Michelle Rowen
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Aie! Yi! Yi!
This is funny...and sadly, so very true...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Get UnstuckMy friend Bonnie is featured on a TV show on Canada's W Network. It's called Stuck, and it's about seven women who feel stuck about their lives, so they band together to do something about it.
Stuck starts airing tonight (May 14) at 9:30 on W Network. If you get the channel, tune in!
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I officially started writing DEVILS & DIAMONDS yesterday. I have so many ideas it's hard to focus on just one thing, but I finally picked and now I'm all about Sarah et al. As soon as I started writing I slid right back into the character's head. I have a lot of interesting plans for this book and I hope the writing is relatively smooth going!
I've been a bit hit-and-miss with the writing schedule lately. I don't tend to write everyday, but I'd like to start. I'm waiting on so many answers that it's starting to get to me (an understatement, believe me), but I think instead of dwelling on the negative, I'm going to focus on what really counts... the writing. The rest will fall into place when the time comes.
And yes, I watched The Secret again last night. Ommm. Ommmmmmm.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
ScoreWhen I entered FANGED & FABULOUS in the RITA Awards (category: Novel w/ Strong Romantic Elements) I decided to check the box that asked for my scores when the time came to reveal them. I wanted to see if it was worth my time and money to continue entering this contest if I didn't final (and I didn't*). I already know that on the average, readers either love or... um, don't love my books. So I wanted to see how the scores skewed and just how many voodoo dolls I needed to buy.
Keep in mind that RITA scores are out of 9 and judged by PAN members (ie: fellow published members of RWA).
The scores arrived yesterday.
I got: 9; 8; 7.2; 6.5; 5.5 which equalled 36.2 placing me in the second quarter of the judged books. Kind of like being in high school. I'm not honor roll, but I'm not doing too badly.
Obviously whoever gave me a 9 deserves a cookie and a hug because they totally rock. :-) The 8 gets a firm handshake and an offer of friendship. The 5.5 gets the voodoo doll, but I won't hold it against her since I probably didn't like her book much either. Ha. Still, no failing grades so I'm actually pleasantly surprised.
Which means I'll probably enter again this year. With both books. Come what may.
*My cover flats for COUNTDOWN claim that I'm a past RITA finalist, but I think they have me confused with Stephanie Rowe. Still, it was nice to see. :-)
Monday, May 12, 2008
Booked
LOLCats image completely unrelated to today's post, I just thought it was funny.
After hearing that fuel surcharges are going up and up, I bit the bullet and booked my flight for RWA Nationals. I'm actually going to Los Angeles for a couple days first to do the Hollywood thing and then on to San Francisco. Good times.
So, unrelated to my travel bookings, I've decided to put away my childish proposals and start working on my vampire book. It's intimidating me slightly because it is the fifth and final in the series and I want it to be, I don't know, like good. I'm very happy with all of the ones that came before it, and I've heaped on all this pressure on myself to make this one bigger and better. I just have to chill. I know these characters. They want their stories told and neatened up and they all want HEAs (or most of them, anyhow).
I shall embrace the fang.
Therefore, I have a soundtrack for DEVILS & DIAMONDS:
Dirty Little Secret -- The All-American Rejects
Devil Inside -- INXS
Stronger -- Kanye West
Move Along -- The All-American Rejects
Trouble -- Pink (which tends to be on most of my soundtracks for some strange reason, probably because my heroines are both 1) in trouble, and 2) the cause of trouble)
Suddenly I See -- KT Tunstall
Paralyzer -- Finger Eleven
SOS (Rescue Me) -- Rihanna
Keep Holding On -- Avril Lavigne (also a recurring song on my soundtracks)
Stuttering -- Ben's Brothers
Bleeding Love -- Leona Lewis (what better song for vamps in love?)
Hot -- Avril Lavigne
The "theme song" for the book as I currently have it envisioned is... Dirty Little Secret. :-) There's a lot of secrets in this book -- both the keeping and the revealing. It should be a fun write.
If I just chill the hell out about it.
Ahem. Okay. I'm fine, really.
It's all good. <-- my mantra.
Now, if you'll excuse me. It's time to start my bikini diet. I can look like Pamela Anderson in less than three months, right????
Don't answer that.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Reaching
You know that famous scene in Roman Holiday when Gregory Peck reaches into that statue mouth thing and freaks Audrey Hepburn out when he pretends his hand just got bitten off?
Okay, firstly... Audrey Hepburn's character? TSTL? Discuss.
Quite honestly, that is what the last four months of my life has felt like. No, not TSTL, although I suppose that could be debatable. But, reaching out into the darkness for something I can't see and risking getting my hand bitten off. This is the life of a full-time writer. Welcome. Try the veal.
What I have learned:
1. Nothing worth having is easy.
2. Being published is not as glamorous or as much fun as I thought it would be.
3. I am incredibly positive (depending on the day, hour, minute) about my sustained future as a writer.
But it ain't easy.
In the past four months, this is what I've done...
1. Written a full first draft of a paranormal romance novel.
2. Completely rewritten a YA novel.
3. Written four proposals: 1 category, 1 paranormal romance, 1 sci-fi, 1 YA (in prog)
3. Written one outline for a book already on contract -- Devils & Diamonds.
4. Finished editorial revisions on Stakes & Stilettos.
5. Um... I know there's other bits and pieces but nothing comes immediately to mind. General brainstorming and the like.
The full first draft of the paranormal romance formerly known on the blog as NWM? It's dead. Doornail dead. I pulled it from submission because, 1) it was rejected by two editors who said it didn't suit my "voice", and 2) my gut told me I was trying to chase the market and failing miserably (it had a group of supernatural warriors in it. Enough said.). It represents two months of my time that won't end up in a sale. Waste of time? Hell yeah. Do I regret writing it in the first place? A little. But it taught me loads about what I really want to write and that's helped hone my focus right now. Every other project I have on the stove right now is something I hope to finish writing.
At this very moment, I'm waiting on news on two projects from the list above. Three, really. It's so odd to have one's fate in someone else's hands. I think about my writing career 24/7, so any delays in decisions cause me tons of angst. It's exciting on some levels, like a roller coaster. I know that everything will work out well, or at least the way it was supposed to. I believe in fate. I also believe that fate can be swayed by hard work. I told a friend that if every project I have out right now results in a sale, then I'm going to be seriously screwed because that's a lot of deadlines. But I welcome that. I work best when I have a deadline.
Right now I'm working on a YA proposal. I'm going to start there. I'd like to write it in full. But different ideas are coming to me...really great ideas...and the doubt weasels are at work. Maybe I can't make it as good as it has the potential to be. But I'm going to try my best. I'm going to keep reaching toward my dreams and hopefully not lose my hand in the process.
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I saw Iron Man yesterday. One of the biggest perks about not working 9-5 is going to weekday matinees. Word.
It was good. Loved Robert Downey Jr. Wanted to punch Pepper Potts in the face for being a total doormat. Ugh. Stuck in the fifties much? Couldn't they have updated her character a bit? Give me Michelle Pfieffer as Catwoman any day.
Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. It didn't live up to the hype for me. Spiderman 2 reigns as my favorite superhero movie and to say the least I'm definitely looking forward to the Wolverine movie.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Hump dayI (or rather, my alter ego Michelle Maddox) has received her first review of COUNTDOWN and, wow, it's a great one! Check out the full review at Ramblings on Romance.
"I found it very hard to put down and on more than one occasion I was late back from my lunch and breaks at work...It was fast-paced, a thrill of a run and a great love story all combined into one. It was like nothing I’ve ever read before"
Cool!
So I survived being Maid of Honor in my sister's wedding. Other than the torrential rain on Saturday, it was fairly perfect. She and her new DH are off to Mexico today. For some reason, they said I couldn't join them. Hrmmphh!
Cindy and Mike gave me Coach handbag in thanks for me helping out with the graphic design bits and pieces of the wedding. I used to buy expensive accessories all the time, but that's been on hold a bit this year as I transition to life as a full-time writer.
I'm a total Coach bag ho now. I love it. I already have a small black one but I bought it on the sidewalks of NYC if ya know what I mean. And I mean that it's a knock-off. This one, however, is the real deal.
I got a little sidetracked with my writing the last couple weeks with the wedding and waiting on some writing-related news. Today I'm actually working on a new project. It's a darker-toned YA that evolved from a different proposal altogether. While I wait on various ducks to align, I will work on this.
And possibly I'll be seeing Ironman some time today. It's all good.
P.S. I'm now keeping a mirror blog at michelle-rowen.livejournal.com. I plan to eventually transition completely over to LJ. I feel like it's time for a fresh start and there are so many communities and other writers blogging on LJ that I'm just going to make like a lemming and jump.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Win me!Have you checked out Brenda Novak's charity auction yet? Lots of great stuff up for bid at http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/
Even this one that includes a outline + 25 page proposal critique which includes a signed copy of Lady & the Vamp by somebody named Michelle Rowen. Oh, that's me. What do you know.
The auctions end at the end of this month, so bid soon, bid often. It's to benefit Diabetes research, which, since I have a friend living with that disease, is a charity near and dear to my heart.
I promise to post more soon. April was a crazy month on many counts. My sister's wedding was this past Saturday. Could it have rained more? I don't think so. But it was still a fantastic wedding during which I had many drinks from the open bar. (the Crispy Crunch -- Frangelico + Kahlua -- shot was a particular favorite).
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
OOTB Spotlight on Gena ShowalterI'm really looking forward to Gena's new series. And doesn't she get the hottest covers??
THE DARKEST NIGHT
by Gena Showalter
His powers – Inhuman
His passion – Beyond immortal . . .
All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man cursed to die every night, only to awaken the next morning knowing he has to die again.
Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love . . .
Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive -- and unimaginably powerful . . . Don’t miss this incredible new paranormal series from Gena Showalter!
Read a three chapter excerpt here!
ABOUT GENA SHOWALTER
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter has been praised for her “sizzling page-turners” and “utterly spellbinding stories.” The author of more than seventeen novels and anthologies, Showalter is celebrated in a wide variety of genres for her breathtaking romances featuring dark, seductive heroes and strong, appealing heroines. Readers can’t get enough of her trademark wit and singular imagination, whether she’s writing paranormal stories about vampires, nymphs and superheroes, white-hot contemporary romance or alien huntress books. Her newest series, Lords of the Underworld, promises to be her sexiest and most addictive yet. Don’t miss this intoxicating blend of dangerous passion, demons and other supernatural forces, and immortal men who are hotter than hell!
REVIEWS
"A fascinating premise, a sexy hero and non-stop action, The Darkest Night is Showalter at her finest, and a fabulous start to an imaginative new series." Karen Marie Moning, New York Times best selling author
"One of the premier authors of paranormal romance." --New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole
You can buy your copy at: Amazon or Barnes and Noble
Website www.genashowalter.com
www.lordsoftheunderworld.net
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Miley Cyrus, pens, and guerillasI haven't been blogging too much lately. There is a ton of stuff I need to get through in my real life, including my sister's wedding this Sunday, as well as some writing stuff. I'll be back a bit more next week.
Here's a post I wrote for The Midnight Hour yesterday but I forgot to post, so I'm posting it here instead...
When I went to RT, one of the most educational things to see, in my opinion, is what is known as Promo Alley. Tables and tables of promo material from all the authors in attendence for anyone to walk by and pick up as many as they liked.
Some things that were there:
Pens
Notepads/Sticky notes
T-Shirts
Cover flats
Postcards
Bookmarks
Candies
Emery boards
Excerpt booklets
Stress balls
And much more. The first time I went to a convention, I picked up bags of this stuff. When I got home, I threw most of it away. Except the pens. I must have about five hundred pens around my condo right now.
The question is... did I buy any books based on the promo material?
Not that I can think of. Although, the T-shirt is pretty cool. I feel like I owe Lisa Jackson a sale based on such a cool giveaway.
