Crisis Averted

All right kids....

Thanks to a very helpful thread on Amazon's Createspace and a guy who knew just the right thing to say, we now have page numbers! Woohoo! Page numbers have never been this exciting! Also, whilst finding the solution to our page number woes I also discovered something most of us probably don't even pause to consider: Chapters always start on the right-hand page. Never thought about it, but it's so true! So....we have page numbers and our chapters begin on the right-hand page. Folks around here will probably be a little sad that I have things figured out. I've been giving away the proofs that weren't quite right. Not that there is a hoard of people following me and demanding copies, but there are several people who have been waiting. So, cross your fingers, this may really be it! And, now at 394 pages the book will be $15.99. Maybe that sounds ridiculous but if you bought Filter at your local bookstore that would earn me $0.82. So no, I'm not trying to get rich quick! That's just what it is. If you want to save $15, you can download the ebook for $0.99! It doesn't need page numbers!

Katherine Searches for Viktor

Filter: Book One of the Von Strassenberg Saga

Katherine was considering becoming a suffragette. She would wear split-skirts and burn her corset and get a job as a clark in a bank. She would smoke those little cigars and shove her pretty white gloves down the throat of whoever had come up with the blasted idea in the first place.

“A man, most likely,” she snarled in cursing tones. The wood behind the mansion was thick with under-growth, most of which sported tangles of thorns. She imagined he also had a moat with hungry reptiles lurking in its depth. “And he feeds them,” she huffed. “In a pool in his dungeon where he has locked Viktor away. Because he knows,” a mosquito dived toward her face and she swatted at it. “Viktor wishes to marry me, so he locked him up and threatened to feed me to the beasts if he escaped.”

Her ramblings continued as she fought the thorns and briers and blood-sucking parasites. Was there no end to this stone wall? Her strength, she knew, would soon give way.

(C) Gwenn Wright 2010

Rocky's Battle. Filter: Book One of the Von Strassenberg Saga

He yanks and yanks again, expletives flying without pause for breath. With back pressed tightly to the door, out of necessity because he has me painfully pinned, I turn the lock. My tiny room is sparsely furnished. The twin bed will only fit against the wall with the busted window. And my desk, my beautiful, white knight desk, is here beside me, crammed into the small space between the bedroom door and the closet door. Two nights ago I had started working on that stupid project for history. A battle scene, complete with corn syrup blood and cardboard trees. And there beside the last fallen soldier, still waiting silently for his place on the battlefield, are my scissors. New and sharp.

I have been growing my hair put for the last two years and it’s knock out, sexy model hair. I’m not the vain type, but I’m vain about my hair. And I will admit, that mixed in with the tears of terror and anger and adrenaline now are tears of vanity as I cut my beautiful chestnut curls and separate myself forever from the man who had kept his promise to my dead mother for seventeen years.

Kept it but blew it all to heck today.

(C) 2010 by Gwenn Wright

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Filter-The-Von-Strassenberg-Saga/150889648309305

Prologue

FILTER: Book One of the Von Strassenberg Saga

Prologue

Vienna, Austria 1866

“That monk is a doddering fool.”

He remained bent over the microscope, speaking more to his Petri dish than the imbecile who had come to question him.

“Yes Doctor, but what you’re working on…” “Will ensure Austria’s power for eternity.” The man scoffed. He had heard of the scientist’s maniacal zeal. His mother had warned him

that being intelligent was admirable and, if utilized properly, profitable but there came a point

when it was nothing but a detriment. Genius was often followed by madness, she had said. Looking at the frenzied younger man, Dr. Rochenstein fully appreciated the wise woman his mother had been.

“The University,” he continued. “Needs more assurance of the potential success of your work.”

A bitter laugh resonated within the form hunched over the microscope. “You mean they would like to know when my work will begin repaying their generosity.”

It was not a question.

Everyone knew of the lavish expenses of the professor, but no one was certain of what the money was being spent on. There was gossip and speculation that perhaps he was building some great invention, but this was circulated only among those who did not know his particular field was biology.

****YA THRILLER ROMANCE, Rated PG-13, well maybe PG-15

You can also visit me here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Filter-The-Von-Strassenberg-Saga/150889648309305

Going to paperback...maybe....

Currently I am editing and re-formatting Filter for Amazon’s CreateSpace. But it still makes me edgy. It seems like a big commitment.

So here’s an excerpt:

Mr. Demure leaned in and kissed his daughter’s forehead and gently spread a blanket across her. “I have always warned her that her curiosity would be the death of her. That or her clumsiness.”

She heard the men laughing as they drifted out of the room.

The shadow stayed.

She wished he would go. The burning tears ached to be set free. She couldn’t restrain them much longer. With a trembling, unwilling hand she rubbed her throbbing forehead and exhaled deeply.

For a moment she believed he had left, but as she shifted away from the wall she sensed him there beside the bed. He was very close.

Wretched curiosity!

But she would fight it and not look.

“Katherine,” he whispered, his breath rolling in a warm wave across her cheek. A traitor tear spilled out, the humiliation was too much to contain. Gently, a finger dabbed the wetness from her skin. He said it again, softly, as though it pleased him just to say it,

“Katherine.”

