Tell us a bit about yourself
I grew up on a dairy farm in south eastern Queensland until my family moved to Melbourne when I was fifteen. I spent many years in the corporate world before I accidently discovered writing. After my father passed away, I found a bunch of letters he’d written as a young man to my grandmother when he went to work on a phosphate island in the middle of the Pacific in 1948. I thought how wonderful it was to get to know my dad as a teenager and began typing the letters, so that it could be preserved for the rest of my family. But as I typed, a story began to emerge of a tumultuous life culminating in the double murder of two Australians on the island. You could imagine how it piqued my interest. After many months of research in 2014, I wrote my historical fiction novel, called Climbing the Coconut Tree, inspired by the events on the island. The novel was published in 2016 and I knew then, that I’d found a passion for writing. It was a tough journey along the way. I knew I needed help. After all, I’d never written before. I joined a couple of writing groups, did a short course and sought feedback along the way. After I’d written Climbing the Coconut Tree, I set about learning to write short stories and poetry to help improve my writing. I was pleasantly surprised when one of my short stories was shortlisted and subsequently published in the Lane Cove Literary Awards Anthology in 2016. I then released Out of Nowhere: a collection of short stories in 2017. I’m also an avid reader and like to blog about the books I read. How do you find time to write? When I’m inspired to write, I somehow make the time and it becomes the most important thing to do. Like many, I certainly have my moments of procrastination but I know that if I make the time, I will write. I know some writers prescribe to a writing limit per day but I don’t find that works for me. I’ll write as much or as little as I feel is warranted. A large part of a writer’s life is to ponder and deep thinking is a must. The other thing I like to do is read as widely as possible. It all adds to the richness of what ends up on the page. What’s your publishing tips? Writing is one thing but publishing is another. It is after all a business and should be treated as such particularly if you intend to write and publish more books. The world of publishing can be quite daunting but there is a wealth of information and people only too happy to provide guidance. I like the freedom of being in control of the entire process rather than place my books into someone else’s hands. My advice is as follows-:
When you get it right, it’s enormously gratifying to know you did it. Any promotional and marketing tips? I find the promotional and marketing part of the process to be the most difficult and time consuming. But as I said if you’ve produced a book for an audience then you must do what you can to reach your audience. Getting to know who that is, is a starting point and getting to know your genre will help guide you e.g. if you write historical fiction try to find your historical reader on Amazon or Goodreads. Next is to make sure you have a platform so that readers can connect, so a webpage and social media sites help readers find and engage with you. Lastly, it takes hard work. One blog is not enough. It is a daily or weekly connection writing posts and building up your audience. Remember, it takes a lot of time and for most will never happen overnight. Tell us about your recent book. My latest book is called A Perfect Stone and has a dual time line of 1948 and present day. Yes, I have a thing about that year. The story is told by eighty-year-old Jim Philips who opens a box belonging to his late wife and finds something which triggers the memories of a childhood he’s hidden not just from his middle-aged daughter, Helen, but from himself. When he has a stroke and begins speaking another language, Helen is shocked to find that her father is not who she thought he was. Jim’s suppressed memories surface in the most unimaginable way when he confronts what happened when as a ten- year- old, he was forced at gunpoint to leave his family and trek barefoot across the mountains of Northern Greece to escape the Greek Civil War. A Perfect Stone is a sweeping tale of survival and loss and is also a tale of love. I was inspired to write this story when I stumbled on some research about the forced evacuation of 38000 children from Northern Greece during what was essentially, the beginning of the Cold War. Many children were wrenched from their parents and forced to walk across the mountains in the most horrendous conditions. Some never made it, others never saw their parents again and history continues to repeat itself with child refugees still suffering from separation not just from their parents but from their homelands. I just knew it was a story which needed to be told and I hope readers will be touched by it. A Perfect Stone by S. C. Karakaltsas will be available for sale 10 October, 2018. Click on the cover for the buy link
