CLOCKWISE will forever be a book that's close to my heart. It was the story where I found my voice as a writer and also the book that landed me my first agent, a strong validation at the time. It was also the book, when it failed to sell in traditional circles, that launched me into indie publishing.
The kindle was a new phenomenon back in 2011, and much debated. Over time, ereaders caught on as an acceptable companion to print books, and indie publishers became slowly accepted in the same way indie filmmakers and indie musicians were. We authors now had a choice in how to proceed with our careers, effectively putting control back where it belongs, in the hands of the writers.
In 2011, Indie publishing was in its infant stage and venturing out took a lot of courage. Since that time, many cottage industries have burst on the scene, making the processes infinitely easier, such as Vellum (link) for formatting (LOVE Vellum! Has made formatting, which was super labor intensive, a breeze), Bookfunnel (link) for distributing Advanced Readers Copies (and much more), Bookbrush(link) for making advertising images, to name a few. There's also a plethora of Indie Publishing help and advice, including Mark Dawson's Ads for Authors(link), Chris Fox for Writers(link), Bryan Cohan's Amazon Ad School(link), Sara Rosett's Podcast Wish I'd known Then(link), and plenty of support groups on FB such as 20booksto50k(link).
Before then, the task was difficulty and time consuming and the results not nearly as optimal as they are now. But for those businesses and us, it's a win win. At the time I was writing Clockwise, my daughter and her friends were in that stage of transitioning from children to young women and I had opportunity to observe daily the world of the junior high ecosystem. I also had my own memories of a tortured high school experience. Who among us didn't suffer at some point from crushing on an unattainable hottie? To celebrate my first independently published book and my ten year anniversary as an independent author, I'm giving away FREE ecopies of CLOCKWISE until October 11.
Make sure to grab your copy and tell a friend!
Almost sixteen-year-old Casey Donovan just wants to survive high school ~ uncontrollable trips to the 19th century do NOT help, especially when you accidentally take the cutest boy in the school back in time!
Casey Donovan’s hair is too curly, her limbs too long, and she barely fills an A cup. She can throw a ball as well as any boy, but for reasons she wouldn’t dare share, she never tries out for any team. Casey nurses a secret crush on the unattainable Nate Mackenzie.
Nate Mackenzie, super jock and quarterback at Cambridge High, hadn’t even heard of Casey Donovan until the night of the Fall Dance. That was when his buddies dared him to ask her to dance. That was when the craziness started.