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February 27, 2013

My first Signing Event: Coffee, Books, and Tesla Coils

746px-Tesla_colorado

Nikola Tesla’s Laboratory in Colorado Springs circa 1900: Photo-Wikimedia Commons

On November 14, 2012 I had the great honor to participate as guest author for The Final Frontier Sans Polyester Book Club! This was my first ever signing for Stealing Time, my e-Book novella, and I was blown away by the experience! I’m such a lucky writer to have met these fifteen delightful ladies–all home school moms–and even a few of their kids.

The event was held at the Catalina Coffee/Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in Redondo Beach and I’m pretty sure we ate up all the chocolate in the place, and tried every conceivable version of latte or frufi  coffee on the menu. I wound up the evening with a wee cramp in my fingers and a permanent smile which months later, is still in place.

What does an E-Book author sign, you ask?

Everything! Just kidding; I signed lots of bookmarks featuring Stealing Time’s beautiful cover art. Thanks Kelly Shorten at Musa Publishing!

The event was a splendid experience all around, and a special thanks goes out to Talitha Sherman, home-school mom extraordinaire, for inviting me to visit with TFFSPBC!

As promised, here is a link to building your own smaller version of a Tesla coil.

***Parental Supervision Required!!!

***  http://www.scienceexperimentsforkids.us/tesla-coil-experiments-for-kids/    ***

***Parental Supervision Required!!!

Tesla Coils are a real bit of science that I used in a fictional context in Stealing Time; leylines combine with Tesla coils used to power Time Traveler Pods. Well, that never really happened, no leylines, no time travel. Leylines were something that people in the late Victorian Era were interested in proving, or disproving. In contrast, Nikola Tesla’s Coils were actually invented in 1890, and the science behind them is quite real. Tesla coils were used in wireless transmission and can receive electromagnetic impulses.  Tesla Coil Receivers can be used to charge a storage device with energy, which can be used to operate various machinery.

I hope you’ll visit the link provided to learn more about Nikola Tesla’s experiments, but be sure to have parent, teacher, or a great group of home-school Moms as supervision for the experiment!

Cheers!

C.K. Garner 02/27/2013

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September 22, 2012

Welcome Autumnal Equinox 2012!

Photo of Napa, CA Vineyard:Brocken Inaglory

Bring on leaves in their gaudy-best colors

Let the air cool lungs from summer’s sear;

Break out the scarves and soothing hot toddies

Kindle a fire, bring loved ones near;

Rejoice in jacket pockets, savor the season

Autumnal Equinox 2012 is here!

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August 29, 2012

Write to Pub Wednesday: Too busy to write? Roll with it for inspiration.

Do you ever feel that there isn’t enough time in the day to create, write, edit and tend to all of the people and responsibilities in your life?  Granted family comes first, and your friends do need your attention, but perhaps you procrastinate over writing because going for a drink with a pal calls to you louder than your manuscript revisions. Maybe your plot has pockmarks, akin to the holes I found in my story this week; but sorting old clothes or making the house look spotless, or doing homework with young Billy keeps you from focusing on your work in progress, and you feel you just can’t think. Has your creativity become lost in the noise of living?

Should we, as writers become removed from family, friends and necessary activities in order to get spark back into the story?

Not necessarily. Instead of trying to absent yourself from living your life,try to just go along with the flow and draw from the din of living the energy for your theme.

I had a lot to balance this week, and a ton of writing to accomplish, but felt my creativity dragging in the face of the mountain of work ahead of me that had nothing to do with writing. I thought, how am I going to have energy to create if by the time I can be alone with my thoughts, my head aches from the spin cycle? How to go about scribbling, yet include people, chores and activities between writing sessions without engaging the inner hermit? What I found this busiest of days, was that activities from research to meetings, preparing dinner, taking care of chores, nurturing family, and visiting with friends could add content to my writing.  As the hot afternoon smouldered into a warm evening and finally became a welcome cool night, I found it also crept into my head as ideas for my manuscripts.

