Latchkey Kid

Heather Marie Adkins has to be one of the youngest "write or die" indie chicks but her story is powerful. It is about love, loss and the ability to grow and overcome heartache. It is an honor and a pleasure for me to share her story. Without further ado, here it is:

The talented and gorgeous Heather Marie Adkins

Latchkey Kid

By Heather Marie Adkins

It isn’t easy being the daughter of a police officer, but it’s even more difficult to be the daughter of a female police officer. I would come to understand this early, and often, in my life.

My mom’s career has always been the whirling force of my existence.

She was sworn into the Louisville Police Department on September 10, 1990. I was five years old. For the majority of my developmental years, I bounced through a succession of caretakers—my grandmother, my father and stepmother, and a kind woman I called ‘Mama Lo’—while my mom was forging her way through her early years as a rookie officer.

I remember late nights—my mom in her uniform, her gun belt digging into my side as she bundled me into a blanket to carry me to the car. I remember mornings getting on the school bus, knowing Mom would be coming home from work just in time for me to leave. But when I remember these things, they are snippets: Only bits and pieces of the woman who is my mother. Her job was demanding and sometimes, you just have to sacrifice to make your dreams come true.

When I was ten, Mom aced the Detective test and was granted her first promotion. Suddenly, we were buying a new house in a nice neighborhood. I was in middle school, which was awkward enough, and Mom began working 4 pm to midnight.

Thus began my time as a Latchkey Kid.

I rode the bus home from school and let myself into the house around 4:30 every afternoon. Under Mom’s strict instructions, I would check to make sure all three doors of the house were locked and then I would set the alarm.

Until bedtime, I was on lockdown. No going outside—not even to the backyard. No answering the door, no looking out the windows. Just me and the dog: A tiny Shih-Tzu named Cinnamon.

I was kind of an odd child. I didn’t care much for television, though I did love to play Nintendo. I could rock on some Mario Bros. I also absolutely loved to read, particularly R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps and Ann M. Martin’s The Babysitter’s Club.

There is really only so much video gaming and reading a girl can do before she wishes she had another hobby. At least, that’s how it was for me. I was lonely. Monday through Friday, every evening alone…it sucked.

It was around this time that my daddy shared with me a novel he was writing. Daddy is a computer guru who does freelance work, but he writes for fun on the side. “Demigod” was one of the most amazing things I had ever read. Not only was I astounded that my dad had such talent, but for the first time I realized there were people behind the books I liked to read.

Armed with nothing more than spiral-bound notebooks and pencils, I began writing.

Between 10 and 16, I wrote seven full-length novels. Today, I suppose they would be considered Young Adult. Some of them were murder mysteries with strong heroines. Many of them had elements of what today is considered Paranormal Romance. Most of my early influences were from authors I enjoyed: Stine, as well as Richie Tankersley Cusick and Christopher Pike. Somewhere in the midst of all this, my mom bought me a laptop and I transferred everything to digital.

I continued to write during high school, though significantly less once I got my driver’s license. I focused mainly on short stories and built up a vast collection that I ended up losing to the nightmare of an erased floppy disk. I majored in English in high school. Earned a couple college credits. And was told multiple times by various English teachers that I had talent.

After graduation, I went away to college at Western Kentucky University. My mother had married a great man who was also a police officer. Between the two of them, I was able to go away to school and thus started several years of BAD DECISIONS. I kicked it off right, as most first-time college teens do. I drank too much and partied too hard, not making it to class, much less spending my time writing. Two years later, I came home to Louisville with my tail between my legs, no smarter than I was before.

Back at my mother and stepfather’s home, I found the situation to be stifling for the girl who had done what she wanted, when she wanted for so long. I was already rebelling—not phoning, disappearing all night—when a chance encounter on the banks of the Ohio River brought a man into my life who was not right for me in more ways than one.

Jason was an ex-con and felon. I was the daughter of two police officers. Cue ominous music.

Let’s skip the dirty parts and go to the section where I pack my things and flee into the night like a bat out of Hades. My parents change the locks, I cut off all contact, and hole up in a hovel on 3rd Street with my friend, Brent. Oh, and in the meantime, my convict boyfriend ends up back in the Slammer.

