Mutually beneficial relationship

So.

I have MAJOR news.

Four Sides of a Triangle will officially be released tomorrow evening where you'll be able to purchase it on your Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook. I'll release the book cover tomorrow morning/afternoon. 

With every debut indie author, I'm going to need your help to get word out. If you're interested in attaining a free copy of Four Sides, please email me. All I ask is you leave a review either on Amazon or Barnes & Noble website. The first 50 people to email me at heather.myers@ymail.com will get a free copy if Four Sides with the requisite that you leave a review for it.

I'll post the first chapter either later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Summaries, or What is this book about?

After conferring with Renee, Four Sides of a Triangle has it's official summary:

Twenty-three year old Madeline Perkins loves helping her friends find their one true love. As a personal assistant to Robert Swift, a billionaire CEO and self-proclaimed bachelor-for-life, she doesn't get much time to go on dates herself. Instead, she lives vicariously through her only successfully matched couple. When Robert hires Jewel Baker to help Madeline with the company's increasingly busy schedule, Madeline sets her sights on the girl as her new project and has the perfect man in mind! Her plans start to crumble when the guy turns out to be a jerk and Jewel starts falling for the last man Madeline believes is capable of ever falling in love - Robert Swift himself. Madeline is forced to reevaluate not only the entire matchmaking process, but her feelings for her playboy boss. If she isn't honest with him or herself, she may be too late to find her own true love. A modern re-telling of Jane Austen's Emma set in the corporate world.

I showed it to my boyfriend, and he said he liked this summary (after reading the original one before this one).  It's clear, concise, with a bit of flirty questions sprinkled in.  I hope it inspires anticipation for the novel, because it's coming out soon!

Like, really soon.

Look out for a book cover release, a first chapter release, the release date, and finally, the book itself1

Why Stranger didn't work

If you haven't noticed, Stranger was pulled from Amazon, and has been for a while. A couple of you have emailed me asking where it is and why it was pulled.

To be honest, I jumped the gun.

I loved writing the story. I loved reading it. I loved the concept, the plot, the characters, and the writing was good. But it just didn't have that WOW factor.

The concept, while cool, was too much like X-Men. Each incident was fun to write but nothing much happened. I could see the characters in my head, but they weren't special. And not eve good writing could save it.

I still love the story, and maybe I'll come back to it and rewrite it. But if I want to be a writer as my career, I need to make a product my readers deserve. As much as I love Stranger, you guys deserve better. And I hope with my two books coming out soon, I'll deliver.

The editing process

Yesterday I sent in my revisions for Four Sides of a Triangle. I went through a myriad of emotions, including accomplishment, pride, elation, and a little fear.

The story itself was pretty clean, the plot and subplots all tied up pretty nice at the end. There were a few things I needed to describe and explain, and lots and lots of things I needed to correct in terms of grammar but I say down and did it.

And it was wonderful.

To be honest, I didn't expect Four Sides to be my first published story, but I realize as I'm rereading it, how cute and clever it is (and how humble I am too, obviously). It's lighthearted and romantic, with some laughs and a teensy but of drama sprinkled in. It's the perfect beach read (in my opinion).

I spoke with my editor, and we started discussing book cover concepts. We have similar ideas on what we want and hopefully I'll have the cover revealed soon. Not only that, but if everything goes according to plan, it's very likely Four Sides will be released next week.

Yes, you read that right. Next week. I should have an official date for you soon.

But just because I'm done with those edits doesn't mean my weekend is completely work-free. I'm editing another novel to submit to Renee, as well as a novella that might be familiar to you featuring a werewolf. I can't say anything until I get the official word, but I'll definitely keep you posted.

Have a wonderful weekend!

It's hard out there for a writer

To be honest, it's hard to be a writer. I don't think we get enough credit to do what we have to do. We work, we go to school, we take care of our boyfriends, girlfriends, family, friends, our kids. And after all of that, we make time to do what outsiders - people who don't write - consider a cute little hobby. 

Because nobody knows what it's like to write and finish a book.

Are we writers, then? When people ask us what we do, are we entitled to label ourselves as writers? Or does a paycheck constitute the label?

Even now, with a book deal, I find it difficult to say I'm a writer. I get shy when people ask me about my work because I'm not quite sure they understand or rake the writing process seriously. But then again, maybe I need to lead by example. I need to show people how serious I take my job in order for outsiders to do the same.

And if they don't? Who cares? In living my dream, and it's very likely they are not. So keep writing writers. Call yourselves whatever you want. But no matter what, if you write you are entitled to the label: writer.

Guess who's back?

I know it's been a while, and I apologize for the massive delay. However, I have some incredible news to share with you: I just signed with a publisher and am planning to release 2 eBooks in a manner of months! If you we're wondering why Four Sides of a Triangle, Saving Smiles, Brighter Than Anyone, Fatal Attraction, and Closer have been removed from FictionPress, this is why.

Four Sides of a Triangle will continue to be a new adult, chick lit modern adaption of Jane Austen's Emma.

However, I've expanded the Onyx Chronicles, completely edited, tweaked, reworked, rewritten, and edited some more to turn it into a trilogy that involved the characters from the four stories, with names changed, a more in-depth history, new characters, and mythology to enhance the plot line. I sincerely can't wait for you to read it!

More information will be throughout the month including book covers, summaries, and possible sneak peeks!

For those of you curious about the publishing company I signed with, please visit www.reneeromance.com I work with the founder, Renee Lewin. She's a successful, self-published author herself so she has experience. Her services include consultation, editing, and book covers. She accepts queries of all kind and only takes 15% of the cut. She's also quick to respond and extremely professional. If you're interested in publishing electronically and want the freedom of self-publishing but the expertise of a traditional publishing house, you should definitely check her out!

(I know it's been a long time. Again, I apologize for the hiatus. Life happened, as the cliche goes. But considering this is my real JOB now, I promise to write more. Thank you for your patience. I really do appreciate each and every one of you. Hope to talk to you all soon!)

Stranger's Release Date

If you guys haven't noticed the link on the right side of the blog, let me just remind you that STRANGER releases today!

Because I decided to go with self-publishing, I chose this date for a very specific reason.  If you're a follower of my blog, you know the number 22 is very influential in my life.  September 22, my uncle passed away.  I still remember being in first grade, listening to my mom get the call and being told the news.  I remember the pastor smiling at me from the pulpit (I was in the first pew).  I remember trying to cry because I knew I should be, but I just couldn't get the tears out.  I remember my grandfather, stoic and strong.  And I even remember my uncle Mike, someone I barely knew, chasing me through my grandparents' house before his untimely passing.

I dedicated this book to my two cousins, Dylann and Fieffer, but I released it on a day that would honor my uncle. 

I am 22.  Today is September 22.  Tough things happen on the 22nd, but I'm a firm believer in making your own luck to go with the innate luck you already have.  I'm in control.  I get to decide how to react to things.  Today, September 22 isn't going to be a sad day.  Instead, it's going to be the day I publish my first novel.

I hope you all enjoy it.  :)

The awkward guy friend: Does he or doesn't he?

We all have that guy friend we're not quite about: Does he or doesn't he like me?

I recently went through a situation like this (try: yesterday).  Back in summer, out of the blue, my old friend from high school asked to hang and catch up.  I hadn't seen him in years so we exchanged numbers and met up at a cafe and talked.  On my part, I wasn't feeling the chemistry.  Don't get me wrong: He's good looking, intelligent, and sweet, but it just wasn't there.

Throughout the week, he texts me wanting to hang out again.  I'm super-busy with friends and my new job.  I don't mean to continuously blow him off, but I simply don't have time for him and since I don't feel it, I'm not going to move things around to make room for him (don't I sound awful?). 

At one point, I think he gets the message since I finally agree to go out (but to a Starbucks close to my house for an hour instead of "somewhere quiet we can go to talk" or swing dancing), but then I get another text from him yesterday.  I'm the type of person who doesn't like to play games and I don't like coming off like a jerk because I keep claiming to be too busy to hang (even though that's true, for the most part).  So I decided to say something.

