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Today is February 3, 2014.
Today I am a published author.
I started writing Mistress of Fortune (then titled Diary of Bedlam) in June 2008, but the dream of writing and publishing a novel started much earlier, borne from the reading I did as a child. I wanted to write novels too, to inspire others with stories the way I’d been inspired. And now, I’ve finally done it.
I’m nervous, of course. Now that Mistress of Fortune is out in the world, there are so many things to worry about: Will it sell? Will people like it? I’d like to say that just for today, I’ll put those concerns aside and enjoy this moment. That’s not likely to happen, but I’ll do my best.
There will be other stories that capture my imagination and compel me to put them to paper. I’ll spend more long hours alone at my computer, attempting to bring new characters to life and trying to figure out what drives them. But there will never be another first novel for me. And so, today, I celebrate.
Did you know you can buy eBooks from many independently-owned bookstores? It’s true! By partnering with Kobo, independent booksellers everywhere are selling eBooks, just like the larger eRetailers. If you don’t have a kobo reader, just download the app for your computer, tablet, or smartphone and start reading.
Easy-peasy.
Here are a few of the wonderful independent bookstores where you can buy Mistress of Fortune:
Mysterious Galaxy (Redondo Beach, CA, my local indie)
Murder by the Book (Houston, TX)
Book People (Austin, TX)
Book Passage (Bay Area, CA)
Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookstore (Harrisburg, PA)
Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore (Forest Park, IL)
Raven Bookstore (Lawrence, KS)
Fountain Bookstore (Richmond, VA)
Mysteries on Main Street (Johnstown, NY)
I’ll be adding to this list as I find indies that sell eBooks. But if you don’t see your local indie here, check and see if they sell eBooks. I’d love it if you’d purchase Mistress of Fortune through them.
It is with great pleasure that I announce the new title of my debut historical mystery:
Formerly known as Diary of Bedlam, MISTRESS OF FORTUNE will be released by Harlequin’s Carina Press in February 2014.
I’ll confess that I had a few bittersweet tears in my eyes when I replaced Diary of Bedlam with MISTRESS OF FORTUNE. I’d lived with that title for so long–five years–it had almost become a part of my own identity. But they weren’t tears of sadness, they were more like tears of victory. I was in the process of approving the final copy edits on the manuscript and replacing the title felt like the symbolic cherry on top. The incredibly long journey of writing my debut novel was finally over when I hit the send button yesterday, new title and all.
It felt good.
My editor sent me the final edited copy of MISTRESS OF FORTUNE, the version that will go into production, this morning. It’s an understatement to say that I’m proud of this novel. I love it so much that I can hardly believe I’m the one who wrote it.
Whew. Now I’m sniffling again.
As I work toward completing the second book in the series, Mistress of Lies, I wonder if I’ll be able to do the first novel justice. It seems a daunting task at the moment. But one thing’s certain, after reading through the final version of MISTRESS OF FORTUNE, I know I have it in me.
Who knew?
Updated 8/9/13 with my new titles. Yay!
Forget for one moment that it’s April Fool’s Day, folks, because this is for realsies. I’ve been letting the news out in drips and drabs, but consider this the official announcement:
For those of you who can’t watch the video, here is the gist:
I GOT MYSELF A BOOK DEAL!
Color me delighted.
My historical mystery, Mistress of Fortune, will be published in early 2014 by Carina Press, the digital first imprint of Harlequin. They’ll also be publishing its sequel, Mistress of Lies, with a release date to be determined.
What does digital first mean? Well, initially, Mistress of Fortune will be an eBook, available in all formats. It will also likely be an audiobook through Carina Press’s partnership with Audible.com. My hope is that it will also be available, eventually, by print-on-demand.
In the meantime, I am all kinds of happy. Carina Press is a great home for Mistress of Fortune, and I’m looking forward to working with my editor, Deborah Nemeth and the rest of the team at Carina.
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