I bounced around for some time. To an apartment with my cousin, Ryan. Then to a big, fancy house outside of Nashville, Tennessee with Jason’s family. After severing ties with them, I rented a tiny studio apartment downtown. I moved a couple more times, losing money (and myself) in the process.

Not once in the years I spent chasing something, anything in Tennessee did I sit down to write.

In January 2008, I was in debt and barely hanging on to the apartment I was renting. My good-for-nothing, pot-smoking boyfriend-of-the-moment wasn’t helping with the bills because he couldn’t hold a job. My car was on the verge of repossession. I was going nowhere; the only positive thing I did have was that I was talking with my parents again.

Then the life-shattering, earth-moving event. In North Carolina, January 31st, my cousin Cory—a Marine, a firefighter, one of my best friends—was killed in a car accident. He was 25 years old.

My mom drove from Louisville to Nashville the minute she heard. She told me it was because she didn’t want me to be alone, nor did she want to tell me something so sensitive over the phone. That’s just how she is; no matter how terrible a daughter I could be, she always put me first.

Later that same night after she left, I was alone. My deadhead boyfriend wasn’t home, neither was our equally stoned roommate. I was sitting on our single mattress on the floor, looking around our bare room with its one dresser and a floor strewn with clothes. It hit me.

What are you doing? Really?

Was I just trying to prove I could do it on my own? Because I couldn’t. Obviously.

In a flash of grief and pain, I realized my life had spiraled out of control simply because I was too stubborn to admit my parents were right.

I packed my things. My dog and I climbed in the old Jeep. And we came home to Louisville.

During the upheaval of moving back, I also found something I hadn’t yet realized I had lost—my writing. Whether it was my grief over Cory or simply returning home, I don’t know—but I started writing again.

Even better…I finished the novels I had started years before and I have started (and finished) even more in the time since.

I’ve been through a lot in my life. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as some, maybe it wasn’t as rough…but it shows that a girl can make bad decisions, life-changing mistakes, and still bounce back.

My mom is a Major with the Louisville Metro Police force—the third highest ranking female on the department. She just celebrated her 21st anniversary this month. I am in a stable, committed relationship with a man who will one day be my husband. We live in a small but nice home—I’m a police dispatcher. He’s a police officer.

I was a latchkey kid and because of it, I am now a writer. I am the daughter of a female police officer, and because of that, I’m a stronger, better woman.

***

This is one story from Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. To read all of the stories, buy your copy today.

Also included are sneak peeks into 25 novels!

My paranormal romance novel, Abigail , is one of the novels featured.

All proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer.

Abigail

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Check out these other gems by this talented author!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Holiday-Collection-ebook/dp/B0063ULCL2
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/102497

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Temple-ebook/dp/B0057XOQ1E
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69094

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Underneath-ebook/dp/B0055COI9M
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/65758

In case you don't realize this, both Shea and Heather are part of the Indie Eclective group. Hey y'all, if you need anymore indie writers, give me a shout or send me an email, okay? ;-)

Knight In Shining Armour!

This is the first post I will do in regards to my fabulous participation in the Indie Chicks Anthology. Shea MacLeod is first on the list and here is her harrowing story of triumph above the odds to become one of the best-selling indie writers around at the moment. Here is Ms. MacLeod's story she featured in the anthology and following are her novels which are propelling her to become the superstar author which is more than deserved after what she has been through in her short life. Without further ado, I allow my fellow "write or die" indie chick to speak the gospel on this beautiful Sunday afternoon:

Doesn't she look like a survivor? My beautiful "indie chick" sister, Shea MacLeod!

Knight in Shining Armor

by Shéa MacLeod

It’s strange how long a bruise can last.

Long after the physical evidence is gone, the muscles remember. A raised hand or an angry voice, and the body flinches away. The mind tries to forget, bury the pain deep … but the scars are forever.

It didn’t start that way, of course. He said all the right things. Did all the right things. When I was sick he took care of me. When my car broke down he fixed it. I thought I’d finally found my knight in shining armor.

What I’d found was a nightmare. The minute I was hooked, everything changed. It started with the name calling, the blame, the bouts of rage. As time passed, he turned increasingly violent. It was always my fault. I was useless. I’d never be anything. Do anything. Accomplish anything.

If I tried to fight him, he threatened to destroy everyone I loved. To ruin their lives. Stupidly, I believed him.

He was always sorry after.

You might ask why I didn’t leave. It’s a fair question. But until you’ve been there, until you’ve lived through that, you have no idea how messed up a woman’s head gets when she has to live through that day after day. There is no such thing as confidence, self-esteem. You learn to live with the overwhelming conviction that this is all there is. You have nowhere else to go.

That’s the very worst part of abuse. Beyond the bruises and the emotional scars. The absolute knowledge that this is the way you will live. And most likely the way you will die. You don’t deserve anything else.

In a way, I was lucky. I had something else. A secret weapon, if you will. I just had no idea back then how powerful that weapon was.

I could write.

All through those nightmare years I wrote. Not about what I was living through, but about something else. An imaginary world where I would escape, where I was strong. A place where I kicked bad guy ass. A place where I was my own hero.

Prophetic? Perhaps.

The writing kept a spark of something alive in me. My soul? Hope? Who knows. But one day, that tiny spark of something flared up. I couldn’t take another minute.

I had nothing. No money. Nowhere to go. But I walked out that door and never looked back.

Nobody rode in on a white horse to save me. I saved myself.

It was a very long uphill struggle to get healthy again, but through it all I kept writing. Writing had always been my passion, now it was my salvation, too.

Through writing I regained my sense of self. I grew strong. Stronger than I ever had been before. Words poured from me as my mind and body healed itself. Slowly but surely I recovered.

It’s nine years later and that life seems like a distant nightmare. The woman I was then could never have dreamed of the life I am living today.

The writing has never stopped. It just moved with me, changing zip codes. I now write in a sunny room in a Georgian townhouse in London, England. I have self published two novels and am about to publish the third. My stories, while sometimes holding a dark edge, are still full of hope and my readers love them. I am now selling enough that I can stay at home and write full time. I made my dreams a reality.

Guess what?

You can, too.

The day I walked out of that abusive relationship was the day I became my own hero. That one action changed everything.

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, please visit the Hot Peach Pages for a list of agencies all over the world who help women living in domestic violence.

http://www.hotpeachpages.net/

No woman deserves to be abused and mistreated. It’s time to say NO to violence.

It’s time to be your own hero.

http://sheamacleod.wordpress.com/

Dragon Warrior on Amazon
Dragon Warrior on Smashwords

“This is one story from Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. To read all of the stories, buy your copy today. Also included are sneak peeks into 25 novels! My novel, DRAGON WARRIOR, is one of the novels featured. All proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer.”

Indie Chicks is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Other novels by Ms. MacLeod include the following:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Darkness-Sunwalker-Saga-ebook/dp/B0058PIWJ8
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70109

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Fire-Sunwalker-Saga-ebook/dp/B005I58P1S
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/82621

Happy reading and enjoy! ;-)

.

Change of Plans...

For the next twenty-six weeks, I will be busy with the blog tour set up for the Indie Chicks Anthology. Yep, there are twenty-five of us and we will be promoting our book quite strongly because all proceeds go to breast cancer research and the Susan G. Komen foundation (http://ww5.komen.org/ for more information).

I did plan to release Death Wish: Book I with a lot of fanfare and even had a Kickstarter project going but I cancelled it and when I received the finished novel back from my editor, Felicia Sullivan (http://indie-editor.webs.com/ for more info), I decided to release it. The book is ready and no use waiting for Black Friday which may or may not be a good day, depending upon the world economy, people's dwindling budgets, et cetera. I thought I might as well get my project out there now because I could capitalize on a tremendous opportunity being in the women's anthology gives me.

Please let me say right off the bat, I would have done this anthology for free (and we all did because the profits go to something greater than ourselves and more than that, breast cancer can affect any woman at any age so it makes me quite proud to say I am part of this). I released Death Wish early because I didn't really want to include Forever 27 in the anthology but since DW was still being edited and I hadn't slated to premiere it until the 25th of this month, I couldn't.

I am a bit embarrassed admitting to this but I think Death Wish is a real representation of my writing ability where as The Beautiful People series isn't. Why? Editing. Felicia took a story which was good but rough and polished it like a diamond. I can't sing this woman's praises high enough. She gets me and my writing style and that is very important as an author. I was so pleased, I asked her to re-edit The Beautiful People series in its entirety. We have that project scheduled for early next year so I will re-release The Beautiful People: Part One in March of 2012 and The Beautiful People: Part Two in April of 2012.

I will release the last book in the series, Birthdays, Funerals & The Premiere, before the end of the month but at this point, I feel like I owe it to my fans (however few there are out there) to present complete work and let's face it people, a book ain't complete if it hasn't been professionally edited.

I am not the first indie author to admit to this and I won't be the last. Part of the complaint with indie work is that it is childish, sophomoric and error-ridden. This hurts my feelings because I think about my own work and the people who have paid good money to be entertained and how I have let them down because the work might have entertained but they didn't get their money's worth.

Because I feel very strongly about this, anyone who has purchased The Beautiful People or any part of the series can just feel free to email me at mzdanibee007@gmail.com. Let me know and I will give you a *free* copy of the series when it is re-released. If you bought any of part one or if you were one of the few who bought the series as it continued, just email me and no questions asked, you are guaranteed an error-free and re-edited copy of my work when it is released.

Why am I doing this? Well, you never get a second chance to make a first impression but money is hard to come by and everyone deserves to get their money's worth. As you can see for what I am charging for Death Wish, I feel like I am presenting an edited and quality product so I have priced accordingly (and I won''t be the only indie author to follow suit). Can you find error-free indies for $2.99? Of course you can. You can even find error-free indies at 99 cents. I don't judge other indie authors because it's not my style. My new pricing, however, reflects what you get and if you aren't satisfied, just let me know and we'll see how to make it right.

I believe in karma and good energy. I want to believe what I put out in the universe (all that positive energy) comes back to me. Life is too short to nickel and dime every situation. This is the best way I know how to make a living as an author with a clear conscience. It's not about doing something because it's good or right, it's about doing something because I couldn't not do it and call myself a serious professional in my craft.

Happy reading everyone and next week, the beautiful and fabulous Shea MacLeod will be making an appearance on my blog as one of my "write or die" indie chicks... until then, smile and it will be returned to you. ;-)

Is Your Life Whispering to You too?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Indie-Chicks-Personal-Stories-ebook/dp/B0060ZTM62
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1107017601

It gives me great pleasure to host Cheryl Shireman on this week's blog and to talk about the amazing anthology she put together and which I am a part of. This is by far one of my single best achievements in my whole life because I am honored to be in the company of such wonderful people. Without further ado, here is Cheryl:

I believe life whispers to you and provides direction. I call that life force God. You can call it whatever you want, but there is no escaping it. If we are open, and brave enough to say yes, life will take us in directions we never expected, and you will live a life beyond your wildest dreams.

Those whisperings often come in the form of a “crazy” idea or a nudge to move into a certain direction that seems odd or silly or daring. Then there is that moment when you think, Well, that’s weird. Where in the world did that come from?

And then there’s the second moment, when you have to make a choice. You can dismiss the crazy notion, and probably even come up with a dozen reasons why it’s a bad idea. You don’t have the time, the money, or the resources. Besides, who are you to do such a thing? What in the world were you thinking? So, you dismiss the idea. We always have that option - to say No.

But it comes back - that whisper. Sometimes again and again. But if we are practical, and safe, we can squash the notion until it is almost forgotten. Almost.

Such a notion came to me a couple of months ago. I began to think of an anthology composed of women writers. An anthology that would be published before the rapidly approaching holiday season. The title came to me almost immediately - Indie Chicks. It was a crazy notion. I was working with an editor who was editing my first two novels, and was also in the middle of writing a third novel. Working on three books seemed to be a pretty full plate. Adding a fourth was insane.

But the crazy notion kept coming back to me. It simply refused to be dismissed. So I sent out a “feeler” email to another writer, Michelle Muto. She loved the idea. I sent out another email to my writing buddy, J. Carson Black. She loved the idea, too, but couldn’t make the time commitment. She had just signed with Thomas & Mercer and was knee deep in writing. I took it as a sign. I didn’t have the time for the project either. Perhaps after the first of the year, when final edits were done on my own novels. I dismissed it, at least for the present time. I’d think about it again in another couple of months, when the timing made more sense.

