No One Knows What It Means

but it's provocative! ha!

Dear everyone,

In Dreams has officially been edited (twice!) and is currently waiting to go live on Amazon!!!! I am so excited to have a gramatically correct version out there for everyone. Not to mention the fact that we did a little bit of formatting to make things easier to read- helped break up where the dreams are with *** and hopefully it will help with the flow of the book overall.

I sent an email to Amazon asking about the new version. I want to make sure that anyone who bought an older version will be able to download the newer one. I've also added in a sneak peak to the first chapter of Before the Dreams. I'll post that here as well, but it's mostly for all of the new readers- to let them know that more books are coming! You (current blog reader) already know this! :)

So, as soon as it goes LIVE on Amazon, i'll update the sales page. I really hope that this will eliminate all the negative feedback in regards to people's inability to read the book because of all the errors. Now they'll just hate it because my characters are too "perfect." HA! It's fine with me if people don't like my writing, or my characters, or the story- in all honesty, it just means that my books aren't for them. And that's okay. Because I have lots of other people who do like my stories and my characters. And my books ARE for them! :) <3

On another note, I finished The Deepest Cut by J.A. Templeton this morning. I really, really, enjoyed that book/story! Clearly, I have issues with girls in love with ghosts. Have you noticed?

**UPDATE!**
Amazon has made the newly edited version of In Dreams LIVE! When I click on "look inside this book" the information still isn't updated, so I've sent them an email regarding it. If you are able to download the newest version, please make sure it says "KINDLE UPDATE" in the header of the book (very top of each page), as well as including the Sneak Peak into Before the Dreams at the end of the book. If either of those things are missing, it is not the newest version. Please let me know if that's the case so I can make sure it all gets fixed. :)

I Heart My Kindle

First things first...I got a Kindle Fire yesterday! *insert squeals of delight here* I'm stupid excited about this thing! Not to mention the fact that I "need" one so I can see how my books actually look on them.

My first purchase-
The Deepest Cut by J.A. Templeton

Book purchase #2-
Wanderdust by Michelle Warren

I'm so excited to start reading these books. Both of these authors have been ridiculously awesome to me, so I'm happy to support them...not to mention the fact that both of their books sound really, really good! Can't wait to read em, ladies! :)

Next order of business- In Dreams came back from the editor yesterday and I stayed up all night (until 5 this morning, eeeek) going through the book and making the necessary changes. Since I don't trust myself to see things clearly, I sent it back to her for approval. The last thing I want is to update the book and have it be worse than it was before because I screwed something up. So with any luck, the updated/newly edited/less craptastically filled grammar nightmare, should be live and available for download by Tuesday (Wednesday).

I do want to apologize to everyone who has purchased one of the original versions of the book. I'm really sorry that it was filled with so many errors and most likely made for a less than stellar reading experience. I am constantly growing and learning as an author, so I appreciate your patience and understanding. If you bought it on Kindle, I hope you'll be able to download the new version for nothing. That's an option right? It should be. I've updated the file, you should have access to it.

Speaking of- I added in a sneak peak of the first chapter of Before the Dreams. It's at the end of the updated version (duh), so that should be fun! My hope is that new readers who like the story of In Dreams will be aware there's another book in the series.

I hope to have that book done and ready n either late August, or Fall. Just to be safe though, I keep telling people Fall.

That's it for now! I'm off to buy food that's bad for me and stuff my face with it. I'm awesome like that. Hope you have a great weekend.

My inspiration wall

I have a "Wall of Inspiration." lol, That's what I call it. Basically, it's the wall next to my desk where I'm supposed to work (but never do because I move around constantly, sit in weird places and go wherever feels best that day to write), filled with all sorts of quotes, song lyrics and goodies. They make me happy. :)













Fellow author, Veronica Mordem, shared a quote with me the other day that I have completely stolen, adopted, want to put onto a t-shirt and wear everynight to bed... I sort want to get it put on hats I make my dogs wear as they follow me around the house like stalkers.

"If you want to be successful, you must be willing to be uncomfortable." Gil Eagles

I am in love with this quote because "uncomfortable" was the perfect word to describe how I was feeling after all the crazy download madness! Everytime I start to freak out a little, I read those words and I feel better. Here's to making the un-comfort-ness TOTALLY WORTH IT! :)

Do you have any quotes or things you like to surround yourself with? Share them with me!

