Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Fat Girl by Leigh Carron Being An Author & Giveaway

 
BLURB: 
Years after fleeing small-town Springvale, Illinois, Deanna Chase has picked up the pieces of her shattered heart and built a new life for herself as a child advocacy lawyer. Her food addiction is quasi under control, her secrets are buried, and she has even made a tenuous peace with her plus-size body. Until…

Micah Peters—the very sexy and now famous man she fled— walks through her office door and sends Dee reeling. His demand that she help a young boy caught in a custody battle will reunite her with the past she left behind.

Torn between duty and self-preservation, Dee isn’t easy to convince. But when obligation wins, the former lovers get more than they bargained for—a searing passion that burns hotter than ever and startling revelations about what really happened the fateful night she left.

Will the truth set Dee free to love again? Or will past hurts and lingering insecurities destine her to walk away from her heart again, this time for good?

Fat Girl is the first book in this provocative two-part series about love and self-acceptance.

Being An Author: The Reality vs. The Illusions by Leigh Carron

It’s been nearly 5 months since I published my first novel, Fat Girl. So this topic comes at an opportune time to reflect on my journey so far. What I expected and what actually is.

Expectation #1

Writing my book would be the easy part.

Reality

After spending a year writing Fat Girl, revising the plot several times over, I was 80% of the way there when I stopped, unable to finish. I’d decided to tell Dee and Micah’s story in the third person narrative. But it wasn’t working for me. For some reason I couldn’t capture their voices or emotions the way I wanted to with that style.

Take 2: Determined not to give up, back to the drawing board I went. This time I tried it from Dee’s POV. But without Micah’s voice, something was still missing.

Take 3: Back again I went. Ta-da! That was it.  Finally. Telling the story from both Dee and Micah’s first person narratives made the characters and their story come alive in my head. Great, I was happy. I asked my editor to sit tight; the rewriting process would only take another 4-6 months.  (Note: I’m also a mother and have a full-time job).

Reality: The rewrites took over a year. Talk about an underestimation and mismanagement of expectations! But in the end, I was pleased with the final product.

Expectation #2

I’m an author.

Reality

An author writes books. A Creative Entrepreneur sells books. I had to learn to be both.

When I set off on this journey, my goal was to publish my novel and have people relate to the characters, love the story and appreciate the way I told it.  Pretty hard to do if they couldn’t find me. Especially being a newbie with no other books or author presence.

It would have been wiser to market prior to writing, or at least during the process to build interest and a fan base.  I had done my research. I knew this. But doing and knowing are two different things. Like many authors, I was head down, nose to the grind, fingers glued to the keyboard. Marketing was an after thought.


Expectation #3

Being a Creative Entrepreneur is hard work!

Reality

Being a Creative Entrepreneur is hard work!

I’m not one of those authors who had lightning quick success, and frankly I wasn’t expecting that. My goal wasn’t that one big hit. My sales are nice and consistent. But it’s about more than that. I want to put out quality books that readers enjoy and build a long-term, sustainable relationship with them. 

This means putting in the time and energy to blog, network, advertise, attend events, utilize social media and form alliances with book bloggers.  I write every day to hone my craft, but I also market every day to make new connections with readers. It’s a balance. One I’m still learning.

Through this wildly unexpected process I have found the mountain to be a little steeper, the climb a little rockier. But the experience so far has been wonderful and the reach rewarding.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

EXCERPT:

“Hello, Deeana.”

His voice, deeper with age, packs an unfair sexual punch. Just like the rest of him. 

As handsome as he was at eighteen, it didn’t come close to his appearance at thirty-three. People magazine has called it right. Micah Peters is the Sexiest Man Alive. No amount of shock or disdain could deny him that.

Partly Brazilian, on his mother’s side, he is blessed with exotic good looks. Short black waves carelessly styled, caramel skin that doesn’t pale even in winter, and espresso-brown eyes fringed with the darkest, thickest lashes I have ever seen.

Like his body, his facial structure is harder—more masculine, more defined. And the inky stubble framing his strong jaw and full, gorgeous mouth only adds to the instant, powerful impact.

But I’m not that naive girl anymore. I’ve taken my knocks and know all too well that the quality of a man’s character doesn’t lie in the quality of his looks. The fact that time has been unjustly charitable to him only fuels the resentment I’ve kept secret and locked away for fifteen years.

It takes every ounce of my trained composure to push civility past the bile rising in my throat. I lean against the wood frame for support and manage to say, “This is a surprise.” The fake calm of the words burns my tongue.

If he’s affected, it doesn’t show in the easy strides that move him toward me. The delicious aromas of leather and earthy cologne fill my senses. As he comes closer still, I struggle not to breathe him in. Mustn’t let him think he has any effect on me either.

Without smiling, his dark gaze slides over my every feature, studying them one by one, as if comparing them with his memory. “It’s been a while,” he says.

Not nearly long enough to forget or forgive. “Several years,” I reply.

Now he smiles. A mocking grin that tells me he knows I remember just how long it has been. That I remember the very night I left him—and everything else that mattered to me—behind.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:
About Me: An American living in Canada. Chocolate snob. Recovering yo-yo dieter. Devoted mom and wife, blessed with a brilliantly witty daughter and unintentionally humorous husband. My wacky family feed my creativity and fuel my passion. Most nights, you will find me either curled up with a great book or, more often, sitting at my computer, tapping out the countless visions in my head. 

To me, there is nothing better in a narrative than perfectly flawed but strong characters and intense romance that is sexy, deep, and sensual. Mm…I liken such stories to a box of Godiva. Decadent and delicious! You can’t stop at just one. In fact, I’m now hard at work on my next novel—A Naked Beauty, the conclusion to Fat Girl.

Stay Connected at:



Twitter:@LeighCarron






GIVEAWAY:
Leigh will be awarding a digital copy of Fat Girl to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop. A Grand Prize of a $50 Visa or Amazon GC, an autographed copy of FAT GIRL and an invitation to discuss the book with the winner via phone or online will be awarded to a randomly winner. All prizes will be awarded via rafflecopter during the tour.
  the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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