A Tiger’s Experience

October 1, 2010

Originally written on October 1, 2010 by Colleen Houck

Going from a self-published book to a traditionally published one is an interesting and sometimes crazy experience. It’s a bit surreal seeing something you’ve created plucked apart, polished, and put back together again in a tighter, more compact frame, but I expected that. What I didn’t expect was the extensive team of experts who have all invested their time, energy, and mental focus on only me and my series.

If you’ve read the Hunger Games series, you will remember Katniss and her team of experts that made her costumes, organized her appearances, and prepped her for her role in the games. A team getting ready to launch a new series is very similar to that. Editors, artists, marketing people, social media experts, movie producers, screenwriters, statistical analysts, agents, foreign rights representatives, and many more who work behind the scenes are all trying to make my series and, by extension, me successful.

All of us have the goal of giving the fans an experience beyond their expectations. When I was talking about the movie with Raffi I told him that when I’m writing, I want to take the reader on a vacation. I want my fans to taste the chocolate peanut butter cookies, smell the sandalwood, feel Fanindra’s skin on their arm, hear the growl of a tiger, and see the vivid colors of India. The artists involved in developing the website, the cover, and the movie images are amazing. I have actually seen Kelsey and her tiger come to life in art and the experience is very emotional.

What is happening right now is the construction not just of a website, a book, or a movie, but the construction of an entire world. A world where it’s safe to touch a tiger and have a pet cobra. A world of danger and monsters. A world that will sweep us all away into a romantic adventure. A world daring us to explore. Kelsey’s future is very exciting and I’m thrilled beyond words when I hear all about the magical and special things that await her and all her fans.

Whenever I’m not editing books or on the phone talking about the books, I’m trying to write. I’m in the middle of chapter 20 of Tiger’s Destiny and I’m researching Rakshasa demons, which are kindof like India’s version of a vampire only much scarier. My plan for Destiny is 30 chapters but I may end up adding a couple more. It’s definitely my longest book of the series.

That’s all for now. Happy October! The fall is my favorite time of the year.

Colleen

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Colleen Houck

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A Tiger’s Experience

October 1, 2010

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Colleen Houck