My dear friend and fellow writer, Sandy Lender, has announced that the second book in the Choices Trilogy is officially released. If you haven't read "Choices Meant for Gods" yet, run, don't walk and get a copy fast and read it even faster. The second book picks up where the last one left off and you don't want to skip a beat with this one.
So please, go to http://www.archebooks.com/ and get your copy today. You can get the e-book for $3.99 and if you go now to her publisher's website, you will get a 25% discount on the hardcover book.
It's a page turner and I don't usually read fantasy fiction, but this world she created just sucks you right in and once you start reading, you can't put it down.
So, give yourself a little escape today. Go to http://www.archebooks.com/ and buy "Choices Meant for Kings" right now!
Thanks and happy reading!
Laura :)
Showing posts with label Choices Meant for Gods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Choices Meant for Gods. Show all posts
Friday, August 21, 2009
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
39 and...hoping
"It's never too late to become the person you might have been."
Thirty-nine years ago today (June 11, 1969) at 11:55 p.m., I arrived at North Memorial Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada.
I can't believe I'm this old, and parts of me feel a lot older. LOL! But, I'm 39 and... hoping.
You read that correctly, H-O-P-I-N-G. I still have hope. I don't want to be 39 and HOLDING, that implies desperation, and I may have felt that way a few times today, I realize that's not the energy I want to put out into the world and have come back to me.
I Hope for the next year to come, that I will live to see the BIG 4-0.
I Hope that I will be working from home as a true, honest to God, income producing freelance writer and copywriter full time.
I Hope that I will be teaching and holding seminars, and workshops and sharing my love and passion of the written word to those who may be a little scared to make that leap.
I Hope QH and I can retire.
I Hope my son is successful in advancing in his career in the Navy.
I Hope to accomplish a few more goals on my list, both creatively, professionally, personally and financially.
I Hope that all of my family members and friends are still healthy and happy in their lives and if they aren't happy, I hope they find that path yesterday.
I Hope that we will be a better world, that people will treat each other with kindness.
I Hope...
As far as birthdays go, I had a rough start to my day. Thunderstorms rocked through the area all day. Lightning, thunder, dark clouds, torrential rain, and high winds are not weather that seems to induce any kind of positive reflection. I found myself wanting to go back to bed (which I did), and hide under the covers for a bit. But, I couldn't stay in bed all day, I have a lot of work to do.
I am up to my eyelashes in work to get my house, the garage and the yard in shape for this weekend. I'm throwing a party for my son before he leaves for boot camp on June 19th. I'm hoping all the bad weather is done now and that it will be sunny to partly cloudy on Saturday. Please pray. Thank you.
Today was also my babysitting day, and my nephew, Cannon, who is 2 years old, was over at my house. Usually he is pretty good, but today he was in all of his 2 year old glory. He might have picked up my stressed out vibe and decided to capitalize on it. Who knows.
He wanted me to hold him, then he was getting into the cupboards, then he was following me into the bathroom, then he was trying to sweep and almost breaking everything around him, so I gave him a "rag" and he started "cleaning" stuff. That seemed to work until lunch when I made him spaghetti and he ended up with more on his head and clothes than in his mouth. Bath time!!
I had to take him to my Mom's house because I had today off from work (thank you, thank you, thank you), and I lost 2 hours running from my house to her house, stopping by Walmart really quick and then getting back to the house to try and finish up what I was working on. Since Mom and I work at the same place, we usually play "Pass the baby" at work and Cannon goes home with her.
When I finally arrived back home, I was washing the dishes, and when the water started to drain out, I heard this louder than usual gushing sound coming from under the sink. The pipe had unscrewed itself from under the drain and the water was pouring out into a bucket underneath. The water collected mostly in the bucket, but some of it ended up on my freshly mopped floor. GRRRR!!!
Oh, and it was about 5:15 pm and I was expected to go over to my MIL's house for taco dinner for my birthday...at 5:30 pm. Great.
How's that song go? "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all?"
I wanted to feel sorry for myself.
I really did.
I did have a mental moment when I just cried because it seemed all I was doing was spinning my wheels.
