Adventures in Genre-Hopping: The Short Story Plunge

Okay. I did it. I finished a time travel story. It's short, but it's time travel and it's mine.

My first published short story is out!

Time Killer
by Emily Casey

Detective Dominic is trying to solve a dozen murders--all with the same MO. The catch is, the murders have happened so close together, it would be impossible for one person to commit them all. 
At least, that's what she thought. But everything changes when Dominic finds a time machine in the desk of one of the victims. 
Now, Detective Dominic has to chase down a time-hopping serial killer before he commits one more murder, one much closer to home.

Available at Amazon, Smashwords, and other retailers.

The Fairy Tale Twist (The Ivy Thorn Series #2)

Progress: Now Available

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

Ivy has figured out how to keep the pixies away. She's safe! But now there are other things to worry about.

In an effort to protect her unborn brother, Ivy strikes a deal with the creepy little pixie who trapped her before. But when she finds herself in a family of disappearing princesses, Ivy throws the fairy tale on its ear to save the kingdom from a destructive love spell.

You can hold it in your hands now!

Guess what came in the mail?

Yeah, it's a little early, but I can't wait any more. The Fairy Tale Trap (Ivy Thorn book 1) is now available in paperback! And just before The Fairy Tale Twist comes out, too. :)

I've been completely immersed in Ivy's fairy tale world as I get The Fairy Tale Twist done. Book 2 will be out in less that 2 weeks and there's other fun stuff that I'm excited about.

By beta readers mentioned a story line or two that were left unresolved at the end of The Fairy Tale Twist. They got me thinking, because 1) they were right, but 2) that's not part of Ivy's story. It doesn't make sense to include it in The Fairy Tale Twist because Ivy isn't all that involved.

But the story needs to be told. And it should be a good one. (I don't know for sure, since I haven't written it yet. Funny how that works.) 

I'd like for Ivy to make an appearance in this companion story, but that depends on how she handles herself in the third book of the series: The Fairy Tale Duel. Cause, you know, she might die or get stuck forever in that new fairy tale or something else really horrible. You never know. ;)

So, yeah. Fairy Tale Trap is out in paperback.
Fairy Tale Twist (ebook) out in a couple weeks.
Fairy Tale Duel will come next year.
Companion book, with characters from book 2, is also in the works.

I've also been asked if the whole series will be out in paperback. I'd love that. It takes a lot of time and banging my head on the desk to get a novel formatted for paperback and get a cover ready and all that. I don't mind doing it (there is some fun involved) but I don't want to give up that much of my writing time if people aren't actually going to read it. So, the answer is: Yes. I'll release the whole series in paperback, as long as the first book sells. I hope you understand it's just a matter of priorities and how I spend my time. There's only so much of it. :)

My NaNoWriMo and Future Books

I did Nanowrimo this year and it was a total blast!

I tend to write shorter books, so my first story didn't cut it. I finished the book, but hadn't reached 50k words. So, after some thought, I started work on Snow White and Zombies. I think this one is a keeper. It still needs some work (as in a few more drafts) but I'm going to get this book out as soon as I can. I still feel bad about putting Fairy Tale Twist on hold (Thank you SO much for being patient!) but I feel like this needs to be out there. Also, it doesn't take nearly as much time to produce a zombie fairy tale as it does to make Ivy happy.

That said, what happened this past November?

Word count goals
I like to take weekends off. So I write 2300 words a day, and if I need to use Saturday to catch up, I do. I do not write on Sunday. It's a rule I keep for myself. I think it's important to take a mental break to keep from burning out. Burnout = bad.

Did you ever get writers' block?
Sometimes, the words would fly off my fingers. Other times, I had to sit down and force myself to write one word at a time. I had writers' block a handful of times. The way I got through it was I sat in front of my computer screen, reread the last couple of paragraphs, then wrote a sentence. That sentence was usually pretty bad, but it led to another one, and another. Eventually, I got back to writing better stuff and it was easier to come up with the next idea.

Was my first draft bad?
YES! It's awful and you'll never be allowed to read it.

Will it be better?
If not, I'm not worth my weight in salt as a writer.

Will you ever publish that first story?
I'm not sure. I don't know if the root story is strong enough to support something better. But I'll take a look at it. You know, after Fairy Tale Twist.

Cinderella and Zombies

Cinderella and Zombies

available now

Get it at Amazon or Smashwords

(in any e-format)

$2.49
Direct from author

(MOBI, ePub, HTML, PDF)

"More than anything, King Richard feared the zombie outbreak. Now, they neared his palace with every passing day, in growing numbers. One thing was clear to the King: his son must marry a zombie-killer."

What happens when you take a classic fairy tale and add a few zombies to it? Cinderella goes from being a pretty-faced pushover to being the best zombie-slayer in the kingdom. But will that be enough when she's decked out in a ball gown and glass slippers? 

Fear of Genre Hopping - Fairy Tales and Zombies?

You may or may not have noticed the updated 'Sample Chapters' page. I've included a link to Cinderella and Zombies, which is due to come out later this spring. This book is WAY outside my comfort zone. I didn't even think I liked zombies a year ago.

There's a scared little voice in the back of my head that keeps telling me that people aren't going to like Fairy Tales + Zombies. Or that the people who loved The Fairy Tale Trap are going to hate my zombie fairy tales and never read my work again. (Have no fear. I'm still working on The Fairy Tale Twist. I promise.)

But should I really let those concerns keep me from writing something new?

I hope to be the kind of author that readers want to be curious about. What will she come out with next? If my readers don't LOVE everything I write, that's okay

Maybe I'll write the time travel romance that keeps swimming around in my head. Maybe you'll hate it. If that's the case, I hope to have the kind of readers who will say, "She's better at fantasy. I'll stick with those."

I think I'll always keep coming back to YA fantasy. That's where my heart is. But I also want to branch out. I want to write stuff just for fun, because I hope other people will also think it's fun.

So. If you think there's a chance that you'll like Cinderella and Zombies, please read the sample chapters. If you like them, leave your email in the comments on the sample chapter page. When the book comes out, I'll email you a coupon for a discount on Cinderella. It's a thank you for trying something new.

Will You Like My Books?

I think it's high-time I answered this question. My books aren't for everyone, so you shouldn't waste your money if you're not going to like them.

My books are all about a spunky sense of fun. If you like strong, smart heroines (or characters that are so dumb, you laugh at them and wish they'd bite the dust already), you'll probably like my books.

If you like fantasy and magic, but done in a new way, you'll like my books.

You'll like Ivy Thorn (The Fairy Tale Trap, The Fairy Tale Twist) if you're looking for a light, fun read that will keep you rooting for a character in an impossible situation. If you like fairy tales, and modern, relatable characters, Ivy's books are for you. The Ivy Thorn series is quick-paced and funny, with a nice helping of fairy tale magic.

You won't like the Ivy Thorn series if you're looking for great literature with complete grammatical perfection. Also, you should know that the series is written in first-person present, which irks some people (though I have converted a few). If you like stories that take their time and explore various aspects of life, this series isn't for you. Also, you should know that these stories (like fairy tales) don't have many subplots.


Fairy Tales and Zombies (Snow White and Zombies, Cinderella and Zombies) are short novels, with a very different style from Ivy. Since everything takes place in the 16th century, the language is a little more adult. But that's okay, because the themes have more of a grown-up feel to them. These stories have death and zombie slaying with a touch of humor and a dash of fairy dust.
These books are for you if you 1) love zombies 2) Want face-paced action and 3) Want to see a fairy tale in a completely different light.

You won't like my Fairy Tales and Zombies books if you're expecting the constant quick, witty reparte that Ivy brings to the table. There's some humor, and the characters will banter, but that's not the focus of the book. If you hate reading about castles and knights and princesses in ballgowns, you probably won't like these books. (Of course, the princesses will often slay zombies, so that might make things more interesting.)

Fairy Tale Trap book review (Blog Tour #8)

I'm not sure I'll ever get used to book reviews. Knowing that a tough critic, an unbiased reviewer, is going to tell hundreds of people what she really thought of my book is nerve-wracking.

But here I go again.

Melanie McCullough is hosting today's stop on the book tour at her book review site A New Kind of Ordinary.

Self-Publishing vs Sushi

Picture a small town in Pennsylvania where the Amish ride horses through the streets and sell quilts at the market. A place where the locals have names for things most people in the country have never heard of. I went to a writer's conference in this town and met aspiring writers, top agents, and best-selling authors.

On the first day of the conference, a New York agent asked the locals of this small Pennsylvania town where to get some good sushi.

The response from everyone was pretty much the same: Sushi?!

We all had a good laugh about it and the agent handled the faux pas with grace, but it got me thinking. This agent is wonderful at her job. I'd have loved to have her represent me (only she didn't work in my genre). I don't think she's out of touch with readers. But I don't think she's in touch with every reader.

Agents represent books that they like and think they can sell to publishers. Publishers buy books they like and think they can sell to booksellers. Booksellers buy books they like and think they can sell to consumers.

But shouldn't that mean that there are books out there that would appeal to readers, but didn't make the cut because they didn't appeal to everyone else in the chain?

Readers like books from every part of this Venn Diagram. Except that little grey circle. Nobody likes those.

You may or may not like sushi. But if you were stranded and hungry in New York City, I’ll bet you could find plenty of delicious food. Still, you probably won’t find a gumbo that compares to the real thing from Louisiana, or real, honest-to-goodness Georgia peaches.

If you're reading this, odds are you love to read. Odds are, you've read hundreds of great books and are searching for your next. Imagine all those books, the great ones that didn't make the cut because a publisher didn't think it had "mass appeal".

That's why I want to self-publish. Because just like Georgia’s peaches, I have a story to tell that you can only get from me.

I'm not doing this because I think agents are bad people, or that publishers don't know what they're doing, or that chain bookstores are soulless. On the contrary. I think as readers, we’re indebted to them. They’ve made so many good books available to us. They don’t just shape the world of literature; they BUILT it.

But the publishing world is changing.

I’m not trying to find readers that hate all the books ever published so far. That’s crazy. It’s like saying you couldn’t find a single decent thing to eat in New York. I’m looking for hungry readers, the readers that might also like a book from a different source.

Think of my book as a new food or recipe. Are you willing to try it?

The Fairy Tale Trap is ready for you to read.

The Fairy Tale Trap is officially available for download!

Thank you SO much to everyone who helped make this book. I got some amazing support from all of you and I appreciate it.

Get the book from Smashwords (you can get it in any e-format here)

Get the book in Kindle format from Amazon or donate to make The Fairy Tale Trap a paperback.

Be sure to look for the bonus material at the end, including how the original fairy tale inspired the book, a copy of the story Beauty and the Beast, and what to expect in Ivy Thorn Book #2: The Fairy Tale Twist.

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Want to See an Awesome Book Cover?

Congratulations to Ryan for creating a truly awesome book cover!

There were some great entries. Thanks so much for entering the contest. When The Fairy Tale Trap comes out, I'll send you a free copy as a thank you. :)

Some of the other covers (in no particular order):

I love this one. It came in a very close second.