Enter The Dragon...

Image courtesy of AKARAKINGDOMS
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

...but not that sort of dragon.

No, this one will hopefully help me to get my words down and also increase my productivity.

It's no secret that I sometimes have trouble with my hands and wrists. After a particularly bad week last week, with me somehow spraining my wrist (goodness knows how!), I went ahead and bought Dragon NaturallySpeaking dictation software. Straight out of the box, I have to say that I'm impressed, especially since I'm actually dictating this blog post today.

How cool is that?

Come Monday, I'll be cracking on with Facing the Music #3, but I will be using my voice instead of my fingers to type. I don't doubt that dictating my novels will take some getting used to, but so far so good. I've already figured out how to use DragonNS with Scrivener and can see it improving my word count considerably. I suspect dictating the words will also help me to curb the temptation to edit every sentence as I go, too, so I'll hopefully get my first drafts down faster... and with two overdue deadlines, that could certainly come in handy!

If anybody is interested, I'll do an update post at the end of next week once I've used the dictation software a bit more and got to grips with it better.

Wish me luck!

Well, Hello 2015!

...and a Happy New Year to you all!!!

Wow!

Another year has flown by in the blink of an eye but I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year with those near and dear to you.

After two months of having either my husband at home or my children off school with illness, today is the first day that I have been home alone and able to get down to some work. So, to kick off my blog for 2015, it's time to look back over the past twelve months and come up with some goals for the next twelve months.

The Year in Review...

2014 was, to put it bluntly, a bit of a nightmare and I am very glad that it's over.

My husband was made redundant at the beginning of the year and then found himself starting yet another new job at the end of the year, which we hadn't planned on, so there was a lot of stress and upheaval in the Rowl household as I'm sure you can imagine. Thankfully everything seems to have worked out for the best but I hope he gets to finish this year with the same employer. My birthday was also a bit of a strange one and we have been plagued by various viruses over November and December, but - touch wood - we are all better now.

Writing proved a massive struggle last year, with my mind elsewhere rendering me unable to focus on projects as well as I would have liked. Amidst all the chaos and uncertainty of those early months, I had to force myself to sit down and write A Girl Called Malice and it took absolutely everything out of me, both mentally and physically as I fought to get Alice's story down on paper. I succeeded in getting Alice's story out within a year of Popping the Cherry, which was my biggest target, alas what turned out to be my biggest triumph of 2014 (and my writing career to date) also turned out to be the most disheartening experience.

For whatever reason, readers aren't picking up my pride and joy. Despite the amazing reviews when readers do give Alice a chance, sales are still in the lower end of double figures (as far as I can tell). I would be lying if I stated that it didn't bother me. My already shaken confidence and wavering self-esteem took a beating which, combined with everything else going on around me, took its toll and I guess I hit burnout or something like that. Needing time to regroup, I abandoned my NaNoWriMo project and decided on a complete break once the revisions for the re-released Christmas is Cancelled had been completed.

I spent the last two months of 2014 doing the bare minimum, instead enjoying time with my husband and children and relaxing (read: recovering from yet another lurgy the kids brought home from school) over Christmas and New Year. I'm pleased to say that the break has done me the world of good and I am finally getting ideas once more, where prior to the break I had nothing. My self-imposed break also gave me plenty of time to reflect on just how much I have achieved in a relatively short space of time so I ended the year on a positive note.

Now with all of that out in the open, it's time for me to continue my annual tradition of setting new year's resolutions for the year ahead but first, let's check back to see what my resolutions for 2014 were and see how I did...

1) Read 26 books

Despite my fears that I wouldn't be able to get much reading done, I am delighted to say that I smashed my small target of a book a fortnight and ended the year having read 60 books. Woohoo!!

2) Get another 'Allie' book published

I managed to achieve this by default with the publication of my short story, For One Night Only, being released as a standalone 'Flirt' in addition to the anthology that was released in 2013. Considering the year I had, I am still chalking this one up as a win even though it wasn't new material.

3) Volunteer at a charity event

2014 saw me hang up my fundraising boots in favour of volunteering yet I successfully completed both in the end. First off, I took part in a 'bag packing' event at a local supermarket in aid of Mummy's Star, which will continue to be my chosen charity for 2015. Secondly, my husband and I accompanied our children as they walked 10K around Tatton Park to raise funds for Marie Curie, smashing their fundraising target so I am very proud of them indeed!

The Year Ahead...

The good news is that I enter 2015 in a much better state of mind than 2014 ended and I am raring to go.

My childrens' birthdays both fall within the next seven days, with my daughter turning 6 and my son turning 8, so my big push to get the new writing year started will have to wait until next week - as ever - but I shall be getting on with research and planning in the meantime. Speaking of birthdays, this year is a biggie for me...yup, this is the year that I turn 40 and I am determined to celebrate it somehow!!!

Anyway, enough waffling, it's time to come up with my resolutions for 2015...

1) Read 50 books

Buoyed by the success of last year, I've raised my game for 2015 and pledged to read 50 books which you can keep up with here:

2015 Reading Challenge

Aurelia has
read 2 books toward her goal of 50 books.

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2 of 50 (4%)

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2) Get at least two books written and released

With two books still under contract for Facing the Music #3 and #4, I am not short of work to be getting on with, especially since the deadlines for both have already passed. [Oops] They are both full-length novels though, so I doubt I will get both of them released this year but they surely can't be as difficult to write as A Girl Called Malice (she says!). 

Now I know that I should make both Facing the Music stories a priority since they are already contracted, however I really don't want to make my readers wait any longer than they have to for the sequel to Christmas is Cancelled, Phil's story, so that is my other main target for 2015 in addition to Facing the Music #3.

Ideally, I'll get a new 'Allie' book finished too, but one thing I've learned from the past 12 months is that sometimes things happen beyond my control and not to beat myself up.

3) Get disciplined

I know that I usually have a charity/community theme for my third resolution and I will continue to volunteer for charity events that come up but I feel this resolution needs to take precedence. It is no secret that I am an internet junkie and I will often lose entire mornings or afternoons on social media with nothing to show for it. This year, I need to get tough and be more disciplined. While the kids are at school, I need to limit my 'social' time to short coffee breaks and lunchtime, then use the rest of my alone time to write or research so don't be alarmed if you see a lot less of me between the hours of 9am to 3pm, from Monday to Friday.

Can I just add that this is the quite possibly the most challenging resolution that I have ever set for myself? EEK!!

And if that lot isn't enough...

Way back in September 2012, I set myself a goal of having 'x' amount of books published by the time I turn 40. The 'x' ranged from five to ten so eventually plumped for the middle ground of seven. The good news is that *technically* I have already had six books published, however that includes a re-release so should perhaps only be considered as five which leaves me with just nine months to get two books released.

No pressure then, eh? Ha!!

Over to you, have you set any goals for 2015?

How did your 2014 go?

Related Posts

> Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014
> Summer is over so it's back to work...
> Happy New Year for 2013
> Are You A Goal Setter Too?
> New Year's Resolutions for 2012

Blog hop... 'My Writing Process'

Thank you to Zara Stoneley for nominating me to take part in the 'My Writing Process' blog tour. I now have the task of following up Zara's fabulous post from last Monday, which you can find here.

Okay, so this is where I'm supposed to tell you about my writing process...

1) What am I working on?

Right now I am working on book two in my YA/NA series, A Girl Called Malice, and it picks up the story of mean girl Alice from Popping the Cherry. There are also two more books contracted for the series so far, which means I'll be tied up with this fabulous set of characters for the rest of the year.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

To be completely honest, I have no idea.

My YA/NA series is a crossover of chick-lit and romance, with the boundaries so blurred it's not easy to label, with stories which appeal to adults and young adults alike. Or at least that's the plan. Many readers have commented that my writing is fun, fresh and witty, as well as very British so hopefully that will help me stand out from the huge international young adult/new adult crowd. I try to create believable characters dealing with every day life and try to keep the experiences realistic.

3) Why do I write what I do?

I write what I enjoy reading and I refuse to be pigeon-holed, for example, the first three stories I ever wrote as an adult all got published and all three were in different genres with vastly different word counts.

My aim is to entertain and hopefully tug on a readers heart-strings as well as make the reader sigh and smile and maybe even laugh out loud. In the case of Popping the Cherry, I also wanted to send a message out about peer pressure and that it's okay to wait.

4) How does my writing process work?

Often I'll have characters in my head, especially the cast of Popping the Cherry which was initially a standalone until several of the characters demanded their story be told. Before I can get started on the actual manuscript though, I need a title and cannot usually progress without it. After that, I open up Scrivener and start brainstorming,loosely pulling an outline together using the 'W-plot' which I have talked about before. Since my series has already been contracted, I then have to draft a fairly detailed synopsis and send it over to my editor. Once I've got the green light on my story proposal, I can get to work.

I like to visit stock image websites and select images that reflect the character or a concept so that I have a visual aid in addition to the outline. Some of these images actually make it all the way through to the book trailer or promo slides. I also find music helps with the process and have Spotify lists for each story, as well as an 'anthem' which makes it onto the book trailer.

As for the drafting a manuscript part, I have a fabulous team of BETA readers that are involved right from the start. It means I always have somebody to run a scenario past, or in the case of A Girl Called Malice, to ensure there is continuity of character and establishing empathy with the main character. Frustratingly, I cannot just write: I have to edit as I go along otherwise I get hung-up on something that I know is wrong and start wading through treacle until I finally go back and make the changes. On the upside, I generally have a very clean first draft which doesn't take much to revise and polish ready for submission.

In a nutshell, that's me and my process so I shall now pass the baton on to three more writers. Make you follow the links and tune in next week to check out their writing processes:

www.katlynduncan.com

Katlyn Duncan was born and raised in a small town in western Massachusetts. Her overactive imagination involved invisible friends, wanting to be a Disney Princess and making up her own stories. Her bibliophile mom always encouraged her love of reading and that stayed with her since. Even though she works full time in the medical field Katlyn has always made time for books, whether she is reading or writing them.

Katlyn now lives in southern Connecticut with her husband and adorable Wheaten Terrier and she is thrilled to finally share her stories with the world.

www.kierneyscott.com

Originally from California, Kierney Scott moved to Scotland to enrol in the Ph D programme in Educational Research at the University of Edinburgh.

Four days after she arrived, she met her husband, who persuaded her it would be more fun to get married than write a thesis. After the birth of her daughter she decided it was time to go back to school, but soon discovered all she wanted to write was romance novels. She admitted her literary proclivities to her husband, who promptly bought her a laptop and told her to start writing her book. 

When she is not writing, you will probably find her at a spinning class or baking (read eating) cupcakes.  Her butter cream icing is legendary, if only in her mind. If you want her recipe, or just want to chat, you can contact her at KierneyScott@gmail.com or follow her on twitter @Kierney_S

www.almichael.com

A.L. Michael is a novelist and creative therapeutic workshop facilitator. She has a BA in Creative Writing with English Literature, an MA in Creative Entrepreneurship, and is studying for an MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes. Her first novel, a coming of age story called Wine Dark, Sea Blue, was published by Stairwell Books in May 2013. Her next two novels will be published by Carina UK, starting with snarky comedy The Last Word in April 2014. 

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014...

Impossible!

How can 2013 be over already?! o_O

I hope you have all enjoyed a very happy Christmas and wish you peace and happiness for the coming year.

Thank you all so much for taking to time to read my blog and following my journey. I feel like I have come a long way in the two and a bit years I've been writing and cannot believe I have already celebrated my first anniversary of becoming a published author.

Time really is flying by though and I intend to embrace it, saving my weekends and school holidays for family time, then knuckling down during school hours to get my work done rather than fritter it away online.

The Year in Review...

2013 saw the launch of Allie A. Burrow and the publication of my Young Adult/New Adult series but it has been a steep learning curve as I had to battle with writing to demand, rather than writing the story that is shouting the loudest. I really need to get disciplined and not be so distracted by the internet though; social networking and promotion is a major timesuck and before I know it, a whole morning has passed. Oops.

Way back at the start of the year, I set my usual challenge so what were my resolutions for 2013 and how did I do?

1) Read 50 books

I am absolutely thrilled to have achieved this and actually had a month or so to spare. Writing commitments meant I had to squeeze in reading time in clusters, going long spells without picking up a book and then having a major binge, but hey, I did it. I reached my goal without having to count 2-in-1's and 3-in-1's as separate books ;-)

2) Self-publish my first novel

Alas, I didn't achieve my goal of self-publishing but only because I landed a book deal with a major publisher so I'm not in the slightest bit disappointed. I'm still waiting on some legislation to go through Parliament that directly affects the Peer Pressure series I am writing anyway. I had also hoped to finish Their Last Goodbye but this is still stuck in the pending pile due to getting on with my Popping the Cherry series.

3) Take part in another sponsored event

I smashed this one by taking part in not one, but two sponsored events. First was my inclusion in the On Yer Bike event for Brain Tumour Research and then came the biggie with my skydive to raise funds for Rainbow Trust. I was also a volunteer for one of the Race 4 Life events, rather than a participant, which was incredibly rewarding.

The Year Ahead...

I am coming into 2014 with another book deal under my belt and a lot of plans. Not only am I contracted for Popping the Cherry books two, three, and four, 2014 also sees Christmas is Cancelled switching publishers and being relaunched in time for Christmas. I'd also really like to get the sequel written rather than making readers wait until 2015!

With all of this in mind, it is time to come up with my resolutions for the year ahead, sticking with my usual personal, professional and community themes, so here goes...

1) Read 26 books

I've had to really cut back on my reading challenge for 2014 as there is just too much writing to do and deadlines to be met. If I can average a book a fortnight though, I will end the year happy.

2) Get another 'Allie' book published

Although Allie isn't my main writing persona, I would like to at least keep it ticking over by releasing a minimum of one book a year. Looking ahead at my writing schedule, I'm not sure where I will fit it in but I will give it a darned good go.

3) Volunteer at a charity event

You'll be relieved to know I am hanging up my fundraising boots for a year to give everyone a break from my 'please sponsor me' posts. I have already chosen my charity for 2014 though, Mummy's Star, will assist them in any way that I am able. I would like to volunteer at another charity event during 2014 and if that is on behalf of Mummy's Star then all the better.

So there we have it!

Over to you, have you set any goals for 2014?

How did your 2013 go?

