With Hearts in Flight finally gone to press and set up to establish a name for my alterego, Robin Lea, it is now time to sit back and wait...something I've never been very good at, being a product of an instant-gratification demanding society. Wait for what? you might ask, and it's a valid question. Unfortunately, there are multiple answers, meaning that I'm waiting for a lot of things.
First and foremost, I'm waiting for Hearts in Flight to hit the shelves at the bookstores and, hopefully, take off. Of course, at this point, I can't even guarantee that bookstores will buy it from my publisher to stock the shelves in the first place. I'm also waiting to see if the book sells - to other people besides family and friends who have promised to make the purchase. That will result in a commission check, which I will ALSO have to wait for...
But aside from all that, I'm also waiting to see if my next book is picked up by a literary agent. I spent a great deal of time putting together inquiries and submissions, emailing out the feelers to see if anyone was interested. After all, the way to get into a major publishing company is through a literary agent. Now, I am awaiting responses on that offering and getting ready to send out feelers for another one I've been working on, something more crime-novel-like, to see what the market is for that.
Waiting, patience, never my strong suits. In fact, that's part of the problem with writing sometimes - I get anxious to reach a certain point in a storyline and become impatient. Or I get close to the end and become anxious to wrap it up, so it eventually seems like it will never end. Or even worse, I have an idea for a new story, and I can't wait until I finish the one I'm on to start on it and, rather than just outline the idea briefly so that I don't forget it, I switch completely to the new topic and drop the old project for the time being.
If Hearts in Flight is successful, then I will have leverage in the marketplace, being able to say that people enjoy my writing. More importantly, though, I'll have motivation to continue, despite my lack of patience, so that I can achieve the dream of living off my writing.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Official Release Date for Hearts in Flight
I received word today from my publisher that Hearts in Flight, published as Robin Lea, will be officially released on March 22, 2010. That means that, while it is currently available to order online through publishamerica.com, it will soon be in a retail or bookstore near you for purchase!
Maybe I'm a little more excited than I should be, since I don't know how many stores will actually pick up the book from a new, unknown author at a small publishng company, and I certainly don't know how many people will buy the book. But the fact that it'll be out there makes me incredibly happy and nervous all at the same time.
It's the day I've waited for, and I don't think I could have done better on a first go round than Hearts in Flight. I mean, I should feel lucky that it got picked up on the first try, especially since I can't seem to evoke such a positive response from any literary agents regarding my next hopeful publication. Still, it's nerver-racking, and I can't help but think "no one's going to like it" or "people will think I'm stupid when they read it".
I don't know - I love it, but then, I'm biased, and that's not a fair judgment. I can only hope everyone else falls in love with it, too, so that I can move on and become the writer I've always wanted to be. Wish me luck, and offer me support - buy your copy of Hearts in Flight, then let me know what you think of it!
Maybe I'm a little more excited than I should be, since I don't know how many stores will actually pick up the book from a new, unknown author at a small publishng company, and I certainly don't know how many people will buy the book. But the fact that it'll be out there makes me incredibly happy and nervous all at the same time.
It's the day I've waited for, and I don't think I could have done better on a first go round than Hearts in Flight. I mean, I should feel lucky that it got picked up on the first try, especially since I can't seem to evoke such a positive response from any literary agents regarding my next hopeful publication. Still, it's nerver-racking, and I can't help but think "no one's going to like it" or "people will think I'm stupid when they read it".
I don't know - I love it, but then, I'm biased, and that's not a fair judgment. I can only hope everyone else falls in love with it, too, so that I can move on and become the writer I've always wanted to be. Wish me luck, and offer me support - buy your copy of Hearts in Flight, then let me know what you think of it!
Monday, January 25, 2010
What's in a Name?
The classic question, right? All the way back to Shakespeare and Juliet's "wherefore" that I think everyone misunderstood in school as something that meant "where the hell are you?". But the truth is, there is a lot in a name, especially for actors, singers, writers - the real media type. Of course, choosing a name for a publication or movie is also incredibly important. Who would have seen Armageddon if it had just been called Asteroid? So, what it boils down to is creativity and appeal - to both the individual and his or her public.
As I was writing Hearts in Flight, my original hope was that the publishing company that picked me up (which I didn't know at the time was going to be PublishAmerica) would help me choose a title for my work. I was feeling the story just fine; in fact, it had all my emotions worked up. However, I couldn't seem to find an appropriate title floating around my head. It took me awhile to put together the idea that, between the dragons and the skydiving, there was a lot of flight involved, and since it was romance, I could poetically speak of the heart. It sort of spun out as Hearts in Flight, and at first, i wasn't thrilled at all with it, but it grew on me, and now, it seems to fit the work better than anything else I could have designed.
As for my pen name, Robin Lea came a little harder. In the past, I've used the name Leah Rhoades - my middle name, followed by my paternal grandmother's maiden name = to publish poetry. However, I had already named my main character Leah, and she had come to BE Leah in my mind, so I couldn't use that name, and I couldn't change hers. My own name - Robin Vela - just doesn't strike me as the name that should appear on a book cover and sound appealing. So, my mother made a suggestion for me. She asked why I didn't just use my first and middle name - Robin Leah. I told her that sounded like two first names and that, again, I wasn't going to change my main character's name. She had become personal to me, like a friend.
But the suggestion made some sense, in a way, and I thought it over, rolling it around in my head. And I thought, Robin Cook does well, so there's nothing wrong with Robin. And as for the last name, Leah wasn't going to work, but why not Lea = cutting off the H and pronouncing it like "Lee"???
So, that is where everything derived from in this instance, and I am happy with the results. I think that Robin Lea is a pen name I can stick with throughout a career and be pleased with, though as I move on to future works, seeking out the titles for them is going to continue to be difficult.
As I was writing Hearts in Flight, my original hope was that the publishing company that picked me up (which I didn't know at the time was going to be PublishAmerica) would help me choose a title for my work. I was feeling the story just fine; in fact, it had all my emotions worked up. However, I couldn't seem to find an appropriate title floating around my head. It took me awhile to put together the idea that, between the dragons and the skydiving, there was a lot of flight involved, and since it was romance, I could poetically speak of the heart. It sort of spun out as Hearts in Flight, and at first, i wasn't thrilled at all with it, but it grew on me, and now, it seems to fit the work better than anything else I could have designed.
As for my pen name, Robin Lea came a little harder. In the past, I've used the name Leah Rhoades - my middle name, followed by my paternal grandmother's maiden name = to publish poetry. However, I had already named my main character Leah, and she had come to BE Leah in my mind, so I couldn't use that name, and I couldn't change hers. My own name - Robin Vela - just doesn't strike me as the name that should appear on a book cover and sound appealing. So, my mother made a suggestion for me. She asked why I didn't just use my first and middle name - Robin Leah. I told her that sounded like two first names and that, again, I wasn't going to change my main character's name. She had become personal to me, like a friend.
But the suggestion made some sense, in a way, and I thought it over, rolling it around in my head. And I thought, Robin Cook does well, so there's nothing wrong with Robin. And as for the last name, Leah wasn't going to work, but why not Lea = cutting off the H and pronouncing it like "Lee"???
So, that is where everything derived from in this instance, and I am happy with the results. I think that Robin Lea is a pen name I can stick with throughout a career and be pleased with, though as I move on to future works, seeking out the titles for them is going to continue to be difficult.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Finally Published
For years, I've been writing stories down for my own entertainment, dreaming of the day I would be a published author. Decades later, inspiration hit, and apparently PublishAmerica thought so, too, because they picked up my book and ran with it.
As of yesterday, Hearts in Flight by Robin Lea (that's me) is available for purchase online and, soon, in a bookstore near you.
Passionate about reading myself, I am incredibly picky about the authors I read. Therefore, I tried desperately to immulate the best of those I respect. At the same time, I tried to spin a tale that I enjoyed reading and felt was unique among the millions of books already out there. Hence, my creation is a combination of pure romance, fantasy, adventure, and the new genre called chick-lit, and I called it Hearts in Flight.
Meet Leah Hargrove, who starts out down and out but quickly latches onto Shane, a great guy - at least, on the surface. Shane is part of a community of skydivers, and Leah gets wrapped up in the world, taking a job at the local dropzone, which leads her to become close to Casey Matthews and, eventually, his friend, Nick Wells.
Now, what Leah doesn't know is that Casey and Nick (and Casey's older brother) have a little secret. They are all shapeshifters, who become dragons. Trying to understand their own abilities from the time they are adolescents, these boys take flight both in human form as skydivers and in dragon form.
As time passes, though, Leah begins to realize that Shane is not what he seemed to be, either. For years, she maintains her relationship, but as things worsen, she starts to consider making a change. Still, she feels dedicated to Shane. She is entirely unaware of the danger she is in - both physically and emotionally.
Now, certain aspects of personality or physical appearance of the characters in Hearts in Flight are based on people in my own life, and as a member of the Skydive Dallas community, I obviously played off my own experience to create a scenario for the action. However, the events of the book have no bearing on real life. If I wanted to write about reality, I'd stick with non-fiction. Using my imagination to create an entertaining storyline is MUCH more fun.
Hearts in Flight is just a beginning - I already have three more books in the works that I'll eventually be submitting for publication, one of which should turn into a short series. In the meantime, support a girl and order a copy of Hearts in Flight today at http://www.publishamerica.net/product88755.html.
As of yesterday, Hearts in Flight by Robin Lea (that's me) is available for purchase online and, soon, in a bookstore near you.
Passionate about reading myself, I am incredibly picky about the authors I read. Therefore, I tried desperately to immulate the best of those I respect. At the same time, I tried to spin a tale that I enjoyed reading and felt was unique among the millions of books already out there. Hence, my creation is a combination of pure romance, fantasy, adventure, and the new genre called chick-lit, and I called it Hearts in Flight.
Meet Leah Hargrove, who starts out down and out but quickly latches onto Shane, a great guy - at least, on the surface. Shane is part of a community of skydivers, and Leah gets wrapped up in the world, taking a job at the local dropzone, which leads her to become close to Casey Matthews and, eventually, his friend, Nick Wells.
Now, what Leah doesn't know is that Casey and Nick (and Casey's older brother) have a little secret. They are all shapeshifters, who become dragons. Trying to understand their own abilities from the time they are adolescents, these boys take flight both in human form as skydivers and in dragon form.
As time passes, though, Leah begins to realize that Shane is not what he seemed to be, either. For years, she maintains her relationship, but as things worsen, she starts to consider making a change. Still, she feels dedicated to Shane. She is entirely unaware of the danger she is in - both physically and emotionally.
Now, certain aspects of personality or physical appearance of the characters in Hearts in Flight are based on people in my own life, and as a member of the Skydive Dallas community, I obviously played off my own experience to create a scenario for the action. However, the events of the book have no bearing on real life. If I wanted to write about reality, I'd stick with non-fiction. Using my imagination to create an entertaining storyline is MUCH more fun.
Hearts in Flight is just a beginning - I already have three more books in the works that I'll eventually be submitting for publication, one of which should turn into a short series. In the meantime, support a girl and order a copy of Hearts in Flight today at http://www.publishamerica.net/product88755.html.
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