New Tips and Tricks - or - How There is Power in Numbers

I am FB friends with a wonderful person who has figured out the mystery of Amazon and reviews. And unlike everyone else lately, she is doing it with much integrity and not a scrap of deception.  Her concept is simple: make ebooks available to people who will actually read them, then post their opinions, fabulous or not, on the Amazon site, as well as others.  So brilliant you might wonder why no one else thought of it.  I know why.  Because Wanda Hartzenberg, the architect of this brilliance, is something many are not.  

She is selfless.  

She does this because she genuinely loves books, loves reading, and loves the indie author.  We are blessed to know her.  Please, read on and find out more about her alarmingly simple program and facebook page.

How There is Power in Numbers - by Wanda Hartzenberg of WaAR (Wanda's Amazing Amazon Reviewers)

So the ever popular and brilliant writer Samantha Combs asked me to do a blog post.  The topic she asked about was relatively simple.  She asked why did I start WaAr or Wanda's amazing Amazon review group and in general, why did I start assisting Indie authors.

My reply, I can't write about that - My motivation for starting everything I had thus far was because I started to befriend some authors and became involved in their daily struggles.  I got the impression that people sit around, waiting for a book to be offered for free, reading it, and then moving onto the next.

Thus, my impression of most people on Facebook was that they were opportunist.  I can't write about that, can I? As it turns out, I can. 

See this is how it started, step by step, breath by breath I first saw the one side of an Indie Author life.  As an Indie you spend mass amount of time and effort and money to promote your book in the hopes for A SALE.  A single sale makes these people jump for joy.  Then to build a following and gain reviews these same authors gift the fruit of their labor to readers in the hopes of?..

According to me, very few of these hopes were met.

So I grew upset and made it my mission to change things.

But boy was I wrong.

Soon I saw that this story has another side. 

It became apparent that Amazon has certain specifications regarding the way they will promote authors.  First the author needs 50 reviews on Amazon per Amazon site.  Thus 50 in UK, 50 on .com etc.  That is a lot of reviews.  Then Amazon want 100 likes on that books, Amazon page and a further 50 agreed tags.  This way Amazon will start to promote a book to a wider audience than we can ever reach on Facebook.

                So I figured?.let's see if we can do this?

I started WaAr and it is a smashing success, apart from...

I soon realized that my first impression of readers was wrong.  Or mostly wrong.  It turns out that nobody took the time to educate Indie book readers.  They do not know about Amazon's review policies for books; they do not know the import of an honest review.  Most still do not know about likes and tags, so it came down to educating readers as well as authors.

I was delighted to find that I am wrong.

So what is next for WaAr? we will be branching out to Goodreads to a greater extent than we are currently involved, taking and making WaAr and the authors we support even more known. 

If you are an avid reader who would love to exchange an honest review for a free copy of a book? Then look up Wanda's amazing Amazon reviewers under groups on Facebook and ask to join.  We would love more reviewers. 

You heard the girl:  If you are a reader and want to be a reviewer, Wanda wants you.  Contact her here:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/328607697211329/

And if you are an author, make sure you tell her THANK YOU!

My Tips Theme Continues; Liz DeJesus Style: What to Take to Your Book Signing

My super Musaling author friend, Liz DeJesus wrote a fabulous post about the above topic, so of course, I hijacked it!  LOL...Liz gave me permission to share her vital information with my blogosphere.

Even if you think you are far from a book signing, trust me, if you dream it, it will come.  My first is upcoming and I found each and every one of Liz's tips priceless.  At the end of the blog, thank her, comment, and check out her books.  That's the best way to show gratitude to an indie author.  Now, enjoy the tips!

What to Take to Your Book Signing  by Liz DeJesus

Things to do: Book signing edition  

·        Nov. 26th, 2012 at 11:36 AM

Recently went to B & N and there was a lady there having a book signing. I purchased a copy of her book because I support indie authors. But I was surprised at how completely bare her table was. No business cards. No handouts. Nothing...just her book. I can understand if she couldn't afford any of it but how are people supposed to check out her book and her other books if they don't have something to take home and at least remind them of their visit?

So in preparation of my own book signing on December 8th, here's a short list of everything I'm going to bring to Between Books.

1. Business cards. Seriously, this is a basic necessity, you can go to vistaprint.com and get 250 of them for $10. I look at it as 250 potential book sales. Sure, someone can easily toss it in the trash the moment they walk out of the store but there's that tiny chance that someone might turn around and buy a copy of your book.

2. Handouts. The last time I had a book signing I designed a really nice looking pamphlet with an excerpt of The Jackets. That actually worked for me. It gave people a moment to stop at my table or even walk around the store to read the excerpt. I had about 3-4 people come back to buy my book from that alone. And since my hubby printed them in color for me at work that didn't cost me anything so I actually made a profit. :D (See? The smartz. I haz them.)

3. The cover of your book on display. Some publishers will send the author a few pieces of cardboard with just the cover of your book. I use them and stick them by the store window and display it on the table.

4. Smile. No one will buy your book if you're a big ol' grouch. Smile. Chat with people. Be witty. Be funny. Show your personality. Don't just sit at the table staring off into space.

5. Don't write during your book signing. You're not in a zoo. No one wants to see you in your natural habitat or your natural state of being. You're there to sell your book. Don't ignore people.

6. Freebies. People love free stuff. If you can afford it have some stickers made with the cover of your book. I went to moo.com and I got some really nice ones made.

