Why You Need an Editor

I have the new book back from the editor for fine-tuning, and the good news is that I'm still on track for release day!

Each and every time I start a new book, I take a deep breath and ask myself how in the world I think I can do this, mold an idea, a concept, into a full-blown story that anybody would be interested in reading. What if it sucks? What if it falls flat? What if it doesn't resonate with ANYBODY? And then when I finish the writing process, I wonder where I found the right words to bring the story to life. It surprises me every time.

Many indie authors are highly-skilled proofreaders and grammarians. They may be good at catching their own mistakes, although it takes multiple reads to make sure you've found them all. An editor is beneficial to not only back up with that process (even traditional publishers expect you to hand them a "clean" manuscript), but also for the copyediting issues, the details that don't jive. The missing pieces. A professional editor also has a pulse on genre and market and how the manuscript fits the mold.

As I consider the suggestions, I realize there is one question I never answered for myself in this story. My readers will want to know! One of my common mistakes is forgetting to put information on the page. I assume the reader knows things or can read my mind. HAH! I know better.

In spite of numerous read-throughs, in spite of input from my very talented critique group, I once again left out some crucial details. Granted, the fixes are relatively easy, but without the editor to point them out, I'd be carrying on as if everyone knew exactly what I meant when I never told them what the heck was going on! She adds so much to the process, pointing out those things that get overlooked to make the story stronger.

My eternal gratitude to my very talented editor. And now I have to get busy and fill in the blanks.

When creativity interrupts your sleep...

That moment when you wake up and can't get back to sleep ... because you have this amazing plot that you've been dreaming about and wouldn't it make a great story? Except you really need to get more sleep. But you end up working through the plot line instead.

Learning to Over Share

Funny author moment. At least from my viewpoint.

I'm the youngest of four girls. All my life I've had to deal with "be quiet." Writing was my way to express myself. Obviously, at some point in time, I outgrew the childhood taunts. A frequent comment on my writing is not being deep enough into point of view. Do you suppose that comes a little bit from "be quiet?"

Authors are an introverted breed for the most part. We tend to hold things back, to silently observe. Well guess what? That's a problem when it comes to writing. While we give voice to our withheld ideas and imaginings when we write, there is still a part that we hold back. That "be quiet" part.

When I write, I can see my characters clearly. I can feel their pain. See their struggles. Understand what they're going through. While trying to convey that, sometimes an author's personality steps in and blocks some of the information necessary for the reader. While I might know what's going on in the character's head, the words might not have made it onto the page.

It's okay to over share.

I know of an author who is horribly introverted and shy and fabulously successful. I have been watching her progress on her latest book, only to hear that she's setting it aside to move onto a different project at the request of her agent. Her communications have shown that she's struggling with the personalities in the stories, and they're distracting her. I wonder if she's having some trouble with the oversharing part. And then there are other authors who might be slightly less introverted, who share their personal issues as easily as they discover them in their characters. I read a book recently where the main characters were mortified by the amount of their personal lives that was on display. Sorry, characters. It's necessary to the story line for people to understand who you are.

I'm circling back to an old story one more time. This is the last effort I'm going to make with it, but I can't seem to walk away from it. I finished it once, but the story didn't feel "right." I've had other stories that I've written that are beyond help, but this one continues to tap me on the shoulder. One of the issues with it is that the characters are too superficial. They have strong personalities, but none of that made it to the page the first time around. As I'm rewriting the story, I'm seeing the parts where we didn't know what the hero was thinking and how he got to the decision he made. Likewise with the heroine. How did she get where she is?

Time to overshare. We need to know their deep, dark secrets, what makes them tick.

As an author, I'm always learning new things, gaining new insights, seeing things in a different light. Looking back on an old manuscript shows me how far I've come in my career, and reminds me there's always room to grow.

When you're not playing with a full deck...

My sister called me the other day, on my cell phone.

Her: "Did you get my text?" (my phone has a tendency to hold texts hostage from time to time).
Me: "Let me find my phone,"
Her: "You're talking on it."
Oh yeah.

Scheduled release date for Rising Mist is November 6, but you can pre-order it now (so you don't forget...)

Rising Mist Cover Reveal - putting all the pieces together

Ta-da!

Introducing Rising Mist - Kundigerin 3. When fighting demons is a family business. Here is a glimpse into what you can expect from Book 3 in the "Mist" trilogy.

Social worker Max Maitland is trained to help people, not leave them vulnerable to evil. His unexpected and unwanted legacy bestows upon him a spirit beast—a cougar—to help protect him and his sister. Now Max must work with her to stop a demon. Bound to his sister by their legacy, Max is frustrated at the prospect of sacrificing his own goals and dreams like his bachelor uncle.

Robin Chandler’s reputation as a mural artist allows her temporary escape from her native Sedona, Arizona, away from the ex-fiancé who cheated on her and where she suffered the horror of a cougar attack. After four months on the road, she’s ready to return to the desert landscape close to her heart, but meeting Max Maitland is enough to make her reconsider.  When Max tells her his sister is fighting evil spirits, Robin questions her choices. This otherwise irresistible guy can’t really believe in the “woo-woo” can he?

