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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Romantic
Comedy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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:
Author
Facebook Page:
Twitter:
@patricelocke
Email:
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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
