Penumbra Publishing is a sponsor/participant in BITTEN BY BOOKS' second annual HALLOWEEN BASH!
Visit http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=11197 for lots of daily fun and contests to win free stuff, including FREE EBOOKS from Penumbra Publishing. This party lasts through the whole month of October, and we'll be giving away an ebook every Friday in October in our "FREAKY FRIDAYS" promo. Check out the site to see which of our current titles will be given away, and enter for your chance to win. Our first FREAKY FRIDAY ebook giveaway will start at 9:00 am EST on Oct. 2, 2009.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
the real thing
Cook's diverse law enforcement experience gives her a unique perspective on law enforcement personalities. Covering such jobs as detention officer, patrol officer, crime scene tech and plain clothes undercover officer has given her the real life experience to put together real characters that are three dimensional. This kind of real life experiences shows up in all her stories.
If you are looking for the typical police characters from the burned-out detective or the meticulous crime scene investigator you have the wrong author. But if you are looking for an author that knows what law enforcement officers think and do, she's the one because she lived it.
If you are looking for the typical police characters from the burned-out detective or the meticulous crime scene investigator you have the wrong author. But if you are looking for an author that knows what law enforcement officers think and do, she's the one because she lived it.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Part-Time Writers ... Don't hate your day job
I've spent years stealing hours from my life trying to finish books and get them published and noticed and read. All the while I've resented anything or anyone who stood in my way of accomplishing that. The biggest 'offender' for me is the dreaded 'day job.'
Anyone who writes part-time or writes secretively so as not to be found out and thrust into the unwelcome limelight will know what I mean. You go through this day-job drudgery day after day, year after year, and it begins to wear on your psyche like a ball and chain slowing you down, dragging you down. The hours you spend cooped up in a small windowless office or packing crap you don't care about on an assembly line seem like wasted time sucked from your life by a faceless, thankless corporate monster that is sucking the very life energy from you.
All those hours wasted that could be spent doing what you love - writing.
Well, after years of harboring this resentment in a 'bite the hand that feeds you' attitude, I've finally come to terms with reality. First, I'm not every going to make enough money at any job I'm qualified for that will allow me to exceed my spending needs to the extent that I will become independently wealthy and be able to quit working. Heck, I may not even be able to afford retirement in this economy!
Meanwhile I've been putting my writing career on hold, thinking all those familiar thoughts everyone dreams of with wistful 'if only I could...' reminiscing. Those thoughts go something like this...
"If only I could write THE book that I know is inside me, that I know big publishers will fight to grab, that I know will make me a household name in the writing world and shoot me to bestseller stardom."
"If only I could work like a fiend for maybe five years and save a boatload of money, I could quit my stupid day job and write full-time."
"If only my family would let me have the 'alone' time I need, I could finish my books and get them published."
Yes, I could go on and on, and all those "if only" phrases would keep sounding like I'm blaming something else, someone else, for my own indecisiveness and failure to achieve my dreams. But I've decided to stop blamestorming and simply accept reality...
Yes, family obligations do take time and effort away from writing. But at least I have family. There are some who don't. I know what it's like to feel all alone, and it is not fun. So I am dedicated to cherishing the time I have to spend with family and friends.
Yes, I love to write, and yes it takes me a long time to complete a novel, but I find the time somehow to do it. I may not keep house like June Cleaver, but at least I am finding a little time to realize my dream. I can ignore the dust on the coffee table to get another chapter done. In a hundred years, who's going to care whether I dusted my furniture every week or just once a year? I certainly won't.
Yes, I've submitted to larger publishers, and no I have not had any of my manuscripts accepted. But I HAVE been able to get published, and I am learning to be satisfied with that. Just finally getting my books IN PRINT is a HUGE THRILL for me. I know if I do the necessary footwork, those books will be read by others. It may take a while, but I'm committed to seeing it through.
I have stopped looking at other authors and wondering why I can't be successful like them. And I have stopped looking at my day job as a curse I'd like to be rid of. The truth is, maybe all those other 'successful' authors are struggling too. Maybe they put on a better happy face than I do, and accept family and work obligations more graciously than I have learned to. OK, so maybe that makes them better at the little things in life than I am. But does that mean I have to give up and quit trying?
NO!!! And neither should you!
As long as I'm breathing, I will continue to become a better writer and a better person. It's a tall order, but I know my first step toward success is to become a POSITIVE THINKER. I CAN do this. It may take me longer than someone else, it may take me several attempts. But I CAN do it.
And what about my cursed day job? Hey, without that stupid job, I wouldn't have extra money to pay for fun things like going to conferences where I can meet readers and other writers and spend quality time getting to know new and interesting people. And more importantly it helps pay for food and a roof over my head. So hate it? Nah ... I have simply learned to accept it for what it is, a necessary evil that is populated with interesting people. That's right. Right here, under my nose, are real live folks I can use as fodder for character traits. I have become quite an amateur psychologist, worming motivation from the interactions I observe that can then be translated directly to the books I write. And anyway, without that personal interaction everyday, who knows what kind of weirdo hermit I would become?
So writers, don't hate your day job. Embrace it and use it for whatever writing fodder it's worth. Your coworkers are idiots? Embrace the fact and use them for characters in your next book. Meanwhile, be glad you have a steady paycheck, because in the world of the writer, your next paycheck may only be as good as your next book.
Keep working, keep writing. And be happy with whatever you're doing.
Anyone who writes part-time or writes secretively so as not to be found out and thrust into the unwelcome limelight will know what I mean. You go through this day-job drudgery day after day, year after year, and it begins to wear on your psyche like a ball and chain slowing you down, dragging you down. The hours you spend cooped up in a small windowless office or packing crap you don't care about on an assembly line seem like wasted time sucked from your life by a faceless, thankless corporate monster that is sucking the very life energy from you.
All those hours wasted that could be spent doing what you love - writing.
Well, after years of harboring this resentment in a 'bite the hand that feeds you' attitude, I've finally come to terms with reality. First, I'm not every going to make enough money at any job I'm qualified for that will allow me to exceed my spending needs to the extent that I will become independently wealthy and be able to quit working. Heck, I may not even be able to afford retirement in this economy!
Meanwhile I've been putting my writing career on hold, thinking all those familiar thoughts everyone dreams of with wistful 'if only I could...' reminiscing. Those thoughts go something like this...
"If only I could write THE book that I know is inside me, that I know big publishers will fight to grab, that I know will make me a household name in the writing world and shoot me to bestseller stardom."
"If only I could work like a fiend for maybe five years and save a boatload of money, I could quit my stupid day job and write full-time."
"If only my family would let me have the 'alone' time I need, I could finish my books and get them published."
Yes, I could go on and on, and all those "if only" phrases would keep sounding like I'm blaming something else, someone else, for my own indecisiveness and failure to achieve my dreams. But I've decided to stop blamestorming and simply accept reality...
Yes, family obligations do take time and effort away from writing. But at least I have family. There are some who don't. I know what it's like to feel all alone, and it is not fun. So I am dedicated to cherishing the time I have to spend with family and friends.
Yes, I love to write, and yes it takes me a long time to complete a novel, but I find the time somehow to do it. I may not keep house like June Cleaver, but at least I am finding a little time to realize my dream. I can ignore the dust on the coffee table to get another chapter done. In a hundred years, who's going to care whether I dusted my furniture every week or just once a year? I certainly won't.
Yes, I've submitted to larger publishers, and no I have not had any of my manuscripts accepted. But I HAVE been able to get published, and I am learning to be satisfied with that. Just finally getting my books IN PRINT is a HUGE THRILL for me. I know if I do the necessary footwork, those books will be read by others. It may take a while, but I'm committed to seeing it through.
I have stopped looking at other authors and wondering why I can't be successful like them. And I have stopped looking at my day job as a curse I'd like to be rid of. The truth is, maybe all those other 'successful' authors are struggling too. Maybe they put on a better happy face than I do, and accept family and work obligations more graciously than I have learned to. OK, so maybe that makes them better at the little things in life than I am. But does that mean I have to give up and quit trying?
NO!!! And neither should you!
