First off, everyone say hi to Gary!  He’s got a WordPress blog (honest indie book reviews) that’s worth checking out!  He’s also put “Daughter of Hauk” on his read and review list!  I’m super stoked to find out what he thinks of it, both the good and the bad.

Meeting Gary and Casey Ryan (internet radio show host) are the reasons why I firmly believe in ‘ghosting’ Twitter once a week if you have the time.  Both are very interesting folks in their own rights, and have been willing to not just answer questions from a new writer but give them a shot or two if they’re interested in the book.  I really appreciate Gary’s approach to reviewing!  Not only the idea that he doesn’t want you to provide a free copy (he’ll buy it!), but that he reads the sample before deciding if your work deserves a closer look.  I don’t like reading something I can’t get into after a few pages, so I appreciate his honesty on that.

I did something sneaky last week.  It should be hitting my publisher’s mailbox within the next day or two, if it’s not there already.  I wrote a good old fashioned thank you note.  Melissa and her team at Solstice have made this experience amazingly positive for me.  I’d heard horror stories (haven’t we all) about people getting locked into contracts only to have it blow up in their faces.  I can honestly say that I’ve never been treated with anything but respect, kind words, and help to make my book as successful as it can be.  And I had to say thank you.  In writing.  Yes, I could’ve done so in an email.  But a handwritten note can convey a level of gratitude that emails just can’t do.

On a different note, I finally started working on the sequel to “Daughter of Hauk” again!  It’s an amazing feeling to wake up and know that someone’s going to die, who it is, who does the deed, how and why!  By the time I got through all the normal stuff for the day (dishwasher just has not figured out how to unload/load itself!), the body count at the end of the book had risen substantially.  Sometimes, the cost of winning is very high indeed.

Laundry awaits, as do my motley cast of characters.  Now, where’d I put that wand of mine?