Don’t get me wrong; some days the need to schedule time away from friends and embrace the hermit-self that wants to hide with the dust rhinos under the bed, or crawl under a bush somewhere to scribble in peace must be obeyed, but there comes a day to let family know they are the most important part of your life, but you must pencil in time to focus on your thoughts and pound a rhythm to release them on the keyboard or you will explode like an unpricked potato in a hot oven. But often, because this is real life and not a fantasy where you have all day to hit the idea board, it is more of a juggling act to balance all of the demands and joys of living with the tug of your creative, writer’s soul.

Instead of fighting the loved ones and the business of your life, try my experiment.

Instead of fighting for time to think separately about my storyline, I opted to roll with it and include everyone or incorporated many of the day’s activities into the tale. Short observations and fleeting ideas went into a small notebook kept nearby for that purpose. Bits of conversation, the lavender aroma of clean laundry, the glory in the bloom of a garden flower, smell of turned dirt, and the feel of moist earth between my fingers, color of cooked marinara sauce, all fed into ideas for my manuscripts. As evening fell and I carved out a peaceful moment to enjoy a glass of wine with a friend, I felt a certain ease of spirit that had been absent while I was trying to knock down the door of creativity. By the time I was able to sit down and hit the keys, there were several pages of quick notes as fodder for the work to come to jog my memory; ideas to draw from that put a real  sense of color, liveliness and passion into my writing.

So, yes, the day was crazy busy and time for contemplating writing had to be nurtured throughout its progress, yet no one had to go without clean socks, a hot meal, or a doctor visit  just so I could think about what to write. Now I know that it is possible to store both the din and the more pleasurable for later use when the actual scribbling time, the ass-in-chair moment presents itself. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by everything that needs to get done, like a donkey with an upset cart, I’m making the cart steadier by giving it new wheels.

So just roll with it. Live it, breathe it, fell and touch your busy life and those places and fine folk, and even drags who populate it. Take note of what the day holds for you as a writer. The notebook will keep the thoughts present until you have your free time, and the results may surprise you by enriching your writing, just as all of the perceived noises have moments that enrich your life.

Cheers!

C.K. Garner

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August 10, 2012

Yay! My new E-Book Stealing Time releases today! Free excerpt!

NEW! ONLY $0.99 CENTS ON KINDLE: CLICK IMAGE!

E-Book RELEASE, STEALING TIME BY C.K. GARNER

Time is tested when a sky-captain risks his life in a desperate move to keep secrets from sky-pirates; but a young boy proves worthy of the sacrifice, finishing the fight his father began.

What is it about?

Stealing Time is a short steampunk novella; a perfect quick read for your Kindle!  The tale is set in fictional San Atenai Bay, recalling old San Francisco, but with a dark steampunk twist. Airships sail the sky over ships of the sea, railroads haven’t yet joined across the states, and time travel exploration is in its infancy. Stealing Time is an alternate history, nineteenth-century, maritime Western adventure.

From the Cover: While testing time travel pods, Skyship Captain Acastus-Hale Atenai and Dr. Nikola Tesla fall under attack from coastal raiders called Phantoms trying to capture the technology. In a desperate move to keep the secret safe, Captain Atenai launches Dr. Tesla mid-battle in a time-pod. A few years later it is up to Captain Atenai’s son, Acastu, to take up where his father left off. The secrets of time travel must not fall into the wrong hands. Can Acastu prove himself worthy of his father’s sacrifice? Only time will tell.

***FREE EXCERPT!***

Jim, realizing that Tia Rosa had all the help she needed, shrugged Ligys off his back and thrust her at Acastu. “Here, take her, I’ll clear the way.”

No longer playing the friendly charmer, he plunged forward, years of street skills coming to the fore as the trio ran. He threw an elbow into the face of the nearest Pressman, who swore and threw up a protective hand against further attack as it connected with his magnifying-glass eye, a gruesome legacy of a lifetime amongst the Phantom fleet, who regularly altered their staff and crew like so many laboratory test subjects.

The pain, however, kept the recruiter’s grasping hands off his young friends, giving Jim time to knock the next one flat with a straight punch to the chin. Acastu, heart racing in fear, leaped over the body as it fell, his hand tight around Ligys’ small one to pull her along. They fled with the other urchins, moving to take any bit of space Jim created to shove forward, listening to grunts and foul language as Jim cut a path through the snarled humanity on once-organized wharfs. They plowed on, but even with his friend’s help, Acastu felt the frenzied crowd pulling his sister away from him in another direction. Desperate, he hung onto her, but soon was a good distance from their champion.

Acastu was scared; this was the largest run of Pressmen he’d ever seen, and nearly all of them sporting facial alterations, hideous gas masks, giant convex lenses replacing an eye, mysterious shoulder apparatus, some set with what looked to him like harpoons.

“Jim!” he shouted. “Jim! We’re over here!” But his words were lost in the melee.

He only saw a glimpse of Jim once more; the Champion of San Atenai, teeth locked tight in a grimace, fighting a futile match against a group of Pressmen….

Get STEALING TIME the new E-Book by C.K. GARNER at the following locations:

Stealing Time on Musa Publishing

Stealing Time on Amazon

SPECIAL THANKS GO TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE STEALING TIME  A REALITY and TO MY WONDERFUL READERS!

~C.K. Garner August 10, 2012

About the Author:  C.K. Garner is currently at work on the sequel to Stealing Time and a Victorian murder mystery. A YA fantasy novel is scheduled for release in 2013. In her spare time she also writes as The Widow Kate Next on The Steampunk Empire, where she takes blame for the creation of a darkly amusing social circle entitled “Just a Bit of Arsenic”.

Follow her on http://www.ckgarner.com

http://www.goodreads.com/ckgarner

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCKGarner

For more information about “Stealing Time”, please visit http://www.musapublishing.com

August 8, 2012

Write to Pub Wednesday: A Social Media Market List

MARKET DAY!

Hi Folks!

When you take a trip to the local market do you have a habit of tossing a motley group of unconnected items into your basket? What’s the problem with that strategy, you ask?

Purchase too much or too little and you wind up spending your time and money on random things that don’t work together to make a good meal, or you wind up with lots of  spoiled goods, which is like tossing money into the trash bin. For a better way to shop just make a list before you hit the market.

The same strategy can work for your visibility as a new author, or as a writer on the road to publication. You want to develop a marketing platform which can bring you into the blogo-sphere and put your name out in front of the world! So what do you need to achieve this feat? A MARKETING LIST.

List One: BLOG

Start with something cost effective. If you can get it free of charge, even better. The simplest way to keep your promotional costs low and get into the habit of engaging with your future audience is with a BLOG. There are several great sites in which to explore this arena. Try one of the following sites to nab a free blogsite and begin building your web presence and your brand.

http://www.wordpress.com

http://www.blogspot.com

http://www.weebly.com

Choose a blogsite, build some content and personality into it, set a schedule to post regularly, and you are on your way to Web visibility, where before you had no connection at all. My advice is to keep it free for as long as you can. Many successful authors are content with just the blog service itself; however, when you are ready to invest a few dollars into it, consider buying a DOMAIN. Most sites will do this for a small fee, converting what you already have on your blog service into your own personal WEBSITE.

Here’s an example of a regular blog address–  http://www.bathtublub.blogspot.com   –kind of long isn’t it?

This example reads like a domain address–  http://www.bathtublub.com  –much easier on everyone involved.

The value in owning your domain is the simplicity in which people can now find you in a search. It is also easier on you as a writer whenever you need to type it out, and looks cleaner on a business card or connected to other social media.

List Two: TWITTER

Signing up for a Twitter account is easy, and once again, cost effective because it is free! Did you notice I didn’t put Twitter on the list of Blogs? Twitter is in itself like a mini-quick blog to tell the world about yourself. The great advantage of Twitter is that if you are short on time, because all posts on Twitter are a mere 140 characters or fewer, you can spend the minimum of time getting the maximum from your efforts. If you allot time to re-tweet and connect with other writers and authors, really just be happy for them when something goes right, sympathize when the crap is hitting the fan, and enjoy the mutual company; all else will follow. The key is to support your fellow Twitter users, and they return the favor. Trust me; this works better with Twitter, but can apply for blogging, too!

So once again, what is the difference between Twitter and a blog besides shorter content? Currently Twitter doesn’t show all you might need to post as an author. You can link to cover art, or content for instance, but not show an image unless you use it as your avatar. You might also want to post excerpts form your published works, or tales that you don’t intend to publish, thoughts you pen for sheer enjoyment of the act, writing practice, and don’t mind sharing to an audience on the Web. A blog allows for you to post content of a variety of lengths, cover art, hold discussions, guest-host other authors and writers, post excerpts, and whatever else you want to do with the space.

List Three: FACEBOOK and GOOGLE+

Okay, this is where I diverge on usability and visibility.

Facebook appears to be a great reach-out community, but with the new arrangements in visibility on the part of the folks who run it; getting your brand out there can be a daunting task. I can say that being with a small publishing house came with some advantages; we connect to each other and therefore have a built in mutual audience. On the other hand, I’m not sure that the average Joe, unless he is already well connected is going to reach an audience unless he goes with one if its pay versions. Since my experience with this is still in an experimental stage, I will explore it further and report back to you.

Google+ is a new experience for me, but I find it easy to use, and it is beginning after only a couple of months to pick up speed as a viable social media tool. One of its best features is the Google Alert. The Google alert, once set up, will send a notice to your inbox anytime someone searches for you on Google! How’s that for staying on top of your social loop? I’ve only been using Google alerts for a week and already it has sent several messages to me. Some folk searched for me by name: C.K. Garner, and others by my website blog title: Blog, Paper Scissors. That surprised me. My book, Stealing Time, goes live in two days. I have just set the parameters for Google to alert me if anyone searches for it; very exciting!

So how do we make these items work together?

List Four: LINK IT!

Every one of the above mentioned formats can be linked to each other through an APP.  The simplest description for the function of an APP is that it enables a person to easily share content from one site into another. You can easily connect your BLOG or WEBSITE to your TWITTER account, FACEBOOK, GOOGLE+, and where ever else you’d like to connect your marketing platforms together!

So this is your final checklist for Try it Thursday–or later depending on when you read this!

Social Media Market List:

BLOG

(or)WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

GOOGLE+

LINK WITH APP
These are the beginnings of what I hope will be a successful marketing experience for you as Writers and Authors. Well, I gotta go now; need to post this to my other social media sites and get my brand out there! Oh, and remember; my E-Book Stealing Time, a steampunk novella, releases August 10, 2012! Come on back and I’ll have a purchase link posted!

Cheers!

