I can be quite a ditherer. For example, I had a number
of possible titles for today’s post: The Decision: Dumb or Discriminating? I Did
It My Way. My Momentous Decision - though it’s momentous to no-one but me. In
the end I plumped for one I thought described the situation the best.
Sometimes, when a decision has to be taken, we’re torn
between head and heart. The head, the sensible part of our brain, figures out
the pros and cons, laying them out in front of us in neat columns. Logic
dictates we assess the situation, weigh up which option is lacking and which
one has the clear advantage. This is the practical, sane approach.
If you listen to your heart, you may disregard the
apparent benefits because you hear a voice whispering in your mind that says
this isn’t for you; or because the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and
the voice isn’t speaking softly, it’s screaming in your ear.
Ideally our intellect and emotions should be in
agreement when making serious decisions, but when they’re not, how do you
decide? I’ve often found that my first gut reaction is the right one. It’s only
later, when time has revealed the decision I made after listening to common
sense was the wrong one, that I remember my initial response.
The point I’m coming to in this round about manner is
I’ve decided not to accept the publishing deal for two novels with Carina, the new digital publishing
initiative from Harlequin. Carina is
a digital first imprint – if your book does well, there’s the opportunity to
have it published as a paperback. I’m very grateful to Carina, and to the editor with whom I dealt.
In one sense, I could almost say, they're responsible for
my decision because their offer showed me that somebody in the book selling
business thought my work had potential, which galvanized me into action. But
instead, of signing a contract, I’ve chosen to go the indie route and
self-publish my novel.
The decision to reject an offer from an established
publishing company with a vast ready-made market, editors, graphic artists,
etc., wasn’t easy, and I’ve taken plenty of time. The positives of signing a
contract appear, on paper, to outweigh the negatives. But I’ve gone with my
intuition, and done what I believe is right for me.
One of the reasons for my decision is because I’m a
Jill of all trades when it comes to genre, and Carina, like its parent,
Harlequin, focuses on Romance. I am discovering a theme that runs through much
of my writing, but want the freedom of choice. Which I’ll admit might well be
the freedom to fail. Only time will tell.
Promo alert for One Summer in Montmartre coming
up!
Blurb:
A two stranded novel of love, loss and obsession:
Anna's marriage is unravelling, and she's lost in
grief over the death of her son. When an artist’s love letter is found in the
back of her favourite painting, she goes to Paris to research the affair. In
Montmartre Anna is thrown together with Francois, whose help becomes
invaluable, and she finds herself struggling to overcome her growing attraction
to him.
Luc Marteille is a volatile artist attracted to the new Impressionist movement. Known as a devoted family man, he becomes obsessed with a young model, Hélène. Despite being engaged, Hélène is flattered by Luc's attentions, and develops feelings for him that could jeopardize her future.
Luc Marteille is a volatile artist attracted to the new Impressionist movement. Known as a devoted family man, he becomes obsessed with a young model, Hélène. Despite being engaged, Hélène is flattered by Luc's attentions, and develops feelings for him that could jeopardize her future.
Connected by an artist's painting, though separated by
time, conflicts between duty and desire weave a common thread throughout these
two tales.
ONE SUMMER IN
MONTMARTRE, classified as commercial
women’s fiction, is available on Amazon as an ebook at:
So as I sit here writing this post, I think I know
exactly what skydiving feels like without even leaving my chair. Free fall is
exhilarating, exciting, terrifying and I’m praying, begging and hoping for a
soft landing. Writing and publishing this story has been both hard and
fulfilling. My writing journey isn’t over, but I’ve crossed a line into new
territory, and looking forward to the next challenge.
Writing
Update
This novel is the reason I started blogging, because
self-publishing was always a serious option for me, and it goes without saying,
I’d love it if you could check out my novel. I’ll try to follow the guidelines,
and not constantly tweet and post self-promotional ads about the book, but as a
writerpreneur, some advertising is part of the course, because if you throw a
stone into the ocean, it sinks unless you offer support.
I’ll continue working on the outline for the second
book in my paranormal trilogy, and then return to part one of the series, hoping to publish in October - aiming for Halloween!
Today’s
Haiku
misty curtains of
rain veil the sky drear light falls -
thirsty earth drinks deep
Useful
Links:
(Please put the repetition of the link down to
enthusiasm.)
Join me on Twitter at:
teagankearney@modhaiku
Thanks for visiting my blog, and please do leave a
comment.
To all story lovers out there, good reading, and to
those of you who write, good writing.