Now, a little story time. In 2016, I wrote and released Knot—one long, crazy book. I loved writing it. Loved how different the characters were from me. From their personalities to their lifestyle choices, they were totally outside my comfort zone.
My leading male characters, up until that point, had been average guys. My personal preference in real-life men. A little goofy. Sometimes awkward. Honest, but easy-going. Reagan "Reggie" Warren wasn't like them. He was enigmatic and flawed and sometimes grouchy and stubborn. He wanted things his way. He struggled from anxiety, which was one place I could relate. Additionally, Reagan is was more alpha-male than any character I'd written.
I'd spent my early summer days that year in a world where he argued and fought for this strange woman. Nora Koehl was different too. She was more graceful in my mind than my other heroines. She seemed cool and sophisticated. While all my female leads are ambitious women who work hard and are driven, Nora was that but more. A character who didn't want commitment. Didn't want a relationship. Didn't want love.
And OMG it was a good time playing with them. They had so much to say. The story went on and on. Before I knew it, Knot was my longest book at over 120,000 words. Holy crap... Author friends, the editing!? Have mercy. Amirite?
But my beta team loved it. My close writer friends read it, because they were excited after following my first draft excitement. Daily they'd hear how pumped I was for this story and they cheered me on. God, I was living.
After the revisions and edits, I published this monster in July. Also, important to the story, a tree fell on my car that morning. Like seriously. A big ass limb right across the hood. It even crushed the roof on our garage. What a way to wake up on release day.
The release went okay, considering. I had a pretty good pre-order and early reviews were great! But, much of the promo I had planned for those first few days suffered because real-life was up in my face. I don't need to go into all the house/car insurance, clean up, chainsaw distractions that plagued my reality, but I'm sure you get the point. There was a lot going on.
With all my excitement for the book, I was hoping more readers would find it though. I can't say I was devastated by the release, but inside I was disappointed. Maybe it would be one of those books that had a slow building readership. Maybe the blurb needed work. Was the cover wrong? But... it had abs! lol I maintained to do the best I could with what I had going, and I hustled. I did takeovers. I did giveaways. I ran ads. I did whatever I could to put it in front of people, hoping it would catch up to my expectations.
And, you know, it never really did. My enthusiasm for it quickly faded, and soon I needed to focus on the next book. Right? I had to get to work and start my next project. That seemed like the right thing. Move forward. Get back to work.
Knot was left on the shelf to do what it was going to, and I started my next novel. That book was fun to write too. But honestly, writing is the most fun part for me. It's what I love. So I wrote that book. Then I wrote a few more. All the while, Knot continued to preform... I don't know... less? To me that was crazy because I still felt like it had been some of my best work. (I still feel that way now.)
Then an idea started rolling around in my head about another project I'm working on, (Tide) in that same Wake world, and wow it was going to be long too. The story lined out how I wanted and I realized, it was two books. But wait, Knot was just one. How could I do that? Release a Wake spin-off duet after releasing a Wake spin-off standalone? I had things to think about.
I let it simmer months. I thought about Knot. I re-read Knot. I realized maybe I'd made a mistake.
TWISTED DESIRE and TETHERED LOVE should have always been a duet. Honestly, I think I was naive to release it as one huge, mega book. Us Indies have to learn lessons the hard way, all the time, and I think that's what Knot was for me. A lesson.
My work is worth something.
I'm not always going to know what I'm doing.
I should trust my gut.
Sometimes, I'll have to suck-it-up and try again.
I hope I look at every professional disappointment this way in the future. I want to grow as a writer, but I also have to learn how to package and market my products in a way that they can find their audience. I'm learning, but the writing part is so much more fun. lol Still, it's my job.
So, for those of you who've read this far, and for those of you who read Knot when it originally released in 2016, and for those of you who are just now meeting Reggie and Nora... thank you. Thank you for your support and grace and attention. Now go read. <3xoxo, Mo
Here are some things you should know and all the RELEASE DAY details:
It's full of angst.
Friends to lovers
Opposites attract.
It's book one of the Knot Duet.
TETHERED LOVE (Book Two) releases 3/29
Twisted Desire is the first book in the angst-filled Knot Duet featuring a one-woman man and the woman he can't resist. An intense love story spanning years of lust, friendship, and heartache.
From M Mabie comes the first book in the angst-filled Knot Duet featuring a one-woman man and the woman he can't resist. An intense love story spanning years of lust, friendship, and heartache.
I wasn’t looking for Nora Koehl, and she sure as hell wasn’t looking for me. We were two people speeding in opposite directions. Our relationship was born out of lust, curiosity, and compromises neither of us intended to keep.
Being with one person wasn’t Nora’s style, and I refused to share her.
Then everything changed, and together we bent every rule we’d ever made… until they broke. Our need for each other led us to the lies we told. Mistakes we made.
We’re tangled and twisted—bound by our desire—but anything less than all of Nora will never be enough. Now this knot in my stomach only gets tighter, wondering if I can accept and love her for who she is.
Will it even be enough for her to love me back?
READ FOR FREE w/ KindleUnlimited
US→http://amzn.to/2DvbmUm UK→http://bit.ly/MabieTDUK CAN→http://bit.ly/MabieTDCA AUS→http://bit.ly/MabieTDAU
AND don't forget, TETHERED LOVE, the conclusion to Reagan and Nora's story comes out on March 29th! You can pre-order now.
