And it ain’t for kids.

See, I was having a fantastic conversation with the lovely Kathleen, and discussed how at her new Publishing house, she’ll be senior editor of women’s fiction and amish romance. For those of you who are unaware, yes, amish romance does exist. So I laughed. And then realized that she just might be an outlet into other, possibly bigger things. Hm…

So as we email chatted, I came up with what I thought was a brilliant storyline for women’s fiction/amish romance. I have yet to figure out which it’ll be.

So today, after the gym and my Farm Boy lunch run, I made it over to my favourite coffee shop, noticed two of my books had sold over the weekend (yay me!) and began to write.

I wrote 1,000 words without breaking a sweat.

While I am all for writing another Jackson Jones (gosh they are fun to write and I’m pretty sure I have the plot down for the third – which will involve a shipwreck), if I don’t sell an adequate amount of the first, there will not be a contract for a third … yet. Deep down I’m hoping for a late start out of the gate and mid-summer things will pick up smoothly (although I pray for a great Christmas spike) and then I’ll be asked to write more. But why limit myself? I’ve always wanted to write a grown-up book. I’ve always wanted to write a teen series. I’ve always wanted to write an adult fiction.

So why not?

Reading: same as before

Eating: pumpkin scone from starbucks. too sweet! ick. shoulda had chocolate square or something

Listening to: the dog chew her feet.

Watching: Hulk with Ed Norton.

We had a most interesting conversation about the second print.  I never knew what that meant. What second print means is once the bookstore sells out and orders more copies. They only print what has been pre-ordered.  So I’ll have a new cover. Hm.  And a tagline. Which is a sentence they put on the cover of the book.  I was asked to come up with a tagline for the second book and I was like, “hm.. ah… huh.”  I don’t think they’ll print that.

In other news, my book comes out soon.

Ohmygoodness. 

reading:  Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billerbeck  (for a review)

watching: pathetically, Bachelorette. I thought it was hometown date and I wanted to see if Ally brought them to her dead grandmother’s house.

eating: greek salad with couscous

listening to: strangely nothing.  I usually have music going but at the moment, I’m not noticeing. Does that mean I’m changing? Oof, I hope not.

It was DHL.

They have my books.

Of course I wasn’t there to receive the package. That would be too easy.

So now I am checking the time (4:08), knowing DHL closes at 6pm (an hour drive) and they have yet for the driver to come back with my package. At the moment it is there, I will bolt.  Unless of course they don’t get in until 5:30-6. Then there’s no way I’m going to make it.  And yes, tomorrow is Canada Day, which means everything is closed.  So I’d have to wait until Friday.

I can’t wait until Friday.

It’s too far away.

Reading:  Vinyl Cafe Diaries

Listening to: gaffer in bathtub having waaaay too much fun.

Watching: SYTYCD and SpyKids 2 (what a great movie!)

Eating: Kashi triscuits and brie

That seems  a bit crazy to me.  It’s like waiting for Christmas but you know you’re going to get this super awesome present that you’ve been waiting your whole life for. 

I’m not nervous.  I’m not really concerned if people will like it. Because I know some people will and I expect some people will not. I expect some fan letters (actually, I’m hoping to get fan letters … for the sake of answering, not vanity) and I expect some un-fan letters. Which is fine. I created something amazing with God and in no way could it ever not be special to me.

I’m beginning to wonder about marketing. Yes, I should be wondering about my book (hey! I wrote 1,000 words today!) but I’m thinking about bookstores.  How does one contact a bookstore to do signings? What if they don’t want you to come? How do you even ask?

Me: Hello? Can I speak to the store manager please?

Clerk: Doubtful. What do you want?

Me: Um, I want to speak to him so I can discuss doing a book signing?

Clerk: Why?

Me: Uh, so people will come buy my book?  You’ll make money too from it.

Clerk: And who are you?

Me: Jenn Kelly? I wrote, ‘Jackson Jones: The Tale of a Boy, an Elf and a Very Stinky Fish’.

Clerk: Never heard of you.

Me: You can check your database. I know I’m in there.

Clerk: (puts me on hold for ten minutes. Can swear I hear her laughing in the background with a colleague which immediately makes me wonder if she’s laughing at me or if I’m being paranoid again.)  Yah. You wrote a kid’s book?

Me: Um, yes. Actually, it’s for pre-teens.

Clerk: Well, I’ll tell the manager you called. Thanks. (click.)

Would it really go that way? Do bookstores like authors calling them up and offering to do a signing? And what if no one comes? Granted, I don’t really care because I’m in a bookstore for goodness sakes! I’ll just drink my venti soy no water no foam tazo chai and enjoy the ambience. Except I’d have to nail myself to the seat as I’d get up and start walking towards that bright pink covered book.

And then what about local bookstores? There’s one just a few blocks over, but I’m tentative to go in because they aren’t terribly nice. Maybe I should be contacting the local newspaper about this.

I need a rep.

Watching: sadly, Sex and the City movie. I actually cried. I blame hormones.

Reading: Vogue from three months ago.

Listening to: Machine by Portishead… and Christmas music

Eating: brie and crackers and green grapes and a litre of water

The ending.

The perfect ending to ‘Jackson Jones: the tale of a Boy, a troll and a roll of toilet paper’.  (Not sure if that’s the title, I’m just guessing).

And I don’t think it’s too cheesy. I think if it’s done just right, it’ll score with the boys and the girls.

Now I just have to find time to write it.  But I’ve jotted down notes. And am currently describing a field. Yes, that’s all I’m saying.

In other news: I should be getting 30 copies of my book in two weeks! Granted they aren’t proofread, the illustrations aren’t perfect and they are softcover, but I hope it doesn’t matter when I start sending them out. I have some ideas of who exactly to send them to, for marketing purposes of course…  my brain is all a tizzy!

listening to: the ocean and the gaffer building Lego

watching: last night? Julie and Julia

reading: The Diary of a Provincial Lady