Is it too late?

I'm seriously weighing the options on whether or not I should unpublish In Dreams and get a professional edit done?

I know that it might be a little late since the book has already been around for months and there have been a lot of downloads lately, BUT I am beginning to think that I will have more success with it if I take it down now and fix it.

I know it was my first book. I know it needs a lot of work. I want to make a living writing books. And I know that going forward, I will have to pay for a professional editor. There is no way around that anymore. If I want to put out the best work that I can, I owe it to myself to have my work professionally handled. Plus, I want to put out good books- and if In Dreams is any indication to my potential appeal to a broader audience- well then it's clear... I lack appeal. lol

I think my biggest fear in regards to hiring an editor is that they won't understand my vision, or get where my story is coming from. I don't want my story to change. I don't want what i'm trying to convey to get lost in the quest for a "professionally" done piece. I can't tell you how much I genuinely LOATHE people trying to put me in a box that says "one size fits all."

I don't want to be generic.

I'm not trying to please publishing houses and this isn't a quest to sign a big book deal.

I just want to tell the stories my heart wants to tell, in the way my heart wants to tell them. I guess I just fear that my heart will get lost somewhere in an editor's personal opinion or style/taste/preference. Is that a crazy concern?

I'm straying (per usual)... so I wonder what's the best thing to do? Unpublish and polish the book? Or leave it as is?

Ugh my gut is SCREAMING at me to unpublish it and fix it. I want to feel like what i've put out there is the best it can be- and right now, it's clearly not.

Thoughts??

Some Random Facts

The opening dream in Chapter One is the end of a dream I actually had. My dream was significantly longer, but it was the ending that had me completely shaken once I woke up.

My characters are happy because I'm a happy person. And I tend to write what I know, what I enjoy, and people I like to be around.

Every main character's personality in this book (aside from Cooper) is based on a very specific (and real) person in my life.

There are circumstances, situations and feelings that are based on real life events.

Since I write the way I talk, I find dialogue to be easy to write (although it might be hard to read, huh?).

My nephew is on the cover.

This is my first book (clearly). I've never attempted to write a book before.

I believe very strongly in past lives, reincarnation, soul mates and connections between people that can't be explained with logic.

I wrote this book because I felt compelled to. That dream I mentioned? I had it over 10 years ago. I've never forgotten it and i've always wanted to write about it. Had I written it then, it would have been a very different story.

I wrote the book for me.

But I published it for you.

I sincerely appreciate everyone who has read it and liked it. Thank you!! :)

Have any questions? Ask in the comments and I'll answer in there!

Editing In Dreams

Hey everyone, just a quick note- i'm working hard to edit the kindle version of In Dreams for grammar errors (that my poor eyes can find). It is virtually impossible to edit your own writing. At least it is for me. I'm way too close to the work so I don't see things clearly.

I'm also trying to seperate out the parts where I change perspective without warning in the hopes that it will make it a little less confusing and easier to read.

Also adding a table of contents and the cover image. :)

Hopefully i'll be done in the next couple of day and then i'll upload it to Amazon - and best case scenario, the new version will available for upload sometime this weekend? So until then... happy reading. :)

and the bad reviews have started...

with 16,000 free downloads, i knew i was bound to get some bad reviews on amazon (you know, like 16,000 of em- lol).

and here they come.

and i'd be lying if i said that they didn't hurt. of course they "hurt" to some extent. even when my head is nodding itself in agreement with their thoughts, my feelings are weeping.

but here's the thing. those reviews talk about something in my writing i didn't even know i did. y'all, i've never taken a writing class. i don't know anything "technically" about writing a book. i also didn't want too. i didn't want to follow the exact same formula that every potential writer is taught to follow. hell, i've already broken the first 2 "rules" that every agent posts on their website:

1. don't start a book off with a dream. CHECK! In Dreams starts with a dream!
2. don't start a book off with a phone call. CHECK! Chance Encounters starts with a call!

i think those rules are stupid. but see, i don't have an agent, so i don't have to follow them. haha

i'm straying.

shocking.

back to my point.

one of the reviewers took parts of my book and posted them. when i read those parts, i literally cringed. i was embarrassed. they sounded TERRIBLE! awful! no wonder she hated the book. i even hate the book now. lol just kidding. she's not a fan of a particular writing style- the style i write in. and that's okay. every negative review has the possibility of helping me see things from a different perspective. and it's not that i have the intention of catering to everyone's opinions, but sometimes a reader will make a valid point that the author (me) was otherwise completely unaware of.

for example- there have been a few comments about how things are confusing because i tend to change character perspectives without any warning. i didn't even realize i did that, but clearly i do. the last thing i want is to have my readers be so annoyed or confused that they can't get through the book. here's the thing:

i see the story unfolding in my head. sort of like a movie or a tv show. then i write it the way i see it. and i tend to forget that you aren't in my head with me. i skip things, i jump around- all the while stupidly assuming that you're right there with me, seeing everything i'm seeing. i sometimes forget that i have to create the world for you... i forget that you don't know the characters the way i know them...

this is a learning process for me.

in dreams was the first book i'd ever sat down and attempted to write. while i'm completely in love with my characters and their story, i know that my writing could be better. i've never claimed to the best or most talented writer out there (dur). all i wanted was to write a story that made people feel, or think about things they may have never thought of before (reincarnation, past lives, the idea of soulmates). but mostly, i just wanted to write a story that people could enjoy.

my hope is that my writing will continue to grow and get better. i truly think that with each book i write, it will. and with each negative review, i'll do my best to learn something from it. don't get me wrong, there are definitely parts to negative reviews that i don't agree with. but i realize that each person has their own style, taste, personality and interpretation. we're not all going to see things in the same exact way. even when it's written down for us- we'll interpret characters differently.

and that's okay with me. it's never been my intention to please everyone.

i may be dumb, but i'm not that dumb. ha

so i guess a thank you is in order to the negative reviewers. thank you for taking the time to write them. thank you for helping me learn where i'm flawed, where i suck and what you hate about my writing. at the end of the day, it truly is helpful and i will be a better writer for it. being a self published author means i don't have an agent. i don't have a publisher. i don't have a team behind me of professional writers, editors, and copy editors (clearly). you can't expect me to be perfect. well you can, but you'll be disappointed. :)

ps- i also need to THANK all of you who have loved/liked/enjoyed my book. you inspire me, encourage me, remind me that i do have some sort of ability to tell a decent story with good characters. you make me not want to give up or stop writing. i can't tell you how much your wonderful reviews do for me. and when you take the time to email me, when you're passionate about my characters, going crazy over something cooper did or said- it makes me smile. don't ever hesitate to email me. i might take 100 years to get back to you because sometimes i truly suck at the internet, but i will get back to you.

it's scary sometimes

being a self published author is scary. i know you're probably rolling your eyes and saying to yourself, "what? shutup jenn, i'm sure it's soooo scary"... but here's the thing:

risks = unknown outcomes

unknown outcomes = fear

fear sucks (cause it usually stops us from taking risks)

it is really freaking hard trying to figure out what works and what doesn't when it comes to marketing and promoting your book. i mean, us indie (i think that's the "cool" term for self pubbed authors now) authors have to take risks when it comes to our work, just for the sake of getting exposure.

for example, i allowed my book to be FREE yesterday on amazon and i got over 16 thousand downloads (thank you everyone!). way more downloads than i've ever had in the entire time my book has been for sale. and i'm super excited about the exposure. super excited at hopefully gaining some new readers, people who like my writing style, my characters, the way i tell a story, and want to read all my future books! but it's still scary. like i want to puke, scary. because obviously, since my book was free- i made $0 on all of those downloads.

and making $0 dollars doesn't pay the bills. HA! like most writers, i'd like to be able to say i make a living writing. and it's just really hard to say what works in terms of getting the billions of people in the world to know your book exists. it's hard to make your book stand out from the thousands of other e-books that are being published every.single.day.

so we take risks.

we send hundreds of free copies to book bloggers, reviewers, etc. all in the hopes of generating some kind of publicity... some sort of buzz... word of mouth. ANYTHING that will tell other people that our book is here! and it doesn't suck! and you should read it!

