[Book Tour] Winter in the Soul by Jennifer Novotney #Rejection guest post

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.

Website: www.jennifernovotney.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jennovotney

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jen.novotney

Links:

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20869515-winter-in-the-soul

Anaiah Press: http://www.anaiahpress.com

Giveaway:

includes 5 autographed posters and 5 keychains