Peter Cunningham – Why Choosing Your Setting is Important @PCTheAuthor

Why Choosing Your Setting is Important

by Peter Cunningham

Setting in a novel is crucial. Whether your novel is set in the White House, or in a submarine, or the headquarters of the KGB, or in the board room of a Wall Street bank telling detail is paramount. I once knew a lady researcher who worked for the famous novelist Morris West. West would write to her with requests such as, ‘Give me a fresco in Pisa’, or ‘Let me have a nineteenth century kitchen in Scotland’. When a reader comes across such details, usually early in a book, his or her trust in the story becomes a reality and the crucial suspension of disbelief follows.

They say you should write about what you know. Ian Fleming worked briefly in the British Secret Service; Saul Bellow grew up in Chicago, the city that was to form the backdrop to many of his novels. John Updike was a product of the suburban America he so immortalized.

I began my writing career with a number of thrillers that required extensive research. I enjoyed being in the Negev Desert, and the Australian outback, being part of a DEA squad in New York City and standing in the frenzy of the oil trading pit in NYMEX, New York.

But then, something happened that changed my life. Peter, our eldest son, a golden boy, died at the age of sixteen. I was plunged into an inner world of grief and personal torment that I had not known existed. It was in this dark and utterly lonely place that I reached out and began to touch the parts of my own life that I knew so well but had, in my writing at least, either overlooked or forgotten.

I was born and raised in the city of Waterford, in the south east of Ireland. Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city. It was here that the English king Henry II landed in the mid-12^th century to begin his conquest of Ireland. From my earliest memory I had been part of the streets and alleyways, terraces and intriguing hidden squares that make up Waterford’s medieval city.

The county of Waterford is one of the most beautiful in all of Ireland. Its coastline of cliffs and coves, its sandy beaches, tiny islands and exquisitely scented valleys were all laid down in my mind and imagination from the time I could walk.

When I resumed writing, as I tried to cope with our enormous tragedy,  I decided that from then on I would set my books in the city whose every bend of street and house gable was familiar to me, and whose hinterland of mountains and sea I knew like the back of my hand.

Since my books would be set, largely, over the span of the twentieth century, I soon found a problem that I had not anticipated: Waterford City had changed a number of times in that period. And so, a man walking from his house in Ballybricken in, say, 1922, and proceeding downhill to the Quay that flanks the River Suir, would have passed different buildings, shops, houses and institutions than his successor making the same journey in the year 2000. Records for the intervening years were imperfect.

The most familiar setting I knew had already thrown me back into research, or so it seemed. I decided to do something different. I decided to invent a town, called Monument, which would be closely modeled on the Waterford I knew. Monument would have a mighty river beside it; but that river would now be called the Lyle, not the Suir. I made a detailed map, naming my streets and squares, but always with their Waterford counterparts in mind. This was a most liberating experience, for it meant I was free.

I applied the same solution to the hinterland, coming up with coastal places, villages, even a range of mountains. With the confidence of my real setting, now re imagined, I could concentrate on the characters in my books, their loves and lives, their fears and hopes as never before.

These books, now called the Monument books, are being made available as ebooks. The first, ‘The Sea and the Silence’ is now published.  It is set in this town I knew as a child, beside the sea I swam in, along the beaches I have walked since my earliest days.

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Genre –  Historical Fiction/Historical Romance

Rating – G

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Website http://petercunninghambooks.com/

Patricia Sands – Women & Friendship @Patricia_Sands

Women & Friendship
by Patricia Sands
As long as we are living, no matter when or where,
If you should ever need me, just call and I’ll be there.
I’ll climb a thousand mountains and swim a thousand seas.
Anything to be there, because you’re always there for me.
Those are a few lines from a poem by “anonymous” that I came across one day and they really struck a chord. Women who share a true friendship live those words without even thinking about them. I know many who do and feel blessed to have such friends.
No doubt every woman has her own unique take on the secret to having or being a good friend. To some, it’s the women who are there for us at a very important time our life or who simply offer support and companionship in our routine life. To others, it’s the lifelong friends who have become more our family than ‘just friends.’ To others still, it may be those who have taught us great lessons or inspired us to reach our dreams.
As well as some steadfast BFF’s I also have a group of girlfriends that has shared friendship for over 45 years. There are ten of us in what we laughingly call The Bridge Club because, to be honest, cards have not played the most important role in our lives although we do enjoy the game.
Although we are all the same age, give or take one year, that is about all we physically have in common. We have very diverse personalities, sizes, shapes, hairstyles, careers, bank accounts, and families. Yet at the same time, we are one. That ‘one-ness’ rests in our hearts and minds. It shows itself in our values.
We share a history filled with memories that range from deliriously happy to devastatingly sad and encompass everything in between. It’s been quite a ride; made all the more meaningful by knowing each one of us was “there” for whatever we needed. It hasn’t always been everyone responding at the same time but rather whoever had the best to offer the situation. No matter what, we were all in the loop and ready to bring what we could.
Even though some of us are separated geographically now, we keep in touch regularly. Six of us still get together often and we plan reunions with the others when we can. For the past twenty years, we have held a major birthday celebration for a week every five years and it’s a given that we will laugh way too much!
This much we know: whether you are 15 or 85, a girlfriend is a girlfriend through and through. Age is no barrier.
The most important lesson we have learned from each other? To have a good friend, you must be a good friend. How do you feel about your friendships? Do your let your friends know how much they mean to you? Celebrate!

Samples to Savor: Book Club Picks, presented by Her Books:

Discover your book club’s next page-turner and spark fascinating conversations with your friends in this free sampling from eight bestselling authors. You’ll find rich prose, evocative plots, compelling characters and surprising twists from:

Finding Emma by Steena Holmes
Composing Myself by Elena Aitken
Spare Change by Bette Lee Crosby
The Scandalous Ward by Karla Darcy
The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge by Christine Nolfi
The Promise of Provence by Patricia Sands
Broken Pieces by Rachel Thompson
Depraved Heart by Kathleen Valentine

About the Author(s):
Bestselling authors Steena Holmes, Elena Aitken, Rachel Thompson, Patricia Sands, Christine Nolfi, Kathleen Valentine, Bette Lee Crosby and Karla Darcy provide readers worldwide with contemporary fiction and nonfiction releases ranging from historical romance to literary.

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Genre –  Women’s Fiction

Rating – PG

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Website http://herbestbooks.com/

Garry Rogers – Stories Told by Secondary Characters @garry_rogers

Stories Told by Secondary Characters

by Garry Rogers

Nested stories are common literary devices.  Some writing texts advocate treating every chapter as a separate story with a beginning and an end.  Nested stories can be standalone chapters, and they can be stories narrated by characters within the framework of a chapter.  A character within the main story might recall an experience, or they might tell a fictional story of their own.

I like nested stories; they are fine places to give readers glimpses of hidden themes and character motivations.  They can add evidence for the reality of the main story.  I gave an example in an earlier post about stories told by the protagonist.  Here is an example of a nested story involving secondary characters in the novel Corr Syl the Warrior.  The story provides support for subsequent actions within the main story.

News of Allon

As Allysen and two fighters trotted past a picnic area near the new military base, a Danog woman waved them over.

“Hello.  Do you have a moment?”

Allysen focused.  The woman seemed worried, and she wanted help from Tsaeb.  Odd.  Allysen introduced her group and asked how she could help.

“I am Elaine Medlar, and this is my husband Paul.  A friend of ours, Julie Snow, lived where they’re building the new army base.  A Tsaeb, Allon Trofeld, stopped by while we were visiting her last month, and I wondered if you knew him.”

“I do.  What happened?”

“Well, probably nothing, but we haven’t been able to reach Julie, and we’re wondering if Trofeld knew anything.  Would you mind asking him to give me a call?”

“I wouldn’t mind, but I may not see him for a while.  Tell me about your meeting with him.”

“Sure . . . this is a long story. Julie and I taught at Saguaro Elementary.  Last January, she accepted a job in the State Education office.  The new job didn’t start right away, and Julie decided to take some time off so she could work on her novel and visit her family.  She moved into an old ranch house outside town.  My husband Paul and I had dinner with her last month, and that’s when we met Trofeld.”

“Is the house near here?” Allysen asked.

“It was, but I think it has been torn down.  It was down this road, about where the army is working on something. It was an interesting evening.  The house was on a gravel road about a mile north of the city.  The place was old.  It had a corrugated tin roof splotched with rust, and a wrap-around porch.  Inside, it felt like the ceilings were too low, and the rooms were dark.  During dinner, Julie told us the Tsaeb border was a short distance farther north.  After dinner, she took us out on the front porch to look at the desert.  Tall Saguaro stood between round Paloverde and clusters of bristling Cholla.  The air was cool, clear, and very still.  It was pretty, but very quiet.  After we went in, Paul said the silence was eerie.  He asked Julie if she had expected it to be so quiet.  She said mocking birds often sang at night, and normally you could hear owls and a cricket or two.”  Elaine stopped her narrative to take a breath, and collect her thoughts.  Follow this link if you wish to finish the story.

“There was a knock and we all jumped,” she continued. “Then we laughed and Julie went to the door.  When Julie opened the door we could see a tall creature with fur like yours, tawny everywhere, but white on his chest and stomach.  He wore a neat brown vest and trousers, but his chest and feet were bare.  He carried a walking stick and had a box under his arm.  He said his name was Allon Trofeld and he had stopped by to say hello.  Trofeld said he had heard the old place was rented, and had come to welcome the newcomers to the neighborhood.  He held up his box, and said he had brought fruit.  Julie told Trofeld she had company, and asked if he would like to come in for a moment, and Trofeld said he would be delighted to meet us.”

Elaine paused, but seeing that Allysen and the fighters were listening intently, she went on.

“Trofeld placed the box on a table beside the door and leaned his stick against the wall.  Julie introduced us and he explained he was descended from mountain lions and grinned, exposing very large teeth.  I remember how they gleamed in that dark little room. Trofeld’s walking stick was peculiar. A long straight cylinder about half his height, it had a shiny surface covered with fine markings.  I asked Trofeld if he lived nearby.  He said his home was just across the border.  I asked what he did, and he said he furnished information for district council meetings, and traveled far too much.  As he said this, his long whiskers twitched.  I was going to ask about his walking stick, but Julie spoke up and said she was a traveler too, and had rented the house for just a few months before starting a new job.

“Trofeld asked about her job, and then asked if she had anyone living with her.  Julie said no.  Then Trofeld turned his large round yellow eyes on me and asked if Paul and I had any family living with us.

“I told him that our two children were at home with our babysitter.  I remember adding that if we weren’t home by 10:30 and didn’t call, the babysitter would call my mother.

“I asked Trofeld if he had a family and he said they were estranged.  His whiskers twitched again as he said that.

“Trofeld was remarkable.  He listened with understanding to our ideas about education, politics, and the economy, he told stories and jokes, and he even taught us the difference between limericks and haiku.  Let’s see, five lines; first, second, and fifth rhyme; third and fourth are shorter and form a rhyming couplet.  Haiku:  three lines; five, seven, and five syllables.

“When it was time for us to leave, we shook hands.  Trofeld’s hand was huge, but his fingers were short.  I think he had retractable claws.  When he took my hand, I had a faint sensation that needles touched my wrist . . ..

“We were nearly home when I remembered my grandmother’s bowl.  Paul grumbled, but turned around.  I knocked, waited, and finally knocked again before the door opened.  It was Trofeld, dabbing his lips with a towel.

“I told him I had forgotten my bowl.

“Trofeld volunteered to get it.  He asked me what color it was.  I guess he could tell I was surprised he was still there.  He said Julie was fixing him a bite to eat before he went home.

“I remember feeling nervous.  Julie had just met Trofeld.  Doesn’t it seem odd that he answered the door?”

Allysen and the other Tsaeb did not respond.

Elaine went on. “While Trofeld was getting the bowl, I noticed his stick was gone and his box had fallen.  I put the box back on the table and looked around for the stick, but didn’t see it.

“The next morning I had to start getting ready for spring semester, and I didn’t think of Julie for days.  When I did, I called and left a message about having her over for dinner.  She didn’t reply.  I guessed she might be visiting her parents, but I tried another time, and again there was no answer. “

“And you still haven’t heard from her,” Allysen asked.

“No, we haven’t, and I’ve gotten worried.  When I think about how quiet it was around her house that night, I wonder if Trofeld is still living nearby.  If you see him, would you mind asking if he saw Julie again?”

“I will,” Allysen said.  “Let me have your phone number.  Here’s mine.  Call me if you hear from Julie.”

As Allysen and the fighters went on down the road, one of the fighters muttered, “It doesn’t look good for Julie.”

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Genre –  Science Fiction

Rating – PG

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Connect with Garry Rogers on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://garryrogers.com/

Lee Tidball – It’s Still All About Who You Know – Part Two @leetidball

It’s Still All About Who You Know – Part Two

by Lee Tidball

In Part One of this post, we discussed a bit of how difficult success can be for the writer who doesn’t “know someone who is someone” in the publishing/movie business.  And I also let you in on three active steps that I took to build a network that would increase my chances of someday meeting that elusive “someone.”  I took an online screenwriting class, I hired a reputable, highly experienced team of mentors, and I joined a local writers’ group.  That was all anywhere from 5 to 8 years ago.

So now, let’s see how it’s all panned out.  Below are just a few of the more notable advancements that have happened in my writing career as a result of afore-mentioned networking strategies, and more importantly, how they happened.

- Since I wanted to submit screenplays to producers through cold calls, I knew I needed some sort of legal representation to go through, as major Hollywood production companies don’t accept material they don’t solicit unless it’s through some legal entity (agency, manager, entertainment attorney, etc.).  This is to protect them from lawsuits.  So I put out a query for an entertainment attorney on my mentors’ professional email network.  Within two days, I had a referral to an attorney for a well-respected Hollywood firm who ONLY TAKES NEW CLIENTS ON REFERRAL.  I queried that attorney, she asked to look at my material, and within a couple months I was her client.  She’s since negotiated two screenwriting options for me and three book contracts, all for a percentage of my profits with no fees upfront (that’s how the real entertainment attorneys operate—not those just trying to profit off of desperate writers who charge “signing fees,” “maintenance fees,” “billable hours,” or whatever else they may be called).

- A director on my mentors’ professional email network put out a call for a family-friendly kids movie that she could possibly produce for Disney Channel.  I submitted a query to her about a Christmas script that I’d written.  She loved the script, but felt it was too “big-budget” for a TV movie, but still felt it was good enough that she was going to pass it on to her agent, who had more contacts with bigger production companies.  She did that, the agent loved the script, and has been my representation in Hollywood ever since for ALL my projects.

- A writer on the Screenwriting U alumni network put up an announcement a couple years ago that she’d turned one of her scripts into a novel and had just found a publisher for it, a small press in Canada.  And yes, they were looking for more projects, especially graphic novels for middle-grade children.  I had self-published such a project, also based on one of my screenplays, so I queried this publisher, sent along copies of my self-published work, and mentioned the alumnist’s name that was now one of his authors.  Within three weeks, this publisher had accepted my work for publishing, and within a year, both parts of the graphic novel series that I’d self-published in black and white were full-color, legitimately published graphic novels selling on Amazon, BN.com, and other places as both ebooks and print books.

- I later met in person this alumnist from Screenwriting U when we both did an expo event to hand-sell our books and market our publisher’s company.  She mentioned how she was planning to start her own small-press publishing company specifically for screenwriters who could turn their scripts into relatively short novels and build an audience for their work that way.  I told her about some of my scripts, and she asked to read a couple, and subsequently agreed to publish novelized versions of both of them.  I finished the first novel this spring, and within two months of submitting it to her, it was up and for sale on Amazon in both print and ebook form.  We’re now in the midst of an intense marketing campaign.  Meanwhile, my other publisher, who now trusts me, agreed to publish another self-published manuscript that I’d had re-edited, and that new edition will now be legitimately published and for sale later this summer.

Gol, you say, that’s a lot of success.  And yes, I’d have to agree, though I’m certainly not rolling in the dough or doing interviews on Oprah.  Far from it.  But I’m definitely way closer to that now than I was five or six years ago when I first started networking.  And there’s so much more as well.  One of my best “beta readers” is a friend I met at a Screenwriting U event a couple years ago, and I, in turn, was able to get her representation through my agent (now my manager).  My manager got a  ”shopping agreement” option with a Hollywood exec for one of my scripts in part because he knew me and my material from meeting me at a pitch event years ago.  I did a writer’s workshop for which I got very handsomely paid for the local writers’ group of another Screenwriting U alumnist.

NONE of this would have happened, though, if I didn’t network, become a trusted colleague, and make personal connections within the writing communities that I originally got myself involved with.

If you’re truly seeking success as a writer, you’ll find your own ways to begin networking, and you’ll do it NOW.  The reward over the years could just be the success that we all dream about when we first start out.

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Genre –  NeoGothic Horror / Thriller

Rating – R for violence & language

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Epistolary Movies – Ava Zavora @avazavora

Epistolary Movies by: Ava Zavora In Dear Adam, book blogger Eden enters a passionate online relationship with a mysterious Englishman named Adam. Although they eventually talk over the phone, their communication begins with tweets, then progresses to e-mails, chats, and texts, the modern reincarnations of the old-fashioned love letter. Because they communicate this way, Dear Adam can be characterized as an epistolary novel (one written in the form of a series of letters).
Two of my favorite movies of all time are epistolary, involving real letters or e-mails.
Who hasn’t seen You’ve Got Mail, where two rival book store owners unknowingly send each other flirtatious e-mails under the Internet monikers of NY152 and shopgirl?

Very different in tone but using the same device in a fantasy framework, Alex and Kate exchange letters and fall in love in The Lake House. Easy right? Wrong. She’s writing from 2006, he’s writing from 2004. Confession: I burst into tears at the same scene, every time I watch this movie. You know that scene – the one where she’s on her knees with one hand on the mailbox post … just watch it with a box of tissues.

An oldie but goodie is Roxanne, starring Steve Martin as a modern day Cyrano de Bergerac. Beautiful Roxanne receives letters so passionate and persuasive that she falls in love with (and takes to bed) its writer, Chris. Only Chris didn’t actually pen the letters …

I have to mention this one, because I know this is probably the number one most romantic scene of all time for many, many women. Ryan Gosling. 365 letters. ‘Nuff said.

Which are your favorite movies or novels featuring letters/e-mails?

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Genre - Contemporary Romance

Rating – PG-13

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Christoph Paul – My Mom Won’t Read My Book

My Mom Won’t Read My Book

by Christoph Paul

My mom won’t read my book “The Passion of The Christoph”

I wish it was something moving & heartfelt like she was blind & there is not a braille Kindle we can afford, but its nothing noble like that; no, she just she doesn’t want to read about her son working at a porn store or meeting a French girl who liked to do sexual things to birds (when she kissed me I thought I caught the bird flu–seriously, freaked me the hell out.)

No, my mom got her taste of my life when I had to work on Thanksgiving & she called me at the porn store to overhear me selling anal lube to man who compared what he was going to do to his mistress to stuffing turkeys.

Nope, not her cup of team, especially, when her son is involved; she is also more of a Danielle Stelle reader and my closest thing with romance is the letter I wrote to the Stripper I met at Teaser’s.

But in all seriousness, it is strange to create something you love and are so proud of but you can’t show it to your mom.

Oh, my lonely little bastard book, yet, I’m so proud of him? Her? It? (I do talk about Tranny’s a lot). Yes, this little test tube of literary punk rock is my pride and joy.

Every dick joke, was like an inch it grew–chapter by chapter.

The tales of rehab and military school where I lived with men named Crack Head Pete who liked to pretend to make a mop give him fellatio was the skin and sparkly hair of my baby…but for my mom it was a reminder that I should have joined more clubs and she should have searched my room more for pot.

All these errors turned into some damn hilarious stories to everyone but my mom. My comedy is her tragedy, but if it makes a buck and writing about it makes her son happy she can live with it–she just can’t read it.

To make it up to her I’m working on a ‘fiction’ YA book. She said it should be like Nicholas Sparks. So far it is going the love story route, very ‘Sparkian’…just with lots and lots of dick jokes…

Sorry Mom.

With a biting sense of humor, sarcasm, and a unique worldview, Christoph Paul’s “The Passion of the Christoph” exposes readers to an unprecedented commentary on every topic. Paul’s take on sex, religion, politics, sports, to name a few, will leave you transformed as you absorb this insightful compilation of satiric and hysterical essays.

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Genre – Humor / NonFiction

Rating – NC17

More details about the book

Connect with Christoph Paul on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://christophpaulauthor.com/

Brie McGill – Why Independent Publishing Rocks @briemcgill

Why Independent Publishing Rocks
by Brie McGill
WWGD? What would Gutenberg do, if he could log onto Amazon and cruise around for books? (Other than, of course, be redirected to amazon.de to make a purchase.)
Love them or hate them, ebooks have dramatically reshaped the publishing landscape. I’m a diehard fan of the portable, apocalypse-proof hardbacks, but ebooks speak more to my budget. I only have Kindle for PC, but it has made me want to buy a reader, because I’ve since read a mountain of amazing texts not available in the local big-name bookstores.
When I finished writing my first book, Kain, I attempted to publish traditionally. I vowed to snag an agent. My manuscript was so polished I had to wear sunglasses to read it; I sleuthed the internet for tips like my life depended on it and spent nearly as much time crafting my query as I did my entire novel. I was ready to go!
A girlfriend of mine self-published. It was incomprehensible to me, doing all that marketing by myself. Plus, I didn’t have the guts to go out there, into the wild, all alone, with no one to back me up. And, wasn’t there a rumor that self-publishing “tarnished” one’s reputation, making it more difficult to snag an agent in the future? It’s the rumor that says, “An agent will see that you have self-published, give you the hairy eyeball, and say, ‘Well, why didn’t you come to me in the first place?’”
No one wants the hairy eyeball.
Bubbling with great enthusiasm, I launched a buck-wild querying bonanza. I found every appealing agent in every applicable genre for my book, studied their websites, studied their credentials, studied their blogs, toiled, sweat, and pored night and day over sending them the most graceful personalized introductions on the planet.
One, three, six, seven months later, that swathe of rejection letters came pouring in. It broke my heart, studying all those blogs, only to receive a “dear author” in return.
Now, I’m not railing on agents–I can only imagine the immense amount of work and pressure that comes with the job, wheeling and dealing with the big names. Agents receive something like 200 unsolicited emails every day. That many emails would drive me INSANE!
But this brings me to my point: right now, the publishing landscape is crazy. Bookstores are closing; a smaller environment means increased competition, with less agents willing to take on new authors.
Too bad for new authors!
To persist in an endeavor that would only bring certain heartache felt like clinging to a whimsical boyfriend who was never truly pleased: I sucked it up and went indie.
My neck was on the chopping block: it was up to me to secure my edits, without the help of the time-tested professionals. But I retained creative input on my cover. I stopped worrying about whether or not I needed to censor myself–writing queries felt like a dreadfully stuffy process, and I was not in my element. I realized I look better in my homemade robot suit than a blazer, slacks, and tie.
Traditionally published or not, there is no guarantee any author is ever going to make enough money to quit his day job–but the difference with independent publishing is, no longer do authors require the permission of someone else to at least try.
Ultimately, the entire process of me putting myself out there was rewarding, because it generated an incredible sense of self-empowerment. I started a project, set a goal, and saw it through every step to completion. I didn’t sell a lot of books my first month–I’m still quite new to the scene–but I did manage to pay my telecom bill, which was more than a stack of rejection letters ever did for anyone. I’m not famous, but a few total strangers chose to read my book of their own free will–my little old book, among so many others!–and they loved it.
If you love writing and have the burning need to share your stories, rain or shine–self-publishing might be for you. It takes guts to venture out into the wilderness all alone, especially the first time. But resonating with a readership, however small, is an incredible feeling–especially when it’s your heart and your magic, nothing else, that made it grow. I have so much to communicate and I want to share it now!
And I can. What would Gutenberg do?

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Genre –  Sci-Fi/Steamy Romance

Rating – R (18+)

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Website http://www.sexdrugsandcyberpunk.com/

Patti Larsen – Ten Things I Love about Writing

Ten Things I Love about Writing

by Patti Larsen

It’s so hard to narrow the list down—I love absolutely everything about what I do. But here goes:

1. I’m my own boss. I don’t answer to anyone but myself. On the other hand, being my own boss means having a very tough task mistress to answer to. I work seven days a week, often twelve or longer hours per day. But I love what I do so much, it’s like I don’t really have a job. I get to play for a living.

2. I’m fulfilling a childhood dream I really never thought I’d get to see come to life. Ever since I was twelve years old, I wanted to be a writer. Through many years of writing, leaving it, coming back to the written word in various incarnations such as screenwriting and journalism, I never quite gave up. Finding my niche, understanding at last the Young Adult genre was home, finally allowed me to open up to the voices in my head and let them out as they were meant to emerge. And gave me the courage I needed to commit to writing for a living.

3. The people I’ve met are amazing, talented, funny, happy to be doing what I’m doing. I’ve always felt so solitary as a writer, just me and the voices. But the network of writers I’ve connected with have made what I do all that much more satisfying.

4. My readers are the most incredible people! And I would never have met them if not through my books. Their passion for my characters, their support and good humor, their emails and messages of encouragement and joy tell me I’m doing it right.

5. I feel like I have a massive extended family—not just the readers who love my work and the writers I’ve connected with, but the characters I write about. They are so real to me, so vivid and their voices so clear, it seems sometimes as though I’m channeling real people who need me to share their words because they can’t do it themselves.

6. I love editing. I know, most writers hate it. But I have two incredible people I work with—my content editor, Annetta Ribken and my copy editor, Jennifer Wingard—both of whom make my job so fun, and turn my work into polished gems of amazingness I couldn’t imagine not having fun in the process. I look at it with expectation, eager to learn with ever manuscript.

7. I’ve worked out an amazing process I love to teach to others, an outlining system drawing on my journalism, university English and screenwriting for inspiration. It thrills me to no end to share that process with others and I see it as one of the best parts of my job.

8. I’m a major hermit and have always loved solitude, so this career is perfect for me. I get enough interaction online to fill me up most days, but also have wonderful friends locally who drag me out of the house often enough I don’t grow mold.

9. Learning, educating, being open to new things drives me all the time to be a better writer, to be more open to the characters in my head. I crave knowledge and don’t think I will ever stop looking for new things to spark my imagination.

10. Finishing the first draft of a book is the most thrilling moment ever. I love typing the last line, sitting back, the job well done. Knowing I’ve done my best, created what the character asked. It’s a fabulous feeling, one I hope I never take for granted.

About Patti Larsen: You’re not looking for my polished bio, huh? You sure you want more? The real dirty, down deep, nitty gritty? Fair enough. Here goes: I’m a card-carrying nerd. It’s taken years to admit it. I’m also a hermit in a writing basement who prefers solitude to people (cats always welcome). I’m a writing fiend who hears the voices of teenagers and blushes at the S-E-X parts. I don’t sleep very well. Ever. My mind is too busy. I am a feline loving married woman who could easily end up a crazy cat lady if my husband would let me. I am a paradigm shifter, a believer in self and my own personal power. I see everything in black and white until the gray is explained to me. I am a fiercely loyal friend, a confidant and a Tarot card reader and intuitive. I am a proud roller derby girl, a total dweeb and can’t dance to save my soul. I am terrified of heights and challenge that fear every chance I get. Oh, and I’m the Creator. The Queen of my own Destiny. I love that.

Find her all over the Internet:

sign up for new release notices www.bit.ly/pattilarsenemail

and find Family Magic www.bit.ly/familymagic

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Genre – YA Urban Fantasy

Rating – PG

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Website http://www.pattilarsen.com/

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Becoming a Published Author – Harriet Hodgson

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Becoming a Published Author

By Harriet Hodgson

Being a published author looks exciting from the outside. From the inside, however, it’s a different story. I’ve been a freelance writer for 36+ years and my years in the trenches have taught me a lot about book publishing. I write non-fiction health and wellness books and these points come from this experience.

1. You have to work hard. When I say work, I mean writing every day. While you may not write during the holidays or when you’re on a trip, most days you sit down and write.
2. Writing takes planning. You start with an idea, make an outline, flesh in the details, do your research, and start writing. This process can take weeks, months, or even years. I worked on a book for a dozen years and am still amazed at the time it took.
3. Revisions come with the territory. The copy that sounded good last week may seem a bit sour the next week. When you’re revising copy, think of Pulitzer Prize winner James Michener, who said he wasn’t a good at writing, but was good at revisions.
4. Rejection also comes with the territory. Every publisher isn’t going to like your book. When your first rejections arrive you may cry. (I did.) Instead of focusing on emotion, focus on making your book better.
5. Staying current is essential. When you’re a published author, you need to be aware of trends and update yourself on them continuously. Your book ideas should fit these trends.
6. People will tell you they were going to write the book. This has happened to me several times and I just say something like “Good ideas have their time” or “Guess we both had the same idea.”
7. Marketing is part of being an author. Publishers’ marketing budgets are shrinking and most publishers, whether they’re royalty publishers, indie publishers, or print-on-demand publishers, ask their authors to help with marketing.
8. Support your book with talks and workshops. Your workshops shouldn’t be book commercials, they should be extensions of your book. People should go away with new information and a better understanding of you.
9. Use the power of the Internet. I’m a grandmother and never received any computer training. Anything I learned I learned from experience. You need an Internet presence in order to sell books.

10. Get reviews. Amazon reviews, Internet book club reviews, and print reviews all draw attention to your book. Getting reviews isn’t easy, but they are worth the time and effort you put into them.

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Genre – Non-fiction

Rating – G

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Website http://harriethodgson.com/

PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR BEGINNING FICTION WRITERS – George Bernstein

PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR BEGINNING FICTION WRITERS

First, understand how difficult it is to make a living solely as a writer. Few succeed like the J.K. Rowlings and John Greshams, and they struggled for years to even to even get published. Those who make real money writing fiction are about .01% of all the writers out there. That’s 1/100^th of ONE PER CENT… one in 10,000!

Second, if you’re still intent on being a writer and getting published by a “REAL” publisher, you’d better have a thick skin. Chances are, you’ll receive rejection… after rejection… after rejection! You may NEVER find an agent or publisher for your work. Louis L’Amore, probably America’s most prolific writer of Westerns, was reputedly rejected 350 times before getting his first story published. I finally got my first novel, Trapped, published (after 22 years and a multitude of rejections) by winning TAG Publishers “Next Great American Novel” contest. Finally (!) someone loved the story, and it’s received over seventy 4 & 5-Star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, after TWENTY-TWO YEARS or rejections!

So, unless you’re writing for the joy of it… that you really want to get that story down on paper, no matter what… find some better use for your time. But if in the face of all that, you still want to write that novel, then here’s some advice.

First, start by learning the craft. There is a lot more to writing a great novel than putting words on paper… a sad truth that plagues many self-published bombs. Pick up a couple of books on fiction writing. Donald Maass’ “Writing the Breakout Novel,” and Albert Zuckerman’s “Writing the Blockbuster Novel,” are two of a legion of titles available. Zuckerman’s book gives you a complete roadmap, from beginning to end. You can search Amazon or www.ABE.com (good, like-new used books, cheaper) or the library. While you’re at it, you should pick up Dave King’s “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers,” which you’ll need later. Reading those will get you on the right track.

Now, imagine the story you want to write, think of where it’s going, and the characters who will take it there… and how you want it to end. I write a brief outline, often chapter by chapter, and make up 4 x 6 cards for each major character. Those cards should show each character’s physical appearance (eye color, hair, nose, height, build, distinguishing features, etc.), and who they are (personality), and a list of their various interests. The more complete you make these, the more “alive” your characters will become, people your readership can connect with. They must laugh, and suffer, and have loveable (or hateful) quirks.  And if while fleshing out your story, you add something to the character, add it to their card. You don’t want a blue-eyed gal to have “emerald” eyes later. Believe me, it happens.

Time to begin writing. Everyone does this differently. Personally, I’ll write the entire story before I do much editing. I don’t worry about spelling, punctuation or grammar while I’m getting my story down. I try to get emotionally involved with my protagonist, and let the players  take over the plot. Each of my four novels changed substantially from my original outline as I wrote. In collaboration with my editor at TAG, Dee Burks, I made substantial revisions to much of the end of Trapped, although I preserved the very ending. In A 3^rd Time to Die, I added, then removed the Prologue several times before finally deciding to keep it, because it set up the storyline.

The hardest work comes when you’ve finished the first draft. My immediate task is a first pass at correcting obvious mechanical errors: spelling, punctuation, grammar and sentence construction. Then look at the story. Did you create sufficient  tension? Donald Maass asks, “What’s the worst thing that can happen to your characters?” After coming up with that trauma, he asks, “What can be WORSE than that?” Wow! Even worse! Okay, you finally think of something really bad, and then Maass asks, “What’s even WORSE than that?” If there’s no jeopardy…no anxiety…no one will bother reading it. And REAL tension, anxiety, or terror doesn’t happen in a few paragraphs… or even a page or two. A problem many writers have is taking the time to make a bad thing worse… and worse… and worse until it seems hopeless, before finally saving the day.

Okay, now you’ve built lots of tension. Time to read the dialog out loud. Does it sound contrived or natural? Join a critique group where you can read some pages, and listen to other read theirs… and develop a sense of what sounds good. Good dialog requires very few tags. Readers should usually know who is talking, but if you need a tag for clarity, keep it mostly to “he said; she said.” And use contractions. People rarely say “I do not” instead of “don’t”…unless it’s used for emphasis.

Then, go back and find “static” words, replacing them with vibrant words. He “scurried” from the room, not “ran.” She “studied” him, not “looked.” The sun “burst” over the horizon, not “rose.” This is how you punch up your prose, and develop you own “voice.”

Next, review your descriptive areas. It’s important for your readers to have a mental picture of how someone or someplace looks…but don’t over-do it. Some writers spend a half-page describing how a person is dressed. That’s way too much, and takes your readers out of the story. Find the middle ground.

Don’t think one edit or revision will do it, either. I removed a complete side plot from my original version of TRAPPED. It was exciting, but just didn’t add to that story. But it wasn’t a loss. I’m using it in one of my new Al Warner detective novel, so that manuscript starts out already half written. Then there is your final copy edit… or three! I’m constantly amazed that, no matter how many times I reread a manuscript, I still find errors… even after a review by a good copy editor.

In the end, writing the first novel will be a huge learning experience. Few authors get their first novel published. In a sense, I bucked that trend with Trapped, my first novel (after 22 years of pitching it). But then I wrote A 3^rd Time to Die and two others, and Trapped is so rewritten from my first draft, it might as well be my 5^th…or 6^th !

That’s what it takes to succeed.

 

Ashley Easton rescues a badly abused horse, deciding to return to show jumping, the passion of her youth. The animal gives unquestioned love, something lacking from her husband, Keith. But when Ashley begins to compete, she is terrified as the show course seemingly changes into an old forest and the jumps appear as real walls, fences and trees. Her thoughts spill through her head in elegant French. As she attacks the fences with an unfamiliar, fearless abandon, she begins winning every competition.

Craig Thornton, an avid horseman, happens upon Ashley’s first competition, entranced as he watches her jump her horse, Injun. Mystically drawn toward each other, it’s as if they knew the other…but from where? After several missed opportunities, they finally meet, becoming fast friends, their love of jumping horses a mutual bond.

Ashley seeks therapy to address a strange terror swamping her whenever she’s intimate. During hypnotic regression, she’s stunned to find herself in two apparent past lives, first in the 17th Century, on a fox hunt as the fearless French horsewoman who fills her head while jumping, and again, 150 years later in Philadelphia, a shipping tycoons daughter. Both times she is fulfilled by glorious romance, followed by the terror of their brutal murder while making fervid love in a forested glade!

The doctor says these are figments of her subconscious, but he’s shaken, knowing the truth. He realizes those were real past lives, and their killer may be lurking again, nearby.

Ashley and Craig soon discover more than friendship. As these two newly rediscovered lovers struggle to free themselves from broken marriages, others plan to fulfill a 300 year-old legacy of death.

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Genre – Romantic Suspense

Rating – PG13

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Rachel Thompson – Writing is a Form of Personal Therapy

Why Writing is a Form of Personal Therapy

by Rachel Thompson

I’ve been writing since I was in the fifth grade. However, it wasn’t until 2011 that I published my first book of essays, A Walk In The Snark. A good portion of that book is based on my blog, in particular the differences between men and women. Though primarily known as the funny girl, a small portion of that book is dedicated to something decidedly sad and real.

As I began writing more material to add to that book, an ex-love of mine killed himself. We’d been in touch the last few months, and in fact, I spoke with him on what would turn out to be his final day. His final hours.

I poured my shock and grief into my writing. Many people had opinions about how I should feel, but I found that writing was my true salvation. Listening to my own voice was what mattered the most. No matter that I hadn’t seen him in over twenty years – to me, a person who I gave my heart to at one point had now vanished from the earth. Suicide leaves so many questions unanswered.

It took about nine months until Snark finally ranked on a major list: Motherhood, and sales started to kick in. During this time, I started writing my next book, where I focused strictly on the humor aspect that people came to know: deconstructing stereotypes with satire. Mancode: Exposed came out just before Christmas of 2012 and shot to the #1 paid spot on Parenting and Families! Having two books out, both ranked and selling well, was a dream come true for me.

As I sat down to write my next humor book, the thoughts of dealing with the grief of my ex’s death, along with the powerful experiences I’d had growing up (molestation, attempted date rape, abuse), kept running through my head. I decided not to argue with my muse and began writing what would become Broken Pieces (released December, 2012). So far, reviewers have loved it.

In order to get my audience prepped for this change in subject matter, from light to dark, I began asking guests to share their own real-life experiences that helped shape them. The guest stories are compelling and terrifying—stories of kidnapping, stalking, rape. I highly recommend you read them.

The most fascinating aspect of asking people to write for me was this: many had never shared what they’d been through before, had never written down what had happened with them. Giving them permission, giving ourselves permission, is a wonderful way to mine those universal truths many of us have experienced.

I’m an advocate of finding those bonds that exist between all of us. There’s no shame in sharing our experiences. If nothing else, it makes us better able to deal with our own realities, knowing we’re never truly alone.

Check out my books on Amazon: A Walk In The Snark, Mancode: Exposed, and my latest, Broken Pieces. Find me on Twitter at@RachelintheOC or my business @BadRedheadMedia. Look up the same names on G+, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. I’m everywhere!

PRAISE FOR BROKEN PIECES:

‘So ridiculously amazing, I can’t take it’ ~ Gabe Berman, Author ‘Live LIke A Fruit Fly‘

‘Engrossed. It is a grippingly brilliant work’ ~ Frank Feather, author and blogger

‘Any woman who has had a former lover (or two or three) will be able to relate to this. Her writing is very poetic.’ ~ LS Hullinger, reader, writer

‘A brilliant and intense must read’ ~ Jeffery Rowan, reader

Out less than three weeks, Broken Pieces already hit the Paid Top 10 list on Women’s Studies!

Welcome to bestselling author Rachel Thompson’s newest nonfiction work! Vastly different in tone from her previous essay collections A Walk In The Snark and The Mancode: Exposed, BROKEN PIECES is a collection of pieces inspired by one woman’s life: love, loss, abuse, trust, grief, and ultimately, love again.

This is NOT a humor book! It IS a book about relationships, a study of women, a book with heart.Want to see why people love it? Why they call it ‘riveting, powerful, insightful?’

Read it and see why Broken Pieces is tearing up the lists for Nonfiction, Women’s Studies, and books for women!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – NonFiction

Rating – PG13

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Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – NonFiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the book

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – NonFiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the book

More details about the author

Connect with Rachel Thompson on Twitter & Facebook

What Inspired Me to Write My Book by T.G. Ayer

FIRE is a Young Adult novel steeped in a mythology that is arguably a living system of belief. Unlike Greek, Roman, Egyptian and even Norse mythology, the Hindu mythology is alive and well in all parts of the world. Today much of Hindu belief still holds true to its pantheon of gods and goddesses.

I wrote about Maya as a character because she was so certain she knew exactly what she believed. How often have we approached an idea of a philophy already one hundred percent sure we knew how it worked or what it was about. Maya knew the gods weren’t real, she knew it was all just mythology, just a way to makes sense of a religion that she believed not longer matters. Not to her at any rate.

But what if everything you ever believed was mere folklore suddenly turned out to be real? How do you handle everything turning upside down in your world? How do you go from total non-believer, or a skeptic, to a believer. That’s what happens to Maya – she not only has to accept the reality of something she always though was a fantasy but she becomes a key figure within a mythology she never ever believed was real.

How does that challenge a person? How do you accept such a turn of events? When you’re so sure it’s all a lie, what happens when you are suddenly staring truth in the face? How do you accept and deal with change.

Here I hope the reader recognises that change is not necessarily a bad thing, and neither is it a nad thing to have ones preconceived notions challenged.

The other facet of the story that drove its writing was prejudice. I’ve always believed that prejudice is a human function it is part of our nature, and is a protective measure – us against what we do not know or what we do not understand. Maya came to her own conclusions about the Kali believers. He didn’t take the opportinuty to learn about it and understand it. She just took what she’d heard and read and held herself away from belief in the goddess because of her negative preconceptions.

This prejudice can be applied to many walks of life from looks, to race, to gender, to economic differences. With this book I was hoping that readers would stop and think about whether they themselves are doing the very same thing Maya does, in whatever context that is applicable to their own lives.

If you do get the opportunity to read FIRE and wish to discuss any aspect of the novel please feel free to email me at tgayer@xtra.co.nz

Buy Now @ Amazon @ Smashwords

Genre – YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Rating – PG13

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Website http://tgayer.wordpress.com/

It Takes a Spy to Catch a Spy by Tarah Scott

Interweaving fiction with history

While my latest release, the Scottish historical My Highland Lord, begins in 1837, the history goes back seventeen years, when one of the most daring assassination attempts of the nineteenth century rocked Regency England.

“What happened next was a frenzy of killing…”(1) This is how the night might have ended for the Ministers gathered at Lord Harrowby’s London home, February 23, 1820 if not for the intervention of His Majesty’s spies. The Cato Street Conspiracy, as the mass assassination attempt was dubbed, was led by Arthur Thistlewood, leader of the radical Spencean Philanthropists Society, and was one of the most daring assassination attempts in England’s history. Thistlewood and his men were stopped by John Stafford, Bow Street Sheriff and supervisor of the Home Office spies.

The trap Stafford set was a full blown sting operation worthy of a modern day spy movie. Spies were installed in Thistlewood’s organization and a few members were recruited as snitches. A notice was placed in the paper that the Cabinet would be meeting at Harrowby’s, and money was funneled into the organization for the weapons needed to carry out a mass murder. Thistlewood snatched up the bait like a hungry lion and he and his men set up their headquarters at the Horse and Groom, a public house on Cato Street that overlooks the stable. On the day of the planned assassinations as the would-be criminals gathered for the task they believed would herald in a new era for Great Britain, Stafford’s men swooped in and arrested them. One Bow Street officer was killed—run through with a sword by Thistlewood himself—and the guilty men scattered. Over the course of a few days most of the top conspirators were found. Two months later, they were tried and hanged for High Treason. But one man, Mason Wallington, Baron Arlington, escaped…or so goes the history in My Highland Lord, the second book in the Highland Lords series.

There is, of course, much more to the story of The Cato Street Conspiracy. For example, Arthur Thistlewood believed God had presented him with the opportunity he’d been waiting for to murder the top government officials in one swoop, and the government conspiracy to stop him seems to stop short of the King himself. But such details are an example of the lifeblood that infuses the subtle elements of a story.

This dramatic backdrop and its dark undertones was a perfect setting for the heroine of My Highland Love. Phoebe Wallington, daughter of Mason Wallington, followed in her father’s footsteps and became a British spy. Phoebe, however, wanted to do more than protect her country, and set out on a quest to prove her father’s innocence. He was a patriot, a man who put his life on the line by spying for the Crown.

When our story officially begins, being Scottish was on the cusp of being in fashion and Scottish lords were hard at work to abolish the old ways of farming in favor of more lucrative business ventures. Yet there were leaders who understood that many of the changes made in the name of progresses weren’t all positive. The political climate in Scotland called for leaders who understood both sides of the argument. So was born the hero of My Highland Lord, Kiernan MacGregor, the Marquess of Ashlund, a Scottish lord who was as much British as he was Scottish—at least in appearance.  And, as unique as my hero might be, he wasn’t alone in walking both sides of the political line.

I often hear “I couldn’t write historical romance. The research must be daunting.” For me, the research is half the fun of writing historical fiction. I always feel like I’m cheating just a little when I weave real events into a story because my characters gain a credibility that makes it easy for readers to accept the possibility that they could have have lived and acted as they do in my stories. But with that advantage comes the responsibility to root the reader firmly in the past and slip our characters in as if they belong there. Once we gain the reader’s trust, they’ll be fans forever. That’s a win/win situation for everyone. The trick is, never letting the lines show between truth and fiction. That’s a challenge I just can’t resist.

(1) Take from Enemies of the State: The Cato Street Conspiracy by  M.J Trow

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Genre – Historical  Romance

Rating – R

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Website http://www.tarahscott.com/

Henry Mosquera – Why Book Covers are So Important

Why Book Covers are So Important

by Henry Mosquera

A lot of self-published writers confuse aesthetics with effectiveness. A good book cover is not meant to please our eyes but to garner attention. Your cover should stand out from those around it, it should stay in people’s minds, and it should generate interest. Let’s say you see a bunch of novels and one stands out because you hate the cover. You may comment about it to a friend, make fun of it and bring it up whenever an example is appropriate. Well, guess what? That hateful image is living happily inside your head, when better-executed covers have failed to make an impression. An extreme case, perhaps, but it illustrates the difference between “pretty” versus “attractive.”

A book cover has more in common with a billboard than a painting. You want to grab a potential reader’s attention; they don’t have to fall in love with the artwork. The publishing industry knows that awards, blurbs from famous authors, and reputable reviews sell novels not covers.

Of course, a cover is the first impression a reader gets of your book. So you want it to be professional, which is one of the problems most indie novels face. Just as Microsoft Word doesn’t necessarily breed good writers, Adobe’s Photoshop doesn’t make you a professional artist. These are just tools take make the work easier for the initiated. You can cut and paste all you want and play with fonts and filters, but a computer program will not transfer you the skills of a trained designer. No matter how simple it may look to you.

If you don’t have the skills, hire someone who does. The last thing you want is for a reader to look at your novel and go, “Meh, it looks amateurish and cheap,” and walk away (click away?) from your novel. You may have spent all of this money on editors, manuscript annalists and proofreaders to shape up your novel to a professional quality, but if no one picks it up, who cares? If you are self-published the odds are already against you. The stigma of unprofessionalism already mires your work, whether it’s true or not. So why position yourself on a lesser light? Invest on a professional cover. That’s right, it’s not an expense, but an investment towards your books success. As independent authors, we have to strive to do everything in our power to present our work in the highest quality possible. Otherwise we will never shake off the image of the raggedy horde of untalented creators.

If you truly posses the skill set to design your covers, here are a few tips you may find useful: artwork doesn’t have to be overtly elaborate to fulfill its purpose. Most covers out there are busy, cliché and forgettable. Spend some time thinking about your book’s cover, go to a bookstore and see what pops out from the shelves and analyze why. Search the Internet for lists of the best covers and study how the designers approached their task. Keep in mind that the artwork of your book will most likely be used in other ways like banners, social media sites, tie-in merchandising i.e. T-shirts, etc. You want your design to be able to transfer easily to whatever suits your marketing and advertising needs. Think branding. Remember, your book is not only what lies between the covers, but what is on them as well. It deserves the same kind of care and attention.

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Genre – Political Thriller

Rating – R

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Website http://redroom.com/member/henry-mosquera

D.A. & M.P. Wearmouth – Self-publish or small press

Self-publish or small press

by D.A. & M.P. Wearmouth

After completing a novel the first thing anyone will ask is “are you published.”  Their inference that ‘published’ is generally accepted as an industry recognised validation of your work, and that it will be appealing to a market of readers.

The changes and evolution in the publishing world are well documented but fundamentally can be traced back to the ebook.  A reader can now download a book onto a device in seconds from an online store removing layers of cost to the selling price of a book.  Furthermore using KDP, anyone can upload a book for sale on Amazon.  It’s true most books do not make it into ‘brick and mortar’ stores but there is no need when print on demand can deliver a paperback.  The publishing world is opening up, but the doors to the upper publishing realm are firmly closed for the time being on the vast majority of indie authors.

In the vacuum of this change in state, small press publishers have taken advantage and offer many indie authors a form of publishing.  They are not new and most offer a valued service to their clients in steering them through the stages of publishing and marketing a book.  However for the modern media savvy author who can upload and market themselves, what do the small presses offer?

The positive spin on a small press is that they are knowledgeable industry experienced professionals who can reach more readers than the indie author alone.  They can provide guidance on editing and will usually provide book cover and copy edit services.  The authors book will be joining a list of other titles which can advertise each other in their back covers and also online.  More importantly, seemingly to some authors, is that the small presses provide a ‘warm fuzzy feeling’ of being published.

The negative spin is that some small presses have a business plan to contract c.200 books under their banner.  The books can be all uploaded to KDP in the same way an indie author would to Amazon, but the small press will take 35% royalty.  In simple terms if the book is £2, then Amazon take 60p, the small press take 70p and the author will receive 70p per ebook (worse for the author on paperback more like 10% ie 20p).  For this equal share of royalties the small press will advertise on their website and other social media.  The vast majority do not have the time or budget for any paid advertising which would be funded by the author.  Therefore out of your 70p per book, expect to spend all royalties advertising online.  The small press business plan has practically no upfront or on-going costs, they expect to be presented with a finished product.  The author pays for marketing and the small press can then upload multiple titles, all generating royalties of 35%.

Small presses play an integral and important part of the publishing industry; however the indie author should exercise extreme caution before signing up.  KDP has opened the possibility for an author to truly work independently and be as successful as mainstream publishers.  Still have that fuzzy feeling?

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Horror/Science Fiction

Rating – R

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Website http://dampwearmouth.com/

Christine Locke – How to Avoid the Rejection Blues: A Bad Review Can Be A Good Thing

How to Avoid the Rejection Blues:  A Bad Review Can Be A Good Thing

By Christine Locke

In a recent author interview, I was asked what I think of receiving a bad review.   I did not write the first thing that came to mind.  That would have been, “I hate it! Want to throw my laptop at the wall, cry into my coffee, and throw a tantrum, hate it!”  No, that’s not what I wrote.  Instead, I responded with the first rational thing that came to mind.

A bad review now and then is good for me, I said.  And, if you are a writer, it’s good for you, too.  Why?

First, and we all know this, bad reviews keep you humble.  Sure, they sting.  I’ve seen bestselling authors post links to their bad reviews as they ponder what was said in them and lick the resulting wounds.  But, if you’re willing…

Bad reviews teach you, which is my second point.  No writer learns anything from relatives telling her, “Your book is awesome!”  Not that you need to respond or change your writing to suit those who don’t like it and maybe never will, but there are times when a reviewer has a point.  In those moments, if we are willing, we can take what we read and use it to make our next book a better one.

And, finally, here’s what I wrote in my brief answer to the interviewer’s question: an occasional bad review gives my good reviews credibility.  If you only have five-star reviews, potential readers must wonder if your readers are all family members.  Or, worse, they’ll think you paid for your reviews.  Reviews matter, and readers are savvy about them.  They can tell if it seems like the person writing did not really read your book.

Controversy–disagreement over quality or subject matter– shows true engagement.  Someone cared enough to come back and say your book was a five star read?  Great!  Even better if someone else was passionate enough to come back and give it two.  Controversy might inspire other reviewers to get in on the action with their own two cents.  See?  With no controversy and all favorable reviews, maybe the book really is great, but there have not been enough readers to spark a true discussion.

That’s the most important take-away: we don’t just love reading stories.  We love discussing stories.  In a room full of five-star reviewers, the two-star review is what gets the conversation going.  Otherwise, no one has anything to say about your book.  Discussions—even arguments—are “buzz.”  And that’s why an occasional bad review is a good—even necessary—thing.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Young Adult

Rating – PG/PG13

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Website http://christinelockebooks.blogspot.com/

AFN Clarke – How To Approach Writing A Book?

How To Approach Writing A Book?

by AFN Clarke

I’ve seen countless books or articles on “how to write a book in 6 easy steps” and most of the time, though I know they can be useful, they smack of a formula that is antithetical to the creative process and to an author finding their own unique approach to writing.  Every author I have ever spoken to has a completely different way of writing a book. Some write “on the fly”, some plot out the whole story first.

Personally, I have been told my “stream of consciousness” way of writing is the craziest of all but it works for me and so I guess I must be just a little insane!  I never plot out my whole book on paper.  I do have an idea in my mind of the overall story, a primary focus and the major characters who’ll drive the action. But once I start, the story and characters take over and write themselves.  They take on a life of their own as they are, for all intents and purposes, real people and real people react differently to the world depending on their personalities, emotions and life histories. So as their personalities develop so does the story. Often even I am surprised at the twists and turns that appear on the page and yet to me this is a very organic way of writing and mimics our human experience. I can’t force a character to be the way I want them to be – I can only “listen” and “reveal”.

But let’s go back one step, because there’s an important element I missed. Before I write the first word, I have to settle on the title and design the cover.  I can’t write without either – the cover design especially.  Being a very visual person for me the cover is the visual embodiment of the whole book.  It’s like a vessel, the context from which I can then proceed. So for me, page 1 of my book is not the opening line but the cover. Everything flows from there.

My way of writing isn’t easy because I am always holding so much in my mind – every nuance, twist and turn, the whole book as it progresses swims around in my head and weaves together into the unique tapestry that I tap out on my keyboard everyday.  And I’m not easy to live with then, distracted by living more in my “book world” than the “real world”.  So if you’re anything like me then cherish your loved ones, as anyone who puts up with you is rare and precious!

So how does someone new to writing find her/his own unique approach? It sounds corny, but the best advice I can give is – just start!  Do what feels most comfortable to you – describe a scene, start talking as one of your characters or an observer looking back on the story – and see where it takes you.  Then think about what felt good and came easily and what you felt you were forcing.  Learn to check in with your emotions and trust your instincts.

There is no right and wrong way to write. Some authors barely use verbs.  Some use two word sentences, some very long never-ending sentences – it’s what you transmit, what you can evoke in your reader’s imagination and have them experience that’s important in the end. There are many ways to get there.

AFN CLARKE is the son of a British MI6 operative, pilot, sailor, screenwriter, father of four who’s lived all over the world, served in the British Army and recovered from the physical/emotional traumas of war.  His bestselling memoir CONTACT was serialized in a British newspaper and made into an award winning BBCTV film.  He’s insatiably curious, loves heated discussions and has a rascally sense of humor. He now writes fiction of various genres – thrillers (The Orange Moon Affair and An Unquiet American); human drama (Dry Tortugas), humor/satire (Dreams from the Death Age; Armageddon), horror (Collisions) with more coming soon.  For more information visit http://www.afnclarke.com, connect on Facebook or Twitter (@AFN Clarke).

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Genre – Autobiography / Biography & Memoir

Rating – 18+

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Website http://www.afnclarke.com/

My Kick in the Butt by Keira Michelle Telford

In 2010, my father died. In 2011, I published my first book.

My father died relatively young. He was only 62, and he died alone, surrounded by the only thing that ever made any real sense to him: his artwork. He worked for Royal Worcester, painting still life on porcelain. (Though he did work in other mediums for pleasure, first and foremost, he was always a ceramic artist).

We have a lot in common, my father and I. He never paid for a haircut in all of his adult life, and I started cutting my own hair a few years ago. He had blue eyes, so do I. He was creative, and so am I. He had (undiagnosed) Asperger’s syndrome, and so do I. Will I end up dying alone, surrounded by the only thing that’s ever made any real sense to me (writing)? Probably. And I’m okay with that. My autism makes it difficult to make social bonds, and I often find myself somewhat alienated from the world—just like my father was.

There’s one path I don’t want to follow him down, though. He was a very talented painter, but he never put that talent to any appreciable use. He was made redundant from Royal Worcester in the mid-1980s, and became self-employed. In a way, that should’ve been a great opportunity for him. No longer did he have to paint what other people wanted him to paint, he could paint whatever he liked. The only trouble was he found it too difficult to put his work out there in the world. Something held him back, though I’m not sure if it was a fear of rejection, or just a lack of the social skills necessary to market himself in the way you really need to when you’re working for yourself. (Something I also struggle with).

In any case, the saddest aspect of his passing (outside of my own personal grief, of course) was this sudden realization of all the wasted potential there was in his life. He loved to paint, got irritable when he couldn’t, and lived and breathed through these beautiful pieces of art that never saw the light of day. They just gathered dust in his painting room, like my novels were gathering virtual dust on the hard-drive of my laptop.

I might not mind dying alone, as an eccentric recluse who cuts her own hair and talks to herself, but I made up my mind right there and then that I didn’t want to die with all my thoughts locked up inside my head. Whether I achieve any modicum of success (success being a totally subjective concept anyway) or not, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is the effort, and the attempt to leave a mark on the world in some small way. To create something indelible, as proof that you were ever here at all.

Eerily, when I was emptying out his house, I found a note tucked in amongst a stack of papers of all things he intended to write or talk to me about and never got the chance. The note said: Alas, it is the fate of most of us to touch the world lightly and leave no prints. See if you can grab it a bit harder.

So that’s what I’m doing.

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Genre – Dystopian Sci-Fi

Rating – 18+

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Website http://www.ellacross.com/