Thursday, May 9, 2013

Celebrating Romance

Open the champagne! Pop the cork and save it. I want to scream to the world, "I'm Published!" Yes, I finally took the plunge and self-published two of my short stories on Amazon. For this week these two short stories will be free, so please download read and share with others. Since May is the Genre-ista's Blog-O-Versary and we're all about celebrating this month I thought I'd share a little of the giddiness every author feels when they see their covers on a website or in a bookstore.


For each writer their current work in progress is like their baby. It's a product of love and sometimes it grows to be frustration or hate, but that love never goes away. We like to shout to the world when we sign a contract, or do a happy dance when someone posts a good review. In my RWA chapter, Rose City Romance Writers, we even celebrate the rejections and the bad reviews because it means someone saw our work and it made an impact whether good or bad. When I received my first rejection from an agent, I have to put in here that I was expecting a rejection at the time, it was both exciting and nerve racking. My kids and husband bought me a bottle of sparkling cider to celebrate. I was giddy for a week.

The day I published my first short story butterflies attacked my stomach. I couldn't sit for more than a few minutes and I had to email my husband I had done it. When my kids came home I had to tell them. When my kids went to school the next day they had to brag that their mom was published. Catching? Oh yeah. And next month I'll be self-publishing my first novel length book.

Key of Time will be book one of my Phoenix Warriors series set in 1880 ranging from London to Egypt with inventions and mythic beings and abilities and most important of all, Love.




What do you celebrate in your life? Is there a project close to your heart that gives you the giddy stomach butterflies?

www.maepen.weebly.com

4 comments:

Stacy McKitrick said...

Congratulations, Mae! Yep, getting published is very exciting, indeed! Here's to MANY sales!!!

Judith Ashley said...

Way to go, Mae! Looking forward to seeing you with a couple of roses! One of the keys to success is perseverance and you've truly demonstrated that ... and now you're published!

BTW, great covers. Did you do them yourself?

maepen said...

Thanks Judith. I did do them myself. I figured since I write in such a specific genre I thought I'd try to di it myself.
Thanks Sarah. I have to thank both of you for pushing me out of my comfort zone on short stories. It's really taught me when really needs to go into the story and how to hit a deadline.

Sarah Raplee said...

WOOT!!! I'm doing a happy dance for you, Mae! I've read your short stories and they are wonderful!

Can't wait to read KEY OF TIME!