Related Posts

> Happy New Year for 2013
> I'm Throwing Myself Out of a Plane
> On Yer Bike, Aurelia
> New Contract Signed!
> Signed, sealed, but not quite delivered
> What is 'The Call'?
> Time for an update...
> New deal and changes afoot

New deal and changes afoot...

Hey everybody,

I have been teasing you for days on the social networks with my 'Big News' but I have since put pen to paper and am delighted to reveal all.

Yes, it's champers time again because...

I have a new book deal!!

This weekend I have signed with Carina (Harlequin UK) for a further three book deal which means books three and four in my Popping the Cherry series are now under contract. Yay! I already have a rough plot sorted for book three and it is certainly going to be a challenge, and my first 'coming out' story if it all goes to plan for Nathan's story. Book four is less defined but I do have an idea forming, and this would then be Chloe's story, unless somebody gets their hooks in me between now and the end of book three.

SQUEEEEE!

All being well, book two will be out late Spring and then book three will be around late Autumn, with book four coming out early 2015.

Now unless you're terrible at maths, you will have already worked out that there is a book missing. Popping the Cherry books three and four only makes two and this is where the major changes come in... after much deliberation, I have terminated my book deal with Breathless Press in order to further my writing career with Carina.

So what does that mean?

First of all, it means that Christmas is Cancelled will be withdrawn from sale this summer and the entire series is no longer under contract. Scary stuff for a rookie writer. Fear not though, it is not the end of the road for my debut book - have you guessed yet? - Christmas is Cancelled is the third book in my latest Carina deal. The new and improved British (yay!) version will be back on sale for Christmas 2014. Sadly, that means you will have to wait a while longer for Phil's story - sorry - but I am hopeful that Carina will sign it under option on my next work of fiction.

And since I don't actually drink champagne...

Cheers!

PS. If you want to hear all the news first, you might want to come and join my other 'Anoraks' over on Goodreads :-)

Aurelia's "Anoraks"'s

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Aurelia's "Anoraks" is a reader group for stories by Aurelia B. Rowl; to talk about her books, ge...

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Christmas is Cancelled

by Aurelia B. Rowl

Start date: December 21, 2012

Popping the Cherry

by Aurelia B. Rowl

Start date: September 19, 2013

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The Popping the Cherry tour bus is visiting... Samantha Darling

Calling fellow writers, do you specialise in one genre or do you like to mix it up? 

Phew, here we are into the second week since Popping the Cherry was released, and I am relieved not to have quite so much dashing around to do now that I am down to one tour stop per day.

So, today I am visiting Samantha Darling to talk about writing different genres, and discussing whether genre jumping is a good thing, or whether it could potentially be damaging. Come and join the discussion here: http://samathaveerasamy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/aurelia-b-rowl-talks-genre-jumping-and.html

As part of my blog tour, you can enter the giveaway (both giveaways if you're in the UK) via the Blog Tour page on my website.

Out Now...

Carina

Amazon UK ¦ Amazon 

iTunes 

Google 

Sainsburys 

Nook 

Kobo

The Popping the Cherry tour bus is now at... Revisions & Editions

Crank the engine, it's time to get this tour bus on the road!

For the first stop on this global tour, I am visiting the lovely Nas Dean over at Revisions & Editions to talk about how I got started in writing, and to share my guide to plotting.

Read the article at: http://revisionseditions.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/aurelia-b-rowls-guide-on-plotting-and.html

Time for an update...

I must offer my apologies as I have been somewhat quiet of late when it comes to talking about myself and my projects, so, here's the long overdue update...

Earlier this month I finally managed to do my charity tandem skydive, after an earlier aborted attempted a few days previous thanks to the typical British summer. Once I've got the official pictures along with all of the sponsorship money, I will do a separate post as it was absolutely awesome and deserves a whole blog about it.

The school summer holidays are in full swing so my writing time is virtually non-existent, and my poor purse is crying over the purchase of new school uniforms now that Little Miss is all set to join Widget at 'big school' *sniff*.

Unless you've been hiding a rock, you'll have seen my posts about Popping the Cherry, which is due to be released in less than five weeks and is already available for pre-order - exciting times indeed!! I am now hard at work organising the blog tours - yes, plural - to coincide with its release on September 19th. Hint: there will be all sorts of giveaways ;-)

I was hoping to have Christmas is Cancelled... Again written and ready for release this November, but unfortunately, I am not SuperWoman after all, and have had to make the difficult decision to defer the sequel to Christmas is Cancelled until next year instead. On the upside, it will be very interesting to see how the season affects sales for book #1, especially as it came out so close to Christmas last year, and I am pleased it is getting a full season all to itself.

Up next is the follow-up story to Popping the Cherry and I have deadlines looming, so I am rather glad that I will have both children at school full-time very soon. A Girl Called Malice features many of the same characters, but my hope is that it can be read as a standalone, although reading them in order is recommended. Assuming I can meet my deadlines and produce a decent first draft, I would envisage it to be out sometime around Spring, but don't hold me to it. I also have at least one more story planned with this set of characters, which I will get onto after Christmas.

