About the Book
Genre: Christian, Fiction, Historical, Regency, Romance
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: June 12, 2018
Francesca Haversham is eighteen years old and about to step into a glittering future – all she has to do is secure her wealth with an advantageous marriage. Then she learns the truth:her entire identity is a lie. Now Francesca faces a horrible choice. Will she give up all she knows or continue to lie about her past and risk everything, including her heart?
About the Author
Julie Matern is a resident of Utah. She attended the University of Exeter in Exeter, England, and graduated with a double major in French and Education. She was born and raised in England, moving to America after her marriage and is the mother of six children. She has served in the PTA for over 20 years, taught tap dance, and enjoys amateur photography. She is the author of ‘British War Children’ ( for which she received a “Recommended Read” award from the League of Utah Writers) and ‘British War Children 2: An Enemy Among Us’.
Hometown: Highland, UT
Guest Post
5 Things I Wish I Knew About Being an Author I Didn’t Know Before
In no particular order:
1. Writing isn’t just about writing any more.
I had no idea how much the publishing industry had changed because of the internet. (Yep, I’m old!). When I first started out, before I had anything more than an idea for a plot, I took an adult education class at a local college by a visiting presenter and came back absolutely overwhelmed. I had thought I was going to a class about how to write a book and found out it was really a class about how to market the book you have written. I almost gave up as this was not really what I wanted to sign up for. I decided just to write the book and worry about the other stuff later. I entered my book into a local contest which meant joining my local writer’s chapter. This was a gift. I was with like minded strangers who were hiking the same path as me and once a month they had education classes on the whole industry. It has been invaluable.
I won third place in the contest! (we had self-published and made mistakes on the formatting and done the cover ourselves – these were the main critiques) This was the validation I needed that I could write. Then I had the courage to take the plunge into the marketing side.
It has been five years and I still feel like a marketing novice but I am continuing to learn new things all the time.
2. You feel like a fraud.
It’s called the ‘Imposter Syndrome’. It’s a real thing and there are studies about it. When I grabbed my courage by the throat and attended my first writer’s meeting I felt way out of my league. I almost didn’t go back. These people were real writers (or so I thought) and I was just a pretender. After attending several meetings and meeting a few of the other members I learned that many of them had not published anything. That didn’t mean they were not writers.
Jennifer A Nielsen author of ‘The False Prince’ gave the keynote at the second writer’s conference I attended. It was a game changer for me. She gave the most inspiring pep talk ever and really boosted my confidence. Then she showed us the pile of rejection letters she had received when trying to get her book published. She had felt like a fraud once!
3. You can spend a lot of money.
If you have a ton of money then spend away. Most people don’t so I would caution you to be careful with your precious funds.
I self published my first book on a shoestring. Three web-site domains that were $15 each, I incorporated by creating an LLC and the license cost approx $40. I designed the cover and we used KDP to upload the e-book and Createspace for the hard copy which are both free. So for around $100 my first book went live. My initial goal was just to publish a book. For $100 I achieved that goal and it was a great feeling. Did I make any money on it? Nope. But that was not my initial goal.
Here’s some ways you can spend money to improve your chances of making money on your book:
- Pay an editor. The price here can vary but it’s not cheap. This is valuable if you don’t have the best grammar and are worried about plot holes etc…
- Pay a cover designer. Again the price can vary widely. If you send your finished manuscript to a publisher they may not use your cover.
- Pay someone to design your website and pay to have someone maintain it.
- Pay for FB or other social media advertising.
- Hire an agent to sell your book to publishers.
- Buy promotional products to give away.
4. You’ll make lots of new friends
If you are an introvert you may not see this as a perk! Joining writer’s groups and attending writer’s conferences are great ways to meet new people who are like-minded. The conference I attend has evening social activities for those from out of town who are staying at hotels near the conference.
5. Critiques can be harsh
I have a critique partner who is a close friend who is an author. She is kind in her critiques.
My writer’s group moved closer to me so I thought I would try their critique session. There were not many in attendance that night so I was not put with people who write in my genre. They were brutal. I was a mess. I had already had my manuscript for Haversham House accepted by this point and I was still a mess at their harsh critique.
In My Opinion…
The omniscient narrative took a little getting used to with this book for me. Probably because I’m used to getting one or two (possibly three) points of view throughout a book. Julie Matern gives readers peeks into the minds of all the major players in this story, giving it a fairytale or story vibe.
And while it took some adjustment, I appreciated the narrative voice because there is a side plat that takes place and when that and the main thread come together, it’s that much sweeter because I watched the struggle on both sides.
Matern explores the themes of snobbery and prejudice, forgiveness, and duplicity, making sure to different characters on both sides of the coin.
For Francesca Haversham, coming of age has some difficulties no one sees coming. Her good life in a well-to-do upper-class family is about to be tested. And as she grows into adulthood and beings to think about her future, one man captures her interest while another remains a faithful friend. This is definitely more about Francesca’s journey than the romance, though.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Giveaway
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Tour Schedule
July 23-The Power of Words | Paulette’s Papers
July 24-Life is What It’s Called | Encouraging Words From the Tea Queen | Blooming with Books
July 25-Pause for Tales | Reading Is My SuperPower | Singing Librarian Books
July 26–Heidi Reads… | Bookworm Lisa | Why Not? Because I Said So!
July 27-Remembrancy | Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic
July 28-Edits and Reviews by Leslie | Jorie Loves A Story
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