Thursday, April 21, 2011

New Books and Publishing Ventures

I've spent the last five months buried in writing, The Essential Guide to Grief and Grieving, for Alpha Books, publishers of The Complete Idiots Guides. They're coming out with a new line for more sensitive subjects. My book will be out in November, but it's already available for preorder on Amazon.

Writing the book in such a short period of time was an arduous process, and I'm SO glad to be finished. I expect revisions in a week or so, but now can focus on other tasks that I've put off due to the deadline. Taxes was one. But that's over too. Now my focus is on self-publishing my novels. A lot of my writer friends are doing it, and I've been anxious to jump on the band wagon. In addition to my nonfiction, I write romance--historical, science fiction/ fantasy, and contemporary.

I have a friend designing the covers of my Romantic Western series (think Pride and Prejudice meets Little House on the Prairie.) As I write this, the files are being converted so the books can be published. I started to try to do it myself, but quickly realized that it would be too stressful and difficult. All my friends have done it themselves, though, so don't let my failed attempt guide you if you want to do it. But I can pay someone else to do it competently in a way shorter time.

Why am I publishing my books myself? The answer is because I don't write sexy romances. I write traditional or "sweet" ones. There isn't a market for sweet historicals. Even though the first book, Wild Montana Sky, is a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart winner, it hasn't sold. I've had two agents try. I believe there are readers who would like to read some stories that are sweet. We'll see what happens. I'll post when the books are up.