7/14/2015 0 Comments Progress and a Sneak PeekMy goodness! I think I may be the lamest person ever! It has been almost a month since my last post. I am terribly sorry! On the bright side, I have been busy writing... just not on here. :) So let me give you an update on what all has been going on, and I might possibly leave you with a few snippets from book 2. :) I started off the month of June with a book signing at a local bank. :) It was fun and of course, I got to meet several new readers which is always a bonus. One thing I love doing is book signings! While it helps spread the word about my book it also gives me an opportunity to see who my audience is in person. That in itself makes you all more real to me. I know who I am writing for now. And I must say, you guys are a great looking bunch. :) I have also been working on Part Two in The Unfading Lands Trilogy. If I said this task was easy, I would be lying. It is quite daunting. I committed myself to the goal of having my first draft finished by the end of July. Doable? Yes. Struggling? Yes. Why? Because for some odd reason I have not liked anything I've written since May. Blaaaaaahhhhh! So what was my solution? Toss it out! So I have started over on what I previously had written, and you know what? It's been pretty smooth sailing thus far. Yay! I think my section readers had almost given up on me. haha. But thankfully Book 2 is underway. On top of writing the book, there's more that is being done as well. The cover is currently being designed. (And boy does it look fantastic) Finalizations on the cover will not be completed once I know the dimensions of my book, but the image is looking awesome. Marketing materials are being designed and printed. Giveaway items are being ordered. And bookings for promotions are being set. The release date is scheduled for the first week of November, so why am I already starting on all of these other projects??? Because everything goes hand in hand. I gave myself 6 months to write and produce book 2... though that may seem like a long time for the reader, for the writer it's a bit overzealous. It is hard work to move the process along that quickly, especially if you end up scrapping your original draft. :/ But no worries, I'm determined. :) November is still my target release and so far, I think I am still on target. Currently, I am also trying to build up my audience. I am still working at getting The Unfading Lands book 1 into as many hands as possible! I'm building up my email list, I'm building up my Facebook following, and I'm building up my Twitter following as well. All of which will only help book 2 kick off with a bang. :) So.... if you have not shared the news about book 1 yet, please tell your friends! Let's get that sucker read!!!! :) Thank you all for being patient with me as I have neglected my blog. I assure you I will do better. :) And I assure you I will give you book 2 snippets. :) - Katharine Book Two Preview:
Copyright 2015 by Katharine E. Hamilton May not be used without permission from the author of this work. Alayna crumbled the parchment in her hand and tossed it over her shoulder adding to the small pile that now sat behind her on the green grass in Elizabeth’s clearing. She had come to pen a letter to Edward, but not having seen her brother in five years had made the task quite difficult. Despite her knowledge of his letters to Elizabeth and his interactions with Prince Clifton, she found herself speechless. She stared across the boundary line and studied the Land of Unfading Beauty. Other than the sheer fog that encircled the mystical land, there were no signs pointing to its differences. She picked up a rock and tossed it as hard as she could through the veil and watched as it landed on the other side with no theatrics. She frowned. Had she hoped for there to be some sort of response? Yes. Yet she found herself slightly comforted that there had not been one as well. Sighing, she shelved her chin in her hand as she rested her elbow on her knee. This must have been the stump her father had sat upon. And Elizabeth, she thought. A good thinking spot, she concluded. Though the Rollings River rushed by to her right and the leaves rustled overhead, the clearing held a peaceful tranquility that she had not experienced in quite some time. Her thoughts were interrupted as she spotted a movement in her peripherals. A blonde head emerged on the other side of the boundary. A woman, not much older than Alayna had stepped forward and lifted a delicate hand in hello. Alayna stood slowly, her steps measured as she slowly walked towards the boundary