Facebook and quick updates

Well, I've finally joined the social networking age with a bang. First I've started blogging, gotten a web site and now I've started a facebook page (Kathy Ivan). So hopefully I'll start getting friends and being friended. Is friended a word, anyway? Plus I tweet (meaning I'm on twitter.)

I'm working on my current work in progress, did several more pages today. This will probably be a shorter, possibly novella length story. At least that's the plan. Let's see if I can keep it to that length. It may end up longer. Every time I say it's going to be a shorter story, then, bam, here come the words and pretty soon it's way past novella length.

Thanks for all the people who commented on the cover for Desperate Choices here on the blog or via e-mail. I truly appreciate your kind words, even though I didn't do the art work! Believe me, there's not an artistic bone in my body. My creative outlet is with words.

I'm trying very hard to banish the procrastination gene that seems to run rampant in my. Progressing a little bit every day, because time management is not my friend. I can become obsessed in doing one thing to the exclusion of everything else. But, I'm trying.

Okay, will try to post more soon.

Till next time,

Kathy

Uncooperative characters and new cover art

Time sure has been flying by recently. The writing is going slow right now. My hero in the current WIP is so not wanting to cooperate with me. He beat me over the head, wanting his story told, and now he's pretty much shut up and is digging in his heels. Apparently he doesn't like the storyline that I thought would work for him. Okay, I'm listening. Tell me another story.

Oh, I also got the final version of my cover for Desperate Choices today. It is absolutely gorgeous. I've sent the .jpg to my web mistress to be added to my site (www.kathyivan.com), and as soon as it's up, I'll post here so you can see it along with the back cover copy.

I've also attached it at the beginning of this blog. Carina's art department did an outstanding job; the mood and the tone are spot on and I'm very, very happy with the end result.

This has to be a quick drive-by blog tonight, as I want to get a few minutes of writing in. Tonight was an exercise/gym night so getting a later start than I wanted but still some writing is better than a blank pain.

Till next time,

Kathy

Bits of nonsense

Not a whole lot going on right now on the writing front with regard to Desperate Choices. It has "gone to production."

I got my new business cards in today. They look pretty cool. The front has my contact information such as my name, e-mail address, and phone number. Plus the back is done in golden yellow with the name of the book (Desperate Choices) and www.carinapress.com and my release date (September 27, 2010).

I still can't believe after so long that all my efforts are finally paying off.

I was also asked to write an article for my local RWA chapter newsletter, which should be in the September issue.

I'm also working on a new story, which is what I was doing right before coming over to write this blog entry.

I really, really, really wish I was going to RWA Nationals in Orlando this week. Almost everybody I know is going. I couldn't get the time off work (and really couldn't justify the expense--but that's another story). Of course, this was the year after my first sale and I got invites to all the major Harlequin/Carina events. . . and I can't go!!!

Next year, though, I'm so planning to go. It will be in New York, so I've started saving already, because as we all know, New York is rather expensive. I don't care; I'll find a way to make it happen.

Okay, going back to work on the story now. Till next time. . .

Kathy

OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN . . .

Well, I’ve done it again. I keep meaning to post to the blog and time just slips away and before you know it, days have passed.

I did get a sneak preview of my cover for Desperate Choices and all I can say is “AWESOME”. The artists doing the covers for Carina Press have been doing a tremendous job. I don’t think I’ve seen a cover yet from them that hasn’t been terrific.

I’ll post the cover here on the blog and on my web site as soon as I get the final version from Carina.

In the meantime, all the edits (so far) have been turned in. The back cover copy has been done. Now I need to start lining up blog interviews, and promotional opportunities for Desperate Choices. Plus when it gets closer to release time (September 27, 2010 in case I haven’t shouted it from the rooftops loud enough for everybody to know), I’ll need to start getting reviewers lined up, too. Reviews—now that’s a scary thought.

I will be doing a blog interview on Vicki Batman's blog on 08/10/2010. I'll post more details before then with the link.

