My second novel Arroyo is now in the hands of my Beta readers. What’s a Beta reader? It is the person or persons you trust to read your novel or short story and tell you the absolute truth. And to point out fixable problems.
One of my Betas has already read Arroyo and caught several typos, and the other two will hopefully go over it in the next couple of weeks. I have already been assured, however, that Arroyois not crap. Hooray! I really enjoyed writing the thing.
If you’re not a writer you will not understand this, but most writers think their work is crap until repeatably told otherwise. We just can’t disassociate ourselves enough from what the book is like in our own heads to see clearly what it is like on paper (or digitally). So, not crap. Hooray!
Arroyo is a paranormal western. The Cowboy’s Baby is a contemporary western romance novel. I just systematically put TCBup for re-publication this past week for the Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader, for Smashwords distribution to everyone else, and just now (as I write) as a reformatted Kindle version in order to give it a new cover (and more professional formatting).
It is certainly possible to do a good job all by yourself formatting for the Kindle. I can’t answer the same for the Nook or Smashwords because I bypassed doing it myself and hired it out (Smashwords looks very complicated). It did not cost a lot of money getting help. However, I can attest that uploading to these platforms and filling out the required information is easy. You just have to follow the instructions.
I loved our original cover for The Cowboy’s Baby. But take my advice. If you are self-publishing in any format, get a professional to create your cover. I used http://streetlightgraphics.com on the recommendation of The Emperor’s Edge author Lindsay Buroker. They have done a great job.
I have also have put my first short story up, When Gymkhana Smiles. This story went to the Armadillocon writer’s workshop with me (where it was well received) and then was eventually accepted by Fantastic Horror (who also rated it creepy). Unfortunately, this e-zine folded before my story was published. So I have published it myself. It is a nasty sort of horror story or thriller. The professional cover is by Molly Humphrey. I uploaded it and the manuscript to Kindle by myself. Like I said, it was easy.
What next? There will be another short story as soon as I have revised it to my satisfaction. This will be a fantasy short. And by the time I have published that, Arroyo should be good to go. Next up is a series of mystery novels (Boo Done Its) featuring our dog Boo Radley and tentatively titled Talking To the Dead Guys.
Damn, I’m doing mysteries now. By gum, I’m just all over the place. But I love all these genres–romance, horror, fantasy, mystery, so why shouldn’t I write what I love.
WHAT I’VE READ THIS WEEK–I’ve been reading four separate books and haven’t finished any of them. Note to me, pick one and read it through.
Photos by Roxanne Rix.
Link to Smashwords http://smashwords.com/books/view/79235
Link to Amazon.com http://amzn.com/B005CWGIQ6. http://amzn.com/B003UYUVZC
Link to B&N http://barnesandnoble.com/c/gretchen-rix
WHAT I READ THIS WEEK–A Pirate Looks At Fifty by Jimmy Buffett. Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Flash Gold by Lindsay Buroker. 
