Guest Blog + Giveaway: James R. Tuck

Today I'd like to welcome James R. Tuck, author of the upcoming release Blood and Bullets, first in the Deacon Chalk Bounty Hunter series from Kensington. I recently finished the novel and will be giving it 4.5 Stars when I write up the review. James is here today to talk about confidence. And don't forget to enter the giveaway (details at the bottom of the post).

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ACT AS IF
James R. Tuck

Hello Loyals and True Believers. Today we are going to talk about confidence.

Confidence is king.

I have found in my life that confidence will carry you through just about any situation. Do you feel like you are over your head? Feel like you don't deserve to be noticed? Do you feel like you should just take what life gives you?

You know what I say?

Tell your feelings to kiss your ass.

Seriously, what do your feelings matter? They aren't concrete reasons why you can't handle a situation. They aren't laws that say you shouldn't be noticed. They aren't zombie spider-monkeys armed with Ebola-coated machetes who are going to keep you from getting what you want out of life. (For the zombie spider-monkeys you'll need a fully loaded 9mm to go with your confidence.)

Look at me. Two years ago I finished reading an unsatisfactory book, put it down and said out loud to myself: “I can write better crap than that.” So I set out to do just that. I had not written before. I had no idea what I was doing. I had a concept sitting around for a character and about 9% of a story idea. But I had confidence that I could indeed write a novel. So I sat down and wrote it. (Now there is a lot more to this story, this is the quickie notes version.) Once it was finished I pulled my list of the top agents who handle Urban Fantasy. I sent queries, waiting on my big break.

I got rejected.

By everybody.

Yes it was disappointing. I'm not going to lie to you my friend. Every rejection letter was a tiny voice saying: “Oh you suck. Your book is stupid. Give it up. Go back to tattooing inkmonkey, nobody wants what you are selling.” It gets hard to carry on when you have all of that going on.

But guess what? I held firm to my confidence. I did just what I am telling you to do. I told those voices in my head to shut up cause I had work to do.

I kept going until I found my editor. He read the manuscript that was BLOOD AND BULLETS and he loved it. Loved it so much that I got a multi-book contract without an agent.

So let me be clear, the point is not how awesome I am. The point is that you have to hold fast to your belief in yourself. You have to have confidence in your goals and dreams. Don't let them go just because someone doesn't see it. Be the Great White. Keep swimming. Stick and move. You will get there.

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Thanks to James, I have one (1) copy of Blood and Bullets to giveaway to a lucky commenter. Just answer the following question: Are you confident enough to take on a blood-sucking vampire?

Giveaway Rules:
1. Must include a valid e-mail address.
2. Open to US and Canada only.
3. Giveaway ends Tuesday February 14th.
4. Winners will be chosen via Random.org.

Title: Blood and Bullets
Author: James R. Tuck
Series: Deacon Chalk Bounty Hunter #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 02/07/12
Summary:

He lives to kill monsters. He keeps his city safe. And his silver hollow-points and back-from-the-dead abilities help him take out any kind of supernatural threat. But now an immortal evil has this bad-ass bounty hunter dead in its sights...

Ever since a monster murdered his family, Deacon Chalk hunts any creature that preys on the innocent. So when a pretty vampire girl "hires" him to eliminate a fellow slayer, Deacon goes to warn him -- and barely escapes a vampire ambush. Now he's got a way-inexperienced newbie hunter to protect and everything from bloodsuckers to cursed immortals on his trail. There's also a malevolent force controlling the living and the undead, hellbent on turning Deacon's greatest loss into the one weapon that could destroy him...