Here's an update on what's going on in my world of writing...
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I'm still working on Dead to Bites. What I originally thought would be a novella looks like it's turning into a short novel. Apparently I don't have the ability to start a story and write it without it being long- even when I start out with the idea of making it short.

I am up to 20 short chapters. I like the story it's developing in an interesting way. I also love the fact that as I post parts of it up on Wattpad, reads are reacting to it. :0)

It's a fun storyline to work on, and one that I will probably be revisiting after I finish this one.
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Bella Vita will be published this year. The date just keeps jumping around. I work on edits as my editor drops pieces to me. I've posted the prologue and first chapter on Wattpad. Those readers WANT it now. I don't know if I'll post the entire thing up on there. I'd like to believe that some of those people will actually buy the book when it comes out.

So this is being worked to get out this year. It is just a slow moving vehicle. It hasn't been forgotten. I promise! I know that many of you want to know what happens to Emma...

Yes I'm still working on Bella Tristezza, it's just more on the back burner right now as I try and get everything else taken care of with the other books I'm working on.
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What is a Rue-Rue? Is just about ready to be released in both eBook and paperback. The final files require some tweeking, like changing the original copyright year from 2011 to 2012 and little things like that. :0) But other than that it is just about there.

It was fun to revisit this one as I made sure that the proof was good to go. I like the idea that this is what happens whenever a new child is brought into a household... I suppose it could be applied in the world of animals as well.
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Brody Saves Rue, the second Brody and the Skypirates book, will be released this year as well. I'm hoping in the next few months. I am working on the illustrations right now. I'm up to page 23 out of 33.

I've also changed the release on Brody and the Skypirates. For the next 3 months it is exclusive to Amazon in eBook form. We'll see if it does anything for my sales!
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This is my little pet project too... I'm so afraid of zombies, writing about this is my way of conquering that fear. LOL. The name is actually The Zombie Files, but I made a quick mock cover and used the original title from my folder for it.

If I can bring myself to actually write it the rest of the way, I'll release this book as well this year. Unfortunately, there are zombies and scary crap in it *gulp* and I have write it!
Damn, just writing all of this down I'm tired. LOL. Well, I've got things to do and I just wanted to give the world a little update!
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So I get distracted while I write. Maybe it's the four month old, or the four year old, but I get distracted. Sometimes it takes me a few days before I get a chance to sit back down and write out the great scene I had come up with. It's interesting.
The problem is that I don't the crazy mom thing well. My kids come first. I miss being able to just write. But my house is the house of nuttiness. LOL. So if you want me to upload to Wattpad or get the next book in the Bella Series out, realize that I'm blessed with small monsters. I try to respond to emails and messages- if I've missed yours, I'm sorry. I just thought I'd do a quick blog, I know I should blog more. Maybe in the future.
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Happy first Friday the 13th of the year! That is right! Clearly this year promises to be an awesome one since the first month gets this honor. I know some of you are thinking, who cares? or rather this is supposed to be a lucky day... Psst to that! It's not an unlucky day, just like I suppose it isn't a lucky day but it merely reflects our own beliefs. If you believe it will be an awesome day... it will be. The power of belief and all that jazz!
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If you feel that this day is terrible and should just be skipped over... well I hope no black cats cross your path. They might cause inexplicable chaos to happen in your life. For me this little guy only brings a big smile to my face and makes me want to get another kitty- of course the kitty pee that was in a VERY NOT CATBOX spot this morning, also makes me not want another one! LOL
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You may want to avoid ladders too. But I think that this is just logic for anyone... if you see a ladder, you probably shouldn't walk under it... I mean all sorts of crapola could fall on your head, killing you instantly. Or at the very least taking off your ear on the way down! So you should definitely avoid them... Or if you need to use one make sure it isn't an old busted one. It could really hurt if one of the steps broke and you fell or worse hit a certain part of your body. OUCH!
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You should also avoid witches, especially ones selling big red apples. I mean, they might want to sacrifice you to some crazed witch god or goddess. And if they have apples you know that you're done for anyways. I'm just saying, after all, witches are more likely to be crazy on the 13th landing on a Friday!
I'm just kidding... Friday the 13th is my FAVORITE day that comes randomly walking along. I have ALWAYS owned a black cat, so I don't really think they are unlucky. They have just been pegged with a bad rap- much like pit bulls. Ladders can be very useful tools, so if you need to use one today- have at it! As for witches... having been a practicing Pagan since I was twelve, I can only assume that some might find this day to be good for certain spells (oops, I guess I'm out of a broom closet or something). Anyways, enjoy the day and don't let silly superstitions stop you from conquering it and making it yours!

It is after all... just another day! So get out there and enjoy it!
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2011 & My sales 01/02/2012
 
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Many self-published writers seem to take great pleasure in posting their sales and numbers. This may be the only time I end up doing it... it was a HUGE pain to figure out the dang numbers.

