Back in the day when being a published author was just
another line on my bucket list, I used to daydream about what it’d be like and
what I’d do, but I can’t remember thinking much beyond the actual holding-my-own-book-in-my-hand
part. I guess I probably imagined that when they weren’t actually writing,
authors sat around in their own personal libraries, wearing brown sweaters with
patches on the elbows and sipping tea while they pondered Very Important
Thoughts or read James Joyce or did something something equally intimidating.
Truthfully, though, it’s nothing like that.
Truthfully, though, it’s nothing like that.
I quit my job last year to pursue my career as an author, so
I now stay home and write full time. And by “write full time” I mean I spend
most of my time answering emails, handling review requests, tracking down
editors for my latest projects, writing blog posts, arranging guest posts or
interviews, and a myriad of other mundane business aspects of being an independent
author. It’s mostly very boring (but also very necessary). I do manage to
squeeze some writing time in there, too!
When I’m not writing or doing a thousand writing-relating things,
lately I’ve been completely engrossed in one of my other favorite activities—art.
I spend a lot of time practicing my photography or making photo manipulations
(like my book covers). I’ve even recently started drawing again. (You can check
out my artist profile on deviantART here: http://werekat12.deviantart.
I’m also an avid lover of games—video games, card games, and
board games, particularly of the German strategy game variety, like Settlers of
Catan. My husband and I like to get together with friends and spend long
evenings intensely strategizing around someone’s kitchen table. Yes, we are
total geeks.
The most predictable (and useful) thing I do when not
writing? Reading! I’m always trying to keep up with what’s happening in the
genres I write in (young adult and fantasy, mostly), as well as stay up to date
with all my favorite authors’ new releases and any must-read books of the year.
I also try to read five or six books on writing every year to continue to
improve my craft. The TBR pile never seems to get any smaller, but that isn’t
such a bad thing.
So—nix the visions of the personal library for my couch and
a couple of lazy kitties, replace the brown sweater with pajamas and the tea
with coffee and the Very Important Thoughts and James Joyce novel with a funny
blog about cats or the latest young adult bestseller, and it’s about right. All
in all, it’s not quite the glamorous life I might have expected, but I love it!
In the icy,
monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person could
end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After monsters
kill her parents, she must keep the family farm running despite the
freezing cold and threat of monster attacks or risk losing her siblings
to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and
failure just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions
lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death
in the forest—a young stranger named Gabe—Lia surprises herself and does
the unthinkable. She saves his life. Giving shelter to
the fugitive could get her in trouble. The Elders have always described
the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as
ruthless and cruel. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic
and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with
him. But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle
the farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions.
Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret
organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but every
move she makes puts her in more danger. Is compassion—and love—worth the risk?