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Tell us a bit about yourself. Anyone who knows me knows I love to laugh. And I love to play. Once I was approached by a precocious young boy who said, "You’re not like a regular adult, are you?" He was right. I’m a 12-year-old living in a 62-year-old body. In my office I have a Harry Potter doll, a stuffed horse, several dollhouses, and a fairy cottage. There’s a set of jacks in my office drawer and a bottle of bubbles on my desk. I’ve got coloring books and crayons in here, too. So I’m very much a kid at heart, which is a blessing when you need to get into the mind of your eight-year-old protagonist. I was born in St. Louis, Missouri but didn’t live there very long because my dad was in the Air Force. During my first seventeen years we moved to Texas, Alaska, Mississippi, Italy, and Germany. It was a great education but I probably didn’t appreciate it at the time. What I did appreciate were movies and musicals. I began singing lessons at age five, aspiring to become the next Shirley Temple. I wasn’t much of a dancer so I scrapped that ambition and settled on becoming the next Judy Garland. After high school, I sang in two bands, mostly in hotel lounges and at weddings. Then one day I met a gypsy fortune teller. You know, the kind with the big neon "Psychic Readings" sign flashing in the window? Anyway, she told me I was going to leave the band to become a writer, so I knew right off the bat that she was a fake. I was a singer and I would always be one. Or so I thought. The next few years were like a whirlwind. I stopped singing and went to college, excelled at creative writing and journalism, and was appointed editor-in-chief of our campus newspaper. My English professor suggested I enter a statewide short story contest, which I did and won first place. That was 38 years ago and I guess I have that gypsy to thank for setting me on the path to working for publishing companies, advertising agencies, and syndicated television shows. Besides being a writer, I am also a certified color therapist, spiritual aromatherapist, crystal worker, and radio show producer. I live with my yacht captain husband and two cats in a two-story house near the beach in Rhode Island. To date, I’ve published four books and there are many more to come through my own publishing company, Writelighter Books. With the debut of my first novel, Inn Lak’ech: A Journey to the Realm of Oneness, everything I write—whether it’s fiction or nonfiction—is meant to help people, to manifest positive change through the written word. But that doesn’t mean I have to stop playing! How do you find time to write? The same way I find time to eat or breathe, I just do it. Sometimes I’ll have a plan, like "I am going to the marina to write my prologue." But most days, I just go with the flow, although I often write very early in the morning and late at night. I never know when my muse is going to nudge me, so I’m always carrying a notepad. I love paper, and I love pens, too. They’re my magic wands, taking me to places my computer can only dream about, especially when it crashes or the power goes out. And each time I put pen to paper, I get an immediate adrenaline rush. It’s like my Higher Self is telling me I am about to manifest some really big magic! What’s your publishing tips? Unlike some authors I’ve known, I haven’t gone the traditional route yet because I wanted to maintain control of my publishing schedule, content, personal appearances, etc. But to writers who prefer to self-publish their books, I would advise investing in a good writing or publishing program like Scrivener and Vellum. They didn’t exist when I published my first two books, but I am grateful for these programs. They’ve saved me a lot of time and I can’t imagine how I ever got along without them. Any promotional and marketing tips? Truthfully, I’d rather succumb to a root canal than spend valuable writing time on promotion. But times have changed and writers are expected to "get out there" on social media, even if they are traditionally published. Have you heard of Author Takeovers? It’s where you "take over" someone’s Facebook page for awhile and post about your book and give away freebies. I’ve done a few of them and they are an excellent way to get the word out about your book and services. I learned about Author Takeovers through a writers’ Facebook group. Networking is important because you never know when someone will be looking for guest authors to interview! If you happen to host a podcast, be sure to promote your book on the air or in your episode description. Since I use some of my color meditations from my latest book, Mad About Hue: A Memoir in Living Color, I always list it as a reference on my "A Rainbow in the Clouds" podcast website. I’ve also attended countless teleseminars to learn how to promote my book on social media and build my mailing list. My most successful ventures so far have been with Instafreebie and Book Funnel. You do have to be willing to donate hundreds of free ebooks, but it has been worth it to me. Those two sites alone have helped me increase my subscriptions by about 60 percent! Another way I’ve generated interest in my books was to create tie-in products like study guides and workshop CDs. The cheapest ones to produce, of course, are the downloadable items. For Inn Lak’ech, I created a special mermaid bookmark with the infinity symbol. (Readers will understand why.) I also produced an Inn Lak’ech meditation mp3 package and this month I’ve been