Welcome back, TLN'ers!
If you're longing for the weekend's return, relax, my friend! I've got just the remedy for the 'Moanday-I don't-want-to's'! How about a new author to add to your romance menu?!
Meet the very lovely and very talentedElisabeth Naughton!
Quite by chance I won Elisabeth's STOLEN FURY and instantly became addicted to her fresh and vibrant voice. The cover quote on STOLEN likened the windswept romance to Indiana Jones and Romancing The Stone. Well, let me tell you, Ms. Naughton delivered full force! I adored the book and know you'll fall just as fast as I did.
No time like the present to meet a DOUBLE RITA FINALIST! Yep, you read it right! STOLEN FURY has been nominated for a RITA in both the Romance Suspense Category AND Best First Book Category!
What a way to start the day!! So, sit on back, relax, and get ready to be amazed! . . . psst! Prize alert!
Thanks so much to Sarah for inviting me here today!
I often get asked how the heck I’m able to write so fast. I had two books release in 2009, will have three more out in 2010, and another three in 2011. For a relatively new author, this seems like a lot of books in a short amount of time. And it is. I’m lucky that my publishers likes my work so much they juggle the schedule so my releases are coming no more than six months apart. But…here’s a little secret I’m going to let you in on…I’m not writing six gazillion books a year like it seems.
I was very lucky when I sold my first series—the Stolen Series—that I already had the first two books in that trilogy completed and was in the process of wrapping up the first book in my upcoming Eternal Guardians series as well (which launches with MARKED, April 27, 2010). That left only one I had to write on deadline for my first contract, and one more in my second contract. I remember my agent telling me, “Enjoy this, because it’s the ONLY time in your career you aren’t going to be stressing over a deadline.” Being a newly sold author, I nodded my head, said, “Uh huh,” then promptly ignored her. But I shouldn’t have. Because she was right. Had I been smart, I’d have been writing the next book instead of lollygagging on the internet and emailing everyone I knew. If I’d done that, my life would be easier now.
That’s not to say I’m not thrilled to be on deadline. I struggled for several years to sell, so I’m very thankful that I have a book to write and that someone’s waiting in the wings for me to finish. But writing is hard work, and when you have kids and a husband around, a five year old who isn’t in kindergarten yet and sports activities to run to every afternoon and weekend, it makes finding time to write that much harder.
Often times aspiring writers will toil over one manuscript for years, polishing it to death, rewriting it every time they get contest or agent feedback that makes them look at the project in a new light. And then there’s the whole fear factor—will I sell? Am I wasting my time? Is this idea good enough to carry two or three books? My advice to aspiring writers is this: Write. When you finish a project, move on to another one. You get better with every book you write. If you’re close to selling and you’re waiting for news on subs from publishers, don’t let it stifle you. Keep writing. There’s so much in this business that will eat up your time after you sell—promo and contracts and page proofs and the post office (I swear I need to just pitch a tent there!). Don’t waste your time now, when all you have to do is write. Write the best book you possibly can, then turn around and do it again with new characters and a new plot and a new setting…only better.
Okay, now to the fun stuff…
Sarah asked me to answer these two questions. Honestly, since this is about blurbs and I loathe blurbs, I’d really rather pull my eyelashes out one by one. But BECAUSE Sarah is so sweet, I want you all to know I suffered my way through this. So here you go…
1) If you were a book, what would your blurb be?
Unorganized procrastinator, author Elisabeth Naughton is on a mission to save the world from a lack of romance. Determined to bring her fast-paced, fresh take on romantic suspense and paranormals to the light of avid readers, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to reach the happy ending—and meet her deadline. But when three Gremlins of various ages and a black-spotted canine decide her laptop is the bane of their existence, Elisabeth is on a race against time to type ‘The End’. If she’s not careful, she’ll have to pull an all-nighter (or several), which will likely lead to certain doom for her Gremlins. Because they don’t realize how lucky they have it. And for some strange reason, they keep forgetting just what she’s really like when she’s super stressed…
And
2) Using three words, describe your voice.
Snarky. Smart. Fresh.
It was super fun to be here with you today! As a treat, I have an ARC of MARKED to give away to one lucky commenter. Simply tell me…what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten—writing related or not. (I should really make you all answer #1 yourselves! Now that would be an exercise in writing.)