Rising Mist is scheduled to be released at the beginning of November. You can pre-order an e-book copy now by following the "Quick Links to Buy" at the upper right of this page.

Rising Mist Cover Reveal - Part 3

Do you see it? That little lizard looking thing on Bell Rock? It's actually a cougar.

Max's spirit beast.

Yes, his legacy isn't something he'd been expecting, but it comes with his own spirit beast, an animal Max can bond with and call upon when it's needed. Not quite as benign as his great-uncle's deer, the cougar is ready to wreak havoc on anyone intending harm to the people Max loves, or to protect them. With a living Hüter des Geheimnisses, the spirit beast isn't quite as harmless as the demon hopes.

Tomorrow - put it all together and what do you get?

Rising Mist Cover Reveal - Part 2

Destination - Sedona, Arizona

Sedona is home to red rock views, hiking, shopping, dining. Tours are available to take you through town or into the backcountry to explore Native American history, geology, botany--you name it, they got it.

Take a Jeep over unpaved roads to explore petroglyphs on sandstone. Ride a hot air balloon and let the landscape provide you with a spiritual experience. Fly in a helicopter, slide down a natural water slide or visit the vineyards for afternoon wine tastings.

And then there are the vortexes. Sedona is a mecca for "New Agers" seeking a deeper meaning to life. The vortexes are said to project energy which puts you in touch with your inner self. There's something magical about the vistas, the rock formations, the undercurrents that give peace to your soul. The indigenous people will be happy to share legends with you.

What a perfect place to stir up some magic for Max and family!

Tomorrow - the legends.

Rising Mist - Cover Reveal Part 1

Let's start with Max Maitland. For those of you who have read Mist on the Meadow and Gathering Mist, you'll recognize Max as Marissa's little brother. Well, he just turned 25, and guess what? He has a little something-something going on, too. With Uncle Balt gone, who will be the next Hüter des Geheimnisses? Well, Max, of course! But as with anyone who has no clue this is coming, he's not thrilled that his life is now reduced to being his sister's biographer. So she has something magical about her. What does he get out of the deal?

Max is a social worker, and he's just getting his Master's Degree. He wants to help people, and he still feels a little guilty about what happened at the end of Gathering Mist. And then a waifish woman walks into his sister's cafe, but you should never judge someone by their appearance. 

Tomorrow - the setting.

Puzzling together a cover

I'm excited about the cover to my new book. And while the editor is reviewing all the words I wrote to make the story, I thought I'd share my cover with you! BUT....

I'm sharing it one piece at a time. Starting tomorrow, I'll expose one more piece of the puzzle so you can see the elements that go into the story, and then I'll share a piece a day for the rest of the week.

Are you ready?

Destination: Ercolano

When I wrote my first book, I did massive amounts of research. Pictures, videos, travelogues, books, interviews, I even learned Italian to write a story that took place in Ercolano, Italy - one of the cities buried by Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. (sister city to Pompeii).

A couple of years ago, I finally made the trip to see it live and in person. DH and I went to Naples, did a tour of Pompeii, but our tour to Herculaneum was cancelled, so I never got to see the city that inspired my story. The good news is that all the research I did of Pompeii and Naples paid off (I got it right!), although seeing it was so much more inspiring.

+Matt Kornatz recently took a trip to the Amalfi coast, and he has graciously agreed to share some of his photos with me.

For those of you who have read Touched by the Sun, I hope you enjoy the pictures! I can easily see Dominic and Kira here.

People gathered here to escape the volcano, and died here.

Meters of ash that buried the city.

The new city on top of the buried city - Ercolano/Herculaneum

An excerpt from the upcoming release

Gathering Mist is in the hands of the editor. As promised, here's a little snippet:

     “I wanted to sketch the skyline by night.” She hesitated. “And I thought I’d watch the sun rise over the lake.”

     She’d drawn the canyon on the sidewalk overnight. Couldn’t she afford a hotel? Max was back to worrying she was homeless. “I couldn’t call myself a gentleman if I left you alone in the big city at night. Let me be your tour guide?”

     “I can take care of myself,” Robin said, irritation returning to her voice.

     Max stuck to his resolve. “I have no doubt about that, but it isn’t smart for a woman to be alone in the city at night.”

     “Are you calling me stupid?”

     Why was she being so defensive? Max never had trouble talking to women. He held up his hands. “You know I’m not. What’s this really about?”

     Robin stood akimbo. “Why should I trust you? I don’t know you.”

     Max glanced at the platforms. He should walk away from his fairy artist and go upstairs, grab something to eat while he waited for the 10:40 train. He was tempted, but the girl screamed vulnerability. He couldn’t, in good conscience, let her walk out into the urban jungle alone.

...

     As they neared the end of the shopping district, an ominous shadow approached the intersection ahead of them. Max tightened his grip across Robin’s shoulders. A group of people wearing dark clothes rounded the corner, walking toward them. A confrontation didn’t look promising, and he couldn’t tell if the glow was a result of the street light or the scary aura that would identify them as demons.

Have I whet your appetite? And have you read the first two in the "Mist" trilogy? Time to catch up - this one should be ready no later than November! Click on this link to find out more about this series.