C.K. Garner

July 29, 2012 Aside

I’m very exci…

I’m very excited to have cornered “The Book Geektress”, aka Christina Castillo for an interview!Image
For many years now, The Book Geektress has been friend and companion on a trek to prove that real girls like comic books, eat Zombie movies for breakfast, like a good whiskey, and read horror novels before bedtime that would make Freddy Kruger share a bed with Frankenstein’s monster and sleep with the lights on.  Not only that, but she was the catalyst who got me to sit my ass in the chair and bust out a novel or two for publication; I couldn’t have done it without her!
On any given day you might catch her reading Harry Potter or Wil Wheaton’s ‘Just a Geek’, catching up on the latest ‘Preacher’ graphic novel, or turning the pages of the ‘Hunger Games’ to see if it holds a candle to ‘Battle Royal’ (not) …all while listening to io9 podcasts of her favorite authors and dishing the down low on her latest reads.  Come with me through the labyrinth of her library to meet her. Careful–don’t lean on that! The towers of books are most carefully balanced; this is not a game of Jenga.
Q: Book Geektress, Years ago, I had suspicions you were a book fiend with a dark penchant given that you were managing a gothic-themed coffeehouse named after a character in a book; namely, Lestat.  I know you’ve read Anne Rice’s books, but did you ever get to meet her?
Book Geektress:  You know, unfortunately I never did get a chance to meet her. I know she lived in La Jolla, CA which was about 20 minutes away from the coffee house, but I think she was a bit of a recluse. If she had come in I am not sure how I would react. I have served a few well known people over the years and being a attendee of San Diego Comic Con for almost 20 years I have had run ins with people I admire, but I really have never been good at the running into celebrity things. Last year at SDCC I didn’t know what to say to tv writer Jane Espenson, so I blurted out that I loved her! Luckily, instead of being freaked out she told me she loved me too! J
Q:  Lol! I love you more.  Something that struck me from the moment I met you was your keen sense of trend spotting whether it’s games, books, graphic novels, horror or technology. How and where do you find this stuff?
Book Geektress:  Haha! Trying to steal my secrets, eh? Actually to be perfectly honest I pay attention. I am constantly on sites like Facebook and Twitter and various blog sites around the web. I also listen to quite a lot of podcasts for my geeky news. I love research and that is basically what it all comes down to. I was always the kid that if I came across a word or a concept in a book I didn’t know I would look it up. The same applies today.
Q:  You have a penchant for reading books that walk on the darkside, and urban fantasy featuring heroines that not only kick butt, but have brainpower. What are a couple of your favorite darker reads?
Book Geektress:  Wow. That is actually a hard question because there are so many good ones. I really enjoy the Kim Harrison Hallows series. Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series is an excellent urban fantasy which has some dark tendencies considering you are dealing with some occasionally nasty fae. And if you are so inclined, Seanan McGuire’s alias Mira Grant writes an excellent series about zombies and government conspiracy. In fact, that is my next review for the site. Vicki Pettersson’s Sign of the Zodiac series is also good. Of course Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series is a must read. I could spend all day talking books and books suggestions!!!
Q:  Oh, Lady, I quite agree; books are food for the brain and soul, what’s not to like? For those of us who enjoy a classic Jayne Eyre along with our Zombies, are there any authors or books you can recommend to fill that need?
Book Geektress:  Well, there are the obvious ones like Pride Prejudice & Zombies, which incidentally there is a sequel too as well. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer was an excellent book. I can’t wait for the movie to come out! There is also a series of books starting with Jane Bites Back, where Jane Austen has actually been turned into a vampire. I haven’t read that one yet, but it is on the list.
Q:  Love the classics and the zombie twists! Jayne Slayer is another that comes to mind. Now, aside from books, I know you play pool competitively on a local scale, but are you still actively engaged in games such as Halo and —?
Book Geektress:  I am still an extremely avid video game player although admittedly it gets harder and harder to find time to do so. I honestly haven’t played Halo in a long time. My favorite series right now is probably the Assassin’s Creed games. And of course one of my all time favorites is the Resident Evilgames . There is a new one coming out this fall and I can’t wait. I love playing games that can scare the bejesus out of me!