line. The woman’s face lit into a smile as she curtsied. She then held up a piece of folded parchment. Her gaze fluttered around the ground and she smiled as she spotted a small rabbit feasting in the clovers. Thatcher, Alayna thought. The woman tied the letter to the rabbit’s neck and nudged it across the boundary line motioning for Alayna to retrieve her correspondence. Reaching down and gathering the downy furred animal, Alayna unfolded the letter. Greetings, My name is Cecilia. I know you must have come to this clearing to see Edward, but I fear I must disappoint you. Edward is currently detained in Lancer’s castle. He sent word to me just this morning that he is fine and well, but that his presence is needed there. Lancer is having quite a difficult time with his decrease in power. Edward worries he may attempt an attack of some sort, so he remains there to persuade otherwise. Have you news from the Realm? Alayna glanced up and watched as the delicate blonde sat on a tree log and anxiously wound her hands in her lap. Alayna hurriedly responded and sent Thatcher back over the line. Cecilia scooped up the small rabbit and began to read. Cecilia, I must say it is nice to put a face with a name. I have heard much about you. I am Alayna, Edward’s sister. I am sure he has told you about me. I came to the clearing today to hopefully see him. It seems most everyone else has, but me. That aside, I wished to discuss military matters with him, but I suppose those can wait. In your letter you speak of Lancer’s power decreasing. How so? And how did it happen? I must admit I am quite surprised to hear that considering the boundary line still holds strong in all of our kingdoms. Alayna watched as Cecilia began to respond, her head popping up and tilting to the side as if she heard something. She quickly nudged Thatcher across the boundary line and darted into the trees. Alayna watched as two men on regal horses patrolled the line. One man, dressed in red and gold, and the other a typical guard’s armor. She watched as their eyes swept over the clearing on the other side and then glanced towards her. She stood straight, chin held high. The royal man dismounted and a slow smile spread over his lips as his eyes surveyed her attire. He bowed. He was a handsome man. Dark hair and bright eyes with a radiant smile. She returned it and curtsied in response, the action making his smile grow even wider. She noticed the lines around his eyes and mouth were friendly, yet strained. As if he had not slept for days. His eyes held slight relief as he gazed upon her. He motioned her towards the boundary line and she stepped closer. She felt a slight hum of energy tease her toes, and she stepped back again. He reached into his tunic pocket and withdrew a small knife. He walked over to a small thicket and cut several blooms. He then lightly kissed one of the rose buds before lightly tossing them through the veil. Alayna bent to pick them up. As soon as she did, they turned black as night and deteriorated in her hand and fell in crumbles to the ground. She glanced up to see the man laughing as he narrowed a disgusted look upon her. He mounted his horse and then drew his finger over his throat in a slicing manner before he spat on the ground beneath him and turned away. Alayna stood insulted. Her temper flaring to her cheeks, she reached for a rock and tossed it with all her might at his retreating back. It hit her mark, square in the middle of his back, and had him turning around quickly. Venom shot from his eyes as he slapped his reins and quickly galloped towards the boundary veil. His horse lunged at the boundary and Alayna ducked behind the stump for protection, but all she heard was a thunderous clap and witnessed the man flying forcefully off his horse and landing on his back on the other side of the veil. His horse, however, crossed the boundary freely. It came to a halt not far from the line as if confused of its location. Alayna saw the fury engraved upon the man’s face, a man she could only assume as Lancer. She bit back a smile as she slowly made her way to the mare and gently ran her hand down its snout. The man bolted to his feet and stepped as close to the boundary as the veil would allow, his mouth moving in shouts as she took the reins of his horse and began leading it out of the clearing. She tossed one more pleased smirk over her shoulder as she watched him pace in a tantrum on the other side. “It was nice to meet you, Lancer.” She murmured, as she stepped through the trees and out of sight.
0 Comments
Oh how many times I get asked, "Who is your publisher?"
Or, "Oh, so you're self-published?" (With a little hesitation on whether or not they should trust another word that comes out of my mouth) I usually just say yes because I know the people are not wanting to stick around to actually hear the explanation of why NO, I am not Traditionally published, and NO I am no longer claiming to be a self-published author. I've left those two stigmas behind and have moved on and developed into an Indie Author. (Hear the choir singing, Hallelujah!) But what does being an Indie Author mean? What does it matter? Isn't it still self-published? Well, allow me to elaborate for you folks. :) I'll start with the most popular term: Traditional Publishing. What does this mean? These are your big boys... the Simon and Schuester, Berkley, Penguin, Macmillan, etc. These are traditional publishing houses that require you to submit your manuscript, via a literary agent, to their company, and then they tell you 'yay' or 'nay.' Have I tried this? Yes. Did I enjoy the process? Yes and no. Why was I not picked up by a traditional publisher? I can't really give you an exact answer really. But what I can tell you is that I have received the flat out "no" from some companies. But I have also received some incredible feedback from some as well. I've received offers of resubmission once I took into account certain changes... so why did I not do this? Why did I "give up"? For starters, I didn't really give up. I just decided I was paying way too much for middle men, when I sort of have that "go-getter" personality. I could be doing this myself! Why do I need to pay someone to speak for me?! Unfortunately that's how Traditional Publishing operates. So I said, "See ya later! I'll try this on my own. Thanks for the feedback." So I did. Next option: Self- Publishing What does this mean? These are companies like AuthorHouse, Frieman Press, Trafford, etc. These are companies that offer publishing packages that range from around $400-$6,000 or more depending on what you want. These packages offer the basics of standard publishing: ISBN, Copyright, Designing/Formatting, Printing, Listing with retail sites. Everything else can be bought at an extra cost... such as: Marketing materials, Editing/Proofing, Expanded Distribution, etc. Everything comes at a cost and your royalties are slim to none. I know this... because my three children's books are through AuthorHouse. Not only did I go through this process once, but three times. I'm pretty familiar with it. I learned what I liked, what I did not like, what I needed, what I did not need... etc. For a first time author, I recommend this route, just because it gets your feet wet and allows you to learn the business. It allows you to learn what you are capable of as well. So that the next go around, you know what to ask for and decline. However, do not expect to make tons of money via this method. You pay for all those middlemen. Next option: Indie Publishing (Independent) What does this mean? Though similar to Self-Publishing there is one bigger factor... One bigger person involved. This is you. You are your own publisher. You don't have one. On the inside cover of your book it says: YOU. :) It's pretty awesome. But what does it mean to publish independently? Well, you have a company you go through for creating your book and printing: Ex. CreateSpace, Smashwords or IngramSpark, etc. These companies provide you with a basic set up: Upload your manuscript. Upload your cover. Upload your ISBN and bam we put this book together how you tell us to. The author has complete control on the final product. I hired my own beta-readers. I hired my own editors. I hired my own cover artist. I chose how big my book is. I chose glossy or matte finish. I chose page color. I chose price. I chose my distribution channels. I chose my formats. The point: I CHOSE EVERYTHING. Now what about marketing? It's all up to you. Which some people find quite daunting... but for me, that was one of my biggest complaints with AuthorHouse... they did not ask my opinion on anything, they sent me the standard marketing package at a whopping $1500, and I hated all of it. In fact, I did not send anything out because I was so embarrassed by the product I was given! For Indie Authors, you choose who you would like to design your marketing materials, whether it be you or someone else. You control what products you want, what they say, how they look, etc. I LOVE THIS! This is the fun stuff! (Other than the book part, duh) I love my marketing for The Unfading Lands, because it is EXACTLY how I imagined it... I hired a graphic designer and I was able to say 'yay' or 'nay' on designs and projects. On top of having control over everything and doing everything yourself, you receive higher royalties. With AuthorHouse I was receiving maybe 5% or 10% (at least that's how minimal it seemed... I'm talking, almost non existent after they take their chunk) but being Indie Published, I receive 70%.... 70% royalties!