Page One with Kim Findlay, Hybrid Harlequin Author

Welcome to Write to Read podcast,

a page in the life of an author.

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I'm Liv Macy, and these are my pages.

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Page one.

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And I cannot tell you how excited I am

to be finally starting this podcast.

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Thank you so much for joining me.

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And I hope you enjoyed the content

here that you come back weekly.

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I hope you enjoy the conversations

around the laptop segment.

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Later on in this show with Kim Finley.

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A hybrid Harlequin author.

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For today's bit of randomness.

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I am reading this week, salt

and broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher.

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And also 10 steps to hero by Sasha black.

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As is customary for me, I will

not be giving reviews of the books

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that I read because I completely

believe that reading is subjective.

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And I would never want someone

to read something just because

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I have read it and liked it.

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And then maybe be disappointed

because they didn't feel the same.

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We have reached the beyond the blurb

segment of the podcast, which is one

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of my favorite portions of the show.

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Here I can have the best of both

worlds to give my listeners the

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opportunity to hear about books that

may not have crossed their path.

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And also to give authors a

space to share their book on

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a wide platform for zero cost.

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But it comes with a caveat.

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There's no way that I can read every

single book that is highlighted and

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to ensure that the authors or the

works aren't problematic or offensive.

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I simply don't have the time.

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And as such, I must say that I do not

endorse any of the books within this show.

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However, I do hope that

you find something amazing.

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Happy reading.

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Today I am telling you about my

book, my picture book, Snow Day, A

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Little Boo Adventure by Anya Yeager.

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It is a winter ghost story because

I thought we needed more of them.

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Charles Dickens has kind of had his hold

on that for too long and I wanted in.

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This is not a holiday or a book

with any religious tones to it.

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It is just a winter story about

a ghost who goes out to have some

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fun outside and exploring the snow.

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The target ages are about three to

six, six ish, six or seven, , and

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it is kind of like the Addams

Family meets Calvin and Hobbes.

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When I set out to make this book,

I was hoping for, , multilingual

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families to enjoy it, , but it has

been really well received with neuro

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spicy kids as well as teachers.

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I wanted this book to be, , a book

that kids could enjoy with anyone

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in their family, regardless of

boundaries or education level, but I

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really wanted this to be a book that

was theirs, that they could have and

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enjoy by themselves and not have to

wait for anyone, , to be available.

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Uh, the series, it is one in a

series, But, , I love Snow Day.

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It is, it is a fun little winter story.

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, it is one in a series of Little

Boo adventures, and it's a great

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addition to the library of any

little monsters in your life.

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Hi, everybody.

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This is Jasmine Cartwright.

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I'm an indie author from Oklahoma City,

Oklahoma, and I'm here to talk about my

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debut novel, Please Excuse Our Confusion.

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Please Excuse Our Confusion is a

YA rom com, and it follows a young

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girl named Bowie as she navigates

friendships, self discovery, and

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her own personal secrets, as well as

holding secrets for her loved ones.

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Bowie finds herself in an interesting

situation with her best friend.

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And while feeling obligated to

this, this kind of situationship,

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she also finds herself wanting

more out of her personal life.

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It's a story about secrets.

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It's a story about.

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It's friendship, it's a story about

sexuality, and it's a story about

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what happens when we don't allow

people to truly be themselves.

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Hi, I'm Liv, and I want to talk to you

about a book called The Lighthouse Keeper.

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It's an M.

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M.

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Victorian Gothic spooky witch's magic

heat shenanigans romance with slow

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burn and opposites attract, grumpy

sunshine, and Yeah, it, it, it was

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all about the spooky with this one.

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Vincent is our hero and he is a

witch, which is unfortunate because

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it means he got pruned from his

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people didn't practice witchcraft.

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And so he is a bit adrift.

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And the witch's council sends

him to Seattle to find an object

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called the Pharaoh's core.

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And the Pharaoh's core

is magic and it's evil.

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And its keeper has been staying at a

remote lighthouse outside of Seattle.

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So Vincent travels there.

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He's been told.

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The, the keeper has passed away.

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You're going to meet his widow

and his son, who's a kid.

