Shout out to my Audience
Thank you to everyone who emailed, messaged, and commented, sending me good vibes and well wishes despite the delay for Bitter Secrets! I was sick with anxiety wondering whether to push the release or not, but I knew I needed more time. It wasn't an easy decision to cancel the pre-order. I was prepared for the worst and did get some nasty messages, but the overwhelming support from my readers had me in tears! Here are just a sample of some of the amazing replies I received!
I am so excited to see what you accomplish with this book, and I appreciate that you have delved into the quiet moments. The quiet moments are spectacular and a true joy to read.... Thank you for the time and attention you give to your work. I will wait, gladly. ;)
Sophie
You are awesome, Mia! You do your thang, and know we appreciate your badassness!!
Erica
First of all, you can’t disappoint me with a deadline change. I have full confidence that you are making a masterpiece and I can’t bring myself to complain. I have scoured the internet looking for an author who could write something that I deeply loved and was invested in. Well, I found you and I couldn’t be more thrilled. If anything the wait does, it adds to the angst of the story ;)... If I know the author is satisfied with the story and it’s character development and wasn’t afraid to move the deadline for quality purposes, I know I’m in for a treat. I’m here for the long haul.
Sarah
Hi Mia, don't be sorry. All your books are worth the wait.
Marguerite
Hi Mia! Hope you're well. Although I'm sad we won't be getting to hear more about Roth and Jasmine soon I'm so glad you've decided to follow your instinct and stay true to the complexities of both characters.
Laya
The fact that readers have such faith in what's coming makes me even more determined to make sure I get it right. Thank you to everyone who took the time to send me a kind word. And I really mean that. I don't think people understand how rare it is to hear positive encouragement. Thank you for reminding me why this matters. With everything going on, I sometimes wonder if I should be doing something more practical and useful, but the responses reinforced how necessary storytelling is. Roth and Jasmine's journey matters. We need someone to root for, to invest in, to get lost in something when reality is just too much. I'm going to execute Bitter Secrets to the best of my ability and take you guys with me on a wild ride. :)
Questions
- The first question I want to answer is about the release date for Bitter Secrets.
I don’t have a definitive date yet. I still have a bit more to write and once I finish the first draft, I let it sit for two weeks (it should be two months). This is a way to distance myself from what I've written so I can look at it objectively and edit. To distance myself even further, I'll be sprinting through as much of book 3 as I can within that time frame before coming back to revise and edit. Once that's done, I send the manuscript to my editor. Depending on how long the book is, it could take her 2-3 weeks to edit then I get it back for a final polish. It’s a long process but I’m going to keep you guys updated on each step so you’ll have an idea when I’m close to release!
- I got a question from one of my Patrons, Yer Chang: I know you had sent out a bonus scene of when Gavin and Lyla first met but I was wondering if you would be writing a book on the beginning stages of when they first started dating? Thank you!!
I would like to write their prequel. I don't know if people would enjoy it as much as they think since I would show the cheating and the whole enchilada... Also, the Gavin we know in the present isn't who he was back then. But if you guys want it, I'll try to squeeze it in somewhere. Gavin and Lyla do have one more full-length book in the series that needs to be written before I attempt to write the prequel. Stuff happens in that book that refers to their past. Also, the prequel would be mostly from Gavin's view, I believe, which is why I need to see how some things unfold in the present to tie up those loose ends. You'll see what I mean...
- I also got a question from Randy (there's a question box at the bottom of the For Writers page where you can submit writer questions and I'll fit them into certain blogs): How do you decide when a book is "done" and ready to share with the world? I'm working on a project now, and I'm tempted to self publish, but each time I go back to revise it, there are things I want to change or do "better."
The honest truth is, you will never feel like the book is done. I never do. Even as I hit publish, I have this panicky feeling to do one more pass, to double check that scene that could be better, but I realize at some point that you have to let it go. There's no such thing as perfect so you have to ask yourself, "Is this the best I can do right now?" If the answer is yes, then hit the publish button.
I would walk away from the manuscript for a month or two. Six if you can. Put it in a drawer and forget it exists. Work on something else to take your mind off of it. Like I mentioned above with me revising Bitter Secrets, you need to distance yourself from it so you can be objective and delete and revise what's necessary, focusing only on story and less on your personal attachment to certain scenes. You can overedit. I think of this like an artist who keeps trying to fix a painting. At some point, the image becomes distorted from too many touch ups. You have to start on a new canvas/book and let the old one go. Each book will challenge you in different ways and that's how you improve.
If you want a second opinion, you can ask for betas on Goodreads or in FB groups. That's what I used to do. If I could get 5 people to read me, that was a win in my book. They were brutally honest. Some said they couldn't get past the first chapter. Others never got back to me. All of that's okay. Keep writing. Put it out, people will one star it, and write you nasty emails. That's part of the journey. Just delete that shit and move onto the next book and make that one better.
Most authors can't read their own work because it drives them batshit crazy. You always see the weak sentences and what you could do better. That's why I haven't gone into audio--because once it's on there, you can't change anything and I have to do one more pass to make sure everything's perfect... See? You will never feel like your book is finished.
I have 3 pen names. This is the most successful of the three. Crime Lord's Captive is the 13th book I published. Bitter Secrets will be my 20th. That's not counting the 40 or more unfinished manuscripts I've abandoned on my hard drive. Even with all of that under my belt, I'm not sure if what I'm writing is any good. I always get stuck and am never confident that I'm on the right path. I think about giving up each time. Then, I realize how much time I put into this and doggedly rush toward that finish line. I always tell myself that this can't be the worst thing ever written. LOL. IDK why, but that makes me feel better. If you worked your ass off on this thing and put your all into it, people will sense that and respect it. I think a lot of people are terrified of failing, but it's only a failure if you never complete it. If you have a finished product, put it out there.
I think an author mentioned this in an interview. Think of your books like little ships or a message in a bottle. Cast them into the water/ world. You don't know whose shore it'll wash up on or if they'll read it, but by putting it out there, you create the possibility of being discovered and understood by a complete stranger. It's scary as fuck, but it's the greatest feeling in the world when someone reaches out and says they love what you've done. Some people may think you're deranged, others will think you're brilliant. Stick with the people who support you. Don't try to please people who aren't on your team.
I actually don't read reviews so I am happily oblivious to what people think about my work. I'm more concerned about what I think since I am my worst critic. As long as I like it, someone else might too. I still sell copies every month of the first book I ever published, a sweet contemporary romance I haven't looked at in ages. And even though I could improve it, I wouldn't, because that's who I was at that time. It's like trying to change your high school photos and what you thought was cool... like those pants with all the zippers you wore every week. You cringe and wish you could change it, but just smile, shrug it off, and be awesome today. Let the past be and write the next.
I hope this helped. There are a lot of factors involved in knowing when to release, but just make sure you're happy with it. When you love it, other people can tell and they end up loving it too. Look up your favorite book. There are tons of one star reviews on something you think is perfect. That's life. Be yourself, do your best, publish, repeat. It's that simple and that complicated.
I have to say that I am so impressed with your theories and questions for this book. I had to double check what I'd written in Bitter Heat when I read through some of the theories. LOL. Some of your suggestions I can use for misdirection. Heh heh. 😈 Keep it coming!
Life Update
My brother and his family are visiting from Bend, Oregon, which breaks up the monotony that COVID has created. They had to take 2 tests to come to Hawaii. I have a cousin who's back from Germany who has to stay in quarantine for 10 days. Good thing he's home for 3 weeks. Sheesh. My brother coming home means a ton of activities and visits from friends and family. My brother and I are 2 years apart so we know all each others friends and classmates. It's gonna be chaotic while he's here, but I'm deciding to go with the flow and enjoy it. I don't know when we'll be able to see each other again and my little 6-year-old nephew is one of the greatest joys of my life. I do a wicked Mickey Mouse impression so he switches between calling me Aunty and Mickey. LOL.
I hope you all have a great week. If you want me to spam the hell out of you with snippets of Bitter Secrets, check out my Patreon. Otherwise, I'll check in with y'all next week!!