Maria Savva's Blog, page 45

The Next Big Thing

My good friend and fellow author, Darcia Helle, didn't think I had enough to do on a Monday, so she decided to tag me in a challenge called The Next Big Thing. I do actually love these challenges, so a big thanks to Darcia.

The rules of the challenge are:

1. Answer 10 questions about my current WIP (Work-In-Progress)
2. Tag five other writers and link their blogs so we can all hop over and read their answers.


The questions are:


1. What is the working title of your book?
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
3. What genre does your book fall under?
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?
10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?


So, here we go...

1. My upcoming novel is called, 'Haunted'. It's not a working title, it will be the actual title. The working title was '3 Crimes', then that changed when the book changed direction, to 'Aftermath', but then that changed to the current title, which I think fits the story well.

2. The idea came from a road rage incident. It also encapsulates something that I had wanted to write about ever since seeing a news story on TV about 8 years ago. I know I am being very vague here, but I don't want to give too much away.

3. The genre: the short answer is I don't believe in genres, it is too restrictive for a creative person to be limited to one genre. The book has elements of crime fiction, psychological thriller, literary fiction, contemporary fiction, drama, and is paranormal-esque.

4. Who would play my characters in a movie? My main character, Nigel, is British, but I would love someone like Robin Williams to play him, as he is so talented and roughly the right age. For the female lead, Emily, maybe someone like Kate Winslett.



5. A one sentence synopsis of my book is: Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy.

6. I am self publishing this book. Indie authors are the best!

7. I actually don't remember how long it took to write the first draft, maybe about 6 months. I started writing it in January 2011, and it was written in pen, rather than directly onto the computer. I then spent ages typing up the draft. A few months ago, I finished the first couple of edits and sent it to an editor Susan Helene Gottfried (who is also an author friend of mine).

8. I don't know which books I would compare this story to, but can say that it was partly inspired by a Stephen King short film that I saw about 20 years ago, and also by the excellent movie A Beautiful Mind.

9. Who inspired me to write this book? I would have to say that the indie writers I have read over the past few years have been a big inspiration to me. By reading so many diverse and great novels and stories, I have become more confident in experimenting with different genres. I think that when I wrote Cutting The Fat with Jason McIntyre, it made me realise that writing crime fiction was something that I might be able to do. Also, I have recently blamed Darcia Helle for causing me to lean towards writing more crime fiction as her books are so good!

10. What else about my book might pique a reader's interest? When my editor read it, her comment was 'Man, this is dark stuff'... so if you like dark fiction, you may be intrigued now :)


Okay, here are the 5 authors who I would like to challenge:

1. Michael Radcliffe http://michaelradcliffe.wordpress.com/

2. Julie Elizabeth Powell
http://www.freewebs.com/julizpow/

3. Susan Buchanan
http://susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk/

4. Dionne Lister
http://dionnelisterwriter.wordpress.com/

5. Quentin Bufogle
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

I know all of those authors have a work-in-progress which I am very much looking forward to read!

Bluebonnets, Bagpipes & Books podcast interview!

Last week, I was interviewed by Mark Rice (author of Metallic Dreams), and Deena Rae Schoenfeldt of eBookBuilders, on their Internet radio show, Bluebonnets, Bagpipes & Books!

We talked about my upcoming novel, Haunted, which I hope to release on Hallowe'en. We also talked about my experience with the Amazon KDP Select Programme. The show was fun to do.

You can listen to the podcast here: Bluebonnets, Bagpipes & Books

I hope you enjoy it!

Deena and Mark created their radio show so that they could discuss the ins and outs of the publishing industry with those in the know.

If you're on Facebook, you can keep up to date with the show here: http://www.facebook.com/Bluebonnets.B...

You can also follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBandBPodcast

Author, Darcia Helle, reveals her Secrets...

One of my favourite authors, Darcia Helle, has released a new novel this week!! I'm very excited about this book because I've already read it. In fact, I was one of the first people to read it... Okay, I'm showing off now! Anyway, my point is, Darcia's new novel, Secrets is a page turner, or maybe in this age of e-books, it's a thumb-clicker... it's finger clickin' good! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself).









Just take a look at the cover. It's absolutely gorgeous:




I know you shouldn't really judge a book by its cover, but I think in the indie publishing world, you probably should, because I think if an author takes time to make sure that the cover of the book is outstanding, then more than likely, the content will also be outstanding. This is definitely the case with Secrets.

This is a book that really gets into the mind of the characters, and takes you on a suspenseful adventure. It has some dark content, and some distressing content, but it is told with sensitivity and skill. Darcia Helle is a seasoned writer having already written numerous other books, and she has a talent for writing suspense that I have rarely seen equalled by other authors.

My message to you: buy this book. You'll love it!

But wait... you could be lucky enough to win a copy. Darcia has offered to give away 2 e-book copies to readers of my blog. To enter, please comment below or simply 'like' this post. Lucky winners will be chosen on 16th September 2012.

Earlier this month, I interviewed Darcia about her latest release. Here's what she had to say:

Secrets, I understand, was the first novel you ever wrote and you recently found the manuscript at home. What was it like reading through a novel that you'd written so many years ago? Had you forgotten some parts of it? Did you remember how it ended? I find sometimes that if I read something I wrote a while ago, it's often hard to remember I wrote it.

I think I finished this book in early 1992. It had been sitting in a manuscript box since then; moved from one place to another, but never looked at. Reading through it the first time was a unique experience. While I remembered the basics, I'd long forgotten most of the intricacies of the story. I'd get to a twist or a new aspect of the plot and I'd be totally surprised. This was a gift, really, as we authors rarely get to experience our own work this way.


What kind of shape was the draft you found? I know, from my own experience that our writing evolves over time. Did it require a lot of editing? And did you notice any definite ways that your writing has changed over the years, for example, was there something you did then that you don't do anymore when you write?

Oh, editing! Is there ever a time when something we write doesn't require editing? I could pick up every one of my already published books and edit them to death!

All things considered, this manuscript wasn't in bad shape. Some parts required a lot of revisions, while other parts remain almost as they were originally.
I definitely noticed changes in my writing style. The biggest difference, I think, comes in my characters. Early on, I had more of a black and white sense of people and their behavior. At their core, people, and by reflection my characters, were either good or bad. There weren't a lot of gray shades.

Now that I'm older and wiser, I know this is rarely true. And I find those gray shades infinitely more interesting than the black and white. My writing these days is about finding that little bit of darkness in an otherwise good person. I like to pull on the loose threads and see what unravels.

Can you remember how long it took you to write the first draft of Secrets?

My best guess would be in the vicinity of six months. As I was writing this one, I had the idea for what became Enemies and Playmates, so I was often writing both books at the same time. I had two small children and a full-time job. I'd stay up until the wee hours of the morning writing, then try to make it through the day on three or four hours sleep. This proves that writing is not a choice for most of us. There's a hidden force that drives us to tell these stories. Or we're just crazy. :)








I know you did a lot of research into the psychology of secrets as I read a blog post you recently wrote on the subject. What, if anything, surprised you most from your research?

I was pleasantly surprised by how well the research matched up with Samantha's character. At the time I wrote this book, there wasn't a lot of research to be found on how keeping secrets effects us. There also was no such thing as Google back then! When I started to research the issue, I was a bit worried that Samantha's behavior would seem ridiculous against the science. That, thankfully, was not the case at all.


What's the biggest secret you've ever kept from anyone?

If I told you, it would no longer be a secret!