Earlier today, my brother called to wish me a Happy Birthday, and I felt really awful when I was whining to him on the phone. I almost broke down because he and his lovely wife, Lisa, live in Oklahoma, and they aren't able to visit before Alex leaves. I tried not to let my voice shake too much, because he had also called with good news. He has been working his butt off for the last few months to get into school to become a respiratory therapist and he MADE IT!! I am so proud of him, and I realized just how much I really miss my brother. I put the phone down and let the tears go. Enough is enough.
In the end, I can't really feel sorry for myself.
All the things that happened today were "little things". Nothing more than annoyances. Nothing about them was life threatening (ok, the weather had the potential to be dangerous).
I was watching Oprah last night(it was a repeat) and they had Randy Pausch, the author of "The Last Lecture". Randy has a great career, has a beautiful wife and 3 beautiful children under the age of 5 and he's dying of pancreatic cancer. He wrote the "Last Lecture" as part of a class he teaches at Carnegie Mellon University. The lecture is based on the hypothetical situation that if you know you are going to die, what wisdom would you impart to your students or the world at large. Only in his case, it's reality.
One of the most profound things he said was, "You have a choice to be a Tigger or an Eeyore. It's up to you how you decide, how you choose to go through life." (I'm paraphrasing, if you want to check out the whole lecture, I believe it's on the Oprah.com website.
After watching that, and listening to what he said, I realized I have nothing to bitch about. This last few weeks has brought lots of bad news about my family and friends.
Firs, my uncle Jim, who lives in North Dakota, suffered a heart attack a few days ago, and had to have surgery. I have him and his family in my prayers. I was told he is home tonight.
I also have a dear friend who is battling Hodgkins Disease. She went today to have surgery to prep her for chemo. You know her, she's been a frequent visitor here. She is Sandy Lender, author of the Choices Meant for Gods trilogy. The second installment is on its way to be printed at the publisher, and she gets the news that she has this lymphoma in her lungs. No, she doesn't smoke, she eats as healthy as she can, and she is optimistic that she will be "over this in a couple of months." This was quite a shock, since she is a year YOUNGER than me. Talk about a wake up call.
So, as I sit here in the dark, almost 2 hours into being 39 years old, I have to say I am very truly blessed. I can't complain but I do, I'm human and I have my tantrums. I have my "the world should revolve around me moments," but I KNOW, there are people close to me, and some I don't know, who are going through a hell of a lot more than I am. Shut up and be thankful. Count your blessings and figure out what you're going to accomplish before your next birthday, you whiny baby!!
The quote at the top is a new one. I have it taped to my computer monitor where I can glance up and read it when I feel like giving up. I got it from one of my writing groups in Yahoo, called the Creative Mindset. One of the members quoted it during a teleseminar.
I love it. It will set the pace for me in the next 12 months.
In the meantime, for those who wished me a Happy Birthday and I was less than chipper, my sincerest apologies. I was not trying to be ungrateful. I truly appreciate those who remembered, even though I wanted to forget.
I would also like to thank my mother. She's always told me the story about the day I was born, police escort and all, every year on my birthday. She called me tonight to tell me she was having labor pains! LOL! I told her she should call her doctor right away. There might be a problem there!
I realized I'm thankful she is still here to call me and tell me that story, and that she still remembers it. Most people I know have lost their parents, or if they are still living, their memories or their health is fading. Both my folks are alive and kicking, and while they may drive me nuts sometimes, I'm still grateful I have them both.
Now, where's that cake???
Sunday, March 30, 2008
A Meme For a Friend
A meme isn't just the name of the evil secretary on "The Drew Carey Show" that wears lots of eye makeup and delights in making Drew's life a living hell. Oh no.
A meme is kind of like a chain letter in the blogosphere, where someone starts with a list of questions and passes it on to a list of people who have blogs and they answer them in their posts(on their own blogs, of course) and pass them on to other people. It's fun, it's informative, and it helps everyone market themselves by giving them exposure. Cool, huh?
So, my friend and fellow writer, Sandy Lender, came up with this meme and I am passing it along. It's all about getting away, like on spring break or on vacation, which all of us are sick to death of winter.
In honor of spring break and all things travel-oriented, here we go!
Getting Away With It
1) If you could live for a month in one world or time period from a novel you've read, which would you choose?
In Onweald, the world created by Sandy Lender in Choices Meant for Gods, so I could meet Amanda and Nigel and the other characters in the book (except for Jamieson Drake!).
2) If you could be one character from a comic book or fiction series, who would it be?
Nancy Drew, from a fiction series, or Wonder Woman from a comic book.
3) Where (in the real world) is your dream vacation spot?
Alaska.
4) Name a celebrity or TV personality whom you would like to have lunch with.
Stephen King.
Wow! That was cool! Now I'm passing it on to the following blogs. Check out their answers by clicking on the links below!
http://jensorganizedwriter.wordpress.com/
http://overthehillchick.blogspot.com/
http://jamiesonwolf.com/
http://oldavonladysorders.blogspot.com/
http://todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/
A meme is kind of like a chain letter in the blogosphere, where someone starts with a list of questions and passes it on to a list of people who have blogs and they answer them in their posts(on their own blogs, of course) and pass them on to other people. It's fun, it's informative, and it helps everyone market themselves by giving them exposure. Cool, huh?
So, my friend and fellow writer, Sandy Lender, came up with this meme and I am passing it along. It's all about getting away, like on spring break or on vacation, which all of us are sick to death of winter.
In honor of spring break and all things travel-oriented, here we go!
Getting Away With It
1) If you could live for a month in one world or time period from a novel you've read, which would you choose?
In Onweald, the world created by Sandy Lender in Choices Meant for Gods, so I could meet Amanda and Nigel and the other characters in the book (except for Jamieson Drake!).
2) If you could be one character from a comic book or fiction series, who would it be?
Nancy Drew, from a fiction series, or Wonder Woman from a comic book.
3) Where (in the real world) is your dream vacation spot?
Alaska.
4) Name a celebrity or TV personality whom you would like to have lunch with.
Stephen King.
Wow! That was cool! Now I'm passing it on to the following blogs. Check out their answers by clicking on the links below!
http://jensorganizedwriter.wordpress.com/
http://overthehillchick.blogspot.com/
http://jamiesonwolf.com/
http://oldavonladysorders.blogspot.com/
http://todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/
Monday, March 17, 2008
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!
This is one holiday that I look forward to every year. It's a celebration of my Irish heritage, and for people who don't have a smidge of Irish DNA in them, it's a great excuse to party!
Also, in two days (the 19th), QH and I will be celebrating 13 years of being together. We met on March 19th and had our first date on March 25. We were set up on a blind date by a friend of mine at work and her husband. So, ladies and gents, don't think that blind dates don't work. Sometimes they do!
I have a hard time believing it's really been that long. There are times I feel like we just met and are just getting to know each other, and other times, I can't even remember what my life was like before we met. It's been a great time in my life, and yes, we have had our arguments, we have had our rough times, but we have come through them together. I feel like this is going to be the year that all the good things we have worked so hard for will be coming into our lives. I'm excited and exhilirated at the thought that the LOA is working and we will have a banner year together.
To celebrate, we are leaving town to have a couple of days together. We both really need it, and it will be nice to just have some time and reconnect. Who knows what might happen while we are away? It could be lucky!
A quick update on the home front, my son Alex, has been accepted by the United States Navy and he will be leaving on June 19th. Most everyone who knows me thinks I should be crying and grieving and carrying on. Not so. I am happy that he has finally gotten what he has worked so hard to achieve and that he is on the way to make a life and a career for himself. I am extremely proud of him and all the things he has accomplished in these last few months. I will miss him, I will cry, but I won't fall apart until after he leaves. That would not be fair for him, and he is not responsible for my happiness or my unhappiness. I don't want to make him feel bad for leaving. I want him to know I love him and that no matter what happens, he can always come home.
My last post was rather sad, about the death of Jeff Healey, a great musician who brought joy to millions of people through his music. Today I want to celebrate a new life. On the celebrity front, Halle Berry and her life partner, Gabriel Aubry, welcomed a beautiful baby girl. It's the first child for both and there is no news on the name yet, but I'm sure they both are happy and feel truly blessed. There is nothing on earth like holding that tiny person in your arms for the first time. The love that flows from you to them and back again is beyond words. Congratulations to both of them!
I also want to give a shout out to my friend, Sandy Lender, who has just returned home from a business trip to my birthplace, Las Vegas, Nevada. You can read all of the hilarious details at her blog.
If you haven't picked up her book, Choices Meant for Gods, get on over to Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com and order it. The second book in the trilogy will be hitting the shelves soon. Today she has a fabulous contest going on, so check it out at her blog, todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com, and get all the details. Who knows, it's St. Patrick's Day! You just might get lucky!
