It's Monday! Meet Kate Richards

Blogging with Becca

Why Authors are Sleepy Most of the Time

After reading Valerie Mann’s inspirational blog the first week, with all the hunky guys and fabulous things that make her writing the rockin’ experience it is, I thought, as a bit newer writer than she and Becca, I would share what it’s been like so far.

It’s so exciting to join this world of storytelling. Everyone is so interesting and has imaginations that extend beyond the furthest reaches of space. It is a heady thing not only to be allowed to pal around with them, but also to become one of them. The stuff of dreams, for most of us. I waited all my life, and when Breathless Press accepted Finally, My Love, last spring I snoopy danced, sang and hosted a chat party, about fifteen authors and one reader (Hi Brandy). Okay, I could have advertised it better.

But as you learned last week from Clarissa Yip, most of us don’t just write. Noooo, that would be silly. We are critique group members, helping our friends as they help us in return, preparing manuscripts for the insightful eyes of publishers and editors. This goes hand in hand with beta reading, a little less heavy-handed form of critiquing. And reviewing…yes, many of us are reviewers as well.

 


Got Romance Reviews

 

Which brings me to owning a review site. Valerie Mann and I own Got Romance Reviews where we gather with a fabulous group of other authors and readers who read and review some of the best and the sexiest romances being written today. That’s also a fun part of my authorly life. Thank God for Val who is incredibly organized and makes spreadsheets in her sleep.

And editing. If you’re an author, and (like me) have an English degree, why not learn to be an editor. Since it takes a while to get known as an author, the money you make as an editor will give you the feeling you’re being a productive part of the writing community. Plus you get to read a whole bunch of great books in their early stages and watch them become polished and awesome. If you’re lucky, you do this for two or three presses!

Now, having a book accepted by a publisher has its own list of chores, as you are now the editee. You get to participate in picking out your cover and learn to promote your work. The authors that you know and love do these things and more. And most of them have day jobs, families, and do things for their community. So, if we seem just a bit tired, there’s probably good cause. If we didn’t love all of it so much, we wouldn’t do it. And of course, sleep is highly overrated.

PerfectPartners.com Excerpt:

I clicked.

The screen went wild. Golden confetti and silver streamers shot across the monitor like fireworks, and when it all settled down, a name appeared—this time in tall, electric blue capitals: QUINN EVERBY.

Quinn? Really? A remarkable name. I giggled. I guess I had asked for an extraordinary man, after all.

Buy Now

Too intrigued to stop, I scrolled down and found that Mr. Quinn Everby was a self-trained software designer, who spent his summers assisting on archeological digs in the Sahara and his winters bowling. He had indeed been born in China, where his parents were some sort of trade delegates. One by one, my stated preferences were met, and on the next page, I found a picture of a dark haired, sky-blue-eyed Adonis. Fantasies erupted, adding to my deprived sensuality.

Elbow on the table, I laid my cheek in palm and studied Quinn's sensuously full lips. How would he kiss? With great lips and a smile that lit up to those incredible eyes, I may have trouble keeping my hands to myself. We would have two children and maybe—wait, no. I sat up. Craziness.

What was I thinking?

Breathless Press
PerfectPartners.com
http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/perfect-partners-dot-com.html

Finally, My Love
http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/finally-my-love.html

Solstice After Dark
Confessions from the Carnivore Club: Dave and Nancy’s Story http://solsticeafterdark.com/confessions-from-the-carnivore-club-dave-and-nancys-story-p-118.html?number_of_uploads=0

Decadent Publishing
One Night at the Beach http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=145&osCsid=bis9iapotil50ujtlfp3e16220


Finally My Love



 

One Night



Confessions



Great blog, Kate. I am glad you stopped by and I swear I have learned as much or more from you than you have learned from me. If nothing else, you keep me laughing, which I hear is a fantastic cure for fatigue.