And don’t forget to check out MARKED, the first book in my new Eternal Guardians series, which hits store shelves Tuesday, April 27, 2010. It’s chock full of suspense and mystery, snarky gods, a hot hero, a sassy heroine and a centuries-old prophecy that might just bring about the end of the world. Oh yeah, and there’s a steaming hot romance running through the entire thing. To learn more about me, MARKED and all my other books, visit my website at www.elisabethnaughton.com .
Oh-Da-Lolly! Talk about a breath of inspiration! I'd like to extend a VERY big thank you to ELisabeth for kicking it with us today. Here's wishing her tons of success with MARKED's release! I know I'll be standing in line to grab my copy and I hope you will be too! :)
THANK YOU, TLN'ers! I'm sending you positive thoughts for a rewarding and productive week. To get you feeling right, I've got a track straight from Elisabeth's playlist. Here's the hottie-with-a-naughty-body, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE and SEXY BACK!! Remember, when faced with a Moanday, louder is always better!
Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win an ARC of MARKED!! Good luck to all!! I'll announce the winner Tuesday!
If you're longing for the weekend's return, relax, my friend! I've got just the remedy for the 'Moanday-I don't-want-to's'! How about a new author to add to your romance menu?!
Meet the very lovely and very talentedElisabeth Naughton!
Quite by chance I won Elisabeth's STOLEN FURY and instantly became addicted to her fresh and vibrant voice. The cover quote on STOLEN likened the windswept romance to Indiana Jones and Romancing The Stone. Well, let me tell you, Ms. Naughton delivered full force! I adored the book and know you'll fall just as fast as I did.
No time like the present to meet a DOUBLE RITA FINALIST! Yep, you read it right! STOLEN FURY has been nominated for a RITA in both the Romance Suspense Category AND Best First Book Category!
What a way to start the day!! So, sit on back, relax, and get ready to be amazed! . . . psst! Prize alert!
Thanks so much to Sarah for inviting me here today!
I often get asked how the heck I’m able to write so fast. I had two books release in 2009, will have three more out in 2010, and another three in 2011. For a relatively new author, this seems like a lot of books in a short amount of time. And it is. I’m lucky that my publishers likes my work so much they juggle the schedule so my releases are coming no more than six months apart. But…here’s a little secret I’m going to let you in on…I’m not writing six gazillion books a year like it seems.
I was very lucky when I sold my first series—the Stolen Series—that I already had the first two books in that trilogy completed and was in the process of wrapping up the first book in my upcoming Eternal Guardians series as well (which launches with MARKED, April 27, 2010). That left only one I had to write on deadline for my first contract, and one more in my second contract. I remember my agent telling me, “Enjoy this, because it’s the ONLY time in your career you aren’t going to be stressing over a deadline.” Being a newly sold author, I nodded my head, said, “Uh huh,” then promptly ignored her. But I shouldn’t have. Because she was right. Had I been smart, I’d have been writing the next book instead of lollygagging on the internet and emailing everyone I knew. If I’d done that, my life would be easier now.
That’s not to say I’m not thrilled to be on deadline. I struggled for several years to sell, so I’m very thankful that I have a book to write and that someone’s waiting in the wings for me to finish. But writing is hard work, and when you have kids and a husband around, a five year old who isn’t in kindergarten yet and sports activities to run to every afternoon and weekend, it makes finding time to write that much harder.
Often times aspiring writers will toil over one manuscript for years, polishing it to death, rewriting it every time they get contest or agent feedback that makes them look at the project in a new light. And then there’s the whole fear factor—will I sell? Am I wasting my time? Is this idea good enough to carry two or three books? My advice to aspiring writers is this: Write. When you finish a project, move on to another one. You get better with every book you write. If you’re close to selling and you’re waiting for news on subs from publishers, don’t let it stifle you. Keep writing. There’s so much in this business that will eat up your time after you sell—promo and contracts and page proofs and the post office (I swear I need to just pitch a tent there!). Don’t waste your time now, when all you have to do is write. Write the best book you possibly can, then turn around and do it again with new characters and a new plot and a new setting…only better.
Okay, now to the fun stuff…
Sarah asked me to answer these two questions. Honestly, since this is about blurbs and I loathe blurbs, I’d really rather pull my eyelashes out one by one. But BECAUSE Sarah is so sweet, I want you all to know I suffered my way through this. So here you go…
1) If you were a book, what would your blurb be?
Unorganized procrastinator, author Elisabeth Naughton is on a mission to save the world from a lack of romance. Determined to bring her fast-paced, fresh take on romantic suspense and paranormals to the light of avid readers, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to reach the happy ending—and meet her deadline. But when three Gremlins of various ages and a black-spotted canine decide her laptop is the bane of their existence, Elisabeth is on a race against time to type ‘The End’. If she’s not careful, she’ll have to pull an all-nighter (or several), which will likely lead to certain doom for her Gremlins. Because they don’t realize how lucky they have it. And for some strange reason, they keep forgetting just what she’s really like when she’s super stressed…
And
2) Using three words, describe your voice.
Snarky. Smart. Fresh.
It was super fun to be here with you today! As a treat, I have an ARC of MARKED to give away to one lucky commenter. Simply tell me…what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten—writing related or not. (I should really make you all answer #1 yourselves! Now that would be an exercise in writing.)
And don’t forget to check out MARKED, the first book in my new Eternal Guardians series, which hits store shelves Tuesday, April 27, 2010. It’s chock full of suspense and mystery, snarky gods, a hot hero, a sassy heroine and a centuries-old prophecy that might just bring about the end of the world. Oh yeah, and there’s a steaming hot romance running through the entire thing. To learn more about me, MARKED and all my other books, visit my website at www.elisabethnaughton.com .
Oh-Da-Lolly! Talk about a breath of inspiration! I'd like to extend a VERY big thank you to ELisabeth for kicking it with us today. Here's wishing her tons of success with MARKED's release! I know I'll be standing in line to grab my copy and I hope you will be too! :)
THANK YOU, TLN'ers! I'm sending you positive thoughts for a rewarding and productive week. To get you feeling right, I've got a track straight from Elisabeth's playlist. Here's the hottie-with-a-naughty-body, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE and SEXY BACK!! Remember, when faced with a Moanday, louder is always better!
Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win an ARC of MARKED!! Good luck to all!! I'll announce the winner Tuesday!
23 comments:
Elisabeth, I've been wanting to try your work. Love finding new authors that are so prolific...means less waiting time for me! :)
Hmm, best piece of advice I've received. Probably to write stories I'd like to read. It's hard enough to write a book - and even harder to write in a genre you're not interested in! Your interests often point you exactly where you need to go.
Best of luck, Elisabeth!
Great Advice and congrats on your upcoming release Elisabeth, I'm really looking forward to Marked. I loved your voice in the Stolen series and can't wait to read your paranormal work!
Thank you for sharing.
Best
'Everything possible, nothing Impossible. So Never give up !' :D
I heard so much about your books, and i'm sooo want to be the lucky one to read win this ! Coz you are a new for me Author.
uniquas at ymail dot com
Major congratulations on the double RITA nod, Elisabeth! Best of luck at Nationals :).
Hmm, best piece of advice I've ever gotten? This is from my boss when I was a law student working as a law clerk back in what seems like another lifetime, lol. She told me how much she loved my work, but then said, "Get a thicker skin." Great advice, and words I have yet to live by all the time. But as a writer, they're essential.
your book sounds awesome ty for the post! cantw ait to readthis book I loved the stolen series
so much i got my mom and sister to get them to lol
Great advice, and congratulations on the RITA nominations!
Hm, best advice... Well, I've always lived by "do what makes you happy," and it's worked out pretty well so far. :) Thanks for the chance to win!
Hi Elisabeth,
Congrats on your Marked release. I haven't read any of your work before but I'm definitely going to now. Thanks for sharing and I wish much success in all your writing.
The nest advice I ever received as a young woman was "to find the humor in every situation and take one day at a time"
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com
Great interview Sarah and Elisabeth! I think having your book compared with Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone is right up there with winning the lottery. ;-)
Best advice given to me as a writer... Always be professional.
Hi Elisabeth, what a great interview. I love the blurb you wrote to describe yourself, you had my chuckling.
The Stolen series is currently sitting on my favorite's shelf, and so deserving of the double Rita nominations. Now I can't wait to start reading Marked.
Let's see, the best advice I ever received was as a new mom with twin boys. I was totally overwhelmed and my grandma told me to just breathe away the fear, and that one of the best ways forward was to listen to my own instincts, do what comes naturally, and love them with all of my heart.
caity_mack(at)yahoo(d0t)com
Thanks so much for all the great comments. And big thanks to Sarah for inviting me to be here with you all today!
Cari - love that advice. That's what made the difference for me between selling and not selling. Once I stopped trying to write what I *thought* would sell, I wrote something I wanted to read.
