I read an article yesterday that made me sad for the state of things in the book biz. You can read it here if you’d like. It's the most recent post on my Facebook page.

Sad article.

Let me start by saying that it doesn’t surprise me because there are shady, slimy con artists in every industry. And I don’t even fault the authors who fell prey to his scheme because we’ve all been guilty of coveting the brass ring of notoriety in one-way or another.

But I felt compelled to comment.

When I began writing novels in early 2009, a few things happened:

·      My agent couldn't sell my romantic comedy, Kat Fight (it was 2010 by then, and I should’ve put vampires in it and called it Kat Bite. I digress…)

·      I read a blog post by Amanda Hocking that changed my life

·      The stigma of self publishing began to rapidly disappear

·      I self-published One Pink Line and became a novelist

Here’s the thing…I went insane when I started selling books. I’d sit at my computer and refresh the KDP report page and clap like Mrs. Klump every time the numbers changed. 

Then I started to get reviews. From people I didn’t know! Great ones, from all over the world. People who’d taken a chance on my self-published debut novel, and me...and loved us. I was truly astonished and a little bit proud of myself.

So, if I were to look back and ask my younger, cuter self from five years ago to list my initial publishing goals, here’s what I would have said:

·      Write a great book

·      Find an agent

·      Have said agent find a publisher

·      See my book on a bookshelf or in a library one day

·      Have someone other than my mom and sister buy said book

·      Write a few more great books

·      Turn one of these great books into screenplays

Money was never a goal for me because everyone always said how difficult it was to make money as a novelist. The revenue was a complete bonus.

But money and notoriety are the number one goals for some people, and that’s okay…if they aren’t mocking the rest of us by compromising the system and the craft as a whole. Can a crappy book make a quick buck? Absolutely. Can a fantastic book get lost in the shuffle and fade away to rankings oblivion? You bet.

The cream doesn’t always rise to the top, but the bullshit sure does.

All I will say is that if you want readers to take you seriously, you need to take yourself seriously. Believe in yourself and keep your credibility in check. Be serious about your writing, your craft, your work, your peers, your brand, and yourself.

Trust me, I’m old now…I know things.

Finally!! A Pub date and a new title for my next novel - THE UNIMAGINABLE

Some exciting updates to announce about my fourth novel!

1. First of all it has a new name:  The Unimaginable. I LOVE this title because it truly evokes the tone of the story in so many ways.
2. PUB DATE: October 28, 2014 - can't friggin' wait 
3. It will be published by Lake Union Publishing, who also published Finding Bliss and re-launched One Pink Line last year. I'm thrilled to be a part of their team, and honored by their excitement for this book.

Yes, October seems far away––mostly because it's March and there's still twelve inches of snow on my front lawn––but don't you worry! I will be posting copious updates and links and photos and excerpts and reviews and giveaways in the meantime.

Lastly, if there are any bloggers that would like to be put on a list to receive an advanced copy of The Unimaginable, please send me an email.  

Here is a little bit about the book that I'd posted before:

This book is exciting because it’s very different for me. Here are a few reasons why:

·      It’s a romance (of course)…but it’s also heartbreakingly emotional and has left every single beta reader in tears. Which pleases me to no end!

·      The story is set in Thailand and the Indian Ocean.

·      A large portion of the book takes place on board a sailboat.

·      There is major trauma and gut wrenching passages that were an absolute thrill for me to write, but may be hard for some people to read. In a good way.

·      It’s based on two very real-life stories. One with a happy ending, and one without. There will be details on both at the end of the book.

 

Thank you so much for your interest in this book. I promise you are in for some unbelievable and truly Unimaginable storytelling!

 

––Dina