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.)

Hi All,

I’m so excited. My newest vampire Brava, I ONLY HAVE FANGS FOR YOU is out. Well, it’s shipping through Amazon and will be in the stores next week. This is the story of Sebastian, the youngest of my vampire brothers, and frankly, I adore him. He was so, so much fun to write. As was is heroine.

Here’s the backcover blurb…

One thing you have to know about my brother Sebastian: he loves being a vampire. After all, what’s not to love? He’s eternally twenty-five. He’s single, and frankly, he’s a chick magnet. Yeah, undeath is good. The only thing he’s serious about is his nightclub, Carfax Abbey. It’s the sort of dark, happening spot where vampires can really let their fangs down. You know, hiding in the shadows, feeding, giving pleasure to unsuspecting mortals, being all cool and vampirey. Whatever. My brother Rhys and I have tried to get Sebastian to clean up his bad-boy ways like we did, but then he went and called us “fang-whipped.” Okay, Bite Boy, chew on this…

The ultimate righteous reformer, Wilhemina Weiss, is on a mission to shut down Carfax Abbey. She doesn’t approve of my bro’s biting ways. It seems the spirited, sexy-without-knowing-it vampire is working undercover as a cocktail waitress in his bar while waging a secret war to bring him down. Sebastian’s A-positive he can convince Miss Goody-Vampire-Two-Fangs that nothing beats the ecstasy of a good vampire bite. She’s certain she can resist him for as long as it takes to reform him. I gotta tell you, the suspense would kill me — if I weren’t already undead.

Now, Mr. “Has anyone ever told you you’ve got a beautiful neck?” is in way over his. He’s finally met a girl who may not be his type, but she’s way more than his match. Not that he’s (cough) fang-whipped (cough) or anything. No, not my baby bro. One thing’s for sure, I’ve never seen Sebastian so completely at someone’s mercy in my life. And frankly, I’m enjoying every minute of it…

So to celebrate, let’s do a contest. Please got to my website and to My Groovy Little Message Board . Read the excerpt posted there. And tell me the name of the bartender and what type of paranormal creature she is. Please email the answers to me directly at kathy@readkathylove.com and the first one right will win an autographed copy of Sebastian’s story.

Enjoy and good luck!!! Have a great weekend.

When I first got published, I started out writing contemporary romance for Zebra. I really enjoyed it. I like writing small towns and “ordinary” people and about how they find love and overcome all their problems. I’d gladly go back to writing those types of stories again.

But I got to say, I’m really digging writing paranormals, which is what I’m doing now. Vampires. Although right now, I’m working on a werewolf, and she is too much fun. Well, she’s fun when she’s not being ornery. I think she is the most stubborn character I’ve ever written. The character, herself, isn’t overly stubborn. Only with me. She rarely does what I expect her to do.

But I digress. I’m loving writing paranormal romance, because I can have the craziest plots, the craziest characters, and as long as they fit into the world I’ve created, it’s fine. Right now, my werewolf is in heat. Yep, heat. How fun is that? She’s a madwoman, at the moment, driven by her “need to breed.” Now, I just couldn’t do that with one of my small-town heroines.

Okay, I guess the small-town heroine could be driven to have children. But with this werewolf, it’s way beyond wanting to have kids. This is a biological need. And she acts like a wolf about her goal. Or really, more like a dog focused on a particularly mouth-watering morsel of food. (Don’t worry, she doesn’t actually drool–but close.) I’m telling you, the hero has no idea what’s hit him. She’s a wild woman.

It is just so much fun. I do like to write lots of different things, but I hope to stay in paranormal for a long while. And I also hope to do things beyond vampires and werewolves. The paranormal seems so vast, and doesn’t seem to be dying off in popularity. At least, I hope not. I’m not ready to get off this crazy ride.