publishing

A book release!

/ Alex Whitehall / Leave a comment

If you haven’t heard, Magic Runs Deep is now out in the world! It’s a fantasy with some sweet romance, hurt/comfort, plus mages, bear shifters, and war!

For the last five years, Veier has been chained to a king’s throne in his bear form. When a neighboring kingdom overthrows the crown, Veier’s imprisonment ends, but true freedom is not so easily earned. With blood on his hands, he needs someone with patience, strength, and trust to help him become the person he was before and prove to the invaders that he isn’t the monstrous king’s loyal pet.

Elrid, the invading king’s brother and a powerful mage, is everything Veier despises. He’s also the only thing between Veier and execution, because he thinks he can help Veier change from an aggressive bear shifter into a reasonable man. While the pair have a rough start, with long talks and mutual leaps of faith, they begin to care for each other.

However, the closer Veier gets to his freedom, the closer he is to losing Elrid. He must find balance in his heart and his life if he wishes to truly claim the freedom he’s been given — and the man he loves.

Coming soon! And later!

/ Alex Whitehall / Leave a comment
***I’ve been a little absent lately on my blogging, and I’ll spare you the excuses.***

I have a sweet little Christmas story coming out December 11 with Nine Star Press! It’s called As the Snow Falls, and it’s a friend-to-lovers tale that looks at becoming an adult, depression, and love (of course). It’s just the thing to read between those hectic moments during the holidays!


Christmas is fast approaching and Kade’s parents have abandoned him for the holiday. Thankfully his best friend, Byron, invites him to spend the holidays with him and his family. That night, in the dim glow of the Christmas tree’s lights, Byron and Kade share a kiss, but Byron backs off before it can go further.

Can Kade stand up for what he wants and convince Byron he’s not so easily broken, or will he need a Christmas miracle to bring them together?

Also, later this year my m/m fantasy romance novel, Magic Runs Deep, will be coming out with Riptide Publishing! I’m so excited for this story to be out in the world for you to read!

Finally, I’m currently writing a light fantasy, outlining what was meant to be a Marriage of Convenience that has gone terrible wrong (the outline, not the marriage), and there’s a menage Christmas story that wants to be told but is being stubborn.

If I don’t pop by again….Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!

A Guide to Publishing

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I had a thought one day and then it became this. 
Note: These are just guidelines/things to think about in your life/publishing adventures. They are meant to be both serious and a little silly (the advice is serious but presented in an Alex way).
1. You will disagree with your editor/an edit at least once. Likely more.
That’s fine–as long as you and the editor can discuss it like civil human beings. If an edit/comment makes you upset, then just pass by it at first. Take some time to consider it, then re-evaluate. It keeps tempers calm when the trigger could just be a misunderstanding. The editor just wants to make this book the best it can be, but the editor is also human. It could be a misunderstanding, the editor could be seeing a different vision than you meant, the editor could have just misread something and just needs that pointed out. The editor could be stating it in a way that pushes your buttons, while the editor is completely unaware of how you’re reading it. 
But, also, this is your book. Stand up for what you want to keep, whether it’s for voice or flow or preference. However, keep in mind that editors have some experience, so listen to what they say and then decide. Don’t, for instance, decide that the serial comma needs to die in a fire and be unwilling to change no matter what.
2. No matter how many eyes see it, the book will be published with at least one error/typo.
I’m pretty sure this is a law of reality or something. The longer the work, the increased the likelihood one (or more) will show up. Don’t be angry. Just come to terms with this reality. Most readers will skip over it without even noticing it. If your publishers is amenable, feel free to let them know about the typo.
3. Writing is hard.
Not always, but sometimes. You probably already knew this.
4. Editing is hard.
You usually send to a publisher with a vague idea that this book is really good and finished and ready. Then they send back notes, whether in rejection or during revisions, and you realize your precious baby wasn’t perfect. And you get several rounds of this, to the point where it’s just wounds on top of wounds. (See back to point 1.)
This doesn’t happen every time of course, but if you go in with the mindset that it’s OK if your words are going to get poked at–sometimes hard–then it’ll make it an easier journey.
5. Publishing is hard.
In some ways that feels like it should be the end. But then there’s marketing and PR and unless you hire a publicity person for yourself, you have to take care of it. Even if the publisher has a marketing department, they aren’t your personal slaves and you have to be out there and working it. The great thing about social media is you get to be out there! The bad thing about social media is you have to be out there! Obviously you can choose not to, but you’ll be doing yourself (and your book) a disservice. 
6. Read your contract.
Every time you have to sign a new one, read it. Every publisher will be different and even the same publisher will make changes over time. Know what you’re getting into. Don’t be afraid to ask for changes–the publisher can always say no, and it won’t result in them pulling the contract. You then just have to decide if you still want to sign. Don’t be afraid to ask if you’re confused about something. If you don’t trust the publisher to tell you what it means (which should be a warning sign…), then google, ask friends, ask Twitter. It’s important, don’t feel (too) rushed.
There are lots of other points I haven’t covered here, and I didn’t cover any of them in depth, but this is just to get you thinking about your place in the process.