7. Talk up your book. No one knows your book better than you do. When someone asks you what your book is about don't freeze up and please don't start with 'Uh...um...it's a like..." If it helps, try and memorize the blurb in the back of the book that way it gives you something to start with. Most people want to know about your writing. How long you've been at it. Is this your first book? Etc. Talk to people. Which is funny considering how most authors are a bunch of introverts and often lack social skills but this is one area you need to work on. Especially if you wanna make it as an author.

8. Don't be nervous. People are just people. No one is going to judge you or make fun of you or anything like that. So just relax and have fun.

9. Bring a nice pen. Don't bring a large marker, or a crazy colored Sharpie. Whatever pen you use to write with, use that to sign your books. No one wants to see your name signed in neon pink. Black or blue will suffice.

10. Have fun. You're probably going to invite friends and family to your book signing. Have fun. Share your love of books and writing with them. 

Hope this helps. I'll be sure to share some pictures from my upcoming book signing. :)

Be sure and let Liz know how much you enjoyed the post.  There are a million ways to contact her.  Here are a few:

Contact Info

Address	Newark, DE
Screen Name	isabellerose23(Yahoo! Messenger)
Website	http://www.freewebs.com/lizdejesus http://liz-dejesus.livejournal.com http://www.myspace.com/lizdejesus23 http://www.tftanthology.webs.com
Email	lizdejesus@facebook.com

I'd Rather Be Poked in the Eye with a Flaming Hot Burning Marshmallow and Stick than Market My Book?

I have a wonderful friend who has been lucky and talented enough to do what we all want to....write full-time and make money doing it.  I asked her if she would share any of her tips with my followers for the blog, and was overwhelmed with the professional quality and wealth of information she provided.  

Please take the time to read all of this post.....the tips are invaluable!

Welcome, Calle J. Brookes!

I’d like to say thanks for having me guest post, Samantha! I don’t do very many blog posts and I am happy to be here!

Today I am going to write about marketing.

Hiss. Boo! Reowrrrr!!!!

Every bit of my body recoils whenever I even think about marketing. And with good reason—a few years ago I spent  more than fifty plus hours a week working my tail (and horns) off in the marketing industry! I started in a relatively low-level position and within a year I was the head of the marketing department. Now, I am so burned out, repulsed, and totally turned off by marketing and promotion and all that other jazz that even the thought of promoting my books has my skin crawling.

Yeah. I know. Pretty strong reaction, isn’t it? Especially for an indie author…because rumor has it, we have to market our books to make any kind of showing in this crazy Amazonian era of digital publishing. (And market, and market, and market, and market until that is all we ever do!)

Well, frankly, that rumor is a complete and total piece of…baloney. At least in my experience. Your millage may certainly vary.

So today, I thought I’d share my “Anti-Marketing” Plan with you.

First, I probably should give you a little background info about who I am, right? I am Calle J. Brookes, freelance graphic designer, freelance non-fiction writer (I love textbooks!), and content editor for Astraea Press and other clients. I am college educated in two fields—creative writing and graphic arts. I live in Indiana with my wonderful man of eight years and our two-year old, werewolf-obsessed howling daughter (not sure where she gets this obsession from…)

I am also the writer behind the Dardanos, Colorado series of paranormal romance novels/novellas, and the PAVAD romantic suspense. The first Dardanos book came out in October 2011 and the first PAVAD book in April 2012. Since then, a second PAVAD book has hit the ‘shelves’ and six more Dardanos books have found their way to the world. Most recently, I released an omnibus of the first five novellas for the Dardanos series.

My books are doing reasonably well. Well enough that I don’t have to put my child in daycare and get an out-of-the-house job to pay my share of the family bills. This is particularly important to us—our daughter has severe allergies and cannot be in a regular daycare safely.

I lucked out with the self-publishing. And I know it.

After only three months of my first book being available, I was able to completely flip my income percentages. I went from ninety percent of my income resulting from freelance work and ten percent from fiction sales to where I am now. Ninety percent of my income comes from book sales. My monthly average from sales is in the four-digit range, once all venues are tallied. (I’m not talking the two places to the right of the decimal point!) And other than the freelance projects that interest me, I don’t have to do freelance at all, anymore. This happened in less than three months.

I don’t get it. I still don’t understand exactly how this happened. But I’m glad it did.

Here’s what I did. Some of it might work for you. Some might not. One thing I learned from my time in the marketing industry is that what works sometimes won’t necessarily work all the time, or for everyone. And sometimes you’ll completely bomb on something that is the winning solution for the writer next door. Keep it in mind…

1. I wrote. And wrote. And wrote. I devoted ninety percent of my scheduled work time to…writing. I still do, actually. I write a minimum six hours each day—three throughout the day, around my daughter’s schedule and three hours after she and her daddy are asleep. Most often, my writing time is double this—my child thankfully enjoys playing independently in our home office, so I am able to accomplish quite a lot while still being able to see her at all times. I can average 6000 words per day (unless she’s not feeling well—then I may manage 500!) and the bare bones of a book in five-seven weeks, four if I’m on a roll.

2. I know my audience and what they like and look for. The people buying my paranormals are not necessarily the same people buying my romantic suspenses. I know this, and I design my covers accordingly. How did I learn who they were? Simple. Research. One thing I did take from my marketing career is researching the market I’m trying to sell in!

