Guestpost by Ann Stephens + Giveaway

Filed in Ann Stephens , Giveaways , Guest Post , The Geeky Lover Posted on March 7, 2011 @ 7:00 am 52 comments

We are very happy to welcome author Ann Stephens here at Book Lovers Inc today. She writes Historical Romance novels and her latest novel, Her Scottish Groom was released last week. Today She will tell us how being published feels and what it will or will NOT change in your life. Please give her a warm welcome. And be sure to answer her question at the end for your chance to win.

“Before Enlightenment, carry water and chop wood. After Enlightenment, carry water and chop wood.” 

-The Buddha
First off, let me thank all the Book Lovers for inviting me here today! I look forward to meeting everyone.
Second, I’m not Buddhist, but I’ve always liked the saying above. It gives a good idea of what writing is like. Just substitute ‘publication’ for ‘enlightenment’ and ‘write, edit, write some more’ for ‘carry water and chop wood’. It’s truly thrilling to get The Call, and later to hold your finished book in your hand. But in between those events, we rewrite (sometimes making major changes), proof galleys, and (possibly) debate story points with editors. A writer may have gone through the same things with her agent even before the manuscript was shopped around. Write, edit, write some more: That’s the process that completes the manuscript and gets it into fit shape for the general public to read.

Sometimes it’s a tedious process. I wonder if I’m EVER going to finish this story, this chapter, this scene. For awhile, I thought this was just me. It’s not. One writer of multiple books commented in an email how frustrated she is with her current work-in-progress, the final book in a trilogy that actually sounds pretty darn good. And a Very Big Name writer has confessed in my hearing to putting her head down and crying when the words wouldn’t come.

Why then do writers continue to put themselves through this angst? It makes us cranky and jealous of other seemingly flawless books and we just want to crawl into bed and pull the covers over our heads forever. Well, for starters, holding that finished book is amazing. Not because ooooo, ahhhh, all of a sudden you’re graced with a golden aura or anything. Getting published will not do any of the following:

1. Make you younger or thinner.
2. Make you rich.
3. Make your spouse younger, thinner or richer.
4. Make you a better writer.
5. Make you a faster writer.
6. Make you recognized at the grocery store. (Other than as that fussy woman who always wants her meat sacked separately.)
7. Automatically grant you television interviews, magazine covers or future sales.
Publication did give me a sense of accomplishment and a huge boost in my self-confidence. Since starting to write seriously, I’ve always believed in my own voice. But it helps that somebody else believed in it enough to actually make my manuscripts into books.
I handle criticism better. Negative feedback that actually focuses on flaws in a passage is always useful, but I can let go of comments that are based on inexperience or just plain snarkiness.
Having a book out also reminds me of how many people help me on a daily or weekly basis. I am humbled at the unselfishness of my family, friends and other writers, who offer support and encouragement in what is often a solitary calling. It reminds me of the importance of giving back and helping other writers where I can. To end on another quote, albeit not from the Buddha: “What comes around goes around.”
In the spirit of the opening quote, I’m back at work, writing another historical romance. If YOU could publish any book you wanted today, fiction or non-fiction, what would it be? I’m giving away an autographed copy of ‘Her Scottish Groom’ to one lucky commenter!
About the Author:
When Ann Stephens entered her first serious attempt at a romance novel in a contest, she expected nothing more than some useful feedback on it. To her amazement, it won its category and earned her a publishing contract with Kensington Publishing. That book, To be Seduced, was released in February 2010. Now, Ann’s second book from Kensington, Her Scottish Groom, hit the bookshelves on March 1, 2011. Both books are available in Kindle and Nook versions.
Ann lives in the Midwest with her husband, two daughters and two cats. Besides writing and reading romance, she enjoys ballet, needlepoint and reading non-fictional history.

About the book:

Infuriating, Imperious. . .
Proud Scottish lord Kieran Rossburn doesn’t relish the idea of a marriage of convenience, but he’ll do what he must to preserve the family estate. Worse, the bride he’s been saddled with–the daughter of a crass, unrefined, American merchant–is far too weak-willed for his tastes. Or so it seems at first. . .
And Entirely Irresistible. . .
After a lifetime under the thumb of her domineering parents, Diantha Quinn can’t believe she’s being shipped across the ocean to be locked away yet again. Now, to gain any sort of power in her life, she must resist Kieran’s seductions and keep the marriage in name only. Yet how can she keep from falling in love, when she is wed to the most tempting man in all of Scotland?
Praise for Ann Stephens’s To Be Seduced
“An engaging and breathtakingly romantic tale. I savored every well-crafted word!” –Celeste Bradley, New York Times Bestselling author
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~*Giveaway*~*~

Ann has generously offered a SIGNED copy of Her Scottish Groom to one lucky commenter!

All you have to do is answer the question at the end of Ann’s post.
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)

Please leave us a way to contact you.
(Email in blogger profile or twitter name – no way to contact you – no entry).

This giveaway is open worldwide!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, March 19, 2011; and we will announce the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!

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52 Comments

Join the Discussion
  • Virginia C March 7, 2011 at 7:52 am

    Hello, Ann! Congratulations on the release of "Her Scottish Groom"! I am so in love with the characters and story line for this book–it's at the top of my wish list : )

    The timing of your question is amazing! Just this morning I was thinking of the love of my life, with whom I did not have an "HEA". I was thinking of how I could take our story and expand it and develop our characters and give us our happy ending. The other day, I commented about "my best first kiss". I said that my best kiss was the first time that I kissed the love of my life, and each first kiss when we saw each other after being apart. I met the love of my life when I was sixteen. He was a friend of a friend, and at first I thought he was just a smart-aleck. He thought that I was a snob! However, it didn’t take me long to realize that he was more, much more! He was tall and slim, and he had thick, wavy golden blonde hair and the most beautiful green eyes ever! He smelled better than any man I’ve ever met, and for years I could think of him and instantly smell his scent. Witty, warm, somewhat of a cowboy, and like me, Southern to the core. He put me on a pedestal, and he never thought that he would be accepted by my family. I have never been treated with such protectiveness and respect, but he had a short fuse and very low self-esteem. He liked to "make the rounds" with his friends, and we definitely had different lifestyles. However, the love was always there! We saw each other off and on throughout the years, but we never had our “HEA”. He married once and divorced, and I have never married. Neither one of us has children. I will always believe in first love and second chances. You are never too old to love and be loved in return : )

    US Resident, GFC Follower, Subscriber

    gcwhiskas at aol dot com

  • Birgit March 7, 2011 at 7:57 am

    Love the question! I'm currently writing on more than just one book (all fiction), but what I'd really like to get published one day is my biggest project, a sci-fi trilogy!

    Following on GFC!

    danaan at gmx dot at

  • Reading mind March 7, 2011 at 8:47 am

    Lovely post and congrats for the release!!!

    I'm a translator but I also like writing (but I don't think I'd like to be published, is more of a therapy), so I'm always eager to read books from the authors I love. Anything sci-fi, historical romance, chick lit and paranormal is fine!

    aliasgirl at libero dot it

    GFC follower from italy

  • debbie March 7, 2011 at 8:59 am

    I would write a sci-fi about a influenza pandemic, since my hobby is following them.
    twoofakind12@yahoo.com

  • ChrisS March 7, 2011 at 9:28 am

    Congratulations on your release!
    What a great question. I love to read but am not very good at writing. If I was, I would love to publish a paranormal story about my twin sister and I. It would include lots of mischief and antics on the path to her finding true love.

    gfc follower
    rjofus(at)gmail(dot)com

  • GeishasMom73 March 7, 2011 at 10:32 am

    I would never call myself a writer but if I could write it would be a paranormal romance. I love shifter stories with lots of danger and suspense. Great question!

    Stacie
    GeishasMom73 on twitter

  • Ann\ March 7, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    Virginia, thank you for telling us about your young love. I also enjoy second chance stories — I'm working on one at the moment. Of course the best one would be if you got a Happy Ever After of your own someday. I do hope that comes to pass for you.

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 7, 2011 at 12:41 pm

    Birgit, keep writing and learning! Sci-fi/fantasy is my favorite genre after romance, so I wish you the best of luck! Thank you for stopping by today!

  • Ann Stephens March 7, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    Thank you for the congrats, Reading Mind. Your job as a translator sounds interesting — do you speak many languages?

    How interesting that you journal. One of my mentors is a firm believer in the value of writing just for oneself. And I can't tell you how valuable letters and diaries are to anyone who writes about history, fictional or factual!

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 7, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    debbie, I think following pandemics has to be one of the most unique hobbies I've ever heard! Have you read The Stand by Stephen King?

    Thank you for taking time to leave a comment!

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 7, 2011 at 1:42 pm

    You're a twin, ChrisS? How cool! I've got cousins who are identical twins — if you and your sister are anything like them, I just bet your story would have plenty of mischief and lots of laughs.

    Thank you for stopping by today!

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 7, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    Hi, GeishaMom! I don't read a lot of paranormals, but my youngest devours them, lol! Some of her favorites are the Breed series, by Lora Leigh. (Loved Leigh's Dangerous Games, myself.)

    Thank you for taking the time to comment!

    Ann

  • Misusedinnocence March 7, 2011 at 3:20 pm

    The Gothic style post apocalyptic book I've been working on here and there for years.

    misusedinnocence@aol.com

  • Ann Stephens March 7, 2011 at 3:50 pm

    Good for you, misusedinnocence! As a screenwriter in my crit group says, Write On. Keep making time for that manuscript, and thanks for taking time to comment. 🙂

  • Diane March 7, 2011 at 4:41 pm

    I'm a romance reader and have been since my teens; I would write romance be it historical, paranormal or romantic suspense!

  • Danielle Gorman March 7, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    I would write a historical paranormal. I haven't come across that many and those are my two favorite genres.

    I am really looking forward to reading this book. I have had it on my wishlist for months now. It looks so good.

    iqb99@yahoo.com

  • My name is Patricia March 7, 2011 at 6:08 pm

    I've actually been writing a children's book for a few years now. You would think that writing a children's fiction wouldn't be that hard but it is, ebcause you want to affect your audience in a new and unique way.

    PelicanJL[at]hotmail[dot]com

  • Margay March 7, 2011 at 6:19 pm

    I have a lot of things I'd like to get published, especially my series about the war between good and evil as fought by different factions of angels.

    Margay1122ATaolDOTcom

  • Linda March 7, 2011 at 7:12 pm

    Most definitely fiction; & fantasy romance at that..my fav genre. Not that I have a hope of such. I have absolutely no imagination which maybe why I love reading SFF & fantasy romance so much.

    Looking forward to reading your books!

    thumbelinda03@yahoo.com

  • Ann Stephens March 7, 2011 at 7:37 pm

    Hi Diane! I agree, you can't go wrong with a good romance. 🙂

    Thank you for stopping by!

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 7, 2011 at 7:40 pm

    Good for you, Patricia. I know a couple of people who work on kids' books, and it is a challenging market to write for. I wish you well in your endeavor, and thank you for the comment!

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 7, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    Margay, thanks for reading my post & answering. Your series sounds like fun! Take care and don't forget…write, edit, write some more, LOL!

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 7, 2011 at 7:49 pm

    Why, thank you Linda — good luck in the drawing. There are so many talented writers in fantasy romance, I can see why you enjoy it!

    Ann

  • Barbara E. March 7, 2011 at 8:03 pm

    Congrats on your new release. I'm looking forward to reading Her Scottish Groom.
    If I could publish any book I wanted today, I'd go with a SciFi Romance with Steampunk elements and a lot of humor. I think it would be a lot of fun to write.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

  • Melissa (Books and Things) March 7, 2011 at 8:08 pm

    It would be a work of fiction, but has roots in non-fiction. Something that needs an HEA, but did not get one in real life and affected a lot of people. I'm not a writer, so I keep that idea aside and love the work that all you authors produce!

    books (dot) things (at) yahoo (Dot) com

  • Amy March 7, 2011 at 9:21 pm

    I would love to publish a paranormal romance of my own. I just love the genre so much!

    angeldream3[at]gmail[dot]com

  • Cindy L March 7, 2011 at 11:52 pm

    Ann I love Highland Romances! I added Her Scottish Groom to my wish list!
    I'm currently working on a Paranormal. The characters were in my head begging to have their story told and wouldn't stop until I put them on paper.

    cbandy10(at)hotmail(dot)com

  • Ann Stephens March 8, 2011 at 1:01 am

    Thank you, Barbara! I hope you enjoy reading Her Scottish Groom as much as I enjoy writing it. Steampunk is gaining popularity in leaps and bounds, and it's a fun genre. I hope you get to write your story some day.

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 8, 2011 at 1:07 am

    Hi, Melissa! I like your take on a book, since there are so many people who don't get their HEA. It's a pleasure meeting an enthusiastic romance reader! After all, people like you are one romance writers write for!

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 8, 2011 at 1:09 am

    Thanks for your comment, Amy. You know, I started writing historicals because it's also my favorite genre as a reader…so you never know.

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 8, 2011 at 1:14 am

    I'm so flattered, Cindy! Thank you! I know exactly what you mean about characters who won't leave you alone till you write their story. I think for writers, hearing voices may be a requirement, LOL.

    Good luck on your paranormal!

    Ann

  • Kaetrin March 8, 2011 at 1:27 am

    I think a contemporary and there would definitely be some rescuing involved – I'm a sucker for a rescue tale – both emotional and physical.

