Any fellow authors out there can probably understand what I mean by just those two words in the blog title. In the process of writing, I find myself wondering certain things and the easiest way to resolve it is to pull up Google. This morning, I went from 'soul collectors' to 'evil voodoo loa (or entities)'. Often, they are searches I'll do at work and I can't help but laugh when I imagine the big bad corporation monitoring what I'm searching for. What would the government think when I'm looking at the layout of certain military bases? Or there was the Google of nuclear radiation and radius. The one about demons and their names.

I wish I could remember some of the subjects I've searched. At the time some of them were pretty questionable! Does it put me into a category of merely insane or the next Unibomber?

When I was writing Happily Never After I spent so much time buried in maps of Savannah, Georgia--a town I'd never been to. I had to find which direction Quinn would walk to get to certain places, where she'd catch the bus to the cemetery. It's one of my favorite parts of writing, the research. Which is kind of funny because I wasn't the biggest fan of school. Most of my bookshelves at home are packed with books on things like Egypt, haunted Savannah, ghost towns, a giant visual encyclopedia of the oceans, even a thick, detailed report on all that went wrong during Hurricane Katrina. It's made for some fascinating reading!

For instance, did you know that in a voodoo (or more accurately spelled as vodou) ceremony, when a person is possessed, it's often referred to as being mounted by the spirit. It took me a few minutes to figure that out. As you can imagine, I had a much different thing in mind! Yeah, my mind dove straight for the gutter, no questions asked.

So, tell me, especially you authors out there, what is the STRANGEST Google search you've ever done?

Once upon a time I thought that when I became a published author all I'd have to do is sit back and keep doing what I was supposed to be doing...creating new masterpieces and thinking life was amazing. Well, the reality is harder to accept. These days we authors are expected to be present, available, seen. Sounds awesome for an introvert like me! <---- Yeah, sarcasm. So after all the 'you really need to start a blog' conversations, I'm stepping out and hoping to entertain!

Being so new to the world of publishing and self promotion and blogging, I'll be sharing my adventures along the way and maybe we can all learn something.

I'm certainly not one of those overnight success stories. My book, Happily Never After, was shopped to literally every agent I could find who accpeted paranormal YA as well as a couple smaller publishers. Nada, nothing, except a pile of rejections. The very last person I had to try was a new publisher specializing in Young Adult novels, Fire and Ice. Not only did they love the book, they loved the story I wrote, not the story it'd be with a million and one changes. There are good things coming from us in the future, even the not-so-distant future. I've found a group of people I like, who support me and my so-called talent. What else could I ask for, really?

Sure, there were dreams of the big six publishers, of the day Penguin called and begged for the honor of putting my words in print, but in today's book universe it ain't gonna happen. My book is out there, more are coming, and if only a handful of people read them, fine! Of course each time I get in one of those five star reviews there is a part of me that doesn't trust it, doesn't believe it. I wonder how long it will take until I can?

Do I have a point? Good question. I think all I'm saying is if you're an author the key word to our craft is PERSEVERENCE. Don't quit after ten rejections, or fifty. The next letter you send out may just be the one, the new publisher willing to take a chance on you. You have to adjust your expectations, but the end result is the same...the stories you wrote, the ones that helped you through a hard time or transported you from a dull life, are out there giving the same experience to someone else.

And while I am starting out slow--book then reviews then blog--it's okay. I'll get there. I'll make a name one way or another, even if it is as 'that crappy blogger'. Next up, trying to find more ways to market Happily Never After. More blogs. More pictures of places I love, which tend to be mostly Montana. More books :)

Have patience with me as I get the hang of this blogging stuff. It hurts coming up with witty things to say! Just kidding. I'm looking forward to another adventure.