The biggest secret I ever kept is now actually public knowledge, so I can share the story. *Drum Roll* My secret is? My husband and I were married for about two months before we told anyone. I'd gone through a difficult divorce from my sons' father a few years before. The short version of the story is that Michael, my current husband, and I had been pen pals from around the time my ex and I first split up. Michael was in the Middle East during the first Gulf War. We met when he got out of the military and we've been together ever since. We didn't tell anyone because we wanted the ceremony to be private. If I'd told my parents they first would have tried to talk me out of it, then would have insisted on being present. My friends would have made a fuss and wanted a party. We didn't want any of that. We wanted it to be about just the two of us. We were married on July 4th, 2000, at the beautiful home of a local Justice of the Peace. We spent our wedding afternoon at World's End National Park with my younger son.

Can you remember what your inspiration or motivation was when you began writing Secrets? I know it was over 20 years ago, so you may have forgotten.

I don't remember any specific trigger that set the story off in my mind. I do know the broader backdrop of inspiration. Back in the late '80s and early '90s, repressed memories were making headlines all over the U.S. This was a particularly hot topic in the New England area where I lived. Sadly, all the hype led to a lot of false accusations and put quite a few innocent people in prison. But that fallout didn't come until years later. At the time this story was born, we were hearing a lot about woman who'd been abused as children and had repressed that memory into adulthood. Various psychological problems brought them into therapy, where psychologists discovered their repressed memories.

This isn't exactly how Samantha's story goes, but the roots are in these news stories.

Given that Secrets was set back in a time when most people didn't have mobiles and Internet, how hard was it for you to edit the story and avoid having a character pick up his or her mobile? I recently had to edit part of my upcoming novel, Haunted, because I'd inadvertently had a character chat to someone on his mobile back in 1991...

Actually, I didn't have a problem with this at all. Because I'd written the original story back then, all the pieces fit just the way they were. I don't want to give away details, but to bring modern technology into the story would have required massive editing. Therefore, it was easy for me to remain 'back in time'.

Are there any other hidden manuscripts in your house that we can expect to see published soon? (I hope so!)

I wish I had another one complete! I do have a novel that is about half done. I'd started writing it in the late '90s. Then I made a major move and had a lot of health complications to deal with. Life got in the way, and I wound up putting that one aside. I'm not sure why I never picked it back up. But it's on my list of things to do!


I love the cover for Secrets. Having read the novel, I really think it's perfect. How did you go about choosing the photo?

As you know, cover art is of huge importance and can be a complicated process. I started out with the idea of placing a chain around the center of the cover, with a padlock holding it together. The padlock would have the title written on it. I played with this idea and decided I hated it. Then my husband had the idea of making it look like a journal, with a lock, where Samantha kept her secrets. That idea didn't work out, either.

I spent many hours searching through photo sites, where authors can purchase the rights to use various photos. The problem with these sites is the content is endless. You need to narrow things down with search words. I'd tried the obvious, such as 'secrets', 'lies', 'abuse', etc. I looked at hundreds, perhaps thousands, of photos. But nothing was clicking.

Finally, I thought about Samantha's character. Who was she? What was she like? I came up with the thought that she wears a mask for the world, keeping her true self hidden. I typed 'mask' and 'woman' into the search box. Two dozen or so photos popped up. The moment I saw the one you now see on the cover, I knew it was what I wanted.

You have a book trailer for Secrets. Did you make that yourself?

I do, and I did! Like cover design, this is a major creative endeavor. You need the right photos to go with whatever your captions are. Then you need music that captures the feel of the book. I spent one entire afternoon listening to thirty-second music clips!

The captions I used for this trailer are from the back cover. I thought the blurb/description worked well for the trailer. The photos are all from Morguefile.com and the music is from FreePlayMusic.net.

You can see the trailer on YouTube

Or on the trailer page of my website


Have you read any outstanding novels recently?

Too many to list them all! I've read somewhere around 80 books so far this year, and probably half of those were outstanding.

A few of those novels are:

The Book of Sylvia by Michael Scott Miller
Senseless Confidential by Martin Bannon
Hide and Seek by Jenny Hilborne
Gone by Julie Elizabeth Powell

And, of course, your revised edition of Coincidences!

Thank you!! :)

Do you have any other novels or projects in the pipeline?

I'm working on book #3 in my Michael Sykora series. This one is long overdue. I nudged it aside several times because a different character with a different story took up residence in my head. Now Michael's tired of waiting and has his story all mapped out for me. I just need to listen and follow along.

Thank you, Darcia, for being a fabulous guest, as always!


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Remember to leave a comment below or 'like' this post if you want a chance to win a copy of Secrets!! Good luck!

Introducing author, Dionne Lister, plus a giveaway!

Today, I'm thrilled to be introducing you to author Dionne Lister. I met Dionne on Twitter, a while ago, shortly before the release of her debut novel, Shadows of the Realm. I am very glad I discovered this author as she is now on my list of favourites. I am looking forward to reading her latest book, Dark Spaces - A collection of suspenseful short stories, which is already on my Kindle!

After reading, and thoroughly enjoying, Dionne's debut novel, I was keen to introduce her to all of you. If you like fantasy fiction, you really should get to know this author.

Dionne very kindly agreed to answer my interview questions and has also offered to give away 2 e-book copies of Shadows of the Realm, and 2 e-book copies of Dark Spaces to followers of this blog! If you would like to enter the giveaway please leave a comment below or simply 'like' the blog post. Winners will be chosen on 16th September 2012.

Here is my interview with Dionne:


Shadows of the Realm is the first book in a series. Did you start out with the idea of writing a series or did it just develop into a series later?

I wanted it to be a series from the beginning. Most of the fantasy I’ve read over the years is always part of a series and I like that because I get invested in the characters and when I read a good book, I miss the characters when it’s finished.






Who designed the cover of your novel? It's very striking.

Thanks Maria. The cover is something that was really important to me, especially as I think fantasy is a genre which cries out for artistic and imaginitive images that evoke the feel of the world your trying to convey. A Sydney artist, Robert Baird, did it and I was so happy when I saw it that I cried.


Your characters have great names! How did you come up with the different names?

I don’t know lol. I have a picture of the character in my mind, then went through different letters and names in my head until it fit. I think names can conjure a feeling about a person. Although my Greek background came out in the dragons’ names. Greeks have long names, like Papadopoulos, and I was sort of having a joke with that. Zim was originally Zimapholous Terralphyn Accorterroza, but a beta reader didn’t get the joke and said the names were too long, so I cut them lol.

Being Greek myself, I did wonder whether they were inspired by Greek names, as some of them sounded Greek to me, like Avruellen, and the name of the dragon city, Vellonia :)

In your novel, your Realmist characters have to bond with a creatura, who will become their animal friend and partner for life, and they can 'talk' to them telepathically. If you could bond in such a way with an animal what type of animal would you choose and why?

I would say a panther. They are so strong and I imagine calm in a tricky situation. Their eyes are mesmerizing and look as if they see to the heart of things.

Your book is full of wonderful characters, including dragons, and Realmists, 'talking' animals. If you could spend a day as one of the characters in your book, which one would you choose, and why?

That’s a tough question. I think Zim. It would be awesome to glide around in the sky and breathe fire at people.

LOL, and I thought you were such a nice, friendly woman, Dionne

I understand you have had some success in getting the book noticed by local schools. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

One of the local high schools bought my book and the students are loving it actually (which I was very excited to find out). We have a program here that encourages kids to read. They have to read 20 books a year. 15 of the books they read have to come from something called ‘The Premier’s List” and I’m trying to get my book on there at the moment. If they accept it, most of the schools in our state will buy it.

Is fantasy your favourite genre to read as well as write?

It used to be my favourite genre, but in the last couple of years I’ve branched out and am reading contemporary literary stuff as well and I’m really enjoying that. I love writing fantasy but my suspenseful/scary stuff is something I love to write equally as much. I love writing horror too, but haven’t done any for a long time, although there’s a little bit of horror in Shadows of the Realm (as you know).

What inspired you to start writing Shadows of the Realm?

I had wanted to write a novel for as long as I can remember, and I thought fantasy was a good place to start since I loved it and I didn’t need to do any research. That sounds terrible but I’m lazy lol.

How long did it take you to write the book?

The first draft only took a few weeks.

I understand that there was a period of about 8 years between you writing the book and finally getting it published. What was the reason for the delay?

Life, lack of experience and opportunity. When I initially wrote it, tradition publishing was the only way to publish and of course I had a few rejections. I was busy with my full time job, then kids came along. I also realised that I probably wasn’t as good a writer as I thought, so I enrolled in a creative writing degree so I could learn, and then revisit my book. I went over it again then found an editor (after a false start where Jessica Hollis Brown took my money but did no editing – there’s a post on my blog about this). Then I went through my book about four more times and finally was ready to self-publish.

You are the co-host of the Tweep Nation podcast, with Amber Norrgard. I enjoyed being interviewed by you both on the show. How did you and Amber meet, and what gave you the idea for starting the podcast? 





We met on Twitter. Social media has been wonderful to me. If it wasn’t for Twitter I would never have self-published. Anyway, I was asked to co-host a friend’s podcast (newbiewriters.com) and after Amber heard it she suggested, um no, insisted, we do our own. And thus, Tweep Nation was born.

If you could interview any author on the podcast who would that be?

Douglas Adams, and yes, I know he’s dead, but I think he would have been very interesting to talk to.

Who were your favourite authors as you were growing up?

David Eddings, CS Lewis, Douglas Adams, Stephen King. There have been so many good authors that I don’t think I could name them all. So many books have influenced me and stuck with me.

Are you reading a book at the moment?

I just finished The Night Circus and I’m currently reading The Hours (that one is for uni). When I’ve finished those I have Coincidences on the list and a book by another indie author, Donna Cavanagh, called Try and Avoid the Speed Bumps.

I hope you enjoy Coincidences! :)

Do you prefer print or e-books?

I prefer print books for aesthetic reasons, but e-books win in the cost and convenience stakes.


Do you have any advice for someone thinking of self-publishing a book?

If you want to do it properly don’t cut corners. Don’t be too eager to get it out there. Have it edited, go through it four or five times, be particular. Even then you will still make mistakes, but if you want to be around for a while, quality counts. There are too many writers who don’t take it seriously and their books have five typos on every page, the grammar is shocking etc. If you don’t put your best work forward no one is going to read your second book (although Fifty Shades of Gray has done ok lol). Something I will admit, is that the more you write, the better you get, so your first book probably won’t be the best you will ever do. Do the best you can and build on it, and don’t lose hope, you will keep improving. I would also recommend doing some kind of course. Uni has improved my writing ten fold, I get better with every subject I do.

I understand you are writing the sequel to book 2 in your The Circle of Talia series right now. When do you think that will be published?

I’m aiming to have the first draft done by Christmas. I’m envisaging a March release date (fingers crossed).







You've just published a collection of short stories, Dark Spaces, that I'm very much looking forward to reading. Are the stories fantasy tales, or are there other genres too?

There’s only one fantasy flash fiction in there. The stories are mainly dark suspense or looking at an intense situation. Most of them are crime/thriller and have a twist at the end.

Were the stories in your new collection all written specifically for an anthology or were they stories you had written over the years?

They were all stories I had written over the last couple of years, usually for competitions. When I realised I had a few I decided to do something with them. Breathe In Autumn was runner up in a Five Stop Story competition, while Heart of an Angel had an honorable mention in the another comp run by Five Stop Story. My flash fiction piece “Outback Lament” was written for a competition but because I had posted it on my blog I was not allowed to enter it, but someone has just requested to include it in an anthology because they liked it so much! I was very excited when I got that message.

Thank you for being a wonderful guest, Dionne, and I wish you success in all your writing endeavours!

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Remember, if you'd like the chance to win a copy of one of Dionne's books, leave a comment below! Good luck!

A-Z of Self-publishing & Writing tips: D-F

Welcome to the second instalment of my series, in which I highlight a few things I have learnt over the years about the self-publishing journey.

I hope the series will be useful to aspiring writers and those who are having a hard time navigating their way through the often confusing self-publishing process.

The first part of the series was featured on author K.B. Walker's blog: A-C Writing and Self-publishing tips

So here we go:

D

Dialogue & Description:

There is a view that you should not include too much dialogue in your fiction. This is a view that, frankly, I don't believe in. I write character-driven fiction that contains a lot of dialogue, and I like it that way. When I'm reading books, I also like a lot of dialogue; when it's done correctly, it helps move the action along and also entertains more than a paragraph of prose ever could. That said, you should not include too much dialogue to the exclusion of other description. I think that description in a novel is also an important part of it. I really believe that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to how much dialogue and how much description you include in a novel, the important thing is that you write in a way that makes it easy for the reader. Writers will find their own style, and some will include a lot of description, some more dialogue. Where there is more description than dialogue in a novel, it can result in a slower paced book. Books with more dialogue are often quicker to read.

The important points when constructing dialogue in a novel, are as follows:

1. Make it clear who is speaking. So, for example, where there are two men talking to each other, if you say 'he said' a few times, this could result in confusion. Perhaps, have one of the men mention the name of the other within the dialogue once or twice, or mention the name of one of the men, e.g. 'said James.'

2. Vary the writing, i.e. don't keep saying, 'he said', or 'she said' every time a character finishes speaking. Add other things, like, 'he swept his hand through his hair as he spoke', or 'she avoided his eyes'. In this way you are 'showing' your reader what the characters are doing as they're speaking. An example:


One way of doing it:

'How much is this vase?' asked John.
'Fifty pounds,' answered Bobby.
'That's expensive for a vase.'
'It's rare... an antique,' said Bobby.

Another way:

John picked up a blue vase with a floral design.'How much does this cost?' He asked.
Bobby eyed him up and down as if trying to work out how much he could afford to pay. He narrowed his eyes and said, 'That's fifty pounds.'
John's eyes widened. 'That's expensive for a vase.'
'It's rare... an antique,' said Bobby as he wiped a stain from the top of the shop counter, avoiding John's stare.

Okay, so that's a basic unedited paragraph, but I hope it highlights what I mean about trying to make the dialogue interesting.

3. Make the dialogue realistic; i.e. if your story is set in a certain part of the country where people have an accent and a certain way of saying things, you should really include that within the dialogue.

I do know of writers who have done quite well writing a whole short story only using dialogue and nothing else. So, it is doable. I suppose the point I really want to make is that you should never listen to anyone who says there are hard and fast rules for this type of thing; as with any creative pursuit, use your own intuition, and make sure you feel happy with the writing you are putting out there.

Digital publishing:

Any new writers would be forgiven for being confused by all the various ways you can publish e-books online. This is very much the digital age when it comes to publishing. More e-books are sold than print books these days, so if you are serious about your writing you do need to consider having your books available in digital form as well as print.

There are number of sites available for publishing your books as e-books. Some of them are listed below:

1. Amazon Kindle - probably the most popular, and most widely read. I sell the majority of my e-books via Amazon Kindle. It's relatively easy to upload your books onto Kindle yourself and you don't even need an ISBN number to do that. Your book will be available more or less worldwide and at a price you choose. I don't think any serious writer can get away with not publishing their books on Kindle.

2. Smashwords.com - This is a great site for indie writers. It allows you to upload your book and it will be converted into most digital formats, so it's available for download to most (if not all) e-readers.

3. Barnes and Noble (B&N) - Nook. This is also a popular reading device. If you publish through Smashwords, your book will be available through B&N. Or, you can upload to B&N directly (although when I last looked at that you can only upload directly if you have a US address or bank account).

4. iBookstore - the iPad is becoming more an more popular. Uploading your books onto the iBookstore can be done direct. I am told that if you produce a document on Pages (on a Mac) you can convert it into ePub and upload very easily onto the iBookstore. I haven't tried that yet, and believe there may be some restrictions for anyone outside the US trying to publish on there. I did get a few of my books converted free by Lulu.com, so they appear on the iBookstore.