working on the packaging for my "Vitamin Sea by E" line of jewelry and aromatherapy sprays. Tell us about your recent book. Knowing that I launched Aura House School of Color and Light, Color Healing Radio, and the annual worldwide Color Therapy Month in March, people kept asking me when I was going to write a color therapy book. At first, I balked because there are so many in print already and I didn’t feel there was much more to say. But when I got the idea to share my color meditations and exercises, along with my most colorful life experiences, I knew there was a book in the making. Mad About Hue is a book of transparency, truth, and probably the closest I will ever get to writing an autobiography. Surprisingly, it was much more challenging than when I wrote Inn Lak’ech because you’re reflecting on the past. You’re the protagonist in this real life story and you have to stay for the entire ride. You can’t pass go. You can’t change the outcome. Sometimes I felt like a hueman kaleidoscope, a walking collection of shattered glass with bits of crazy color churning inside me. A reporter once asked me a very interesting question: "If you could recolor one thing in your life, what would it be?” I told her I would recolor those boring, grayish rolls you have left after you’ve used all the paper towels or toilet paper. I was serious because in its most negative form, the color gray represents dullness, gloom, hopelessness, misery. So the message I get from the empty roll is “That’s it. Your Life is over. There is nothing left. Walk away!" However, my Inner Pollyanna prefers a sunnier message, something happy and bright and multi-colored: “So what if you’re out of paper? Life is good, so be glad. Just look at all the pretty colors!” And that’s exactly how I feel about my life and memoir. Visit Eleyne-Mari Sharp’s websites at www.writelighter.com and www.colortherapyschool.com. Welcome Brian, and tell us a bit about yourself
I was born in Salem, MA, and I am married to a US Naval officer. We have four children. I am a roller coaster junkie, a New England Patriots fanatic, and my favorite color is burnt-orange. How do you find time to write? I’ve published 4 novels, and my typical day during the writing of each book was totally different from each other. When I was writing my first book, Dreams Are Unfinished Thoughts, I was in the middle of moving from MA to GA, changing police departments, and recording an album with my band, Transpose. So, a typical day would be: get everything done first for the move, switching jobs, the recording studio, and whatever time was left at night: work on the book. We also didn’t have any kids yet. With my second novel, Welcome to Parkview, my wife had been deployed to Djibouti and I was working full time at the police department in GA, and we had 2 kids now. So, I was alone without my wife, with 2 toddlers, and working full time. The My day would be: get the kids to day-care, go work fighting crime for 8 hours, pick the kids up and do whatever household chores I had to do (laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping etc.), feed the kids dinner and put them to bed around 6:30, then I would work out for an hour, and then I would work on Welcome to Parkview after I showered until whenever I passed out at my laptop. With my third novel, Yours Truly. 2095, the Navy had sent us to Japan for the next 4 years. I had to take a leave of absence at the police department, and we moved the family there. I did not get a job right away, as my wife wanted me to be the stay at home parent during our time in Japan (I did eventually become a Criminal Justice professor for the college on base, but that’s irrelevant to the book.) We moved in November 2011 and by January 2012 I was itching to write. For the first time, I had the TIME to write, and not having to worry about a new job, moving, or wiping poopy diapers. So, in February 2012, I started my outline, and writing the book was my full-time job for a while. We sent out 2 kids to Japanese Kindergarten (called a Yochien in Japan) and they were gone Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 4:00. I would bring them to the bus stop, wave goodbye, go back up into our apartment, and write until the bus brought them back. It was the first time I could write without distractions, and the first time I was writing not being dead-tired at night after putting in a full day. Moonlight City Drive, was the first book where I had a legit writing office. When we moved from Japan to North Carolina, one of the stipulations my wife had on finding a new house was that it would have a writing office for me. One with doors. And a writing desk. And I could decorate it any way I wanted. So this new novel was written, for the first time, in a closed-off environment from the distractions of the outside world (and that includes the kids, TV, and normal household noise.) So, it’s not surprising that out of my 4 novels, this one was completely the quickest from inception to publication. When I was in my office writing, my wife treated it like a job, so she made sure the kids stayed away from me and other household chores were taken care of, so I wouldn’t be bothered. I did go back to work as a police office in NC, so my days off from the streets were my days on writing the book. What’s your publishing tips? Hire a professional editor! Don’t think you can edit your book yourself. Any promotional and marketing tips? Successful authors realize that writing is only a part-time job. Marketing and promotion is the full-time job part of being an author. Bookmarks, business cards, book trailers, Facebook ad campaigns (when done correctly), network network network, offering free copies of older books to gain fans who will purchase your new releases, participate in every book festival and convention within your driving range, any time you talk about your books online, always use the title of the book and not “my book.” Tell us about your recent book Moonlight City Drive is a trilogy. Part 2 is scheduled for 2019 and Part 3 for 2021. It’s a supernatural crime-noir story arc. Set in a Dick Tracy meets Sin City atmosphere of 1947 Las Vegas, the story follows a detective on the trail of a Jack-the-Ripper-style killer, who he starts to admire and must decide if he should continue the cat-and-mouse chase or join the killer in his cleansing of society, unaware they all might just be puppets being controlled by a vengeful and ancient witch and her growing army of ghouls. Tell us a bit about yourself. Hi. I’m Kari, a southern belle with flair from a little town called Leesburg, Georgia. I’ve been writing professionally since 2015, though I spent a fair amount of my time growing up either reading or writing. My usual day is filled with two kids who ask a million questions and remind me every day that there is joy hidden in even the simplest things. And, my favorite ice cream is vanilla. You can find out more about me and my works at www.kariholloway.com. How do you find time to write? After my kids are in bed. I stop all house work when they go to bed, and so from 8pm onward is me time. I write and argue with my imaginary friends until bed. What’s your publishing tips? The one tip I wish I had known before I started was write the entire series first before publishing. It takes a lot of stress off. Any promotional and marketing tips? I find newsletters are some of the best sources to pair with promos like ENT or Pretty Hot or a number of other promo services delivered by email. Tell us about your recent book. That’s a complex question. My most recent finished book is Strings Attached. It is a sweet/clean romance and releases in October. My most recent book is part of my paranormal/urban fantasy series called the Devil’s Playground. The Howling King, book 4, is currently on preorder and goes live August 7th. The most recent published and available is Mark of Cain. It is book 3 in the Devil’s Playground series and is available everywhere (books2read.com/DPCain). Alex, a kitsune, is part of a of the supernatural SWAT called guardians. In Mark of Cain, Alex hits the ground running. With no time to catch her breath between Mexico City, a formal reprimand from the Council, and the new addition to her team, Alex's next assignment sends her on a journey across the veil. Catching a glimpse of Morgan's life as the Demon's right-hand man, they navigate Ataria and find their skills in the service of the local Lord. But the Lord and his household contain a secret—a deal so devilish even the Lord of Hell wouldn't make it. What starts out as a simple execution decreed by the Council turns into a twisted game of chess with more than just a pawn in play. You can get started on the Devil’s Playground with Forgotten. It is free to read on all major e-retailers (books2.read.com/DPForgotten) Welcome Diane...tell us a bit about yourself ….. I was born under the western zodiac of Gemini and the Eastern zodiac of the Rooster. I am a 31/4. I believe in the joy of life, the power of love and the freedom of truth. Being a passionate woman who’s always done things a little differently, my career began as a school teacher at a progressive school, before I moved into a full-time career as a professional choreographer, director and dancer, strutting my stuff on television and theatre stages throughout Australia. Following my entertainment career, I moved into the personal development field and became a stress & life skills therapist, life coach and keynote speaker. Assuming the pseudonym of the Goddess of Love, I appeared on national radio and television shows such as the iconic Beauty & the Beast. Having consulted in the corporate arena for many years, I currently manage a workforce of 150 people in a business my husband and I own. In 2015, I finally carved out time to write seriously and launched into my writing career with the Dance of Love, a three-book erotic romance series. What inspires you to write? The voice in my head. I know this might sound a touch woo-woo, but all my stories come to me basically formed. I don’t know what genre I’m going to write in next. I write what beams in. It’s not necessarily the best strategy to have in terms of a long-term career, but it suits me. It keeps writing fresh, fun and inspiring. I’m a highly intuitive, yet organised writer. What’s your publishing tips? Even if you’ve had a professional editor edit your work… Stop! Do not submit your manuscript! Do not publish it…YET! No matter how good you think it is, or your editor thought it was, you can always improve what you’ve written.
What’s your promotional/marketing tips? Seek out and learn from those who are good at it. Become self-educated. Tell us about your latest book Retribution is my first foray into writing romantic suspense. I wanted to give a rich emotional depth to the story by constructing complex character arcs in a story that merges the deeper elements of life, love and hope. Retribution does not follow the usual formula for this genre…It is romantic suspense with a twist. This story is my way of paying tribute to the people who have endured more than most. Those who have lived hellish childhoods, those who have fought for our freedom, those who have experienced unimaginable trauma and those who may never recover from their suffering. With the overarching theme of forgiveness and redemption, Retribution pays homage to the human condition in all its glory and misery. Who would you kill to escape your past? Jessie Hilton is tough. Since the age of fifteen, she has dreamed of being a principal dancer with the Australian Ballet Company. Now at twenty-four, she stands on the brink of fulfilling her dream unaware of a secret buried deep within her. Ex-military officer, Brad Jordan is rebuilding his life with the help of his boisterous Border collie, Whiskey. After helping Jessie out of a tight spot, he discovers a kindred spirit in the ambitious ballerina. But with the sudden attention of an unwanted admirer, Jessie’s life begins to spin out of control. Called back to her family home in country New South Wales due to her father’s unforeseen illness, she is torn between career and family. As her dream of being principal dancer fades, her stalker edges ever closer. But there is more to overcome than a lurking psychopath. Can Jessie and Brad confront their own demons and escape the past? Buy links: amazon.com https://rebrand.ly/buy-retribution amazon.com.au https://rebrand.ly/au-retribution
Today’s article is from Bernadette Rowley, a lover of epic fantasy who is a veterinarian by day and an author by night. She is currently published in the genre of fantasy/paranormal romance with six books (soon to be seven), all set in her fantasy world of Thorius. When she was a young teenager, an aunt gave her a copy of The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks and Bernadette has lived in various fantasy worlds ever since. So it’s no surprise that her chosen genre when writing romance is fantasy. “I can see these settings so vibrantly in my mind and hope my readers can too.” But Bernadette has no desire to spoon-feed her readers by laboriously describing her fantasy settings. She would rather the reader use their own imagination a little. Along with sword and sorcery, dashing heroes and stunning heroines, this author includes strong healing themes in many of her books- an element which is central to her everyday job. “When I started writing this series, I never imagined my day job would force its way into my stories as it has.” And of course there are animals, especially Bernadette’s beloved horses, as well. Bernadette lives in Brisbane, Australia, with the four heroes in her life- her husband Michael and three grown sons. Hi Olivia and thanks for having me. I’ve learned a lot about writing over the last twenty years but one of the most significant lessons is the synopsis. I used to laboriously pare down my manuscript, distilling from it the core essence, getting side-tracked by story events irrelevant to my synopsis. It was a chore I hated. I can’t recall when everything changed. One day, I decided to write my synopsis before I had written my story. I pulled out the basic romance story arc and, once I had a good understanding of my characters, brainstormed a story based on that arc. You know it well: *Girl meets boy (core conflicts mean they should never be suited) *They are thrown together by a twist of fate *There are inciting incidents as one or both fight their attraction *Black moment where it appears all is lost *Resolution The romance synopsis should be all about the conflict, feelings, love, desire and desolation. It can be so easy if you draft it first, without all the minutia of the story cluttering your brain. Done this way, a synopsis provides you a basic plan of your story. If you get lost, you can go back to it and remind yourself where you were headed. More importantly, it ensures the basis structure of your story is sound, leading to less re-writing later on. And it’s so easy to tweak at the end. Just feed in the little changes that your muse decided were vital to the story. And there you have it- the easy synopsis! Bernadette’s seventh book, The Master and the Sorceress, is due out on the 16th of April 2018. Here’s the blurb: Desperate sorceress, Katrine Aranati, no longer knows how to deal with the woman she has become. She runs headlong into a man whose heart’s desire is order and control. James Tomel, master jeweler, is outwardly a pillar of society but he hides more than one dangerous secret. When they are thrown together on a trip to Brightcastle, fierce creatures from legend pursue them but even more dangerous are the feelings swirling between them. When their hearts and bodies come together, one will flee while the other demands an accounting. Can they find common ground where their love will flourish or will secrets and betrayal kill all hope of a life together? Find out if love and chaos can defeat order and control in the fourth exciting instalment of the Wildecoast Saga. Amazon ITunes Kobo Thanks, Olivia, for hosting me on your blog today. It’s always lovely to be able to reach out to new story enthusiasts. 