First, I need to thank you, Tracy for having me over to your blog! Blog tours are such strange animals. Imagine promoting yourself! It’s a complete freak out. I thought I’d tell you how I ended up on this tour. About three years ago, I saw a movie I loved. Something drew me in and I discovered it was a book. I devoured the book. It was the first book I read in years. YEARS. But, it left me with an overwhelming need to do the same. I wanted to write something that would provide another person an escape. So, I got started. I googled “write a book.” LOL I laugh now, but I knew absolutely nothing aside from the fact I wanted to “write a book.”
So, I wrote. And it sucked. And I queried *everyone on the planet* with the suckage. And I was rejected about 100 times. So, I wrote another book. Rinse and repeat. On it went. BUT day by day I began to learn. I joined a critique group who broke things down for me. I started tweeting and stalking and slowly things came together. I made a plan, revised my work and started again. I’m nothing, if not hugely hard-headed.
I started using simple past tense and reading voraciously. I cut the filler words from my manuscripts (that, just, very, and most adverbs) then I nixed the dialogue tags to the minimum. I started to show and not tell. “It was cold.” Became “I warmed my frigid hands with my breath and watched tendrils of breath rise into the air.” Then, I started toeing the water. There’s a way in to every pool, no matter how crowded. I decided to find a way.
I looked for anthologies open to submissions and wrote lots of short stories. I looked for small pressed seeking new voices. I entered agent run contests. Soon, I got the response I went looking for. A small pres, Turquoise Morning Press, liked a 25K word novella I submitted for their upcoming line. That was the beginning of my life as a romance author. I’ve signed five more contracts with them in the 12 months since their first ‘yes.’
Am I a romance author? No. I don’t think so. I’m a reader who likes to learn things and tell stories.
My debut novel arrived in print last week, Death by Chocolate. Knight Romance publishing published this. It’s as far form romance as they come, but it makes me laugh. I like to laugh, and I like to write what makes me smile. Death by Chocolate is a nutty tale of harmless looking women with a mounting body count. I also like irony.
If you’re in the mood to let loose and smile at the inconceivable, try my sweet ladies. But don’t try their goodies. You have been warned. LOL Death by Chocolate is available now on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble. I hope it will make you smile : )
If you’re an author feeling discouraged by the insanity that is our industry, take heart. We’re all in that boat. It’s okay to get mad, as long as you get over it and start writing again soon. As a writer, I want you to succeed. Embrace your dream and conquer your goals. As a reader, I want to know that drop dead fabulous stories are coming without end, so I have plenty of amazing, upcoming books to dig into. Now, what are you doing still reading? Get busy!
Death by Chocolate
Ruby Russell has reached her limit. When she discovers her hipster husband has a dirty little secret, she whips him up a Viagra-infused-chocolate mousse punishment, but in the morning, her husband's a stiff. Armed with a lifetime of crime show reruns and Arsenic and Old Lace on DVD, Ruby and her best friend Charlotte try to lay low until after Ruby's son's wedding, but a nosy therapist, meddling minister and local news reporter are making it very difficult to get away with murder.
About Julie:
I am a mother of three, wife to a sane person and Ring Master at the Lindsey Circus. Most days you'll find me online, amped up on caffeine & wielding a book.
You can find my blogging about the writer life at Musings from the Slush Pile
Tweeting my crazy at @JulieALindsey
Reading to soothe my obsession on GoodReads
And other books by me on Amazon