A week later I surrendered, started developing a marketing plan for Indie Chicks, and began sending out emails to various indie writers - some I knew, but most were strangers. I contacted a little over thirty women. Every one of them responded with enthusiasm. Most said yes immediately, and those who could not, due to time commitments, wished us well and asked me to let them know when the book when the book was published so they could be part of promoting it.

One of the first writers I contacted was Heather Marie Adkins. Earlier this year, while I was browsing the internet, I came across an interview with Heather. The interviewer (oddly enough, Michelle Muto) asked Heather, When did you decide to become an indie author? Heather’s answer was: About a month ago. My dad had been trying to talk me into self-publishing for some time, but I was hesitant. One night, I sat down and ran a Google search. I discovered Amanda Hocking, JA Konrath, Victorine Lieski; but it was Cheryl Shireman that convinced me. This is the field to be in. I was shocked (Astonished! Flabbergasted!). I had no idea that I had ever inspired anyone! To be honest, it was a bit humbling. And,okay, yes - it made me cry. So, of course, I had to invite Heather to be a part of the anthology. Heather not only said yes, but she also volunteered to format the project - a task I was dreading.

As Heather and I exchanged emails, I told her about how I had been similarly inspired to become an indie writer by Karen McQuestion. My husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas of 2010. Honestly, the present angered me. I didn’t want a Kindle. I wanted nothing to do with reading a book on an electronic device! I love books; the feel of them, the smell of them. But, very quickly, I started filling up that Kindle with novels.

One day, while looking for a new book on Amazon, I came across a title by Karen McQuestion. I learned that McQuestion had published her novels through Amazon straight to Kindle. Immediately, I began doing research on her and how to publish through Kindle. I had just completed a novel and was ready to submit it through traditional routes. Within 48 hours of first reading about McQuestion, I submitted my novel, Life Is But A Dream: On The Lake. Twenty four hours later, it was published as an eBook on Amazon. Within another couple of weeks it was available as a paperback and through Nook. Did I jump into this venture fearlessly? No! I was scared to death, and I almost talked myself out of it. Almost. The novel went on to sell over 10,000 copies within the first seven months of release.

As I shared that story with Heather, another crazy notion whispered in my ear - Ask Karen McQuestion to write the foreword for Indie Chicks. Of course, I dismissed it. We had exchanged a couple of tweets on Twitter, but other than that, I had never corresponded with McQuestion. It was nonsense to think she would write the foreword. I was embarrassed to even ask her. Surely, she would think I was some sort of nut. But, the idea kept whispering to me and, with great trepidation, I emailed her. She said yes! Kindly, enthusiastically, and whole-heartedly, she said yes. Karen McQuestion had inspired me to try indie publishing. I had inspired Heather Adkins. And now the three of us were participating in Indie Chicks, that crazy whisper I had been unable to dismiss.

The book began to develop, and as it did, a theme began to form. This was to be a book full of personal stories from women. As women, one of our most powerful gifts is our ability to encourage one another. This book became our effort to encourage women across the world. Twenty-five women sharing stories that will make you laugh, inspire you, and maybe even make you cry. We began to dream that these stories would inspire other women to live the life they were meant to live.

From the beginning, I knew I wanted the proceeds of this charity to go to some sort of charity that would benefit other women. While we were in the process of compiling the anthology, the mother of one of the women was diagnosed with breast cancer. Almost immediately upon learning that, Michelle Muto sent me an email. Hey, in light of *****’s mother having an aggressive form of breast cancer, can I nominate The Susan G. Komen foundation for breast cancer? I mean, one of our own is affected here, and other than heart disease (which took my own mother’s life), I can’t think of anything more worthy than to honor our sister in words and what she’s going through. A daughter’s love knows no bounds for her mother. Trust me. I know it’s a charity that already gets attention on its own. But, that’s not the point, is it? The point is there are 25 ‘sisters’ sticking together and supporting each other for this anthology. I say we put the money where the heart is. We had our inspiration. All proceeds would go to the Susan G. Komen foundation for breast cancer research.

The stories started coming in. Some were light hearted and fun to read. But others were gut-wrenching and inspiring - stories of how women dealt with physical abuse, overwhelming grief, and a host of bad choices. It was clear; these women were not just sharing a story, but a piece of their heart. I felt as if I were no longer “organizing” this anthology, but just getting out of the way so that it could morph and evolve into its truest form.

Fast forward to just a few days before publication. Heather was almost done with the enormous task of formatting a book with twenty-five authors. We were very close to publishing and were on the homestretch. That’s when I received an email. An unlikely email from someone I didn’t really know. Beth Elisa Harris and I were involved in another indie project and Beth sent an email to all of the authors in that project, including me. She attached a journal to that email. For whatever reason, Beth had been inspired to share a journal she wrote a few years ago. She cautioned us to keep her confidence and not share the journal with anyone else. I tend toward privacy and don't tend to trust easily. This is a HUGE step for me. I've only read it once since I wrote it. Intrigued, I opened the journal and began reading. It dealt with her diagnosis, a few years back, with breast cancer! Before I was even one third of the way through the journal, I felt I should ask Beth to include this journal in the Indie Chicks anthology. It was a crazy notion, especially when considering her words about privacy and trust. We didn’t even know each other, how could I ask her to go public with something so personal? I tried to dismiss the notion (are you noticing a pattern here?), but could not. I wrote the email, took a deep breath, and hit send. She answered immediately. Yes. Most definitely, yes.

Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories, with foreword by Karen McQuestion and afterword by Beth Elise Harris, is now available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon. The book includes personal stories from each of the women, as well as excerpts from our novels. And it began as a whisper. A whisper I did my best to ignore.

What whisper are you ignoring? What crazy notion haunts you? What dream merely awaits your response? I urge you, say Yes. Live the life you were meant to live. Say yes today.

Stories included in Indie Chicks:

Foreword by Karen McQuestion

Knight in Shining Armor by Shea MacLeod

Latchkey Kid by Heather Marie Adkins

Write or Die by Danielle Blanchard

The Phoenix and The Darkness by Lizzy Ford

Never Too Late by Linda Welch

Stepping Into the Light by Donna Fasano

One Fictionista’s Literary Bliss by Katherine Owen

I Burned My Bra For This? by Cheryl Shireman

Mrs. So Got It Wrong Agent by Prue Battten

Holes by Suzanne Tyrpak

Turning Medieval by Sarah Woodbury

A Kinky Adventure in Anglophilia by Anne R. Allen

Writing From a Flour Sack by Dani Amore

Just Me and James Dean by Cheryl Bradshaw

How a Big Yellow Truck Changed My Life by Christine DeMaio-Rice

From 200 Rejections to Amazon Top 200! by Sibel Hodge

Have You Ever Lost a Hat? by Barbara Silkstone

French Fancies! by Mel Comley

Life’s Little Gifts by Melissa Foster

Never Give Up On Your Dream by Christine Kersey

Self-taught Late Bloomer by Carol Davis Luce

Moving to The Middle East by Julia Crane

Paper, Pen, and Chocolate by Talia Jager

The Magic Within and The Little Book That Could by Michelle Muto

Write Out of Grief by Melissa Smith

Afterword by Beth Elisa Harris

Indie Chicks is available for your Kindle on Amazon and your Nook on Barnes and Noble. You may also read it on your computer or most mobile devices by downloading a free reader from those sites.

Stop by our Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/IndieChicksAnthology

Follow our Indie Chicks hash tag on Twitter! #IndieChicksAnthology

In the spirit of David Gaughran!

One of my favorite movies of all time is Fried Green Tomatoes. Don't ask me why but I just think it is a great southern story not to mention Kathy Bates is one of my favorite actresses. There is a scene where after she finishes talking to Jessica Tandy's character, she just goes on spree and everything wacky she can do (including demolishing part of her home and a car crash) are blamed on Towanda. A great explanation is provided here: http://www.americanpopularculture.com/archive/film/towanda.htm.

Why am I bringing this up now? I am feeling a little bit like Kathy Bates' character in regards to David Gaughran in terms of the indie writers' community. He had a wonderful article about advanced funding and indie books. Here is Mr. Gaughran's take on it: http://indiereader.com/2011/10/crowdfunding-the-indie-advance/.

