New Year's Goals: 2017

It's that time of year again! GOALS TIME! I actually really look forward to this every year. I love setting goals. It gives me direction and keeps me accountable. But, I have a bad habit of going overboard. A close, trusted friend recently told me I needed to scale back a little and stop trying to do "All The Things All The Time." I'm going to take his advice this year and set fewer goals, and if I achieve more than what I list, great! And if I don't, that's okay, too. So, without further ado, here are my 2017 goals...

WRITE UNTIL MY FINGERS FALL OFF!

1. If my editor likes my book proposal and decides to contract it, then I'll be writing Deceiving Devon (working title, subject to change), which is a spin-off to the Collins Brothers Series.

2. Finish Savage Passion (Midnight Rebels, Book 1) and allow my agent to start sending it out on submission.

3. Outline the entire Midnight Rebels Series--which, right now, is looking like it could be 7 or 8 books total.

4. Complete the R&R for The Georgia Corbins.

5. Finish Hallowed Ground (Graves Barren, Book 1), my YA Gothic romance, and send to agents or possibly my editor at Entangled.

KEEP ON BLOGGIN'

Yup, this is on my goal's list. Again. But I won't be blogging here. I'll be blogging once or twice a week / month over on the Anaiah Press blog, where I'll share writing, editing, querying, and publishing advice. So be sure to head on over and follow along.

READ

Because of my busy writing and editing schedule, reading for pleasure usually falls to the wayside. I did better with this goal in 2016, and I'd like to keep it up in 2017. But this year, I'm going to keep track of what I read and share it with everyone at the end of the year so I can shout about my favorites!

What are your goals for 2017? Share in the comments or link to your goals list :-) 

Looking Back on 2016....

As 2016 comes to an end and the world prepares to welcome 2017, it's once again time to look back on the year and see what I accomplished, what I didn't, and what big changes I faced in 2016. To read my full 2016 goals post, click HERE!

My 2016 Goals Included:

1. Finish writing books 2 and 3 of The Hayden Falls Saga 

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: When I set this goal, I knew it was a long shot. Not because I couldn't write them, but because this series was / is low on my priority list. The contract for book 1 will be expiring very soon, so for the time being. this series is on hold until I decide whether I want to renew the current contract or ask for rights back and find it a new home.


2. Finish writing book 3 of The Georgia Corbins

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: Originally, I was planning to self-publish the entire series this year, but then an opportunity presented itself, and I submitted book one to a publisher I would love to work with. While the editor loved the characters and the overall story idea, she felt the writing and execution still needed some work and offered me an R&R (revise and resubmit). So, while I didn't meet the goal I set, I'm counting this as a win. I have her notes and I will be working on this in the new year.


3. Finish writing Savage Passion and send it to my agent.

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: I have a notebook full of ideas for this new book/series, but other things have kept me from diving in (see below), but I'm really excited to jump into this new world.


4. Finish Warped Remains--A YA thriller I co-wrote with David Jemal.

Status: GOAL MET!

My thoughts: We finished the book and started sending it out. We currently have an R&R from an awesome publisher. We're days away from finishing the revision and will be sending it back to the editor in early January!


5. Finish Hallowed Ground (Graves Barren, Book 1)--A YA paranormal romance

Status: GOAL KINDA MET

My thoughts: The book isn't 100% finished, but I'm a lot closer than I was last year at this time. I'm now at 70K of an estimated 90K. I also managed to work through some road blocks, plot holes, and outline the ending.


6. Finish Eternally Bound--an adult paranormal romance

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: I'm admittedly bummed I didn't get this one finished. I've heard paranormal is set to make a comeback, and I really wanted to get this one done and sent out. *sigh* Maybe next year.


7. Finish The First Snowfall--an erotic thriller.

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: I'm on the fence with this book. I'm not sure my heart is into it, so I think for the time being, I'm going to shelve it.


8. Finish Resistance, the sequel to Inferno that I co-wrote with David Jemal.

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: This series is currently in limbo, so until we get it worked out, I won't be working on it.


9. Get creative and come up with some new adult book ideas.

Status: GOAL KINDA MET

My thoughts: As I mentioned in my 2016 Goals post, my agent signed me for adult books, and all of my ideas as of late seem to be young adult. I'd like to say I've come up with a whole list of new ideas, but I haven't. At least, not any that aren't YA. lol. BUT, I do have a new romantic suspense series I'm planning to write, and possibly some more NA books (which my agent does rep. YAY!)


10. Beg people to like me-- This included doing more daily promo and meeting other writers in-person.

Status: GOAL MET!

My thoughts: I started a newsletter and am steadily building my list of subscribers. I created and am in the process of launching a new pen name (Lexi Lawton). I met a group of local writers via NaNoWriMo and we'll be organizing a writing/critique group in early 2017.


11. Keep on blogging.

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: I completely dropped the ball on this one. I have no excuses.


Out of 11 goals, I fully achieved two and kinda achieved two. Those aren't very good numbers, huh. So, at this point, you're probably wondering: What the heck did you do all year, Kara? I'm glad you asked. I did a LOT! Honestly! Take a look...

