I recently read this long and nasty review for A Rose to the Fallen on Amazon. I had to respond because I don’t appreciate people spewing lies about me. I don’t care if some people don’t like me, my attitude, my actions, or my book. That’s why I don’t usually blog about my critics. If I cared enough about their negative opinion, I would give them my attention. When you’re an author, you put yourself out there to be judged by people. You can judge me and my work… but don’t tell disparaging lies about me because if I read about it… I WILL call you out on your bullshit. Get your FACTS straight BEFORE you state your opinion, otherwise you sound like a fucking idiot. My website exists so people can know about me, what I’m doing, what I’ve done, and my work. It would do my critics good to actually read it before they start talking out of their asses.

In mid-March, I said I had finished sending query letters. That’s not true anymore. I actually sent one today. Over the last couple months, I found more publishers who accept submissions directly from authors. I’m finished querying agencies though; I’m not sending anymore to them. I’m the type of person who would prefer to cut out the middle man and sell The Howling Heart to a publisher myself. That’s why I’ve been focusing on publishers and not agencies. I’ve decided I’m going to wait until the end of the year instead of mid-year like I originally planned, to see if anyone is interested in buying my novel. The reason I’m doing this is because some publishers can take months to respond. If no one is interested by year’s end, then I’ll make a final decision about the future of my last novel.

I will say that after what I’m experiencing, I understand why self-publishing is so appealing. You don’t have to wait for someone to accept your work, or wait a long time for your book to become available to readers. If I had self-published The Howling Heart in January after I had removed it from FictionPress, it would be out by now. At the rate I’m going, if my novel gets sold, it might not be available for a couple YEARS! Since I’m dealing with traditional publishers, I have no choice but to be patient.

I’ve also decided I’m not going to post another publishing update unless I have something positive to report.

When I saw these Polyvore sets for my unpublished novel The Howling Heart, my jaw dropped. I think they’re really nice and the creator did a great job. I can definitely see Paige wearing these outfits, especially the 2nd one when she’s in Colorado. The creator knows how stylish my character is; makeup and accessories are a MUST for her. Paige works for Elle magazine after all. I love how detailed she was—there’s so much stuff! She even has a picture of a waterfall in the forest just like in the scene where Riley & Paige had their first kiss. And you can’t forget a picture of Alex Pettyfer to represent Riley since he inspired the story. If the creator ever reads this post, I want to thank her for making these. I’m so glad The Howling Heart inspired her creativity. I’m even more flattered because she felt my novel deserved TWO sets! You can click on them to see them in detail.

Since I’m not writing anymore, I decided to dust off one of my old short stories. I only have two, so I chose the one I feel is better which is Eros, My Love. It’s an urban fantasy with the Greek god Eros as the lead male character. I wrote the story because I like the Greek mythological love story of Eros and Psyche. My short story actually started out as a vampire romance novel I wrote in 2008 but never finished. I didn’t want it to go to waste, so I edited it into a short story with a Greek god as the hero instead of an original vampire character. So far, I’ve sent the manuscript to two publishers and a query letter to a third publisher. My query passed the initial review with the third publisher, so I’m waiting for a Senior Editor to contact me and request the manuscript. My goal is to get my short story published as an e-book.

Below is the synopsis for Eros, My Love and an excerpt as a free preview.

Gabrielle Foster never thought she would fall in love with a mythological character. After reading the pages of a mysterious journal, she finds herself enamored yet sympathetic towards the Greek god Eros. The journal paints him as a tragic and lonely god with a selfless heart that aches for companionship. But the author is a clinically insane woman, so Eros couldn’t really exist… could he?

While working the night shift at a local diner in downtown Boston, a secret admirer reveals his true identity and Gabrielle discovers her love is not unrequited. Read more »