5 Things To Be Grateful For--Debut Author Edition - Crystal Collier

Hey, gang! I know we're headed into a busy holiday week for some, so I wanted to take the chance to wish all of you safe travels and loads of fun. Also wanted to share some things to be thankful for--with a writerly slant, of course.

So author-friend Crystal Collier put together this great post. Crystal's debut novel, Moonless, is out now, and what a great way to stuff your own stocking this holiday season! (Okay, on the proofread that came out unintentionally tawdry … but I'm leaving it because it also made me snort-laugh like a 7th grader.)

With that, how about I just let Crystal take it away.  :D

Five Things (Or So) To Be Grateful For--Debut Author Edition

E.J., thank you so much for having me here today! It's amazing, as you look back over a period of time, how many people influence your life and help you grow. As a debut author, I've been marveling at how I got where I am, so I want to share the things/people I'm MOST grateful for (publishing wise):

1. The Editor. Have you met the amazing Bethany Kaczmarek at A Little Red, Inc.? My publisher let me choose my own editor, and after much research and communication, I met Bethany. Her style and taste directly complimented my story, and she not only kept me laughing while editing, but caught absolutely EVERYTHING. Some people edit because they can. Some edit because they have a gift. She's the latter--and I'm exceptionally blessed for being able to work with her.

2. Critique Partners/Beta Readers: The biggest support has been my creative partner and husband. He reads everything--even if it's not his genre of choice--and even brainstorms with me. Best. Thing. Ever. I don't know what I'd do without Rachel Hert--from exchanging cheesy emails (where she locks me in a basement to work and keeps me alive with cheese dropped down the laundry chute,) to the continued support. Similarly, T.C. Mckee has been the wind beneath my wings. Her optimism and encouragement gave me the courage to get out there. My writing coach, Sharon Johnston (whose book, Sleeper, releases December 2), bequeathed me with a new title and helped fashion this story so literary agents were clamoring for it. My mom and sister read multiple times.  Lastly, for my amazing beta readers in 2009 (all 32 of you), I am intensely grateful--and especially for your amazing weekly feedback.

3. Readers/Reviewers: Every time someone says they've read my book, every time someone is kind enough to leave a review, I feel like breaking out a turkey and having Thanksgiving dinner.

4. Blog friends/Writers/Support Groups: WriteOnCon connected me with Rachel. (LOVE YOU WRITEONCON ORGANIZERS!) There have been innumerable writers who've been an example of what to (and not to) do. I've been blessed with amazing support groups (WriteOnBuildOn, DayDreamers Anonymous, Writers Support 4U, my Goodreads groups, and YaLitChat)--you've kept me going and taught me so much. Lastly, my bloggies--including the Insecure Writers Group, and What's Up Wednesday peeps, you have been an immense support/staple in my developing career. I'm intensely grateful for Rachael Harrie with her Writers Crusades...ahem, Campaigns, and my buddies with the Choose Your Own Adventure bloghops.

5. Goodreads/Amazon/Cheese: Reading is the key to good writing, so I'm grateful for all establishments that sell books, but especially for Goodreads and the real-world recommendations that keep me in the know. And of course, cheese keeps the brain pumping.

Who and what are you most grateful for this year?

Crystal Collier, author of MOONLESS, is a former composer/writer for Black Diamond Productions. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. 

You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.

MOONLESS is Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

"MOONLESS is powerful, compelling, and packed with soul." --Bethany Kaczmarek, editor at A Little Red, Inc. 

"I fell head over heels for the characters." --TC Mckee, BookFish Books 

"Power-packed action, heart stopping mystery, unpredictable twists and turns..." --I Am a Reader Not a Writer

Buy MOONLESS HERE or add it on Goodreads.

a Rafflecopter giveaway