[Puddin’s note: OMG, OMG! LOOK, LOOK! A REAL, LIVE, AWARD-WINNING, PUBLISHED AUTHOR! HERE! Sorry, I’ll hold it together, I swear. Um. So, I don’t specifically remember how I ended up in contact with Keri Stevens, other than Twitter did it. Twitter, by the way, is the best networking thing for people who don’t like to network since, well, ever…but that’s another post. Somehow, via a mutual follower, I stumbled across Keri, and when I realized she was a local published novelist—you’d be amazed at the number of authors living withing 100 miles of here—I began to pester the hell out of her every time I had a question about drafting. And I mean “writing a novel” drafting, not “driving a race car” drafting, but I digress. Anyway, Keri has been spectacularly patient and kind in putting up with my nonsense, and incredibly supportive in my effort to finish draft zero. Much to my surprise, she even took the bait when I jokingly offered her a chance to guest post here. So, please, everyone, say nice things to her. Leave some comments, you might win stuff. Oh, and buy her book. DO IT!]
Mwuhahahaha!
Puddin’s away, so I’ve come to play while he’s elbow deep in edits and, no doubt, pulling out hairs he didn’t know he had.
“What’s it like to be a REAL author instead of just an ASPIRING author?” he asked me, when I asked him what he wanted me to blog about. A question with a question. Ain’t that just like a man? Or a therapist?
Well Jason, I’ll tell you:
It’s scary.
You know that feeling you get when you hit “send” on a query letter or an online pitch contest? You get the same feeling when the gal next to you at the PTA meeting says, “I’ve just started reading your book.”
You know that feeling you get when you see an email in your inbox from an agent or editor? You get the same feeling when a google alert tells you someone else has reviewed your Precious Baby Novel.
You see, once your book is published, you relinquish most, if not all control of that story. It’s in the reader’s hands now. Some will love it (yes, they will!) and some will hate it (yes. They will.) And often for exactly the same reasons.
So what does a “real” author do? A “real” author sulks and pouts and frets and drinks and scribbles and deletes and exults and fumes and worries and worries and…
Wait—what’s that you say, Jason? This is exactly what you’ve been doing all along?
Well, guess what, Puddin. You’re in the club.
FREE READ: Check out STONE KISSED now with this free excerpt!
FREE GOODIES: Want a set of STONE KISSED coasters? Three randomly-chosen commenters will win a set of four.
STONE KISSED (ISBN: 978-14268-9101-4)
When Delia Forrest talks to statues, they talk back. She is, after all, the last of the Steward witches.
After an arsonist torches her ancestral home with her estranged father still inside, Delia is forced to sell the estate to pay his medical bills. Her childhood crush, Grant Wolverton, makes a handsome offer for Steward House, vowing to return it to its former glory. Delia agrees, as long as he’ll allow her to oversee the restoration.
Working so closely with Grant, Delia finds it difficult to hide her unique talent—especially when their growing passion fuels her abilities.
But someone else lusts after both her man and the raw power contained in the Steward land. Soon, Delia finds herself fighting not just for Grant’s love, but for both their lives…
Keri was raised in southern Missouri and has lived in Germany, Arizona, North Carolina 
and Kentucky. Along the way she acquired degrees in writing and German, a romance hero of her very own, three sons, two miracle cats and a mutt who licks her when she speaks German.
Her husband gave Keri her first romance novel to read, which unleashed a passion. Several years and a couple thousand novels later, Keri took up her laptop and began writing her own books.
By day, she is a mild-mannered yoga and Oriental dance instructor. By night she creates mayhem and magic in small-town paranormal romance novels like her award-winning debut, Stone Kissed.
Find Keri online at:
Main site and blog: http://keristevens.com
Twitter http://twitter.com/keristevens (@KeriStevens)
Facebook: http://facebook.com/KeriStevensAuthor
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/Keri_Stevens
eHarlequin community: http://community.eharlequin.com/blogs/keri-stevens
Amazon: http://j.mp/KeriStevensAMZ
Jason A. Rust: Author 
I actually think I am going to check this book out. The teaser peaked my interest. It made me think of a book I read many times as a child/teen, called “The crystal child”. Thank you Jason.
Not to mention it has romance and I think everyone could use a little romance. Will be something different.
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I actually met Keri at Lori Foster’s Author Get Together this year. She is such a great person. I love the premise of the story, and hope to buy it soon. I love romantic suspense, and this sounds great.
Elizabeth
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I read Stone Kissed (won a pdf in another contest on another site) and loved it, she’s really talented at capturing a reader in. It is a read I suggest to anyone looking for a fresh and interesting romance novel.
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Rose,
I think I remember that book–but I may be thinking of Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave. Either way, I’m hunting it down again for my kids. And I hope you enjoy STONE KISSED when you get a chance to read it.
Elizabeth–I love, love, LOVE the Reader-Author Get Together! I’m planning to come in 2012 and hope to see you again.
Renee–HI! So glad you stopped in. I’m also really happy you enjoyed the book.
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I thoroughly enjoyed STONE KISSED and Keri is a lot of fun to follow through Twitter and such!
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Keri,
Can’t wait to check out your book and will pass it on to Jason’s sister! I can’t hardly remember a time when I couldn’t read. It was always my dream to write the next great American novel, but I think that ship has sailed. On the other hand I like to think that Jason inherited that dream from me — I’m sure the type of novel he is writing is very different from what I would have put on paper, but I know that if he has his book published seeing his name on the cover will be just as wonderful for me as if it was my own — maybe even more! Thank you for helping him through the very very early days!
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Hi, Ms. Tieh! – It’s always a pleasure to hear from you. Thank you.
And Mom Puddin, I’m flattered you stopped in! I don’t believe in sailed ships, you know (I have a photo on my hard drive of an Englishman who ran a marathon at age 101). So if the book’s in you, you might still want to let it out someday 🙂
It makes SUCH a difference when our parents support us, though. Writing is mostly hard, usually lonely and seldom profitable, so even we adult children need the cheers of our moms and dads. Jason’s a lucky son!
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Keri was my “date” at RWA for the awards dinner. She was a HOT date, let me say! hee hee
I’ve read Stone Kissed. Such an interesting concept for a book. Nice job.
Congrats, Keri for having a some great fans. 🙂
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Cynthia! I was just looking at the picture of us last night in our fine fine finery. Hope you are doing well.
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I’m in an “everybody wins” kind of mood today so…
Rose, Renee, Elizabeth, Sheree, Cynthia and Mom Puddin:
Send me your snail-mail addresses (to Keri @ Keristevens.com) and I’ll send you some STONE KISSED coasters!
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