By: Monique O'Connor James
Author of "The Keepers"
It was sometime in February 2011, when I received an email that “The Keepers” was going to be published. Immediately, I reacted with tears, because I’m highly emotional. But, after a few days I settled in to the idea. Honestly, I more than settled in, I put the thought on the back burner. It didn’t hit me right away. I knew I’d signed a contract, but the release date was miles away, and there was nothing to think about. I think the day I received my content edits was the first day I actually realized my book was going to be released for public consumption.
In the days prior to the release, I spent hours working on the content edits and the line edits from the proof reader. I was so busy I didn’t have time to dwell on what it meant to be published. Finally, on June 7, 2011 my debut novel “The Keepers” was published. The initial release included all E-Book formats and they could be purchased at Astraea Press, Amazon, Barns and Noble, Smashwords, etc. I also started taking preorders for the print edition which will be available in July 2011.
I’m not sure what I expected. Perhaps, I was thinking I’d be lucky to sell ten books and elated if I sold twenty. I hadn’t realized how much support I would get from my fellow writers, family, and friends. Every time I turned on the computer five or six people had shared the link to my book. All day I received phone calls, texts and emails congratulating me. I was on Cloud Nine.
One of my fellow writers posted “The Keepers” was number twenty-two in the Teen Religious/Spiritual category for sales on Amazon.com, and that it was number one in Hot New Releases in the same category. I flipped! I hadn’t expected it at all. In that moment, I knew that word of mouth was going to make my launch day successful. I’m not sure how many E-Books we sold, I’m guessing about twenty, but we also sold thirty print copies on the first day. It goes without saying, I was excited.
I wanted to share a story with you and a small bit of advice:
When I started writing, I couldn’t write a sex scene to save my life. I could write romance, and sweet kissing scenes but I couldn’t bring myself to write about intercourse. I have no issues with sex in novels, and I’m not such a prude that I can’t talk about sex. However, as when writing I have never found it necessary in my work. I also wanted my fourteen year old son and my seventy year old daddy to both feel comfortable reading my work.
My friends ridiculed me relentlessly for not writing sex scenes in my novels. I finally gave up and forced myself to write one in a story. I never made peace with the scene and it never seemed to fit into the story. I felt like I had to leave it because everyone says, “sex sells”. I eventually came to the conclusion the only way I’d be happy with the story was to edit it out.
Shortly after I wrote that story, I got my first contract with Astraea Press. Astraea has strict guidelines regarding sex: no open door premarital sex and no cuss words. From the start I felt at home and free to write stories the way I wanted to write them. “The Keepers” success has made me realize sometimes you have to listen to your gut, instead of your critics.
Doing what feels right to you won’t always be the easy or popular option, but if you stay true to yourself you will succeed. I hope everyone finds a publishing home where they feel comfortable being who they are. Good luck!
Cheers!
Monique O'Connor James
Author of: "The Keepers"
From www.AstraeaPress.com
Wordpress: www.moniquejames.wordpress.com
Website: www.moniqueoconnorjames.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=511255176
Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Monique-OConnor-James-Author/151581321573144
Buy Links: http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662245&mode=product&product=4435578
You can buy The Keepers at www.astraeapress.com or Amazon, Barns and Noble or Smashwords.
BACK COVER BLURB:
Jess denies God. In his infinite wisdom, he’s taken everyone she’s ever loved. Moving to the French Quarter was a ploy to erase the guilt she felt for rebuking her faith. Perhaps, if she hadn’t met Justin, an angel preoccupied with getting back into God’s good graces, and drowning in his hatred for humanity, her plan would have worked.
Justin’s general disdain for the human race makes him difficult to like, but some higher power has appointed him her keeper. Justin’s convinced he can mend her broken relationship with her maker, but in the process he learns a thing or two about his own humanity.
Never mind, falling in love, that’s not supposed to happen. In fact, it may even be forbidden. Jess just wants Justin to understand her plight, and he wants to protect her from a world she doesn’t know.
If neither are equipped to save the other, then whose soul lives and whose will perish?
SHORT EXCERPT: (500 words or less)
He hadn’t heard her name - not yet. She'd wandered in from the rain shaking an umbrella and trying to look aloof. It had taken Vi less than ten minutes to engage her in conversation, and once Vi hooked the girl, they sat together for the rest of the evening. Vi had been his friend for years, and she could be counted on in these matters. They often found the same people intriguing, and he knew she would befriend the newcomer.
New Orleans was a sea of appealing women with pleasing accents flowing from pretty lips, but there was something about this girl’s beauty, something that kept Justin’s eyes planted on her. She caught him gawking at her, and he didn’t bother to look away. Humiliation was just another useless human emotion he wouldn't even pretend to possess.
Rory wanted to introduce himself, but Justin vetoed the plan with a look of warning. His brother seemed more interested in Vi, anyway and sat down with an easy grin. Justin was relaxed, until Dawson placed himself at their table begging for a fight. Dawson could always be relied on to kill a good mood. His Mohawk was tapered into precise points atop his head, and that alone made Justin want to punch him.
“What’s the matter Justin? Rory baggin’ all the babes or did someone shoot your dog?” The smell of tobacco and, wet hair gel, clung to Dawson like a disease. Just the fact that he had lost the ability to stave off the odor of humanity, made him less annoying.
Justin didn’t respond. Maybe if he ignored the moron he would take the hint and buzz off. Besides, he couldn’t take his eyes off the beauty with Vi, and Dawson’s gaze followed his.
“Ah, I see. You know she’s off limits.” Dawson leaned in closer, and used his foot to jolt Justin’s boot from the chair next to him.
“Don’t touch me again, Dawson. And drop it. She’s human for God’s sake.”
“A human I bet I’ll take home tonight.” Dawson’s sardonic grin dripped with conceit and punctuated the dramatic wink he granted Justin.
Justin slid his palms together as the skin over his knuckles hardened into stone. He allowed Dawson to gloat long enough to take a sip from his drink, and then laid him out with one colossal blow. He didn’t bend over to say all the things he was thinking; he figured the black eye would say it all. The girl was watching, and Justin nearly felt ashamed, but she was just another human, and he wasn’t going to concern himself with what bothered her, not now anyway.
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