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And you're going to have no problem

getting up there, charming your way

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into their lives, picking up the

Pharaoh's core and trotting it back to

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the witch's council in San Francisco.

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Unfortunately, the son is not a kid.

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The son is in his mid twenties somewhere.

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And from Vincent's point of view,

he is rather awkwardly handsome.

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And so the two of them.

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Need to work together to find the

Ferox core, because in fact, Rafe's

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father hit it before he passed away.

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So they need to find it before

Rafe's father can cross the veil

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between worlds on Samhain or

Halloween and mess everybody up.

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And so, yeah, that's the,

that's the driving force.

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It's, it's about spookiness

and romance and fun.

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There's not any higher

purpose to this book.

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Before I get into my updates.

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I just want to take a moment to thank

you for taking a chance on a new podcast.

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I know your time is valuable.

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And I'm fortunate that you

chose to spend it with me.

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Some of the segments may get

tweaked, , as time goes on, as

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the feedback kind of rolls in.

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, this will be a work in progress

until I now what really works.

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, So please, if you listen through

the whole show, , send me a message.

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Let me know what you have liked so far,

what you'd like to see in the future.

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, okay.

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So my updates, I am actively

starting book four in the infinites

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universe, which includes searching

for my heroine and her soulmate.

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I am a visual type of person.

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So when I am writing, when I'm drafting.

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I kind of want to stare at the

person that I'm writing about.

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In order to.

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Kind of accurately put down.

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What I'm seeing.

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Um, I know, not everybody does that.

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I know everybody's different

with what kind of puts them into

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the story that they're creating.

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But for me, I am a literal type of person.

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I want to see that.

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What I'm what I'm describing.

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I want to smell it.

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I want to experience it.

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I want to feel it.

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I want to do as much.

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Use as many of the senses

of my five senses as I can.

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While I'm writing.

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Obviously there are paranormal

and fantastical elements to some

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of the books that I'm writing.

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I cannot experience everything, but.

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As much as I can.

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I really, I really strive to do that.

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So it takes a lot of time.

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Uh, researching through Pinterest

and Google and modeling companies,

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because I have in my mind's eye,

what this person looks like.

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And I need to find an actual live.

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Interpretation of that.

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That is always fun.

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Um, Particularly when it's a bunch

of eye candy, both female and male.

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And so.

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You know, someone has to do it.

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I will take one for the team.

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Uh, of course I'm also writing.

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I will actually be furiously writing

every day so that I can take time off

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for the holidays so I can spend it with

my family and my friends of course,

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with my kitchen, because I am a big.

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Cook.

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I like to make a lot of

the meals for Christmas.

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For traditions.

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And of course that takes time.

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So the next book, I am hoping.

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We'll release in February.

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Mid February to end of February.

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Which means that I have to get

my butt in the chair every day.

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And that is exactly what I'm doing.

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Um, But I also have to temper that

with not wanting to hit burnout.

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I am attempting to pace myself,

even though I'm trying to

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write as much as possible.

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Um, Pacing myself is actually

laughable to anyone who knows me in

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the publishing community because.

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I don't know why, but I am

deadline driven, uh, and

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even being deadline driven.

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I still procrastinate

until the last possible.

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Moment.

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I tend to take on projects

and jump into things.

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That needed to be done yesterday.

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And I don't know why I do that.

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I do it to myself.

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I know.

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Um,

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unfortunately, that's

just the way I am so far.

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Fortunately it seems

to have worked for me.

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Everything seems to always fall

into place and get finished on time.

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And.

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Yeah, I've been very fortunate

that that's happened.

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I guess I would be probably

one of those people that.

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If I get burned by that,

I won't do it again.

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So I'm hoping.

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That everything continues

to work out in my favor.

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And if it doesn't well I'll

guess I'll learn my lesson.

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I don't learn how to schedule.

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And pace myself a little bit better.

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And on that note, please make sure

that you follow me on social media.

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Or you can subscribe to my

newsletter to be kept up to date.

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On what is going on with the podcast.

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And now I'm so excited to bring to you.

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Conversations around my laptop.

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I have a special episode today

with Kim Finley, who I have

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invited to be my first guest.

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And here she is.