Kiss someone Irish today, or just kiss someone, whether they are Irish or not. And if you drink too much green beer, then please take a cab home or have someone drive you home. Stay safe, and have a very lucky day!
This is one holiday that I look forward to every year. It's a celebration of my Irish heritage, and for people who don't have a smidge of Irish DNA in them, it's a great excuse to party!
Also, in two days (the 19th), QH and I will be celebrating 13 years of being together. We met on March 19th and had our first date on March 25. We were set up on a blind date by a friend of mine at work and her husband. So, ladies and gents, don't think that blind dates don't work. Sometimes they do!
I have a hard time believing it's really been that long. There are times I feel like we just met and are just getting to know each other, and other times, I can't even remember what my life was like before we met. It's been a great time in my life, and yes, we have had our arguments, we have had our rough times, but we have come through them together. I feel like this is going to be the year that all the good things we have worked so hard for will be coming into our lives. I'm excited and exhilirated at the thought that the LOA is working and we will have a banner year together.
To celebrate, we are leaving town to have a couple of days together. We both really need it, and it will be nice to just have some time and reconnect. Who knows what might happen while we are away? It could be lucky!
A quick update on the home front, my son Alex, has been accepted by the United States Navy and he will be leaving on June 19th. Most everyone who knows me thinks I should be crying and grieving and carrying on. Not so. I am happy that he has finally gotten what he has worked so hard to achieve and that he is on the way to make a life and a career for himself. I am extremely proud of him and all the things he has accomplished in these last few months. I will miss him, I will cry, but I won't fall apart until after he leaves. That would not be fair for him, and he is not responsible for my happiness or my unhappiness. I don't want to make him feel bad for leaving. I want him to know I love him and that no matter what happens, he can always come home.
My last post was rather sad, about the death of Jeff Healey, a great musician who brought joy to millions of people through his music. Today I want to celebrate a new life. On the celebrity front, Halle Berry and her life partner, Gabriel Aubry, welcomed a beautiful baby girl. It's the first child for both and there is no news on the name yet, but I'm sure they both are happy and feel truly blessed. There is nothing on earth like holding that tiny person in your arms for the first time. The love that flows from you to them and back again is beyond words. Congratulations to both of them!
I also want to give a shout out to my friend, Sandy Lender, who has just returned home from a business trip to my birthplace, Las Vegas, Nevada. You can read all of the hilarious details at her blog.
If you haven't picked up her book, Choices Meant for Gods, get on over to Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com and order it. The second book in the trilogy will be hitting the shelves soon. Today she has a fabulous contest going on, so check it out at her blog, todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com, and get all the details. Who knows, it's St. Patrick's Day! You just might get lucky!
Kiss someone Irish today, or just kiss someone, whether they are Irish or not. And if you drink too much green beer, then please take a cab home or have someone drive you home. Stay safe, and have a very lucky day!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Welcome Sandy Lender to the Polebarn!!
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As promised, I would like to extend a warm Minnesota welcome (and I mean WARM. The temp will be over 90 degrees today), to my friend and fellow author, Sandy Lender. Her debut novel, "Choices Meant for Gods" hit the bookstores this spring and she has been on a relentless promotional tour. I really appreciate her stopping by here to chat. Sandy, welcome!
Laura: What do you think has been more difficult, writing and publishing your book or the promotion and marketing?
Sandy Lender: Now that I've learned that no one cares who I am, I'm going to say the promotion and marketing is the most difficult part. And I mean that! There are some wonderful people (probably 50) who have purchased the book and read it and called to tell me that it rocks (I've heard other positive adverbs and adjectives, too), but, ummm, I'm not going to build a great audience with 50 sales. (I'm under-exaggerating; it's more than 50, but I'm trying to prove a point.)
Now, don't get me wrong, I never set myself up to believe I was going to make any money off this first novel. My publisher was very clear in the seminars he's given that new authors in small- to medium-sized houses just don't make money - certainly not the kind of money that lets you quit your day job and focus on the career you love. So I didn't go into this with any "delusions" that I know of. But, wow...I had hoped at least one radio station or magazine would care that a local artist had succeeded in the publishing game. Not so much. Having the people who have read the novel tell me that it's amazing and genre-breaking, etc. is a great ego boost, but that's not going to get me anywhere in life, and that's heartbreaking in the end. So I'm going to say writing is the easiest part of the equation. Getting published was next in line in terms of ease (and, by the way, that was NOT easy...took three years). Marketing and promotion is the part that will kill me.