So what does this have to do with me you ask? Well, I have talked a lot about my new series, The Vamp Saga, and Death Wish: Book I, which comes out on Black Friday. This is a huge departure for me as I usually do women's literature (the few people who have actually read The Beautiful People series can attest it isn't erotica, even if it does have ridiculously sexy covers). I still like doing women's literature but I am having a lot of fun exploring the paranormal/urban fantasy/horror genres as well.

Death Wish is firmly paranormal/urban fantasy but my other series I am working on for NaNoWriMo, The Beginning: Book I (The Plague) is definitely urban fantasy/horror. Do I still have strong female characters? You betcha. Fine guys who are a dream to curl up with? Of course! A bit of romance just to ease up on the heart-pounding tension? Yep. They just aren't novels that would be described as women's literature in the least.

I have decided to try to get the funding for editing and marketing Death Wish by submitting a proposal to KickStarter. Mind you, they still have to accept but if they do, I am offering a wide arrange of gifts to people who choose to invest.

Here is my reward structure:


$5 or more (An e-book copy of Death Wish: Book I in any format)
$20 or more (An e-book copy of Death Wish: Book I and a signed paperback copy of Death Wish: Book I plus an e-book copy of any other book I have written of your choice).
$50 or more (An e-book copy of Death Wish: Book I and a signed paperback copy of Death Wish: Book I plus an e-book copy of The Beautiful People: Part I & II and an advance e-book copy of The Beginning: Book I from The Plague series due in February of 2012 and dedication in The Vamp Saga).
$100 or more (Everything above plus an advance e-book copy of The Beginning: Book I and The Catalyst: Book One in The Pop Stars series which premieres December of 2011 and an acknowledgment in Death Wish: Book I).
$500 or more (Everything above including advance copies of The Catalyst, The Beginning and Better off Dead in all in both ebook and paperback, and acknowledgment in all books in The Vamp Saga [10 total]).

They don't give you a lot of room to write so while I thought this was a bit vague, I will see what they come back with and whether they accept my project.

Yes, I know, it looks like I have too many irons in the fire but I promise everyone that I will never ever release a book that hasn't been read by editors and beta readers. Although I am working on two books, technically, I am spending all my time writing The Beginning at the moment. I have plenty of time to finish up Better Off Dead (the sequel to Death Wish) and The Catalyst: Book I (The Pop Stars) was written years ago but I still sent it to an editor to be polished to its personal best.

I write the same way everyone else does... one book at a time but I have had many of these ideas floating around my head for years. I know, I can hear it now: WHY do we need another vampire series?

Well, the world doesn't need anything but I do believe my series can add something fresh to an otherwise stale genre. Even if my project is turned down and doesn't meet Kickstarter's requirements, it is already in the works and it might take more time but I will accomplish what I need to do. I think ambition is a good thing but it can also be a very dangerous emotion because you have no idea what people are willing to do to drag themselves up by their bootstraps unless you are in their shoes.

I know what my life has been like and I don't blame any unfortunate events on anyone but myself. You live and learn. That is what makes life so great and unique. I don't want to dwell on the negative because life is too short. We should cherish the time we are given and try to make the most of it.

David is very successful in that he has managed to raise quite a bit of money. My goal is more modest, $900, as opposed to his 1500 euros. I truly think that is enough to get my product out there and to fund it properly, including marketing and enough copies to give away on Goodreads (I would like to give away 10 paperback copies in December for a Holiday season type of thing).

In the spirit of my novel, I release the cover I will be using (thanks to Athanasios... aka Tom of http://www.mad-gods.com/). I found the photos but Athanasios turned my vision into a work of art and for that, I thank him. I hope this has a domino effect and other indie writers try this as well. I don't look at this as an advance but an investment in my work. I am happy to share with anyone who believes in my project as much as I do but you never know until you try!

Towanda and Mr. Gaughran, you make me proud to say I have known of you and perhaps we will be around to see the ripple effect of one person's idea reverberate around the world.

***Quick Edit: My project was approved by Kickstarter and it is now live: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deeblanchardbenson/death-wish-book-i-the-vamp-saga If any of you know anyone interested, please let them know. This could be a great future resource for us indie writers! ;-)