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's incredible. Did you know you can actually make money as an author?! I didn't... well until I went this route. I've made more the last 2 months than I have the last 8 years combined! So there you have it. An Indie Author is basically the coolest author you are ever going to meet. Why? Because several have said 'no' to traditional publishing companies. They've said 'no' to the self-publishing companies where it breaks the bank. And they've said 'yes' to mastering their skill and owning up to the challenge and responsibility of doing everything themselves! Booya! And please, do not make the mistake of assuming an Indie Author's work does not measure up to a traditionally measured book. Don't give us the small head tilt and the stink eye... when honestly, sometimes the opposite is quite true. Janet Evanovich, Colleen Hoover, E.L. James, Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe... all started out as Self/Indie Authors ... Mark Twain started his own printing company to put his books out! Not all books on the market become best-sellers, whether traditionally published or not, but let's not overlook those that do. Because those people paved the way for the Independent person... the Independent Author... to get their works out there. And some of them are incredibly amazing. I know because I've read them. So there ya go. I hope you feel fully educated. I hope the next time you see an Indie Author you can say, "Congrats on all your hard work." or "Wow, this is an incredible book." Nothing means more than someone loving our work! :) 6/3/2015 0 Comments PreOrder NOW!Now Available for PreOrder on Amazon! Just click the link above to purchase your copy now! :)
Includes my Romantic Comedy, "If the Shoe Fits." Happy Reading Everyone! Hey Everyone! I wanted to update you on the AWESOME project I have had the honor to be a part of... the Anthology of Short Stories I previously have mentioned, has come to fruition. No really, it has. :) And guess what?! My story is in there! :) Woo Hoo! I wanted to take the opportunity to share a bit about the project and the people involved. And also to tell you how I came into such an opportunity. :) It all starts with one man: Ian D. Moore. Author of Salby Damned. I met Ian in an Indie Author Facebook Group, along with many others, and one day, he threw out the creative idea of an anthology in honor of cancer support. I don't think I need to go into detail about how awful the "c" word can be, for most of us have dealt with it in some form or fashion. Ian most recently. And he wanted to honor a special woman by paying tribute. How could anyone say 'no' to a request like that?! Not me. And not 25 others! He asked if any of his fellow Indies would be willing to join in and write a story. I offered. I spazzed out. (As I described in a previous post) I wrote one. It's in there. Ta Da! Only... it is not that simple. In fact, TONS of work has been involved in this project. Authors have taken time away from their individual projects to dedicate time to this work. And if that does not sound like enough of a contribution. Others have edited, designed, sketched, proofed, and spent countless hours formatting this work into an actual book. Team effort to the extreme, my friends. But you know what? It is worth it. For all of us. Macmillan Cancer Support will receive ALL the royalties from the sales of this anthology. ALL.... Let me say it again... ALL PROCEEDS GO TO MACMILLAN! So that's awesome. And what is even more awesome, is that you can help make that happen! I am dutifully going to take it upon myself to keep you informed on this work and you WILL KNOW when it is released so you can purchase your own copy! 26 STORIES. DIFFERENT GENRES. DIFFERENT WRITERS. ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE. And we have currently set up a Facebook Page that you can LIKE and follow to join in on the journey. https://www.facebook.com/yourenotalone2015 You might recall my overwhelming freak out blog post when I spoke of my beginning stages of writing my short story... if not, let me recap for you. I had just released The Unfading Lands a FEW DAYS before, and of course, was overwhelmed with book launching. But besides being overwhelmed, I was on that stereotypical book high that authors get when they see their work in final existence. I believed I could conquer the world... or in this case... a short story. So I offered to pitch in. Well a short story can't be THAT hard, you might think. But I had never written one. And what's more, I felt like a newbie to the group as well as the world of indies. So I was a little nervous. But I also have that Hamilton/O'Neal blood in me that prevents me from ever backing down from a challenge... so I clapped my hands together, drank a big glass of... sweet tea (you thought I was going to say wine, didn't you?) and I set to work. The theme for the anthology was set to be 'relationship.' Any type, any aspect, etc. So I started writing. I wanted something fun. I wanted something charming. And I wanted something that might just bring a smile to someone's face. So I wrote about shoes. Who doesn't love shoes?! And I wrote about dating. Who doesn't love dating? (Well, that could be an iffy question actually)... But it started taking shape. I wrote it during my stay in Galveston, Texas. So what if I was there to do a book festival for The Unfading Lands.... I was determined, and dang it, I was going to write this short story! ;) So I did. I then held onto it for three days. THREE DAYS! Because I was too nervous to send it to Ian and the rest of the clan. What if they didn't like it? What if it was NOT what they were looking for? What if they just laughed and were like, "Seriously? This Katharine girl just wasted our time?" I was nervous. Super nervous. But you know what? I pressed send. A few days later, Ian contacted me letting me know it would go into review and be proofed, etc. A nail-biting few days later, Ian contacted me again and said they only had to tweak a few things... I had naturally forgotten