Studying and research!

Today has been a busy day, been mugging up on the practicalities of my newly chosen career path. Getting published really isn't an easy thing to do, and I really enjoy self-publishing wwhich cuts out a ton of really hard work, but if I am going to take this seriously I guess I have to try to take it on board and do it properly.

I am really proud of what I have written so far, but I am nervous of rejection and of really harsh criticism so self-publication has been a convenient way around that, but I know that in order to become a better writer, and to give you - my lovely readers - something that is worth reading, with plots that are watertight and characters that you can almost imagine you are sitting next to, I have to suck it up and put them out there to be criticised.

Anyone got any hints on how to get over my fears?!! All suggestions gratefully received, and anything within legal constraints will be considered! Also, anyone got any photos of a tiny little village/hamlet in Australia - I'm struggling to picture one, and make it real enough in the new book! xxx

Ahhh...... freedom!

Today is the first day in over two months that I haven't been editing, formatting or uploading books for publication - and it feels wonderful. I have a head swimming with ideas for my next book, and am feeling free as a bird. It is lovely to not have to panic about anything now until late June when I will start hitting the deadline for my next book!

But, I don't intend to just sit back and hope that everything will happen of its own accord. I am trying to set up advertising campaigns for my books, and am exploring as many cheap options as possible. I have just put out two ads on Facebook - so if you see them, please can you post on the wall here, or at facebook that you have seen them so I know that they are getting out there!

Anyone got any ideas of cheap, or free ways to advertise - all options gratefully received!! xx

And now for charity ....

I already announced the publication of this little collection of short stories and poems on Facebook, but I fet the need to let all of you know here too. Cornucopia is available in all e-publishing formats at smashwords.com and as a paperback at lulu.com

I ask you to please, please buy this book, as all proceeds will not be going to myself, but to an amazing charity - The J's Hospice, and they really need as much help as we can give them. The J's is a charity raising money to provide hospice and respite care for 18 to 40 year olds with life limiting conditions in Essex. With momentum growing for the provision of an age-appropriate building for young adults, they have already begun to provide'The J's@Home' service which offers care to patients in the comfort of their own home.

Cornucopia is not a fully edited and polished work, as I felt that if I edited the pieces in it I would alter the mood and purpose of my publishing it. I wrote these stories and poems whilst suffering from depression, and in many ways the book charts the progression I made through my illness, to beginning to find myself and my voice enough to be able to write 'An Aristocratic Awakening' and 'A Date With Destiny' I feel very privileged to be able to have a record of my struggle to regain a 'normal' life, though my existence is definitely not what I would call normal, nor would I ever want it to be. But, it is great to be able to finish things, to be proud of my achievments, and to want to keep achieving more and more. I hope those of you who are fans now will see my progression as a writer, and hopefully as a person, over many years as you hopefully continue to enjoy the books I write, and the blogs I stutter through!

There is also exciting news, that within the next three weeks the e-book of 'An Aristocratic Awakening' will be available through Apple, Diesel, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and Sony which is pretty exciting, and great news for all my lovely fans!

OOH.. I feel like a production line!

Well, it is mad isn't it? It takes you six years to complete the first book, and then the second one comes along all in a hurry.

A Date with Destiny has now been uploaded to the various sites necessary, and so should be available to purchase within the next few days.

I am pretty pleased with this book, and think it is a definite improvement on An Aristocratic Awakening, but then again it is a slightly different type of a book. I would like to apologise now if anyone recognises themselves in it, as I will be honest I drew a lot of inspiration from many of the people I have met throughout my lifetime to create the characters of Amy, Daphne, Margot, Carole and Mike. They are composites though, and any real likenesses were utterly unintended. There is also a lot more of myself in this book than in Aristocrat - I loved Carrie and Daniel, but there wasn't much about either of them that was even vaguely autobiographical. There are bits of all of the characters in Destiny however that are all me!

I hope you will enjoy this new addition to the Rosie Mac library, and am really excited that I can now just get on with writing the next book in the series. Anna and Jim keep knocking on the door, and I have to keep shutting it in their faces, but I think they deserve to come in and tell their story too now. Hopefully I will have it ready for all of you by July!
xxx

Still putting it all off......

The problem at the moment is that the weather is just too beautiful to sit around in my office and edit and write. I have so much to do in the garden, and when the weather is so fine you have to jump at the chance to get out there and play in the dirt. I spent much of yesterday planting up pots full of summer flowering bulbs, emptying out and cleaning up pots from last year, washing and sweeping down my decking and planting plenty of peas, french beans, and runner beans (I love these fresh from the garden, and they are sooo easy to grow!).

I have finally approved the paperback version of 'Aristocratic Awakening' for distribution, so it should be available within the next 8 weeks or so at Amazon/Barnes and Noble etc. I can't believe how many amendments I had to make to it to ensure that it was how I wanted it to be. I am really chuffed with it though - it looks great! But, the errors made with this one, will make it easier when I do 'Destiny' and the next books in the Castle Cluny Series. I know what I want now, and so even when I am just writing out the drafts I am already thinking about the different formatting requirements for each format.

Still, not much will get done today - unless I get some peace and quiet later on - hopefully Aidan will go to the pub as usual - as I have a full day of clients. Still, as they always say - no rest for the wicked, and my self-imposed deadline for publication is the end of April, so needs must! xxx

Procrastination, and other bad habits ....

Well the last few days have been interesting. Though I got woken with the urge to write an inordinate amount of work on my new book - Amy and Jim's story in the Castle Cluny Romance series - I am struggling to buckle down and edit 'Destiny', even though I promised readers that it would be complete by April. I know I still technically have until the end of the month to complete it, but I am getting truly sick of editing, and just want to get on with some writing again.

It has taken me over a month to get Daniel and Carrie sorted to my full satisfaction, and the thought of having to go through it all again in order to get everything ready for publishing, and then any amendments that might crop up if I spot something that doesn't work (in Aristocratic Awakening not one person who proof-read for me, or who has purchased copies had noticed that it jumped from chapter fourteen to chapter sixteen! There wasn't a chapter missing, just a continuity error). It is so time-consuming, and feels a little soul-destroying when each self-publishing option wants it presented in a different way, and the endless re-formatting is quite frankly giving me the willies - I haven't had enough time to forget the struggles with the first one, to be excited about doing it all again for 'Destiny'.

Still - the great news is that I now have a spangly new, all singing, all dancing website which is looking fabulous! http://www.rosiemacdonald.com/ is now up and running, and is the one-stop-shop for all Rosie Mac news, purchase links for my books in all formats, a calendar of events (so if anyone would like me to come and do any book signings etc please use the contact form - I will be honoured to come!), and the blog will be streamed straight to it! Am very excited, it makes me look so professional.

So, I'm off to do some more editing now, or maybe I'll do the hoovering, change the bed, write another chapter of Jim and Anna's story ......

A big Thank you to M Whipps!

I would really like to thank M Whipps for her lovely review on lulu.com, it has really made my day to know someone has enjoyed the book!

She said:

'My sister-in-law bought me a copy of this book, and it arrived on Saturday. I enjoy a good read, but admit that if I don't enjoy a book I will put it down and forget about it pretty quickly. I have to say however, that this book was a surprise, considering Rosie is a new author she is very talented, and brings everything to life. I couldn't put it down, and finished it late Saturday evening. Really looking forward to her next books, and I can't wait to see what else might happen to Carrie and Daniel and their friends in the next one.'

How lovely is that - nice to know that Carrie and Daniel have some new friends! xxx

And even more amendments .....

The new, pocket-book sized Aristocratic Awakening arrived today - and yet again the excitement, and the disappointment! I had resized the documents uploaded to make up the book, and now it has arrived and the text is just that bit too small! Yes, I am beginning to feel downright picky about this - but it is my first novel, and I want it to be perfect.

So, I think I have it right now - so I do hope that you will all enjoy it, and that I will finally be able to get on with work on my new novel 'A Date with Destiny' which I am hoping and praying will be edited and ready for publication by the end of this month - as I have promised this in the ad page in the back of my novel, and on Amazon, Lulu, and Smashwords!

I can't wait to get back to concentrating on the bit of this whole experience I love best - the actual writing of my stories. I feel that I have been the worst kind of a friend to the characters in 'Destiny' recently as I have been neglecting them in favour of bindings, formatting, and revisions. It has also made it really hard to get Daniel and Carrie out of my mind too. Still - I think their story is finally complete, and its presentation finally to my liking!

OOOH - and another thing, my fabulous new wesbite is coming along brilliantly - my web designer is doing a fabbo job, and I can't wait for it to be complete and available for all of you to have a one-stop-shop so to speak for all your Rosie Mac news, views, and purchases! xxxxxxxxxxx