On the diet front, I have been a bad girl. Way too much celebrating the last few weeks. Everybody wanted to go out to dinner or lunch to celebrate the contract on the book. So the diet pretty much went out the window. Hopefully I’m back on track again now that all the partying is done (at least for the moment), and can get back to eating healthier again.

The good thing is that I’ve been able to at least maintain my weight loss. I've fluctuated a couple of pounds up and then back down but I haven’t put the weight back on. (For those who don’t know, I had to make a major lifestyle change 2 years ago—in the last 2 years I have lost 135 pounds.) Changing the way you eat is a daily struggle to make the right choices, and get back into the mind set of knowing that it has to be done. I’m trying, though. And I’ll keep trying every day until I reach my goal. It won’t stop there, though, as I’ll have to keep at this for the rest of my life in order to maintain what I’ve accomplished. I never want to be 350 pounds again—and I won’t.

Tonight its back to work on the current work-in-progress (romantic suspense).

Until next time, happy reading and happy writing.

Kathy

EDITS CONTINUE AND BACK COVER COPY

Tonight I'm continuing to work on the line edits for Desperate Choices. I'm almost finished with these and should have them done very soon. I also got the back cover copy this afternoon from my publisher (how great does that sound--my publisher). Carina Press has been absolutely terrific to work with, and I couldn't be more pleased.

Other than one minor change, the back cover copy looks good to me. I'm going to think about it overnight and look at it with fresh eyes in the morning, but I like it and hope it will attract people to want to buy and read the book.

Once I've sent the back cover copy through and the line edits/revisions, I hope to start on my next project, a romantic suspense (of course). I'm going to talk to a former police officer this weekend regarding some research that I need for the book, so I'll be sure to make lots of notes.

Okay, till next time. Happy reading and happy writing!

Kathy

PROGRESS--SLOW BUT STEADY

Well, I got all of my revisions, rewrites, etc. back to my editor at Carina Press on the 18th. (They were due on the 19th). She really liked them and the new scene that I added.

Things seem to move really quickly with e-publishing. I've already gotten my line edits back from her, so that's what I've been working on yesterday and today (and will again tomorrow after the day job is done).

It still at times seems a bit surreal that somebody actually bought my book. I've been writing seriously for the last five years, and this validation that I'm on the right track really means a lot.

I need to go and update my website in the next couple of days, as well as continue to blog my progress on the road to publication. I haven't been very diligent about updating my website, but my web mistress, Rae Monet, does a fabulous job and created a wonderful design for my site.

I've also started scheduling guest blogs for when the book comes out (in September). I'll also be having guests blogging here in the coming months as well, so keep your eye's peeled for that, too.

That's it for tonight, gonna wrap up the writing and make a fresh start in the morning. G'night everyone.

Kathy

BIG, STUPENDOUS NEWS!!!

I know its been several months since I posted to my blog. Time just got away from me. Life has been taking some unexpected twists and turns lately on the writing front. If you read my posts back in January when I first started this blog, I had established some goals for 2010.

I did actually accomplish a few of those things. I have been doing some writing on a new manuscript. I did enter some work in a contest--where the scores I received were okay but nothing spectacular. But along the way something happened I wasn't expecting.

I SOLD MY BOOK!!!

Desperate Choices is a book that is near and dear to my heart. I wrote it a few years ago and loved the story. I shopped it around, as all writers do when they finish polishing their work. While I got good feedback on it, mostly I heard it "wasn't what they were looking for" or "it wasn't right for them."

In March I had e-mailed my critique partner about a new publisher I thought might be interested in one of her stories. After a bit of back and forth mailing, she finally said: "I'll send mine if you'll send yours."

So that's how Desperate Choices ended up on the desk of an editor at Carina Press. On May 11, 2010 at about 10:30 a.m. I got "the call" from Angela James telling me they wanted to offer me a contract for Desperate Choices.

After I picked myself up off the floor, of course I told them I was interested.

So, in the last month I've received the call, made the sale, am working on revisions/edits, and sent the art fact sheet back so they can start working on my cover.

I'll be posting more as things progress, but tentatively the release date is scheduled for September 2010.

Till next time--hopefully it won't be several months from now.

Kathy