On a final note, I will need to switch to 'Allie' for a while over Winter in order to get a story completed which is already well underway but got pushed aside when the publishing contracts came in. Ideally, I'll get that one finished and sent out to my publisher for consideration by Spring.

I would talk about craft topics, or about my inspiration, but many of the topics I'd like to share with you will actually be coming up during my blog tour, so keep your eyes peeled. And on that note, that's me in a nutshell.

Thanks for sticking with me :-)

IWSG: Excuses Excuses...

Here we go again on the first Wednesday of the month, which means...

What is it, and how do I join?

So what to talk about this month?

How about something I think most writers struggle with at some point?

Procrastination! 

I can come up with excuse after excuse about why I haven't written much this year yet, no really, see for yourself...

There was the BETA reading of a novel; the critiquing of manuscripts for friends; final edits on my alter-ego's anthology piece; kids birthdays; school closures thanks to snow; still adjusting to a new routine thanks to my daughter's revised nursery schedule; catching up on my 'essential' reading; quality family time at weekends; and let's not forget, not wanting to waste quality time with my daughter in the afternoons seeing as she starts school in September; maybe even burnout after the Christmas chaos, etc.

Okay, but so what?

Huh?

That accounts for a lot of the time, fair cop, but what about the rest? You know, the evenings once the kids were in bed, the ten minutes or more I snatched here and there when the kids were engrossed in something. What was I doing then? It's not like I watch television and there's only been the occasional early night.

So what was I doing?

Err...if I wasn't reading a book, I was probably surfing the Internet; reading blogs, or most likely, hanging out on Facebook. Okay, I see my point, I lack discipline. (And yes, I do give myself lectures LOL) But I never intended to write 'seriously' until September anyway, that's when I can treat it like a job and go to work every day.

Yes, I know, yet another excuse.

It's not like much has changed compared to last year when I managed to get two pieces written and contracted. I've got ideas galore but they're not going to write themselves. There are still several months until September, do I really want to leave it that long until I make another submission? Have a gap of at least a year before my next book is published?

The sad things is, I know all the things I *should* be doing - I've read lots of blogs on it, d'oh! - but my problem is putting it into practice and making a habit of it.

So what can I do to help myself?

The internet is definitely my downfall, particularly in those two hours a day I get child-free. I really ought to be using that time to write, so if I cannot bring myself to hit the wi-fi 'off' button on my laptop, and it's not possible to use my office yet, what about taking myself out instead? What is to stop me from packing my laptop in the car when I dash out on the school run, then heading to one of the local libraries to write until it's time to do the Nursery run?

It's going to take a while to learn new habits, and I know drastic action would work short-term but would then begin to slip, so I'm going to concentrate on just one thing at a time. If I can get that two-hour window sorted, so that I'm writing every weekday term-time, I should be able to produce a decent amount of work. Maybe then I can tackle my social network addition...

What tips and tricks to you employ to make sure you write regularly?

IWSG: What a Difference A Year Makes

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for...

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Seeing as it's also the start of a new year, I thought it would be good to look back over the past year.

If you'd have told me twelve months ago, that I would be published by Christmas and have a second contract under my belt by this time, I'd have probably laughed. Quite possibly, hysterical laughter, bordering on maniacal. Not because I didn't believe in my writing, but because it has all happened so fast, without the mass rejections I'd prepared myself for beforehand.

This was my goal as we entered 2012:

"I have two manuscripts on the go at the moment, 'The Masquerade Must Die' and 'Love in the Aisles', and I intend to finish the first draft of at least one of them during 2012.

Ideally, I will also revise and edit one of them and get my first query letter sent out but I don't want to go as far as making that a resolution - I would much rather wait until I had a worthy manuscript than rush it off because of a self-imposed deadline. Maybe I'll have it ready in time for next year's Mills and Boon New Voices competition and can go down that route instead, maybe not. I'll just have to wait and see how it goes."

So how did I do?

Well, The Masquerade Must Die is now called Pussy Kat, Pussy Kat (Where Have You Been?) and it will be book two in my self-published Peer Pressure series. Although this story is fully outlined, I suspect it will be 2014 before I can really get stuck into this one. What of Love in the Aisles then? Sadly, that too is languishing 'in the pipeline', having been shoved aside by one project after another. I will get to it, but it isn't one of my priority projects.

Instead, I started Their Last Goodbye and got 35,000 words into it. I even sent off a chapter and synopsis for the Mills & Boon Romance Fast Track, but wasn't at all surprised when it was rejected. Until I heard back from M&B, it was stuck in limbo as I couldn't really proceed in case I completely needed to change the heat level to suit them.

Then came the submission call-out for Christmas themed stories and it got rudely shoved to one side. It was almost like a switch flicking on, and I suddenly got it... writing, I mean. Overnight, my writing improved dramatically. Christmas is Cancelled became the first manuscript I ever typed 'the end' on, achieving my goal for the year. It was, of course, snatched up by Breathless Press (not to mention the contract I turned down from another epublisher) and meant I finished the year as a published author.

After that, I got the idea for my Peer Pressure series, but rather than go into that again, you can read all about it here. Now, it's back to Their Last Goodbye as the characters are getting upset at being ignored, and a dog barking inside your gets a little bit irritating. The story has already been back on the cutting room floor once, with the first couple of chapters getting a complete overhaul, and reading much better now as a result.

Later this year, my youngest starts school full-time so I will be able to make the switch from hobby to career, and I have to be honest, I can't wait. I even have my office ready and waiting so I can physically 'go' to work. In the meantime, I have to remember to make the most of her whilst she is at home as I will miss her enormously when she's at school all day. For now then, my writing time is limited to the two hours she is at nursery school and evenings, with the occasional weekend.

After the reaction, reviews and response I've had to Christmas is Cancelled, I am really starting to believe in myself - albeit in a paranoid, what if I can't match it, kind of way - but I know I am writing some good stuff right now and look forward to sharing it with the world.

Bring on the next twelve months!

Happy New Year for 2013

Another year gone in the blink of an eye, so that must mean it is Resolutions time again.

Okay let's start of with the recap, so what were my Resolutions for 2012?

Um... uh-oh!!

1) Shed that extra stone

I haven't got a clue if I've achieved this or not, as I haven't weighed myself in months. I doubt it very much, but my clothes fit well and I feel good in myself, and I certainly don't think I've gained either. I did at least do the Race For Life, albeit walking a lot of it, AND I jogged the Sport Relief 3-mile fun run with my year-old son, raising hundreds of pounds for very worthy causes.

2) Read 100 books

This one was cutting it very close, and resulted in a reading marathon to hit that elusive '100' on Goodreads.

2012 Reading Challenge

Aurelia B Rowl has
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3) Complete the first draft of a full manuscript

Well, I did a lot better than that, wouldn't you agree? My first completed manuscript was released eleven days ago, and my second completed manuscript was also contracted and will be released this Spring under my other alter-ego.

Two out of three isn't bad - especially as I stomped all over that third one, which is partly why the others didn't do so well.

So what about my resolutions for 2013?

I'm sticking with the three - one personal, one professional and one other...

1) Read 50 books

After cutting it so close last year, and knowing the number of writing projects in the pipeline, I think just under one book a week should be plenty. If I read more, hooray, but I'd be happy to reach fifty anyway.

2013 Reading Challenge

Aurelia has
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2) Self-publish my first novel

This year I want to finally finish Their Last Goodbye, and get that submitted, and then I want to return to Bye Bye, Black Sheep (Peer Pressure #1) and get that self-published this year. Obviously from September, I can treat writing as my job rather than my hobby, and my productivity will hopefully improve dramatically.

3) Take part in another sponsored event

I've been caught by the bug and would like to raise funds for a worthy cause again this year. It is currently a toss-up between doing the Race For Life again, or doing the Manchester Midnight Walk. I have to say, I really fancy doing the midnight one, and then maybe volunteer to be a marshall or carry out some other role for the Race For Life.

So what about you?
What goals have you set yourself for the year ahead?

Related posts:

> New Year's Resolutions for 2012 (13 December 2011)
> Off topic: Race for Life 2012 - for Nan... (18 January 2012)

> Off topic: Sport Relief 2012 (26 March 2012)
> My Poor Neglected Blog (29 June 2012)
> Update: New Year's Resolutions 2012 (20 July 2012)

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

Doesn't the time fly?

A year ago today, I created this blog with the idea of documenting my mission to becoming a writer, following my dream of becoming a published author.

With two publishing contracts under my belt - and not forgetting I turned down a three-book publishing deal - to say I'm chuffed would be a massive understatement.

So, now seems like a good time to announce the release date for my debut story, Christmas in Cancelled...

If all goes to plan, Christmas is Cancelled it will be released on December 21st, just in time for Christmas to help you get in the festive spirit. It should be available for pre-order before then so keep your eyes peeled for my updates.

Then, in March, my debut writing as Allie A Burrow comes out. My short story, For One Night Only, will be featured in a Serviced (military-themed) anthology. Adults only though ;-)

What's next?

I have to say, I am unbelievably excited by the project I'm working on at the moment!!

I am working on not one book, not two books, not even three books, but a contemporary romance series consisting of FOUR books. A modern twist on a common historical theme, the series is based on the lives and loves of Lords and Ladies of the English peerage in the twenty-first century. The working title for the series is 'Peer Pressure' but it's not set in stone by any means.

And even more exciting, I am planning to self-publish it, putting me firmly in the driving seat. I've made enough contacts now to have access to editors and cover artists, and I'm no slouch when it comes to computers so foresee no issues with the formatting and uploading to the various portals. By self-publishing, I will also be able to offer a print option as well as digital format, and would love to see my books on the shelves of the local bookstore and beyond.

Not only is this my biggest project to date, pushing all my other projects down the pecking order, it will also be my most challenging. I need to create a group of characters who will each get their stories told, with the fourth book in the series being a male/male romance. I only hope I can do it justice because I would love to see more 'mainstream' non-erotic male/male romance stories. With the issue of civil marriages and courtesy titles for gay spouses of peers having been in the news this year already, it felt like I would be cheating my series by not exploring this as a potential storyline.

And at least I only have to please myself (and my Beta-readers) if I'm self-publishing...

I'm still in the midst of NaNoWriMo, as blogged yesterday, but with the introduction of new characters and a fourth book to foreshadow, I'm at a scratching-my-head point whilst I figure out how to handle the curveballs I've been thrown. Instead of sitting here blogging, I should be outlining and getting some writing done. Oops!

Thank you to everyone who follows this blog regularly!

The next year will also see the introduction of more guests and interviews, and hopefully more giveaways so I'd love it if you stuck around with me a while longer.

And now it's back to work...

NaNoWriMo: Week 2

As week two draws to a close, I thought you might like to see how I've been getting on. With the aid of NaNoWriMo's stats tab, I can do exactly that...

So, as you can see, I won't hit the 50K words by the end of the month on current form. Do you know what though? That's okay. Honestly...

Thanks to NaNo though, I now have over 16K words that are being lapped up by my beta-readers and getting really good feedback. That's the most productive fortnight I can recall, and the story is actually rather good even if I do say so myself. If the first draft is written by the middle of December, as projected, I'll be a very happy writer indeed.

I haven't ruled out catching up with NaNo and being a 'winner' but... assuming I don't... if I can still get Bye Bye, Black Sheep finished before the end of the year, I'd count that as winning too.

How is everybody else doing? Still going?

NaNoWriMo: Lessons Learned #1

So we're already over a week into November, and therefore over a week into NaNoWriMo - you know, write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days - and already, I'm learning more about my writing style.

I already knew I was combination of plotter and pantser (as in, writing by the seat of my pants) but now I also know that....

I HAVE TO EDIT AS I GO!!!!

Er... yeah. Whoops. Sorry for shouting.

For the first few days, I tried to ignore my inner editor - I really did - but it nigh on killed me.

Akin to chewing off my own arm (even though that would be cannibalistic, and not only that, I've also been vegetarian for over twenty years), the prospect of having to come back to it filled me with dread. I couldn't move on until I'd got the words right, until the sentences flowed the way I wanted them to.

My muse abandoned me, throwing a tantrum until I agreed to let my editor play. It transpires they are a tag team, they need each other, and who am I to argue? I'm just the medium that types the words into the laptop.

Signing up to NaNo was always a last minute decision, almost a whim, a tool to get me back into my writing. Whilst I am still striving to reach the 50,000 word target, I'm not going to be too disappointed if I don't get there. I'd much rather have 30,000 quality words, than 50,000 words of drivel that needs completely re-writing come December.

December for me is all about promoting and celebrating my new release, and of course, getting ready for Christmas. Woo hoo!

Speaking of my new release, get ready for the announcement of my release date... coming soon!

If you are also taking part in NaNo, how is it going for you?

NaNoWriMo: Let the Madness Commence

National Novel Writing Month - or NaNoWriMo as it is commonly referred to - started today, the aim to write an entire 50,000 word novel over the course of November. Yes, that's right. 50,000 words in just ONE month.

AureliaBRowl

For weeks, I have been rejecting suggestions about joining up for NaNoWriMo. I had an entire armoury of excuses and reasons about why I shouldn't do it. And it was fine, I wasn't pushed. Nobody tried to coerce me. But then the big day arrived and one of the stories in my head has been getting louder and more disruptive these past few day and my finger "slipped" and...

WHOOPS!

If my blog and social network pages go quiet, at least you'll know why.

So who else is in it this year?

The Road to Publishing: Cover Art

Did you see the big reveal earlier?

I was so excited when my cover art landed in my inbox. It is fabulous with a huge, great capital F.

So, just in case you missed it on my News page, here you go...

Out December 2012

Do you like it?

The Road to Publishing: Edits

Sunday morning saw the arrival of my first round of edits.

You can probably imagine my trepidation at opening the MS Word document, waiting as it loaded and filled my screen.

Yikes... track changes... lots of them. As well as a lot of yellow highlights. And then there were the editor's comments. Gulp!

First things first, I read it all through from start to finish - the track changes and comments, not the manuscript - to see where I had 'gone wrong' and to try and figure out just how much I had to do.