As long as I'm breathing, I will continue to become a better writer and a better person. It's a tall order, but I know my first step toward success is to become a POSITIVE THINKER. I CAN do this. It may take me longer than someone else, it may take me several attempts. But I CAN do it.
And what about my cursed day job? Hey, without that stupid job, I wouldn't have extra money to pay for fun things like going to conferences where I can meet readers and other writers and spend quality time getting to know new and interesting people. And more importantly it helps pay for food and a roof over my head. So hate it? Nah ... I have simply learned to accept it for what it is, a necessary evil that is populated with interesting people. That's right. Right here, under my nose, are real live folks I can use as fodder for character traits. I have become quite an amateur psychologist, worming motivation from the interactions I observe that can then be translated directly to the books I write. And anyway, without that personal interaction everyday, who knows what kind of weirdo hermit I would become?
So writers, don't hate your day job. Embrace it and use it for whatever writing fodder it's worth. Your coworkers are idiots? Embrace the fact and use them for characters in your next book. Meanwhile, be glad you have a steady paycheck, because in the world of the writer, your next paycheck may only be as good as your next book.
Keep working, keep writing. And be happy with whatever you're doing.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
finally done
Finally got the books out and up for sale. Learning to Love on Indian Time is available at several outlets.
Now I can get back to writing. Well, that is after the writer's conference in Columbus Ohio and the Book Fair in Nashville TN.
Looking forward to indulging myself in my world that I create, my excape from reality.
Maybe I will run into some of you guys at the book fair, that would be great.
Now I can get back to writing. Well, that is after the writer's conference in Columbus Ohio and the Book Fair in Nashville TN.
Looking forward to indulging myself in my world that I create, my excape from reality.
Maybe I will run into some of you guys at the book fair, that would be great.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
CENTRAL OHIO FICTION WRITERS' CONFERENCE
Don't forget - some of us will be at the Central Ohio Fiction Writers annual conference outside Columbus, OH next weekend, Sept. 18-19, 2009. This year the conference is being held at...
The Holiday Inn at Worthington, OH (north of Columbus)
If you're in the area please stop by and see us. We'll have a book signing table set up and would love to chat with you.
The Holiday Inn at Worthington, OH (north of Columbus)
If you're in the area please stop by and see us. We'll have a book signing table set up and would love to chat with you.
NEW RELEASES
We've got several new releases out, soon to be available in ebook as well. They can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other popular book retailers, as well as our web site and direct from the author!
Right now on our web site you can get $2.00 off any print title we sell direct, and get free economy shipping too! Visit http://www.penumbrapublishing.com/ to find out more...
NEW RELEASE AVAILABLE NOW
Crystal Clear: Storm Ryder
by Dana Warryck
First in the new sci-fi-romance series
A widow and her young son are caught in the middle of a tug-of-war over top-secret alien biotechnology missing from the military. Meanwhile, the original owners want it back, and have sent someone to retrieve it!
NEW RELEASE AVAILABLE NOW
The Protectorate: Patriarch
by Dana Warryck
First in the vampire erotic romance series (reissued in print)
A vampire sworn to protect the secret existence of his people risks everything to save a human child - and love a mortal woman.
NEW RELEASE AVAILABLE NOW
Lucifer's Last Lover
by Dana Warryck
Supernatural romance (reissued in print, formerly The Devil's Due)
Satan faces his ultimate downfall in the arms of a beautiful corporate PR expert.
NEW RELEASE AVAILABLE NOW
Learning to Love on Indian Time
by C. Fern Cook
Inspirational/sweet romance (reissued in print)
A woman newly ordained as a minister goes out west to begin a new job with a small parish and learns that like everything else in the small town, love runs on 'Indian Time.'
Check back soon for more new and exciting additions to our catalog of available books from great authors!
http://www.penumbrapublishing.com/
Right now on our web site you can get $2.00 off any print title we sell direct, and get free economy shipping too! Visit http://www.penumbrapublishing.com/ to find out more...
NEW RELEASE AVAILABLE NOW
Crystal Clear: Storm Ryder
by Dana Warryck
First in the new sci-fi-romance series
A widow and her young son are caught in the middle of a tug-of-war over top-secret alien biotechnology missing from the military. Meanwhile, the original owners want it back, and have sent someone to retrieve it!
NEW RELEASE AVAILABLE NOW
The Protectorate: Patriarch
by Dana Warryck
First in the vampire erotic romance series (reissued in print)
A vampire sworn to protect the secret existence of his people risks everything to save a human child - and love a mortal woman.
NEW RELEASE AVAILABLE NOW
Lucifer's Last Lover
by Dana Warryck
Supernatural romance (reissued in print, formerly The Devil's Due)
Satan faces his ultimate downfall in the arms of a beautiful corporate PR expert.
NEW RELEASE AVAILABLE NOW
Learning to Love on Indian Time
by C. Fern Cook
Inspirational/sweet romance (reissued in print)
A woman newly ordained as a minister goes out west to begin a new job with a small parish and learns that like everything else in the small town, love runs on 'Indian Time.'
Check back soon for more new and exciting additions to our catalog of available books from great authors!
http://www.penumbrapublishing.com/
DRAGONCON!!!!
Last weekend (Labor Day weekend) a couple of us went to DragonCon in downtown Atlanta.
For those of you who've never heard of DragonCon, it is the ultimate geek convention that serves every stripe or spot of fantasy, science-fiction, or horror fan. With stars and reps from just about every industry franchise imaginable (book, movie, TV series, comic book, gaming, etc.) this is a fantasy/horror/sci-fi lover's dream (or nightmare, depending on what is preferred).
The big Saturday kickoff started with the costume parade, where fans dressed in costumes line the streets downtown and strut their stuff. Believe me, there was everything imaginable from French maids to Star Wars Storm Troopers. I'll post a picture of 'Terminator' with young 'John Conner' as soon as I get a chance. My highlight was attending a Q&A session by Kate Mulgrew, 'Captain Janeway' of the Starship Voyager. She gave a moving and heartfelt performance. She is really a super lady whom I admire - and wish I could be more like her.
Crowded, exhausting, time-consuming, frustrating, and expensive - nevertheless this gathering of over 40,000 genre fans was a fun experience. We're planning to go back next year in costume!
For those of you who've never heard of DragonCon, it is the ultimate geek convention that serves every stripe or spot of fantasy, science-fiction, or horror fan. With stars and reps from just about every industry franchise imaginable (book, movie, TV series, comic book, gaming, etc.) this is a fantasy/horror/sci-fi lover's dream (or nightmare, depending on what is preferred).
The big Saturday kickoff started with the costume parade, where fans dressed in costumes line the streets downtown and strut their stuff. Believe me, there was everything imaginable from French maids to Star Wars Storm Troopers. I'll post a picture of 'Terminator' with young 'John Conner' as soon as I get a chance. My highlight was attending a Q&A session by Kate Mulgrew, 'Captain Janeway' of the Starship Voyager. She gave a moving and heartfelt performance. She is really a super lady whom I admire - and wish I could be more like her.
Crowded, exhausting, time-consuming, frustrating, and expensive - nevertheless this gathering of over 40,000 genre fans was a fun experience. We're planning to go back next year in costume!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
reader review
Wild Evolution
I finished the book and it was wonderful! I really enjoyed it. I lovebooks about vampires, werewolves, shifters, etc. so this book was right upmy alley. What I liked most was you added your own "twist" to a werewolvestory.And the ending took me by surprise! Wow.
Tracy D.
I finished the book and it was wonderful! I really enjoyed it. I lovebooks about vampires, werewolves, shifters, etc. so this book was right upmy alley. What I liked most was you added your own "twist" to a werewolvestory.And the ending took me by surprise! Wow.
Tracy D.
Port Clinton Ohio
If anyone is going to be in the Port Clinton Ohio area on Saturday September 5th, please stop by
the Book Exchange to the multi-author booksigning. I will be there from 10 am to 3 pm. Hope to see you there.
the Book Exchange to the multi-author booksigning. I will be there from 10 am to 3 pm. Hope to see you there.
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