Thank you, Sydney, for hosting me here during my blog tour for my new novel, A Good Kind of Knowing. I thought I’d give readers a quick timeline of my road to publication for the novel, since it’s not exactly a straight path! In fact, the story began a long time ago, and it includes my first novel, Blue Straggler. So here you go!
1999 – 2000 Completed the first full manuscript of A Good Kind of Knowing while living deep in the heart of Texas.
December 2000 – Summer 2001 Moved to Colorado to live in the mountains and write; began revising A Good Kind of Knowing like a crazy person
Fall 2001 Pitched it to NY lit agents; got picked up on my 10th bite! Thought I was Hot Snot (not really!) Began writing Blue Straggler.
Spring 2002 Got close to a contract for A Good Kind of Knowing, but alas, ultimately rejected by the Powers That Be.
Spring 2003 – 2004 Completed Blue Straggler; decided to leave my NY agent and sign with one on the West Coast who was a better fit for me.
2005 – 2006 Revised Blue Straggler; agent held auction for publishers; got oh-so-close again, but no final takers. Drank lots of vodka. Licked literary wounds.
2006 – Spring 2011 Left novel-writing for a while and published essays and short stories and bad poetry. Adopted a beautiful baby boy.
August 2011 Discussed self-publishing Blue Straggler as an ebook with my agent; she was supportive and I had nothing to lose, so I went for it!
Fall 2011 Blue Straggler as an ebook went viral, and sales exceed expectations. Signed a five-year contract with 30 Day Books of Seattle to publish the novel as a trade paperback.
March 2012 Blue Straggler published in paperback. It becomes a #1 bestseller in two categories on Amazon.
May 2012 30 Day Books passes after reading A Good Kind of Knowing, but encourages me to publish it myself.
October 2012 A Good Kind of Knowing is published as an ebook. Paperback release planned for December 2012. Sales are rockin’ along! Just released a Music-to-Read-By playlist, too.
So there you have it. My steep, winding roads to the publication of two novels.
Good Kind of Knowing is a novel about the power of music and friendship, the relationship two-steps that go on in old Texas dancehalls, and the secret to finding just a little bit of common ground in a world full of distrust.
Sera Taylor’s store is the one place in Lakeville, Texas, where individuals from all walks of life share a universal love for music and a respect for the gypsy-like woman behind the antique glass counter. Readers get a taste of the unorthodox connection between Sera and Mack, a young local cowboy and musician, and Sera’s previously untested devotion to her husband Bill. They learn of her relationship with Ruby D., the vibrant but misguided mother of five; with Louie, the shy high school band director; with Beverly, the religious, upper-class socialite; with Antonio, a local bar owner striving to make a life for himself; with Tommy Lee, a rich and directionless gigolo; and with Wes, the only out-of-the closet gay man for miles. As Sera battles a serious illness, the characters must overcome long-held stereotypes to save Sera’s store, and in the end, large parts of themselves.
Buy Links:
Author Bio:
Kathy Lynn Harris grew up in rural South Texas—and comes from people who work hard, love the land and know how to have a good time on a Saturday night. In 2001, Kathy made the move from Texas to the Colorado Rockies to focus on her writing and soak up All Things Mountain. She lives in a 1920s log cabin with her husband and son, plus two fairly untrainable golden retriever mixes. Kathy has written two novels, three children’s books, a lot of bad poetry, short stories, newspaper and magazine articles, and personal essays. Kathy’s blog, You Can Take the Girl Out of Texas, but, can be found at kathylynnharris.com.
Connect with Kathy at kathy@kathylynnharris.com or take your pick of social media channels:
Twitter – @KathyLynnHarris
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/BlueStragglerFiction
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5137823.Kathy_Lynn_Harris
Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/kathylynnharris/
Tour Stops:
December 3 My Escape Book Blog Excerpt December 4 Her Story Calls Excerpt December 5 Happiness, Passion, Love & Faith Timeline to publication December 6 Nothing Better Then A Book Excerpt December 7 A Buckeye Girl Reads Review December 8 Bex N Books ReviewDecember 9th My Devotional Thoughts Review December 10 My Devotional Thoughts Excerpt
Sydney Aaliyah Michelle 