I looked at the Amazon “also-boughts’ list and I noticed a pattern of titles. The two series’ did not overlap greatly. (That was intriguing, as I thought I’d get quite a few cross-over buys, which hasn’t really occurred that much yet. Maybe when the next PAVAD comes out on New Years?) Then I studied the books in each genre, and took note of length, cover design, blurb, and their “also-boughts”. I also engaged people on my blog. I’ll talk about my blog in a moment.  I love my blog. It’s my best friend. (No, seriously. I’m not that weird, I promise! I have a real best friend or two, I swear!)

3. I did not use social media. Ick. As an author, I do not like social media. I do have a Facebook author page and I have probably the most pathetic, sickly, weak, awful, and pitiful looking twitter account in the history of author twitter accounts. I’ve tried, half-heartedly, to get involved in the Facebook/twitter promo of my work, but I have epically failed on that front. Probably my subconscious reminding me of how huge a part of my previous marketing job FB/Twitter was. Seriously. I’m repulsed by promo-via-social-media (other than the aforementioned blog, that is!). I personally cannot stand to be on my personal Facebook page (Hey, I do have family I want to keep in touch with, so I manage!) and see an author-acquaintance plugging yet another of their books. I don’t go to my page to see someone saying “Buy me, buy me!” I wouldn’t like it in person—I don’t like it online. Can’t help it. It’s my sales-person experience coming through. I know the buy tricks and I won’t fall! I swear I won’t!!!!!!

4. My blog. This is where the vast majority of the information about my work is available. (I shut down my webs.com site because I didn’t like the setup over there—instead I direct traffic to my wordpress blog, makes far less work to take away from my writing time/family time). From the very beginning I wanted my blog to be my readers’ portal to another world or two, which are extensions of my fiction worlds. 

On my blog readers will find free reads, written in a fan fiction type manner, with me posting a few chapters every so often (I aimed for 2-3 times per month. That happened sometimes, but not always). These free reads were shorter works from the same series of other books I had to offer. And they were not quick flash fiction pieces. They ended up being as long as some of my novellas that were selling on Amazon.

I actively tried to answer every commenter on my blog. It’s polite and something I enjoy doing. Because these people liked the worlds I created enough to take their valuable time to visit my blog and comment. That’s pretty special and deserving of respect. I especially love to read peoples’ reactions to the stories-in-progress. It’s definitely encouraging!

My available book info is kept as up-to-date as possible with active links to each site where the book can be purchased. (when I remember, which has been pitifully not often, lately as the kid has been ill for a while…L)

I don’t inundate my blog followers with information they don’t need or want. I keep it as book related as possible and I actively try to engage them on my blog. Nowhere else. They came to my blog to see what I have to offer. No more, no less. So I give them what they need. Period.

I also occasionally let my readers know any important release information. Many come to the blog for the first time searching for info on upcoming releases.

This brings me to my final two points:

6. I link. Everywhere I can, I link. (Within reason! Don’t get link happy!) And I excerpt. At the end of my ‘About the Author’ page in my ebooks and print books is a link to my blog. At the end of each new release I include at least two excerpts from other works of mine (and occasionally friends’, if I feel strongly enough in their writing abilities). At the end of these excerpts are buy links, if available. (This brings up an FYI point, I’ve seen many readers commenting negatively on authors who have books that are more excerpts than actual story. Keep your excerpts to less than 15% of the entire book length!)

Make finding your other offerings as easy as possible for your readers. If you think of an even easier method, change your plans and implement it. You want the impulse buys and the ‘faithful reader buys everything you’ve ever written’ buys. They are an author’s bread and butter! I also have a list in most of my books of other books I’ve written, with links in the ebook version.

And finally,

7. I write. And I write. And I write. First, because in every fiber of my professional being I am a writer. I can’t not write. I don’t function well when I don’t write. And second…having more books available means that your readers can buy more books. I wouldn’t shop in a store that only had one or two items to purchase. That’s disappointing and a waste of time; if I did visit, I’d buy those two items and never return! That’s the last thing we need as authors. We need return buyers. We need to look at them as the customer and remember that we need to give them a good product plus other or future products (and info about those products) in order to keep the customer returning to our shop! So, yeah. I write, and write, and write.

I don’t do blog tours, and I’ve only done a spare handful of guest blog posts—by choice. The guest posts I do are for friends with whom I’ve discussed writing on several occasions. Such as Samantha!

So once again, Samantha, thanks for having me. I’m sending virtual S’mores your way…I roasted the marshmallows myself…(and my eyes are completely safe, I swear!)

BIO: Calle J. Brookes has been writing professionally since the age of eighteen when she lucked into a part-time journalism position; her love and enjoyment of working with the written word has only grown throughout the years. Now, she is glad to say that she writes fiction full-time (and does part-time content editing for other authors), and self-publishes most of her works. Her current writing obsessions include her paranormal romance series featuring the Dardanos, Co. characters and her romantic suspense series featuring members of the PAVAD division of the FBI. For excerpts and free reads you can visit Calle’s blog at www.callejbrookes.wordpress.com

Her most recent release is the Dardanos, Co. Omnibus: 5-N-1, which includes four novellas and one short story. It can be found at Smashwords and Amazon.com. The print version will be coming on Dec. 4. All stories included are previously published works, either through various ebook retailers, or through Calle’s blog.

Stories included in the Omnibus are…

THE BLOOD KING 

War was cruelty, cruelty was war. Sacrifices must be made by both sides.