This year I had cover flats and postcards. The cover flats I got for free, the postcards I paid about $90 for 500 of them. I'm running low on pens. It costs about 50¢ per pen if I wanted to get some more. Is it worth it? When the average royalty rate on a paperback novel is 50¢, are pens that good of an investment? I've never bought a book based on a pen. It's not advertising, I consider it, however, a nice perk and giveaway and will probably get a bunch more in the future.
So what works for promo?
To me, it's a couple of things. Word of mouth and guerilla marketing.
Let's use Miley Cyrus as an non-writing example of these two things.
A confession: I do not watch Hannah Montana. Nor do I have any interest in starting. I do not look up to a 15 year old superstar. I have avoided anything to do with her since my interest in her and her fandom is nil.
But.
Her freaking song "See You Again" is currently stuck in my head. I just downloaded it so I can listen to it whenever I want and possibly "use" it on the pseudo soundtrack for my next book.
She's everywhere. I couldn't avoid her. I couldn't avoid her song. Enough exposure has made her unavoidable in my life.
That's guerilla marketing. Then again, Miley has the entire Disney army backing her.
Bottom line, people won't buy your book if they have never heard of you. The only way they'll hear about you is if you get your name and your product out there.
Face-to-face promo is difficult for me because I'm not naturally prone to the schmooze (despite giving a workshop on that subject earlier this year). Which is a roundabout way of saying that I'm mortifyingly shy (depending on how much alcohol I've consumed, of course). Conventions are difficult because every now and then I find that I've suddenly transported back into my room and away from the maddening crowd.
My best option is internet guerilla marketing. I have this blog, a couple group blogs; I put up several chapters of each release for potential readers to sample; I am a member of a blog-circuit (Out of the Blogosphere). I do what I can. I could do more.
Word of mouth marketing will take you places, but it's not controllable or predictable. I have bought books based on somebody raving (in a seemingly genuine way) about the book on their blog.
Oddly enough, the number one way I will typically buy a new author I've never tried before? Reading a bad review. I am more likely to buy a book after a bad review than a good one. The bad reviews are so much more intriguing and sometimes what the reviewer despised is exactly what I'm looking for in my next read.
I'm curious what prompts you to buy a book by an author you've never read before. Promo materials? Good buzz? And does anyone else have that pesky Mylie Cyrus song in their heads right now?
Monday, April 28, 2008
WinnersThank you to everyone who entered! The winners for a signed ARC of Countdown are:
Kristin
Jessica V.
thebookgirl
If you could all send me an email to michelle@michellerowen.com with your mailing addresses, I'll get these out to you asap!
Thanks again!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
ARCs Ahoy! Win!!Before I left for Pittsburgh, I received a very welcome package of COUNTDOWN ARCs (Advance Reading Copies). I gave a couple away while at the convention, but I'm going to give three away this week here on zee blog....
I'm so pleased to have received a ton of enthusiasm about this book. Everyone seems to be very excited about the SHOMI line and I'm just grateful to be a part of the fun. (and danger.... and, well, evil robots... etc.)
So... a reminder of what COUNTDOWN is all about:
THREE
Kira Jordan wakes up in a pitch-black room, handcuffed to a metal wall. She has 60 seconds to figure out how to escape. Thus begins a vicious game where to lose is to die.
TWO
The stranger she’s been partnered with—her only ally in this nightmare—is a convicted murderer. But if he’s so violent, why does he protect her? And worse yet, what is it behind those haunted sea-green eyes that makes her want to protect him?
ONE
No one to trust. Nowhere to run. And the only hope of survival is working together to beat the COUNTDOWN.
I'm probably not going to be posting much this week (busy busy!!), so this post will stay at the top of my blog. I'll pick a winner on Sunday, April 27th at 12:00 a.m. EST.
Just leave a comment to this post and let me know what you're "counting down" to this year. A vacation, a move, a movie, a book? What are you looking forward to the most? I'll draw three winners from whoever enters for a signed copy of COUNTDOWN written by my alter ego, Michelle Maddox.
Have a great week!