this would be a publication originating in the United Kingdom, so my East Texan way of drawling my words out may have been a bit difficult to understand with the punctuation and grammar I used. So they tweaked a few commas, tweaked a few words, and added a few "u's"... (i.e. Honour vs honor, colour vs color) but the rest of the story stayed the same. And then he said they would love to include it in the anthology. PHEW! So it is now in there, and I am still rather nervous. I have the hopes it will cheer some people up, make a few hearts sigh, and bring a few smiles. We shall see. But if my story won't, I can guarantee there are others in the anthology that will! :) So many gifted and talented men and women from ALL OVER THE WORLD have contributed to this project, and if that doesn't get your bonnet buzzin' then perhaps the fact it could possibly be released in a month or so definitely should! I will keep you posted, my friends. In the meantime, check out the awesome cover. Check out the Facebook Page. And do Macmillian a favor and share this post and any other post you may come across about this project. Our success in sales only benefits a worthy cause, and you can help! :) Until next time, Katharine 5/19/2015 1 Comment Local Book Launch Par-Tay!Well I hate to say it, but I have fallen behind a week or so on here! I apologize for leaving you hanging! :) But the good news is... I've been busy with The Unfading Lands! This passed weekend I travelled home to my hometown to do a local book launch at the Piney Woods Wine Festival. It was a blast! Amongst the smiling faces I got to see were my best friend since the first day of kindergarten, Giovanna. (far right)
AND my high school English teacher (far left)... fingers crossed she doesn't find any grammar mistakes. ;) The top picture is a picture of my mom and me. :) She's sporting her Unfading Lands t-shirt and walked around all day advertising for me. :) Needless to say, we had a successful weekend! It was great to see everyone and of course, to talk The Unfading Lands. I love hearing what people think about it. I love hearing theories, suggestions, and of course, that people are loving it! :) I also want to update you on what all else I have going on right now. 1. Book 2 of The Unfading Lands is underway! :) Yay! 2. The anthology of short stories I contributed to, should be out within the next month or so! (more to come on that soon) 3. I pack up and travel to Florida on Thursday to visit family AND to introduce more people to The Unfading Lands! :) 4. As soon as I come back from Florida, I will have a book signing here in South Texas. :) 5. I have several book clubs starting to read The Unfading Lands, and I plan to visit with each and every book club once they are finished. (different locations of each club will make it an exciting road trip) :) Things are booking up, and I am currently adding to my schedule. So if you have an event you would like me to attend, please let me know! :) I love hearing from you guys! Please keep spreading the word on The Unfading Lands! :) 5/4/2015 0 Comments The Importance of ReviewsHey Fabulous Readers! :)
I hope you all have had a great week and weekend! I know I have. I have been relaxing. Well.... cleaning my house and then relaxing. I even read a book this weekend. :) And not just any book, mind you. A book written by a fellow Indie Author. You see, I am part of a group on Facebook that is for Indie Authors from all over the world, and not only do we communicate on the latest topics in the writing world, but we also read each others' works and offer to post honest and genuine reviews to Amazon once we have. It made me realize, not many readers know how important these reviews actually are to a writer. So I thought I would talk about that for a moment. :) First: A review on Amazon gives future purchasers a personal recommendation. People like to hear what other people think about anything they are about to purchase, whether it be a grill, a skateboard, a mixer... or in this case, a book. I know when I hear about a book, I go read some of the reviews. Now yes, some of them you have to take with a grain of salt, but for the most part, most of the reviews are honest feedback. As an Amazon customer, Reviews are important to me. But as a writer... Reviews are extremely important to me. I want to know what people think about my work! What did they find exciting?! What did they find blah?! I want to know it all! :) This feedback helps me when I sit down to work on the next book. If you think your review will not be read, you are HIGHLY mistaken. Reviews are prized little nuggets of secret information. (at least, that is how I and many other writers feel) Second: It's a way for a writer to feel connected to their readership. I may not know everyone personally, but what a way for us to glimpse each other's personality a bit. You already catch a glimpse of mine by reading my book. But I want to know you too! I want to know what you think. And guess what? I value what you have to say! I take every review, whether good or bad, personally. A good review will make my day and encourage me. A bad review does not ruin my day, but it does give me some feedback on what to look into for the next project. I see a bad review as constructive criticism. Granted some of them are written with a little heat behind them... but still... take it and use it. Third: The more reviews. The more sales. If 300 people have reviewed a certain book, then obviously 300 people found it worthy enough to