Questions

I thought this would be the year of answers but it’s turning out to be the year of questions. Big scary ones. I changed full-time jobs, hoping to feel less exhausted and more fulfilled but in all the chaos of the holidays and everything else that’s been going on, I haven’t written or revised or even thought about creating something in almost three months. It’s felt like an eternity and the more time that passes, the more I wonder whether I could actually exist this way.

Today was my first day off in the past eight and I should have spent it working on revisions but I just couldn’t get started. I didn’t want to. I was afraid of too many things–of spending another two years on the same emotional roller-coaster of being an indie author and of not. It would be so easy to stop, to just forget about this series mid-draft, to take my books off sale, to remove every bit of my social media identity. I actually considered it this week and not just because I got some shitty reviews or because I almost lost a friend because of them or because I’m tired and unhappy and unsure. But because I’m afraid.

I’ve faced my fears of failure before but this time is different because I’m not just questioning my path as a writer, I’m questioning everything about my life. I don’t want to be a bystander, a thin reed that bows whichever way the wind blows just because I’m afraid of making a mistake or of being alone. I don’t want to be afraid of the future but I am. Because for the first time in my life I don’t know what it’s supposed to look like.

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WIP Wednesday

It’s the final WIP check-in of the year and even though I’m drowning in revisions right now, I’m still trying to absorb the fact that I’ve published two novels in the past three months and there’s still one more on the way before the year is up! Everything but the last chapter, which I’m still tweaking, of book 3 in the TGIB series has been sent to my final beta reader, which means that the FINAL draft will soon be complete (hopefully mid-December) and then I’ll just need one more line edit before this novel will be officially done!

The first draft of this novel practically fell out of me and it had been smooth sailing through most of the revisions but now that I’m nearing the final draft, those doubts I’d managed to stave off for so long are finally starting to rear their ugly heads. This happens every time I near the end of a project but since the writing of this novel wasn’t as tumultuous as the others, I find myself questioning whether or not that’s a bad sign. Writing should be difficult, and writing this novel was difficult, but not as difficult as the others. I’m not sure if that’s just a result from my recent growth as a writer or if it’s a sign that I didn’t grow enough during the writing of this book, but I’m hoping to take some time away from it before my final revisions so I can get some clarity and see it more objectively.

Book 4 in the series will still be my main focus this spring but now that I’ve started a new job I’m probably going to spend most of the next couple of months trying to work out a new routine. For me it’s an essential part of my creative process and I just can’t be productive unless I have some kind of itinerary.

I’m absolutely loving my new job but I can also sense myself using it as an escape. My writing has been my sole focus for so long but mentally I’m just so drained from this series that I can’t wait to take a small break from it at the start of the new year. I put so much pressure on myself these last two years that I think I deserve to live in the here and now for a little while instead of constantly planning the next chapter or book or release date. I still want to be a full time author but after getting this new job, it’s also nice to know that I can do something else and actually be good at it. I’m a creative person and that creativity isn’t bound to words or a certain medium or occupation. That creativity is boundless and powerful and I can fulfill my purpose as an artist no matter where I am.

The Girl In Between Blog Tour Recap Day 21

It’s day 21 of The Girl In Between blog tour! Check out all the latest reviews and giveaways as well as links to where you can download a copy of The Girl In Between for FREE!

 

Michelle from In Libris Veritas was generous enough to post a spotlight for my books during past tours and this time around she posted a spotlight of The Girl In Between along with an excerpt and giveaway for book two in the series. The giveaway was a quick one and winners have already been notified but scroll down to check out the giveaways still open!

Natalia over at Book Cupid also posted a spotlight of The Girl In Between along with an interview in which I give advice to aspiring authors and discuss my dream dinner party with my two favorite authors of all time!

Jessica, who is the resident Indie Enthusiast over at Bookish, wrote an incredibly heartfelt review of The Girl In Between. Check out her post for some of her favorite quotes from the novel as well as her thoughts on the synopsis, characters, and the slow-burn romance between Bryn and her mystery male lead.

Liana who runs Bookaholic-ness posted a series spotlight for The Girl In Between but she was also gracious enough to include a guest post about The Importance of Daily Declarations in which I talk about the importance of having a routine and making a genuine commitment to your artistic goals.

Kye from Eternity Through Pages wrote a review of The Girl In Between this week that blew me away! Check out her post to hear her thoughts on how the story stacks up to other YA novels in the paranormal genre and her appreciation for the lack of insta-love! She also has some choice words for Bryn’s ex-boyfriend, Drew (don’t we all…) and even picked up on some symbolism that not everyone has noticed. She’s also hosting a giveaway for an e-book copy of the sequel, The Boy In Her Dreams!

