It’s that time again where we check in with our authors and see what they’re doing on their publishing adventure!
Every month we follow authors on their publishing adventure. Have you ever wondered how authors prepare for a book release or what they are working on while also getting ready to publish a new book? How do they multitask? Find out on Pre-Pub Adventure as we follow authors to publishing their books.
To the adventure!
- You just received your first hardcover finished copy of The Sandcastle Empire, what was that like?
It was so incredible to see the finished copy! I hadn’t actually seen the back cover yet, with the beautiful blurb from Beth Revis on it, so that part was fun. One of the first things I did was to take a peek at the book without its jacket—the spine is seriously beautiful, with shiny green text! The very best part, though, was when I got to show my husband and little boy their names in the dedication/acknowledgment sections. I’d kept those parts a surprise, and I’m glad I did.
2. As a writer do you write every day and aim for a set amount of words or pages a day?
Usually, I’ll set a time goal rather than a word count one—I’m a very slow writer, so it’s better for me to aim for a set amount of focused time (especially in this season when I have a lot going on and am easily distracted; I like using apps like Flat Tomato and Forest to keep me on track!). I usually do set mini-word count goals for each sprint, though, which gives me small goals to aim for. If I do enough sprints, my small word count totals start to add up!
3. What have you been up to since last we checked in?
So many things!! I took a trip out to West Hollywood and Santa Monica in late April, and I got to spend time with so many wonderful people. It was also my first time in attendance at YallWest, which was a ton of fun—I even got to meet some readers/sign some ARCs! Ever since coming home to Texas, I’ve been in the revision cave, working diligently on my second book with HarperTeen. (That one’s scheduled for Fall 2018—more on that as soon as I can share!) I’ve also been nailing down details for book events in June—we’ll likely be adding to the list of dates/locations, but for now, if you’re in Texas (Austin / Denton / Irving / Houston), I’m coming your way! Details on my website’s events page here!
Fun question for this month! Have you ever put someone you didn’t like in your book as revenge?
Not in The Sandcastle Empire…but…in another project, yes. 😉
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- You had an interview the other day with WBEZ, how did that go? What did you talk about? (I’ll put a link to the interview when it is up)
It was awesome! It was a joint interview with the illustrious Angie Thomas, author of #1 New York Times bestselling THE HATE U GIVE, and we talked about our books and our influences. Check it out here!
- Is there a certain type of scene that is harder for you to write than others? Love? Action? Drama?
Hmm. Not really? Honestly, the hardest things for me to write are transitions. Especially ones where there’s a time-jump involved. Getting better at it though (I hope!).
3. Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Honestly, I find that it varies. Some stuff is very intensely plotted, some has a lighter plotting touch, and what I’m working on now is totally pantsed because I tried to plot and failed miserably, lol!
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- Your book When Planets Fall is out! How did you celebrate?
Whoo hoo!! I have a book baby!! YAY!! I celebrated twice. The day of release was more low key for me. My husband happened to be home, so we went for a long walk with our pups and bought several cupcakes for us to devour. I made us a nice lunch and splurged with a bath bomb. I spent time catching up on mentions and giggling over pictures people sent of WHEN PLANETS FALL in their hands. By the end of the day, I was so happy I turned anxious (never had that happen before), so I actually did some writing to focus myself.
The next day my family went out to eat. They surprised me by decorating the room with red, blue, and green balloons and bought a massive red-velvet cake. I also got to sign my first copy! It felt pretty magical!
And the kindle version of WPF actually hit in the top 50 and 100 in a couple categories! Not bad for a debut from a small press! Needless to say, my publisher is happy with me. That’s worth a cupcake in and of itself.
2. What are your plans for the release? Any tours?
I’ve actually accomplished most of the things for my release already. But I have one final blog tour coming up at the end of the month with Xpresso Tours. I will also be having a Goodreads giveaway too.
3. Now that your first book is out will you take a small break like a vacation or onto the next project?
Both! I’m already working on Book 2, but I am taking a couple trips. One is for a family event. The other is a not-so-fun, let’s-go-to-the-doctor trip. But the other is to visit my best friend for a long weekend. It’s her birthday and birthdays are as sacred as religious holidays for us. We might hit up Disney or the Harry Potter world (butterbeer anyone??). I’ve got my Gryffindor t-shirt all ready to go 🙂
Fun bonus question! Have you ever put someone you didn’t like in your book as revenge?
