Friday 25 July 2014

Writing tips for aspiring authors


10 things I wish every aspiring author knew


Here are some things I wish I'd known before I started out as an author. I used to think there was this single magic formula for writing, but I don't think there is. It's a combination of grit, hard work and inspiration. Here are my thoughts on what you need to know ...

1. You can’t wait for inspiration to strike. If you want to be an author, you need to have the discipline to sit down and write, even if you ‘don’t feel like it’.

2. Sales don’t come instantly (unless you’re very lucky … or you sold your soul to the devil). You have to work for them.

3. Once you’ve finished writing your first book, that’s when the hard work starts. I’m not really selling it to you am I? Let me try and be a bit more positive in point number 4.

4. There’s nothing quite like the feeling when you’re writing a scene and the characters’ emotions spill over into your own. You can end up laughing or crying with your own creations – that’s a pretty amazing feeling!

5. There is no ‘one way’ to write a book. Everyone has different methods. You can plot methodically, or go with the flow. My way of writing lies somewhere in between the two.

6. When writing a book, there always comes a point (usually around a third of the way in) when it becomes the hardest slog on earth, and you’ll wonder why you started writing it, and the whole thing feels like this giant waste of time. At this point, it’s advisable to have a good cry/punch a wall/ eat a whole jumbo size bar of chocolate/get drunk. Now you’ve got that out of your system, you must push on through the pain barrier and kiss and make up with your masterpiece-of-a-manuscript. After a chapter or two of hard slog, you’ll be back in love with it again.

7. Beta readers are invaluable. I have input from betas during and after the writing process. People who can look at your manuscript with fresh eyes, spot gaping plot holes, tell you your pacing is off, point out that your characters aren’t believable enough etc etc. And no, your mum is not a good choice for a beta reader.

8. Good coffee.

9. Get a thick skin. Once you finish your book, you’ll have all manner of people telling you, you suck. From editors with red pens. To gatekeepers with heart-piercing stock phrases: ‘Thank you for your submission. While we do consider it to have merit, unfortunately we ….’ But possibly the worst and most disheartening moment is your first 1 star review. Or even worse – the pompous 3 star reviewer who tells you that he/she is a writer and would’ve written it like xyz, not like your crazy-ass xyf. Learn and move on. It’s not personal.

10. Don’t always be analysing the sales and marketing and craft aspects of writing a book. Allow yourself to wallow in your scenes and step into your characters’ skins. Have fun with the plots and delight in wicked twists. Yes, writing a book is really hard work, but it’s also a wonderful experience. And there’s nothing quite like that incredible feeling of achievement when you type:



Feel free to leave a comment with your own writing tips/experiences . . .

Wednesday 18 June 2014

A post-apocalyptic treasure hunt!




THE HUNT FOR TOMORROW
A virtual scavenger hunt through twenty-two fictional dystopias.
Friday, July 18 at 6:00pm (EST) - Sunday, July 20 at 6:00pm (EST)

I'm participating in an online scavenger hunt that will send participants on a virtual odyssey through twenty-two dystopian futures in search of the answers they need to win. The Hunt is on for one weekend only, although there is no time-limit for completing the course.
 
Intrepid scavengers must solve clues at each of the dystopian author stops as they progress through the course. The twenty-two participating authors all have books included in three dystopian boxed sets - What Tomorrow May Bring, A Taste of Tomorrow, and Shattered Worlds.

"Indie publishing is often a solitary experience. All of these authors coming together to work toward a common goal is an extraordinary thing,” said author Tony Bertauski, curator of What Tomorrow May Bring. “The enthusiasm for an engaging, communal effort like this scavenger hunt shows the willingness of indie authors to share their fans, and that can only be a good thing for readers.”

THE WINNER WILL NAME CHARACTERS AND TITLE FOR AN INTRIGUING PROGRESSIVE STORY

In a rare instance of collaborative story-telling, nineteen of the authors will write a progressive short story over nineteen days. Each author will have one day to write between 500-1000 words before passing the story on to the next author to create a collective vision of a new, dark future. The winner of The Hunt will name characters and contribute elements to create this dystopian world, and all participants in The Hunt will receive an advance copy of the story for an exclusive period before it is made available as a free download.

 THE WINNER WILL ALSO WIN SIGNED COPIES OF EACH AUTHOR'S BOOK!

Those who complete the scavenger hunt will be entered into a random draw, and for each correct answer collected along the way they will receive an additional chance to win. Along with the naming opportunity, the Grand Prize also includes a signed copy of each author’s book that is included in the boxed sets, an ebook of all the boxed sets, and the first copy of the progressive story they themselves inspired. During The Hunt, the authors will offer up their own exclusive material, sneak peeks, contests, and giveaways at their individual stops on The Hunt, giving all scavengers multiple chances to win bonus prizes

The authors participating in The Hunt include best-selling, award-winning and emerging writers from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. While their dystopian tales might be bleak, cynical, or despairing visions of the future, they ultimately carry messages of hope.