But I figured that since the year has ended, I should in fact have a complete total of how I did in the two months I was selling.
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So of the three things that I have up for sale:

Bella Notte (complete novel), Brody and the Skypirates (illustrated children's book) and A Bella Notte Christmas Story (short story)

Here are my sale numbers:

Total of books sold for 2011 (November 21- December 31st): 344

Total books sold in November: 48
Total books sold in December: 296

(Nice increase, I think)


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Numbers for Brody and the Skypirates:
November: 7 (this includes the two paperbacks that sold of it)
December: 7

Perhaps this books needs to be marketed to an actual publisher or something that knows how to push an illustrated children's book because I clearly don't. LOL...
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Numbers for Bella Notte:
November: 37
December: 240 (includes 4 paperback sales)

Sales are clearly picking up. Will this hold into the new year? I've no clue. I increased the price from 99 cents to 2.99 since the Christmas Story is 99 cents, and the picture book is 1.99. Bella Notte has a whole hecka lot more words than either of those works. Will this lead to less sales, probably... but it is worth more than I was selling it for before.
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Numbers for A Bella Notte Christmas Story:
November: 4
December: 53

Sales are lower on this one because I've had it listed as free on ARe, and in Smashwords. I've also adjusted the price of this one to 99 cents now on ARe and Smashwords. What will this do? Who knows. LOL... I am constantly screwing with prices it feels like and trying to find the right one.
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What does all of this mean?

To be truthful, I'm not sure. I know that sales are better than the first month, but that could be attributed to the fact Bella Notte and Brody weren't live until the 21st-ish. But I don't think that is all. I'm hoping that this year will bring many more sales and that this time next year, sans the Zombie Apocalypse, I will have lots to report and many successes- the same I wish for all of my writer friends and anyone starting a new adventure this year! Try to take some risks! I know that I am when I release the novella I am working on.

Catch ya all on the flip side... remember to check out the blog on the 4th for the New Years hop! I hope we all aren't zombies later too! Or that the world hasn't blown up or anything odd... it would really kill my sales! ;0) Happy New Year everyone!

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Life as a writer can be a cruel mistress to keep. Today alone, on one of the groups I'm apart of, one of the amazing writers got a bad review- sucky, but unfortunately, it happens. Not only do you have your own expectations, but you have those of others to contend with as well. And EVERYONE has an opinion.
I got a 3 star review on a quick short story I wrote to help flush out the Christmas scene in Bella Notte. Now this is just one person's opinion. That's life. However, on another site, I got a 5 star review on it! And two sensuality kissy lips (not sure about those), but the 5 stars make me do a little dance. I have no idea who did, I don't wanna know. Truth be told, when it's someone that knows me and they tell me- it ruins it. I want to believe that I am a good writer, that my works is awesome enough to reach people other than the ones that feel emotionally obligated to pat me on the back and tell me I did a good job. Yeah it's awesome to get that gold star, but I want to
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know that I actually earned it. It's like in the movie Arthur *SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE THAT HAVEN'T SEEN IT* where the girl finds out that he bought the company just so her book would get picked up. She wanted to know that she could do it and that someone other than those that gave to bits about her liked it. *SPOILER OVER*
So yeah, pat me on the back my friends and loved ones. But like my books because they are awesome, because the story touches you, because they hold great tales that you want to share with others. Don't tell me I've done good when you hate it. If you hate you can take your opinion and shove it, I'm just playing. No everything will like what I write- something I learned a long time ago.

   So I will take my 3 stars at one place- knowing that at least that person took the time to freaking write something and rate my story. And I will enjoy my 5 star and smile because someone thought my short story was awesome. It is strangely satisfying to have a 5 star review and 2 sales from a website that I think would do very much, or anything at all. Unexpected surprises make me happy.
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Damn tired... 12/02/2011
 
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I've not been sleeping at nights... it's starting to effect me. I am so tired and my back hurts like hell from hunching over the computer doing nothing productive... I still have 3 guest blogs to write and I've not started them... and to finish entering my BV edits... I just need a laptop to snuggle up with again. And now I've got books coming to review. I got the first one today, it's called "The Snail's Song"... Not sure about it or the illustrations... but we'll see. Oh, I posted up a new website for me now... jessekimmel-freeman.weebly.com I'm kinda proud of it..
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I know that it is kinda a waste of a holiday to sit around pouting, but I am just not happy today. I miss my family in Los Angeles. And I really miss my mom. This is my second Thanksgiving without her and it just doesn't feel right. Maybe last year wasn't so hard because we had just moved out here to Alabama. But this year I just feel like the whole thing sucks. It's Rue's first turkey day and we aren't doing a damn thing. Not one. No overwhelming dinner, no family and friends. Nothing. And on top of that, I don't get to do Black Friday. No funds this time around. It freaking sucks! I wish that we had a huge meal going and family and friends together. :0/ This sucks. And my kitchen smells suspiciously like cat pee... I have to wonder if my cat peed somewhere in prote
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I have spent the majority of the day trying to put my damn manuscript into the stupid pre-formatted template from CreateSpace. But it doesn't have enough pre-formatted chapters in it... so when I added new ones.. I SCREWED IT ALL UP! I tried fixing it with a basic template from them.. Oh no! It doesn't want to work right either. FU stupid formatting! My neck hurts from screwing with the computer and I am mega super ultra frustrated and GAH! GRR! This is close to pubbing BN and I can't get the damn file to work right!!! GRRRRRRRR!
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First Post! 11/14/2011
 
As I truly begin my writing, I think that it is only fair that I add a blog to my site. I wanna be able to write my ramblings and also promote some of the amazing other writers that I encounter as I go on this little self-publishing adventure. So here is my attempt at a blog. I never thought I would make one, but then again, I never thought that I would leave Myspace for Facebook... we see what happened there... I suppose I am not very good about keeping to those, "I will never..." Oh well...
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