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So, Kim, hi.

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Thank you so much for joining me.

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I am so pleased that you asked me.

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I feel so special.

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You are saying.

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But, um, because we've never

actually met in person.

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It's all been online.

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Yes, but it has been a great

experience knowing you.

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I have told people, like, one of

the big pieces of advice that people

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want for writing is, like, to find

a community like we have on Discord.

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Um, it just helps so many ways.

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So I am very glad.

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I can't, was it Susan or

somebody who started it and she's

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gone and we just kept it up?

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Yeah, she's, yep.

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Yeah, either way, it's, it has

been an absolute lifesaver.

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The writing community

is the most important.

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So, um, absolutely agree.

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It's, it's been a, it's

been a great support.

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Um, so why don't you start out and

tell us a little bit about yourself?

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Uh, as I mentioned, you

are a hybrid author.

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Um, I actually, and when you're talking

about community, I was, First published

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by Harlequin, and that happened as

a result, again, of somebody I knew.

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It was actually somebody in my

church who was writing for the

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Love Inspired Suspense line.

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And I followed her on social media, and

it was kind of like, Ooh, she's a writer.

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Like, I'd always wanted to be.

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And she would post about opportunities

and contests that they had with Harlequin.

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And they used to have, um, So You

Think You Can Write Contest every year.

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And whoever won would

get their book published.

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And the first year I did

it, it was on Whatsapp.

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You had to put your book on Whatsapp

and people voted on the first chapter,

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or they judged the first chapter and

then the community voted for the winner.

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And so I joined Wattpad for that.

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And even though I was one of

the 50 chapters they picked,

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I did not win the book.

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It wasn't that strong, but

also like I had no followers.

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I didn't know anybody on

there, but it got me into it.

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And then later they had this thing that,

a kind of contest thing they called a

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blitz that they don't do anymore, where,

um, as I figured out, one of the lines

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that needed more writers, or they, they

wanted more content, you could send

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in a synopsis in a first chapter, and

instead of going into a big slush pile,

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they would respond within like 30 days.

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And that is how, um, an editor like

my story wanted to, to see a, a full

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manuscript, and My biggest problem to

that point was I had so many ideas I never

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finished anything because something else

would, you know, Ooh, that looks shiny.

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I'll go after that.

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And that is how I ended up with

Harlequin and getting published.

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I'm like, I had no idea about

getting agents or any of that stuff.

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So I was traditionally published

without even having an agent.

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And again, it was because of somebody

I knew who just let me know what was

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out there because I did not know.

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That's awesome.

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I would have never, I don't

think I would have put myself

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out there like that in a group.

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Um, so that's Well, because

it's somewhat anonymous, right?

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You're just sending in online.

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It's not actually, for me, throw

something out, you know, in an email

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or something is not scary because,

you know, they can not answer, delete

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your email and you may never know.

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So that's not, that's not the scary part.

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In person, I find that

much more intimidating.

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Yeah.

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Still a little ballsy though, I think.

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Um, so now you are working

on self publishing, correct?

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Yeah, um, writing for Harlequin

was a great experience.

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I learned a lot.

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Uh, but I've written in, I've published

with heartwarming and love inspired

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suspense and heartwarming is a language

you will never earn out your advance.

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And sort of as I got to know more and

I had story ideas that didn't fit in

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that line, um, you know, I did the

querying thing and, and I had an agent

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who then dropped me and then I just

lost my agent recently because in the

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last month the owner of the agency died

and so the agency's been disbanded.

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So the agent thing is seemingly

not working out for me.

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And so, um, Thanks mostly, I think,

to our Discord group and people

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there who are self publishing.

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Um, I've doing that.

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I've also My first two books were

hockey romances, and that's kind

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of where I really enjoy writing.

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But I, one time when I pitched a book

on, I think it was in Savvy Author's

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Pit, because, you know, I'll throw

things out there online all the time.

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Uh, Sourcebooks editor said,

Hockey romance does better self

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publishing, indie publishing.

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And then a couple things came up, um,

I'd had a hockey Christmas romance in

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an anthology a couple years ago that

went nowhere, but in the, there's a

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Facebook group for people who write

hockey romance because it's a thing,

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and somebody was doing an anthology for

Christmas stories, and I thought, well, I

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already have the story, I've already had

it edited, so why not see if that will

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go in there, and I thought, well, also,

I had one other hockey book that Serena

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Bowen's Um, her, she set up a publishing

company so people could publish in her

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world, and it's a hockey romance, and

college, and people love the epilogue.

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So I had come up with this idea

of, you know, doing something

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after that epilogue with one of

the side characters in that book.

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And this little short story was

also in that world with somebody

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from that college community.

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And it's like, well, you know,

if I was ever going to do

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it, here I've got a chance.

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You know, to get that short

story out there to hockey

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people, maybe it's a good time.

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And then, um, sometimes you need to

be careful about things you suggest.

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Um, I had, I have joined a couple of

these Book of the Month clubs, where you

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get a free book every month, and you're

signed up for people's newsletters, but

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it's a way to try different authors and

see if you like it, and then go back

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and get more of their work if you like.

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And I suggested in this hockey author

group that maybe just a hockey focused

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book of the month club would be an idea.

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And their response was,

that's a great idea, Kim.

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Thanks for doing it.

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It's like, wait, I've never done this.

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I haven't self pubbed yet.

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I don't know what I'm doing.

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But, uh, I have found that the

writing community is very helpful.

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One of the people interested In this

book of the month club is in another one

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and the person who ran that gave me an

email like step by step instructions.

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We now have we're getting

close to like 6, 500 people who

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have signed up for the club.

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It started in September.

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So it's following the hockey season

you get two free books a month.

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So as the person who's doing it

I can have my book in there and

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it and everybody promotes it.

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So I have this chance if I was

going to self publish I have

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the short story coming out.

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The, the giveaway ends on December 1st.

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There's already more than 8, 000

people who have, uh, downloaded that.

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And now we'll be, I will have

their email addresses so I

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can tell them about my books.

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There's all these people from the hockey.

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book of the month club,

including some really big names.

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I was surprised at some of the

people who joined these authors.

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I've got a big following and it's

like, well, if you want a way to launch

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it, I've got this, these thousands

of people who like hockey romance

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who are going to hear about me.

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That would not.

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Otherwise, I'd just be sort

of in the massive, Here it is.

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Books out there.

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So, yeah.

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So, um, in January, uh, it should,

my first book should be out.

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That's, that's incredible.

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I definitely think that that's, I feel

like it's fair to say that a lot of self

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publishing is not necessarily luck, but

just the way things fall into place.

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Like the fact that you had the anthology

that you did with Serena and then You

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know, people liked the epilogue, and

it just kind of led to one idea, to

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one idea, to another idea, and then

here you are now, self publishing.

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Yeah, and I think it was, uh, like,

having ten authors do a series over

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three years, like, the spreadsheets,

the back and forth, but you got to know

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these people, and, um, that's how I

got into the Facebook group, and, you

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know, was sort of a little more active

there, and, yeah, it's, it's all kind

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of, you know, it's been rolling along,

so, um, Um, it's kind of like if this

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is right now, hockey romance is hot.

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I have a chance to sort of get a step up.

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So I'm going to do that.

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And I still have a three book series

with a small publisher that I've

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sort of been leaving off to the

side to focus on the hockey for now.

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Wow.

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Well, you have a lot, a lot of books

on your plate, I feel like, and a lot

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of ideas to simmering in your brain.

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I know.

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I don't, you probably find the same

thing when you're writing along and.

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To make the other characters in

the book like real people, you

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sort of imagine their whole story.

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And as they're doing stuff, and you're

sort of giving them a voice like,

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you know, I have these hockey players

that are joking around in a group.

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And it's like, you sort

of get to know them.

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And then it's like, oh,

they need a story too.

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And then you start thinking of that.

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I do do that, but I have to,

I have to bring myself to it.

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And center myself because I

will just keep going on and I'll

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never finish what I'm working on.

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So I, I have to, I kind of

put it in aside in one sense.

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Like I think what I absolutely need to

do for that character, for that book.

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And I put the rest of it aside because

if I do, if I dwell on it, I'm going

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to want to write their story instead

of the one that I'm currently on.

