Deadly Kisses by Kerri Cuevas- Blog Tour!

Today we are celebrating fellow blogger and writer Kerri Cuevas! She's stopped by the blog to tell us about her book Deadly Kisses, and to tell us about her journey to publication. *Don't forget to enter Kerri's Rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom of the post*

BOOK SUMMARY:

Aiden Grant is seventeen, has a killer kiss, and a boss who used to be President, back in the old days. You see, Aiden is a grim reaper and his kiss welcomes the newly dead. But Aiden’s pleasant grim reaper lifestyle is in jeopardy. And it’s not only because Honest Abe keeps throwing out history lessons with reaping assignments, just to confuse him. It’s because Aiden’s next assignment is to reap the soul of Bee, the only girl he has ever loved.

When Aiden’s kiss of death fails, intertwining their souls, Bee is still very much alive and they are both in trouble. The ancients want Bee, who has special powers of her own, and they’ll do anything to get her.

Some rules are meant to be broken—even if that means Aiden must bargain with his own soul to save Bee. Who knew the afterlife could get so complicated?

TAKE IT AWAY, KERRI!

Thanks for having me today, Jess. Your blog is awesome, and it’s an honor to be here to tell you about my journey to publication.

An author’s journey to publication is as unique as the stories they tell. Mine began a couple of years ago when I wrote my first story, and queried it. Agents were kinder than they should’ve been. When the requests didn’t come rolling in, I changed my strategy. I wasn’t ready to query, and my writing needed to improve. So, I read…like tons. I studied, and made a list of what made a story good. And then I wrote…and wrote…and wrote.

I educated myself. The blogging community was my biggest resource. I learned from other writers on how to write better, and what works and doesn’t work. Things began to click, and my writing improved. All of you out there had a part to play in me learning the craft, and navigating the publishing world. So, my deepest thanks to each and every one of you.

After I learned everything I could, I wrote a story using my new skills. I had excellent critique partners to help make my story better. I queried again. During this time, I saw a submission contest on a blog for WiDo Publishing. They were offering editorial advice, and someone was guaranteed a contract. All I hoped to get was their editorial advice. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect my story to end up in the top three. 

Although I didn’t get a contract the first time, I was invited to resubmit, which I did.

One day, while I was not so patiently waiting for a reply, I was shopping for tools at Sears with my hubby. The store was quiet, except for the chatter of the sales clerk with my hubby talking about tools. My phone beeped with an email alert. I opened the email, read it, and screeched with excitement that I got offered a contract. I loved everything about WiDo, so of course I accepted.

So, never give up on your dreams! Remember opportunities come when you least expect it, so keep your eyes open, but don’t forget to blink and enjoy the journey.

If anyone has any questions for me, I’ll be popping in all day today to answer them.

AUTHOR BIO:

Kerri Cuevas was born and raised in Rhode Island. She moved to New Hampshire with her husband, three kids, cats and a rabbit named Hercules in 2005. When she's not writing, she's chasing chickens on her small farm or searching for the ultimate mac-a-cheese recipe.

Kerri went to college for Early Childhood Education but now writes books for young adults full-time. Her storytelling stems from watching too many horror flicks as a teen, but she no longer needs to sleep with the lights on.

Links:

Kerri's website 

Kerri's Blog 

Goodreads 

Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway