Working like a dog (pun intended)

I have great news! My next book is almost complete, and then I'll start editing. It is shorter than Featherlight, almost novella size, but I'm going to make it perma-free. The second book in the series will be longer. The title will remain under wraps, but you can probably figure out the type of paranormal story by the blog post name.
I've taken a cliched topic and added an interesting twist, so writing the story has been a blast. I'm averaging about 4,000 words a day, which is why I'm so ahead of my deadline.
The next step will be to create a cover and then start mapping out my next work!
I hope everyone has a Happy New Year. :)

Secret is out

Announcing my book publication was one of the most memorable days of my life.

The whole family was together for Christmas, including my mom, dad, two sisters, two brother-in-laws, and their kids. My mom was on the floor, and I sat down in the couch near her.

“I have present for you,” I said. “Well, not a present, but a surprise.”

“What is it, honey?” She was surprised because I usually never acted like that. 'Surprises' weren't in my vocabulary.

“As of a few days ago, I became a self-published author. I wrote a book, and I dedicated it to your sister, Jacque.”

Her mouth fell open in shock. “Oh, honey! When did you write it?!”

“Over the past year,” I said, trying to keep back the tears (it had been a stressful few weeks).

Then the rest of the family overheard.

“What?”

“What happened?”

“She wrote a book!” my sister announced.

“What? She wrote a book?”

I started to cry, and my mom came over to hug me.

“I hope you’re proud,” I said, laughing. “Writing those 80 thousand words was the hardest thing I've ever done.”

“Oh, ouch!”

My family quieted down slightly, so I said, “And overnight it rose to the top 10 bestselling free ebooks in its genre. It has been out for 4 days, so there has only been several thousand downloads.”

“Only several thousand?!?”

It was all a blur after that as I tried to explain how, when, and why I had started writing.
Most importantly, I admitted that the novel was far from perfect, but it would hopefully be the first of many. :)

Working through the break

Morning, everyone!

This holiday break has been so relaxing, and now I'm hard at work on my next book. Here is a quick overview of the behind the screen goings-on.

• I want my book to be accessible to everyone, so I'm toying with the idea of making it permanently $0.00, but that's not quite set in stone yet. 
• The title will have to remain a secret for now because I'm trying to decide between three great names.
• The genre is still fantasy, but it'll be a bit more mainstream than Featherlight.
• It should be out within the next few months, so watch for it on the virtual shelves!

I'll be sure to post some updates on my progress (maybe even daily), so you all will know the general release date. 

For now, it's back to work! Last night, Featherlight broke the top 20 free fantasy paranormal ebooks, so don't forget that it will be free until the end of today.

Credit where credit is due

I've had the opportunity to speak with so many amazing people this past week. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This book would not be where it is today without you all.
For the readers looking for awesome kindle books or for the simply curious fans, here is the list of all the sites that feature Featherlight.
The amazing sources

Secrets

After an author completes his or her book, one of the first things they do is tell their family and friends. They announce on facebook, yell down the street, and trumpet their accomplishment at every turn.

I couldn't do that.

Writing under a pen name protects your identity and your background, but it also alienates you from your family. I wanted so badly to tell someone, "Hey! I did it: 80,000 words! Be proud of me, please!"

To this day, no one knows that I, the woman behind Laura Fields, author of Featherlight, wrote a book. That is such a strange feeling to have, to know that no one knows the real me. Maybe one day I will grow up and 'spill the beans', but for now I will remain Laura Fields (And perhaps I might give a few hints here and there to keep things interesting).

Besides, being able to connect with my readers online eases the loneliness and makes keeping secrets so much easier.
I hope everyone had a happy holiday, and don't forget that the Featherlight sale ends soon. :) Cheers!

Tough, but Oh-so Worth It

Writing is tough. Some days you want to do anything BUT write. I thought that after I completed my novel everything else would be easy.
Boy, was I wrong.
Editing was a nightmare. After finishing your book, sometimes the only thing you want to do is throw it out into the world and let it swim or sink. Fortunately, I received my daily fix of Facebook and then returned to the grindstone to edit Featherlight.
It was slow going, but I managed. And, just for good measure, I did a second edit to fix any straggling mistakes.
After I finally listed my book for publication, things began to get tougher. Why should a reader buy a new book with no reviews from a no-name author?
You know what, that's a great question that I can't answer. Luckily, several brave souls gave me a chance, and then they gave me encouraging reviews.
All of the hard work payed off, editing and all, when I read my first review from a happy reader. If nothing else, one person enjoying Featherlight made the whole process worth it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Featherlight now published!

Hi all! Featherlight is free for a limited time.

"Featherlight is an impressive debut YA novel from a young writer: an intriguing and exhilarating blend of sci-fi, fantasy, romance and some hard gritty realism. A stunning achievement. I look forward to the next book from this talented author."

"I found a book that kept me guessing what was going to happen next. This book is a ROMANCE ADVENTURE"

Free on Amazon: Featherlight
The life of Jacque Winters has not been easy. After being abused by her father and shutting herself off socially, she was kidnapped by strangers. The good news is that her kidnappers are kind. The bad news? She is now forced to live in a society controlled by men, which is practically her worst nightmare.
Despite her promises to never fall in love, one man is proving those promises to be extremely difficult to keep. He chips away at her barriers with kindness, and soon he may have access into her heart. On her pursuit of happiness, Jacque realizes that in order to truly be satisfied with life, she'll have to come to terms with her past.
She needs to figure out whether her future is worth sacrificing in order to save the life she had left behind.