Laura: Now that you have the book published, the first in a trilogy, do you feel the other two books will be easier or more difficult to write and publish?
Sandy Lender: Book II in the Choices Meant for Gods trilogy is complete. I'm editing now. There's a scene I have to include and I've been writing and rewriting it during traffic jams. Book III in the trilogy is almost complete, but I stopped when the Marketing and Promotion Nightmare began in full force in March. My publisher has already requested Book II and has intimated this is a long-term relationship, and I have no reason to doubt him. The arrangement is not akin to the cut-throat, bizarre situations you read about in some of the online chatgroups around the net. I'm quite surprised by some of the animosity I see authors feel toward their publishers and I'm thankful for the peace I have with mine. Very thankful. (very thankful)
Laura: You have been very open about your work schedule, your writing schedule, and the places you are going to promote your book on virtual blog tours, book signings, etc. When do you sleep? LOL!
Sandy Lender: Oh, my. Well...to be honest...I am getting a bit more sleep now than I was for a while there. I get about four hours of sleep a night. It can't be helped. I'm a new author that no one has ever heard of, so I must build a presence for myself. I must "brand." And then there's my personal life that has spiraled completely out of control thanks to the stellar choice I made in life partners 13 years ago. Like the Nazi at the end of the Indiana Jones movie...I chose poorly. So I have more than one job to try to make ends meet. (Did I mention that I won't make any money off the book?)
Laura: Writers by nature are very isolated souls, perfecting their craft out of the public eye. Do you find it more interesting to see readers in person at book signings or to participate in the virtual blog tours and promotion where you are not out in the public? Is there one way you prefer over the other?
Sandy Lender: Readers? What is this illusive creature you speak of?
Laura: What has been the most interesting thing or most interesting person you have met so far during your book tours?
Sandy Lender: Oh, man, I know who I want to meet, but I don't think he's paying attention...
The most interesting person...I'm drawing a blank, but that could be from lack of sleep. The most interesting thing...I had an online chat early on in the tour that about five people attended (if you include the host, who I think was studying for an exam or something, so he didn't really participate) but the people who attended and participated had this fantastic discussion. We covered everything from how childhood experiences affected our writing to great works of literature affecting our writing...I don't remember all of it because I never got the transcript, but I remember it being a really productive and intriguing conversation with folks, only one of whom I knew.
I'm going to have three more online chats before the end of the tour. One is this Thursday evening at http://www.cassidymckay.com/ at 8 eastern. I encourage people to participate because the conversation can get really good.
Laura: Your novel is an epic fantasy. I have read the Harry Potter series, but I felt your book was more adult and spellbinding. I read it in just a couple of days, and I got completely involved in the story and the characters. I know you had to do a lot of editing, but for the life of me, I cannot imagine what you cut that didn’t appear in the book. Is the material you cut out going to end up someplace in the second or third book? Or are you going to just keep it ‘just in case’ it inspires you to write something else?
Sandy Lender: I cut more than 70,000 words out of Choices Meant for Gods. A couple of scenes went into Book II but a majority of the material just got slashed. I'm ruthless with the delete key. If I decide I don't want something in...pow...I just yank it out and it's gone. There were a few scenes, though, that were breaking my heart to remove and those will be posted as deleted scenes on my website (as soon as I learn how to build a website in my sleep). I've already put some scenes - in the archives now - on my blog at http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/, one of which almost got me maimed by a reader who wanted more. So, ah, I think I'll be posting more (in my sleep).
I'm not concerned about the missing material inspiring me, though. Everything around me inspires me.
Laura: When you first held your book in your hands, was it surreal for you? Do you think you will have that same feeling once you publish the other books in the trilogy?
Sandy Lender: I don't know how to describe the way I felt (which is mind-boggling, considering I wrote a 250,000-word novel, eh?). I knew the books would be waiting for me on my front porch when I got home from work one evening, so I was watching for them as I backed into the driveway, practically driving off into the yard. But once I got the box open and had MY book in my hands, I just sat down and stared at it, amazed that it was real at last. I mean, Choices Meant for Gods took three years to find a home and another 18 months after contract to get to this final, hardback stage. I cried like an idiot for a few minutes, and then dried my eyes and started reading. I found a huge typo on page 13 and let out one of those gurgling sounds like you're on your death bed. I've been an editor for 15 years...you'd think I could have caught that BEFORE we went to press. But we can fix it before the second printing.
