Guest Post with Author Zoë Archer and Giveaway

Please give a warm welcome to authors Zoë Archer and Nico Rosso  Both are celebrating the release of their newest book in the Ether Chronicles series, Skies of Gold and have stopped by to chat.

Zoë Archer is an award-winning romance author who thinks there's nothing sexier than a man in tall boots and a waistcoat. As a child, she never dreamed about being the rescued princess, but wanted to kick butt right beside the hero. She now applies her master's degrees in Literature and Fiction to creating butt-kicking heroines and heroes in tall boots. She is the author of the acclaimed BLADES OF THE ROSE series and the paranormal historical romance series, THE HELLRAISERS. She and her husband, fellow romance author Nico Rosso, created the steampunk world of THE ETHER CHRONICLES together. Her new gritty Victorian romance series, NEMESIS, UNLIMITED, launched this Spring. Zoë and Nico live in Los Angeles.

Places to find Zoë:                     Places to find Nico:

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Two things usually happen to me when I tell someone that I write romance. First, they (mostly) exclaim, “That’s so cool!” (I know some romance authors field snide or derisive remarks, but I’ve been pretty lucky and if people have a negative opinion about romance, they keep it to themselves.)

The second this that often happens to me is the person asks, “I want to write romance, but I have no idea how to get started. What do I do?”

Getting published is a mystifying and often complex process, but here are a few tips on steps to take when getting started as a romance author.

1. Join the Romance Writers of America. This is an awesome organization whose purpose is to provide information, advocacy and support for burgeoning and published romance authors. After joining the National chapter, you can find a local chapter to join. There’s nothing more amazing than walking into a room full of women (and a few men) who all write romance. You realize that you aren’t crazy and you aren’t alone. The meetings are full of helpful information, and you get to meet fellow authors. It’s so important to find a community when starting out.

2. Finish your book. It may seem obvious, but you can’t sell a book that isn’t written. Get your butt in the chair and finish writing your book. Then, when it’s done, reread it and make changes. Then give it to a few trusted writing friends (if you don’t know any, you can find critique partners either through the RWA or online at places such as RomanceDivas.com) and get their thoughts on how to make your book better. Yes, part of writing is rewriting. No author in the history of ever can write without rewriting. But you can’t rewrite until the book is done.

3. Query agents. If you are interested in going the traditional publishing route, having an agent is extremely important. Without an agent, your manuscript winds up on an editor’s slush pile, to be read by an editor’s hapless and overworked assistant whenever they can get to it. But when you have an agent, the agent can query the editor ahead of time so that not only can you know early whether or not the editor is looking for a book like yours, but they know to expect the manuscript, and they’ll read it much more quickly. Prepare a tight, focused query email (after checking the agent’s website for submission and query guidelines). Remember, if you can’t summarize your book in a couple of sentences, how can your agent hope to sell your book to an editor?

4. Or go straight to the source. If you are thinking about digital-first publishing, as many successful authors do, you can query the publisher directly. Go to the publisher’s website and check their submission guidelines, and see if you’re the right fit. Some digital publishers have specific lines with specific requirements, so if you can tailor your submission to that specific line, so much the better. Sometimes, digital publishers have open calls for particular holiday-themed stories, or other themes, which can be a good way to get your foot in the door. However, open calls also generate a lot of submissions, which can actually reduce your chances of getting accepted. They can, however, get an editor familiar with your work, and they may ask you to submit again if your story just isn’t right for that particular need.

5. Get a website and set up a web presence. This is actually something you should do fairly early, even while you’re still writing your book. You can start establishing a following on Facebook and Twitter even before you’re published, which editors and agents appreciate. Have a web presence, and make sure, for the love that’s all that is good and holy, that you are professional. You can have fun online, but if you’re spewing TMI, and your website is a hot mess that doesn’t get frequently updated, an editor or agent will see all this, and stay well away from you. They are very busy, overworked people, and if you can do their work for them--including building a brand and presence--they’ll be much more inclined to at least request more of your work.

6. Know that nothing comes without hard work. Every step of this process is daunting and difficult. But as I often say, if something is valuable, then it’s going to be a challenge to obtain it. Many people want to write books. Not too many actually do it. if it was easy, then everyone would write books. But if this is something you’re serious about, then hard work and determination can help you succeed. Even after you sign that contract, be ready to promote yourself and your books. A publisher is too busy and strapped for cash to promote every single author. So get ready to blog (like I’m doing here), perhaps spend a little money on well-placed ads, send out review copies to bloggers and reviewers, and put in your time getting the word out about your books.

There, that was easy, wasn’t it? Okay, so writing isn’t for the faint of heart. Which is exactly why you’re going to sit down, write your book, and get it onto the shelves.


Leave a question about writing, or a comment about your own writing challenges, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of SKIES OF GOLD!

Two Lonely Hearts…

Kalindi MacNeil survived the devastating enemy airship attack that obliterated Liverpool, but even her engineering skills can’t seem to repair her broken heart. Seeking to put her life back together, Kali retreats to a desolate, deserted island—only to discover she’s not alone. Captain Fletcher Adams, an elite man/machine hybrid, a Man O’ War, crashed his battle-damaged airship into this deserted island after Liverpool, never expecting to survive the wreck. But survive he did.

Believing he is nothing but a living weapon, Fletcher is wary of his new-found companion—a pretty, damaged, but determined young woman. Together they are stranded on the deserted island, and it is only a matter of time until desire gets the best of both of them. Soon Kali and Fletcher find they may be just what the other needed. But a danger from beyond the island puts them to the test. Will it rip them apart or bond their hearts forever?

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At least he didn’t press her with questions—what had brought her here, how long she planned on staying. And she wouldn’t ask him the same questions.

Still, she couldn’t help her curiosity. He wore a long navy coat, patched in places and a little threadbare, with tarnished buckles. Standard naval issue.

All of his clothing seemed clean but slightly ragged, from his linen shirt, to the buckskin breeches clinging tightly to his dense, burly thighs, to the scuffed tall boots, stained with seawater.

Was he a disgraced sailor? A deserter? Or one who’d left the navy but kept some of the trappings.

Whoever he was, he continued to stare at her as if she’d descended from the sky on iron wings. Well, he hadn’t looked in disgust at her artificial leg, and he wasn’t leering at her, either. Two small elements in his favor.

“You’ve got an odd voice,” he said suddenly.

“And you’re an expert conversationalist,” she retorted.

A slight ruddy color stained his cheeks above his beard. “Been a while since I had company. But”—he narrowed his eyes, thoughtful—“I hear a burr in your accent, and a lilt of Hindi, too.”

She tried to hide her surprise. “My father’s Scottish. Maa’s from Nagpur.”

He nodded contemplatively. “Bit of Scouse in there, too.”

Here was another shock. She’d only lived in Liverpool for five years, but apparently it had been enough to give her accent some color. A perceptive man, this wild former sailor. Unease crept through her belly. She’d come here to be alone, not to think of the past, but those plans were crumbling apart.

“The last place I lived was Liverpool,” she said cautiously. She could turn and flee, ending the conversation, but even under good conditions, her prosthetic didn’t let her run fast. This stranger could easily catch her. The length of his stride was twice her own. Maybe more.

He was silent, however, for a long moment. Then, “The Battle of Liverpool. You were there.”

Her left leg suddenly ached, and the air in her lungs turned brittle. “And I survived. Which is more than I can say for more than half the people with me on the ground.”

Images, sounds, smells—phantom senses assaulted her.

Hapsburg and Russian airships, captained by Man O’ Wars, dropping explosive devices upon the city, setting everything ablaze. Flattening buildings and crushing the men, women, and children within them. Screams. Cries. The useless clanging of the fire brigades’ bells. Seafaring ships at dock turned to charred, sunken wrecks. The British Man O’ Wars and their airships arrived quickly, and they’d fought the enemy in the skies above Liverpool—something mythical and terrible straight from the Mahabharata.

Trapped beneath a collapsed wall, Kali had seen it all. The bursts from ether cannons. Airships plunging out of the sky, crashing into the rubble as the men within shouted in terror. She’d watched the world become a fiery hell. She’d seen, too, the remaining British ships destroy or chase off the enemy vessels. Until loss of blood had claimed her consciousness. And her leg.

“It’s still a smoking ruin,” she said. Just as she was. “There’s no Liverpool left in Liverpool. And the navy lost a lot of airships that day.” She stared at the man, his face ashen.

“The sun’s going down,” he growled. “Better get back to wherever it is you’re staying.”

Without another word, the big man turned and strode away. The mists engulfed him, and in an instant, he’d vanished. She couldn’t even hear his footsteps. It was as though he’d never been there.

Kali was many things, but never fanciful. She hadn’t imagined the meeting and conversation with the stranger. He’d left giant footprints in some of the mud amongst the rocks. So he was real. But her exploration of the island had left her with more questions than answers. Who was he? Why had he run away so abruptly? It had to have been his home casting the light—but why did his house hum?

It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. She was here to be alone. He didn’t concern her.

Whoever the man was, though, he’d spoken truly. Daylight didn’t last long this far north. And the mists still hadn’t cleared. The safest thing to do was retrace her steps.

Carefully, she made her way back, taking extra care not to get her prosthetic leg caught in the uneven terrain.

He clearly wanted to be left alone. Just as she did. They could share this island without actually sharing it—couldn’t they?

Yet if she’d come to Eilean Comhachag in search of peace, she knew now she wasn’t going to find it.

Check out the Ether Chronicles series:

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Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

• 1 lucky person will win a copy of Skies of Gold

To Enter: 

• Please leave a comment for Zoë.
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck! 

Special thanks to Zoë Archer & Tasty Book Tours for sponsoring this giveaway.

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