"A Love Built to Last" Hardback Goes on Sale Dec. 1!

Were you interested in buying a copy of A Love Built to Last but you don't have an e-reader OR you liked the book and wanted to recommend it to a friend who doesn't have a Kindle, Nook, Kobo, or iPad? Here's your opportunity! Black Expressions Book Club is selling a hardback version of A Love Built to Last to members. Buy a copy along with other Genesis Press titles being released in hardback versions during the month of December including Fractured by Wendy Byrne and Everything in Between by Crystal Hubbard.

Pre-order a copy of A Love Built to Last or buy a copy staring Dec. 1 at Black Expressions Book Club.

I've Found It! My New Favorite Blog!

Writing can be a lonely enterprise. Editing, pitching your work to agents and editors, and marketing can be time consuming and frustrating. It's good to have a community of like-minded people to bounce ideas off of, ask questions, joke around with, and just learn more about the industry and the craft. That is why Romance University has become my new favorite blog.

Not everyone has time to frequent romance industry conferences and workshops. This blog, which is written by an RU "faculty" that includes romance writers such as Carina Press's Adrienne Giordano and soon-to-be Sourcebooks author Tracey Devlyn, offers the same opportunities to network online. I laughed out loud at Giordano's entry on her book rankings addiction. (Admittedly, I have it too. When one of my novels comes out I can check my rankings on Amazon almost hourly, regretfully. LOL) They've also had guest posts from agents and editors who say what they're looking for and why your book pitch may never make it out of the slush pile. They even take questions. A schedulei of a list of upcoming posts is also included.

If you're a aspiring romance writer or a published romance author, this is a great tool (and stress reliever.) I HIGHLY recommend it.

http://romanceuniversity.org/

Case of the mysteriously disappearing book...

(POST UPDATED)

Hello,

You may have noticed (or not) that on Amazon.com, my next book, A Love Built to Last, has either disappeared completely or no longer has a publishing date. I've been notified by Genesis Press Inc. that all books under its imprints starting in November 2011 will switch to ebook only BUT good news! I'm also told that A Love Built to Last will be offered  by Black Expressions Book Club in hardback by DECEMBER 1ST!
Thanks to all who pre-ordered the paperback. Sorry for the last minute change. If you don't have a Kindle, Kobo, Nook, or many of the other ereader incarnations, please order it through Black Expressions. (It looks like they're offering a good membership deal!)Thank you sincerely for your support!

L.S. Childers
lschildersromance@gmail.com

Second review in!

Okay, admittedly its not as stellar as the last one, but hey, you can't knock them all out the park. Got a 3 out of 4 1/2 stars with a "hot" ranking on sensuality. At least they didn't say it sucked! LOL

http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/love-built-last

Thanks to Romance Times for review. (Note: This link is available for subscribers only until January. Then its available for the general audience.)

And the first reviews are in!

Yeah! Got my first review for my second novel, A Love Built to Last. Check it out at Eye on Romance. It got a 9 out of 10. It has a few spoilers but I'm glad that the reviewer liked it!

Hope readers who picked up The Right Maneuver, will like this one too!

L.S. Childers
lschildersromance@gmail.com

Don't Quit Your Day Job!

You've got a great story idea. You believe in this work. Not only do you think it will get you a book contract but it could sell millions of copies. Now if only you had the time to sit down and write it!

Composing a novel isn't easy. It takes diligence. It takes time. It takes patience. It's taken me more than a year to finish one novel. One, I was able to spit out in less than 4 months. But I will say that at no point in time was I tempted to quit my full-time job in order to finish either (even when it meant having only two hours a day to work on my novel). I'm married and have a mortgage. I have not only an obligation to my little family (cat included) but to myself. I could never make a good starving artist. LOL

In a recent op-ed, the executive editor of the New York Times discourages writers from giving up their careers to write the novel. Some have said he's discouraging people from writing novels entirely. That's not what I got. In it, he gives very good advice: Don't give up the practical in pursuit of a dream. Even if you believe in your book, you may not be able to sell it. Even if you have a publisher who's agreed to give you a contract for the book, you may not get the sales their expecting and you might have to return your advance. My parents has always taught me that having a dream is fine... but having a back-up plan is even better. So in other words... don't quit your day job. It's easier to write when you know you can afford to pay your electric bill in a few months. 

Dealing with Rejection

Yes, I said the "R" word!  Every aspiring writer has dealt with it, and I hate to break it to you, but even AFTER you get your first book published, you may have to deal with it again. I'm experiencing my own brand of rejection now that I'm trying to get an agent. And I have to say it can be pretty disheartening. What's worse than a rejection email or letter is total silence and alot of agencies these days are of the "if we didn't contact you, we didn't like your proposal" school. It's like the guy you gave your phone number to, but he never called you back. Not only are you pissed, but totally heartbroken. Why doesn't he like me??? Can't he see how great I am? I thought we had a connection! LOL

But know that you are not alone. Here's an article from Romance Times Online, How to Overcome Rejection: One Author's Journey.  I's a great piece by Tricie Hickman who penned Unexpected Interruptions (recently reprinted by Dafina, Kensington Publishing.) She talks about how she received rejections from everyone, yes, EVERYONE she submitted to and subsequently started her own publishing house to get it out there. Now she's gotten good reviews, a few awards, strong sales...and a publishing house ended up reprinting her book anyway! Goes to show that rejection comes with the territory but you shouldn't let it stop you. (I repeat that mantra to myself about 10 times a day. LOL)

Keep hope alive!
L.S. Childers
lschildersromance@gmail.com