Q:  Nothing like enjoying a good scare your pants off game or book! A geek-girl requires knowledge of all things Firefly and Doctor Who, both written and on screen. If you had to, which show would you give up? Lol! Come back here, I’m kidding!
Book Geektress: Hahaha!  I am glad you added that last line!
Q:  Blue police-booth lands in front of you, Time-Lord steps out and invites you inside for a few years of danger in good company with the right Doctor. Do you get in or play it safe?
Book Geektress:  You get in of course!!!! Can you imagine what it would feel like if you played it safe and went back to your boring old life when you could have gone to see other planets and the edge of the universe, not to mention the events in history you could be there for!? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.
Q:  Correct answer. What’s your favorite Doctor Who quote, and do you own a sonic screwdriver?
Book Geektress:  There are so many good Doctor Who quotes!!! Here is a good one:
People assume that time is a strict progression of cause-of-effect…but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly…timey-wimey…stuff
I actually own a couple sonic screwdrivers.
Q:  Lol! The Doctor Who and Joss Whedon series feature some pretty adventurous heroines. What are some of your favorite book heroines and why do they hold your interest?
Book Geektress:  Alex Craft from Kalayna Price’s series by the same name is probably one of my current favorites. She is a badass witch who Death himself just happens to be in love with. I like her because she has a lot of power, but she isn’t perfect and some of the sticky situation she tends to get in reminds me of me.  [Kim Harrison’s] Rachel Morgan is much like Alex Craft; Badass witch who has a penchant for getting in trouble. But that is what makes her more of a real character.
I enjoy heroines who are strong and have a good sense of self, but are not all powerful and have certain vulnerabilities. Several of the characters in Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Underworld series are like this.  Phédre from the Kushiel’s Dart series is another one. She is a woman born to a certain circumstance that she cannot change, so she learns to live and work with it and it is all on her own terms.  Again, this list can go on and on, but I don’t want to bore you!
Q: Phaedre and Rachel are two of my favorites from your list, and immensely engaging! Okay, when you are not reading or doing book reviews, you listen to Podcasts.  What’s the draw, or appeal of Podcasts to the booklover?
Book Geektress:  Mainly to keep up with what is going on in the book world and finding out what interesting books that I may not have thought to look at before are floating out there. I really enjoy it when the Podcasts have author interviews. It is always fun to hear what the author was thinking while writing the book or how the idea may have popped into their head.
Q:  Nice. I listened to the Podcast with Cherie Priest: terrific, and I could get stuff done while listening! About your own site, you have some pretty detailed book reviews there.  What was the driving force behind making the decision to share your knowledge of the books you read with an audience?
Book Geektress:  Honestly, I love talking about books, thinking about books, being surrounded by books. I think if I could craft a bed made out of books I would do it! My office is a cluttered mess of books everywhere and I love it! It makes me feel safe. But, I mainly started the blog so I could focus on reading different types of books and put a bit deeper thought into what I was reading and to share my thoughts. I would like people to read what I am writing, but at the end of the day I did it for me as a catalyst to write more and to read more!
Q:  With all that you’ve got going on, do you see yourself hitting the keyboards with your own novel anytime soon?
Book Geektress:  I really hope so! I have a lot of ideas floating in this brain of mine that are just dying to get on paper, but it is a game of finding and balancing the time to do it. I honestly don’t know how other authors do it! I am in constant awe.
Q:  Well, I don’t know about you, but all this talk of books and Nerd-vana makes me ready for a good night’s read. Let’s share a nightcap to ease into a relaxing evening with a selection from the Book Geektress’ shelf; whiskey or wine?
Book Geektress:  Ha! Depends on the night (and the book). Tonight is feeling like a very red wine type of night.
Q:  Red wine it is. *clink!* It’s been lovely spending the evening amongst the towering shelves of your library, Book Geektress, I hope you’ll visit again very soon!
Book Geektress: Thanks for having me! Hopefully you won’t find me buried underneath any of those towering book shelves.
Q:  Stop it; you’re teasing the Zombies with delicious talk like that, pinned human and all sounds like dinner!
Now, how can we contact you and where do we find your book reviews?

