First, you write a book. Then, you try to get an agent or you try to get a publisher. Or you try to get both. Let's say you're successful. That feels amazing. But, unless you're one of the lucky few who lands a big-time publisher who thinks you are worthy of a mass marketing campaign, being a published author doesn't mean you just get to write for the rest of your life and watch the checks roll in. Here are a few lessons on being an author (both from my experiences and the experiences of others.)
When I think of a museum, I usually think of large flowing landscapes, giant replicas of extinct species, airplanes or artifacts. I think of stark white rooms, bright marble hallways, large arching ceilings and glass enclosed cases. I don't usually think of a glowing projection of John Lennon on a bathroom floor. But, that's the kind of thing you get at the O Museum, in Washington, DC...
I spent day 2 in NYC traveling around the city with my book, The Travelers, it's side kick Jane Bennet (see yesterdays blog as to why we brought her along) and my daughter's dance company (aka, a group of teen and preteen girls obsessed with dance). It was a day filled with an interesting mix of nostalgia and discovering things about NYC I never knew!
The Travelers took a little tour of New York City along with the dance company my daughter is a part of (C4 Dance Company) yesterday. (I luckily got to come with them!) The Travelers also had a little pal. (Jane Bennet from Pride and Prejudice Zombies.) She shares the same last name as the main characters in my book (Dagny Bennet and her family). She's also a sassy girl from a fantasy book with connections to the past, like my book. Plus, I have a recent obsession with POP figurines. So she seemed like a great side kick for our little trip through the city. It all began Sunday night...
If you love books, you love to get books. Since tomorrow is Cyber Monday, it’s a great time to find and buy books to give to others this season. In honor of that, I plan to donate part of the proceeds from the sales on amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com from my YA fantasy novel, The Travelers, to charity. But, what charity, you ask? Excellent question. Deciding on that was difficult...
It’s no secret among my friends and family, and anyone who follows me on twitter, that I have a tiny obsession with the Gilmore Girls. It’s one of my favorite shows of all time. I’ve seen every episode more than once and my favorite episodes so many times I can’t count. Since the premiere is only 5 days away, I thought it might be fun to rank my top 5 favorite Gilmore Girls episodes. Trust me, this wasn’t easy and, to be clear, these are not even what many might call the “best” episodes. But, I have a personal connection to them!
So, I need a little levity in my life right now. Therefore, I decided to try something new. I'm calling it T-shirt Tuesday. My husband probably has hundreds of t-shirts with funny, ironic sayings or pictures on them. I'm going to use those to draw inspiration for my Tuesday blogs, or at least I'm going to try. Ready? Today's inspiration is...
K.L. Kranes and I are in the same book club, which is now three years old. I like to think of myself as a reader, and someone who loves learning. I have been in a several different book clubs in... Continue Reading →
It’s Election Day tomorrow. Tonight, I’m going to an “End of the World” party. Tongue and cheek party name? I really hope so. Personally, as a writer and a lover of books, Facebook and Twitter are not places that I go for my political information. Not that I don’t love the jokes and pithy commentary. (I really do!) But, it can’t be the only source if you want to have a real understanding of issues. (There really should be no one source at all, right?) On that note, I’d like to highlight the power of reading books and thoughtful articles to make you think about the world beyond twitter (I know, it exists right? Crazy)
K.L. Kranes 