Some of you may remember the song "Anticipation" by Carly Simon and how it was used in the Heinz ketchup commercials years ago. Others may recall the quote from "Rocky Horror Picture Show" when Tim Curry says, "I see you shiver with... anticipation."
When you're a kid, waiting, much like Tom Petty says, is the hardest part. Whether it is waiting for Christmas, your birthday, a party or for your meal from McDonald's, it always seems to take too long. It's something of a problem in the world we live in today because we have become such an immediate satisfaction world that no one has the patience to wait for anything anymore. Progress might be the ultimate conundrum, giving us wonderful advances while making us want more and more at a faster pace.
All that being said, anticipation as a writer is a lot like it was for me as a child waiting for Christmas. Once I have completed a book, going through the set up process and then waiting for the release date can be painful! I want so much to get everything out to the public to see if they will embrace it the same way I have. Even with the re-release I have coming tomorrow, November 19th, of The Home Stand Series, I am excited and nervous to see how they are received. While the books came out originally almost two years ago and have good reviews, things are a little different this time around.
We've changed up the covers, making the looks brighter and more eye-catching with a new model. We've created discreet covers that look awesome if you prefer to have a book that is a bit more subdued. We even changed the titles of Balk and Curveball to Spring Fever and The Sweet Spot so that the titles closely reflect what the stories are about. I even wrote new blurbs for the backs of the books. Lastly, the books have been converted from my pen name, Lacy Hart, to Michael Geraghty.
The stories are the same as they have been, so if you have read the books in the past, nothing is different for you. However, if you're new to the series, you can get a chance to pick up each book now to enjoy.
Back to anticipation now. Anticipation is a fantastic tool in writing. My goal as a writer is to build up tension, excitement and anticipation so that you want to keep reading. Creating those scenarios is fun, and maybe even a little evil if you ask some of my beta readers who read along and say, "You're ending the chapter there? I need more!" Making the reader wait and anticipate what is to come, particular when it comes to romantic scenes, can help draw out the drama and tension and make you want to keep reading.
So, for now, we must wait. I'll wait anxiously for tomorrow for the re-release to go live. I'll wait for the Launch Party takeover I am doing tomorrow of the Scarlet Harlots Facebook Page so I can interact with readers, play some games, and giveaway some prizes. I'll wait (though this is really killing me!) to share more about my upcoming holiday book and about some cool merchandise that is going up on this site in the next few days. Hopefully, the anticipation is worth the wait for you and me.
Until tomorrow - tick, tick, tick...