“Viktor!” the accented voice bellowed from below. And then the shadow was gone.

Darkness overwhelmed her then and carried her away to a land of crows and mocking strangers.

.....To vote on whether or not I should go to paperback go to Filter: The Von Strassenberg Saga Book One Facebook Page

Thanks!

The Joy of One Sale

Well, actually it was two sales! In one day.

As an independently published author (fancy way of saying I gave up on finding an agent and don’t have the granola to print physical copies so I only epublish), I cannot tell you the sheer joy when one person says, “Yea, all that work you did for ten months….that’s worth $2.99 to. Granted the hope and excitement that springs up with that one sale often fizzles out quickly, but it sure is sweet at the realization of it. I wrote Filter in opposition to the vampire craze. Everybody was writing vampires and then witches and then zombies…. It was my hope to write a book that could be just as terrifying and darkly romantic without all of the cliche. Of course if more people left reviews I would know if I have succeeded. Readers, if you buy an independently published book PLEASE be kind enough to review it. We rely on them for two reasons. First, it’s the cheapest publicity there is. Second, we need to know if we’re failing in our craft. Be truthful but in a constructive way. We don’t have professional editors combing through our manuscripts. We have good friends and wonderful big brothers (who I still can’t believe read my YA romance/thriller!) and the few people who take the time to curl up with their Kindles or Nooks or other eReaders. You are vital to our success. 

To whoever actually purchased my ebook today: Thank you, thank you

If you want to try it before you buy it just sample it!

Leave a comment

Fan Page

Is it not kosher to promote another fan page while on another site?
I don't even know.
You can join my little group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=108780859177556&ref=ts

A friend of mine read the first few chapters of Filter: Book 2 the other day and he tells me, "That character eats Cap'n Crunch." So I went back and changed it from "cereal" to "Cap'n Crunch." That was so fun! I would love to do more of that. Obviously not with anything that would interfere with my plot, but the small details that add depth...I wouldn't mind taking suggestions from people who have read the first book. It's a neat idea. We become so familiar with characters we read that we want to contribute from our own personal visions, like what kind of cereal he would eat. 
So if you read Filter, please feel free to give suggestions for the little things. Maybe Raquel likes striped socks or something. I think that would be cool as a reader to read something and know, that was put in there because of me.
So give me some small details here or on Facebook and we'll see what we can do!
And don't forget, at Amazon you can try before you buy!

Am I Officially A Novelist?

My sons' open houses were last night.
As it is inevitable that someone there, usually their teachers, will ask,  "What do you do?" I inquired of my son on the way, "So when people ask, do I tell them I'm a novelist? Or do I have to stick with the usual, `I'm finishing up my degree?'"
My nine year-old paused to puzzle over this.

His first reaction was going to be, "Eh, I don't think so."
After all I haven't even made twenty bucks selling novels.
Even though in the 12 days that it's been up 187 people have downloaded the book that took me four months to write. Only three have been willing to pay $2.99 for it at amazon. I bumped the price up to .99 at Smashwords and no one wanted to pay for it despite two very good reviews. I'm beginning to get this feeling that unless you've been blessed enough to rise about the slush pile people don't consider your work worth their money.
That hardly seems fair. I've only sent my book to one agency. And they get thousands of submissions a month and I'm also relying on my marketing skills to pitch my book. I am not a pitchman. I'm also holding out. There's an agency I REALLY want to represent me so I'm willing to take my time. MEANWHILE, I need to make money. I would love to offer it free forever ( it is free here http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20957 )to teens but there is a practical side to this. And it's a struggle for me. I long for the day when YA girls are reading my stories and falling in love with William and Viktor and are just excited about talking about them as I am. That's my main motivation. But I also long for the days of having my own home (we live with my parents) and being able to fix my stupid broken tooth that hurts so much.
I've worked harder at being a writer than I have ever worked at anything (well, besides being a wife and mom....and I've worked pretty hard and filming and editing.) Sometimes (when the boys and the man are gone) I'll work from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. And my poor body is not any better for it. But this is what I love so it's okay. Just because I don't have an agent and I don't have a big publishing house behind me doesn't mean I'm not a real writer. It doesn't mean that I don't have mad storytelling skillz. It just means that the one literary agency I took a chance on hasn't called back yet, maybe my pitch wasn't good enough. Isn't that ridiculous? To base my storytelling skillz on whether or not some overworked literary agent could assess my overall work through a one page letter? One letter among hundreds and thousands? I'm not good at concise self-promotions. I'm a long-winded kind of gal. Just do me a favor, give the indie writers a chance. We're real writers too.

eBook Coupon!

I am not a good businesswoman.
It is so thrilling for me just to know that people are reading my work and (from reviews) enjoying it that I don't even want to charge for it. But my tooth really hurts and we just had to pay to put a new fuel pump in my car (NOT CHEAP).
So I have started charging $0.99 for my ebook. We'll see if people are willing to pay. For those of you who stopped by my blog though....I have a coupon code for you! BD39K
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/filterbookone
If you use the coupon between now and September 16th Filter is yours for FREE!

The Downside of ePublishing

It must've been easier to be a writer when you weren't constantly plugged in to your numbers. I remember the good old days of stamps and envelopes and waiting in silence for so long that you forgot you even mailed something to a publisher. Of course those were also the days when you relied on a publisher or agent actually opening your envelope and giving it a fair chance. Those were also the days of high prices for self-publishing.
Right now Filter is lost in a sea of ebooks and I am fighting tooth and nail to get it noticed. That's why it's free right now at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20957 At least if it's free people will read it and, I hope, enjoy it and leave a favorable review. I might have to wait until the next book to actually charge some minimal amount.
If writing does pan out I'm going to have to get a 9-5 which is NOT what I want. I've accepted my June Cleaver fate and I love being home to take care of my boys and shuffle them around. But I need my own home. My parents have been good enough to let us live with them for some time now while we get our degrees and establish our careers but I want my own home with my own decor and my own rules. I also need to get my broken tooth fixed. My Mac book attacked me. Broke my front tooth. And we're too poor to get it fixed.
I've spent the last week shamelessly self-promoting my book and I'm not very good at it. I don't want to just say, "Hi, buy my book." That's not me. I was never good at small talk. I like to be invested in people and hear their stories and know their thoughts. Problem is, that takes up a LOT of time. And that's time I should be spending working on Book Two and reading. I haven't had time for lazy days of reading because I'm busy peddling my free ebook. Ridiculous. And don't even get me started on Amazon. I've only sold two copies there because you can't find it. Everyday hundreds if not thousands of new ebooks are uploaded for the Kindle format. I'm only charging $2.99 and have only sold 2. That is not going to fix my tooth. At least I know at Smashwords people are downloading my ebook and I pray they are enjoying it. If they aren't I want to know why because I know I have a lot of growing to do as a writer. Sometimes I think I was a better writer back in high school before my adult ADHD kicked in  (I don't actually have ADHD, it's just called an overly busy life).
I need coffee.

Get A Free Filter...ebook!

For a short while I am making Filter: Book One available for FREE at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20957 I really want to get some teenagers who don't know me to read it....I would like their opinions.

Filter is Available on Smashwords.

Filter is available on both Smashwords and Amazon.com.
If you actually want to buy it and don't have a Kindle I would recommend getting it from smashbooks for now. I've just uploaded a more e-friendly version to Amazon and it isn't active yet. Sales are going up! I'm just waiting for the reviews. More than anything I want to know people are enjoying reading about Viktor and Katherine and William and Raquel!
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20957

FILTER IS AVAILABLE!!!!

Filter is officially available on Amazon! You don't have to have a Kindle to download and read it!

Copyright!

I have successfully obtained the copyright for my novel, which is now titled, Filter. It will be the first book in the series, I have already started on book 2. By the end of this week the final edit should be done and Filter should be up on Kindle. Hope it is. By then I might chicken out and decide it's all a bunch of stuff and nonsense and no one should even pay the .99 for it. Maybe not. We'll see. Oh it's so scary!

The Next Twilight Saga? No.

Last night only afforded me enough energy to reread my favorite part of Viktor and Katherine's story. I've read it probably a dozen times and just love it. Is that arrogant? I don't know. I'm not reading it over and over thinking, "Oh I'm so good." It's just like when you read the favorite part of a book or watch a scene from a movie over and over again because of the emotion it brings up in you.

This is not that part. That part will be highly guarded. Ah but I love Viktor! (Who use to be William but had to change his name for ethnic purposes.)

Viktor and Katherine, a random sample:

“O you insufferable man!” She hollered, snatching the box. “Why does this amuse you? This is not amusing!”

With barely checked frustration she glared into his laughing eyes. This was all a game to him and he was playing with her, playing with the invalid. Was he that heartless? Did he like to tug the heartstrings of unfortunate girls just to watch their torment?

“Open it,” he ordered, laughter in his voice.

In response, she growled back, her fingers prying at the lid of the small velvet box, “As you wish. Gladly.” (c) Gwenn Wright 2010

Accidental Genius

This was supposed to be easy, writing this little teen romance. Granted, I knew some research would be necessary. Unfortunately, things started clicking and the story has grown more and more interesting without any effort on my part.
Any effort on my part, yet...
Someone will have to weave together all those pieces parts in a believable and exciting way. Although, fortunately, the setup of my story already meshed with actual historical facts.
This happens to me with video editing as will: accident genius. And I don't feel it would be right to take credit for such brilliance. It's really a God thing.
And, unfortunately, the amazing blessings of last night's research just means: more research. And some field trips! Part of my story takes place locally, in St. Louis. I don't want to give on too much, but it's very exciting. And now I'm considering an internship in one of the places that will be part of the stomping grounds for my characters. It only makes sense.
The other location is in Europe. Fortunately my parents and grandparents traveled extensively in this area. Even my husband has been near there. One day, I will make it there. Although, my novel will have to be a success before I can afford to travel there. Not going means so much more time Googling and reading and asking my husband to recreate authentic cuisine from that region.
Writing is a full time job.
Blerg.
Again, this is why God wasn't telling me yet.