Friday, March 22, 2013

Eliza Daly guest blogs -- with a giveaway!

Today I'd like to welcome author Eliza Daly here to talk about getting published and to spread the word about her romantic suspense novel, "Identity Crisis". She's going to give away an eBook copy of the book to one commenter today -- so make sure you leave her a message!

Thanks for stopping by, Eliza. The floor is yours!

Getting Published--The Luck of the Irish?

I celebrated my Irish heritage on St. Patrick’s Day by eating shepherd’s pie, doing a pub crawl, and wearing green along with my pin that reads, The Luck of the Irish. I’ve heard that saying my entire life. Curious where it originated, I did a wee bit of research. Some believe the phrase was coined during the gold rush years in the U.S. when some of the most successful miners were Irish or Irish American and discovered their “pots of gold” out west. At the time, rich Irish immigrants were as rare as leprechauns, so they were thought to be quite lucky. Or, it may have come from the legend that catching a leprechaun, who would hand over gold in return for his release, was a lucky event that only took place in Ireland. Others believe the Irish are lucky because they’ve been able to persevere despite famines, wars, oppression, mass immigration, and other hardships. So in that sense, maybe I do have the luck of the Irish.

Not that I’ve had it nearly as rough as my Irish ancestors, but despite hundreds of rejections, I was able to keep bouncing back and persevere, becoming a published author. Believe me, there were many days I wanted to quit. Although I was disheartened at times, and feared my bad luck and timing would never change, I never gave up on myself or a book. Several of my books have gone through major evolutions. Identity Crisis was originally a 400-page women’s fiction book. In the end, I felt something was missing. A hero. My protagonist Olivia needed someone to protect her and support her when her father is murdered and she discovers she was placed in the Federal Witness Security Program when she was five years old. She needed someone by her side who would give her the strength and courage to seek out the family she never knew existed. So I cut 300 pages, added a hero, and rewrote the book. I truly believed in the book and never gave up on it.

My perseverance has been stronger at times than others. I wrote a blog a few months back titled “911—Help Someone Killed My Muse.” I told the story about how my muse went missing for over two years, during which time I didn’t write a new book. However, I entered contests, rewrote existing books, and queried agents and editors. Needing a diversion, I started researching my Irish ancestry. Then one day my muse reappeared, psyched about a new idea for a women’s fiction book set in Ireland. I’m lucky that my Irish heritage inspired my muse and gave her the kick in the butt she needed.

It appears I’m very lucky that I was born with perseverance. I have several perseverance quotes on my desk. My favorite is one by Thomas Edison. “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” I guess I shouldn’t complain about my number of rejections.

Thank you so much to It’s Raining Books for having me here today and helping me celebrate the release of Identity Crisis. I will be giving away an e-copy of Identity Crisis to one commenter. To enter, please leave a meaningful comment or a question for me--writing related or personal. Please include your e-mail address with your comment. The winner will be announced March 25. Thank you for stopping by!

Eliza Daly’s first attempt at creative writing was in fourth grade. She and her friends were huge Charlie’s Angels fans and she would sit in her bedroom at night writing scripts for them to act out at recess the following day. She was Kelly Garrett. Fast forward to the present, she’s still writing stories about beautiful women who always get their men. The journey from fourth grade script writer to published author wasn’t an easy one, but it was always an adventure and the final destination was well worth it.

When Eliza isn’t traveling for her job as an event planner, or tracing her ancestry roots through Ireland, she’s at home in Milwaukee working on her next novel, bouncing ideas off her husband Mark, and her cats Quigley, Frankie, and Sammy.

You can find Eliza on the web at Website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

When Olivia Doyle’s father dies under suspicious circumstances, rather than inheriting a family fortune, she inherits a new identity. She learns they were placed in the Federal Witness Security Program when she was five years old. Her father was involved in an art forgery ring and testified against the mob. Brought up not to trust anyone, Olivia has a difficult time relying on U.S. Marshal Ethan Ryder to protect her, and to keep her secret. She fears her father may have continued his life of crime through her art gallery. She has little choice but to depend on Ethan when she realizes someone is now after her. Olivia’s search for the truth leads her and Ethan across country to a family and past she doesn’t remember.

At the age of ten, Ethan witnessed a brutal murder. He vowed when he grew up, he’d protect people in danger. Protecting Olivia is difficult when she won’t trust him. He soon realizes his desire to protect her goes beyond doing his job, but if his judgment becomes clouded by emotions, her safety could be jeopardized.

Can Ethan and Olivia learn to trust each other when they uncover secrets that will change their lives forever?


Identity Crisis is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, All Romance, eBooks.com, and Kobo

25 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for having me here today at It's Raining Books! Have a great weekend everyone!

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  2. Wow Eliza - thanks for sharing. That is a much more ambitious re-write than I have ever attempted. I'm so glad you decided to write Ethan in. He sounds yummy and I can't wait to read!

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    1. Unfortunately, I've had several rewrites as extensive as Identity Crisis. Hopefully my current work in progress will remain a 300 page romantic comedy. Fingers crossed! Thanks for popping by.

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  3. Man, Eliza, this sounds so much like my story! Irish heritage included. It is such a hard business, as it is so subjective. Some people love a book, others hate the same work. It's hard to know who's right. And the answer is, they all are, which isn't easy to swallow for someone who likes things black and white. I'm so glad you stuck with it, Eliza, because you are an amazing woman and I'm so grateful that I've had the opportunity to get to know you.

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    1. Thanks M.J., you almost made me cry. You're too sweet. And you're right, this is such a subjective business and if you don't have an office full of four-leaf clovers on your side, it's a long hard road to publication. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Eliza-
    As a fan I am grateful you have such strong determination. I loved your book Identity Crisis due to the unique story line, interesting characters, and references to art history!

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    1. Thanks so much, that's so nice. And thanks for reading Identity Crisis. I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Eliza - I LOVE that quote by Thomas Edison. I think it truly shows what it means to not give up but to also keep a positive perspective. Sounds like you're doing just that. Good luck with Identity Crisis!

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    1. Isn't that an awesome quote Terri? Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  6. Another definition of Luck is when preparation meets opportunity - and you are probably the most prepared person I know!! I'm excited to read this new book of yours, am intrigued and inspired by your story choices, and love your voice. May the Luck of the Irish be with you always!!

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    1. With you also me Irish friend. :-) I hope you enjoy Identity Crisis and thanks so much for being so supportive!

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    2. Eliza - you are a shining example for someone to never give up on your dreams! You converted me from a non-fiction only reader to a "fiction too" reader. Thank you for opening up a new world of books to me!

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    3. Thank you so much for the compliment. I'm glad to be responsible for converting you!

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  7. Great interview, Eliza...I'm glad your Irish heritage helped you out :). Love all your photos too!

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    1. Thanks Cait! Hopefully you were blessed with a wee bit of luck of the Irish. Pic was taken in Wicklow National Park. Half of my Ireland pics have sheep in them. Love sheep! Thanks for stopping!

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  8. Wonderful post and what a great quote.

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    1. I love that quote. It's very motivating. Thanks so much for stopping!

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  9. As a fellow Crimson Romance author with hundreds of previous rejections and a huge dollop of Irish ancestry, I've found a kindred spirit with you. May you always have the wind at your back, my dear - and many, many sales!

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    1. Thanks so much Deborah, same to you! And here is one of my favorite Irish sayings for you. "As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction." Thanks so much for stopping!

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  10. Great story! Its funny because I grew up being told I was 100% Italian. Then some years later after my mother passed I found out I had half siblings from my biological father. Well my brother (who is your typical pain in the butt younger brother type lol) busts my bubble one day and says "You are not 100% Italian, dad was Irish!" Soooo that was like finding out Santa wasn't real! lol After that though I did some digging and found not only was half of me a full blood Sicilian but the other half was as Irish as they come. Ive had a great time tracing my roots.

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    1. HJ -- I ran all the commenters through random.org and your name was chosen to win the eBook! Congratulations!

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    2. Great story HJ! What a surprise for you. Isn't genealogy research fun, and just a tad addictive? I spent many nights on Ancestry.com until the wee hours of the morning. Thanks for sharing!

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  12. Funny how trust is so under rated but one of the most necessary part of any relationship..whether personal or professional, and not know who you are makes trust a real problem..looking forward to reading this book..

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So... inquiring minds want to know: what do you think?