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11 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Being a Self-Published Author from Andrea K. Stein, Author of FORTUNE’S HORIZON (and a giveaway!)

Make sure you read the bit about the cover art–neat story!

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11 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Being a Self-Published Author – Andrea K. Stein

1.  Your pajama wardrobe expands exponentially – and this is not a phenomenon limited to authors – my bookkeeper works at home in sleepwear and bunny slippers too.

2.  The 500 to 1,000 words a day previously devoted to your WIP now vanish into the wild blue aether of social media. So output has to double.

3.  There is a direct correlation between the number of hours you plant your back end into a chair to write full-time and the steady expansion of that part of your anatomy.

4.  Chocolate, cheese puffs, and donuts are the elixirs that keep your writing, and the above-mentioned part of your anatomy, expanding.

5.  The main impetus for cranking out the next 80,000 words is the thought of Amazon’s search algorithms assuming you’ve fallen off the face of the earth. You need to publish a new novel every three to four months.

6.  Writing is no longer an exercise in trying to figure out what exactly the author/agent – you fill in the blank – meant when they said they really love your work, but just couldn’t “fall into” your book.

7.  Yes, you need “inspiration” to write, but fortunately, inspiration and/or dry-mouthed fear strikes every morning at 9 (I paraphrased that from something W. Somerset Maugham once said).

8.  Now even my formerly mellow KISA (Knight in Shining Armor) wants to know why I’m not writing if he catches me in a rare (ha) moment of aimless staring.

9.  When you meet someone and they ask you what you do for a living, it may not be a good idea to be truthful. If you let slip you’re a self-pubbed romance author, you’ll be amazed at how many people are writing a book and want your advice.

10. Repetitive stress syndrome will attack your fingers and wrists if you don’t refrain from checking your book sales stats every day – repeatedly.

11. Coffee expenditures can easily outstrip eBook earnings. The daily latte on the way to your former paying job becomes a faint memory to be replaced with discount warehouse-sized cans of the cheap stuff brewed at home.

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About Andrea K Stein

Daddy was a trucker, Momma was an artist, and I’m a scribbler. The stories just spilled out—the pony escaped, the window magically shattered. Not my fault.

Twenty years as a journalist couldn’t stifle the yarns. Yacht delivery up and down the Caribbean only increased the flow. Now those tales celebrate romance on the high seas.

I am a professional captain living in the Rocky Mountains, just about 15 minutes from the Continental Divide. I spent the last 12 summers teaching sailing on awesome Lake Dillon at 9,017 feet in Summit County, Colorado. I also captained tours for my business, Sails in the Sunset.

 Connect at: Website | Facebook | Twitter   Goodreads

 

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Synopsis:

She risks everything to deliver gold to the Confederacy.

Lillie Coulbourne marks time in Paris while the Civil War rages back home. While translating dispatches from the Confederacy for the French Finance Ministry, she accepts a spy mission through the Union blockade. When the captain of the only blockade runner headed back to a Southern port won’t deal with women, or spies, she sneaks aboard as his cabin boy.

He refuses to risk his ship, or his heart.

Blockade runner Captain Jack Roberts has never been caught and he’s not about to let a spoiled American heiress ruin his perfect record. After he discovers her deception, he fails miserably at keeping her at arm’s length and vows to send her packing on the first mail ship back to England.

When she surprises him with her skill as a seaman and navigator, he grudgingly allows her to finish the run. But ultimately, he has to choose what is closer to his heart – Lillie or his ship.

 

Available at: Amazon | Goodreads

Excerpt:

The door swung open behind her, and she froze as the voices of two men floated in from the hallway. As soon as she ducked behind a heavy, hand-painted screen in the corner, she berated herself for hiding. What on earth was there to be afraid of? Besides —

Good God, her side profile was reflected in one of the damned mirrors, and then over and over in all the others across four walls.

With a silent prayer, she inched as far as possible behind the screen. Gathering in her full skirts, she crouched low and crossed her fingers. Thankfully, she had chosen her dark burgundy silk for the musicale that night. Maybe she would blend in with the wall coverings.

The two men spoke in low, guarded tones, and she strained to hear. …

“I know you’re firmly behind the cause, but I tell you, sir, the South is in severe straits. I don’t know how much longer they can hold out. They just don’t have the resources.” The unknown voice paused then continued. “The people behind the lines seem to be losing the will to continue to fight.”

She leaned forward to grasp more of the thread of their exchange, and without warning, a hand seized her arm and dragged her into the center of the room.

The stranger was so tall he nearly lifted her off her feet as he plucked her from behind the screen. Angry, blazing blue eyes rudely assessed her, and she prayed Captain Bulloch would save her.

“Miss Lillie, whatever possessed you to crouch behind that screen?” Her friend tilted his head, and a forelock of dark hair dipped across his face. He peered around the obnoxious man who had her imprisoned like a child. “Captain Roberts, please release her.”

Bullock paused for a moment when his companion refused to comply and raked his fingers through his hair. “She probably didn’t expect anyone to be in this room.” He stared at her, the question hanging between them. “Did you?”

“Then why did she hide?” the rude man interrupted. Instead of releasing her, he tightened his grip.

“Why, I…actually, I was searching for you, Captain Bulloch.” Despite the pain of a growing headache, she gathered her wits and jerked out of his hold. “I wanted to return this. So sorry to have intruded.” She thrust the book into Bulloch’s hands and wheeled toward the door only to be stopped short.

“How do we know she isn’t spying on us for information to take back to Yankee operatives?” Bulloch’s companion demanded while detaining her again with a painful grasp on her arm. Lillie turned and tried to wrench her arm free while giving the oaf her most scathing look.

That was a mistake.

His unblinking gaze radiated irritation from a deeply tanned face. Long, silver-blond hair tied neatly at the nape of his neck with a narrow black ribbon accentuated his rugged good looks and formal black evening attire. Her chest tightened, and she couldn’t breathe.

Help welcome Andrea K Stein to the wonderful world of romance and celebrate her debut novel, FORTUNE’S HORIZON.  Andrea is doing a month long blog hop to celebrate and she is super excited to share her stories with you.  The blog hop features spotlight posts, reviews, interviews (both of Andrea and of her characters, Lillie and Captain Jack…and maybe others) and guest posts.

A really fun fact that helps set Andrea’s covers apart from all the other gorgeous covers in the historical romance world—her cover model isn’t really a cover model at all.  Andrea wanted to do something different, something special.  So, she asked some local heroes to help her out.  The model for FORTUNE’S HORIZON is an avalanche search and rescue specialist…who also trains search and rescue dogs.  With the help of the brilliant cover designer, Kim Killion, Andrea was able to have her vision realized.

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