Lea - thanks so much. I hope you enjoy MARKED. It got another great review today from Fresh Fiction so I'm really hoping readers enjoy it as much as reviewers seem to be.
Mariska - FABULOUS motto/quote! I'm going to remember that one.
Thanks for the congrats, Helen. I'm still a little over the moon on the Rita noms. Totally unexpected.
I do have to agree with your coworker. You really have to have a thick skin in this business. Someone on amazon just gave Stolen Fury - my Rita nom book, btw - a one star review. In the beginning that might have killed me. But now...you just have to realize there will be people who love your work and those who don't. And that's the same for readers as it is for agents and editors. But if you stick with it long enough, all your hard work WILL pay off.
Thanks so much, SiNn! That's the best compliment an author can get - when someone recommends their books to people they know. I appreciate it!
Julie - thanks! And great motto to live by. :)
Thank you, Carol. I hope you enjoy my books!
Debra - LOL. YES...my editor was absolutely thrilled when reviews for Stolen Fury started coming in and the comparisons she wanted - to Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone - were made without her having to prod anyone.
Aw, Cathy. Thanks so much! I love hearing I'm on a keeper shelf! And the advice you got is fabulous. I have a good friend with twin girls and she lives by the same motto. (Personally, I'm in awe of both of you!)
LOVED the Interview, Elisabeth! And your Books sound great! OOH, raising my hand to be in for the ARC of MARKED!!!
Best Advice? My mom always said: Tomorrow never comes. If you wait for it, you end up facing TODAY. So look forward to every day instead of worrying about tomorrow!
HUGS! Kari Thomas, www.authorkari.com
Hi Elisabeth and Sarah! I'm sorry I'm late. Running around like the deadline chicken Elisabeth mentioned. :) Elisabeth, I'm so thrilled with the fabulous results you've received critically from your first books! Congratulations again!
I couldn't agree more that doubt is the author's (first time or not) boiling green goblin on the shoulder. I agree totally with what you said. Finish that babuct (baby + product--LOL) and move onto the next thing. It will keep you sane. It's a hard business.
Best to everyone! And Elisabeth, congrats on Marked!
okay, I'm annoyed, the blog ate my comment from this morning and it was funny and smart....sniff....you still love me though eh, Eli? I just want everyone to know I've read Marked and it FREAKIN ROCKS!!!!!
Elisabeth, I haven't read any of your books, but I will add you to the list of authors to try.
Amelia
Hi Elisabeth
It figures your post would be smart
and fresh too LOL. I loved your blurb "unorganized procratinator".
You're doing something right because your books grab me from page one & don't let go till I'm done. Best of luck with the new series.
Forgot the best advice:
"Say anything you want but say it with a smile."
Great post. Love the blurb about yourself.
The best advice I've ever heard is "Be true to yourself" and the one that I ignore a lot as I'm a procrastinator is the classic "never put off til tomorrow what you can do today". Mom would say that to me a lot when I was younger and it is good advice but....oh well.
Thanks, Kari. And I love our mom's advice!
Hey, Beth K! Thanks so much for stoping by. And for the contgrats. ;) I love what you said about the boiling green goblin on the shoulder - I hate that guy! But you're right, moving on definitely keeps a writer sane.
Oh, no, Jules! I hate technology sometimes! Thanks for popping in. And YES, totally luv you. (Esp because you pimp my books. LOL)
Thanks, Amelia. I hope you enjoy my work!
LOL, Mary. I am definitely an unorganized procrastinator. The DH actually ordered me to go buy a new phone with a PDA because, according to him, "I suck at writing things down." He's actually true. But hey, if he's FORCING me to go shopping, I can't complain.
Beth - love the "be true to yourself" advice. That's something we ALL should live by. It crosses over into every aspect of our lives. Thanks for that!
Wowza! What a party! Thanks for swinging by everyone! I appreciate you hanging out at TLN. ((hugs!))
The Winner of Elisabeth's ARC is . . . SINn!!
SiNn, if you could email me at:
TheLovestruckNovice@gmail.com
Thanks again for participating! :)
Elisabeth -- I know the contest is over, but I just wanted to say that I absolutely LOVED your blurb...very cute. Looking forward to reading your books! Another great interview Sarah. :)
I know I am too late for the contest, but I still wanted to comment. Elisabeth, you gave some great advice. Thanks for keeping it real and reminding us all what life will be like when we are published! I wish you much success on your new release and future books!
Hugs
Micole
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