Nipples & A Fracture

A reader was kind enough to contact me about a few accuracy issues in "All of Me." I had accidentally written "nipples," when - of course - Stella only has one. That I had already corrected, but there was also the issue with Nathan's hand.

Now, I am a certified Web M.D. ;), so I like to think I know my way around basic medical terminology.

Apparently, not so much.

Fracture = broken. Now that I think about it, it makes sense. And I'd meant to say Nathan's hand was just sprained/bruised, anyway, so why I wrote that is beyond me!

Which brings me to my point (finally!): it's very hard to get perspective on your own words, because you know what you meant. Your eyes see what you meant, not what is written. It's a crazy brain trick that can only be corrected by having a fresh set of eyes read your writing. Another valuable lesson learned, right? ;)

I hope my frequent blogging and stream-of-consciousness posts aren't boring you guys to tears. It's just I feel like the readers are on this journey with me.

Well, that, and I just like to talk. A lot. ;)

~Gina

Just So You Know...

The incredible, surreal, beautiful reviews readers have been leaving for "All of Me" are...well, just that: incredible, surreal, and beautiful!

I already wrote a post about what reviews mean to an author, so I won't get into all of that again (you're welcome). ;) But I just want to say "thank you" again. To know something I wrote touched another person in some small way is amazing. Thanks to all of you who took a moment to let other readers (and a lurking author) know!

~Gina

Going Nuts, a/k/a Preparing for Danny & Kat

In about a week and a half, the kids will head back to school and I'll head back to Cleveland (in my mind). Danny & Kat's story is keeping me awake at night and I have a notebook full of ideas waiting impatiently to come to life. I'd like to get started on it now, but with all of the chaos, I've decided to just wait it out. I want to be able to give them my full attention!

Writing this book will be WAY scarier than the first one because, this time, I know there will be people actually reading it. ;) I'm not gonna lie...I'm a little freaked out. But I suspect that's normal - or at least that's what I've been telling myself!

I promise to deliver the best story I can. Danny's issues are buried a little deeper than Nathan's were and Kat is difficult to get to know (Stella was nothing if not an open book!). But I'll delve deep and we'll get it all sorted out. ;)

Thank you so much for visiting this blog. Your kind support means more than I can say!

~Gina

Happy Holidays

For the lovely people who visit this blog: I wish you all comfort, peace, and joy this holiday season!

~Gina

Another Editing Update

I finally had a chance to do *another* edit on the book.  I think I caught all major typos (someone point out if I didn't, please!). :)  I submitted it to Amazon a little while ago, which means the "new" version should be available in 8-12 hours.

I know I've apologized ad nauseum about all of the issues, but "I'm sorry."  Thanks for bearing with me.

~Gina

Facebook

I set up an author Facebook page a little while ago, but didn't intend on doing much with it.  Then I started receiving "friend requests" from readers!  I'm still getting the hang of it, but I have posted twice. :)

If you'd like to be my friend on Facebook, search for "Gina Sorelle" and send a request.  My picture is the book cover, so I should be easy to find.  I don't want to aggravate anyone with annoying chatter, so I'll try to keep posts interesting and/or informative!

Thanks!

Gina

Danny & Kat

For those of you interested in Danny & Kat's story, I am creating a Pinterest board dedicated to quotes, pics, and other pins that inspire me and make me feel closer to the characters.  I look at these pins a lot while I'm writing; I thought maybe you guys would enjoy seeing them too.  I should have the board up and running very shortly.

If you'd like to check it out, you can go to:

http://www.pinterest.com/ginasorelle/

I have a little board for "All of Me," but I'd already written it by the time I found Pinterest.  I'll probably add more pins there if I find any I connect with.

Thank you so much caring about any/all of this.  If you do, that is. Which I hope you do.  At least a little. :)

Gina

I'm Fired.

Well, it appears as though I am a lousy copy editor.  Every time I go back through the manuscript, I find more errors that my eyes glossed over during previous readings.  Also (and this is incredibly painful to admit), I am not as grammatically-gifted as I thought I was.  In fact, I think I might be grammatically-impaired.  And, actually, I'm not sure I just used those hyphens correctly.  That's how confused and overwhelmed I am at my ginormous lack of knowledge. 

To be honest, had I known people would download, read, and actually like "All of Me," I would have talked my husband into shelling out a few grand to have it professionally edited.  But I thought - at best - a small group of people would give it a shot and maybe a few of them might actually like it.  Not that it's OK to disappoint even a small group of readers, but I definitely didn't think I'd have the amount of reviews coming in that I have.  On one hand, it's incredible because people seem to like it.  On the other hand, it's heartbreaking because so many of them are bummed about the editing.

Lesson learned.  It's better to be safe than sorry.  For my next book, I'll make sure I have a professional edit the book before I publish it. 

I'm in the midst of trying to fix the remaining errors.  I'm not skilled enough to make it anywhere near perfect, but hopefully I can make it just a little less offensive.  What a goal! :)

Thank you, again, for bearing with me. 

~Gina

P.S.  I promise I won't keep beleaguering the editing point.  I will eventually get over my ineptitude and find something else to talk about.  Can you tell I have a hard time letting things go? :)

Another Thank You (I Hope It's Not Getting Annoying Yet)

Words are incredibly powerful.  And words about an author's book?  Well, those are larger than life - to the author and to readers thinking about taking a chance on the book. 

