Guest Post - Patrice Locke and Exit Signs

Today I welcome Patrice Locke and the new book Exit Signs

I'd like to thank her for the guest post about her biggest challenges in the writing process!  I love the last line about feeding the introverted soul while the extroverted part is out selling the book. I can relate to that!!

Exit Signs

by Patrice Locke

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GENRE:   Romantic Comedy

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BLURB:

Tracy Price has a documentary-style life until rock star Jesse Elliot rewrites her script and takes the wheel to drive her crazy.

In her quest to find a writer missing since the 1930's, Tracy thinks she has discovered exactly how to handle her new relationship. But she may be listening to the wrong voice. 

Then Tracy and Jesse find out they've both been keeping some big secrets, and the truth may ruin everything.

Will sharing the missing writer's story open both their hearts?

 AUTHOR GUEST POST:

Q:  What is the most challenging thing for you about the end to end process of being a published author? How do you overcome those hurdles?

By Patrice Locke

            Writing ‘The End,’ and having final approval from your editor/publisher would seem to be the glorious end of a long endeavor. But it’s not! It’s the beginning of a whole new sort of creative process: PROMOTIONS.

            The most challenging thing about having written a book is the fact that there are approximately 89 billion other books out there. How on earth can you drive readers to your ‘child,’ and get them enthused enough to read it and then recommend it to other people?

            Maybe if you have a giant publisher with a huge promotion budget, that isn’t a problem. But how many of us have that blessing? From what I’ve heard, most of us are in the position of constantly trying to make sure that he book we’ve put so much of our hearts and souls into finds readers who will love and cherish it.

            “Exit Signs” is my first book, and I cannot say that I know the answers to the questions about promoting a book, but some of the things that have worked for me are joining writing groups such as Women Fiction Writers and becoming active on social media sites such as Women Writers, Women’s Books. The networking alone is valuable. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll connect with people who like your work and whose work you respect and enjoy. I’ve heard that 90 percent of book sales result from word-of-mouth, and I believe that’s pretty accurate.

            The whole thing is challenging, maybe more than it should be because so many of us who write are introverts – that’s why we’re at home on the page but not so at home in a crowd. The one thing I’m learning as my first book is out there in the world is that I have to overcome my desire to just exist in the world of the written word. I’ve found lots of very kind, very creative writers who understand that problem and can offer support and encouragement. My best advice is to create that circle of support and then lean into it and take all the advice you can get. 

            The good news is that you can always be working on a new project to feed your introverted soul while you try to make your extrovert self get out there and promote your work.

BOOK EXCERPT 

Jesse lunged toward me. It was too late. I had already launched. He reached out but didn’t connect. Instead, I broke the trajectory of my upper body by grabbing him at chest level and sliding down. He was pushed backward into the table, which stabilized our ungainly host-parasite tableau. He softened my landing so that physically I was fine, but my pride was ready for intensive care.

Heaped at his feet, like a demented penitent, I hugged his knees, my face pressed flat into his thighs. I might as well stay down. What’s worse? To stand up and face you, or remain here, nestled between your legs? What do you think? Then, the finishing touch: I erupted into nervous, snorting laughter. He guessed there was no serious injury.

“It’s nice to see you, too. You are okay, aren’t you? Can you stand?” He reached for my arms to unwrap them from his legs and help me up. I jammed my eyelids together to conjure up a do-over, but no such luck.

I would have to deal with it.

He held my elbows in his hands. “I guess we were both in a hurry to see each other.”

I do appreciate your attempt to lighten the mood, but you are standing SO close. I can feel your body heat. Or is that mine? By the way, you smell tart and fresh, like a lime.

I stared at his shoulder. My dignity meter was stuck on empty.

“Enthusiastic greeting. Thanks for that.” He was blatantly amused.

“It was nothing.” I stepped backward to regain a semblance of independence. Don’t mock me. But, you did go to all the trouble to bring your hair. And your eyes. I might forgive you for witnessing my disgrace. That hair.

   

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

As a journalist, Patrice Locke wrote a lot of stories with unhappy and even tragic endings.
Facts are facts, and a writer doesn't mess with facts.


But fiction is another world. Patrice began writing novels, where she could control the endings and make them as happy as she wants. The best thing about fiction, she says, is having time to think before her characters speak, so they can say the things most of us only come up with after the perfect moment has passed.
     

She loves to write, read, and watch romantic comedies where life always turns out the way it should. Her only obsessive relationships are with semicolons and Oxford commas.
   

Though she doesn't like to brag, Patrice is an award-winning artist. She won a gold and diamond watch when she was 13 for decorating a turkey drumstick bone to look like Batman. Alas, that was her last recognition in the fine arts.
        

Patrice lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the blue sky is brilliant, the air is thin, and the vistas are breathtaking. She is none of those things, which is one reason she enjoys living among them.

Webpage:

http://www.patricelocke.com/index.html

Author Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/bypatricelocke/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel 

Twitter:

@patricelocke

Email:

bypatricelocke@gmail.com

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Patrice Locke will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway