*Originally posted on OneHandedWriters, a blog for romance and erotica readers & authors.*

I have to admit. I love writing. I love exploring new characters that are so different from myself, and writing books that I want to read.

But publishing, too, affords me a creativity that I don’t normally get to exercise. I used to love doing graphic design but didn’t really have a need to practice or get very good at it. I always wanted to do something in art, and I tried my hand at drawing, at photo-manipulation, at everything.

Publishing gives me an excuse to hone my creative skills outside of writing, and while some people find that terrifying or overwhelming, I find it immensely enjoyable.

So last weekend, I decided I wanted to try something new. For an entire Saturday evening, I taught myself how to use Windows Live Movie Maker, and created a book trailer for When Dreamers Wake:

It was a really fun and rewarding project, and I feel like I really got something out of it. More than the trailer, more than the views, I had a chance to work on something I was passionate about (our writing) and do something new with it. I was able to give myself an excuse to teach myself a new skill, and that is what I find publishing does.

It forces me to think creatively, to stop being hemmed in by my current limitations. It makes me expand my skills and knowledge, but it’s fun because it’s doing something that I’m excited about.

Publishing has also forced me to really think about our readers and what sources of inspiration we draw from. After all, finding your audience is really about finding out what types of people like your inspiration sources, right? If we write something inspired by Dungeons and Dragons (as we often do), then people who play D&D might like our stories.

When Dreamers Wake was, for instance, heavily inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. The world was inspired in part by Fallout 3 / Fallout New Vegas. So people who enjoy Fallout and H.P. Lovecraft (and enjoy something a bit sexier) might really like our book!

We actually talked about it a bit in our most recent podcast:

As well, since we’re doing a book tour for the novel, we wanted to do an awesome giveaway. I went shopping on Amazon and found a bunch of amazing and relevant stuff: A Call of C’thulhu RPG book, a tentacle dice bag, a Lovecraftian tote bag, and more!

And, as I’m sure everyone knows, it’s so much fun to shop for someone you feel you know very well 🙂 We definitely know that anyone who loves When Dreamers Wake will love this giveaway, so make sure to sign up!

a Rafflecopter giveaway