to be cool, I promise!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

--Jess