Hey All,

I know I’ve told you about this really cool project that Erin McCarthy and I are doing together, which is the fictional vampire rock band, The Impalers.

Well, The Impalers have updated their website.  They’ve added new bios, new blogs, music of them playing live, even video.  It’s all very cool.

And to celebrate The Impalers being such an industrious group of fictional vampires, I’m going to run a contest today.

I’m going to ask three questions which can be found on The Impalers site.  Email me personally at kathy@readkathylove.com with the answers, and you will win a signed copy of my newest release I Only Have Fangs For You and a signed copy of Erin’s High Stakes.

Here are the questions…

1. Which two members of the band are related fictionally?

2. Which two are related in real life?

3. What is the first song Ren sings on the video of them performing live?

Easy, huh?  Also please sign the guestbook and all that fun stuff.  That includes the ladies of The Midnight Hour, too. 

Now, go on, get Impaled. 

Since we’ve been talking this week about believing in yourselves and giving yourselves the credit we deserve, I figured I’d follow the same line.  But this is coming at it from another angle. 

I totally agree with Chey and Stephanie that in this business (and life in general) we have to try and keep a positive attitude.  We do have to believe we can do what we need to do to succeed.  And we absolutely can’t let setbacks hold us down. 

Those are all great things to aspire to–and believe me I stuggle with those daily.  But is it possible that it’s actually the self-doubts that make us better writers?  Better people in general?

I realize if the self-doubts are crippling, then no, it isn’t good.  But let’s admit it, we’ve met people who seem to have no self doubts.  People who think they’ve got it all figured out.  They are in control, and they are darned good at what they do.

I gotta tell ya, I don’t always like those people.

To me, there is a place where self-belief turns to cocky.  I do think that is a fine line.  I definitely want to give myself credit and enjoy my successes, but I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that I can always do better.  I can always give more.  And I want others to see that I appreciate the success I’ve had.

What do you think?  Is there a fine line between believing in oneself and coming across as too confident? 

Hi All,

I’m sorry I’m late getting this up today.  I have a good excuse.  I was working on my galleys.  For those of you who haven’t heard of the term–I never had until I got published–this is the last proof of the manuscript before it heads to print.

Let’s talk about pressure.  I am the last one to read through my book and find typos, grammar issues, continuity problems.  Me??  Yikes.  So for me, galleys are a grueling process.  In fact, I think it’s the hardest part of my job, honestly.

Why?  Because I’ve looked at that darned book so many times that my eye just automatically corrects any error–and oops, it remains unnoticed and thus unfixed.  Not good. 

So I have to go over my galleys very carefully.  And then I still worry I missed something.  So for you writers, what do you find the hardest part of your job?  And readers, what are the strangest errors you have seen in a book? 

 (And I sure hope it wasn’t in one of mine.)