IWSG: Taking that Terrifying Leap

Hi there, fellow IWSGers, friends, and followers alike. Alex J. Cavanaugh hosts Insecure Writers' Support Group. It is a fantastic place to find support from other writers; they may just have the same insecurities as you. It is a great venue to vent or to share writerly wisdom.

 

Today, I'd like to discuss my insecurity that the general public will reject my words. See, I am going to be releasing my book Félicité Found as a self-published work. I don't have a publisher backing me up. I just have me and me alone. It is freaky to take this step with hopes that all my hard work will shine through as a quality product. However, I know if I don't follow my heart and have confidence in my story, then I will regret it. So, as a friend of mine recently taught me: "Live life with no regrets." I guess here's taking that terrfying leap into the unknown. It's my story and I love it. And that's all that matters!

 

Come Monday, August 12, 2013, you'll be able to purchase my first baby, Félicité Found. And there will be a blog tour going on, to boot. Here's the tour schedule:

 

Monday, August 12: Sara Bowers

Tuesday, August 13: Elise Fallson

Wednesday, August 14: Jolene Perry

Thursday, August 15: Nick Wilford

Friday, August 16: Rebekah Callor Grow

 

A thousand thanks for their willingness to participate. There will be some fun content each day and a chance to win a paperback copy of the book!

 

See you then and hugs.

Also, do you have similar insecurities about your writing?

 

Writing Jewels

Blog Tour, Book Cover, and It Happened to Me



By way of announcement and save the dates, I'm hosting a blog tour for my book, FÉLICITÉ FOUND, from August 12th (release day) to August 16th. Here's the banner:

I truly love it! Thanks be to my pops. More information to come about co-hosts and the such.

I'm totally pinching myself because of this entire self-publishing my book thing. This is an exciting and nervous-making and incredible and I-sort-of-want-to-throw-up experience. But it's time for me to proceed forward with my dreams.

 

The lovely Morgan Shamy hosted my book cover reveal on her blog last week. I'd like to give her a huge shout out for helping. She is amazing. Hugs!

 

I do have to admit I did change up the cover just slightly since then. Of course, I'm going to show it off here because I love it soooo much. Enjoy seeing it again... (Perty-ful)

 

 

 Now for a random something funny...

 

I never thought this would happen to me:

 

I wore un-matching shoes on Tuesday. I didn't realize it until 2:30PM at work. And yes, I giggled up a storm and then showed off my mortification to a few coworkers. I had to! I totally couldn't pass up a chance to let others have a good chuckle. And chuckle they did! :D Who knows how I even let myself leave the house with this silly mistake walking me to the car and around work all day. I can say that I have worn two different shoes by accident now. Pretty swank, huh?

 

Are you excited about my book release? Don't answer that. Are you in love with my book cover? Don't answer that again. I don't need my head to get any bigger. JK Have you ever worn un-matching shoes without knowing it?

 

Hugs

 

Writing Jewels

Book Cover Reveal Postponed until Tomorrow

Hey y'all!

The book cover reveal for FÉLICITÉ FOUND will be tomorrow on Morgan Shamy's blog. Sorry if you all have been excited to see it today and now I'm letting you down. haha Well, I could hope many of you are excited.

Anyway, just putting this out there so you aren't wondering what is going on.

Hugs and check out her blog tomorrow.

Writing Jewels

Boston & the City I Had Never Seen... Until Now!

As you are probably reading this, I'm on a plane flying back from my trip to Boston, Massachusetts. But I am composing this by hand (yes, my chicken scratch) in a city named Wrentham. This town is actually where my second book, BOUND, takes place... along with Dublin, Ireland, of course.

It's a long story as to why I chose a city I had never visited. Suffice it to say, today's part of my short vacation has been my total fav! To actually be in a place you've only just imagined is spectacular! I am even more smitten with the city than I was while writing the book.

Imaging my characters moving throughout this fresh and green town while being here makes me smile so big my ears hurt (yes, ears!) I visited sights I chose just from internet research where I set scenes. Holy crapola, folks, what an experience!

This trip has allowed me to see so many great places from Walden Pond (a great writer spent some time here) to Freedom Trail (another sight featured in BOUND) to the beach (during a sandcastle competition to boot).

Anyway, I have enjoyed my trip. Immensely!

