Writing

Compulsive writer-ing

/ Cheryl Harper / Leave a comment

There shall be no Elvis in today’s post. I have decreed it and it shall be so.

Instead, I thought I’d show a little (more) of my crazy. Before I had a book contract, I spent some time thinking about what it would be like when I had one. Then I compulsively checked my email for responses from this editor, the other editor, and the one behind that. Sure, most of them were polite rejections but the waiting is the hardest part. Not the writing, not the submitting, not even the picking myself back up again…the waiting is killer for me. So I checked, checked, and re-checked.

I did not count on how many more compulsions I might pick up when I finally had a story out there in the wide world. And right here and right now, I need to just say I believe this happened in the perfect time and in the perfect way. Codi and Jaclyn are talented. I’m so happy to have been included.

Email is still right at the top of the list. I’m still submitting but I also have edits coming and going, marketing stuffs, training stuffs, encouraging words, and general inbox mayhem. This is a Very Good Thing. I love it. I still thrill to see an email waiting for me.

Then there’s my really bad problem with Twitter. I am a lurker. Always have been, probably always will be. Here I can read editor pet peeves (laughing until you cry was all me, but now…that will totally be handled) and conversations between the cool (multi-published, big list hitters) kids.

And Goodreads…oh, dear. Ever since the first review popped up, I’ve been checking. More. MORE. I NEED MORE! And I don’t even really understand WHY! But I want them! Probably just to know there’s someone out there.

And Facebook. And Amazon. And Barnes and Noble. Oh, and the Avon site…because I have a fancy new cover for Stuck on You that nearly killed me dead when I opened it…but I have to wait for it be all public and stuff.

I can’t write! I’m too busy checking things. Be right back…pretty sure my iPhone just dinged to let me know I have an email.

You never forget your first: the KISS ME blog tour, y’all!

/ Cheryl Harper / Leave a comment

Here’s the thing…I’m so excited. I just can’t hide it. I’m about to lose control and there’s not much I can do about it, you know? Codi, Jaclyn and I had a great opportunity to write some blog posts for next week.

I don’t know if I’ve told you this but…we have a Valentine’s Day anthology coming out. Yeah, it’ll be on sale on February 5. Surely there’s a link or twelve around here to take you to Amazon or Barnes and Noble (check the Books page. Please? Come on. You know you need a Valentine’s Day bon bon or three).

Here’s the wheres, the whens and the whos. You know the whys.

Books and Kisses – Codi, Feb 4 (MONDAY)
United by Books – Cheryl, Feb 5 (TUESDAY, RELEASE DAY!!!!)
Romanceaholic – Jacyln, Feb 6 (WEDNESDAY)
Ex Libris – Codi, Feb 7 (THURSDAY)
Cocktails and Books – Cheryl, Feb 8 (FRIDAY)
Novel Reflections – Jaclyn, Feb 11 (MONDAY)

It Happened On Valentine’s Day

/ Cheryl Harper / Leave a comment

ImageThere have been a few things I was unprepared for in this journey to my first on-sale date. Seeing the first rating up on Goodreads was one of them. First I flipped, then I tried to imagine how it was possible as the book’s not out yet, then I told myself to just calm the hell down. This is a marathon, not a sprint after all. People with writing careers need to learn to pace themselves. And that’s the goal: a career.

And then, when I should have been writing or working on the day job, I was watching television and googling. I made sure my Google alerts were set. Yep. Then I went over to Amazon to see if anything was happening.

Searched my name and the first result on the list was something I’ve never seen before. It was from Avon. But the first name on it was Eloisa James. So somebody made a mistake. But I was curious because it was Valentine’s Day related, just like Kiss Me. I read the list of names under it and there was Cheryl Harper. Since I didn’t know anything about it, I was still pretty sure it was a mistake somehow. Then I embiggened the cover and Cheryl Harper is on it. Right next to Rachel Gibson. I gasped. Audibly. I think I scared the dog. Then I fired off an email to editor Chelsey that went something like “Wha?” And also “Wha?” And then maybe a “squeeOMGthatcan’tbemecanit”.

And it is. This is a free sampler, a collection of excerpts from some of your favorites. And me. Oh holy night. February 22, you can get it for free. I’m hoping you’ll already have Kiss Me, have laughed heartily and rated it all 5 stars in every rating location you can find. But if not, maybe you’ll try this.

I will be cowering under by bed by the time this one’s out so somebody call me to tell me how it goes, okay?