Publishing Announcement

/ Alex Whitehall / 2 Comments

The past two months have been hectic, to the point that I realized on the 26th of December that my car was due for it’s state inspection by the end of the month. Yeah, that sort of month. But I won’t bore you (likely again) with all those whining details.

Instead, I have exciting news!

A while back, you may remember me working on a story (tentatively) called Second Skin (SS)? Well, it’s been accepted for publication! It actually had to get some developmental edits done before it got accepted, and I imagine it will go through a lot more edits in the future, but I’m really looking forward to getting feedback and hopefully learning!

I’m also thrilled that this story is going to see the light of day. It’s a novella that takes place in college. The MC, a trans guy, goes in for help in a math class and the tutor he meets is not at all what he expects. While the MC’s complications with being trans are important to the story, it’s much more about acceptance and understanding someone that’s different from you.

It’s supposed to be a sweet, cute, sorta thinky piece, but the drama may get upped more in edits. I look forward to telling you more as I hear it!

Exciting news!

/ Alex Whitehall / Leave a comment

As my Twitter follows may have heard, I had exciting news earlier this week!

My shifter novel (with very little shifting and lots of threesome) was accepted at a press. I’m not saying much yet, because I’m not sure all the details and stuff, but I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated when I’ve more news!

Along those lines, I’ve been rather dead on a lot of social media lately because I’ve been, fancy that, writing.

I have a computer that’s not hooked up to the internet (well, it is but it would take soooo long to do anything on it, it’s  not worth it) and I’ve been hopping over to it to write for a bit every day. To entice me, I’ve set up a Chrome extension on my main computer that blocks all the sites I tell it to. Like Twitter and Tumblr and Facebook and…you get the idea. It forces me NOT to waste time on those sites.

And if I don’t write the whole time during that blocked period? Well, I find I end up doing more stuff around the house.

In the past three or four weeks I’ve written 27K words. I don’t know how much of it is good, but it felt good to write it. And I’m hoping to keep up the serious amount of writing even when this story is done.

So, a book accepted for publication and lots of writing this past month. Of course, I didn’t work on the project I had PLANNED on, but I guess that will be next month. Or something.

Oh! I also finally looked at the feedback I got on GR. I just skimmed the information, and I think some points are valid (and some not so much, but I can perhaps draw attention to the answers that are already in the story). I was glad that the reviewer suggested to emphasize the alternative world elements rather than remove them.

…Oh, I guess that should be my next project.  😀

Happy surprises

/ Alex Whitehall / Leave a comment

First, business: You can read my story “Soups and Diners” as part of Dreamspinner Press’s Advent Anthology. There’s a story for every day in December. The release date is December 1st! I think eventually you can buy it individually, so I’ll link to that when it happens.

