Q. As debut authors, we often have preconceived ideas of what the publishing process will be like. What did you expect being a published author would be like?
A. I had no idea what the publishing process would be like – I only knew I didn’t want to try to do it myself. I knew that as an unknown with no connections, I would not be likely to get an agent and go the “traditional” publishing route, of even if I did, the process could take years. But when I reviewed the contract, I felt like it spelled everything out, and it was time to roll the dice and bet on myself. I have never regretted that decision.
Q. Was it what you expected? Please explain why or why not
A. Defiance Press & Publishing did everything they agreed to do under the terms of the contract, and more. When I signed the contract, I was hopeful, but cautious. I was excited, but nervous. I was pleased that every step of the way I was required to “sign off” and accept everything so there were no misunderstandings. My two favorite parts of the process were going to a bookstore to research cover designs, and getting to personally select the narrator for the audible version out of eleven auditions. I was consulted and advised every step of the way. I can’t say enough great things about my team.
Q. If you could help an aspiring author set realistic expectations of the process of getting published, what would you tell them?
A. You have to have full confidence in the publisher you select. I read all the warnings about vanity publishers and scams and spending all kinds of money only to have things go very badly. Trust is the most important thing to consider. From my very first conversation with the person from the author acquisition department I felt immediately comfortable. There were never any red flags, and I was never once pressured to make a “quick” decision. I work for a law firm, so I had an attorney review my contract before I signed it, and I would advise anyone to do the same, even if you have to pay someone to review it.
Q. Did you start promoting your book before or after your book release?
A. I am the first to admit I should have done more than just promote the book locally before it was released. It was a learning process, and more than a little overwhelming.
Q. Would you do it differently next time?
A. Absolutely. I still need to set up a newsletter, but I have been much more active on social media. I am still in regular contact with someone in the social media division of Defiance and my advice to you is listen to him or her! Through trial and error, I have learned to budget my time and money wisely. I have also joined groups like Romance Writers of America and the Independent Author Network to increase my visibility in preparation for the release of the second book in my Music City series.
Q. What are some of the things you have done to promote your book in real life?
A. Before my book was even released, I ordered bookmarks using my cover art and on the back side of the bookmark listed all the versions that are available. I still like to read the physical book, but I know others might prefer a Kindle or audible version, and I wanted people to know they had options. I contacted my local libraries and donated a copy of my book to each of them, and gave author talks at every library that was willing to have me. I visited all my local independent bookstores in person and talked to them about what type of events for authors they scheduled, and they agreed to stock my book. I have done single author events and events where there were multiple authors. I set up an author Facebook page and sponsored contests for giveaways for copies of my book. I also had business cards made so I could give out a bookmark and business card with every book. I was willing to spend some money to be able to connect with people I might not otherwise have the chance to know and network with. In March I attended a four-day remote webinar for Women in Publishing. I was able to interact with people from all over the world who were involved in every aspect of the writing and publishing process. They have a private Facebook group which has been invaluable.
Q. What methods do you recommend new authors use to start promoting their book?
A. Hopefully in addition to being a writer you are also an avid reader. The people that can be of the most assistance to you locally are your libraries and local independent bookstores. Reach out to everyone you know. Does anyone you know do a podcast? What about a blogger? I would also suggest putting publicity in the newspaper in advance of any appearances you have scheduled. If you have a local Literacy Volunteers organization, I would recommend joining it. I am fortunate in having a long-standing relationship with an author who has had numerous books on the New York Times Bestseller List. She grew up close to where I live, and when she makes a local appearance, I make sure to go see her. She has been great about letting the people in her life know I wrote a book, and she has volunteered to read it. Take advantage of whatever connections you may have, no matter how remote. You should also go to book signings in your local area. People are going to be more inclined to support you if you are supporting them. It is also helpful to go to a few author talks or book signings before you do your first one to get a feel for the experience. I made my first appearance at the library I have the most connection to, which helped with the nerves.
Q. What was your experience like going through book production with Defiance Press & Publishing’s Yellow Rose Romance imprint?
A. It was more seamless than I had expected, and I never felt like my questions were being ignored. Everyone I dealt with was professional and personable. Even though I haven’t met Mark or Kelly or Cassandra or Lisa (yet), I feel like I know them, and I had found my “home.” Prior to going through the editing process, I had some concerns about whether my editor would suggest a lot of edits that would somehow change my vision of the book, but that was not the case. Their suggestions were well thought out and appropriate.
Q. What made you choose a hybrid publisher rather than self-publishing?
A. I wanted to be able to put out a book that was professionally edited, had an eye-catching cover and was something I could be proud of. I have read some self-published books that were full of errors and some that looked like a professional had published it, but I was not willing to take that chance with my book.
Q. Are you a member of any writers’ groups? If so, what are they and are they helpful?
A. I started attending meetings of the Lake Shore Center for The Arts in Westfield, New York, several months ago. I wish I had discovered that group sooner. They are great about listening to passages someone has written, offering suggestions, brainstorming ideas for titles or characters names and planning events for people in the group. They also sponsor writing competitions.
Q. What advice do you have for first time authors who are just starting their journey with Defiance Press & Publishing?
A. It sounds simple, but trust the process. Yours is not the first book they have published. I think it speaks a lot to their credibility that numerous authors have published more than one book with them. If you would like to speak to someone who has dealt with them, I highly recommend it. I was about 90% convinced to sign with them when I was able to speak with one of their authors, and that conversation was all I needed to make a final decision. I was months away from my release date when I already knew I had made the right choice. And so did my husband, who is just in general a little more skeptical than I am.
Q. What is the title of your next book?
A. I have always planned for this to be a continuing series. Book one is about Summer, and book two is entitled Falling for Autumn in Music City, about Summer’s twin. I am hopeful for a 2025 release. There are more stories still to tell!
Q. What is your website address and the best way for fans to contact you?
My website address is http://joanwahlauthor.com
You can find me on Facebook at Joan Wahl author and via e-mail at [email protected]
I am still learning to navigate Instagram and X!
Read Summer Love in Music City
Chapter 1
Summer couldn’t quite describe why this birthday felt different than the previous ones. There were simply times when she felt like her life was being guided by an unseen hand.
When her twin sister, Autumn, and their college roommates, Bailey and Brennan, came to pick her up for her birthday celebration, they arrived in a limo.
Before they were all even seated, she started peppering them with questions until Brennan finally stopped her and said, “You’ll never guess, so don’t even try.”
When the limo started slowing down, signaling they had reached their destination, Summer was stunned. The arena marquee had flash-ing lights proclaiming that the evening’s performance was sold out. “Oh my God! ‘Martin Brody—Sold Out!’ How did you manage to score tickets?”
“We won them,” Brennan said with a smile. “Four front row seats.”
Summer squirmed in her seat through the opening acts. When Mar-tin Brody finally took the stage, there was a collective scream from all the females in the audience. After a ninety-minute show and two encores, he left the stage and left Summer sitting stunned in her seat, her eyes glazed over. She felt like a kid who had gone to the fair, eaten too much cotton candy, and gotten on the Tilt-A-Whirl.
The crowd started to disperse, and Summer and Autumn stood up to leave. “Let’s give it a few minutes so we don’t have to fight through the crowds to get to the exits,” Bailey suggested.
“Good idea,” Summer said and collapsed back into her seat.
A few minutes later, a security guard approached them. “Excuse me, ladies. I’m Andy. I couldn’t help but notice you. I hope I’m not being too forward, but are you by any chance twins?”
They all thought it odd and Autumn, the most suspicious of the group, replied, “Why are you asking?” She inspected his security badge closely. It looked legitimate.
He leaned in closer and said in a hushed tone, “This isn’t a well-known fact, because Martin likes to keep his private life private, but he has twin sisters. After a show, he sends a few of us out into the crowd to see if there are any twins. He always saves a few meet and greet passes in case there are.”
Summer started to hyperventilate. “Did he say what I think he just said?” Suddenly energized, she leapt to her feet. “Let’s go! Come on! Let’s follow Andy.” She followed the guard closely, like a puppy dog nipping at his heels, asking question after question. “Will he sign auto-graphs? What about photo ops? Any special merchandise?”
“All your questions will be answered soon,” he replied as he escorted them backstage. After posing for a few final photographs with fans, Martin turned and saw the four of them.
As he made his way toward their group, time stopped. Everyone else faded into the background until no one else was in the room except for him and Summer—then she saw him reaching out to hug her friends. “Bailey! Brennan! I’m so glad you could make it.”
Martin turned toward her with his megawatt-bright smile. “I take it that these two neglected to tell you that I’m their big brother. My real name is Brody Martin.” He took both her hands in his, and the electricity in the room increased a hundredfold. “And you have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.”
“I–I know,” she stammered. “I mean, I know who you are.” He was still holding her hands. She was torn between wanting him to let go and wanting him to hold them forever. In that moment, the atmosphere changed so dramatically that later on, no one could describe what happened when their eyes met.
The silence was complete; no one wanted to break the spell. Finally, Bailey made the proper introductions. “Ah, yes, the college roommates! I’ve heard so much about you.”
“And yet we’ve heard nothing about you from these two,” Autumn remarked.
“That would be all my fault. I have tried very hard to keep my family out of the spotlight.”
“I’m…speechless.” Summer managed to say as he continued to hold her hands in his.
“Trust me,” Autumn said, “that’s practically a miracle. Usually, she can’t stop talking about you.”
“Oh, stop teasing her,” Bailey admonished. “Everyone we’ve introduced him to has been starstruck.”
Starstruck? Summer thought to herself. No, it was more like being lovestruck. The conversation was still going on around her but she was having difficulty concentrating on anything anyone said. She had never seen eyes the color of his before. They reminded her of a tiger’s, and she shivered as she thought about what it would be like to try to tame him.
Martin, aka Brody, suddenly realized he was still holding Summer’s hands and took a step back. The loss of physical contact was like a blow to his heart. His reaction to Summer was like nothing he had ever experienced before.
“The twin thing was genius,” Brennan said. “We had no idea how we were going to tell them we were going backstage.”
Brody was every bit as distracted as Summer, but he nodded in agreement. All he wanted to do was usher everyone else out of the arena so he could be alone with her. She kept licking her soft pink lips, and all he could think about was wanting to taste them.
When it was time to move things along so the crew could breakdown the equipment, he didn’t want Summer to leave. He hugged them all but held on to Summer for just a fraction longer. “I’ll never forget this night,” he whispered in her ear. The feeling of not wanting to let her out of his sight was unexpectedly strong, and a bit unsettling.
“Neither will I.” she echoed as she felt his breath linger on her neck, setting off sparks.
Much to her surprise, her sister did not pester her the moment they were outside. Was it possible, Summer wondered, that she had only imagined the intensity of their connection? That no one else had felt the charged atmosphere in the room?
She didn’t want to spend the ride home dissecting every aspect of the evening, so she feigned sleep until they were almost at her apartment. Plans were made for the following morning when they would get together to celebrate Autumn’s birthday. Summer had been born just before midnight on the last day of summer, and Autumn shortly after midnight on the first day of fall. It had been nice when they were growing up because they each had their own day of celebration, but for the first time in her life, Summer did not want to see Autumn on her birthday. She just wanted to bask in the afterglow of having met Martin—No, Brody, she reminded herself—but she also knew if she begged off, she would never hear the end of it.
Sleep did not come easy that night. She kept turning over every moment in her mind. When their eyes met, she had been overcome with an emotion that was impossible to describe. If this was love at first sight, how was it possible that she felt it for this man? Someone who could never return her feelings? He was gorgeous, talented, and famous. He had dated actresses, models, even an Olympic athlete! He was eight years older and had a wealth more experience in all areas of life, especially when it came to love and romance. And yet, that did not stop her from weaving a “happily ever after” story in both her waking moments and her dreams.
When morning came, Autumn called to see if she wanted her to pick her up or meet them at their usual spot for a walk. “I could not fall asleep last night,” Summer acknowledged. “Would you mind terribly ifI met you at the café when you’re ready for brunch? I promise I won’t stand you up on your birthday.”
Autumn grumbled a bit, as Summer predicted she would, but they arranged a time to meet at the Diamond Café.
Summer had just decided to try to get a little more sleep when there was a knock at her door. When she opened it, she found herself staring at the most beautiful bouquet of flowers she had ever seen. There were white roses, her favorite, and an array of other fragrant blossoms. Since the girl in the unit next door got flowers all the time, Summer figured they were obviously at the wrong apartment.
“Summer Reynolds?” The delivery man tried to position himself so he could see her past the extravagant display. “These are for you.”
She couldn’t imagine who they were from. She wasn’t dating any-one—in fact, she hadn’t dated anyone seriously in a few years. Even if a friend or her parents had sent flowers for her birthday, it wouldn’t have been this glorious, undoubtedly expensive display.
She sat the arrangement on her kitchen table and was glad she was sitting down when she opened the card. I never believed in love at first sight until you. Yours, Brody.
Summer pinched herself. Surely, she was dreaming. Maybe the whole thing was a dream—there was no way this famous country star at the top of the charts felt the same way about her that she felt about him. That he had experienced the same out-of-body experience, the same rush of emotion, the same feeling of serendipity, of destiny.
She tried to get a little more sleep after calming herself down, but she did nothing but toss and turn. Finally giving up, she got ready to take a shower. Summer stuck her head in the kitchen, fully expecting it to be empty of the most impressive floral arrangement she had ever seen, but there it was. Still there, still real. She even read the card again because she could hardly believe what was written on it.
Before she made it all the way into her bathroom, her cell phone rang. Her heart raced with excitement and anticipation before she re-minded herself that Brody did not have her cell number. She looked down and saw Brennan’s name.
“Did you guys cut your walk short? Are you already at the café? I haven’t showered or dressed yet.”
There was a lot of chatter in the background. Summer could hear enough to determine that Autumn and Bailey were arguing.
Brennan sighed and said, “Your sister doesn’t agree with what I’m about to do.”
“Which is?”
“It seems our brother is as besotted with you as you are with him. He called wanting your phone number. Autumn thinks it’s crazy. She doesn’t—”
Brennan was cut off as Autumn grabbed the phone. “Autumn can speak for herself, thank you very much. This is crazy! He’s a celebrity—a household name. Do you want to start down a road that can only lead to disappointment and heartbreak? Your heartbreak when he drops you for the latest Victoria’s Secret model?”
Bailey was practically shouting in the background to be heard. “Our brother is not that shallow! A lot of stuff that has been written about his love life is greatly exaggerated.”
Summer had heard enough. “Autumn, give Brennan back her phone. Now.” She was usually fairly calm, but her temper was getting hotter by the second.
“Summer, I just—”
She cut her off. “I’m serious. Now.” Her voice was getting louder, and Autumn reluctantly handed Brennan back her phone.“
So, what do you want me to do?” Brennan asked as though she hadn’t heard the conversation between Autumn and Summer. “Have him call you, you call him? He did give me permission to give you his personal, unlisted phone number.”
Summer was momentarily speechless. Was this really happening? Was she going to wake up any moment and find out it was all a dream? “You can give him my number, but it’s hard for me to believe he is actually going to call.”
“Oh, I don’t think there’s any doubt he’ll call. He told me about the flowers.”
Autumn could be heard in the background again. “Flowers? What flowers? You didn’t say anything about flowers!”
Brennan just sighed. “I’ll call him back and give him your number.” Just before she hung up, Summer could still hear Autumn’s protests