and you know, i don't mind doing that. but it's still scary because it doesn't always work. there is no magic formula that all self published authors can follow that will guarantee everyone the same kind of results. it's so hit and miss. what works for one author might not work for another. it's just really hard to navigate this massive e-book field right now. especially when you feel like you're navigating it alone, with your one little tiny solo book.

so, we give our book away. for nothing. not because we think it's worth nothing (we know the exact opposite is true), but it's that we aren't sure what else to do to seperate ourselves from the masses. and what are we left with after we've given away hundreds (or thousands) of our books and people still aren't buying it?

i guess we're just left...

waiting...

yet hopeful.

because i think deep down we writers know that it only takes one thing- the right moment at the right time and everything can change. and we all hope for that. because we all want people to enjoy the stories we tell.

at least i do.

but first, i'd just like everyone to know it's out there. my book exists! it's real! and it's enjoyable! and you should buy it!

and tell your friends. and your neighbors. and your dog.

cause in all honesty, after 16,000 free downloads- i don't know what the hell else to do. :)

i'm going to go puke now. lol

IN DREAMS FREE TODAY!!!

today is the day! Friday the 13th isn't scary with my debut novel, In Dreams! :)

it's free ALL DAY TODAY on amazon. if you have a kindle, or the kindle app on your android or apple phone- go download the book today for nothing!

HERE ARE THE BOOK LINKS!

US Amazon:
CLICK HERE

UK Amazon:
CLICK HERE

GERMANY Amazon:
CLICK HERE

SPAIN Amazon:
CLICK HERE

FRANCE Amazon:
CLICK HERE

thank you so much for your support. and tell your friends! post it on facebook! tweet it on twitter! write a blog about it! only so many people hear me screaming the same thing everyday, i definitely need your help.

ps- if you're on goodreads, you'll see that i've added my next TWO upcoming releases. you can add them to your "TO BE READ" list now! :)

Friday the 13th will be FREE!

you can get your copy of IN DREAMS for FREE all day friday through amazon!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Dream-ebook/dp/B005F0FXKM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1326348540&sr=8-4

the FREE deal begins at midnight on Thursday PST and continues through midnight Friday!

so there you go! you want the book, you got it! download it for free! and please help me spread the word- the more the merrier! :)

and thank you.

Chance Encounters coming FEBRUARY!

i've decided that Chance Encounters is coming out next! sometimes i'm a crazy person. i really hoped i could release it on valentine's day, but my editor can't make me any promises that she'll have it done by the end of the month- so i'm hoping that she'll have it done in time for me to release it in FEBRUARY sometime!

so, that's it! i'm releasing my second book in february! that's a month away! WOO HOO!!!1 i really need to get it together and get a cover i like. the cover i shot and designed, is missing something. i think a hot guy needs to be in the distance- or holding her hand, or something. the girl all alone just isn't working. so i'm brainstorming. so much, my brain hurts. ha

i'm going to try to start featuring some other indie authors on my blog- we all need to support one another. i mean, there are SO MANY talented story tellers out there who don't have agents, and don't have publishers- but their books are still good. their stories are still enjoyable. so i want to spotlight some of them! so that will happen... soonish. lol

also, i joined KPD select- that means that all of you who don't have a kindle (or the kindle app), you won't be able to download e-books of In Dreams for at least 90 days. i'm exclusive to amazon right now, to see how things go. i really hate the idea of cutting people off from nook, and i-books- but when 95% of my e sales are from amazon, it was a no brainer really.

with that being said- my first FREE download day is this friday. i believe it's midnight thursday to midnight friday. so i'll be talking about that more later in the week! :)

until then, here's a brief excerpt from Chance Encounters:


"He gave her aquick glance before throwing his arm around her waist and pulling her into him,“Oh I do, do I?” His arms were muscular and his chest and shoulders were hard, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t remember the last time she was so attracted to someone. Her entire body was aware of his. She briefly thought about Clay, but only to compare the differences between him and her new friend. She kept telling herself to stop touching this stranger, stop flirting, stop doing everything she wouldn’t want Clay to be doing. But her body and emotions had their own agenda."