reblog – Behind Closed Doors

REBLOG: Are You a “Real” Writer? #amwriting #MyWANA

Another of my author friends shared a post from another blog today about what it means to be called a real writer. If you’re like me, you’ve had this conversation with your fair share of people when you tell them what genre(s) you write. People feel romance authors…specifically erotic romance authors aren’t real writers. If they haven’t seen us on Oprah’s book of the month club or on the NY Times best sellers list we aren’t real writers. If they have never heard of us before, we aren’t real writers. See where I’m doing with this?

There are no fast and hard rules about what is a real writer. If you write, you are one. Period. People confuse being a writer with being famous. Fame has nothing to do with it although it would be nice! LOL! We write because we have to do it. It’s in our blood. We hope others enjoy our stories, but even if they don’t, we still continue to write. So the next time someone tells you they’re a writer, ask them about their latest works and their writing process. Get to know the person before you turn your nose up at them because they don’t write the kind of stories you would be interested in.

Christine Ashworth posted a wonderful blog about “real” writers. You have to read it. She put into words what many of us try to explain to others every single day. Click HERE to find the article. Leave a comment on her blog to let her know what you think of it.

I’ve been busy working on the prequel to The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3). It’s a short novella called “Bound in Paradise” and will be one of the three pieces in Sassy Vixen Publishing’s Season of Sun and Sin anthology. While working on that, it dawned on me that I have nine books out now between all of my pen names. The anthology will be the tenth and will include TWO of my stories. My 11th and 12th books will be out this summer too. I’m not yet up there on the charts like some people are, but I do have my fan base and it’s growing. These folks make me want to keep putting stories out there, but honestly even if they weren’t there, I’d still be writing. I may not put them out for others to read, but I’d write the stories just the same. My characters don’t ever keep quiet. LOL!

To celebrate and to thank those who have supported me on this journey, Sassy Vixen Publishing has agreed to offer The Surrender of Julia for only 99 cents for a very limited time on All Romance ebooks and Amazon. If you haven’t picked up you copy yet, please do so. If you have time, I’d love to hear what you think about the book. Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads help me continue to improve as a writer and storyteller.

@dochappycamper Talks About What Sparked Her Inner Kinky Vixen #erotica #BDSM

Ever wonder why I write erotica and erotic romance? I talk about it today on the Four Seduced Muses blog for my Sinfully Sassy Sundays with The Vixen post. Click on the photo below to take you there. Leave a comment here or there and let me know what you think. ~Tammy

An author’s rant (#Reblog) And Other Musings From @dochappycamper

I found this blog today and just had to share. Samantha Pleasant said everything I’ve been thinking over the last few weeks. Make sure you check out the full article. It’s spot on!

This last week the stress of writing under three pen names, running a fledgling publishing house and working full time as a veterinarian has caught up with me…big time. I’ve had to rethink my priorities and that included marketing and promotions. I’ve looked at my twitter feeds and all of them are loaded with promo. Where did all the fun go? I’ve missed tweets directed at me from my friends and it appeared I’ve ignored them. That’s not true. I just didn’t see them in the feeds.

Even with TweetDeck and notifications to my phone, I’ve still missed messages and interactions with new readers. I don’t want to be an impersonal spam bot promo machine. I want to be there for my friends and fans and make new ones. I want to share the excitement of my new releases and the pitfalls of my works in progress, but I also want to share the rest of what makes me who and what I am. There is more to me than just veterinary medicine and writing/publishing. I love crafts of all kinds, reading, The Real Housewives of any city, Duck Dynasty, and helping out my friends and family when I’m able.

I lost sight of all that in the crazy world of writing and publishing. Listening to people who say I have to get the next book out as fast as I can to keep the readers interested has left me spinning my wheels and digging myself into a deeper hole. Now I’m paying for that with my health. A few days ago I met with my new doctor and had a complete physical including blood work, updating my tetanus shot and a boob squishing mammogram. The results of the blood tests show I’m now a type II diabetic. I had to pick up my glucometer today. As someone who is a major needlephobe, you can imagine what poking my fingers daily is going to do to my psyche.

Along with the diabetes, I’m at least 100 pounds overweight—morbidly obese. The doctor also put me on a diuretic to help lower my blood pressure. Whew! All of this seems a bit daunting but actually I feel relieved. I’m relieved to know I do have a doctor now who’ll support me through all of this. I have a goal and plan to get healthy again. You can say I have a fire under my ass and now I’m ready to fight. Check out my weekly feature on Not Enough Time in the Day called Memoirs of A Forty Something Fat Chick. I’ll be sharing my journey there from now on.

As for my writing, I’m never stopping that but I may push back a few deadlines. In order to be the best author I can be, I have to reconnect with myself and with my fans, friends and new readers. You’ll be seeing a change on my social media soon. Of course I’ll still share the blogs from my fellow Triberr groups/tribes, but you’ll also see more of me around too.

Until next time,

~Tammy

That’s it I quit. As authors we say this quite often. Not because of the writing aspect, not even because of the editing issues, heck we even can get through the rejection letters like pros. Some find them a cheap alternative to wallpaper. While others find it a mark of a real author to be rejected. Whatever your poison it’s not the writing that makes us want to quit.

What is it? You ask. The marketing. Are we under exposed? “You have a book out?” to which the author smashes his or her head against the table because they’ve only posted, tweeted, tumbled and invited this person to multiple events through social media. “Yes, it’s new.” Or has been out for a few years and you even liked the cover art.

We don’t want to bombard people to the point they no longer want anything to do with us. …

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