 

Laura who runs Laura Plus Books was kind enough to post a book spotlight for The Boy In Her Dreams as well as a guest post in which I answer the terrifying question: What to Do When Your Idea Isn’t Original.

A huge thanks goes to all of these incredible bloggers for participating in the tour! Anyone still interested in an indie spotlight swap and/or review feel free to send me an email at lzkbooks[at[gmail[.]com

Current Giveaways:
Eternity Through Pages (Ends Monday, November 24th)

Download The Girl In Between for FREE:
Amazon, Smashwords,  Google Play, Barnes & Noble & Kobo

My Big List of Book Reviewers

As an indie author I know how difficult promo can be when you’re doing it all on your own. I spent the past three months sending out hundreds of emails, prepping blog posts, creating media kits, formatting review copies, and corresponding with readers and bloggers in preparation for my book tour for The Girl In Between and it’s during times like these that I’m reminded why self-publishing is not the easy way out. I’m mentally and emotionally exhausted but promo is just another part of the job and an important one seeing as obscurity is an indie author’s greatest adversary. The good news though is that there is an entire community out there of book-lovers turned bloggers who are willing to help authors in any way they can.

When I started sending out review requests for my first novel two years ago I had no idea how difficult it would be to find book bloggers who accept indie and self-published titles. For that reason, I’ve been compiling a list of every indie-loving reviewer out there and now that my blog tour is underway, I’ve decided to share that master list of reviewers with all of you! My master list will now be visible in the menu bar so if you’re interested in checking out any of the blogs I’ve discovered, follow the navigation or just click here.

The Girl In Between Blog Tour Recap Day 11

It’s day 11 of The Girl In Between blog tour! Check out all the latest reviews and giveaways as well as links to where you can download a copy of The Girl In Between for FREE!

Ali over at My Guilty Obsession posted a spotlight for The Girl In Between along with an international giveaway for The Boy In Her Dreams. Ali has helped me with promo in the past and she’s so incredibly generous. She’s such a huge help to indie authors and her readers are really interactive and I’ve had so much fun stalking her comments section this week and hearing about all of the people willing to give the freebie a try!

Amber from Paradise of Pages posted a FIVE STAR review of The Girl In Between this week! One of the greatest and most satisfying things that people have been saying about this story is how much it caught them off guard and how unique it is compared to other stories in the paranormal genre. I’m so thrilled that the concept and the characters are resonating with people. Amber was even gracious enough to offer to read and review the sequel! Check out her blog to read her review and an excerpt from one of my favorite scenes in the entire series!

Tricia is a fellow indie author who also runs a promo site called Authors To Watch. A huge thanks to her for taking the time to put together a promo spot for The Girl In Between! She’s actually helped me with promo a few times in the past and her site is one of the few that is open to helping any and all indie authors and there are no stipulations when it comes to asking for help. But if you already follow Tricia’s author blog which is chock-full of indie insight, inspiration, and advice then you already know how generous of spirit she is.

Ashley at Wholly Books is the next blogger to host a special spotlight of The Girl In Between. She shared an excerpt along with an interview in which I discuss my favorite books, what I hope readers will take away from my stories, and an incredibly random/slightly disturbing memory from my childhood that probably actually explains a lot.

Sarah from Words with Sarah posted the latest review of The Girl In Between and I was so pleasantly surprised by her reaction! Not only did she give the book another 5 stars but she was also a fan of the intense focus on Bryn’s illness. This is a paranormal story but more than that it’s about a girl who just wants to find a cure for her illness and be normal for the first time in her life. In the early stages of this story when I was still struggling with genre so many people told me to focus less on Bryn’s illness and her day-to-day struggle with it but I knew that spending the extra time on that very human aspect oft the story would make it stand out among the paranormal genre. I’m just so glad that Bryn’s personal struggle with her illness is really resonating with reviewers and am really grateful that Sarah pointed it out in her review. Check out her blog for more of her thoughts as well as an excerpt from the first book!

Carrie from Yeah Books! shared a spotlight for The Girl In Between as well along with an excerpt from the novel. They’re a fellow wordpress blog and huge supporters of indie authors so I’m really excited to be introduced to their readership!

A huge thanks goes to all of these incredible bloggers for participating in the tour! Anyone still interested in an indie spotlight swap and/or review feel free to send me an email at lzkbooks[at[gmail[.]com

Current Giveaways:
Sofia Loves Reading (Ends Friday, November 14th)
My Guilty Obsession (Ends Friday, November 14th)