THE HUNT FOR TOMORROW will begin HERE on Friday July 18 at 6:00pm (EST) and ends on Sunday, July 20 at 6:00pm (EST).    

The Hunt is open to scavengers around the world; there is no cost to enter and one grand prize winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries.

The DYSTOPTIMISTS
Shining Light on a Dark Future   
                 
WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING boxed set

A TASTE OF TOMORROW boxed set


*Hunt only, not contributing to progressive short story
**Short story only, not participating in Hunt.

Wednesday 11 June 2014

YA Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror Price Drop!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/282675561904128/

Readers rejoice! For one day only, Friday, June 13th, you'll be able to buy over a dozen great YA paranormal, horror and fantasy novels for just 99 cents each. While you're checking out the selection, the authors will be on Facebook throughout the event ready to answer questions, talk about your favorite genres or just to chat. Buy some awesome books and make lasting connections with a great group of authors!

Here are the books that will be featured:

1. Patti Larsen, Book 1 of the Diamond City Trilogy
2. Tracey Ward, Dissever
3. Lynnie Purcell, The Hunter
4. Karice Bolton, RecruitZ
5. Intisar Khanani, Sunbolt
6. Chelsea Bellingeri, Love & the Zombie Apocalypse
7. Elle Casey, Apocalypsis
8. Michelle Muto, Don't Fear the Reaper
9. B. Kristin McMichael, Carnelian
10. Kirby Howell, Autumn in the City of Angels
11. Andrew Mayer, Book 1 in the Fool Series
12. Shalini Boland, Hidden
13. Lisa Wiedmeier, Cheyenne
14. Tarah Benner, The Defectors
15. Summer Lane, State of Emergency
16. J.M. Pierce, Failing Test
 
Please share this event with all your avid reader friends!

Tuesday 3 June 2014

Win a Kindle Fire via book promotion site eBookSoda

WIN A KINDLE FIRE via eBookSoda
 Want free and discounted bestsellers? 
Join eBookSoda.com so you never have to miss a deal on a great book . . .
kindle ~ nook ~ kobo ~ ipad ~ ibooks ~ smashwords

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday 14 May 2014

New Audiobooks Site!

Discover amazing audiobooks and enter to win FREE audio book coupons, via AudaVoxx

The AudaVoxx Email Newsletter brings together listeners, authors and narrators of audio books. Audio book listeners need quick, reliable sources for discovering audio books. Authors and narrators need a way to share news of their audio books and a platform to give away their promotional coupons. AudaVoxx serves both needs at once.
Listeners sign up to receive email newsletters based on the genres they like to listen to and authors and narrators now have an opportunity to reach their listeners in a way they never had before.

You may not currently be an audio book listener or maybe you haven’t jumped into listening since the olden days, back when we used to buy audio books on tapes and CDs. It’s a whole new world out there now! We can listen to audio books on our smart phones while out for a jog, commuting to work, or washing the dishes. Amazing, huh?

There’s no better time to check out audio books!



Authors and Narrators: Learn more about AudaVoxx HERE. 

Listeners: Sign up for the AudaVoxx Newsletter HERE. Happy listening!

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Cover Reveal for NO RETURN by Zoe Cannon

If you like young adult dystopian novels, you're going to love this series! I've already read Book 1 - The Torturer's Daughter - and it's a great, suspenseful, fast read that will have you itching to get your hands on Book 2 - Necessary Sacrifices.

Today, I'm happy to be hosting the cover reveal for Book 3 - No Return . . .

Every dissident knows about Becca Dalcourt.

They know about the lives she’s saved. About the prison break she carried out against impossible odds. They know she turned a dying resistance into the first real threat Internal Defense has faced in a long time.

And even now, with the resistance under attack from the inside, they know Becca can save them.

They’re wrong.

This conclusion to the series explores what happens when an ordinary person becomes a legend – and how to choose between who you are and who the world needs you to be.


No Return will be released May 21st 2014. You can add it to your Goodreads TBR list here.

Zoe Cannon writes about the things that fascinate her: outsiders, societies no sane person would want to live in, questions with no easy answers, and the inner workings of the mind. If she couldn't be a writer, she would probably be a psychologist, a penniless philosopher, or a hermit in a cave somewhere. While she'll read anything that isn't nailed down, she considers herself a YA reader and writer at heart. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and a giant teddy bear of a dog, and spends entirely too much time on the internet.

Here's where she hangs out online: