Guest Blog Post & Excerpt
The
Day I Finally “Felt” Like I Was an Author
By:
Author Skye Turner
About
seventeen months ago, I started on this journey called self-publishing. One day
in the summer of 2013, while my husband was offshore and my kids were running
around my house like crazy little people, I sat at my laptop and decided to get
the ideas that were living in my head… out.
I
wrote like a person possessed that day. I think I wrote something like nine
thousand words. It was like now that I was finally allowing the voices in my
head to talk, they had so much to say.
My first book was written in ten days. I worked literally twenty to twenty-two hours a day. I didn’t sleep, I think I might have showered a time or two, but ten days later… I was done. My first book, Alluring Turmoil, the beginning of Bayou Stix, was written.
My first book was written in ten days. I worked literally twenty to twenty-two hours a day. I didn’t sleep, I think I might have showered a time or two, but ten days later… I was done. My first book, Alluring Turmoil, the beginning of Bayou Stix, was written.
That
was step one. I used to think that people wrote books and then people read
them. I was so green. I literally had no idea what I was getting into, but I
decided that if I was going to do it, I was going to do it like everything else
in my life and do it big.
I
researched cover designers and editors (though I was an editor). I thought I
was going to format the book myself, but after countless YouTube videos, tears,
and almost throwing my laptop across the room, I asked some friends for someone
to rescue me from formatting hell, and got the name of my formatter.
I
worked on Alluring Turmoil for months… writing, revising, editing, revising
again, allowing betas to read it, talking to my cover designer, working with my
editor, then formatting…
I
reached out to so many people that I’d followed and admired and I promoted
myself and my work. I did all of this for MONTHS
before I ever published.
Then,
it was time… time to push the button and release my book into the world.
Feedback had been pretty good from people who’d received ARC’s. Certain blogs
told me I stunk and that I shouldn’t release and they were sorry, but they
couldn’t recommend the book. That stung, but I pushed on. I submitted the book
to be published… and then I waited. I was a nervous wreck and I had this
extreme urge to vomit or curl up into the fetal position in the corner, but I
did it…
Alluring
Turmoil went “Live” on September 11, 2013 (two days before it was supposed to).
I didn’t know anything, but I started checking the sales numbers… holy smoke…
people were buying my book. I think I did vomit at one point from the nerves
and stress.
By
September 12, 2013 I was receiving feedback… people for the most part LIKED my book… I couldn’t help but think
this was some sort of cosmic joke. I mean people I’d once looked up to and read
everything they produced, were now reading MY
work. WHAT?! This was crazy. I’m just a wife and mommy with a dream from
Smalltown, Louisiana. I was a tiny blip in the big world of authors.
The
messages and reviews started coming in and while most were good, there were
some bad, those hurt at first… as time went on, I realized… wow, I need to
write another book.
So,
I did. And then I write four more. The conclusion to the Bayou Stix series
comes out this Friday, November 21. But the truth is… now seventeen months into
this, I think I finally feel like an author.
I
wake up every day and think to myself… I write books. I entertain people. I
involve people in my stories. People travel to events to meet me and express
their joy from my work. I receive messages from all over the world and every
single day, I pinch myself and grin.
That
is surreal. I’ve written six books in seventeen months. I generally produce new
material every ninety days… but until recently I’ve never thought of myself as
an author…
I
do now and trust me… it’s the best feeling.
Excerpt
Alluring
Surrender
Book
5 Bayou Stix
Copyright
©Skye Turner 2014
I
turn to watch Cruz approach. The fact that heads turn as he passes, both male
and female, is not lost on me. My
stomach does flips. He sees me at the table and stops for a second. My heart
drops, but then he smiles at me and the breath whooshes out of my chest. Thank
God I’m sitting down because I’d collapse from the power of that smile. Dear God!
Erik
arrives at the table at the same time with a tray of coffees. He passes them
out and pulls out a chair. Cruz sees my monster-sized coffee and says, “Do we
need a coffee intervention here?”
Taking
a sip I let out a moan as it hits the back of my tongue. That is seriously like
heaven. The coffee with the sweetness of the caramel and apple and then the
creamy whipped cream… It should be illegal.
Cruz
smirks slightly at my reaction, though his eyes are wide and I see him watch me
swallow. I lick my lips and he follows the trail with his eyes. He asks, “I
guess that’s good?”
I
nod and hold my cup out. “It’s divine. Try it.”
I’m
daring him and I’ve forgotten that anyone else is even in the room. He stares
at me and I see his light eyes darken as he covers my hand with his and guides
the cup to his mouth. He takes a sip in the same spot as I just drank from.
Suddenly
butterflies are dancing in my stomach and I feel like I just went over the drop
on a rollercoaster. I gasp as I watch him swallow. He has a tiny bit of whipped
cream on the side of his mouth and I just want to lick it off. He pops his lips
and wipes the side of his mouth before sucking the tiny bit of whipped cream
off. Staring into my eyes, he says, “Yes, that is definitely good. Thanks for letting
me sample your treat, Tif.”
My
mouth hangs open and the only thing that wakes me from my trance is the light
coughing behind me. Shaking my head, I turn and see Dade, Melonie, and Erik all
staring at us with wonder on their faces. I have no idea who even just coughed.
Mel
is looking from me to Cruz in glee and Dade is trying to hide a smirk. He says,
“Well, I’ll be damned…”
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