Laura: What is next for Sandy Lender?
Sandy Lender: Ugh. Well, I'm marketing and promoting...
Seriously, I have a conference I'm speaking at this fall called Context 20 out in Ohio. Some of all ya'll may be attending... Then there's DragonCon. And I have several books rattling about my head that I need to write. I have six blogs. I'm finishing this online book tour. I want to set Nigel Taiman up on a tour (not even half as long as this one I'm doing, though). So I have plenty of the writing career to keep me busy!
Laura: I have kept a journal since my Aunt Peg in the 4th Grade gave me a diary for Christmas. It has helped me through a lot of tough times in my life. Do you keep a journal and do you find any kind of writing as therapeutic?
Sandy Lender: I do not keep a journal for fear of it falling into enemy hands.
Laura: Do you have any plans to stop in Minnesota or any states close by, during your book tour? What is your next stop?
Sandy Lender: If Duran Duran has a concert near there, I'm all over it, Baby.
Sandy, Thanks for stopping by the Polebarn!
Sandy Lender: Thanks for hosting me today, Laura. I hope my answers don't feel too negative. I'm overtired from a long weekend of marketing and promotion so that topic has me on edge! Tell all your visitors that the writing is the fun part. Stick with the fun part as long as you caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.
Sandy Lender: Now that I've learned that no one cares who I am, I'm going to say the promotion and marketing is the most difficult part. And I mean that! There are some wonderful people (probably 50) who have purchased the book and read it and called to tell me that it rocks (I've heard other positive adverbs and adjectives, too), but, ummm, I'm not going to build a great audience with 50 sales. (I'm under-exaggerating; it's more than 50, but I'm trying to prove a point.)
Now, don't get me wrong, I never set myself up to believe I was going to make any money off this first novel. My publisher was very clear in the seminars he's given that new authors in small- to medium-sized houses just don't make money - certainly not the kind of money that lets you quit your day job and focus on the career you love. So I didn't go into this with any "delusions" that I know of. But, wow...I had hoped at least one radio station or magazine would care that a local artist had succeeded in the publishing game. Not so much. Having the people who have read the novel tell me that it's amazing and genre-breaking, etc. is a great ego boost, but that's not going to get me anywhere in life, and that's heartbreaking in the end. So I'm going to say writing is the easiest part of the equation. Getting published was next in line in terms of ease (and, by the way, that was NOT easy...took three years). Marketing and promotion is the part that will kill me.
Laura: Now that you have the book published, the first in a trilogy, do you feel the other two books will be easier or more difficult to write and publish?
Sandy Lender: Book II in the Choices Meant for Gods trilogy is complete. I'm editing now. There's a scene I have to include and I've been writing and rewriting it during traffic jams. Book III in the trilogy is almost complete, but I stopped when the Marketing and Promotion Nightmare began in full force in March. My publisher has already requested Book II and has intimated this is a long-term relationship, and I have no reason to doubt him. The arrangement is not akin to the cut-throat, bizarre situations you read about in some of the online chatgroups around the net. I'm quite surprised by some of the animosity I see authors feel toward their publishers and I'm thankful for the peace I have with mine. Very thankful. (very thankful)
Laura: You have been very open about your work schedule, your writing schedule, and the places you are going to promote your book on virtual blog tours, book signings, etc. When do you sleep? LOL!
Sandy Lender: Oh, my. Well...to be honest...I am getting a bit more sleep now than I was for a while there. I get about four hours of sleep a night. It can't be helped. I'm a new author that no one has ever heard of, so I must build a presence for myself. I must "brand." And then there's my personal life that has spiraled completely out of control thanks to the stellar choice I made in life partners 13 years ago. Like the Nazi at the end of the Indiana Jones movie...I chose poorly. So I have more than one job to try to make ends meet. (Did I mention that I won't make any money off the book?)
Laura: Writers by nature are very isolated souls, perfecting their craft out of the public eye. Do you find it more interesting to see readers in person at book signings or to participate in the virtual blog tours and promotion where you are not out in the public? Is there one way you prefer over the other?