E

Editing

This is a biggie. Ignore this at your peril.

You MUST make sure that before you publish a book of any type, it has been edited, and in most cases this means that someone other than the author has looked through it with a fine-toothed comb.

By 'someone', I mean someone who has knowledge of grammar, spelling, syntax.

I can't stress how important that is.

In the past few years, I have read hundreds of indie books, and about 98% of them have had problems associated with the fact that a good editor was not used... It's frustrating. I know that when you're a writer starting out you will be very keen to publish your work. You will love it, you will feel accomplished when you write a whole novel, you'll show it to a friend or two, maybe your mum and dad, they will all tell you it's great. Then you publish... then you learn. This is the road most authors take on the journey. We all make mistakes.

I can give an example from my own publishing journey. I know that I published Coincidences too soon. I should have sat on the story, re-read it, edited it, and waited until it was perfect, but I was keen to publish and a less-than-perfect version is out there in hardback. My second edition is as near as what I would say is perfect (in my opinion), but my reviews from the older version are still there on Amazon, and will live with me. The first version was good, but not great. We should all be aiming for great books before we publish them. At the time I published Coincidences the first time, I was sure it was perfect and would become a best-seller, but that was over 12 years ago and I have learnt so much since then. There is a lesson in that to aspiring writers: just because you think your book is the best thing since sliced bread, it may not be :)

In conclusion, it's okay, and not the end of the world, if you've published a less-than-perfect book, but we must always be striving for perfection, so either do what I did with Coincidences and rewrite it until you're happy with it, or try to edit your work before your publish it to avoid all that.

Try and use an editor who comes recommended by someone else. With my soon-to-be-released novel, Haunted, I used the editing services of Susan Helene Gottfried. I am quite confident with my writing by this stage of my writing life, but I spent so many months editing Coincidences that I wanted to hand over the hard part of the publishing process to someone else. I'm glad I did, because I now have someone's comments on my book that will make me think from the perspective of a reader when polishing my work.

It's also important to have proof-readers. But I can deal with that subject in a later part of this series.

F

Formatting

This follows on nicely from the part above about digital publishing.

Self-published writers are expected to wear many hats. They are artists, writers, entertainers, now marketers and editors, and the digital age has required them to be able to be computer-literate and format their books into a version that can be accepted on e-book seller sites.

There are guidelines that you can follow on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords and other sites that will enable you to upload books yourself to the sites. I found I was limited with what I could do as I have a Mac computer and until recently most sites were not very user-friendly for Macs. I was lucky enough to have a good author friend who helped me with formatting. I won't mention her name in case she's inundated with requests for help LOL.

Formatting is a big issue in publishing. I read a lot of Kindle books and notice that most of them have formatting issues. This is partly due to the fact that the book is being converted from one file type to another. It can also be due to the fact that Microsoft Word is quite a basic software system not capable of functioning well for this type of usage (an IT expert told me this.)

There is help and there are resources you can find on the Internet if you find that you are stuck and need help with formatting.

If you want to go it alone, self-published without using another company but just require formatting help, I would recommend, eBookBuilders: https://digitalebookformatting.wordpr... I am told that this company will produce the best quality formatted ebooks for your requirements. I am probably going to use the company for my next e-book. It would be peace of mind to know that the product I am publishing will be the best it can be.

Facebook

One of the features I have recently started using on Facebook is the Author Fan Page. So, I've set up a page separate from my own personal page, and use that for promoting my books. I think all authors should have a fan page. It makes sense, because then you can post personal stuff on your own page and project a more professional image on your Author Page. It's quite easy to set up the page. You go to your 'home' page and click on 'Pages' then there should be a link for 'start a new page', or something like that. You build the page as you would your normal Facebook page.

I found that getting people to 'Like' the page can be a struggle, but I was invited to a Facebook Event yesterday, where people were swapping 'Likes' and it was very successful. I ended up with 315 'Likes' of my page. When people 'Like' your page, they will see whatever you post in their news feed. So, the more 'Likes' you have, the better.

Friendly

I'm just going to tag this on the end because I believe that now we are in the e-publishing world we are all much more accessible on the Internet. A big part of what we do as self-published writers is marketing. That's marketing of our book, but also be aware that you are also marketing yourself as a brand name. It's important that you are friendly in your approach to readers and fellow indie authors. There is nothing more off-putting than an author who obviously just wants to sell you his or her book, but just as obviously, doesn't want to know anything about you...
Get to know your readers and have a circle of fellow writers that you can chat with. Writing is a lonely business, but with the advent of the Internet and all the various social networking sites, it can also be a lot of fun.

That brings me onto another word: Fun You should have fun as a self-published writer, enjoy what you are doing and this will come across to others. If you are not happy, you should perhaps not be self-published. Being a self-published writer is hard work, it's something that won't bring immediate results, and there are many things that can drag you down. This is another reason why it's important to have fellow authors you can chat to.

Here's another F word: Forum Join a writers'/readers' forum, liked Bestsellerbound.com, that I mentioned in my last post (Under B).

Look out for my next post in this series. Coming soon...

Guest Post - Jaleta Clegg - Story Inspiration

Today, I'm handing over my blog to the talented sci-fi/fantasy author, Jaleta Clegg. Jaleta is a BestsellerBound member and has just released her latest novel, Priestess of the Eggstone, the latest in her series of Sci-fi books.




Gorgeous cover, isn't it?

Now, here's the guest post:

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"Where do you get your ideas?"

How many authors dread that question? *raises hand* Terry Pratchett explained in one of his Discworld novels that particles of inspiration sleet through the universe all the time. When one of them intersects a brain, the light bulb goes on and an idea is born. I like that explanation.

The truth is my story ideas come from mundane sources. Nature documentaries are a favorite for sparking ideas. I've got a horror story idea I'm still toying with about pots for containing demon spirits that was triggered by a tiny little article in National Geographic. My favorite question is, "What if?"

The plot for Nexus Point is based on the question, "What would a high-tech person do if they were dumped into a politically hot situation on a medieval tech world?" Of course, much of that story grew from the character's personality.

Book 2, Priestess of the Eggstone, came from "How can I get her in even more trouble?" She's being chased by the crime syndicate who runs the company she's flying courier for. They want the illegal cargo she just stole. The Patrol is after her. She thinks they're trying to arrest her. But her copilot has an entire species chasing him. He stole their god, the Eggstone. That's the setup for the book. The story and all its complications grew out of that simple description.

Writing is an organic process. An idea is sparked, a story started. As I write, I get flooded with new ideas, new option, new twists and turns. Sometimes, I can see a scene in my mind. I write like a demon to get to that scene so I can figure out how it fits into the overall story.

Stories start from a character or a question or sometimes just a setting. The real work of writing is making that character do something interesting, or answering the question in an unexpected way, or figuring out what happened in that setting that makes it worth reading about. Story seeds are in everything around us. Look at the world sideways and see how different it looks. Then write your vision.

My last word of advice—Trust your subconscious. When I let mine loose on my stories and let the words flow, the stories amaze me with the twists and turns. The characters come to life. Yes, it's messy and it drives me insane trying to keep track of everything, but that's why editing was invented.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

~




Jaleta Clegg loves to play with words. Sometimes they gel into stories ranging from space opera epics to silly horror to everything in between. Find more at www.jaletac.com

Priestess of the Eggstone: Pursued by the Targon Crime Syndicate bent on revenge, the Patrol intent on recruitment, and the Sessimoniss who want their god back, the last thing Captain Dace needs is a handsome copilot with romance on his mind.

http://www.journal-store.com/bookstor...

Lost Shadows by Julie Elizabeth Powell - interview and giveaway!

Julie Elizabeth Powell has appeared on my blog a couple of times before. I am thrilled to be welcoming her back today to chat about her latest release, Lost Shadows.




I am a fan of Julie's writing and have read most of her books. Each one is always a joy to read, and I look forward to her new releases. She writes in many genres but fantasy lies at the heart of most of her writing. She's an inspirational lady who I have come to consider a great friend, and she's also a prolific writer.


Julie has offered to give away 5 pdf copies of Lost Shadows to lucky readers of my blog. To enter for your chance to win a copy, please either 'Like' this blog, or leave a comment for Julie below.
Winners will be picked on 1st September 2012.


Here's my interview with Julie:

Lost Shadows, your latest novel, deals with the mind -- in particular what can happen to the mind to cause memory loss. There are lots of different characters in the book, all dealing in one way or the other with memory loss. Was there anything in particular that inspired you to write a book about this subject area, or was it just something that developed into a novel from an idea?


I’ve always been interested in how the mind works, especially that it makes us what we are. Experiences imprint on our brain, therefore, storing memories – what then would happen if these were lost? Would we cease to be that person, or part of who we were etc.? What happened to my daughter, Samantha, obviously has some bearing on my ongoing interest, as she was severely brain damaged at the age of two – essentially wiping away anything she was. I’ve also taught people with part brain damage and those that have suffered a stroke, and my aunt developed Alzheimer’s – and then of course I read about all sorts of accidents or illnesses that cause memory loss. I find it fascinating and want to find out what differences it makes, especially to identity. So the idea, like all my ideas, are inspired by what I learn and think, curiosity being the key. For Lost Shadows, the question was: Where do memories go when they are lost?

In your book, one of the characters likes learning facts, often the type that are maybe good for general knowledge tests but not much more LOL. One of these facts got me thinking... is it really true that spiders lay their eggs in the bottom of bananas? Please tell me you made that up!

From what I’ve learned, yes, spiders can lay eggs in the ends of bananas! Although, I’ve never checked it out, and even if it’s not true, I would always nip off the ends just in case.

(Hmm... I'm going to be doing that from now on!!)




As your new book is all about memory, what's your memory like?

Ah, well, my memory is good on some things – especially with writing and all the characters I create (though I have to note down ‘facts’ about things occasionally) but sometimes I wonder if my brain has forgotten everything else! I can forget the most silly of things (e.g. ‘where are my glasses, oh, right, on my head?!’) I tend to write things down if necessary – I like lists – which help. Somehow, writing it down helps memory – I found this useful when at university with all those things to remember for exams. It really helped making smaller and smaller lists until just one word could expand into a whole host of explanations and facts in my head when faced with the exam paper. Having said that, I mostly write as it flows, never once making a list or knowing where it’s going. One thing I would like to say here is that having a good memory (those geniuses that never have to revise) is not necessarily a mark of intelligence. I believe ‘cleverness’ has everything to do with ‘understanding’, however long it takes to learn (whatever it is). Though, I suppose Shakespeare was right in the tragedy of ‘man’, in that many can learn, but too late and are bound to repeat mistakes over and over – this can be seen, of course, throughout history. Rambling a little here, sorry. But that’s how my mind works, I think of one thing and it leads to another and another... I think that the most important thing is to keep the mind open – to anything. As to my memory, although I can have trouble with the trauma of past, for the most part it’s intact.


Lost Shadows is part psychological thriller and part fantasy. The fantasy part seems to kick in towards the end but was obviously there in the novel from the start, in hindsight. I have read most of your books and I think although they are all different, one thing that seems to link your fantasy novels is that you create new worlds in your books, whether inside or outside the mind. After you debut novel, Gone, the world of Avalon was further visited in the Avalon Trilogy. Do you have plans to further visit the world of Mageia created in Of Sound Mind... or to create a series or sequel to Lost Shadows to further explore the fantasy element that is revealed at the end?




Yes, I love fantasy, and the worlds I create – which usually unfold as I write – Avalon being the first ‘official’ one, in Gone (explained in the book why I chose the name). And yes, I loved the world so much that I couldn’t let it go to waste, and what better way to have fun with it than to make it a children’s fantasy adventure. The Star Realm is book one, but as I wrote it, I realised that the story was going to be vast, so I had to break it into three parts – hence, The Avalon Trilogy. That’s it with Avalon, however, and I am very pleased with how it worked. I’ve wondered whether or not to write a sequel to Of Sound Mind, so to further explore the world of Mageia, and yes, I think it would work, however, my mind has been into other things so that’s an idea for the future. As to Lost Shadows, well, I’m not sure, because sometimes a story ends for me and that’s it – but maybe.




You have written in many different styles and genres, from poetry, short stories, fantasy, murder/mystery, and even comedy. Do you think you will continue to explore different genres and styles in your writing or settle on one genre for future writing projects?

Yes, I think I will continue to explore different genres – I like the challenge – and it’s good to force the mind to other things, out of the comfort zone, if you like. And I get bored easily, as in life, my writing has to be different /try new things. I could never settle for just one thing (not in writing, anyway).

You were recently interviewed by a local radio station. What was that experience like, and do you have any more radio interviews lined up?

The radio interview experience was terrifying! I hated it. The host was wonderful but my nerves were in overdrive. I would never want to do it again *sigh* but would if I had to – anything for my books. Although I have been interviewed for a magazine, but whether or not they will publish, I’m not sure – it’s supposed to focus on Gone and Slings & Arrows but I don’t know if I trust them to do it right...but if it creates interest... My worry is that the ‘human angle’ will make me look, for example, ridiculous. I’m always suspicious of newspapers and magazines, that’s why I never read them. Whose truth and all that? Build them up to bring them down – that sort of thing.


I've noticed that more recently, you have become very active on social networking sites in regard to promoting your work. Have you learnt anything from your experience that you could pass on to other indie writers? Have you had any successes with any particular types of promotion that you could tell us about?

Social networking seems to be a necessary evil and I’m not sure if it’s any good for sales or not, only if I do nothing, I remain in obscurity. When I offer ‘freebies’ through KDP Select, networking is one way to market the idea, and I’ve had quite a few downloads, although ‘free’ is a mixed blessing in that it can attract negative reviews – and of course there a millions of others out there with the same idea. I’ve had a few sales, but not many. I’ve run out of ideas about how to market /promote my work (and in truth, I hate this part), as I’ve no money for anything more than I’m doing. I’ve tried networking, talking on the radio, the library, talking to other authors, the high street bookshops, asking for reviews through Amazon and bloggers. I do have a blog with Goodreads, and I post when I can, but time is limited with everything Indie authors have to do (as well as our ‘other’ life). I have a website, but not much traffic. I also have ‘pages’ on Facebook as well as an Author Page through Amazon. I also post comments on all the books sites I can, as well as read and review other Indie books (without reciprocation) because I believe in supporting others as much as I can. And I continue to submit to literary agents and publishers – I’ve done this for many, many years with no luck. I think I keep trying because I believe in my work and I need a marketing machine, otherwise I wouldn’t bother, as I like the total control of self-publishing.

Are you working on any other books at the moment?

I’m working on two books at the moment. One is a collection of short stories, although that’s not quite true – it’s difficult to explain without giving away secrets – it’s different from what you might expect, it’s called 13. The other is, I suppose, if I use the term loosely, a romance. I’ve not written one before (though Misadventures Of Fatwoman has romance), so it’ll be a challenge. Again, it won’t be what you expect (I don’t think). It’s called, Changing Angels. Both are going to take a long time to write – maybe next year at least one will be ready – it depends on the characters and where they lead.



If readers want to find you online, what is the best website for them to find out more about you and your work?

All my books are on:
Amazon UK (Kindle)

Amazon USA (Kindle)

Lulu (Print) (where sample chapters can be read of all my books)

My website: For some writing tips and reviews of all my books.

Twitter

Facebook:

Gone

My Page

Interviews:

http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...

http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
http://quietfurybooks.com/blog/2012/0...

http://quietfurybooks.com/blog/2012/0...
http://theindieexchange.com/author-in...

I would just like to say thank you, Maria, for your support and encouragement, and to all those who have read my books (and even better, reviewed them positively) – please spread the word.

Thanks for being a wonderful guest as always, Julie! I'm looking forward to your new books.


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Don't forget to leave a comment below for your chance to win a copy of Lost Shadows!

BestsellerBound Recommends, a new blog to promote the best in Indie writing!!

Those of you who follow my blog will know that I am also a resident author at the indie writer's forum, Bestsellerbound.com.

Darcia Helle, J. Michael Radcliffe, and I, have set up a spin-off blog, called "BestsellerBound Recommends", which is a blog dedicated to finding and promoting/recommending the best in indie literature.

If you're a reader, I hope you will stop by the blog often as we will be reviewing our favourite indie books and letting you know which ones we think everyone should read. There will also be guest posts by indie authors that will also be of interest to readers.

If you're an indie author, we hope you'll send us submissions. We don't accept purely promotional posts about your books, that's not what the site is about, but we will accept well-written, entertaining posts from you. Check out our submissions guidelines on the blog for information. There are lots of ways we can help you promote your books, for example, if you have a books trailer, we can feature it on the blog, or you can ask us to host a giveaway of one of your books.


There are already a couple of reviews up on the site, Darcia has reviewed Charles Colyott's novel, Changes -- A Randall Lee Mystery, and I've reviewed, Quentin R. Bufogle's book, Horse Latitudes.

To celebrate the launch, we are running a giveaway where you can win your choice of an e-book from myself, Darcia, or Michael. You have until 31st August 2012 to enter!

Here's a link to the blog: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...


I hope to see you there!

Introducing Musician and Author, Thomma Lyn Grindstaff!

Thomma Lyn Grindstaff, is a talented author and also a gifted musician. I met her a while ago on BestsellerBound.com, and had no idea that as well as writing some great fantasy novels and stories, she has also composed some fabulous music. Recently, I heard about the release of her first album Womanspirit Rising and being a music lover, I decided to download it. I am so glad I did. The music on Thomma's album is beautiful. After listening to the album, I was keen to introduce her to all of you.




Here's my interview with Thomma:


As you write classical music, I've always wondered about the thought process behind giving the tunes a title. How do you come up with titles for your tunes, or do you come up with the titles or theme first and then write the tune around that?

That's a great question, Maria! I do think of my music as classical/neoclassical, but many of my compositions double as instrumentals and as songs. That means it can go either way. Sometimes I think of a title or theme first, and then the music comes to me based on that. Sometimes I'll put lyrics to the music once it's written. Other times, I'll write poetry / song lyrics first, then compose music for the lyrics. When I read poetry, I often hear music to fit its cadences, and when I do that with my own poems, they become song lyrics.

You have quite a few cats. I love cats and I know that many of my blog followers do too, Can you tell us a bit more about yours?

Hubby and I have four cats, all rescues, collectively known as the Ballicai. Why Ballicai? Well, the first cat who came to us we named Brainball, since he's a fuzzball with eyes -- a big, floofy, orange boy. Next came Dorydoo, a petite, sleek black cat whom we nicknamed Blackball. Brainball and Blackball -- a "Ball" theme, and that morphed into "The Ballicai." After Dorydoo came to us, a lovely, odd-eyed white cat showed up as a stray on our back porch. We named her Marilyn MonREOW and nicknamed her Eyeball. Our fourth Ballicus, a Snowshoe Siamese boy, also came to us as a stray. We named him MaoMao, since that's how he introduced himself to us: with a loud "MAO." His nickname is, of course, Maoball. Brainball and Marilyn are our two Venerable Ballicai, both of them around 15-17 years old. Dorydoo is going on eight years old, and MaoMao is going on six. Brainball is our Gentle Giant and Benevolent Alpha Cat, while Dorydoo is our intense kitty genius (if she had opposable thumbs, she'd take over the world). Marilyn MonREOW is a lapcat and love bug, while MaoMao is our comic (Charlie Chaplin in a cat suit).





Have any of your cats ever inspired a piece of music or a story?

Oh, yeah. One of my songs, "Lion Boy" (which I plan to include on my third album), was inspired by and written for Brainball, our big Alpha Cat. Collectively, the Ballicai all inspired Misty Laurel's love of cats in my novel Heart's Chalice (in that novel, there are two very interesting feline characters). MaoMao makes a cameo in my novel Patchwork Stained Glass. The heroine of Mirror Blue, another of my novels, also has cats, who are loosely based on Brainball and on a neighbor's kitty who sometimes visits our back porch.

Which came first writing fiction, or writing music?

When I was very young, maybe about three years old, I taught myself to read and to play piano by ear. Writing stories and writing music followed shortly thereafter. So I can't really remember which came first, but I do recall my mom telling me that I was singing before I was talking.

If you could choose any venue in the world to perform your music where would you choose, and why?

Madison Square Garden. That would be just plain cool. :) Or maybe Carnegie Hall, since it's such a gorgeous concert venue and, from what I hear, so acoustically perfect for performances.

When you finish a piece of music who is usually the first person to hear it?


My husband. We've been married for going
on sixteen years, and whenever I compose a new piece of music, I play it for him to get his impressions. Now that I have my digital piano and can record directly to a flash drive, I save arranged versions of my pieces, and he's the first person to hear those, also. He's always been wonderfully enthusiastic and supportive of my music goals and dreams.

Do you have a favourite song or classical tune?

Oh my goodness, I could write an endless list for this question. There are so many songs and classical pieces I love. I adore Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Chopin, Brahms, Vivaldi, and Tchaikovsky. I also adore Kate Bush, Led Zeppelin, Tori Amos, Peter Gabriel, Enya, Loreena McKennitt, Patti Smith, the Alan Parsons Project, Trent Reznor, and Jethro Tull. The composition standing out in my mind right now, though, is Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, played by my favorite-ever concert pianist, Sviatoslav Richter.

What bands/composers were your favourites when you were growing up and have any of them influenced your style?

The classical masters cited above were all major influences -- both listening to their works and playing them myself. Other influences while I was growing up were quite diverse: Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush, and George Winston all come to mind. I'd have to say that my style was influenced the most by classical music, since as a child and a teenager I studied with a wonderful teacher (a professor at the University of Tennessee), I and played various works of Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and contemporary composers. Other music influenced me as well, whether classic rock or new age.

Which classical composer would you like your music to be compared to?

I'd have to say Ludwig van Beethoven. The emotional range and intensity of his compositions is simply mind-blowing.




I have read your short story, Deadfalls, and really enjoyed it. It's a fantasy tale. Do you only write fantasy, or have you written other genres?

As an author, I consider myself a genre-buster. My debut novel,Mirror Blue, is women's fiction and is marketed by its publisher, Black Lyon, as a Literary Love Story. Heart's Chalice, one of my indie-published novels, is magical realism, while Patchwork Stained Glass, my other indie-published novel, is mainstream fiction -- perhaps book club fiction -- and quite philosophical in nature. "The Saddle of Private Lucius Gray," another short story, is literary fiction.

I enjoyed your short story collection, Ripples. I understand it is based on characters from your novel Heart's Chalice. That's a very interesting concept and perhaps one that other authors would have fun with, working with their own characters. What inspired that?



A good friend of mine encouraged me to try my hand at writing flash fiction. Up until that point, I had mainly written long tales. I had such a good time writing the flash fiction that I started regularly participating in flash fiction weekly challenges. I'd still be doing that if I weren't so busy! ;) At the time my friend encouraged me to try flash fiction, I was writing the first draft of Heart's Chalice, so I used the flash fiction as a means by which to get to know my characters better and explore their lives in timelines that lay outside the scope of the novel.

Misty Laurel, one of the characters in Heart's Chalice, has second sight. Have you ever had any premonitions?

One thing that stands out in my mind was when a great uncle of mine died. I'd dreamed of him just the night before the very morning he died, even though by that time, I hadn't seen him in ten years. An interesting experience, to be sure.

I must find time to read your longer works. Tell us a bit more about those.

Mirror Blue is a May-December love story. At a book signing event, Aphra meets Isaac, the author she's idolized since her teenage years. He's twenty years her senior. She winds up redesigning his web site, and the two of them fall in love. From the beginning, it seems everything is against them. Isaac's ex-wife decides she wants back in his life and wants Aphra out of the way. Isaac's son naturally wants his parents back together, so Aphra feels, more and more, that this relationship simply cannot work out. Mirror Blue is a story of love faced with tremendous obstacles and what happens when people's greatest enemies to love and happiness aren't even other people per se but themselves and their own preconceptions.




Heart's Chalice is a wild, woolly magical realism ride. The tagline I use for the story is "Destiny rarely gives a woman a second chance at love, especially not with a man who died twenty years ago." Misty Laurel -- who goes by Laurel -- misinterpreted a vision when she was eighteen, and her first and only love, Nate, died as a result. Now, twenty years later, she finds herself pulled to an alternate reality in which he lives and they have two children, but a reality in which she has died. The story of Heart's Chalice is how Laurel -- in one reality -- and Nate -- in another reality -- try to bring their two worlds together to get a second chance to share their lives and have a family together. And the pressure is on in both realities. One of Nate and Laurel's children, in Nate's reality, is clinically depressed and has attempted suicide. And in Laurel's reality, she has an estranged, soon-to-be ex husband who's a fanatic and control freak and is, as he's faced with losing control over Laurel, becoming increasingly deranged. It's a dark and edgy story, to be sure, and it asks the question, how much would you do, how much suffering and hardship would you endure, if you had lost the love of your life and got a second chance to be with him/her?




Patchwork Stained Glass is a story that asks the question, "Can love and friendship triumph over differences in ideology?" Romilly, a college student and atheist, falls in love with Ernest, who is not only the graduate instructor of her Comparative Religion class but also a preacher in a little country church. Though Romilly and Ernest share common ground in that they are both open-minded and tolerant, the people around them are less so. Ernest's family think Romilly is a heathen in need of salvation, and Romilly's friends think Ernest is out to convert her. Tensions mount and nearly tear them apart. When Ernest is diagnosed with a chronic disease that threatens his life, labels become less important, but has their mutual awakening come too late? The story explores how people of different philosophies can come together to find common ground whether in friendship and in love, and what happens when they allow rigidity and intolerance to divide them.



Who are your favourite authors and what do you like about their writing?

Oh, there are so many. :) Let's see if I can limit myself (there again, as with music, I could write an endless list). I have always loved Carl Sagan's books, not just his wonderful nonfiction works but also his novel, Contact. I find him incredibly inspirational not only with his passion for knowledge but his reverence for the numinous, the awesome mysteries of the vast universe in which we live. I also love William Styron's works, particularly Sophie's Choice. I have never read a book in which an author combined tragedy and humor to such incredible effect, and the story shakes me to my core every time I read it (yes, I've read it multiple times). Haruki Murukami rocks my world. He's a Japanese author who is, like me, something of a genre buster, but he is particularly masterful with magical realism. His writing is also close to my heart because, like me, he has a passion for music and for cats. My favorite novel by Murukami is Kafka on the Shore, but I love all his novels that I've read. The Brontë sisters rock, and I have a particular love for Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. I also love J.R.R. Tolkien's works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which are masterpieces of world-building. Other writers I love include Madeleine L'Engle, Flannery O'Connor, Carson McCullers, Victor Hugo, Khalil Gibran, Khaled Hosseini, Amy Tan, Manly Hall (philosopher), Alan Watts (philosopher and student of Buddhism and Taoism), Pema Chodron (Shambhala Buddhist), Jack Kornfield (Vipassana Buddhist), and Dogen Zenji (Zen master who lived in the thirteenth century).

Are you reading a book at the moment?

I'm reading The Roaring Stream, a Zen reader that includes teachings from Zen masters throughout the centuries. As Zen is my spiritual path, I'm finding The Roaring Stream to be wonderfully enlightening, pun intended. ;)

Do you prefer print or e-books?

I'm going to be wishy-washy here and say I like them both equally. It's kind of apples vs. oranges for me: each is great in its own way. I'll always have a love for paper books. I enjoy how they feel, how their pages turn, even how they smell. But I have also been won over by the sheer convenience and portability of e-books, since e-readers can store thousands upon thousands of great reads.

Where can people find out more about your music and books?

Here's my website, where I provide all kinds of information and links to my books and my music online:Thomma Lyn Grindstaff. I also maintain a Facebook Page for myself as a pianist and composer, from which listeners can stream all the pieces on my album and download some of them for free. I also have links to my music album and to all my books on my blog, on which I also feature posts that are accompanied by impromptu piano sketches.

Your new album is a collection of beautiful tunes, I really enjoy listening to it. I understand you've been writing music for many years, were these tunes all specifically written for one album or are they a collection of tunes you've written over the years? Which one did you write first, and which is the newest?

Thanks so much for your kind words, Maria! I'm so happy that you're enjoying the album. Those pieces were composed over a period of many years. I've composed, in total, around fifty songs and instrumental pieces, and I'm always composing more, so I don't expect to run out of material for future albums. :) On Womanspirit Rising, the title track, "Womanspirit Rising," is technically the oldest, though it's evolved quite a bit throughout the years. The newest composition on the album is "Sunflower Smile," written two years ago.

Do you have a favourite tune that you've written? If so, what makes it special to you?

All my pieces are special to me, but I'd have to say that "Sunflower Smile" is my favorite piece. It doubles as an instrumental piece and as a song (it has lyrics, and I'll be singing it on my next album). It's special to me because I wrote it to honor a dear loved one who passed away from cancer two years ago. He was a much-loved family member who taught me so much about joy in life and unconditional love. No matter what was going on, he always had a bright, loving, and brilliant smile for other people. He was unfailingly kind, selfless and optimistic, and he had the most delightful, shining smile I've ever seen, hence "Sunflower Smile."

What other projects are you working on at the moment?

On the music front, I'm preparing to record Finding Her Voice, my second music album. It will feature ten of my songs, with piano and vocals, and possibly some additional piano-only tracks. Yes, I love to sing, too. I also play guitar! I have a third music album planned, entitled Aurora Borealis, which will feature both instrumental pieces and songs. On the writing front, I'm writing the first novel in what I will call the Wandering Sage Series. The first novel is called The Renunciate, and it's something of a philosophical novel about a young woman nearing graduation who starts second guessing what she's been working toward all these years: a professional career, marriage, children, and the whole white picket fence thing. She decides, instead, to hit the road in search of adventure and other possibilities with an older friend of hers who is likewise wanting to start a new life. The novel, as well as the whole series, will be in the picaresque vein and very much about self-discovery and realization. Think of it as something of a combination of Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence and Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist. ;)

Thank you for being a wonderful guest, Thomma, and good luck with all your future projects!

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You can listen become Thomma's fan and listen to her songs on Reverbnation at the following link!
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/ar...

Exclusive short story by author, Felicity Lennie!

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You may remember, last month I interviewed the fabulous Felicity Lennie, author of Libra Liberati, and many other novels.

I also ran a contest on my blog offering one lucky blog reader a personalised short story written exclusively for him or her by Felicity.



Four people left comments, as follows:

Darcia Helle said she would like her story to be based on the theme of 'Danger'.

Joanna Lee Doster wanted a story about her being wrongly accused of murder with an antique stolen from a posh antique store


Doreen Cox said she would leave it up to Felicity to pick a subject for her story

Julie Elizabeth Powell said she wanted a rags to riches tale about how she became a famous author

The resulting short story is a combination of all of those comments! So everyone's a winner!