😊 My path to publishing seems like a good story to share with your readers. I was always a creative person and worked in the theatre restaurant and cabaret industry from when I left school through my twenties. I went on to own and run a theatre restaurant in Melbourne and wrote scripts, acted, directed, musically directed and tour managed shows during these years. It was a fun, creative and fulfilling experience, but when my hubby and I came to want to have children, we ran into issues and I pretty much had to give up all the stresses of running my own business to have children and go through IVF. I shut down my business, went through IVF, got a Dip.Ed and had my first son. The pregnancy was problematic and I ended up having him quite premature and was very sick myself. It took a long time to get over all of this and during that time, I suffered from post-natal depression which really came to a head when my son had to have an operation at six months to fix a birth defect. The psychologist I went to see said that I needed to do something for me, not just for my son, and suggested that I try to brush off my creativity. I had begun to write a novel in the last few years of running my theatre restaurant but had put it aside to look after my son and had never got back to it. I realised that the psychologist was 100% right and that if I didn’t follow my creativity in some way, I wasn’t going to be happy, so I stopped making excuses and saying ‘if only I had time’ and made what I could of the time I had and began to write. Within the first four months I’d finished a novel and after spending time polishing it up in the best way I knew and after doing research on how to write query letters and synopsis and polishing those skills, decided – at the urging of my hubby and parents – to send it off to Harlequin US and see what happened. I received a very lovely email from them asking to see the entire novel, which I sent off. It was very exciting. Then after months and months – and months – of waiting, I received the rejection letter. It was a very lovely full-page letter explaining the reasons why my novel wasn’t right for them at that time and wishing me luck in the future and that they hoped to see more from me again. I put the letter and that novel aside and returned to the novel I was writing at the time. I went through this process a number of other times, writing a new novel, polishing it, sending it off, to receive a full request then finally a rejection and probably would have continued doing that, flying in the dark, if I hadn’t met Anne Gracie at a library talk. Someone asked about rejection letters and she mentioned there were different kinds and asked for a show of hands as to how many of us had received them. As she went through the different kinds, my hand stayed up until I was the only one who had received multiple full page rejection letters. Anne asked me how many I had received, and I told her. Her brows raised and she asked if they were for the same novel or different ones. I said different ones. There was a pause and then she told me she needed to speak to me at the end. I girded my loins – I mean, this was Anne Gracie, one of my favourite historical romance novelists – and went up to speak to her. She asked me to send her my rejection letters, because to have received so many full requests then rejections with full page letters meant I was missing something and needed some help. She also encouraged me to join RWA – which she was president of at that time – and to go to the conference and pitch there, to enter the contests and sign up to volunteer and do workshops etc to help me network and polish my writing skills and encouraged me to join a writing group if I could. ‘Writers need writing friends,’ she said. She was heading overseas to do some research for her next book, but said to shoot me the letters in an email and she’d look at them and interpret them for me so I knew what I needed to work on – I had seen nothing but rejection, but apparently editors didn’t send full page letters unless they were asking you to work on things and submit, although never said in such open language. I did what she asked, joined RWA, joined a writing group, went to my first conference, entered comps, signed up to join the contest team as a volunteer, taking over the Emerald (which I managed for 4 years) and got her interpretation of my letters. She said I was so close and that they were asking for a resubmit. In my mind though, I’d moved on from these novels – I now consider them my learning novels – and was working on something else. Her encouragement pushed me on. It still took a number of years after that, a bunch more rejections, competition wins and placings here and in the US and pitching at every conference before I got my first contract, but I truly believe that if I had not taken Anne’s advice, I would still be floundering. I had two novels published with Penguin’s Destiny imprint in 2014 and 2015 which went nowhere, but out of that I got an agent – the fabulous Alex Adsett – and this year am having five novels published with Escape, with another series out and about that Alex is submitting to publishers and a few other projects on the go. It is pretty full on, but I love it. And it all truly started with four simple words of advice: ‘Writers need writing friends.’ Not just for the friendship, but because they keep us on track, question, support, push in the right way and make certain that we keep moving forward and improve. We go to meetings with these friends, critique with them, join comps with them, go to workshops with them, discuss the books we love and hate as well as dissect our own work and troubles – and successes - with them. Having writing friends is essential to the growth of a writer. Most of all, they are there for you. This has been especially true over the years after my eldest son was diagnosed with ADHD and a SID (Sensory Integration Disorder), which required me to give up all career aspirations as a teacher and be there to help him through all his difficulties and make sure my other son doesn’t miss out on me and my time and love too. Without my writing and my writing friends, life would have been really tough. Having people who encourage on a level others just simply can’t, who understand and empathise with the ups and downs of writing life and simply life as a woman and mother, has been truly wonderful and inspiring and has kept me going at times when things looked pretty bleak. RWA and the writing friends I met through being part of this organisation was certainly at the heart of all this. I ended up giving back to RWA in the ultimate way by going on the committee for a year and then becoming president for 3 years. It was an amazing experience and broadened my horizons in unimaginable ways and allowed me to meet some truly remarkable people and count them as friends. If I was to give advice, it would be to join a writing group or organisation, to go to workshops, to surround yourself with others who do what you do, and to share you and your process with them. For me it’s been essential and when I look around me, I see it’s true for all the other writers I know too. My new Pack Bound paranormal series, is being released now. The first two novels in the series, Pack Bound and Moon Bound are out now, and Shifter Bound and Wolf Bound are up for pre-order and are due to be released in April and May. Pack Bound Five hundred years ago, facing extinction, a group of powerful witches united to create a pact with the Were to save witch-kind. The pact expelled an ancient evil, known only as The Darkness, that was blocking the Were from their wolves. With the Darkness destroyed, the Packs and their Covens grew strong as they thrived beside each other in their brand new world. But the Darkness was not destroyed. One pack, one coven, a destiny intertwined... Skye Collins, has been brought up to fear her magic and shy away from Witch and Were alike. But when Jason McVale, the Alpha of Pack McVale, comes in search of her, she is intrigued and tempted. Her mistrust of magic and wariness of the intensity of passion she shares with Jason threatens her control – and if she loses control, she just might turn into the weapon The Darkness intended her to become all along. Buy Links: iBooks, Booktopia, Kobo, Google, Nook, Amazon AU, Amazon UK, Amazon US Moon Bound Only her love can heal his broken soul... Wiccan Healer-Witch, Bronwyn Kincaid, wants a quiet life. Her new powers have other ideas. Her increased healing magic and empathy mean she can’t ignore the plight of River Collins, a wolf brought up thinking the animal inside him is an evil he must forever suppress. If Bronwyn can’t control her powers and help River accept his wolf, the evil Darkness that hunts the Were will use them to destroy those they love. Buy Links: Amazon, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo Shifter Bound A spy, a lone wolf, a desperate choice... Shifter-Witch, Eloise O’Brien, has betrayed her Coven and almost killed her brother to save the Were Pack she’d infiltrated as a spy. Now living with the Were she once feared and hated, she learns the truth of who she really is - the prophesied Nexus. A witch of unspeakable power, she must make a choice between the light and the dark, between Iain McShane, the Lone Wolf she is coming to love, and her once beloved brother and Coven who are now working for The Darkness. Buy Links: Amazon, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo Wolf Bound The ultimate sacrifice, a love that lasts forever… Shelley Conners has good reason to hate and fear the powers that connect her to the spirit world and the insanity they foretell. But with the Pack's Trickster, Adam McVale, transformed into a Shade, a creature caught between life and death, Shelley holds the only key to saving him. Opening herself up to the world of the dead will only speed up her descent into madness, but Shelley never expects an even darker evil within–the Darkness, waiting patiently for her and the opportunity to destroy the world. Buy Links: Amazon, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo Author Bio: Leisl is a tall redhead with an overly large imagination. As a child, she identified strongly with Anne of Green Gables. A voracious reader and a born performer, it came as no surprise to anyone when she did a double major in English Literature and Drama for her BA, then went on to a career as an actor, singer and dancer, as well as script writer, stage manager and musical director for cabaret and theatre restaurants (one of which she co-owned and ran for six years). After starting a family Leisl stopped performing and instead, began writing the stories that had been plaguing her dreams. Leisl's stories have won and placed in many competitions in Australia and the US, including the STALI, Golden Opportunities, Heart of the West, Linda Howard Award of Excellence, Touch of Magic and many others. Leisl lives in the leafy suburbs of Melbourne with her two beautiful boys, lovely hubby, overly spunky dogs, Buffy and Skye, and likes to spend time with family and friends. She is addicted to the Syfy channel, and her shelves are full of fantasy and paranormal books and scifi DVDs. She sometimes sings in a choir, has worked as a swim teacher, loves to ski, can talk the hind leg off a donkey and has been President of Romance Writers of Australia from 2014-2017. Thank you, Liv, for this wonderful opportunity to guest blog. Hi everyone, I’m Mel A ROWEmelarowe.com/#home, a writer and weekend wanderer, who tries to not get too lost outback of North Australia. With an allergy to all things drawn-out and corporately serious, I’m considered a multi-genre word-player, who takes my common characters on uncommon journeys that can lead from boardrooms to outback billabongs as an entertaining escape to Happily Ever After. Where do I get my writing inspiration from?Anywhere. Everywhere. Nowhere. I read a lot, binge watch, travel, listen to the radio and people watch. I can’t say where the inspiration comes from. Sometimes I’ll wake up with an idea. And sometimes, it will magically happen while playing at the keyboard. Where do I find the time to write?I’m a morning person. I get up earlier just to sit at my keyboard before the rest of the house awakens. It’s quiet then, and my mind is fresh and free from distractions allowing me to focus. What are my tips for getting published?I’m internationally published in poetry and flash fiction, it's where I learned to write, submit, and forget by starting something new. I’m also a member of the local Writing Centres and other writing groups that share news on publishing opportunities. It’s how I gained my mentorship with Hachette Australia that opened a lot of doors to publishers who are releasing more of my works later this year. And I’ve just released my first self-published novel this month with the help of other authors I'd met through these Writing groups. Be aware this industry is a marathon, not a sprint; what is being published this year I submitted last year. How do I promote myself as an author?I created a website as the heart of my Author platform once I’d worked out what my Author Brand was to maintain consistency and focus. From there I created a social media strategy to save time and effort by batching and using various automation tools. I have two websites that I alternate between: MelAROWE.com is for my novel, newsletter link, and a blog that I post to my various social media sites.
I’m also on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest (the perfect place for Procrastination), and I’ve just started a YouTube channel.
Any Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Authors?Never stop learning and keep writing. As Nora Roberts says, ‘You can’t edit a blank page.’ MC D' Alton writes spicy contemporary romance and spicy fantasy romance. Her latest project's are a collaborative Steampunk Romance, as well as a fantasy four book collection, and a stand alone novel. MC D' Alton's South African heritage brings a gritty edge to her writing that packs a powerful emotional punch. MC writes tough, strong heroines and heroes evolved enough to handle them. Where do you get your writing inspiration from? Everywhere. I once wrote a story of Cupid after listening to Ed Sheeren's Give me Love. Last night I was watching Blue Planet and they had the most adorable Sea Dragon and Wham, short story. Most of my stories though are based on past experiences as a nurse in South Africa. My latest book, one written in collaboration with another awesome author Melanie page -- Iron Heart -- was inspired from watching Penny Dreadful. I wanted to write a monster love story and Wham! How do you find the time to write? I simply have to make it. I get up at five (which is so hard because I've never been a morning person), and write before the family wakes, I write at night when everyone is asleep and then on my days off from work I make time to sit down and scribble. If I don't write I get very depressed and irritable. How do you promote yourself as an author? On every social media platform available. Networking with other promoters, writers and magazines. It's hard at first but if you keep going you will eventually get the break you desire. Facebook is okay, so too is twitter, but I've found asking my fellow writers for interviews works best! Get an awesome Virtual Assistant, make sure you understand the marketing world and be prepared to have your soul sucked out as you market because it's intense! Make loads of writing friends because one of the best ways are interviews on one another's newsletter. You don't have to spend a fortune! Any words of wisdom for aspiring writers? Take all the well worded well meaning critiques and use them to improve your craft. Throw away the ugly stuff, never take it personally no matter how much it hurts. Never give up. Never think you know it all and always proof read your work out aloud to yourself -- that is an invaluable practice when editing. Latest Book There are three, but the one due out in June is actually a collaborative Steampunk Romantic novel. Meaning, both Melanie an myself wrote it! Iron Heart has everything in it from romance, to girl power, to awesome inventions to breathtaking romance in it. The there is The Wishing Cup which is a collection of four books written by four different authors and finally Epona, my very own Romance which starts in South Africa and ends in the highlands of Scotland. You can find me on: https://www.facebook.com/mcdalton76/ mcdalton76.com @mcdalton76 |
AuthorGroot the puppy, my faithful companion, sits by my side while I write my stories. Archives
October 2020
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