To those of you who read "All of Me" - warts and all - and took the time to share reviews about what moved you...THANK YOU!  The fact that it moved you at all would have been fulfilling enough, but to know exactly what resonated with each reader?  Well, that's just priceless.

I'm gonna say "thank you" one more time, just because.  Thank you. :)

~Gina


P.S.  I found this quote on Pinterest today and immediately thought of Nathan & Stella.  I'm not sure if that makes me weird and/or over-the-top, but I'm gonna own it.  :)

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”  ~Kahlil Gibran

Rookie Mistake

I feel really badly about people having to trudge through editing errors while reading "All of Me."  I've since corrected the issues (I think) and Amazon just re-published the new version.

I wrote the book in Microsoft Word, entered it into a different format, and then submitted it to Amazon (who then re-formatted it again before publishing).  These transitions resulted in weird editing errors and I - being the newbie I am - did not check the final copy as thoroughly as I should have. 

I'd like to beat myself up incessantly over it, but, the truth is, there's nothing I can do about it now.  I went back in, fixed what I could, and now the more polished version is available for download.  It's an error I'll never make again!

That being said, I am thrilled "All of Me" has gotten lovely reviews despite the editing shenanigans.  For that I am extremely humbled and grateful.

~Gina 

Oh, I Forgot to Mention...

My next book will be Danny & Kat's story (secondary characters in "All of Me"). 

Danny is a serious departure from my typical hero: extroverted, promiscuous, and way on the wild side.  He's a sexy-as-hell cop with abandonment issues and low self-esteem, but he's also a cover-up artist of the first order...he's never gonna let you see him sweat.  

Kat is a brilliant, introverted geneticist with a quick wit, cool head, and calm spirit.  Her tendency toward geekiness and a case of Multiple Sclerosis made for a pretty tame adolescence and early adulthood -  and she's sure her late adulthood won't be any different.  (Boy, is she wrong). 

Danny and Kat are going to give me a run for my money.  I'll make sure they give you one for yours too. :)

~Gina

Gratitude

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
~William Arthur Ward


I received my first two reviews for "All of Me" today.  To say I was overwhelmed and elated by their words of praise would be the understatement of the century.  It was every writer's most fervent wish come true...

Someone "got" my story.  They got it and they liked it.  A lot.  It's like I've died and gone to Writer Heaven. 

To "Midnight Reader," and "Happy Reader" - THANK YOU.  You didn't have to take a chance on "All of Me" and you didn't have to be gracious enough to leave reviews (let alone such lovely ones).  It meant the world to me. 

~Gina

"Getting It"

I'm biting my nails over here, just waiting for that first review to roll in.  Again, not sure admitting that is the "right" thing to do, but there you go!

The thing most authors (most people, actually) want more than anything is to be understood...related to.  Authors want the people who read their book to say "I get it.  I get it and I like it." 

Now, logically, I know it's not possible for everyone to "get it."  Not everything is my cup of tea and I fundamentally know my writing won't be everyone's cup of tea.  But to know even one reader liked my story, found my characters compelling, and was glad to have stumbled upon on my eBook is an incredible thought.

Again, thanks to all who have already downloaded "All of Me."  I sincerely hope it resonates with some of you (well, all of you, but I'm trying to be realistic here).  And for those who haven't downloaded it yet, it will be free in the Kindle store until this Sunday, 12/15. 

Best wishes,
Gina

Kindle Promotion

"All of Me" will be free via Kindle from 12/11 (today) through 12/15 (Sunday).  As an indie author, I want to give readers a chance to (hopefully) enjoy the book and offering a promotion like this should accomplish that!

Thank you so much to all of those who've already downloaded.  I really, truly hope you love the story.

~Gina

 

Debut Author, Debut Post

I wonder if all debut authors write their first post wondering if anyone in world will ever read it.  My guess is they do, but are too smart to admit to it! :) 

But more to the point...my debut novel, "All of Me," is now available via Kindle.  It's a contemporary love story about a 28 year old breast cancer (and mastectomy) survivor and an emotionally damaged police officer finding each other, grudgingly falling in love, and ultimately deciding which will triumph: their scars or their once-in-a-lifetime love.

Because I am a debut author, I want to give readers an idea of my writing style and what they can expect.  I hate buying a book only to find out the heat level, language, and/or tone isn't my cup of tea.

I'd rate "All of Me" as moderately hot.  There are no euphemisms used - parts are called what they are. :) It's definitely not Erotica, but it's on the steamier side.  All sexual interactions are between the hero and heroine and they are all within the context of an emotional relationship.

I use curse words.  Relatively frequently.  If curse words offend you, I'm probably not the author for you. 

My hero is a nice guy.  Just a like a real person, he has his flaws and he is very physically and emotionally damaged.  But he's no "bad boy" and he is most certainly not a player.  He's strong and often silent, but still waters do run deep, right? :)

(Sorry for all the smiley faces - I'm a big fan). :)  But I digress...

My heroine is intelligent and witty with a backbone of steel.  There's no simpering, cowering, or wishy-washiness going on.  She is a nurse, comes from a big, tight-knit Italian family, and - though she's been hurt - has a huge, open heart. 

I truly believe in the story and hope it will resonate with some readers. 

If you've taken the time to read all this, thank you so much!

~Gina