So question time:

Have you set a book in a city you've never visited? If so, have you gone there after writing it? Did it meet your expectations?

Well, my time spent in Wrentham met mine and MORE! Tehehehe

PS: Don't forget about my soon-to-be self published book, FÉLICITÉ FOUND's cover reveal tomorrow on Morgan Shamy's blog. The clock is ticking. Tick Tick Tick Are you excited to see it? Well, I love it and hope you do too, along with the story found within it's pages.

Hugs

Writing Jewels

Great News and Diving off the Unforgiving Plateau

Hi all!

Last week I made mention in my post that I'm going to do something I never thought I'd do. I said it was going to be a surprise. Well, I'm going to let you know what it is!

***Drum Roll***

I'm going to self-publish my book, FÉLICITÉ FOUND.

And I couldn't be happier. You know why? Well, there are countless reasons, but suffice it to say, I know this is the correct path for me to take right now. I have been aching to be published for so long and have fought tooth and nail to accomplish it. Now, it's time to take matters into my own capable hands and set my little baby free.

Years ago, maybe even three months ago, I'd have thought that taking the self-publishing route was giving up on landing that amazing book deal with a traditional publisher, but no, *stomps foot*, it isn't giving up! It is pressing forward and on my terms.

I had an agent and that didn't work out. I'm going to be my own agent for a while until I decide to seek out traditional publishing again. Of which, mind you, won't be far off. :D

Anyway, I've felt like I've been coasting on this unforgiving plateau for so long, and it's just time to do something; to jump off the linear path I've been trudging through, and do something. I'm taking a chance and am giddy beyond words to do this thing. I'm going to be published!

So, here are the details, folks:

• Release date is August 12, 2013.
• Available for e-book purchase through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Available in paperback through Createspace.
• Cover Reveal will take place on the lovely Morgan Shamy's blog next week on Thursday, July 25, 2013. Just thinking about the cover makes me so happy I could die.
• Check out my book here on Goodreads (and add it to your to-read list--please).
• I will be doing a book blog tour from August 12 - 16 on various blogs. More information to come. If you'd like to take part in sharing the news, email me at writingjewels (at) gmail (dot) com.

Well, that's that. I hope you're excited. I know I am... Well, I'm pretty terrified too, but if I don't "Seize the Day" then I'll never know what beauty could have resulted from this wicked cool venture.

Hugs

Writing Jewels

Carpe Diem - Seize the Day

I had quite possible the best Fourth of July in the book of Julia's life. My favorite part of the glorious day was going to a natural water slide that is nestled into the mountainside near my hometown in Utah. About a mile up the trail is this amazing slick rock that hundreds of people, I'd say, a day slip and slid down for fun. There's even a pool that you can cliff dive into. Of course, I was crazy enough to take the dangerous plunge.
 

Copyright Julia King 2013

Bucket list item checked off the list. Yes!

And I had the courage to send myself hurling down the slippery rock four times. Here's the pictures that were taken to document this momentous event.

 

Not only am I sort of showing off, but I'd like to make a point by gleaning from this cool experience and applying it to writing or whatever.

 

Anyone who's seen "The Dead Poet's Society" will know of the phrase: "Carpe Diem - Seize the Day."

 

In a nutshell, this phrase means you shouldn't let experiences or opportunities pass you by. If you do, then you will be missing out on something truly magnificent. I assure you, I almost didn't go to Sliding Rock, and I would have missed out on such a fun time.

 

My favorite quote ever is from "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare:

 

"Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once."

 

I take this quote as expressing if you don't take risks or man up to the challenge then you will die, not literally, but figuratively. You won't taste of the fruits of the risk. You will not see what beauty awaits you if you forge through the darkness to reach the ultimate happy light by conquering something you never thought you could do. You know what? You may not succeed, but that doesn't matter. The fact that you tried at all is pleasurable enough.

 

I encourage you to send out that first or 80th query letter. Write that story that has been swirling its brilliant plot in your head. Dive head first into your passions. And go for it!

 

So, in the coming months, I am going to try something that I never thought I'd do. I'm not saying what it is right now (surprise), but I know that I will die if I don't go down trying.

 

Do you take risks no matter the cost? How do you live your life with a carpe diem - seize the day attitude?

 

Writing Jewels