Which was when I got a rather pleasant surprise - being called 'a delight' by my editor should have given me a clue but hey, it's my first time and I wasn't sure what to expect. Upon closer inspection, I realised it was all minor things, like curly apostrophes instead of straight ones (which I really need to find the checkbox for). Aside from a few 'awkward' or 'run on' sentences, my biggest problem was repetition; you don't want to know how many sentences started with either 'he' or 'she', or how many times I used 'but'.

The content itself? No problems it would seem... WOW... can you imagine my happy dance yet?

So, the first thing I did was accept the track changes for all the niggly, silly things. Great... job done. No issues there. Then it was back to the beginning to work through the modifications required... not quite as straightforward, trying to find different ways to open a sentence without using he or she all the time. I did it though, fixing my awkward or run on (overly complex, long-winded) sentences as I went through.

A last read through and it was all done so I sent it back to my editor, but then my round two edits appeared in my inbox too. There were only a few track changes though, taking no time at all and I sent them back straight away. Sometimes there can be third or fourth round edits but apparently my writing is 'very tight' and I'm done.

Now it's been passed over for 'line edits', whatever they are, and that should be the final tweak for my book. After that, I'll need to nail down the blurb and my author bio etc, and hopefully get a release date. All I need now is my cover art and I happen to know it is with the cover artist and should be done this month.

It's coming together very nicely indeed, even if I do say so myself.

Time out... and Dilution?

Almost a week since my last post and there's not really very much to update you with.

Obviously it was my birthday last week so I took a few days off (and reminded my husband what I look like again LOL) and caught up on some reading. We seem to have formed a tradition where we all go to Chester Zoo to celebrate my birthday and this year was no exception so off we trundled off, membership cards in hand. We enjoyed glorious weather for the entire day, hooray, and to think Little Miss was not even nine-months old when we first went.

There's no word on my publishing journey to report, although I can expect my first round of 'proper' edits any time now. I get the feeling it will be a fairly quick turnaround so if I disappear off the face of the earth for a few days, that's why. There's also been a delay with the anthology I submitted a story for as Allie A Burrow, so no news there either.

As for the reading... I raced through The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins last week and WOW! If you don't follow me on Facebook, you'll have missed my initial reaction. If you've not read these books, I can happily recommend them, I've even suggested hubby reads it seeing as it is now being used in classrooms.

The past couple of days, I've been laid up in bed after my darling children shared their tummy bug with me. First to go down was Widget, then a couple of days later Little Miss went down (spectacularly short, one episode and she was done) and then by bedtime the following day... my turn. I have a notoriously weak stomach, it's partly why I've been vegetarian for over twenty years, so anything like that hits me hard. Sigh. But I'm on the mend again at last.

So what of my writing?

It's all go still, although I'm trying not to get too caught up in any big projects knowing that my edits are due. I've seen a special submission call for novelettes/novellas which has aroused my interest and with a word count of 5-18K words, it should be fairly quick and straightforward. As usual, I've got more projects on than I can manage, so it's a case of trying to prioritise. I also read this blog post today from a respected publishing professional, which has made me want to put the brakes on somewhat.

Fellow writers and readers alike, what do you make of the Diluting your Author Brand article? Perfect sense or balderdash? Is having too many books out at once damaging your writing career and turning off your audience, or is it your best form of marketing? I'd love to hear your thoughts...

And my final thought... good luck to everyone who entered this year's So You Think You Can Write contest *fingers crossed*!!

Writing Outside the Comfort Zone

This past week or so, I've been busy getting my pre-edits done and sent back for Christmas is Cancelled but I've also been working on a project that pushes me well outside my comfort zone...

I've been writing an erotic romance. Shock horror!

Believe me, nobody is more surprised than me to be writing in this genre but I saw the following submission call:

Serviced Anthology: Our Serviced anthology is an ongoing submission call. Stories must be under 10k, have a heat rating of at least 3, and be original stories. There is no other theme besides having something to do with the army, military, navy, or air force as well as being romantic/erotic in nature. We will be doing two a year, one with a focus on m/m stories, the other on m/f stories. The anthology will consist of 10 stories each with M/F published Mar 8th, 2013.

At first, I thought nothing of it, but then my own editor at Breathless posted on Facebook to say they were short on submissions and it got me thinking... wondering... could I actually step outside my comfort zone and write a suitable story? Once the challenge was set in my mind, almost like a dare, I knew I had to give it a go.

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have been one of the many voters helping me choose an alternate pen name - so that I can keep the 'erotic' side away from the 'contemporary romance and young adult' side adding an extra division so that I don't have to make my 'Aurelia' Facebook page and blog settings 'over 18' considering I will also be writing young adult at some point.

So, earlier this week a new writer was created called Allie A Burrow, see Introducing Allie..., she even has her own website, complete with blog, and Facebook page:

Allie A Burrow

So what of the story?

I hit send today! If you want to find out what happens, you'll have to keep an eye on Allie's Facebook page and blog for any updates...