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Uh, so it's a little bit more

of a streamlining thing for

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me, but I think, but I do know.

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But like if you're, if you know them, then

as they're in your other books, you're

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developing them for when they finally

get their shot and, and even if they

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don't get a full book, like you could

do a short story, a bonus thing for, for

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your newsletter people or something or

stick it in an anthology like there's.

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I have another idea for an anthology

with the hockey thing, but I'm kind of

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afraid to mention it to anybody because

they're going to be, Oh, good idea, Kim.

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And it's like, wait, I just

learned how to do a book club.

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I don't know how to do an anthology.

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So tell me what you think of this.

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I was imagining that I heard something

that they were saying that like Christmas,

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there's so many, there's, I think, three

or four hockey anthologies out there.

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What about a Halloween one?

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But, you tell the author, it's going to

be about a Halloween party, each story,

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like, they don't have to over connect

or overlap, they just have to have a

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Halloween party in their short story,

and hockey related, but you give them

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the trope and the Halloween costume,

like, or have the readers vote on it.

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So they get, they have their hockey team,

whichever level they're playing at, you

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maybe give them a position So here's

the position they play, their Halloween

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costume, and this is the trope you have

to bring in, whether it's second chance

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or, you know, brother or best friend,

sister or secret baby or whatever,

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and, uh, see what they come up with.

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I mean, I don't really know

anything about hockey at all.

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I think anything that is new and,

and, um, fresh is always going to be.

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Really, um, sought after, um, because I

think a lot of people are kind of getting

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burnt out on the not necessarily same

old, same old, um, but kind of, kind

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of in that vein, um, people are getting

burnt out on that readers and authors.

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So I think whenever you have

something fresh or new, I

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think that would be incredible.

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So.

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I guess to my listeners, um, Kim

is actively actively considering

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and, um, yeah, so maybe you might

want to think about joining her,

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her Facebook group, which by the

way, what is your Facebook group?

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Um, right now I've just

got Kim Finley author.

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I'm going to need to get a reader

group for the hockey series, but,

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uh, I don't have that at the moment.

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Um, like what you're in reference

to what you were saying, I,

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I, somebody had posted it.

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He thought the book of the month clubs.

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We're sort of overdone and people

were getting burnt out at them.

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And I remember Zoe York saying, she wasn't

giving up on the idea, but she would be

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careful about what she wanted to join.

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And she was one of the authors who

joined, signed up for the club, but

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because her books are in KU, her hockey

books, they couldn't do that because you

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have to give the, have to have the book.

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You know, available through book funnel

for free for the month, but so that was

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something just a little bit different.

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It runs a hockey season.

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There's two books a month.

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So yeah, if you can just give it a

slightly different twist, I think I agree.

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I definitely think readers and,

and authors are then more apt to,

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to join in and, and enjoy those

types of things a hundred percent.

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So, yeah.

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You're actively working on the book

that's going to be released in January.

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And you've already mentioned

you have a few more plans.

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Um, are they all hockey related as well?

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At the moment, I'm working

on a hockey series.

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I, I'm more of a pantser than a plotter,

but I did some sort of plotsing, cause,

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um, partly to make sure that these

characters would be consistent all the

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way through and to know who they are.

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I, because I'm an accountant,

I did spreadsheets to organize.

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So I had.

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Sort of eight books worked out and

now, you know, there's these secondary

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characters who are kind of pushing

in wanting a book too, but I have

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And one of the things my editor

suggested was to have an arc for

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the series not just for each book.

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So there is The team is going through

a you know An arc to something happens

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in the first book that they have to

overcome and it'll take them to the end

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of the series then So I thought that

was good and it's adding a bit more

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tension and I find now that I'm writing

book three I just got the notes back on

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book two and I need to change a bunch

of stuff and it's like oh yeah, now

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that I've done book, this book three

stuff, that has to be pushed back in.

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Anyways, I'm going to have to, I'm going

to start spreading them out, it's a little

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intense right now but I wanted to get

that, the first three launched within

437

438

Wow, that is a very fast pace.

439

Yeah, part of it is a gain.

440

It's because of the

book of the month club.

441

My book's coming out in May.