read, and I'm going to buy it and check it out. If 3000 people have left a review, then you can bet I will read that one too. Reviews show other people the item is worth giving a go. It's a snowball effect. It is electronic word of mouth. Tell one person, then they will tell the next person, and so on and so on. So what is the point of this post? Well... I would love for you to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads or whatever... once you have read The Unfading Lands. I want to hear from you! :) The biggest compliment you can give a writer is leaving a review. :) Thank you to those that have. Thank you to those that will. And thank you to those who might not, but still read my book. :) 4/27/2015 1 Comment How's it Going?So we had a book release for The Unfading Lands on April 3rd. We are now almost three weeks in and much has continued to happen. So I thought I would update you on what is actually going on and some of the cool things that have happened thus far. :) Kicking off on April 3rd, we had an incredible jump start! People from all over the world, literally... bought my book. As the numbers rolled in, it was amazing to see where people were located and where The Unfading Lands was most popular. I have to admit I was quite surprised. Turns out, people in the UK were pretty excited about it. haha. It was so amazing to see the book go global. For a small town East Texas girl, the idea of people in Europe, Australia, and even Africa reading my book seemed so out of reach... but come to find out it wasn't. Blows my mind a little bit and puts a small little giddy butterfly in my stomach just thinking about it. So thank you for that! By day four of the release, we had hit the Amazon Hot 100 New Releases for Epic Fantasy! HOT 100!!!! In ALL of Amazon!!! Are you kidding me?! I cannot tell you how I felt in that moment. I know I've done a blog post over it, but I fear words just cannot describe how excited I was to see this happening. Not only did it happen once. It continued to happen. Four times. #90. #76. #77. #97. From that, I received a huge boost in sales and ebook downloads, and again, it was amazing to see how many and where they were from. My first book promotional gig was to be Four Square Friday in Uvalde, Texas. I set up outside a cool clothing store called Huntston's Clothing Company and was able to meet and greet several people. The local newspaper had printed an article about me the day before, so most people recognized me from that, and that was a cool feeling. I have only lived in the South Texas area for about 2 1/2 years, so to branch out and do something locally here was a big step. I knew people wouldn't exactly know who I was, but with the newspaper and Four Square, I believe I'm getting there. My sister came down to help with the launch and it was fun. Our teamwork with the book, my words, her cover design... it was a cool moment for me for us to launch it together. After Four Square I continued working with online promotion, and for the next few days I continued to hit goals I had dreamed about but never really vocalized for fear of sounding outlandish. haha. That following Wednesday I packed up and headed to Galveston, Texas, with hopes of escaping the craziness a bit and for some quiet time to work on book 2 in the series. However, during the first week of my book release I was asked to be a part of an anthology of short stories (what I explained in last week's blog post). That deadline loomed before me faster than my deadline for book 2 of The Unfading Lands, so I decided it would be best for me to get started on that first. So I did. I completed that story, and it was approved and finalized this week for the anthology. If the Shoe Fits by Katharine E. Hamilton will be grouped with 26 other amazing stories, and the anthology is aimed to be released in December. :) That project in itself was a fun and new challenge for me as well. I finally felt like a real writer, contributing to such a project. ;) While in Galveston, I darted over to Houston on April 18th, for MenilFest at the Menil Collection museum in Montrose. I spent the day with fellow Indie Authors talking about our books and meeting new readers. It was fun. Plus, my bestie, Yvette, came out and joined me to help. Despite the dreary weather there was a great turn out and I was able to meet some pretty awesome people. I also was able to book my spot for the Texas Book Festival in the month of October... which I did not think I qualified to attend, but found out I actually could. So I will now be adding that to the calendar of events for the month of October. :) After Houston, I came back home and have been resting from all the craziness. :) But I have not slowed down in regards to book promotion. This week, I hope you guys check me out on several websites. :) www.nicolefaithhill.blogspot.com www.morgenbailey.wordpress.com http://www.uvaldeleadernews.com/node/2621 http://books.txauthors.com/category-s/2181.htm http://www.indieauthornews.com/2015/04/indie-author-interview-katharine-e-hamilton.html As more happens, I will let you know. I am currently booking events for the remainder of this year and even next year already! So please let me know if there is an event you may have and might want me there! :) 4/20/2015 0 Comments How do you Write a Short Story?In the past couple of months I have recently joined a group of fellow Indie Authors in an awesome venture... into the land of short stories. Some of these authors have been writing for years... some are newbies... and then there are some like me who have been around a little while, but have yet to ever write a short story for publication. A proposal was pitched a few weeks ago for 25 of us to write individual short stories with the theme of 'Relationships,' and they will be compiled into an anthology. All royalties from the sales of said anthology will be given directly to MacMillan Cancer Society Charity. I thought, "Sweet! I definitely want to do this! Sign me up! Woo hoo!" It was then a few days later that I realized... "Katie, you have never written a short story... you might want to find out what that officially IS and the requirements." So I did. 3500 words... 