The Next Best Thing

The release of my first novel, Knight Dreams, came out this month. What a grand day! It was almost...almost as exciting as the birth of my two children. Granted, having my first book published is cause for celebration. My children, however, take the award for the celebration of life changing events.

As the week went on I found myself explaining what an E-Book or even an E-Reader was and how it worked. And why would I ever choose to have my book published that way? Some of my darling family, friends, and even strangers can only imagine holding a book made of paper. I had indeed traveled to the dark side. Ah. I wonder if that is what we thought when manufacturers brought out those other silly inventions.

Do you like your car? Do you remember your very first vehicle? Heck, I was impressed with my first car that came with power steering. The cars of yesterday didn't have the bells and whistles that they do now. Where would some of us be without power steering and brakes, the radio, the CD-Player, GPS, and Lo-Jack? Tired, tuneless and lost.

Do you love your laptop? Do you remember your first computer? Can you imagine life without it? Or can you imagine hauling the larger versions around on your back?

How about your cell phone? Can you recall the first cell phones? They came in a bag and you plugged it into the car. Or better yet, remember the first cordless phone? It was like holding a brick to your head.

How about your IPOD? Before it, came the 45's, 33's, the 8-tracks, the cassettes, and the CD's. And should I bring the memory of the boombox back to mind?

Each improvement didn't really negate the one that came before it. (Okay, I admit, I'm thankful the tangle of 8-tracks are gone.) The inventors enhanced the product and brought more choices to the table.

Rest assured, I don't plan to give up my tree-books forever. They are marvelous for research and there is something wonderful about holding them in my hands. But when I'm traveling and don't want to pay the airlines another surcharge for the weight of my many books, the E-Reader is the way to go. If I'm at the gym and I want to workout both of my arms instead of using one to hold the book and the other to move the machine, I'm going to use my E-Reader. If I'm sitting beside my darling man and he wants the lights off to enhance the movie and I want to read, I'm going to sit beside him and read with my Sony E-Reader's little light on.

Ah...life is enhanced! And life is enjoyed!

So come on over, discover the E-Reader that fits your lifestyle. I've attached a link to help you on your new adventure. Be sure to check out the latest Digital Book Readers. AKA / E-Readers.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1929387,00.html?xid=rss-topstories-cnnpartner&imw=Y

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1929384,00.html

You know you're gonna want one!

First Book Review

Oh, Happy Day! My first review! Gulp! I wrestled with wanting to know what a book reviewer wrote about my book. It's exciting, thrilling, and very scary. Do I want to know what they thought? Will I have this crazy need to crawl into a cave and never come out?

I bring myself to push the keys on the laptop. And scroll down the screen. There it is. The beautiful cover of my book. And then...the review.

An excerpt from LASR's Book Review:
"C. C. Wiley enchants with admirable imagery and a compelling writing style. All the characters of significance are satisfactorily accounted for before the story ends. Even though traumatic times have been endured along the way, the promise of living happily-ever-after looks bright.

This is a wonderful 15th century romance with a touch of history and imagery that thrills the senses." LASR awards FOUR BOOKS

Four Books out of Five! Not to bad for a new author! Not to bad at all! The the thoughts come in. Why didn't it get the top score? My mind spins. Next time, I want my stories to get the Five Books Award. I need to get cracking on learning all I can about my craft. I almost forget to enjoy the moment. Almost. I take a deep breath and realize that for right now, this very minute, I'm going to enjoy the glow of the first review of my first novel.

Can you see the smile on my face? I'm grinning from ear-to-ear and looking like the cat who drank a whole bowl of cream. I think I'm going to plaster my office walls with all the great reviews. When I'm down or fighting to pull a single word out of my head, I'll read those kind words and all doubt will wash away.

How do you conquer the doubt that sneaks its ugly mug into your thoughts? What do you do to keep yourself motivated? For me, I'm going to keep smiling and take another peak at that review.

If you want, you can read the whole review by following this link. longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/10/knight-dreams-by-c-c-wiley.html

There are so many things to do in life. Some are loathsome and some are mundane. Other tasks brighten our lives with color. Lately, I've returned to an old love from the past. Painting.

When I can't get rid of the internal editor that nags and nags in my ear, I've learned to shift my struggles from writing and focus on what's around me. What do I see? What details do I miss when I'm in a rush?

What do you do when you can't seem to write another coherent word? What creative well do you go to that brings new life?

Oh, the Marvelous Wondrous Things You Will Find

I've been jamming at my desk all day. Sadly, not with creative writing. But it has to be done. Let's face it, I can't even think straight with all the stacks of papers on my desk. I've been trying to convince myself that it's my brand of filing system. I know where everything is. Sorta...

After several hours of forced labor, I couldn't take it anymore and strayed from the drudgery. And oh my, the fun things I found on the Internet that carried me away. There are blogs that make you laugh, friends to find on Facebook, Twitter to make you...tweet, and that doesn't even count the interesting facts that you wander upon.

Finally, on a whim, I did a Google Search of my name. There it was. Surprise! In several places! And...and...there was my name, C.C. Wiley, along with, KNIGHT DREAMS. Better yet...my book is up on a bookstore website http://www.booksonboard.com/index.php?BODY=viewbook&BOOK=511642
There it is in all its glory! With the cute little word beside it. BUY!

Whee! I'm all a tingle. If I had wings, I think I'd take off and fly. What a wild feeling to see it come to life.

Learning Curves

This has been a summer of learning curves.

Change of names. Change of titles. Change of lifestyle. Change of diet.
Change of fitness. Change of attitude. Change of plans.

How did all these learning curves come about? It started with a dream.

My first novel, Knight Dreams, comes out in less than a month! When I signed the book contract, I didn’t know it at the time, but a different journey into the writing world had begun. Heck, this was my third completed novel. Surely, it was an easy ride from here. Right?

The first curve I met was the pen name. Do I keep what I’ve known all my life or am I willing to change it just a bit? Either way, I learned there are consequences. You use your real name and everyone can find you. A pen name may allow you anonymity but a price tag hangs from your peace of mind. It reads: Additional Time and Effort Required.

My second curve was agreeing to change the title. Renaming a piece of work that I’ve had in my head for several years takes some getting used to. Hello, who renames their babies?

My publishing editor brought my third set of learning curves. The edits came and went with the speed of hairpin-turns. At times, they left me teary-eyed and frustrated. Other times, I just knew it was right. By the last round, I had learned to hang on, accept or reject the edits and comments, make the changes and meet the deadlines. I cannot always wait upon the creative muse to make an appearance. I must place my butt in the seat, ignore the self-doubt monkey on my shoulder, and write one word at a time.

The fourth set came as a series of long-rolling curves filled with breathtaking peaks and valleys. These are the hardest curves to maneuver and they require a great deal of balance. It is the change of attitude and lifestyle. My free time was now lost in the ocean of trying to do everything at once and not knowing how to do most of it. As my heart raced from anxiety and my hips widened from sitting in front of the computer for hours and hours, I realized I have to shift my balance so that I don’t fall.

I know there are more learning curves up ahead. In fact, I can see them looming as I renovate my attitude about diet and exercise. Although there is a plan forming, I know it will change just as my story plots often change. As long as I keep writing and the learning curves continue, it looks like it’s going to a great journey.

It’s my life between words.