2011 - Resolution

2011 Resolutions and News
All writers should be busy right now making their resolutions, so I'm right in the thick of things when I write mine. A word of advice, though, to other writers, as well as folks in general, when you make your list of goals remember to sift them through the filter of what you have control over.

If you're a writer, you can have a goal of submitting your manuscript to fifty publishers, but you can't control getting a contract offer. So keep your goals as actions you can manage. This goes for non-writers, too.

There are two schools of thought about goals. The first school says to set your goals as high as possible with the theory that you'll go beyond what you thought you could do to reach them. The second school says, set reasonable goals as they will encourage you to continue as you check them off your list.

For a writer, since we all know our real goal is that contract over which we have no control, we already have a very high goal to reach for, even if we don't specifically state it (because we have no control over it). And since we're getting rejections almost daily and have very little encouragement other than the occassional nice review, I'd suggest that writers (and anyone similiarly positioned who already faces overwhelming challenges) set goals that are possible for a human to reach. Reaching at least a few will provide much needed encouragement to continue in what can be a very discouraging arena.

So what are my goals for 2011? Here they are, and I'll bet a lot of writers can cut&paste these into their blog, too, because they're probably pretty much the same for most writers.

1. Edit & polish Deadliest Rose to submit to publishers
2. Edit & polish It's a Crime to submit to publishers
3. Maintain blog and post regularly
4. Do weekly promos and search out new promotion opportunities
5. Do weekly crits for crit partners and submit my own stuff, too
6. Walk more for exercise--lose weight!
7. Write a new mystery book--first draft--for NaNoWriMo in November
8. Write first draft of my next paranormal romance about Theresa Blackstone
9. Finish Christmas novella
10. Publish crime short story to use in promotions

So much for goals. And now on to more fun stuff...news!

Upcoming Goodies
I'm celebrating the publication of the first three books in the Archer family historical romantic mystery series!

John Archer, the irrepressible rogue and senior member of the family, is saddled with two problems: a love of adventure and far too many unmarried neices and nephews. As you might expect, John finds ways to indulge his need for adventure by getting his family members in deep trouble while simultaenously playing matchmaker. Unfortunately, his masterful efforts are rarely, if ever, truly appreciated!



So here are the books (in order) that are now available in both print and ebook forms.

The Necklace - a young woman, a scoundrel, and a family heirloom that might possibly be cursed!


When Oriana's uncle John brings home a wounded friend, Chilton Dacy, for her to nurse, she can't help but wonder what sort of scoundrel he might be. Her uncle has a long and sad history of befriending miscreants of the worst sort. Then, she finds a necklace thought lost and her worries only increase. The necklace bears a curse promising a hideous death to anyone who posses it, and it starts coming true when she's blamed for the murder of a stranger when the necklace is found on the body.


It's up to Chilton to prove her innocence and save her from an overly personal encounter with the hangman's noose!


For more info and buy links: http://www.amycorwin.com/Necklace.htm

I Bid One American - an American heiress nobody wants, a duke every woman desires, and a murder no one expects!


When Nathaniel, Duke of Peckham, meets American heiress Charlotte, he's suspicious of her indifference. Too many women have sought--and failed--to catch is attention. But Charlotte seems more interested in dead Pharaohs than English dukes.


Unfortunately, when a debutante seeking to entrap Nathaniel is murdeered, his reputation as a misogynist focuses suspicion on him! On impulse, Charlotte comes to his aide, unaware that her actions place her in harm's way.


Danger mounts when a highwayman interested in rich heiresses turns his attention to Charlotte and another debutante is found dead in Nathaniel's carriage...


For more info and buy links: http://www.amycorwin.com/IBidOneAmerican.htm

The Bricklayer's Helper - a masquerade turns deadly when a murderer discovers one of his victims survived...


After her family perishes in a suspicious fire, Sarah hides her identity by working as a bricklayer's helper. But her disguise can't keep her safe when someone discovers she survived and follows her to London. Alone and terrified, Sarah pins her hopes on William Trenchard, an inquiry agent with Second Sons. William, however, seems far too attractive for Sarah's peace of mind, and she soon fears that involving him may be her final--and fatal--mistake.


