Drifting Into the Unknown by M C Holman

So being an author doesn't mean you get to sit in front of a laptop all day like some people may think. It's not all glamour as others may see it either. Being an author is HARD WORK! Writing the book is probably the easiest part of it. From then on, it gets a tad tough. There's the self-editing; first, second, third rounds and so on until it's close to perfect. I say 'close to perfect' because no matter what, and as much as you'd like it to be, it'll never be absolutely perfect. 

Finding a publisher takes time and effort too, and to top it off you need to grow a 'thick skin' to take all the rejections. You can't let them get the better of you. If you're lucky enough, a publisher may send you a contract and then the real fun begins.

More editing! If you get to work with a great editor from the publishing house, it's not so bad, but good luck to you if you don't see eye to eye. Same thing with the art department; your vision of what the front cover should look like doesn't always match what's designed for you.

After months or perhaps years, it's time to bring your baby into the world. That in itself can be quite daunting. You need to learn how to shamelessly promote yourself as well as your book and you need to do it daily. 

Knowing that your words are going to be read by readers all over the world can be beyond scary. You need to prepare yourself for the reviews, good and bad. 

We'd all love to think that we're capable of writing a bestseller, but the reality is, that that's (most likely) not going to happen for the majority of us. That doesn't mean that you give up though. If you want to write, then write. 

As some of you know, Drifting into the Unknown is my second novel. It was published by Eternal Press and released on the 1st of November 2014. So here I am, shamelessly promoting myself and my novel. I hope you find it interesting. 

Until next time...

Take care of YOU!

Maria.... :) xx


DRIFTING INTO THE UNKNOWN
(A paranormal/Ghost/Romance novel)

About the book:
Lexie Bennett is about to uncover the secrets hidden within the walls of an old Victorian house she bought.

After leaving her abusive husband, Lexie thinks life will be simple. How wrong she is. The old house she bought has hidden secrets. Her new friends are out of this world, and her best friends’ wild sex life becomes a pleasant diversion from her own frigid life.

Then she falls for two brothers, on two separate planes of existence, unfamiliar feelings and passions arise. She must choose between the two of them or the choice will be made for her.

Published by Eternal Press
http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781629291697

Available through amazon.com and most online book stores.

Like my page on
www.facebook.com/HiddenInfluenceUnveilingTheTruth

and join me on twitter.com/Holman_Novelist

ARE YOU A SLAVE TO YOUR MONEY?

Well, it's certainly been a while! Looking at this blog site of mine and seeing my last entry as September 2013 (10 months ago!!! Yikes!) makes me wonder where this last year has gone. It's scary how fast time flies. A lot of my friends are complaining about the same thing. Does this mean that life is too hectic for most of us these days? I think so.

So how can we fix it? How do we fix the fact that most of us have day jobs, and not just 9 to 5, but 9 to 5 and beyond. More of us are trying to cram in extra hours at work to help pay for the little luxuries we're used to and can no longer go without. With prices rising on everything these days, we really are becoming slaves to our money. We buy things on credit and then get upset when we can't leave our jobs because we have debts hanging over our heads. In doing so, we spend more and more time at work and less time with our family and friends. We're living zombies! Is it really worth it? There have been times when I've wanted to sell everything we own and go on to live a much simpler lifestyle. I'm still very tempted to do just that.

Why do I feel this way you ask? Well, after spending four weeks in hospital in November, with doctors and surgeons telling me I was lucky to be alive, it put everything into perspective. When you're on your deathbed your last thoughts aren't of the 'things' you've accumulated in life, nor are they of how much money you've made. Your thoughts, in-between excruciating bouts of pain, are of your loved ones, the ones you're about to leave behind. They're also of the tasks you didn't get time to complete. For me it was my family and close friends, first. Coming in at second place, was the thought of all the books I had not yet published and others not quite finished.

When I was released from hospital, I spent the next few months re-evaluating my life. I chose to take a year off work, not only to heal properly, but to work out what it was that I wanted to do for the next forty years or so. I haven't quite worked it out yet, but I'm getting there. The point I'm making is, we all need to stop doing what we're doing and think about what we want. Otherwise we'll look back in 5, 10 or even 20 years time and find that we're still unhappy, still slaves to our money and we're still time poor! Weigh it all up. Pros and cons. Are THINGS really so important to you that you allow the banks to lead you to temptation? Will you allow them to bind you to a lifetime of work by using the metaphorical ball and chain? Hmm...That brand new top of the range car, or that monstrous size house that you want but don't really need, doesn't sound so appealing anymore, does it?

So without wasting any more of your time, I'm just going to say, I, for one, plan to use my time more wisely from now on. I also plan to spend less money on 'things' that aren't so important and I plan to work less so that I can spend the extra time doing what I want to do, like spend it with whomever I want to spend it with.

Until next time....work less, play more.

M.C.