http://thebookgeektress.blogspot.com

C.K. Garner: We’ll see you there! And remember; after you visit The Book Geektress’ Blog, check out my steampunk novella “Stealing Time” releasing August 10, 2012 at http://www.musapublishing.com
July 25, 2012

Write to Pub Wednesday: The Cover Art Moment!

ImageEver grinned so much that your smile muscles hurt? That is my current condition after receiving final art for the cover of my steampunk novella, Stealing Time. Oh, I cannot tell you how good, and giddy, and scary it feels to finally have a cover to go with the manuscript! It cements, somehow, that the e-Book is approaching completion; i.e., it is real! Best of all, I love it!

All the happiness aside, I got to thinking about how lucky I am to be with a company that has an in-house artist who listened to my suggestions, as well as added her own artistic impressions to interpret my story to into a lovely picture.

However, what if I wasn’t with a publishing house?

Someday, I’d like to try self publishing; but guess what? You either have to create your book cover art yourself, or pay someone to craft it for you.
After looking into it, I found that for about $300 to $400 you can contract an artist and buy yourself some pretty nice cover art. Not too bad.

But for this Write to Pub Wednesday, I want to tell you, even though I will try self-pubbing one day–just to see if I can do it, sort of like I had to see if I could write a story and get it published (yep, can do! Whew!)–I’m damned happy not to have the worry of searching out the perfect artist, or painting and photo-shopping cover art myself, because I write scads better than I draw or paint! For right now, with all the social networking that needs attention, plus writing sequel and other WIPs, I’m truly grateful to my free in house artist at Musa Publishing, Kelly Shorten, for the creation and formatting of my first book cover art. I think it is outstanding.

My point here is, going it on your own is possible, sure, but there is much to be said for belonging to a publishing house, even if it is a small one, for the benefits that come with it. Pros or Cons, you have to weigh what works best for you in the Write to Pub biz.

So, back to my happy-toe dance under the desk as I write–Holy mackerel! My book has a cover and it’s gorgeous! Lol! Oh, and look for my steampunk novella, Stealing Time, available from Musa Publishing.com and Amazon.com, August 10, 2012!

Cheers!

C.K. Garner

April 18, 2012

Yea! I’m getting published! What Happens Next?

Howdy Peeps,

Yes, it’s been a long, lonely time since I posted to my wonderful followers about cuttin’ through the red tape to the gettin’ published finish line, but here I am, and I am happy to say that I’ve finally crossed and broken through the ribbon*drum roll please* I’m getting published! Musa Publishing  accepted my manuscript, Stealing Time for publication in their Urania Speculative and Sci-fi imprint. Stealing Time is scheduled for release August 10, 2012. Can you say walkin’ on air and thus giving my tootsies a break? *big grin*

So, now that I’ve found a publisher, submitted my manuscript, had it accepted, and signed the contract I get to sit back and ride the magic carpet to success as an author, right?

Well, I’m afraid that is dead wrong, my friends. It’s time to get back to reality, here.

Getting accepted by a publishing house, large or small is just the beginning. There will be blood. Okay, maybe not blood, but there are blogs, email accounts such as Blogger and WordPress, Twitter, and Facebook to set up and link, author groups within your publishing house to take an active role in further honing your craft, author interviews to set up  for yourself, and interviews by you for your fellow authors, taglines and blurbs to write and rewrite that will help to sell your book, descriptions for the artists to consider when creating your cover, and supporting your fellow writers in their endeavors, and so much more. Not to mention writing your sequel, ahahahaha, that’s the  part we love!

Those of you who thought you were entering a cakewalk, or are just plain chickening out may leave the building. We don’t condemn you, seriously, who wouldn’t balk at that list? Of course, it does make one wonder if all writers and authors aren’t just a little nuts, because here we are, ready to get cracking!

Okay, all those still in the game are go. Let’s have some liquid courage before we get into the new round of discussions, you can never get enough caffeine in you if you’re in it for the long haul. *pours various forms of highly caffeinated beverages all around* 

Next Blog:

Square One: Why I chose an E-book publisher over a traditional format publisher.

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April 14, 2012

Procrastination: Let’s get it On

Here we are, another day, another Blog. Away goes a day of procrastination as far as writing on the sequel to Stealing Time. Instead of heeding the call of my Muse, I’ve been setting up and designing my WordPress Blog, combining the new and the old.  Then cleaning out a list of need to correspond emails, all while trying to keep my shit from being tracked by Google (don’t even know where to start the same process with Yahoo), and ousting the nasties from my computer. Who knew it would absorb the entire day and a good portion of the night?

Did you wisely grab the chance to get away from the new Google spy and shareware? I wanted to wait and see what would happen. Now I know I shouldn’t have waited, but I did find a place on the Google dashboard that allowed for tracking back to the old board and using a pause button, or remove browsing history button, to hopefully corral that wild nonsense. Are you having nightmarish spam, and glorious go-getter viruses trying to invade, or succeeding since the Google tracking cookie and spit-worthy mad sharing extravaganza began on 3/1/12?

Ah, well, manana is another day, and after working the mundane job, I’ll be back to woo my sequel with the proper care it deserves, and devote several hours into putting contents of head into its loving embrace, watching the pages unfold themselves into story *slides fingers over keyboard while gazing hungrily at manuscript folder* Yeah baby. Tomorrow I’m all for you. @)–>–, C.K.

*signs off for the day humming Marvin Gaye’s, “Let’s Get It On”*