It's tricky to be a girl because even if you know a guy is interested in that way and you call him out on it, he can turn it around on you and claim he just wants to be friends and you're conceited for thinking otherwise.  So what I did say is something along the lines of: "I'm going to be blunt with you: I'm seeing someone and I'm really happy.  I'm not saying that was why you were hanging out in the first place but I just wanted to tell you where I'm at so there wouldn't be any miscommunication between us.  I still don't mind hanging out with you as just friends, however."

Guys usually appreciate the directness (and if they don't, you don't want to be around a spurned tool, so let him cool off and realize how lame he's being) but sometimes, they just don't get it.  Hawke texted back that he appreciated me telling him and that he wasn't hanging out with me for that reason, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't interested (um, what?).  He said that he was happy I was happy and would still like to hang out if it didn't make me and my guy uncomfortable.

Yeah... no.  I don't think so.

If you're not seeing someone - and this has happened to me when I haven't been - I always claim I'm too busy with school (or a job) to devote the time he deserves in a potential relationship and that isn't fair to him.

---

With the potential lockout looming tonight, I want to send one last prayer to the hockey gods:  Please.  Please.  Please.  Hockey is one of the few things I'm passionate about and this is the only year I can devote to season tickets.  I'm begging you: Please let there be a full season.  Please.  For Teemu's sake and my sanity.

Taking a break

No, not from the blog.

From writing.

You know when you're in a long-term relationship and while you love the person you're with, the spark has just, well, fizzled?  And you know that this person is The One, the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, but if you force yourself to stay, you'll grow to resent them and it won't be as good unless you take a step back and... breathe?

It's okay to do this.  You've made a commitment, yes, but no one can force you to stay with someone if it's gotten stagnant.

I know you have to work hard and make things work as a couple.  But sometimes you just need to take a break.

So that's what I'm going to do.

I'm not sure if it's my job.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm about to start my senior year of college this year.  I'm not sure if it's because I have a thing for a guy, and a lot of times, when I like someone, it's more exciting than writing about love, about something that's not real.  But something is wrong here, and the last couple of days, as I've written, the spark just wasn't there.

So my week is going to mine - for working and reading and doing school work.  My weekends will be dedicated to my social life and my writing.  Yes, it'll take longer to finish, but I'm certain my writing will be better for it.

There's just something about Michael Keaton

I am ridiculously, incomprehensibly, obsessively attracted to Michael Keaton.

It's not my fault.  Go watch him in Batman and Beetlejuice.  You'll see.

Look, logically speaking, I know he's not typically defined as handsome or sexy or hot.  But I've never been the type to listen to definitions.

But wait, Heather.  What does this have anything to do with writing?

Two things: Number 1 - many times, we are attracted to more than just a pretty face, and pretty faces can even turn us off.  Number 2 - chemistry: We can't explain why we're attracted to people, we just are (I'm actually going through this at the moment with a guy at my work - I know, I got a job, say what? - we'll call Poncho).

When I write, I want to be as realistic as possible.  My heroine is smart and pretty and therefore, she's attracted to good looking, intelligent guys.  I have to keep in mind that my readers are living through my heroine, which means not only does the hero have to win her over, he has to win my readers over too.

A lot of the times, my heroes are interesting looking rather than typically attractive.  It's more than just his looks my heroine is attracted to.  For example, in STRANGER, Jane is a smart girl who thinks she's pretty but doesn't know she's beautiful.  Her hero is Nikolai Depogare, a man who is known for being unattractive.  But the more Jane falls for him, the more attractive he becomes.  If I can win you over with Nikolai, get you to be attracted to him, I've done my job as a writer.

What does this have to do with Michael Keaton?

Well, let me just say this: As a reader, hot boys in books start to blur together.  A lot of the times, they're accompanied with bland personalities and even though I get why the heroine falls for him, there's no chemistry between me and him.  The writer didn't win me over.  As such, I'd rather read about a girl falling for an interesting looking guy like Michael Keaton than some faceless hottie.