  • marybelle March 8, 2011 at 2:54 am

    I would publish my parents story: if only for our family to keep & cherish. They have had remarkable lives.

    marypres@gmail.com

  • Tore March 8, 2011 at 11:08 am

    I would love to try to write a book. It has been my dream. I would like to do paranormal or romance. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read this book. Tore923@aol.com

  • Ann Stephens March 8, 2011 at 1:21 pm

    Hi, Kaetrin, and thank you for stopping by today. Yes, there's just something about the idea of being carried out of danger by a strong, handsome hero. 😉 Yummy!

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 8, 2011 at 1:25 pm

    Marybelle, what a thoughtful idea! Knowing family stories like that means so much down the years. I have a few stories in my family tree that I wish had been told more fully.

  • Ann Stephens March 8, 2011 at 1:39 pm

    Hi Tore! If you want to write, you should try it. I can promise your first efforts will need to be re-worked — like everything else, writing is a skill that takes practice. But try writing every day to see if you love it.

    Thank you for taking the time to comment.

  • LSUReader March 8, 2011 at 6:14 pm

    I'd publish "To Kill a Mockingbird." The royalties on that must be great! Oh, you mean I have to write it, too? Hmmmmm…I don't think I'm clever enough (or focused enough) to do that. I'll just appreciate all the wonderful books actual authors offer us! Thanks for your column.

  • Ann Stephens March 8, 2011 at 11:05 pm

    ROTFL, LSUReader! Indeed, you would have to have written it. I think it's the only book Harper Lee wrote, but it's a masterpiece.

    Is LSU short for Louisiana State University by any chance? One of my kids is interested in going there.

    Ann

  • winnie March 9, 2011 at 12:31 am

    IF I could publish a book today, I would probably publish an Urban Fantasy novel with strong romance elements in it because I love reading this genre and it never ceases to amaze me how authors come up with the plots and twists in these books!

    Congrats on the new release! I will definitely check it out as I also love reading highlander stories too! 🙂

    chibipooh(at)gmail(dot)com

  • Elizabeth March 9, 2011 at 12:41 pm

    If i could publish a book it would be an historical romance i just can't get enough of them!

    elizabeth_14@hotmail.co.uk

  • Ann Stephens March 9, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    Hi Winnie! Sounds like you have a good idea of what kind of book you like. And on behalf of authors everywhere, thanks you. No matter what genre, most of us try to think of original characters and good ways to torture them. 😉

    Ann

  • Ann Stephens March 9, 2011 at 1:21 pm

    I always enjoy meeting new historical romance readers, Elizabeth! Thank you for stopping by today.

    Ann

  • Cheri LaClaire March 9, 2011 at 3:44 pm

    Congratulations, Ann! Love the Buddha quote 🙂

  • Ann Stephens March 9, 2011 at 11:07 pm

    Thank you, Cheri! The quote strikes a chord with me as a good reminder to stay focused on the tasks at hand.

    It was so nice of you to take time to leave a comment. 🙂

  • Carrie at In the Hammock Blog March 10, 2011 at 10:48 pm

    oooh, definitely a historical romance!! my fave genre 🙂 Thank you for the contest!

    inthehammockblog at gmail dot com

  • Allison March 11, 2011 at 12:53 am

    I'm discovering that I have multiple-personality-disorder when it comes to books I read. I like so many different types that I can't decide which is my favorite. Right now I'm on a contemporary romance kick. 2 weeks ago it was Highland romance (SO HOT). And the week before that it was defiantly Urban Fantasy. But I guess the glue to it all is a good romance–a solid, believable romance that isn't "I lust after you so I must love you."

    Thanks for the interview. I've added your book to my wishlist for my next purchase.

    akbabcock at gmail dot com

  • Ann Stephens March 11, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    You're welcome, Carrie, although I have to thank the Book Lovers for inviting me. It's been fun to meet so many readers!

    Thanks for leaving the comment!

  • Welzen March 14, 2011 at 10:27 am

    Congratulations on your release!

    I would write a historical becouse it´s my favorite genre.

    welzen@hotmail.com

  • Diane D - Florida March 16, 2011 at 2:48 pm

    If I could, I too would write a Historical Romance book with plenty of naughty bits in it. I love a book when it is "spiced up". Oh, and it has to have a good story line as well.

  • Crystal ♥ March 17, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    I would write a super smexy paranormal romance or western romance. =)
    folksohana(at)gmail(dot)com

  • Meredith March 19, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    I'd love to have enough information to write a biography of my grandparents or a genealogy of my family.

    meredithfl at gmail dot com

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