Join Romance Giveaways for all Giveaway Information

Eliza Daly, Under Her Spell and Multiple GIVEAWAYS!

We have author Eliza Daly and she brought gifts! Over to Eliza now....


Am I There Yet? Am I There Yet?
 
I was watching a TV commercial the other night with children repeatedly asking their parents the all too familiar question, “Are we there yet?” It brought back memories of road trips to my grandparents’ house. An hour in to the three-hour trip we’d be bugging our parents with this question. This commercial stuck in my head and a few days later I realized I’m still asking myself this question in several aspects of my life, especially with my writing.

How do I know when a book is finally there, ready to submit to an agent or editor? My debut contemporary romance, Under Her Spell, is a prime example. The book was originally a 400-page lighthearted women’s fiction book. When I finished the book, the women’s fiction market was saturated and it was a hard sell, so I rewrote it. I cut a couple hundred pages and added a hero and some steamy romance scenes. I sold the book as a 260-page lighthearted romance. Thankfully, not all my books have gone through such extensive rewrites. Yet, every book has a scene, a character, or something that could be tweaked. I have to just say, it’s there, and send it off to an agent or editor before I can change my mind.

What about my writing career? I just published my first book. Woohoo! After twelve years, and writing numerous books, I’ve finally made it. Or have I?

I love Crimson Romance. They gave me my big break, my editor is great, and my book cover is wonderful. My book is available online in digital format and will be out in print in a few months. The best of both worlds. However, one day I’d love to be able to walk into a bookstore and see my book on the shelf. Better yet, I’d love to see it displayed on that table at the front that’s reserved for highlighted books. And of course, hardcover would be a bonus. 

I’m currently conducting a blog tour, lining up reviewers, and using social media to get the word out about my book. After all, I want the book to do well. Not that I expect my first book to make the New York Times Best Sellers list, but hey, maybe one of my books will. Then I’ll be able to say I’m finally there. Yet, what if I barely squeak onto the list? Not to be greedy, but making the top ten would be wonderful and number one even better.  And once a book hits number one, the pressure is on for my next book to also reach number one. And how great would it be to see my book made into a movie?

 
So, will I ever really be there? Yes. I am there. I’m a published author. I’ve fulfilled one of my dreams. There is always going to be something more to strive for in my writing career. I may not reach all my writing goals, but I’m going to celebrate each one I do achieve along the way. And I’d like to thank Nas for having me here today and helping me celebrate the release of Under Her Spell!

 Do you ever ask yourself if you’re there yet in some aspect of your life, or life in general? How do you know when you’re finally there?

 

Please answer the above question or leave an insightful comment on my post to be entered to win one of two e-copies of Under Her Spell (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo) or a $10 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift certificate. Three winners will be chosen.

 

Thank you to everyone who stopped by today. Please check out future stops on my blog tour, ending November 27. I’ll be giving away a variety of gifts. If you comment on 5 stops, and are a Facebook fan, you’ll be eligible to win one of two $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift certificates at the end of my blog tour. Winners will be announced on my website’s news page the end of November. A December Holiday Giveaway for my readers will also be revealed at that time.

 Author Bio

 Eliza Daly’s first attempt at creative writing was in fourth grade. She and her friends were huge Charlie’s Angels fans and she would sit in her bedroom at night writing scripts for them to act out at recess the following day. She was Kelly Garrett. Fast forward to the present, she’s still writing stories about beautiful women who always get their men. The journey from fourth grade script writer to published author wasn’t an easy one, but it was always an adventure and the final destination was well worth it.

 

When Eliza isn’t traveling for her job as an event planner, or tracing her ancestry roots through Ireland, she’s at home in Milwaukee working on her next novel, bouncing ideas off her husband Mark, and her cats Quigley and Frankie.

 

You can find Eliza on the web at Website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

 

Under Her Spell is available at Amazon, iTunes, Google Play (Nook compatible), Kobo, and Barnes & Noble (coming soon).

 

 

Book Blurb for Under Her Spell

 
When a series of failed relationships and business ventures have Monica Jackson doubting her self-worth, she turns to spell casting to attract positive energy and the opportunities needed to achieve her goals.  But can Monica’s belief in spells restore her belief in herself? 