442

I get to control that

because it's my club.

443

So I wanted to have a book out in

January and that book will end up

444

being given out in the club in May.

445

Have the second book out and the

third book at least up for pre order

446

so that if people do get invested

in this series I can, hopefully, you

447

know, there's enough there to get

them hooked while they're waiting

448

for the rest of the series to pop up.

449

We'll see.

450

Very smart.

451

I hope.

452

I hope.

453

And I hope I don't burn

out in the meantime.

454

But, after the first three books, yeah,

it is slowing down, trying to do that.

455

Do you have a Do you have a rough idea

of how slow you want to do it or how fast

456

or you just given set number of books?

457

I'm thinking maybe four books a year.

458

I could do like three in the

hockey series and one other

459

something a little different.

460

And I've also got a couple other sort

of offshoots of the hockey series

461

if that one keeps, you know, if, if

people like that and want more of

462

that, but I have more ideas in time.

463

So I'm not so much worried

about having enough ideas.

464

I'll just suddenly wake up in the

night and not be able to get back

465

to sleep because my brain keeps, you

know, going through another idea.

466

And you do this full time, correct?

467

Mostly full time now.

468

I'm doing a little bit of accounting,

uh, but since we have, you know, done

469

our lifestyle change, I'm giving this

a shot, um, so for the next few months

470

anyways, as I get these first three

books out, it should be mostly full time.

471

Yeah.

472

Otherwise, I'm not sure

how you keep that up.

473

Well, real quick, because some of the

listeners may not have known, what, what

474

was your lifestyle and how has it changed?

475

Um, I am a CPA and I was running my own

business, um, out of my house, actually.

476

And it was in the film and

entertainment side of accounting.

477

Um, Toronto has a lot of film

production and that's where we lived.

478

We had started sailing as a hobby

and my husband Goes all out when

479

he does something like that.

480

So he suggested we do cruising.

481

And it's like, oh, so we're gonna live

on a boat and travel all the time.

482

And it's the carrot he

dangled to see if I'd do it.

483

It was like, well then you

could give up accounting and do

484

writing, you know, for doing this.

485

Um, so we actually left Toronto in August

486

was not really an ocean cruising boat,

but we were going to give it a test year.

487

Our kids, who had just finished

university, stayed at the house with

488

their dog, so they had like a four bedroom

house for cheap to, to stay in, and we

489

gave it a try, and we left in August,

and the following April, we went back,

490

we sold that boat, sold the house, bought

Catamaran in Panama in the next August,

491

and Until June, we lived on a boat and

we, um, we've just now moved to land.

492

My husband's, uh, got a yacht brokerage

office here, so we're going to, and, and

493

we're now officially residents of St.

494

Martin, so that's where we're, we're

headquartered for a little bit.

495

We'll, we'll see.

496

Well, since you're doing

CPA now a little bit more.

497

Is that going to cut into your

writing time or are you just

498

going to try to add it in?

499

Um, one of the things I found when I

first started, uh, branching out onto

500

my own, and you don't want to turn down

work, right, when you're self employed.

501

Um, so I was taking on a work,

all the work I could, and I was

502

working evenings and weekends.

503

I actually got bursitis in my shoulder

from too much accounting, you know,

504

keypad, number pad, mouse, doing

this enough, but I could do it.

505

But I find with writing, there

comes a point where my brain's

506

just like, done, that's it.

507

If I'm editing, it's just like, yeah,

fine, fine, fine, like you have to stop.

508

So I'm doing like an hour or two

of accounting a day and it, it's

509

a break and it sort of fits in.

510

And kind of just, yeah, gives you a

moment to re, refill your creative well.

511

And you know when it's right,

like you reconcile your bank, the

512

difference is zero, you got it.

513

I, I cannot go back over anything

I've written without trying to fix it.

514

So like, it's never.

515

Reconcile.

516

Yeah.

517

Yeah.

518

That can be tough.

519

I'm not a math person by any means, but

I can, I could see the logic of that.

520

Yeah.

521

Like ABC, it comes out to the end.

522

If you've done everything right,

there is one right answer.

523

And that's a nice change.

524

Like it was nice.

525

I love writing.

526

I'm very, I think I am creative.

527

I think of ideas, but sometimes it's

nice to know, no, I've got this right.

528

It's not like, Oh, validation.

529

Yes, validation is so, uh, I

don't want to say it's important

530

because it really isn't.

531

It shouldn't be.

532

It depends.

533

We crave that.

534

I think in others, are you writing just

for yourself or you're writing for others?

535

And I mean, there's part of, it's for

yourself, but you also, I, if you're,

536

um, you write for yourself, but I

think you also write for others or

537

else you wouldn't be publishing it,

you wouldn't be putting it out there.

538

So, Mm-Hmm, . And the thing

is, it is a learning thing.

539

Like you, just because you

write it and create it doesn't

540

mean it's perfect or Right.

541

It can be, it can improve.

542

So that outside validation, even in

writing that, you know, when you're.

543

Depending on whose it is, and you could

say like you're compromising, but the

544

thing is like if you're trying to reach

people and maybe move them with your

545

story, finding out that it works, that's

a kind of validation, but it also tells

546

you like your, maybe your craft is

getting better and you're doing that.

547

So you've been doing this a while now,

obviously, what, how do you, um, tell the

548

difference between validation like that?

549

And the fact that, uh,

reading is so subjective.

550

I don't think there's one perfect

answer, but I have shared with you guys.

551

A horrible edit experience I

have had that was not validating.

552

That was frustrating and

irritating and it just made me

553

want to pull apart what they did.

554

And I've shared some of it with you.

555

I don't think this is me being a

diva and I've talked to other people.

556

This is not how an edit supposed to go.

557

Um, with the edits I've been getting

for the, for this hockey series, like

558

it can sometimes kind of hit hard,

like, Oh, but then like, So I've gone

559

through the development edits with one

or editor and then going to the copy

560

edits and When you get like, oh, I like

the way this is going or way that went

561

and you know Some of that came from

the development edits that you changed.

562

It's like, okay So this is making it

better and one thing too that I think

563

to know like as far as edits These

editors are like this is your story.

564

This is what I think you take with it

You know, you can take what you want.

565

Whereas the the horrible ones it was

just Um, and I'm just rewriting and

566

changing things without any of my input.

567

Um, but I guess it's kind of,

you base the value of it partly

568

on who it's coming from, right?

569

If it's somebody who you

trust to know what they're

570

doing and partly how you feel.

571

Like, do you feel like, like one thing

on this second book that came back and

572

she was for the development said, I think

this was a mistake, this happening here.

573

And it's like, I didn't really

want the story to go that

574

way, but I thought I had to.

575

I had to, I thought I had to get that

sex in there earlier, so I sort of

576

shoved it in because I thought I should.

577

And when she came back and said, no,

I think this is more the slow burn.

578

And it's like, that

was my initial feeling.

579

So you know, I didn't trust

it, but maybe I should have.

580

And I, so I'm going to make that

change because it's what I had

581

wanted to do at the beginning.

582

But, anytime somebody, you know, likes

what you've done, I guess maybe part of

583

the thing is that that validates you,

and maybe sometimes you have to step back

584

and say, am I just liking that because,

you know, it makes me feel good, is,

585

is it, and I think that's one of the

things with writing, uh, when you get

586

feedback to, to know how to take it, I

don't know if there's a perfect answer.

587

Yeah.

588

I mean, there, there definitely

isn't, and I think it would

589

be different for every person.

590

Yeah.

591

Yeah.

592

Yeah.

593

Yeah.

594

Um.

595

So real quick, um, before we wrap up,

did you want to tell where readers

596

can find you or what you would like to

be, like, where would you like to be

597

reached or where can you be reached?

598

Um, I have a website, www.

599

kimfinley.

600

ca, hit CA because I'm Canadian,

and that has the links for my books.

601

And if you sign up for my newsletter.

602

Um, because for Harlequin, I wrote

sweet books and my others are not sweet.

603

Um, I actually allow people, every now and

then there's a survey in my newsletter,

604

so you can pick if you want just the

sweet newsletter that comes out in the

605

middle of the month, or the one with the

spicier books at the end of the month.