Rydere Dardanos was king of the Dardaptos people—the race of beings responsible for the ancient vampire legends. He’d do anything to protect his people in the war between the Dardaptoans and all those named Taniss.

Emily Taniss was the new CEO of Taniss Industries, the company her grandfather started sixty years ago. The company responsible for so many horrific acts against the Dardaptoan people. Her grandfather’s actions held many repercussions for Emily and her cousins. It would take them years to straighten it all out.

But Emily didn’t have years, she had only moments…

THE SEER'S STRENGTH

Mickey Taniss had a difficult time trusting men--of any species. And she knew she'd never be able to trust one who'd turned her from a human into a vampire! Or a Dardaptoan—or whatever he'd called her.

She knew the truth--he'd kidnapped her and taken her from the very world she knew. And now he wanted her to believe some goddess she'd never heard of had preordained them being together? He was absolutely crazy.

Theodoric Sebastos had spent the long centuries waiting for and longing for his mate, and when he found her he would do whatever he had to in order to convince her that they belonged together and that she could trust him. But how was he to do that?

THE HEALER'S HEART

Jade always knew she was different and she always knew there was a special someone waiting for her. She hadn't known he would be four hundred years old--or a vampire.

Barlaam had waited for centuries for his Rajni--his destined mate. He never expected it to be some human girl who was barely twenty-one!

The only honorable thing for him to do was step back and give her a few more years--maybe a decade--before he staked his claim!

But that's not what Jade wants... He might be resistant, but Jade was unstoppable. He was hers, and she would have him!

ONCE WOLF BITTEN

Jason Taniss was a family man, first and foremost. He loved his grown daughters and he was learning to tolerate his vampiric sons-in-law. But as a Lupoiux werewolf he longed for his own mate. She was out there waiting for him, somewhere. He just had to find her.

Dr. Annabelle Macgregor ran faster than she ever had before. Her scientific mind refused to accept what she'd seen. Werewolves did not exist.

Jason knew the rogue wolves wouldn't stop until they caught the lone female human; he knew what they would do to her if they caught her, too. As an employee of Taniss Industries, the woman was his responsibility to protect. He'd do just that.

But when Jason caught Anna's scent, one thing became clear...she was his mate...

ALSO INCLUDES THE WOLF GOD & HIS MATE

Kennera was the goddess of the Dardaptoan people; Eiophon her sworn enemy and patron god of the Lupoiux. They'd been imprisoned together for centuries, and in less than three days the walls separating them would come down. Then Kennera knew what the wolf god had planned for her and her people...

Eiophon would find her, no matter where she ran. How could he not? He'd waited centuries to claim his mate, the very enemy he chased...

As always:  show your love and let her feel it!

Contact Info

Website	http:// Callejbrookes.webs.com
Email	callejbrookes@live.com

Jumping Genres

I asked my dear, sweet, wonderful FB friend Lindsay Downs to address something I always do, and she just started doing...jumping genres.  I write YA paranormal and adult horror and she used to be faithful to the suspense genre.  Now, she writes, of all things, regency (which is my own idea of horror).  So I asked Lindsay to write me a post about why.  Thanks Lindsay!

Jumping Genres by Lindsay Downs

Most of you know me as an author of contemporary mystery with my Emily Dahill Series from Astraea Press.

Well, it would seem that I’ve dived head first into a totally different genre, one that I had always said I’d never venture into. Read yes. Write no.

Oops, I guess I should never say never as not only do I have one from this genre out but am working on its sequel with at least two more waiting in the wings.

I’m talking about regency. Yes, regency with all its rules and demands on the author to get everything correct.

Now you might ask, why would I, who swore they’d never write one, sit down and create a Top 100, Amazon, book.

I did it for the challenge with no idea if I could even get past the first few pages. However, once I started writing the book it was impossible for me to stop.

The result is a novella, A Christmas Surprise, which has garnered rave reviews and ranks in the top 100 in several regency and historical categories.

One interesting thing you’ll find with this book, I follow the style you’ll find in the Emily Dahill series. In that the heroine is the primary character who resolves the crisis.

Blurb-

A Christmas Surprise

If I hear one more debutante declare that they will never marry unless it is for love, well. I shall break my quill! And we all know what happens when I break my quill. Things become very upsetting and it isn’t long before I--- Well, that is quite another story. Let this author, this matriarch, this paragon of society guide you with her infinite wisdom. It is apparent that many of you have gotten this silly notion of love in your head, most likely from American influence, and please do not get me started on those savages. The point, young dears, is that love, is silly. Take for example Lady Aleece, poor young dear never stood a chance! Can you imagine being mauled in public? By a commoner no less? Although, rumors have been running rampant that this very delicious commoner is in fact the Marquess of Somerset, I have my doubts. For one thing, a Marquess should be more unfortunate looking which is clearly not the case with Somerset. Let this be a lesson dear readers. If you marry for love, there is a very big chance that you will end up with your heart broken, or in that wretched commoners case—kidnapped (though many believe he should have been killed for even breathing the same air as our fair lady). Dear readers, have I taught you nothing this holiday season?—Mrs. Peabody’s Society Papers.

A Christmas Surprise Buy Links

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/A-Christmas-Surprise-ebook/dp/B00A3T3BM2/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1352397611&sr=1-3&keywords=Lindsay+Downs

Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Christmas-Surprise-ebook/dp/B00A3T3BM2/ref=sr_1_10?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1352602033&sr=1-10

B&N

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-christmas-surprise-lindsay-downs/1113764953?ean=2940015942637

A Christmas Surprise is currently #20 in Romance-Regency on Amazon.  I wouldn't be "surprised" to see "A Christmas Surprise" makes it to the top 5 by the posting date of this blog!

How I Started as a Writer - by John Tucker

Hey all.  John Tucker is a new friend I have on FB.  We have been communicating back and forth and when I asked him for a post, he happily (and promptly!) replied.  Please enjoy getting to know him as I have.

How I started as a writer ----  Some guys buy Lamborghini's or marry a twentyish trophy wife when they have their mid-life crisis. Instead of those dull things, I began to write. After raising my sons and seeing them leave the nest, I had to fill a hole in my life and chose to do something I always wanted to do - write a novel. I soon discovered it's hard to write at a professional level thirty years away from school. After I joined a wonderful place to hone my skills - The Internet Writers Workshop - I think I've finally grown decent enough to terrorize readers who want a little grit with their reading.

The hardest thing about writing -- Besides the computer related issues of formatting, the hardest thing for me is the last few chapters leading up to the ending. I always start a novel by developing the scenario, come up with a starting point and an ending, outline the characters, plot out a series of 'event's for my characters, and do a chapter-by chapter 'working script' that I usually deviate from once I get the novel in gear. The last few chapters - the wrap-up - are probably the most stressful and time consuming for me.

J.D. Tucker is the author of Divisive, a Psychological/Crime novel aimed at adults. The plot involves Dennis Rask, a man who insinuates himself into dysfunctional families, heals the unit, and turns them against the other using lies and manipulations. He’s ripped apart three families in the past, leaving six corpses behind him. Now, he’s focusing his newest ‘game’ on the Connors – Widowed Carolyn, snarky seventeen-year-old Elizabeth, and precocious twelve-year-old Emily. Will they make a stand against his malevolence, or fall to his wicked desires?

 

How did you come up with the concept of your latest novel, Divisive? Is there a little bit of the main evil character Dennis Rask in you?

(Laughs) I love any book or movie that has elements of horror, suspense, action, and wicked twists that keeps the reader/viewer on the edge of their seats. With so many families being dysfunctional these days, a man who comes into their lives, pulls them together, only to tear them apart his way seemed like a good starting point.  As far as Rask’s similarities to me, I’d have to say he’s the Mr. Hyde to my Dr. Jekyll. He’s a charming rogue who’s chauvinistic, brutal, appealing, and a sociopath. I’m just charming…in a totally adorkable way.

You took the chance of starting Divisive near the end of the book. Did the revelations of the first chapter, where the detective walks the reader through the crime scene before interrogating Rask ruin any suspense for the reader?

I don’t think so. The biggest reveal was the death of a main character. Another is in a psych ward, and one hovers near death after a suicide attempt. As in any good mystery, the fun is how the family gets to that point and what did Rask do to cause it. If anything, the storyline of the character that’s revealed to be dead in the first chapter becomes even more poignant after the fact. While the reader knows her fate before reaching the chapter that shows what really happened to the Connors family, I toss in a few red herrings that’ll keep them wondering if it was an accident, or a cold blooded killing.

You write Divisive with two story lines alternating through the book could be confusing to readers. Why did you write the novel that way, instead of using a linear path?

That’s a good question. First, I wanted to start my novel out with a bang. The current physical fate of the family is provided in the first chapter. One is dead, another in a coma, the other hospitalized in a crazy tank. Chapters Two and Three have the Connors family meeting Rask for the first time and falling under his beatific spell. Chapter Four brings the reader back to the present, where the detective starts his first day of the investigation. Each chapter has a title and a date to help the reader know if they’re in the past or present, until the time lines meet and propels the story to its shocking and devastating conclusion.

What was the toughest scene to write?

The actual death scene of the character mentioned in chapter one. Up until it happens, the reader has several different reasons why the character could have hanged herself. Was it an accident? Did Rask kill her? Did her mother? The disgruntled next-door-neighbor who wanted her for himself? By the time I reached the scene, I was so invested in the character I debated changing the entire book to save her life. I’m not afraid to tell you I shed a few tears when I wrote it.

In the end, I left it alone figuring if I wrote her in a way that tore out my heart, if would do so to the reader’s as well.

     

Most novelists have an underlying theme in their books. What’s yours in Divisive?

That’s easy enough. In Divisive, as in real life, everyone has evil coursing through their veins. It could be a small amount, or it could be so dark their heart has to work overtime pushing the black sludge through their system. For some, a fine line separates them from good and evil – and only a slip in the wrong or right direction stops them from acting like a saint, or living like the devil himself. Over the course of my book, one major character will surpass Rask in malevolence. When it gets to that point, the roller coaster begins and it won’t stop until it hits the brick wall of the end.

Are any of the characters in Divisive based on real life people?

Yes. (smiles) Several friends and relatives. And I’d like to keep it that way. 

What special piece of advice would I give a new novelist ---  Make your character's three dimensional. Virtually every scenario you could ever come up with has already been done -- so make your character's unique with flaws, various temperaments, quirks, and foibles. Those are the elements that will make YOUR book something different.

Biography

A life-long Georgia native, John D. Tucker has burned through three wives, raised two sons, and has persevered despite being brought up in a wonderfully dysfunctional family. Following on the heels of his first published novel 'Divisive' he plans to release two more books over the course of the year - the suspense laden The Little Girl You Kiss Goodnight, and the first of an trilogy, the drama-romance novel Romancing The Fox. He is a proud member of The Internet Writers Workshop and Scribeslice, both of which he highly recommends to aspiring authors.

