Thanks for stopping by for my May update! I’m excited to share with you the good news about my latest release. For the month of May, Real Virtue, has been chosen for a book club read! Yay! The International Book Club of Clean Reads asked me to join their group, and I did, but I’ll admit, not without weighing the costs of being a part of something like this. The biggest one being … it will cut into my writing time. (sigh) But in the end, I figured that the benefits of joining a book club far outweigh the costs, and here are a few of those benefits I know I will reap:
1. I am exposed to reading material that I might otherwise pass over, or never hear of—and that includes people hearing about my books, too! But also, if I keep my mind open, I can learn about others’ experiences and how they have opted to look at the world as a result of them.
2. A book club keeps me in touch with the world. That doesn’t solely mean reaching readers, but also reading different genres and literature that expose me to different viewpoints I may not have encountered otherwise. It can only better my writing, right?
3. It’s a safe place to exchange and challenge ideas. Many times I just don’t like a book, but in the discussions I am able to listen to others share what they did like, and it may help me understand my own thoughts.
4. Readers are bright, knowledgeable and articulate people, and they make great friends. Who doesn’t need friends?
5. It’s an opportunity to make lifetime connections with people that go beyond following you on Twitter or liking your Facebook Fan Page.
The fact is, book clubs can open a lot of doors, and with so many to choose from, you’re bound to find one that will fit your style and genre. And if you belong to one, PLEASE RECOMMEND REAL VIRTUE AS A TO-BE-READ! I will be very grateful, for sure!
P.S. If you would like to get in on the read, please contact me for the details. The more the merrier!
And here is a blurb about Real Virtue:
In a virtual reality game where she can fly, someone’s aiming to take her down.
Mel Mesini is a New York City restaurateur and an avid virtual reality world traveler. She’s risen above her misfit life and now bears a striking resemblance to her glamorous gaming avatar. But her successful life—both online and in reality—takes a swerve the night her father is seriously injured in a hit-and-run. Mel is careened back to her judgmental hometown, where being the daughter of the town’s crazy lady had made her the outcast she was. To make matters worse, Officer Jeremy Stiles, the man whose harsh, rejecting words had cut her the deepest, is heading the investigation.
Jeremy knows he hurt Mel and attempts to make amends by finding her father’s assailant. When he realizes she’s the actual target, his plan for reconciliation turns to one of protection—whether she wants his help or not. What he wants are answers, especially about this online game she plays. Is it a harmless pastime as she says? Or is she using it to cover something up? As a faceless predator destroys the things that matter to her, Jeremy knows he’s running out of time before she loses the one thing that matters most—her real life.
Previous Posts
April 1, 2012
Happy April Fool’s Day, Katy Lee here, but it is no joke that Real Virtue will be released this week on the 4th! I can’t believe that the date has arrived. I’ll be honest though, it may not be a joke, but it doesn’t feel real, either. I have to keep reminding myself that next week people will be able to read my story. There’s no more hiding my writing in the closet for my eyes only. It will be out there for everyone to see. (And if I keep going with this line of thought I will make myself ill just thinking about it.)
So, instead, I will move on to the whirlwind month I have ahead of me.
I have been invited by some wonderful authors to hang out with them at their sites. Here is a short list for the month of April. The full calendar can be found under my Meet Katy Tab.
(Going on right now, TODAY! Stop in and say Hi! - at www.Everythingwriterly.blogspot.com
April 4 – I’ll be talking about my kitties at the All Things Great and Small Blog, www.roxannerustand.com
April 6 – I’ll be telling how the idea for Real Virtue was sparked at www.smpauthors.wordpress.com
April 12 – RT Convention- This is not a blog, but I will be signing at the Book Expo! Come and see me in Chicago! What Fun!
April 16 – I’ll be sharing about a special character in RV that is near and dear to my heart…and why at www.sandraorchard.blogspot.com
April 17 – Anne asked some pretty tough questions. Come see how I answered them at www.annekalbert.com
April 20 – I’ll be sharing my research on Internet/Gaming addiction (A topic in RV) at www.sandraardoin.wordpress.com
April 24 – I love this one! I’m talking about busy women following their dreams at www.conniemann.com
April 25 – A chat with this sweet Love-Inspired author at www.jessicanelson7590.blogspot.com
I am blessed to have so many invites from authors to spend the day with them in their virtual homes! Thank you!
And remember, Readers, you can always chat with me on Sundays over at www.secretsof7scribes.worpress.com! Stop by and see what I am blogging about, or just to say hi!
So, I guess I can’t deny the truth any longer. My book will be real in a just a few days. There’s nothing left to do but enjoy the ride. And I hope to see some of your familiar faces along the way!
February 14th, 2012
Happy Valentine’s Day! This week I passed the next milestone to publication. After months of waiting on bated breath to see how the graphic artist of my publishing company envisioned my story, my book cover came in. YAY!
It took me three months to write Real Virtue, and then a year and a half to sell it. All that time I had some ideas of what my story would look like. I thought maybe a split-face on the cover would be intriguing; half avatar, and half real life. But that might make the story look too game-like, and that’s not the whole premise of the book. It’s not just about a virtual reality game, but also a discovery of what really matters…and let’s not forget the romance, and the hero’s role in all this. Without Jeremy, Mel would still be locked up in a fake world, missing out on the blessings that awaited her in her real life.
When I was asked to give the artist some ideas of what the story was about, I rattled off a bunch of things that I’m sure baffled her completely. But she didn’t just ask me what I like to see on covers. She also asked what I don’t like to see on them. And in the end, I think she summed it up very well.
So, without further ado, here’s Real Virtue…
And just so you know, the key is part of the game; the tree…well, come April 4th, you’ll just have to read it to find out.
November 20, 2011
Welcome to my web page! Being Thanksgiving week, my heart is filled to the brim withthankfulness. My blessings are overflowing and abundant, and I have an attitude of gratitude for the many supportive and loving people in my life. But this week, I am especially thankful to God, who not only has poured out these blessings, but who also gave me talents and gifts to pass on and share. And one of these gifts is the art of writing.
For me, the written word is more than just ink on a page. It brings knowledge and understanding; peace and healing—and not just for the reader. I have penned my way through many a dark moment. (And I don’t mean the 2011 NE blackout) Writing countless journals, stories, lectures and teachings, even writing lesson plans for my home-schooled children has taught me more about my world and my life, and the lives of my characters, than any of my college professors. My writing has taken me on an amazing journey of victory, and if that’s all it ever amounted to be, never going further than my own private pages, it would be enough. Even if secretly I had dreamed for it to be more.
Of course, nothing is a secret to God, right? Which leads me to why I am especially thankful this week. As of this week, my dream is set to become a reality. And not the virtual kind as my story Real Virtue might have you believe. It is official. The ink is dry. I have signed a contract to have Real Virtue published by Soul Mate Publishing.
Stay tuned for more details coming soon!