606

So you can kind of get what you want,

but that, that, um, keeps up with me.

607

And also from there, you'd be able

to find out I'm on Facebook and, uh,

608

Instagram, and I'm on Blue Sky, which

is where I've gone from Twitter because

609

Twitter's just not what it used to be.

610

And my editors are, are on, uh, Blue Sky

and seems like a, so far a good place.

611

All right.

612

And then, um, the one other thing I

wanted to ask you to close out is if

613

you had to give, Not a piece of advice,

but if you had to tell someone not

614

to do something, what would it be?

615

I would say based on a particular,

my particular experience,

616

don't rush to sign a deal with

either an agent or a publisher.

617

My first agent, um, I had a

two book deal with Harlequin.

618

So I think she just

assumed it would be great.

619

But then when I started dealing with

her, she didn't really like my stories.

620

I don't think she had invested in that.

621

And it's fine, I mean, but then it was

very deflating to get that message.

622

And with the one small publisher, probably

there were some warning signs, but I

623

figured, ah, this is a story that's not

going anywhere, maybe they'll do anything.

624

And now I'm going through

these horrible edits.

625

So, um, it's, you want the agent,

you want the books published.

626

But, maybe sit for a minute and know

that it's nice that somebody wants you.

627

But, um, do more research than I did.

628

So that you can find out whether

this is going to be a pleasant,

629

uh, relationship or not.

630

That's great.

631

That's actually It's hard, though, because

you want to say, Oh, I've got an agent.

632

Oh, I've got a deal.

633

And, um, people tell you that,

you know, the bad one is worse.

634

But it's hard to imagine.

635

But, yeah, it can Even if you get

your books out there and stuff, or

636

whatever, it's just that sometimes it can

really make you second guess yourself.

637

So, I mean, you're already doing

that if you don't get a deal, so,

638

but yeah, um, do take your time.

639

Do your research.

640

Find a community where you can find

people who will help you to evaluate

641

that decision before you sign.

642

That's awesome.

643

Kim, thank you so much for joining

me on my very first episode.

644

Um, I, I so appreciate your time.

645

Well, I feel so special that'll,

that's my validation for today.

646

Thank you again.

647

Okay.

648

Thanks Liv.

649

This segment is for industry information.

650

And I'll preface this with,

this has been my path.

651

And everyone's path is different.

652

Every week I'd like to share.

653

Information on either things that I

have done or things that have learned.

654

Or resources I've found on the internet.

655

And.

656

This week I would like to discuss.

657

The.

658

Idea of multiple paths.

659

I have had multiple interviews

with people this week that I have

660

recorded for future podcasts episodes.

661

And.

662

The thing that keeps coming back,

the, the recurring theme is.

663

That everyone's path is different.

664

Every author is different.

665

Every book is different.

666

And that is.

667

So incredibly true.

668

On literally every

facet of the publishing.

669

Industry.

670

It doesn't matter if it's your cover.

671

Or your marketing or, uh, how

you even write a story, whether

672

you, you plot or you pants it.

673

And.

674

That is one of the key

things that I think.

675

Is very hard for new

authors to wrap their.

676

Heads around.

677

There is no one way of doing something.

678

There is no formula.

679

You can follow.

680

There is no guaranteed.

681

If you do it this way.

682

This is going to happen and you'll

sell lots of books and you'll become.

683

An overnight sensation it.

684

Does not exist.

685

And.

686

I don't want to.

687

Say things over and over, but

it is consistently a theme.

688

We have to, as authors.

689

Truly understand.

690

That.

691

We have so many options.

692

And we can do any one of them.

693

And what works for me may not work

for you may not work for someone else.

694

And once we actually grasp that.

695

And realize it's okay.

696

To do things the way.

697

Feels right or better, or.

698

Consistent with our brand

or whatever you have that.

699

Validates.

700

Your opinion on the way to publishing.

701

Then we are golden.

702

Thank you for listening.

703

If you'd like to follow me,

my handle on all social media

704

platforms is Liv Macy Author.

705

You can also sign up for

my newsletter at livmacy.

706

com to stay up to date on things like new

releases of the Right to Read podcast.

707

This is the end of a

page in my author life.