At this year’s end, with temperatures near twenty and snow fluttering to the ground, I stand before you naked.

Don’t blush.  Don’t turn your head. Just look directly at these words. They wear no cover, no jacket.  No pages.  Just like the words of my novel, Veronica’s Nap.

In September, I launched Veronica’s Nap…on a blog.  Having had agency contracts for two previous novels that didn’t lead to publishing deals, I realized early in the submissions process this third time around that I just couldn’t stomach the roller-coaster ride anymore.  It was time to move ahead from a place of strength, on my own.  A true believer in social media, I opted for a blog as my publishing tool.

Because the rise of blogging has made us all boldly – almost shamelessly – immodest about sharing all sorts of writing online, it didn’t occur to me at the time that I’d feel so exposed.  That besides getting lashed directly by the bitter wind of author friends turning their backs in silence and family members raising eyebrows, I’d relive adolescent-caliber insecurity due to my lack of “the right” accessories: an editor’s approving insignia, a publisher’s logo radiating prestige.

Yet at the same time (now you can blush), it feels good to be naked! [Read more…]