For more info and buy links: http://www.amycorwin.com/Bricklayer.htm

Contests

Starting in 2011, I'm running a continual contest through my blog here at http://amycorwin.blogspot.com/ and all you have to do to enter is write comments when the mood strikes you.

Monthly
From the comments, I'll cull a monthly winner to receive one of my books in e-book form and it's reader's choice so she (or he) can select the book they wish from my list (check out http://www.amycorwin.com/books.htm ).

Quarterly
Every three months, in March, June, September, and December, the winner will receive a print set of the first three books in the Archer series, including: The Necklace, I Bid One American, and The Bricklayer's Helper. Or, if they prefer my other books, they may make a selection of any three. (I'm sorry, but due to shipping costs, paperbacks will only be shipped within the continental USA. However, winners in other locations may select three ebooks, instead.)

Promotions for Other Writers
Finally, on the 20th of each month, I'll be asking other writers to drop by and write comments consisting of a blurb about their book(s). I'll post a blog specifying which genre is open for that month. I'm hoping to find some new reading material for myself and other readers, as well as providing writers with another promotional opportunity. A win-win for all!

So happy New Year!

Happy 2007!

This is a little late, but like everyone else, I have New Year resolutions. Of course, I've already broken the first one, which was to post to my blog every Tuesday. Here it is Wednesday and I'm just now posting. Sigh. Where does the time go?

This blog may be going through a bit of a metamorphosis over the next few months. Now that I'm being published, I'm thinking my blog readership may change over time. Right now, it's weighted more toward things that interest writers, since most of the folks who read my blog are writers. But now that I may be getting some actual readers, it may begin to tilt in that direction. We shall see if I find a change in what folks are interested in. A lot of people are interested in writing even if they never become a professional writer, so I plan to continue including various articles and "A-Ha!" moments, anyway.

So, what are my resolutions for this year?
You already know the one that lays broken, face-down in the dust: to post a blog every Tuesday. What remains?

1. To continue writing like a mad-woman. I spoke to my agent to set our goals for the new year and I was pleased when she said, basically, to just keep doing what I'm going. Continue to write my Regency mysteries. As we build that up, the big guys in NY are sure to take notice... (This is actually very easy for me since I already have a fabulous inventory of Regency stories I just need to do final edits on, so--piece of cake.)
2. Learn to be a better writer. Take classes. Continue to read really first class authors and see how they do it. I'm particularly enamored of the Hard Case Crime books at the moment--so I'll probably get a few more of those and read them--for the purposes of research, of course!
3. Learn how to promote. I'm taking an online class right now on promoting your books, and I need to really get into this, big time. I want my books to sell! Because they do not contain explicit love scenes, I'm trying to figure out how to woo the librarians and get them to carry my books because they are more "family friendly" than other historicals at the moment. For some reason, historicals have become very risque as a genre, but the ones for the line I write for are still what is considered "sweet". There has to be a market for them...somewhere. We just need to tap into it and make sure they know about the Cotillion line. Unfortunately, this is one disadvantage to being published by a small press--you pretty much have to stir your stumps and do your own promotion. The big guys do some promotion for their folks (they also sell upwards of 40,000 copies versus the average 100-300 copies for small press, so the big guys can afford to promote) and they are carried in all the bookstores--so readers browsing the shelves can find them. Not so easy for us smaller guys who won't be sitting on the shelf in Wal-Mart to attract the impulse buyer.
4. Exercise. I mean it. I'm going to start exercising. Really.
5. Get the garden under control. It went wild last year. I'm going to try to regain control of at least 3 acres of it. We'll see who wins, me or Mother Nature. At least I've got Round-Up on my side. :-)
6. Learn everything there is to know about Microsoft Vista. Okay, that's for my day job, but I've got to do it so I'm making it a resolution.
7. Do housework. Yeah. Right.
8. Don't forget to keep in contact with your friends and enjoy yourself once in a while. This sounds like a no-brainer, but it's not as easy as you might think when you live miles away from anyone...but there *is* the Internet and failing that, the post office, so...no excuses.
9. Be Happy.

I'm going to stop at 9. I refuse to go to 10.

I hope everyone out there had a wonderful New Year and are starting off 2007 with good cheer and a ton of extravagent resolutions they have every intention of breaking.

Cheers!