Also, Storm Moon Press, which has another of my holiday pieces in their Milk & Cookies & Handcuffs anthology, is putting out the anthology on December 21st. So expect more about that later!

Second, the word-dulling depression has lifted. It’s been come and go since Thanksgiving, but it’s been fairly gone the past two days. I’ve written 11,000 words in November, 3,600 of them today. Although I wasn’t aiming to write a story, I wrote one short piece and then an idea just kind of took hold and I’ve been running with it. We’ll see if it gets an end. If it doesn’t get a conclusion, at least in my mind, I’ll post it here for anyone who wants to read my raw stuff.

Third, Christmas is coming. Which means birthdays, parties, and holidays. Are you excited? I’m pretty excited. It’s a cheery season with gift giving, cookie baking, etc, etc. It also makes me want to write a holiday story, but whenever I think of holiday stories, I think of this one. I know I’ve written others, many of them happy. Three of them published (and all happy). But I normally don’t write the happy ones. But we’ll see what I can come up with!

Excerpt and Excitement

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In preparation for “Mark of the Familiar” going on sale (you can preorder the anthology, Written in Flesh, here), I thought I’d share a sexy lil piece of it for my loyal followers (err..follower?).

Here’s the description: Ellis comes to the Sui Generis Protection Agency bearing the Mark of the Familiar, magical animal tattoos granting him remarkable shapeshifting abilities. When he feels a True Bond to William, the Wardsman of the agency, he has to convince William of the truth or risk losing his sanctuary, and perhaps even his life.

When William awoke, his magic stirred and his breath quickened; their magic hummed and sang in their veins.

Lips touched the black mark on his neck, tracing the arch down his spine and swooping around his shoulder blade where each starburst was kissed. 

“Mmm,” Ellis purred, squirming with the pulse of his Master’s life and the buzz against his skin. “Master?”  

“Yes, my little pet?” William said, dipping farther beneath the covers, his tongue swirling on Ellis’ lower back before picking up the symbol there, with its thick black strokes that broke apart, some curving along his butt, others hugging around his hip. It was these William’s mouth followed, the tongue giving way for lips, kisses, and at each curled point, a nip. 

Ellis whined, rolled onto his back, and threaded his fingers through William’s hair, the long, straight copper strands soft as silk. He couldn’t help grabbing it—and then immediately releasing it with a tremble—when William’s lips touched the final branch that ended at the base of his cock. 

“Master?” he whimpered, his heart pounding in time with William’s as his member swelled. “I—”  

William’s tongue traced the veins up his cock to the head, kissing away the pre-cum there. “Ask me for it, Ellis.” 

“Master!” he cried, his hips lifting despite his fight for control. “Please?” 

William chuckled, and warm air rushed over Ellis’ sensitive skin. He gasped, dropping his hands to clasp the sheets. Despite this, or because of it, William licked Ellis’ tip. “Ask, or I won’t give.” 

Ellis panted, his marks hummed, they nearly burned with need. “Please, Master,” he whispered. “Please me?” 

Another chuckle. “Close enough.” And then he was encased in heat.


Hope you enjoyed it!

Incentive

/ Alex Whitehall / 2 Comments

Promises don’t really mean much unless there is some meaning behind them.

Since I’m worried about failing on my “get a book to a publisher by March 31” deadline, here’s what I’ll do…using three deadlines.

Nov 30…The chosen novel must be complete copy wise. Absolutely. Nothing missing. Failure to do so with be a $10 penalty. I’ll buy my friends a cake or treat or something and I won’t eat any– O.O

Feb 28…The chosen novel will be done all its editing. Again, a $10 penalty for being late.

March 31…send out to publisher(s). Why do I need a month for this? Finding the right publisher and doing cover letters/synapses, etc. Failure here results in $20.

I don’t know if this will work, but I figure it’d be nice to have an immediate response to my slackering, rather than the amorphous effect my current actions have spawned.

Now, I’m exhausted from a horse show. Good night.