Sandy Lender: Readers? What is this illusive creature you speak of?
Laura: What has been the most interesting thing or most interesting person you have met so far during your book tours?
Sandy Lender: Oh, man, I know who I want to meet, but I don't think he's paying attention...
The most interesting person...I'm drawing a blank, but that could be from lack of sleep. The most interesting thing...I had an online chat early on in the tour that about five people attended (if you include the host, who I think was studying for an exam or something, so he didn't really participate) but the people who attended and participated had this fantastic discussion. We covered everything from how childhood experiences affected our writing to great works of literature affecting our writing...I don't remember all of it because I never got the transcript, but I remember it being a really productive and intriguing conversation with folks, only one of whom I knew.
I'm going to have three more online chats before the end of the tour. One is this Thursday evening at http://www.cassidymckay.com/ at 8 eastern. I encourage people to participate because the conversation can get really good.
Laura: Your novel is an epic fantasy. I have read the Harry Potter series, but I felt your book was more adult and spellbinding. I read it in just a couple of days, and I got completely involved in the story and the characters. I know you had to do a lot of editing, but for the life of me, I cannot imagine what you cut that didn’t appear in the book. Is the material you cut out going to end up someplace in the second or third book? Or are you going to just keep it ‘just in case’ it inspires you to write something else?
Sandy Lender: I cut more than 70,000 words out of Choices Meant for Gods. A couple of scenes went into Book II but a majority of the material just got slashed. I'm ruthless with the delete key. If I decide I don't want something in...pow...I just yank it out and it's gone. There were a few scenes, though, that were breaking my heart to remove and those will be posted as deleted scenes on my website (as soon as I learn how to build a website in my sleep). I've already put some scenes - in the archives now - on my blog at http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/, one of which almost got me maimed by a reader who wanted more. So, ah, I think I'll be posting more (in my sleep).
I'm not concerned about the missing material inspiring me, though. Everything around me inspires me.
Laura: When you first held your book in your hands, was it surreal for you? Do you think you will have that same feeling once you publish the other books in the trilogy?
Sandy Lender: I don't know how to describe the way I felt (which is mind-boggling, considering I wrote a 250,000-word novel, eh?). I knew the books would be waiting for me on my front porch when I got home from work one evening, so I was watching for them as I backed into the driveway, practically driving off into the yard. But once I got the box open and had MY book in my hands, I just sat down and stared at it, amazed that it was real at last. I mean, Choices Meant for Gods took three years to find a home and another 18 months after contract to get to this final, hardback stage. I cried like an idiot for a few minutes, and then dried my eyes and started reading. I found a huge typo on page 13 and let out one of those gurgling sounds like you're on your death bed. I've been an editor for 15 years...you'd think I could have caught that BEFORE we went to press. But we can fix it before the second printing.
Laura: What is next for Sandy Lender?
Sandy Lender: Ugh. Well, I'm marketing and promoting...
Seriously, I have a conference I'm speaking at this fall called Context 20 out in Ohio. Some of all ya'll may be attending... Then there's DragonCon. And I have several books rattling about my head that I need to write. I have six blogs. I'm finishing this online book tour. I want to set Nigel Taiman up on a tour (not even half as long as this one I'm doing, though). So I have plenty of the writing career to keep me busy!
Laura: I have kept a journal since my Aunt Peg in the 4th Grade gave me a diary for Christmas. It has helped me through a lot of tough times in my life. Do you keep a journal and do you find any kind of writing as therapeutic?
Sandy Lender: I do not keep a journal for fear of it falling into enemy hands.
Laura: Do you have any plans to stop in Minnesota or any states close by, during your book tour? What is your next stop?
Sandy Lender: If Duran Duran has a concert near there, I'm all over it, Baby.
Sandy, Thanks for stopping by the Polebarn!
Sandy Lender: Thanks for hosting me today, Laura. I hope my answers don't feel too negative. I'm overtired from a long weekend of marketing and promotion so that topic has me on edge! Tell all your visitors that the writing is the fun part. Stick with the fun part as long as you caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.
Thanks so much Sandy! If you would like to learn more about Sandy Lender, go to http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/ or to obtain a copy of "Choices Meant for Gods" go to http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.archebooks.com/. And feel free to leave a comment! I love hearing from my readers!
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