Thank you very much Jennifer for hosting this stop on The Star Child blog tour! It’s great to be here today talking to you about my release of my debut novel, The Star Child.
How the Heck Did I Get Here?
On September 21st, I experienced a day that I wasn’t sure I’d ever see come to fruition: the publication of The Star Child. Why? Well, when I began writing the prologue that would later become a larger part of the
body of Chapter one, I had no idea what I was doing. Going on instinct, I just started typing out random thoughts that I’d about the singular concept of a ‘Star Child’.
At the time, I didn’t want to admit to myself that I’d started to write a book. I’d never written one. Add to that the fact that I knew nothing about publishing and even less about the format and style of a Young
Adult novel. I simply enjoyed the genre and I was sick of waiting for my favorite authors to write sequels. So why not write my own? Yeah, because that’s so much easier…
Yet that’s what I did, making the assumption that when I finally finished, I would deal with the small matter of getting the book published.
Quitter’s Complex
I can remember the jubilation when I typed the last sentence of my final chapter and pushed the book away… for six months. I’d told myself that I was just taking a break, but let’s be honest. I’d given up. Doing something with the book was now too daunting to handle. What if no one wanted it? What if I wasn’t any good? What if everyone looked at me and said, ‘You, write? Are you insane?’? You get the idea.
Focus On What You Can Control
Several months passed before I sat up and realized that I’d been spending all of my time focusing on things outside of my control.
Reading is so subjective. No one likes the same books any more than they do the same bands. It made sense that not everyone would enjoy the book and there might be criticism, there might me rejection, but I
couldn’t control any of that.
Game Changer
That epiphany led me to a new approach. Instead of thinking ‘look at how much I have to lose’, I asked the question ‘What do I have to lose?’ The short answer was nothing at all. Not only did I use that new
approach when editing my book, but I also applied it when querying publishers.
Something in my new and confidant approach, as well as my heavily edited book, must have been appealing. An offer came in from the first small press that I queried and I had a contract from Inkspell Publishing
just a few short weeks later.
Advice
That’s the long answer to the question. The short answer? Let me summarize – here’s the approach that I applied:
1. Focus on what you can control.
2. Never give up, no matter how afraid you are.
Whether you’re a writer, an athlete, a parent, a professional, or just about any one on the planet, these mantras absolutely apply to you. Whatever your dreams, no matter how big or small, keep at it, don’t give
up. Because I have to tell you, I ‘ve just held my dream in my hand and it was magickal.
To learn more about my debut novel, The Star Child, or me check out the information below.
The Star Child
The world is about to be cloaked in darkness.
Only one can stop the night.
Kellen St. James has spent his entire life being overlooked as an
unwanted, ordinary, slightly geeky kid. That is until a beautiful girl, onewho has haunted his dreams for the past eleven years of his life, showsup spinning tales of a prophecy. Not just any old prophecy either, but one in which Kellen plays a key role.
Suddenly, Kellen finds himself on the run through a Celtic underworld of faeries and demons, angels and gods, not to mention a really ticked off pack of hellhounds, all in order to save the world from darkness. Butwill they make it in time?
About the Author
Stephanie Keyes holds an undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems as well as a Master's in Education. A seasoned, Facilitator, Mrs. Keyes worked in Training and Development for an
international telecommunications corporation for twelve years; spending the first eight years of her career as a Software Trainer and Technical Writer and the last four working in Human Resources and Employee Development.
In May of 2012, Mrs. Keyes left the corporate world to focus on her family and her writing full-time. She also operates a freelance graphic and instructional design business, Sycamore Road Design.
Inkspell Publishing will release her first novel, The Star Child, on September 21, 2012. She is now currently at work on the second book in The Star Child Trilogy, The Fallen Stars.
Keyes lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two children, and Riley the dog.
Contact Stephanie
1 comments:
Thanks very much for hosting the tour today, Jennifer!
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