I have been asked to tell you a little about how I came up with the idea of Blood & Lust and what I went through to publish it. But before we get into that, I would like to thank all the great people at the Authors’ Lounge for allowing me to share my story.
I never dreamed I would ever be asked to write an article about how I published a book with a worldwide publisher that people read. It’s crazy, right? It shows that anything is possible when you set your mind to it and do the necessary work required.
The Beginning
My journey, like everyone’s, has been somewhat unique. When I was six months old, I was diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy-Type 1, the most severe form of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Doctors told my parents I wouldn’t be alive for my second birthday and they should enjoy me while they have me. Almost all children diagnosed with SMA are put on a ventilator to help them breathe. Respiratory illness is one of the leading causes of death associated with SMA because their muscles are so weak. Even with being placed on a vent, the chances of survival are slim. Fortunately, that has not been my fate. I’m the lucky one. I’m the miracle baby. Last week, I celebrated my thirty-fourth birthday, breaking SMA records daily! Because I have a neuromuscular disease, my movement is minimal, and I am wheelchair-bound. I also have to have a nurse with me at all times. But I make it work. I live alone with my Boxer, Lucy, who is kind enough to let me sleep in my bed at night with her. I enjoy reading, writing, playing poker, and spending time with my friends and family in my free time. I am also a huge fan of movies and music.
My Writing Process
I frequently get asked about how I type or write, or if I use speech-to-text software, and, well, the answer is simple, I don’t use or do any of those things. As I said earlier, I can’t move much because of having SMA. I have just enough movement in my fingers to use a few buttons on an Xbox controller. I found a program compatible with Windows 10, allowing me to use the Xbox controller as a mouse. So with that program, along with an onscreen keyboard, I can type. Sure, it’s probably slower than the “normal” way of someone typing, but I am doing it myself. No one is doing it for me. I love that I can be independent when it comes to writing. There are a lot of things in this world that I can’t do, but writing books isn’t one of them. Now that we have covered everything else, let’s move on to my book.
Blood & Lust: The Insignificant Life of Rick Blume
I have been obsessed with vampires for as long as I can remember. I admire everything about their speed, strength, and lust for blood. They have always been my favorite part of fiction. I always thought it would be interesting to tell my own vampire story, but I never seriously considered doing it until one of my nurses gave me the idea of writing vampire erotica. He told me that I had a wild imagination and that if I were to write a book, it would definitely be unique.
At the time, I knew very little about writing. I didn’t know anything about creating characters or ensuring the plot flows, all while keeping the reader engaged. Even though I wasn’t sure of how to correctly write a book and had a lot to learn, I knew exactly what I wanted and didn’t want in my story. With my greatest inspiration coming from Anne Rice, I knew that I wanted my novel to be graphic, both sexually and violently. I knew I didn’t want my vampires to sparkle in the sun, and I wanted them to be savage killing machines. The last thing I wanted was to write a boring book. I want people to want to continue reading my novels and take me seriously as a writer. So after almost three years of writing, I began working with my incredible editor. We edited Blood & Lust back and forth for about six months, and then it was time to do something with it.
When writing Blood & Lust, I planned on self-publishing it. My editor suggested submitting it to some publishers first, after completion, just to see what they say. To my surprise, Olympia Publishers contacted me and said my book was well-written and accepted for publication! I couldn’t believe it! At first, I thought they were reaching out to the wrong person. But they were not. They wanted to publish Blood & Lust! I took my time to review their contract, and after careful consideration, I accepted it. Now, my book is available through just about any bookstore, and it also has an ebook on all Kindle devices. I am currently working on publishing my third book, and Blood & Lust: Fire and Fangs is scheduled to be released next month!
It can be challenging to create a novel; nerve-racking really, but all you need is an initial idea and a little motivation. Don’t ever be afraid of putting yourself out there. Take a chance. Take some risks. You never know what will happen if you do. But you know what will happen if you don’t. Nothing. So in closing, the last thing I want to tell you is if I can do it, you can do it. Thanks again for listening to my story, and thank you all for supporting Blood & Lust. There’s more to come!
Links
https://www.facebook.com/craigabbottbooks
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