Blurb:
In a world divided by power and greed,
seventeen-year-old Lilika harbors an intense desire to return to Winter in the
Soul, the place her family left to escape the darkness that was manifesting
from a coldness of the soul.
When she meets Talon, their connection is
evident right from the start, and together they travel through the Black
Kingdom to recover Lilika’s stolen locket. And in search of an answer to the
mystery behind Winter in the Soul.
Lilika holds the key to stopping the darkness
from spreading. The fate of their world lies in her hands. Will she stop the
Black Kingdom before its darkness overtakes them all, or will they succumb to
the darkness that is spreading across the land?
Release
Date: July 15, 2014
High Goals and Writer Rejection
As a writer, my work has
been rejected. It's just a fact of life. I once heard that if you're not
getting rejected on a daily basis, then your goals are not high enough. I'd
like to think that's true in my case. Even if you're not a writer, yet you have
high aspirations, rejection is imminent.
Here's why I don't let
rejections stop me. Some people just like to say no. I know that sounds silly,
but it's true. I've been teaching English for eleven years. When I was in school
to get my teaching credential, one of my professors, who was also a veteran
teacher, had some words of advice. He told me that whenever a student asks to
use the restroom, always say no. If they ask again, tell them to wait. If they
ask a third time during the same class period, then they probably really have
to go and I should let them, but not before rejecting them a couple of times
first. For some reason, even all these years later, that story has always stuck
with me. Here was a professor teaching us to say no without even thinking about
the individual situations.
As a writer, I've
experienced rejections. Most writers have. I recently read two stories about
authors who couldn't get an agent, couldn't find a publisher, but went on to be
successful anyway. Both of these authors hit #1 on the New York Times Best
Seller list all on their own. After their manuscript was rejected by literary
agents and publishers, they just said forget it and did it themselves.
These stories give me hope.
They make me realize that just because I get rejected or someone says
"no" to me doesn't mean my work isn't good. It just means that my
goals are high.
I learn from rejections,
each and every one. If I get personal, specific feedback, I take a good hard
look at my work. If it's true, I learn and grow. If it's not, I move on. That's
really all I can do with a rejection. The other thing I do is keep writing.
Just because one manuscript didn't catch an agent's eye, doesn't mean another
one won't. I'm young. I have tons of stories in my head just waiting to be
written. I am not done evolving and learning as a writer. I don't think I will
ever be done. I continue to learn, create, and write.
Sure, the initial sting of
a rejection might hurt, but in the long run, it's not important. It only takes
one yes and sometimes, that's what keeps me going.
I aim high, know that
rejection is a part of the process, and keep going anyway. That's what I've
always done and my first book, Winter in the Soul, comes out this month. I've
been writing my whole life, but I only just started pursuing publication
seriously last year and already my dreams are coming true. I can't wait to see
what this year brings.
Author
Bio:
Jennifer Novotney was born in Burbank, California and
lived in Los Angeles for most of her life until settling in North Eastern
Pennsylvania with her husband and daughter. She attended California State
University, earning a bachelors degree in journalism, and Northern Arizona
University, earning a masters degree in English. After college, she spent
several years writing and teaching, including at Pennsylvania State University.
Links:
Giveaway:
includes 5 autographed posters and 5 keychains