Monica creates a spell to find her soul mate, and one to ensure the success of her new romantic event planning company, Enhance Your Romance.  Monica is confident she has found her niche until divorce lawyer Reed Walker opens a practice next door to her office.  The anti-marriage slogan plastered on his office window, and his down-on-love clients, quickly prove detrimental to Monica’s business.  When his arrival appears to trigger a string of bad luck, Monica fears one of her spells sent negative energy into the universe and it has returned to her threefold.  Although Reed is beyond sexy, and she admires his self-confidence, she’ll do whatever it takes to get the universe back on her side, and Reed out of her life. No way is she losing another business.

 

Reed finds himself attracted to Monica’s beauty and her optimism. His job and his parents’ divorce have made him a pessimist, especially when it comes to love. However, he soon finds that Monica’s pro-love attitude is rubbing off on him, causing him to lose his edge.  If Reed doesn’t distance himself from Monica, he’ll likely destroy his reputation as a pit bull divorce lawyer.

 

Can Monica and Reed look past what they might be losing to realize the love they have found?

Read More!

The winner would be announced in the comment section of this post on the 19th of November. Please check back to see if you've won!

60 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for having me here today Nas and for helping me celebrate the release of my debut romance Under Her Spell. This is a very exciting time for me! I should also mention that the book is available on eBooks.com. I'm finding it somewhere new every day. :-) Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome to Romance Book Paradise, Eliza!

      I hope you will enjoy meeting and chatting with all our friends here.

      Delete
  2. Hi Beth, I'm so happy you're "here" in the world of publishing which is not for the faint hearted. I absolutely loved your book and I know that everyone else who reads it is going to love it too. I'm not sure why Romantic Comedy doesn't sell better, I hope you prove them wrong!

    Waving Hi to Nas Dean, reader extrordinare!

    Laura Iding

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know Laura, I hope romantic comedy is making a comeback because I am seeing more of it lately, thankfully. And thanks so much for reading my book. Yay! Glad you liked it. Thanks for popping by today!

      Delete
    2. Hi Laura! Welcome!

      *waving right back at you!*

      Delete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. After attaining my Masters and building up a more than full time caseload of clients in my private practice, I decided I was 'there.' However, I always feel the need to reach for the next 'there.' I guess that is the never-ending journey of life!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Having the need to reach the next "there" is a wonderful feeling or we'd never achieve our goals. Thanks for sharing!

      Delete
    2. Hi Sandra!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  5. As soon as I reach one 'there" another seems to take it's place.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fantastic cover.

    I'm fully aware of when I a goal. With less obvious things, it might take me awhile to realize I'm at a new phase of my life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Medeia, I was really happy with the cover. I think it captures the free-spirited heroine Monica. I just did a blog post on Unexpected Turning Points in Life. How you might not even realize when a new phase is beginning. That's how my writing journey began. Thanks for stopping!

      Delete
    2. Hi Medeia!

      Thanks for swinging by here today!

      Delete
  7. Hi Eliza and Nas,

    Eliza, your book looks and seems very exciting. Congratulations on your publication. I wish you great success with your blog tour.

    I am a published writer. I have had several features and short stories published in print. I have had articles and stories published online too, not all of them just for myself. The feeling of being 'there' comes with every little published piece. But sometimes, after a while, the feeling can go away. We need to keep on getting published so that 'there' feeling never goes away. I often think if I had a book published, I'd be there. But now I'm beginning to realize that it would be exactly the same as having an article or a feature published - you feel on top of the world for a while, then you're hungry to get back there again.

    I guess that's just life.

    Mx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for the congratulations Maria. And I agree, no matter what you are published in there is always that hunger for something more, even if it's just to keep on publishing. It's a never ending journey. I hope you continue with your writing and thank you so much for sharing your journey. :-)

      Delete
    2. Hi Maria!

      Thank you so much for coming along.

      All the best!

      Delete
    3. Congratulations Maria you won an e-copy of Under Her Spell. Please contact me to claim your prize at eliza(@)elizadaly(dot)com. Thanks for popping by and commenting!

      Delete
    4. Eliza, thank you that's wonderful news, I'm delighted to win your book. Will contact you immediately.

      Delete
  8. Eliza,
    Keep reaching girl, you'll make it!
    -R.T. Wolfe

    ReplyDelete
  9. When you reach a goal there is always another one waiting.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think keeping that positive outlook is a major step in attaining every goal. Kudos to you, Beth. Loved the book

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true Kate. And thanks for the great review. :-) I'm glad you loved the book. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
    2. Hi Kate!

      Thanks for coming along and commenting!

      Delete
  11. I think you can feel you are "there" but still have further goals and dreams. I think that is part of healthy growth is you can recognize the progress you'd made while still pushing yourself one step further. I think you'd definetly made it by having this book out there in the world being bought and being read but it is still good to have even bigger dreams that continue to fuel you to reach for more.

    fencingromein at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree Shannon, being able to recognize your progress is so important. Anytime I would find myself thinking things like, I can't believe I'm not published or don't have an agent, I would calm myself down and make a list of at least 10 things I've done in the past few years to move my career forward. Definitely celebrate each step along the way. Thanks so my for stopping!

      Delete
    2. Hi Shannon!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  12. Thanks so much for stopping by and participating in my blog tour everyone. I had a great time!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Eliza, you are an inspiration. We need to celebrate every success along the way, and let that joy fuel us when the going gets tough. Best of luck with Under Her Spell.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Congratulations to Eliza! Please don't enter me in the drawing because my TBR pile is a mile deep, but good luck to all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol, I hear ya on the TBR pile Susan. Thanks for stopping by though!

      Delete
    2. Thanks for coming along to read Susan!

      Delete
  15. GREAT NEWS! My publisher just announced that last week Under Her Spell ranked number TWO in their top sales. Woohoo!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Looooooved Eliza's post! We definitely have to be careful of not falling into the "Am I there yet?" trap... it's a great thing to push us forward, but we can't let our happiness depend on it--love Eliza's take on it. And her work looks awesome! Thanks, Nas, for sharing her with us today! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congratulations Morgan you won an e-copy of Under Her Spell. Please contact me to claim your prize at eliza(@)elizadaly(dot)com. Thanks for popping by and commenting!

      Delete
  17. I'm so glad you like my post Morgan. Thank you so much. It's so true that we can't let our happiness depend on whether we feel we're there yet since that's so easy to do. Thanks so much for the wonderful comment and for popping by!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sounds like a really fun read! Nice to meet you, Eliza.

    Hi, Nas :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Terrific post, Nas and Eliza!

    In answer to your question as to if we're there yet... I do ask myself that question periodically, as I work my way through depression. Am I at the end of the line yet? No, but there's light at the end of the tunnel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Life is a tough journey sometimes. I've had a lot of disheartening and down times and it's sometimes hard to see that light at the end of the tunnel. Hope things get better. Thanks for stopping!

      Delete
  20. You're making me think on this one Eliza - I'm really "a live every day as it comes girl", so I rarely focus on the so called "finish line". Even when I'm running a marathon, my thoughts are on the journey, not the end. So, guess I'm always "there"! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, running Marathons Nancy, that is quite the journey. I can't even imagine. You're an inspiration! Thanks for stopping!

      Delete
    2. Congratulations Nancy you won a $10 gift certificate. Please contact me to claim your prize at eliza(@)elizadaly(dot)com. Thanks for popping by and commenting!

      Delete
  21. What a great post! very inspiring. A great reminder to enjoy our journey to publication more, instead of being worried about the end results :)
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for reading my post and commenting!

      Delete
  22. Eliza sure is right -- we always have goals and daydreams, and each difficult step is followed by others. Many think getting an agent is the goal and don't realize that nail-biting subs and editor rejections are just around the corner.
    Great post! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And more editor rejections... Thanks so much for stopping by an commenting Lexa!

      Delete
  23. Congratulations to the winners of my blog post! Nancy N won a $10 gift certificate and Morgan and Maria Perry Mohan each won an e-copy of Under Her Spell. Please contact me at eliza(@)elizadaly(dot)com to claim your prize. Thanks again to Nas for having me here as a guest and to everyone who popped by and left some great comments. I had a lot of fun! Thank you!! Eliza

    ReplyDelete
  24. Congratulations to our multiple winners-Nancy, Morgan and Maria!

    Thank you for reading and commenting on this post. And thanks to all our lovely friends for reading and commenting.

    I would like to thank Eliza as well for these awesome giveaways and for being here chatting to all my friends!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, thank you very much Eliza, I look forward to reading your book.

      Delete
  25. I don't ask these questions.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete

Share your wisdom!