3500 WORDS?! That is impossible! No way! The shortest snippet I had ever written was 14,000 Words and it wasn't even finished yet! How do you write a story in only 3500 WORDS?! I sort of began to freak out and think... "Okay, this is for the people who have written SO LONG that they can just whip it up in five minutes and it be perfect." Right?! Well, I decided to sit down and think. Go figure... What would I write about? The theme is relationships... no stipulations... it could be any type of relationship, any aspect of a relationship... okay, okay, okay... hmmm... what is a type of relationship that would be a fun, quick read packed with lots of descriptive details and leave the reader smiling... because that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to show the fun side of relationships... not the heart wrenching or the sexy-time side... but the fun side. The side of relationships that doesn't always have to be serious. The dating side. The whole, "Hey, he's cute. I'll go talk to him." Side. So it hit me. Speed Dating. Yep. Speed Dating. I had it. Could be fun, right?
So I went for it. I sat down and began typing up a fun story about the trials and errors of speed dating from the perspective of a man and a woman. I've actually had a lot of fun writing it. I am not finished. I have reached that dreaded half-way marker... the one where I inwardly freak out that I'm not going to be able to finish it in less than 3500 words... but at the same time, it is right where it needs to be, so there is no reason for me to freak out at all... but it's coming together nicely. I even had a friend, Yvette, read what I had written so far, just to make sure it was as cute and fun as I thought it was... because you can never be too sure you are as funny as you think you are... And she liked it. BOOM! So now, I am Katharine E. Hamilton.. .Children's Author. Fantasy Fiction Author. AND Short Story Extraordinaire! (Maybe not extraordinaire...yet) BUT you get the picture. :) The ETA for the Anthology is December... Just in time for Christmas. It's going to be cool, folks. 25 Authors. Different genres. Different personalities. Different aspects of 'Relationships'. I'm so excited about it, and I cannot wait to read all the stories.... So I will keep you posted, so you can check it out. Mine will be the story snuggled in the middle with 3501 words. ;) 4/13/2015 0 Comments Release Week!Ummmmmmmm .... So you guys are incredible!
I have had MORE FUN this week! Just watching the numbers go up and up, and seeing posts EVERYWHERE for my book has been A-Mazing!!! Here's how my first week of the book launch has gone! * We hit the Amazon Hot 100 New Releases for Epic Fantasy... not once... but FOUR times! #90, #77, #76, #97!!! (The first time being on DAY 4!!!) * We have booked 2 additional book signings to add to the calendar! :) * First book signing at 4 Square Friday, I sold over DOUBLE what I had set my goal. * I had two interviews hit the stands, and one in particular provided the website the most traffic they had seen in over a year, so they are running my interview for the remainder of the month! * I have been asked to contribute to an anthology of short stories for a charitable cause... having my story written by May, and the anthology ETA released by December. :) * I finally received ALL of my books from the publisher... finally! haha. And I have already sold an entire box just in conversations with other people... this is roughly 25 books... in TWO DAYS! :) It's been a great week! Now what about week two, you ask? Well... today I might actually go back to my day job and work for a few hours to clear my desk of what I am sure has been stacked there this passed week while I was out. Then it is back to business here. I will be in Houston by the middle of the week, having the MenilFest Indie Author Book Festival on Saturday. :) Lord willing, selling more books! :) Thank you for all of your support! The Unfading Lands is on its way up the charts! :) Let's keep it going! :) Wouldn't you just love to see a movie one day? ;) haha. Katharine 4/3/2015 0 Comments Official Book Release Day!I want to start this post by explaining something.... Friday's are my cleaning days. Yes, I clean my house on Friday each week. That being said, I went to bed last night (Thursday) with this strange feeling that The Unfading Lands might possibly go live a few days early. Don't know why, just sort of felt that way. At 3 AM, my phone dings and I glance over and I have an email from Amazon. "Your book is now live!" Wait... what?! A WEEK early!?????!!!! I forced myself to go back to sleep, though my head started spinning with everything I needed to do... I lasted until about 5:30 this morning (Friday). I hopped out of bed and headed straight to my computer and read through the multiple emails that awaited me. I then looked up my book on Amazon.
