Today is the Release Event of ‘After Lucas’ by Tudor Robins, organized by Maureen’s Books Promotions. ‘After Lucas’ is a YA novel and the second book in the Stonegate Series.

Thanks to the talent of her pushbutton super-horse, Ava, Mavis wins every ribbon, trophy, and championship she competes for. No rider effort required, and not much skill either – Ava does it all.

So, when Mavis’s dad loses his job, and Ava must go up for sale, Mavis is swamped with … relief.

She knows it’s the wrong thing to feel, but Mavis is used to feeling, thinking, and acting the wrong way. It’s why she has no friends.

Also, riding’s been really boring, for a long time.

With super-Ava sold super-fast, Mavis is ready to start enjoying her horse-free life.

Until she meets Lucas. Lucas is everything Ava’s not. Stocky, dirty, untrained, and unproven, the former trail horse has the complete opposite on Mavis as her former show mare did.

Mavis likes Lucas. She loves him, even.

Lucas has a lot to learn, but it might be Mavis who gains the most from their new, unlikely, partnership.

I like
this topic because it’s forcing me to formally think about things I tend to
take for granted on a daily basis. 

There are
many great things about being an author. The first, and probably most obvious,
is that it centres around writing. If you’re a writer you’ll know it’s a
compulsion, not a choice. You’ll write whether you’re paid for it or not. For
me, writing is often as – or sometimes more – enjoyable than reading. So,
obviously, being an author has that going for it. 

The second
great thing about being an author – specifically a published author – is the reader
interaction I get. Over the years, I’ve had feedback from many, many readers.
They’ve told me little stories about their lives, and how my books fit into
those stories. Some are things I expected, and others give me a whole new
insight into my own books, and how other people might read them. 

This leads
to another rewarding aspect of writing and publishing books – my team. I’ve
chosen to be an indie author, but that doesn’t mean (in any way!) that I go it
alone. I have an amazing editor. I have a great cover designer. I have a
meticulous proofreader. As I publish my books, I come into contact with many,
many talented, creative, professional people who all contribute something extra
special to my books. It’s a real treat to work with them. 

Finally,
nothing has made me learn more than being an author. Sure, there’s the writing
– but I’ve been working on that for a long, long time. All through school –
especially journalism school – and every time I read a book, or watch a movie /
TV show, I’m thinking about story-telling. The much bigger, faster learning
curve (taking me out of my comfort zone, I might add) has been learning to do
all the other things that go along with publishing books. Designing graphics,
coding ebooks, creating websites, strategizing launches and promotional
campaigns. These are things I couldn’t have done years – or sometimes months
(or weeks) – before now, but needs must, so I learn them and I do them. It’s
not always easy, but it’s rewarding and, probably, good for me. 

I wouldn’t
say that being an author is for everybody. If it’s not for you, that’s fine –
we need pure readers too! However, if you have a bit of an entrepreneurial
spirit, and a core of creativity, it’s a pretty good option.

For more information about Tudor please visit her website. Or visit her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.