Contact JD:   http://www.facebook.com/john.tucker.353

and Buy his Book:  http://www.amazon.com/Divisive-ebook/dp/B005GAAZW2

Writing Tips of Kurt Vonnegut by Jay Harding

A new friend, Jay Harding, answered my call for posts about writing tips from indies.  He sent me this post and I loved it!  He gave us the great words and inspiration of Kurt Vonnegut.  Thanks so much, Jay, and welcome to the blog.

WRITING TIPS by Jay Harding

One of my favorite writers is Kurt Vonnegut, and on the wall right next to my writing space is a document called “Creative Writing 101”.  These are his tips, and I hope they are as much an inspiration to you as they are to me:

1.      Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

2.      Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.

3.      Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

4.      Every sentence must do one of two things – reveal character or advance the plot.

5.      Start as close to the end as possible.

6.      Be a sadist.  No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them, in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

7.      Write to please just one person.  If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

8.      Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible.  To heck with suspense.  Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

Kurt Vonnegut added at the bottom of this:

“Great writers tend to break every one of my rules but the first.”

In addition, I would like to give one more piece of advice: Write at least two pages a day, no matter what, even if it is a blogpost, a letter, a short story, whatever.  Get in the habit of writing every day and soon your mind will expect it.  This is the cure for writer’s block, too. Write, write, write!!!

Thanks, Jay!  I know the blog followers will all get a great deal of help from these tips.  A writer of new age horror and science fiction, Jay publishes with new indie fave, Firefly and Wisp Publishing.  Be sure and check him out.

Contact Info

Website	http://ww.jaytharding. weebly.com
Facebook	http://facebook.com/jaytharding

Tanya Eavenson, the Accidental Author

 “So when did you know you wanted to be a writer?”

This is a common question for writers and one of the most common answers is, “I’ve always wanted to write.”

Not so with me. I never wanted to write. Never cared to write. But I felt the need to write, to tell a story. That was almost three years ago, and the story I felt the need to write never came to anything. For a while I felt that novel was a waste of time, but instead it was a wonderful experience. I had learned so much about myself. I could take criticism, I loved to learn, and I didn’t give up on my work or what I was supposed to be. 

An author.

Now, I’m not saying I don’t have doubts, but I have to remember to keep my eyes off myself and keep them on the prize. That prize for me is to show people that no matter what we go through in our lives, or what we do, God loves us.

My soon- to- be released novel Unconditional shows this through a husband and wife’s relationship. 

Here is the blurb:

Elizabeth Roberts is distraught after her daughter’s death and a collapsing marriage. Unable to find a way out of her grief, she turns to alcohol and nightclubs to soothe the pain, wishing her life were like her past … forgotten. Chris Roberts is faced with the consequences of his affair, and blackmail is a constant reminder. But when the truth comes out, he will need to fight for his marriage at all costs before a stranger takes his place. Can Elizabeth trust God with her future or will a single decision change her life forever?

I believe, like my characters, we all have choices to make and sometimes we go through terrible pain. But as in my story, God can work things out for good and comfort us if we trust Him.

As someone told me the other day about my story, “This is heart-wrenching at times, at other times funny, and good suspense throughout….” Isn’t that what life is like? And isn’t that what a writer’s life is like? Heart-wrenching, funny, and suspenseful when awaiting word if your novel is good enough to be published.

 Whether you knew you were to be a writer from the start, or just felt the need to write, we writers are on a journey. Keep your eyes ahead and on the goal. And never give up. You never know who might be waiting to hear what you have to say.

***Tanya Eavenson works for a non-profit organization coordinating events for seniors 55 and older, working with state and surrounding counties. She and her husband have served in church ministry for the last 14 years. She writes for Christ to the World Ministries sharing the Gospel through Bible studies.
A semi-finalist in the 2011 Genesis Contest for her soon to be released novel Unconditional, Tanya is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Her favorite pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee and reading a good book.

Contact Tanya here:

Tanya Eavenson

Unconditional ~January 2013

Tanyaeavenson.com ~Website

Guided Girls ~Writers blog

@Tan_eave ~Twitter

Quenching Thirst With Living Water

Thanks and Giving

Probably as you read this post, there are about a million other posts being written about the same exact thing: things for which we are all thankful.  Since this year has been nothing less than a challenge for my family, I decided I better cut the post as short as I could.  There is not enough computer time for ALL the things which make me happy today.

So, I am going to take the lead from Wheel of Fortune and give you the easy ones.  Of course I am thankful for my husband, my children, my job, my family, and my health.  I have come up with five reasons I am thankful this year for other, not so obvious things.

1. I am thankful our country is making a slow, but concerted effort at recovery
2. I am thankful gas is no longer over $4.00 a gallon and my Mum can still afford to come up from San Diego at least once a month.
3. I am thankful that this year, when it rains, I don't have to worry about the roof leaking.
4. I am thankful I sell books.  
5. I am thankful my husband is going to a much better place than he has been in the past two years.

And one more thing I am thankful for is so important to me, I must let it stand on its own.  

I am thankful for independent presses, who publish independent books, written by independent authors. 

I am specifically thankful for my two Houses, Musa Publishing and Astraea Press.  Each of these Houses are run by strong, forward-thinking, passionate women who believe, truly and wholly believe, in every single book behind which they place their talent, their support, and their name.  And I am thankful to have been welcomed into both publishing families.  And grateful.

So, please enjoy this post while you think of how you would answer this same question....what five things are you most thankful for this year?

And while you're at it, enjoy the next stop on this Thanksgiving Blog Tour from another strong female, Brenda Maxfield, a new YA author with the growing Astraea Press publishing family:  http://wp.me/p2HVcx-1r

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Speculative Fiction Done the Nancy DiMauro Way

Welcome today another new friend and author with Musa Publishing. Nancy DiMauro writes for the Urania imprint with Musa, which is the one that deals with speculative fiction. While this is a large genre, the category generally involves the essence of the unknown like paranormalcy, or supernatural powers in a kind of mix with a touch of science fiction. That kind of story you read that seems unlikely, but a tiny bit of you believes in it's possibility.

I haven't had a spec-fic author on the blog before and I'm happy to host Nancy. I especially love how she tackles writer's block. Enjoy meeting Nancy!

Tell us about yourself. I’m a mommy, writer, lawyer, and farmer. Wow, that’s a mouthful. My condo-raised husband agreed to move out to the country with me 12 years ago (almost to the day) because living on a horse farm was my dream. So, we have two horses in our front yard, and two dogs, three hermit crabs and four cats in the house. The Hubby has managed to resist the pleas for a partridge in a pear tree so far. But he doesn’t realize I planted a pear tree this last spring.

Anyway, I am lucky enough to have two boys (soon to be 14 and 12). I’ve been a practicing trial attorney since 1995, and in my free time, I write. Actually, I’m pretty regimented about when I write – between 9pm and 11pm 4-5 nights a week. After all, being a writer is one of my jobs.

Tell us about your book. My newest release is Apollo Rising about Apollo’s quest to break Daphne’s curse and restore her to her true form. In seeking to enlist the aid he needs, Apollo bargains with Hades for Daphne’s soul. But the god of the underworld may demand too a high price. You can find Apollo’s Rising on Amazon.


Who is your favorite character from one of your books and why? Has there ever been a question designed to cause more strife? It’s like asking which child is your favorite. I love them all. Vonna, from the Flashes of Life story in Paths Less Traveled, is probably my favorite to play with right now. While I have other characters with supernatural powers, Vonna’s ability to recover memories from the dead is pretty out there. Also, Vonna sees emotion as color so I’ve had to create a color wheel of emotion. That was really challenging. The other neat thing about Vonna is she’s living in a near future Washington, D.C. so I get to mix in politics with the vampires, psychics and weres. Oh my! Vonna’s talents also make her a target for anyone wanting to get away with murder.

What are you working on now? I’m in different phases on three novels. I’m editing/ rewriting The King’s Falcon, which follows Falcon from Lightning Strikes in Paths Less Traveled. I’m hoping to turn that in for consideration by the end of the year. I’m almost done with the first draft an erotic romance called New Bohemia: Just One Night in which May has a favor to ask of her best friend and housemate, Pete. I’m outlining The Nocebo Effect, which follows Vonna as she tries to solve a string of murders that initially appeared to be natural deaths before the killer finds her.

Do you listen to music when you write, if so what? I don’t listen to music, but I tend to have the TV on for background noise. I notice silence, but I can ignore the TV if I’ve seen the show before. So, my DVR gets a lot of play while I’m writing.

Which of your covers is your favorite? Wow. That’s tough. Kelly Shorten did all the covers for my four Musa books. They are all really wonderful and tie in so well with the stories. Since I have to pick, I think the Shots at Redemption cover is my favorite. I love the ghost ship. Check out the cover at Amazon,

Where do you find inspiration? My family. My boys (all three of them) do and say the most outrageous things. My youngest son also loves telling stories so he and I will spend hours talking about worlds that only we can see.

Name 5 things that are on your desk right now? Pictures of my boys as babies; The Describer’s Dictionary by David Grambs; The Character Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon; a list of e-mails from Dave Farland’s Novel Rewriting workshop participants; and a stack of business cards I still need to scan into my contact list.

What is your biggest distraction when it comes to writing? The need for sleep. Because I write so late in the day, there are times when I just can’t stay awake long enough to get the words on the page. I’ve learned just to give up and try again the next day.

When did you discover the need to write? Back in high school. I’d been writing poetry for years, and wrote my first novel when I was a sophomore. Of that fan-fic novel, let’s just all be glad that the changes in technology since the 1980’s have made the story unrecoverable.

How do you handle writers’ block? I don’t really believe in writers’ block. For me, when I hit a point I’m struggling to find the words, it generally means one of a few things. Usually, it means I haven’t taken the time I need to pre-write the scene. Because my keyboard time is limited, I spend a lot of time daydreaming scenes before they ever hit the page. The ones I struggle with are often the ones where I haven’t spent the time visualizing them first. I’ll log off for the day and imagine what I’m missing. It might take another day to get to the point where I can write the scene, but my high word count days are ones where I’ve been daydreaming a lot about the story.

Another reason I can’t write is because sometimes I need more research. In New Bohemia, I have a significant section of the story in the Swiss Alps. When it came time to write it, I realized my visualization of the area came solely from my memories of The Sound Of Music. So, not so good. I spent about two weeks researching locations, building construction, and most importantly snow rescue techniques. When I went back to the keyboard, the scenes were much easier.