Here's the story for all to enjoy. If the winners would like their very own copy of the story, send me a message here on Goodreads with your email address and I will send you a copy of your prize!

It's just wonderful that all of those who entered the contest have been rewarded with this clever story. I really enjoyed reading it and I know you will too!

Thanks, Felicity for entertaining us!

Here it is:


OLDMAN by Felicity Lennie

I could not choose so you are all involved in this little tale of mine.



As the spiteful shower ceased, water droplets plopped onto the lids of the large corporate bins lining the alleyway like sentries on duty. Julie pulled the discarded plastic sheeting closer around her as she struggled to stay warm in the doorway where she was sheltering.
It was her first night sleeping rough and sleep was impossible because of the insecurity of her situation. Her landlord had evicted her for non-payment of rent and her whole life was squashed into the few bags round her.
Just a couple of months before, she had been the successful manager of a posh Antique shop in the most prestigious part of the City. It had been her chance to mingle with the rich and famous customers who spent fortunes on genuine artefacts for their homes, rare quality pieces that were unobtainable from any other source. Indeed she had wondered how her employer came by them but since she had never met him, she had never had the opportunity to ask.
Julie had registered with the Aggastyan Employment Agency as soon as she had arrived in the City. In order to be able to live there, she had to get a job and fast, her landlord requiring money upfront. This agency had been close to the Bus Station where she had arrived. She was surprised when they sent her still carrying her luggage off to a job interview. Her initial interview had been with a Solicitor acting for the mysterious Herr. Altmann. No-one else was there to be interviewed and the questions merely were whether she accepted the terms of employment and pay, both ridiculously flexible. Just as she was about to ask whether she could have an advance for her landlord, the solicitor had produced a thick wad of cash and pushed it across the table.
“First month’s money in advance’, he said.
Julie had grabbed it quickly for fear it might disappear. Smiling happily, she had offered her hand to shake but the solicitor had shuddered and called his spindly, elderly secretary in. She looked like a grey raven.
“My secretary will give you the necessary papers and keys. You will find everything you need at the shop. The code for the safe is whatever you make it as it is currently empty. Each day you will put all the cash in there, lock it, set the code and go home. Your employer will empty it each night and bank it,” the solicitor told her.
“What about the stock?” Julie had asked.
“There is a catalogue on the counter. It will tell you all you need to know,” the solicitor said. The secretary touched Julie’s arm. The iciness of her hand seemed to make Julie jump. It was like being touched by the dead.
Back at her new flat, Julie had laid what was left of the money after her rent on the small bed. She had forgotten all about the solicitor and his strange behaviour. Here were her first earnings for a job she had not even started. She slept well and awoke early full of tingling anticipation.
The first morning had been nerve-wracking and exciting since lots of her customers were celebrities that Julie immediately recognised. Each antique was carefully labelled with, what seemed an outrageously high price and scant information about its origin. Only a few pieces were sold in a day but the amount of money she put in the safe left Julie breathless. The next morning it was always gone and there were new artefacts added to the collection.
After a few weeks, Julie became used to her new job and began to get invitations to social events by some of the celebrities. A letter was left on the counter one morning telling her that her pay had increased and a load of cash piled up in another large envelope. Eagerly Julie bought new clothes, new shoes and even some jewellery. The more elegant she dressed, the more invitations she received.
At one party she met the famous rock singer ‘Ilvec Chio’. For years she had been a fan of the staggeringly handsome Ilvec . Suddenly, before she knew it, she was in his chauffeured limousine and she had become part of his entourage ….. his woman.
She had wanted to give up the job but he insisted she didn’t, saying the life span of a Rock star was unpredictable so less enthusiastically, Julie kept going to the shop. Then one day, in a rush to make Ilvec’s concert, she forgot to lock up .
At the concert he failed to turn up, fans were refunded and disappointed but not as disappointed as Julie. She went to his apartment. He was missing.
The next morning she arrived to find the shop had been trashed, graffiti sprayed everywhere and a strange elegant woman standing holding a priceless jewelled dagger dripping blood. On the floor lay a body, the body of Ilvec Chio.
The woman was mumbling, “My name’s Joanna . I didn’t do this…… I was walking by …the door was ajar and I heard some-one cry out ….. you have to believe me, I didn’t do this!” She dropped the dagger with a clatter and moved towards Julie who moved away quickly jabbing the police number into her phone.
Wildly looking around the woman called Joanna ran panicking towards the door as a tall woman appeared, surrounded by three others. The tall woman was dressed in a Police Uniform.
“My name’s Doreen and these are my friends. We were in the café next door and saw this woman come in then we heard screams so we called ……”, the woman stopped as she saw the body.
The police woman Darcia took charge.
More police arrived. Statements were made and the woman called Joanna was arrested and led away still protesting her innocence.
Julie was allowed home.
The next morning she went to the shop but it was boarded up. In fact it looked as if it had been boarded up for years. There was old graffiti sprayed on it, cobwebs , grime and old bills posted. She tried to use the keys but they no longer fitted the door. She went down the side alley where she found a broken window and looked in. The place was empty except for old broken glass from the window through which she looked.
A policeman spotted her and asked her what she was doing.
“The antique shop ….. owned by Herr Altmann…. Where is it?” she murmured.
“This place has been empty for years! It’s condemned and waiting for demolition,” the policeman told her.
Julie shook her head in shock. She went to the solicitor’s office. That too was a derelict building.
Nothing made any sense.
She went in the news kiosk at the bus station and bought a paper.
The headline read ‘Ilvec Chio’ stabbed to death by a crazed fan in an alleyway near his home. The face of the crazed fan was shown as the woman who had called herself Joanna.
Julie went down to the Police Station and asked if she could see the woman but they told her it was impossible.
Just then Joanna appeared flanked by two officers. Julie rushed towards her but was held back by Darcia.
“You killed him at the shop didn’t you,” Julie said desperately, “it was in the shop wasn’t’ it…. The one I was manager of….”
Joanna looked at her sadly, “Save your breath, they wont’ believe you and they won’t believe me. I was in your position once …. It’s a time loop. You will try and find the Old Man and kill him too eventually then the loop will twist round again.”
Julie watched as Joanna was led away.

Julie had lost everything in a single moment. The money evaporated as quickly as the shop had done and her employer. The rent could not be paid and she was evicted. She had struggled to find work for a few weeks but nothing. The landlord threw her out with her bags and now she was in a doorway sheltering from the rain.
Eventually it stopped and the Moon rose high and bright.
She gathered her bags and walked out into the main road. How far she wandered she did not know but she knew that in the morning she would go to the bus depot, ring her family and beg them to get her home.
As the early morning light started to appear, she noticed a familiar sight ….. an antique shop , different from the one where she had worked. The door was ajar and suddenly hope burst in her heart. Maybe the owner was there and would give her a job …. Perhaps all was not lost after all.
She hurried in.
An old pale man stood at the counter. He turned and smiled the sick twisted grotesque smile of one who knows he has triumphed.
Automatically whilst in some sort of trance Julie’s hand wrapped itself round an old bejewelled dagger and against her will, her hand plunged it into his chest.
Where she had once seen the old man, became a young handsome actor well- loved by huge hordes of fans. Into the doorway appeared a woman holding keys …..
“My name’s Julie. I didn’t do this… I was walking by … I heard cries.. I came in … I didn’t do this …. I DIDN’T DO THIS !”


Is there a hopeful end to the time-loop story?
Joanna and Julie were absolved from the murder accusations when the bodies vanished. The whole incident would have been swept under the carpet was it not for the fact that they collaborated on a book about the experience which raced to number one in the bestseller list of every country of the world. It is now being made into a movie.
Both are wealthy but neither has ever accepted an invitation to browse in any antique shop. In fact they avoid them altogether.