Actually . . . . . totally. Ha. Book 2. Let’s just say you should never hurt somebody an author cares about. You might end up fictionally dead.
Follow Abby: Twitter * Instagram
1. What have you been up to since last we checked in?
I’ve been working on quite a few upcoming projects. In particular, I’m finishing up some rewrites on my next book,
Ace of Shades. I’ve also been busy traveling and planning a lot for
Daughter’s release in July.
2. What does your writing process look like?
I’m not too particular about writing. I prefer to write at night, with the time to work on large chunks of writing at once. I also like to be comfortable–blankets, lounge clothes, and a candle is a must! I can’t focus at coffee shops and offices, where I’m too focused on the fact that I’d rather be in bed. If I’m struggling, I might break out a little wine or put on a book playlist.
3. What’s your least favorite part of the publishing/writing process?
I’m not a huge fan of drafting, especially for the very first time. I intensely plot my projects ahead of time, but even though so much development occurs on the actual page, I am always impatient to be done so I can turn on my analytical, problem-solving part of my brain. Drafting can just feel like such a marathon, and I actually write fairly quickly. Plotting ahead of time is the only thing that keeps me sane.
Fun question for this month! Have you ever put someone you didn’t like in your book as revenge?
No! I’ve never written a character inspired by a real life person–only by other fictional characters. I get way more hung up on fictional people than I do real ones, I guess.
1. What have you been up to since last we checked in?
Edits! I am in the middle of editing my debut, which is super stressful, but also kind of amazing. It’s kind of like baking bread. I started with these random ingredients that I formed into this lumpy thing that my editor is now shaping, and when it’s all done I’ll have a beautifully formed loaf. I love reading her notes. Some are face-palm worthy (I’m constantly going “why didn’t I think of that?”), and some are cringe-inducing (the sentences that made sense in my head but didn’t translate to the page), and some boost my self-esteem (I mean really, nothing feels better than an industry professional saying your words are gorgeous!), but they all make my book better. I’ve also realized how much easier it is to cut words once you get some time and distance between you and your manuscript. It’s hard to give a manuscript space to breathe, but it makes editing go so much smoother.
2. As a writer do you write every day and aim for a set amount of words or pages a day?
Ha! I wish. I used to try to write every day, but, you know, life. For me, it’s less about the number of days I write and more about the quality of the time I spend writing. I don’t set word goals, but scene or chapter goals. Word goals work great for some people, but I always end up flinging out crap just to meet a goal and then getting overwhelmed by all the editing I have to do later. So I break the rules and edit as I write, shooting for quality over quantity. The initial drafting process goes slower, but revisions are so much faster!
3. What’s your least favorite part of the publishing/writing process?
I’m the most impatient person ever. Which sucks in an industry dominated by so much waiting. It doesn’t matter what phase of the process you’re in–writing, querying, submitting, editing, debuting–there will be a significant amount of waiting involved. Don’t get me wrong, I love this industry, but sometimes I wish I could hibernate through the thumb-twiddly parts and skip straight to the exciting bits!
Fun question for this month! Have you ever put someone you didn’t like in your book as revenge?
I’m going to have to plead the fifth on this one! But I will say that I’m inspired by the people I encounter, and I may or may not have have been inspired in particular by folks who have made me mad. Take that as you will. ; )
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Until next the next Adventure!
Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.
Desi Lee knows how carburetors work. She learned CPR at the age of five. As a high school senior, she has never missed a day of school and has never had a B in her entire life. She’s for sure going to Stanford. But—she’s never had a boyfriend. In fact, she’s a disaster in romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation-magnet whose botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends. So when the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides to tackle her flirting failures with the same zest she’s applied to everything else in her life. She finds her answer in the Korean dramas her father has been obsessively watching for years—where the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten. It’s a simple formula, and Desi is a quick study. Armed with her “K Drama Rules for True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos—and boat rescues, love triangles, and fake car crashes ensue. But when the fun and games turn to true feels, Desi finds out that real love is about way more than just drama.
About the Book: 
