Pinch me: LJ Smith likes Shahkara

LJ Smith, author of The Vampire DiariesHave you ever had a secret you were dying to tell but didn’t know whether you could or should?
The Vampire Diaries cover
My secret for 2011 was the most delicious of my life: I entered Shahkara (my manuscript) into a competition where it was read and liked by LJ Smith. I mean, THE LJ Smith, author of the Vampire Diaries (TVD), the Secret Circle and the Night World Series. LJ was the creative force behind the modern urban fantasy vamp, way back at the dawning of the 1990s, when mobiles were nearly as big as your toaster – long before Whedon’s Buffy slayer dazzled our TVs or Meyer’s Twilight tried to rock the Earth off its axis. LJ Smith is one of my favourite authors. She creates characters that resonate within us. Her heroines are smart and sassy, her heroes sexy-as and her plots contain more twists, turns and emotional punch than a cocktail party at Las Vegas.

Life can be tough when you’re a struggling, unpublished author. You juggle full-time work with late night and early morning scribbles. You fuel yourself on coffee and chocolate, then feel guilty when yet another weekend social event forces you to choose between those you love and that story that burns inside you, begging to be let out. If a big publisher has requested your manuscript, you’d think it would settle you but as the months drag on, you wonder if they’ll ever find time to read and assess it.

Imagine my delight when Lisa (LJ Smith) emailed me personally and said she’d been sucked in by Shahkara! The fan girl inside me was delirious with delight. I felt honoured that she’d even taken the time to read my entire manuscript, but then she wrote this: “Shahkara, the book, is unique, and Shahkara, the character, is one of the most engaging strong female role models I’ve seen in a long time. This girl can handle herself! The plot is full of ingenious twists, turns and surprises, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.” Yabba-Dabba Do! Lisa also offered valuable feedback on how to enhance my manuscript. It was back to the keyboard and I felt truly blessed.

So whenever you doubt yourself as a writer, or feel disillusioned by the passion you’ve given so much to, often without visible rewards, all you need to do is enter a competition or touch base with a fellow writer or friend. The act of entering a comp will buoy your spirits. It’s harder to lose enthusiasm when you have a few lures out on the water, waiting for that tasty bite to come in. Otherwise, put aside a night to spend with your faithful laptop and immerse yourself in your story. When you feed your passion, your confidence grows, and brings you closer to sharing your stories with readers across the world.

12 thoughts on “Pinch me: LJ Smith likes Shahkara

    • October 20, 2011 at 7:22 am
      Permalink

      Thanks, Greg. Congrats on your writing and your own books, too. So excited for you! I have bought Torment but haven’t yet read it. Halloween is coming up so maybe I can take time to read it then. Good luck with The Noctuary. It sounds creepy so I’m sure it’ll be a great success. 🙂

      Reply
  • October 20, 2011 at 7:23 am
    Permalink

    No surprises here Cherie!! I’ve always said you were brilliant! (Nice to know that someone who actually knows what they are talking about thinks so too though!!)

    Reply
    • October 20, 2011 at 7:30 am
      Permalink

      Aw, I miss you, James. You’re such a special person.

      Reply
  • October 20, 2011 at 8:05 am
    Permalink

    How exciting Cherie. I am sooo pleased for you.Can you recommend your favorite LJ Smith book, I would like to have a read – must confess I haven’t read any – yet.
    In your advice to enter a competition… just remember that judges are people with certain likes and dislikes too, they can judge not only on ‘quality’ but what they ‘prefer’. For an example, last year with my artwork I won enough money to spend a month in and around Europe, this year the judge (a different judge) said he ‘hated’ my artwork. Go figure, I don’t mind, he still went for quality – just not mine 🙂 (I still won three other awards). When being ‘judged’ don’t judge yourself solely on what they say, especially when they say really negative things. If you’ve done your best and you are happy with the result that is all that truly matters – unless of course they love it and are about to make you an offer not to be refused. XX

    Reply
    • October 20, 2011 at 4:52 pm
      Permalink

      Spot on, Jac. Judges – like editors and readers – will have diverse opinions and tastes when it comes to our work. Don’t let any negative reviews/opinions erode your confidence. You are submitting to competitions, agents and publishers (make sure your entry is the best that it can be) to give yourself more options and opportunities. xx

      All LJ Smith’s books are great reads – fascinating characters and plots. I’d start with The Vampire Diaries (be patient with the initial chapters – Elena’s vanity is the point of the story) or Night World (Yummy). Then again, LJ’s Secret Circle is her latest story to hit the TV screen and viewers love it. Hmmm, which would you choose?

      Reply
  • November 8, 2011 at 9:47 am
    Permalink

    I love The Vampire Diaries and now I’m a fan of your site. It is very cool ok!

    Reply
    • November 8, 2011 at 12:52 pm
      Permalink

      Thanks laianny, so pleased you like it. Yes, I’m a very big fan of TVD, too. LJ Smith and her characters rock!

      Reply
  • November 22, 2011 at 7:01 am
    Permalink

    I think it’s so cool that such a great author likes your work. But then again, why wouldn’t she? You are a rock star of the literary world my sweet Cher 🙂

    Reply
    • November 22, 2011 at 8:31 am
      Permalink

      Thanks, Keren. Ur the best! I can’t wait to rock the world with Shahkara. Until then… back to my desk. My next manuscript awaits!

      Reply
  • June 8, 2012 at 11:09 pm
    Permalink

    Hi
    Congrats!
    Where can we read ur story?

    Reply
    • July 17, 2012 at 1:21 am
      Permalink

      I’ll let you know as soon as I know when it’s hitting the shelves. Most likely, Shahkara will only be available as an e-book in Europe and America at this stage. Have a lovely week, Sofia 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply to James Stanfield Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *