Jen Winters's Blog, page 15
February 8, 2015
Genevieve Gannon’s PR Tips for Authors at Any Stage – #Romance15
Originally posted on romance festival:
Genevieve Gannon is an Australian journalist and eBook author who used her knowledge of the media to attract national news and television coverage for her debut novel Husband Hunters. Here she shares some tips.
As a digital author you may have been told not to waste time approaching newspapers or major websites for coverage. While it���s true editors are bombarded with press releases every day it is also true that they are always on the lookout for a good story. The key is to sell it to them.
There are a lot of ways do this. But the most important tip I have is this:
Sell the content not the book.
Pick a few themes your book addresses and write pieces that you can use to promote your work. You will have a far greater chance of placing an article if it explores an issue, rather than if it���s���
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Catherine Ferguson’s Book Deal Moment – #Romance15
Originally posted on romance festival:
For as long as I can remember, I���ve been fascinated by books ��� reading them and writing them. I devoured everything by Enid Blyton as a kid and was always trying to write my own full-length mystery/adventure stories.
At university in Dundee, I studied English then landed a pretty cool job as Fiction Editor on Patches teenage magazine. After that, I worked as a sub-editor on a couple of newspapers in Scotland, before moving to Surrey where ��� in a complete change of career direction ��� I established Surrey Organics, delivering fresh organic fruit and veg to people���s homes. (My veggie adventures were the inspiration for my very first attempt at a book, which is still in a drawer.)
Then five years ago, I had a bit of a mid-life crisis/wake-up call. It involved a Big Birthday looming on the horizon and the fact that a spell trading the financial���
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Kissing My Demons – Jen Winters #Romance15
On the Romance Festival Blog site! WOO HOO!
Originally posted on romance festival:
I started writing��Kissing Demons��out of desperation.
What?!
Yep, desperation.
I was a brand new mom with an 8 month-old and my husband had left me and my daughter to pursue his drug interests. I have a degree, a BA in Biblical Text, so basically I knew how to translate ancient near eastern manuscripts into English. Not a huge job market for that. I was desperate to make a life for my daughter. I had been writing fiction for years, just practice with my BFF. We co-wrote story��upon story��(fifty or more between high school and college). I am an avid reader, devouring books like cotton candy. Paranormal Romance was my favorite treat, so I decided that I could make a go at this genre. I was so na��ve.
Almost six years later I have Kissing Demons. My editor,��Jessica Augustsson, has helped me become a better���
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Meet Julie Stock #romance15
Indie Authors at the Romance Festival!
Originally posted on romance festival:
Tell us about yourself
I am a new author about to self-publish my debut novel. I also write short stories and novellas.
Tell us about your latest book
My debut novel is a contemporary romance called From Here to Nashville. It tells the story of Rachel, who dreams of being a country music singer and going to Nashville, and Jackson, an independent record label owner, over in the UK from Nashville for his cousin���s wedding. It seems like their worlds are miles apart, about 4,000 to be exact but perhaps music can unite them.��
When did you start writing?
I started writing about two years ago when this story popped into my head. I took part in National Novel writing month which gave me the courage to keep going and then I joined the RNA���s New Writers��� Scheme. When I decided to self-publish, I joined the Alliance of���
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February 7, 2015
How to Write Dialogue – Isabel Wolff #Romance15
Write your dialog like a pro!
Originally posted on romance festival:
Best-selling novelist Isabel Wolff offers her tips on how to write dialogue.
Dialogue is what happens when two or more fictional characters talk to each other. We���ve all read novels in which that conversation is conveyed very awkwardly and this clumsiness pulls us out of the book. Good dialogue, on the other hand, is a pleasure to read, and helps the novel dance along.
Dialogue performs several functions ��� it moves the story forward, reveals how the characters relate to each other, and creates or builds tension. It also provides a break from the longer descriptive passages which require more concentration from the reader. I know many people who, before buying a book, will open it to see how much dialogue there is. Too little white space, and they���re deterred.
To write successful, realistic sounding dialogue you have to develop an ear for how people talk ��� their vocabulary and���
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10 Things Every Romance Writer Should Have! – #Romance15
Ten thing you *need* as a romance writer1
Originally posted on romance festival:
It might sound ridiculous but a love of the romance genre is totally essential for us romantic authors!
In all its fabulous, historical, bodice-ripping, sensual and funny glory, romantic novels have always and will always be my favourite read.
But apart from an obvious addiction to romantic books, what else should a romance writer have?
Here���s 10 suggestions from me���.
A fascination with people. My Husband is always commenting on how closely I watch and listen to others. It���s amazing what inspiration you can find when you pay attention.
Enjoyment of romantic comedy films/TV. Again, snuggling up in front of your favourite romcom can trigger all sorts of ideas and inspiration.
A love of music. I always have to have the radio on when I���m writing at home or I deliberately choose a coffee shop which plays good sounds. Listening to haunting vocals and beautiful lyrics seems to help me���
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Meet Aaron Speca #Romance2015 @aaronspeca
Men who write romance intrigue me. Here is an up and coming author I’ll be keeping an eye on.
Originally posted on romance festival:
Tell us about yourself
I am married with three children and a precocious Boston terrier, living in Virginia Beach. My kids are 17, 14, and 10. I work full-time and somehow try to squeeze in writing as much as I can between work and the kids��� activities which include soccer, taekwondo, dance, and chorus.
Tell us about your latest book
I���m very excited for the work I did with partner and lead author Dawn Treadway, Progeny of Sin: Dark Dreams to get published! Dark Dreams is a paranormal adventure romance featuring Nias Hu���dor, a demon who escaped with his race from the hell-like realm of Sheol, and Jade Shear, a human woman with empathic abilities. They are thrown together after Nias���s brother is abducted and Nias requires Jade���s help in order to rescue him.
When did you start writing?
I���d done plenty of technical writing, but my first foray into���
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Meet Megan Musgrove #Romance2015 @MysticalMeg
Here is an Indie Author featured on the Romance Festival blog. If you aren’t participating, get a move on and go check it out! Amazing resources and fun!
Originally posted on romance festival:
Tell us about yourself
I���m a twenty-five year old Indie author from Ipswich. I currently have four books available for purchase via Amazon. As well as writing, I have a tendency to book holidays I can���t afford, buy way too many pairs of shoes and partake in burlesque (under the stage name Santana de Vil) for a bit of fun.
Tell us about your latest book
My most recently released novel is called Resolution. When she wakes up on January 1st, Samantha Halfpenny decides to make a New Year���s resolution that involves winning back the boyfriend who dumped her the night before. But her friends have made a resolution of their own ��� to make sure Sam doesn���t get back together with the man who didn���t deserve her in the first place. Throw in a gorgeous personal trainer, and her plans might not go as smoothly as she expected.
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Why Carys Jones Loves an Anti-Hero – #Romance15
Romance Festival ’15 is getting started!
Originally posted on romance festival:
Romance stories are often full of dashing heroes who would do anything for the heroine. They are chivalrous, kind and almost a bit too perfect. Personally, I���m always rooting for the anti-hero in the story. The guy who is troubled, brooding, unpredictable and undoubtedly bad for the heroine. She should go for the nice guy, the charming hero. But if she truly wants her blood to boil with wild, untameable passion it has to be all about the anti-hero.
Think Damon from The Vampire Diaries or Hook from Once Upon A Time. They are characters who can be downright evil but there is something so sexy about that, so appealing. The anti-hero won���t bring you flowers or serenade you in the rain but he can make your whole body quiver with just one smouldering glance.
It���s no surprise that I���m drawn to creating anti-heroes within my own stories. I���
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Review: Imogene’s Message by Christine Sherborne
Imogene’s Message: A Thriller of Extreme Prejudice
I must admit that I have never read a thriller before, so this was my first experience with the genre. It was a rollercoaster of emotions for me. In one moment I was thinking, “Ooooh, how pretty!” And in the next I was being shocked and horrified by the events. Sherbrooke certainly pulled me into her world and sent me tumbling through the suspense of her characters lives.
This is not a happily-ever-after book, not even a happily-for-now. She has set up a series here that will draw you in, keep you on your toes, and make you want to run to the sequel for more.
On a more scholarly note, I did a lot of research into animistic religions in graduate school, and for this book, Sherborne hits it on the head. She does an amazing job staying true to the beliefs and values of New Age religions. I only wish that she made more of an effort to offset the violence of the extremists with the goodness of the true believers in both the Christian and Muslim religions.
Altogether, 4.5 stars on an excellent novel. Highly recommend this to everyone!
