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The Key to Publication is Persistence: Welcome Author, Shannon Mayer

Shannon Mayer writes paranormal romance and is the author of the Nevermore Trilogy: Sundered (Book I); Bound (Book II); and recently-released Dauntless (Book III). One reviewer wrote this about Sundered:

It’s all YOUR FAULT! Today my hair is a mess because I overslept and couldn’t get ready for my meeting without being rushed and I hit traffic because I left a few minutes later than I normally would have, which made me 10 minutes late for my meeting in New Minas…because YOU wrote a book that…was so good that I just kept on reading because I wanted to know what was gonna happen next and then it was 2 am and the book was done and now I have to WAIT for the next one? AAARRRGGHHHHH!

How’s that for writing that brings your readers to the brink and has them begging for more? Wow! The reviews for Dauntless suggest that this kind of energy (and pull) in her writing holds out all the way to the end of the trilogy.

By day, Shannon is a farrier, and like most of us, balancing the day job with the passion to write can be a struggle. Never mind the drive it takes to carry your writing all the way to publication. Today, Shannon shares her story of how getting published is never easy, but it’s possible. And, the benefits run deeper than a finished book in hand. Welcome, Shannon!

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Shannon Mayer, Farrier and Author

My publication journey has not been the smoothest of roads. Though I suppose that not too many writers can say that they have had an easy time seeing their books in print. The first thing I did was write a full length, 90,000 word piece of crap that I had edited and then sent out to agents. As you can imagine, it didn’t even get a single request of the five agencies that I sent out to.

After that I moped around for a bit. Got mad. Wrote another full length novel, this one with no regard to what anyone would think and had it edited. Worked with the editor and readers for a good year on it. Queried agents, got requests to see the manuscript. Got rejected. Again.

Sucked it up, re-wrote sections of the manuscript, edited some more, paid for a conference in Seattle and went, with as much confidence as I could muster. I sat down at my first agent appointment, she requested the material; I handed her a submissions package. Thing went fast from there. The agent had me signed to her agency within a week of meeting me. It was a very exciting time.

Then it was more submissions, now to publishing houses. More rejections.  No suggestions though from the house editors on how to make the manuscript better. In fact, I got a lot of praise from the editors. They just couldn’t figure out where to put my manuscript. It was a genre buster and didn’t really fit in anywhere. Damn.

My agent seemed to lose steam after 4 rejections, and I began to wonder what was the next step. With my agent uncertain as to what I should be doing (I did ask, she said she didn’t know) I set my sights on self publishing some novellas. Not only would this give me a goal to work towards; it would keep me writing, and keep me from worrying about what the agent was doing or not doing, whichever the case was at the time.

I decided on a trilogy, started them in June 2011 and had the idea I would have the first 2 books in the trilogy out on Amazon by September 1st 2011. I lined up editors, copy editors, beta readers, proof readers and a cover artist.

Working like a mad woman in between my regular job hours I was able to get the first book out on September 2nd and the second book out on September 15th. The third book I published on October 31st.

So, where does that leave me? Agented, self published and still seeking a traditional publishing contract with a major publishing house. More importantly, it leaves me writing, and loving it.

Read more of Shannon’s work on her blog, follow her on Twitter, or like her page on Facebook. You can also purchase her books, including her most recent one, DAUNTLESS, on Amazon or on Smashwords.

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Revealing Secrets & Plot Twists in Storytelling: Guest Post by Laurel Mayer

When I first set out to write a novel, I had no idea of the intricacies and strategies involved in getting the story onto the page — in a way that would hook readers and hold their attention. Since my head-first dive into NaNoWriMo a few years ago, when I cranked out a first draft in linear form, I’ve read several books on story structure, considered the balance of narrative and dialogue, and played with writing devices like tension and pace.

Today, Laurel Mayer, debut author of Pushover, talks to us about one important device in storytelling: revealing the secret. As with most things writing, several factors come into play at once to create a successful experience for the reader.

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The Art of Revealing Big Secrets in a Novel

Secrets, plot twists, and conflict are the basis of many novels, and for good reason. The unknown is a powerful source of imagination and curiosity for writer and reader alike, creating suspense, wonder and surprise that make for a page-turner. But, plot twist is a tricky writing device. The slow, steady, subtle unveiling is as important as the secret itself. Revealing too much too soon can leave the reader deflated and make a dud out of what could have been a bombshell. It takes careful crafting and patience to create a convincing plot twist that captivates readers.

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On Perceptions, Guest Post by Heather Cashman

“We all perceive others through the veil of our own experience.”
~Heather Cashman

Perception, the first book in Heather Cashman’s series, The Tiger’s Eye Trilogy, gives readers a unique view into a time and place where the main characters see the world through two sets of eyes: their own and their tiger companions’.

I glimpse a flash of dual understanding about my world through my kids on occasion. Like when my daughter draws me a picture that shows her and her brother wearing giant and ornate crowns and the “mommy” and the “daddy” standing in the background, a smear of ink. It’s clear who she thinks is in charge.

But seriously, imagine. Seeing the world – your world – from two different perspectives. As writers of fiction, we do it all the time, but in real life, we struggle to know just what another person is thinking.

Today, Heather Cashman joins us to talk about perceptions, and how often, the way we view ourselves is much darker than the way others view us.

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Stained Glass Perceptions

Heather Cashman

Perception is a fascinating concept. The simple idea that two people can view the exact same object and see two different things astounds me. One of my favorite aspects of the novel, Perception, is the study of ways in which people see themselves, see others, and see the world.

The word* “perception” is derived from the late 15th century and was used in reference to collecting or taking possession of rent, crops, profits, etc. The word took on different meanings over the next several centuries to be a more general “taking in.” Today, Merriam-Webster defines perception as “immediate or intuitive recognition or appreciation, as of moral, psychological, or aesthetic qualities; insight; intuition; discernment.”

In order to discern or recognize, one must first have experience. The human experience is as unique as each individual human, influenced by culture, environment, nurturing, abilities, and choices. Therefore, each person’s perception will always be unique.

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