books,  S. Connolly

Jitters

So my newest release was finally announced on my personal Facebook last night and the overwhelming positive feedback (like 30+ people positive) has me all jittery.  Mostly because I know I can’t please everyone and I don’t try, but those feelings of “It’s a lousy book!” do creep in from time to time even when the book probably isn’t half bad. People have asked me, “What’s your favorite book that you’ve written?” and generally my response is, “The most recent one.”  I know where the flaws are in all of my books (believe me – I am far more brutal than any critic could be). None of my books is perfect even though at the time of completion I always think each book is my best masterpiece yet. LOL! Don’t worry – my ego always gets the smack-down from that part of me that demands perfection (and never gets it).

While being published is no longer a huge deal for me, waiting on reader reaction always makes me queasy and jittery. I don’t care if it’s a NF treatise on the anatomy of a ritual, an entire book exploring a spiritual path, or a novel or short story. I really do strive to write the best I can at the time I’m writing it. ::shrug:: For some readers it will never be good enough (and those readers will never like your work anyway). For other readers, they’ll have their favorites. Some readers will be huge fans and love everything you pen. Other readers will be indifferent.  It’s kind of funny because I always find myself upset when I get critiques where the critic hits me below the belt and harps on how my writing is awful. A little research into the critic often proves him/her to be a struggling author himself (or sometimes a know-it-all about the subject of the book). Of course it’s comforting to visit the reviews of more popular and famous authors only to find that they, too, have their critics who hit them in the same way – telling Stephen King that he can’t write his way out of a box. Ha! His millions of fans say otherwise. People make the same comments about authors like Nora Roberts, J.K. Rowling, and Dan Brown – none of whose writing is terrible to the masses, only a select few. So I’m in good company evidently.

So yes, I’ll be announcing the new book very soon. Just not here, not yet. I’m still waiting on a few beta readers and a my editor, hence I’m sitting here on pins and needles waiting to see if they say “This is terrible!” or “It needs massive revision” or “Let’s fix these things then run with it.”  Of course the latter response is the one I prefer, but I’ll take any response.

Steph is an award winning and bestselling author of thrilling steamy and paranormal romances, dark urban fantasy, occult horror-thrillers, cozy mysteries, contemporary romance, sword and sorcery fantasy, and books about the esoteric and Daemonolatry. A Daemonolatress and forever a resident of Smelt Isle, she is happily married and cat-mom to three pampered house cats. Her muse is a demanding sadistic Dom who often keeps her up into the wee hours of the morning. You can contact her at swordarkeereon@gmail.com

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