The final reason I can’t get words on the page is exhaustion. My other jobs (mommy and lawyer) are demanding. Sometimes they take everything I have. When that happens I have to give into the inevitable and use my writing time for sleep.

Where can readers find you? On my website www.FalconsFables.com and blog. www.nancydimauro.blogspot.com
I’m also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/writernancydimauro
and Twitter. https://twitter.com/kings_falcon

How To NaNoWriMo

Better late than never, right?  So, even though we are more than halfway through the mind-and-butt-numbing exercise we lovingly call the craziest month in the writer year, I thought we could all use a boost.  (Yes, to answer the unasked question, I AM NaNoing, but on my terms (a Scorpio always, I just hate to be told what to do!).

A new friend answered a shout-out I sent out into the facebook and twitter stratosphere for tips they have found useful in their personal writing journey.  His ideas and suggestions are good, so good, in fact, I am practicing a couple of them.  (no telling which ones....a girl has to have some mystery surrounding her *wink*)

HOW TO NaNoWriMO      by J.T. Schaad

So you want to take the challenge to write a novel in 1 month? Finding it difficult? It doesn't have to be.  Why is the NaNoWrMo thing becoming so popular? Because as an Indie author without a huge publisher behind you to promote your work with an unlimited bank account, you will quickly realize you need to write alot of books!

This is a step by step guide of how to write a novel within 30 days. You may be surprised to find you can do this easily in 2 and a half weeks. So I assume you have your idea in mind of what the book will be about. If not then see my previous post about idea generation.

Is it really possible to write this fast? Of course! Isaac Asimov wrote over 500 books! Without a pc! That's right. No word processing. Everything typed and typed and typed again until it was ready for print.

You may not write 500 books in your life, but you should write at least 100!

Step 1) CREATE AN OUTLINE! Now most people remember doing outlines from school and we all hated them back then. The strict outline form is retarded and no one ever needs to use it in real life. I am talking about a loose chapter by chapter outline where you simply make up the story. This is much faster to do with an outline because if you write it all in prose form there is too much redoing! It is maddening and takes forever.

For instance, you are 200 pages into the novel when you get a genius idea for something that needs to happen now. But for this to happen, something else needed to happen 100 pages ago. That means you have to throw out the past 100 pages! What a nightmare. This takes a massive amount of wasted time. If this happened while you are doing the outline, you throw away 2 pages of outlined notebook paper. Takes about 2 hrs to get caught up. Way faster.

Step 2) Tell THE STORY! Nothing is more irritating to a reader or more time consuming for a novelist than the belief that people’s imagination are so limited the writer must tell them every single detail about everything to get a point across. They go into explicit description about a characters height, hair color, eye color, the color of a house, the weather, the moon and the shape of it, the color and shape of every single freckle on the main character’s nose, etc. Way too much detail!

As an author your job is to tell the story. When you are distracting and boring readers with all this other junk, unless it is crucial to the story in some way, it is a waste of space and time. Your book should be filled with fast chapters, witty and snappy dialogue, quick scenes. Dont’ feel that your book must be 400 pages to be considered a true novel. As a reader myself I start getting bored after 300 pages. It’s time to wrap it up. Over 400 pages I start to think of all the scenes and fat that should have been cut from this thing. After 500 pages I start to question whether the author has ever heard of this thing called a sequel…

STEP 3) SET A SCHEDULE! This seems like a no-brainer but it is unreal how many authors struggle with adhering to a solidly consistent schedule. I understand that life happens and it is crazy to find time to write sometimes, but that is when you must make a choice. Find a time that you know you will be free to write. I recommend at least 2 to 3 hours a day. Now I am a fast writer and can easily rock out 5 pages or so an hour. That means I can do a 300 page novel in 20 days of writing even if I only do 3 hours a day. I believe many of you will find that with the outline completed the book writes itself because the STORY is already written! The outline is also usually quick to complete. It is the hardest part because you must create all of the elements of the story beginning to end. But still relatively fast. Most people can probably average about 3 chapters per hour for outlining.

Now how to find those 3 hrs a day? When I first started doing this I dropped my sleep down to 4 hours a day. Yes it was rough but I was prepared to make the sacrifice for my art. I had a day job, so the only time I could find to write was in the middle of the night. I slept from 10pm to 2am. Then I wrote until 6am. That's 4 hours a day. Now this is not healthy but you must do what you must do to get it done.

So that is really all that you need to accomplish to make this NaNoWrMo thing happen. As an indie author selling a fraction of what big name authors with fat publishing contracts sell, you must write way more books. Its easier and more profitable to sell 20,000 copies of 10 novels than it is to sell 5,000 copies of 1.

If you are serious about doing this full time then you must make the sacrifice. I’m not saying that you have to or that you should give up sleep like I did, but you must break down your life to find all the time wasters that suck you of your life. They are there, trust me. Sit down and analyze your schedule. Condense and Condense and Condense. You will be surprised how much time you can squeeze out.

Follow these steps and you will be amazed at how prolific you become.

J. T. Schaad, a new friend, is a writer after my own twisted heart...a horror author.  I grabbed some contact information for him and you can reach him here:

Contact Info

Screen Name	wordsmithjts(Twitter)
Website	http://jtschaad.com
Email	100004144448306@facebook.com
Facebook	http://facebook.com/jtschaad

And don't forget his blog, where with his permission, I snagged this great post!

http://www.jtschaad.com/