Lately I’ve been complaining about being bogged down with a plethora of “things to do” that involve promoting two new books. I’ve been trying to get started on the third book of my new “Men of the Outlaw Trail” series (THE LAWLESS LAND) but haven’t been able to type one word of it.
I just sent in the second book (RETURN OF A WANTED MAN ), while at the same time I’m working on ads and book signings and library appearances and answering questions from bloggers and planning give-away contests for the first book that’s coming in November (RIDE THE HIGH LONESOME). On top of that, I’ve also been promoting (and doing all the things above) for my Christmas story that was just published the end of September in an anthology called LONGING FOR A COWBOY CHRISTMAS – a collection of six Christmas stories, each by a Sourcebooks author.
Add to that – I received
Amazon’s proofs for my reissues of TEXAS EMBRACE and TEXAS
PASSIONS, coming mid-October and mid-November! Is it any wonder that
sometimes I get confused about which book I’m talking about at the
moment? I just apologized to my publisher for not being more prompt
in sending info. they needed to do their own promotion of RIDE THE
HIGH LONESOME – then I realized they got that info months ago! I
was thinking of RETURN OF A WANTED MAN , but I already sent them that
info, so I’m not behind at all!
Oh, and I just recently
completed designing new bookmarks and post cards and flyers and a big
stand-up sign for RIDE THE HIGH LONESOME through Vista Print. And
today I had to run to DQ and pick up an ice cream cake for my
17-year-old grandson. And for the last two weeks I’ve been trimming
things in my garden and putting away patio furniture and the like in
preparation for the coming Michigan winter.
I check my calendar every day
to make sure I don’t forget about a signing or something and not
show up! It’s been crazy, but I stopped just now to remind myself
that these are GOOD problems, and in a sense, none of this is a
problem at all. It means I’m still writing and still have fans out
there who want more books from me. And getting ready for winter means
I’m still alive and kicking and made it through another summer
season and can look forward to a beautiful (yes – beautiful)
Michigan winter. My garden will lie silent and waiting for spring,
I’ll get a break from working hard outside, and winter means more
time to write and also means hubby and I will get to take a trip to
Nevada again.
Sometimes we just have to
remember that a glass half empty is also a glass half full. If I
didn’t have all this promotional work to do, it would mean I am no
longer selling (or writing) new books. I can’t think of anything
worse than not being wanted as a writer anymore, or worse than losing
all my devoted and beloved readers. I have my days of feeling “worn
out,” but it’s a good kind of weariness because it’s from
producing something that entertains others and sometimes even helps
them through a bad time. And the writing itself helps ME through bad
times too, taking me away to another time and another place.
Writing moves in cycles.
Writers sit alone in our little hideaways and write, write, write,
then edit, edit, edit, then send in the book and start another one.
Then the publisher proofreads and sends back the first one we sent in
and we have to study the edits and do more editing and send that back
in and get back to the new book we are working on. Then that first
book gets published and we spend a LOT of time designing ads and
bookmarks and going to signings and doing all the things that come
with promotion, and after all the hoopla, we go back to our little
hideaways and get back to writing that second book. Or maybe by then
we’ve already sent in that second one and have started yet another
story! We have all these characters dancing around in our heads, and
sometimes we have to remind ourselves – when we give a talk or have
a signing – which book and which characters are involved in that
one event.
It’s draining, but it’s exciting and fulfilling. And it’s all a reminder that we are still selling books, thank God! And now that you are thoroughly confused, here are the books I’m talking about:
*March – LOGAN’S LADY was published by Sourcebooks
*July – Reissue of CHASE THE SUN WAS PUBLISHED by Amazon
*September – LONGING FOR A COWBOY CHRISTMAS was published by Sourcebook
*Mid-October – Reissue of TEXAS EMBRACE will be published by Amazon
*Mid-November – Reissue of TEXAS PASSIONS will be published by Amazon
*November 26 – My next big single title – RIDE THE HIGH LONESOME will be published by Sourcebooks (1st story for my “Men of the Outlaw Trail” series)
*In 2020 the second “Men of the Outlaw Trail” book, RETURN OF A WANTED MAN , will be published. It’s already written and submitted.
*Also in 2020 – Reissues of ARIZONA BRIDE and ARIZONA ECSTASY will be published by Amazon. And in 2020 I’ll be writing that third Outlaw Trail book, THE LAWLESS LAND. Or I just might finish that one by the end of this year!
Lots more to come! A GOOD PROBLEM for me!
PS -- Just a reminder, from October 15 - 24, this super-fun blog tour to promote LONGING FOR A CHRISTMAS COWBOY -- with bios, book reviews, excerpts, and some really great give-aways!
Oct 15: Book Trailer at CarpeDiem Chronicles
Oct 15: BONUS STOP at Hall WaysBlog
Oct 16: Review by Book Fidelity
Oct 17: Author Spotlight at That's WhatShe's Reading
Oct 18: Review at Chapter Break Book Blog
Oct. 19: Author Spotlight at All The UpsAnd Downs
Oct 20: Author Spotlight at StoreyBook Reviews
Oct 21: Review at Reading by Moonlight
Oct 22: Author Spotlight at The Page Unbound
Oct 23: Review at Missus Gonzo
Oct 24: Review at Forgotten Winds
For more information,
including direct links to each day's blog entries, please visit
Lone Star Literary Life's LONGING FOR A CHRISTMASCOWBOY Blog Tour page!
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