So when I first started with the idea of self-publishing, I thought – foolishly – I might add, its going to be simple, write a book, have a friend edit it, and turn it in to Amazon. Ta-Da done!

Some are you are giving me the “Are you kidding me look?”

Yeah that one

Saying that I went into this a little naive is an understatement. Don’t worry, don’t worry I have learned my lesson, and I still am! I would NEVER say that its just that easy – it really isn’t. There is a lot of work involved, and while I knew there would be lot of work afterwards with promoting my book among all the other new/already established Indie authors, not to mention regularly published books out there! But little did I think about the work about before. Getting yourself out there before hand, getting a following, finding and getting someone to do a cover with you, (which I cannot wait to reveal mine on Friday thank you a million times over to Airicka’s Mystical Creations which made me super – in my opinion swoon-worthy cover), so on top of that, getting a list of people – trust-worthy, critical readers, to do Beta-readers if you so choose to go that route, and so much more.

On top of being a baby indie-writer, I am a full time student, a part-time worker, and a full-time blogger, Yes a full time blogger. Not just here, I am currently running two other blogs, granted one is for a class, but the other is for reviews. Before I decided to self-publish, I wanted to promote these amazing authors that I had been reading. I wanted to even if it was one other person as pumped as I was about these amazing books that I had been reading. So began the Violet Hour Book Reviews, I started with my editor Andrea, and who also happens to be my best friend. It was fun, it was just beginning and yet it grew. Grew bigger than I ever thought possible. Yeah and we aren’t even that big. But I don’t mind I like to think we are cooler than we actually are. Anyways so now when I start to decide that its time for me to break out my protective, hidey- hole shell that I have been living in, I wanted to publish. I wanted more than my close friends to experience these worlds, and characters I was building, and The Violet Hour had hit its peek. Suddenly we were getting more influx of read for reviews, for ARCs, for Betas, for awesomeness and I couldn’t have been more excited. Only with everything I was doing, I was getting behind. Either in author stuff, or blog stuff, (one or the other because I was doing the other – if that makes sense).

So a couple friends (when I mean a couple – I mean a lot) told me and trust me I believe them, that being an Indie author is about going one step further than it being a full time job, it becomes a life-style. They are telling me the obvious: Drop the Violet Hour, focus on writing. OOONNNLLLY easier said than done. I know the traditional route is: Write, Indie Author, then maybe review once and awhile for other friends to help promote them or for whatever reason. Not really: Review Blogger, to Author and Review Blogger. It’s a dangerous road to be on. A very, very dangerous road. Not just saying because both are more than enough work as it is, but for a lot of other reasons. Reviewers can be well… viewed as your enemy or your best friend. And now that have come out the “Indie Author” closet as I am going to refer to it as, this makes me yeah a little worried. How are even amazing reviewer friends going to look at me now? And how are all my awesomely awesome-sauce Author friends going to view me now?

When it comes right down to it. Sooner or later one is going to have to be let go of. Now I think we all know what that will be and I will have a heart-breakingly hard time saying good-bye but I am not saying good-bye yet. I can’t. I have been working on the Violet Hour for almost a year now, it was the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life I didn’t even see coming. It means the world to me. I worked my ass off for it, and right now I want to keep both. So when my friends tell me its time to let go of The Violet Hour I have to tell them, Not yet. I am not ready to say goodbye.

So to answer any questions out there on why keep both blogs – while doing another blog for a class and if you are friends with me you probably have seen that blog as well – well its because I worked damned hard to get the Violet Hour where it is today, and I am going to work damned hard to get myself out there as an indie author. Will I shamelessly use the Violet Hour to help promote myself…well yeah a bit, but that wasn’t my intention when I started. The Violet Hour was one of the biggest reasons I am doing this – through the people I have met, and through the support of those people have I decided to do this.

So me and my babies – the Violet Hour and Damaged are going to have to live side by side for awhile because I am not ready to give up the Violet Hour.

Thank you to so many people – and i will continue to always say that, because without your support I don’t know if I would be doing this.