It was beyond phenomenal. I tear up just thinking about it even now. I thank you guys for the support of my dream! It seriously is a dream come true!
So what did I do after that? Well, I then began scrambling... I had scheduled all my promotions, all my marketing, for April 10th! So I had to quickly start shooting out emails, Twitter messages, Facebook messages, Texts, etc. to see if I could possibly reschedule everything for this week! Oy! After I did round one of that, then I had to go through and post on all social media the announcement. Then I had to change my marketing. I had called my sister, Kerry, aka my graphic designer, last night and told her my suspicions about the book going live early, and we had game planned redesigning the marketing posters and such that we had already completed and lined up for the 10th. Well, she got a frantic call this morning, and she quickly waved her magic wand and the marketing was updated and we were good to go. Brad shuffled into the living room around 9 and asked how long I had been sitting at the table... ummmm.... since 5:30.... I sheepishly smiled and shrugged my shoulders. He just shook his head and smiled, saying "Be sure to take a break at some point today." I also saw his eyes roam around the messy table, my papers scattered everywhere... and the load of laundry I had yet to fold that was sitting on the side of the couch. I read his mind, because let's face it, I know him well... and Friday's are my cleaning days. So I quickly said, "But don't worry, with all this going on, I am still going to clean the house!" Not sure if he believed me, but he smiled and left for work. So I sat at the computer another two hours and plugged away. haha. My brain began to fry about 11:45 and I decided I should get up, move around, maybe accomplish SOME cleaning, and began to sweep my floors all the while thinking where else can I advertise, who can I contact, did I email everyone????? That's when I came across a FROG that scared the living daylights out of me! A frog! In my house!!!!!! I don't do frogs. I don't do lizards. I can handle spiders and snakes, but for some reason, the harmless frog and lizard scare the beJesus out of me. So I swept around the nasty little creature and created a small fence with shoes around it so that Brad could dispose of it when he came in for lunch. No frog was going to prevent me from being superwoman today by Cleaning AND releasing a book! ;) Now I sit... and it is 5:05 PM and I have a clean house, partially. ;) Laundry is done. Dishes done. Floors clean. Rugs vacuumed. House dusted. Frog is now disposed of (though Brad tossed it at me and had a good laugh at my freak out episode before he placed it outside). But my table is still messy. My bed is still unmade. And I'm pretty sure I forgot to put deodorant on this morning.... But you know what, it has been an incredible day! Everyone... Friends Family Strangers Social Media Everyone... has been so amazing today. Thank you to those who shared the release announcement in any shape or form. Thank you to those who purchased the book! I cannot even tell you how grateful I am for the turnout. And though I am still quite nervous about the idea of everyone reading a piece of my heart! haha. I am excited for you guys to read it and tell me what you think. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And thank you again. And thank you to the little frog that almost gave me a heart attack, but forced me to keep cleaning. So that I could find any and all other hidden creatures before settling into book mode for the next couple of weeks. ;) I will keep you guys posted on how everything goes for this first week! :) (Hopefully no more frogs) Let's hit those numbers on Amazon! And Keep sharing! :) -Katharine |
AuthorHowdy Everyone! And welcome to my website! My name is Katharine Hamilton and I am a writer and multi-genre author! Thank you for stopping by! Archives
August 2018
Categories |