• I've written a total of 382,282 words on my personal projects this past year. 
• I've edited a total of 6 manuscripts for freelance clients.
• I've edited a total of 7 manuscripts for Anaiah Press.
• My New Adult contemporary romance, Tempting Tanner, sold to Entangled Publishing in a three-book deal. It's the Collins Brothers Series and will be releasing throughout 2017. I've spent months editing, rewriting, and editing some more. 
• I wrote the Collins Brothers Book 2--Chasing Xander.
• I wrote a large chunk of the Collins Brothers Book 3--Resisting Ryder.
• I wrote a big chunk of Hallowed Ground (Graves Barren, Book 1).
• I wrote 25k of a brand new New Adult romance that's pushing the boundaries in some fun ways.
• I co-mentored not one but TWO authors for PitchWars. And I'm beyond thrilled to say they are both now agented. 
• I started a new young adult romance. 
• I won NaNoWriMo!!
• I outlined a book proposal for a spin-off to my Collins Brothers Series.
• Jody Holford and I released Jaded Love. 
• I visited Washington, DC with my daughter and her 5th grade class. 
• I made several trips back to NY to visit my parents and my two older daughters.
• My parents visited Michigan for the first time ever, and I had a blast showing them around. 

Even though I didn't meet many of my original goals, I still accomplished a lot. The sale of my series changed my focus, and that's okay. In my mind, 2016 was an overall win!

What did you get done this past year?

Confessions from the Editing Cave with Carol Pavliska

Welcome back to yet another installment of Confessions from the Editing Cave. Today in the confessional -- contemporary romance author, Carol Pavliska!

1. Tell us a bit about your background working with editor(s). Did you hire a freelance editor? Work with an editor at a publishing house? Work with an agent in the capacity of an editor? All of the above or some other combination?

The editor I worked with is at a publishing house. 

2. What was your overall relationship with your editor? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

What I needed in an editor was someone who knew what she was doing, would respond to emails and concerns in a timely manner, and would value my time as much as I valued hers. I definitely got those things with my editor. However, in addition to those few things I needed, there were a few things I wanted. I mean, I like to be petted and loved and complimented and endlessly fawned over as much as the next girl – as long as the next girl is a gaping black hole of neediness. It took a few (perfectly sane) e-mails for my editor to recognize that I was a delicate flower – like one of those ridiculous indoor orchids you get for Mother’s Day that requires a mister and non-chlorinated water for the three months it takes it to finally die. Once she learned how to pat me on the head and tell me my hair was pretty, we got along smashingly well.

3. What was the best edit you’ve ever received from your editor?

Honestly, I think when my editor goes to sleep every night she congratulates herself for having saved my hero from plaid pants. I still think plaid pants are sexy, but I have come to realize they might be an acquired taste that the masses are not quite ready for.

To Recap: Editorial Save of the Century—putting hot, sexy Julian in reasonable pants.

4. What was the worst edit you’ve ever received from your editor?

One time I put a hero in these fantastically awesome plaid pants and my editor insisted on removing them from his body and replacing them with boring pants in a solid color. Actually, I don’t think we even gave them a color. I think we just ended up calling them “pants.”

To Recap: Editorial Fail of the Century—removing hot, sexy Julian’s awesome plaid pants and not even for anything fun.

5. What was your first, initial, gut-reaction to your edits?

I’ve held friends’ hands while they opened editorial letters. And it was usually pretty awful. Logically, I knew that if I was ever lucky enough to receive an editorial letter of my own, it would probably be pretty awful. But I didn’t believe it. And that’s why I was surprised when it didn’t say, “Wow! This is perfect just as it is! Congrats!” 

Once the shock and awe wore off, I moved on to bitter devastation. I cried. I threatened to quit. Basically, I did all the usual things authors do when they receive their editorial letters only worse and with tequila. I’m absolutely amazed I have any friends left at all.

6. Confession time! Share anything else you’d like to confess.

The most valuable lesson I learned in working with my editor on Color Me Crazy is that most required edits are not as big as they seem. Often, a single sentence is all it takes. But you don’t realize that when you first read an editor’s comment. Everything looks gigantic – when in fact, much of it is very small. And nothing is personal. It just feels like it. 

ALL ABOUT CAROL:

Carol Pavliska began her writing career as a family humor columnist and blogger, a pursuit she abandoned when her children grew old enough to realize they were being exploited. To save them from further embarrassment, she turned to writing fiction. Her debut novel is a steamy contemporary romance so, unfortunately, the children are still embarrassed.

Carol and her husband, both diehard Red Hot Chili Peppers fans, raise their vegan brood of mortified offspring on a cattle ranch in south Texas. No lie. 

To connect with Carol, visit her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. 

{COVER REVEAL} Library Jumpers by Brenda Drake

I am so excited, I'm giddy! The amazing Brenda Drake devotes so much time and effort to helping other authors that I'm thrilled to be able to help her today. Her debut YA novel, Library Jumpers, is coming our early next year, and she's revealing the cover for it today!!!

READY? (It's really good...)

Release Date: January 2016

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound.

Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Brenda Drake, the youngest of three children, grew up an Air Force brat and the continued new kid at school until her family settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Brenda’s fondest memories growing up is of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was only fitting that she would choose to write young adult and middle grade novels with a bend toward the fantastical. When Brenda’s not writing or doing the social media thing, she’s haunting libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops or reading someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment.) 

Author Links:

   

Cover Reveal Organized by: