Suzanne Rogerson's Blog, page 45
June 11, 2017
Guest author: Suzanne Rogerson – 5 ways spreadsheets can help writers plan and edit their novels
As promised, here’s the first stop on The Lost Sentinel’s blog tour. Find out why I love spreadsheets as a writing tool.
I’ve always loved using excel spreadsheets, which probably goes back to my office job days (yawn!). But it was only as I recently plotted and planned the second book in my Silent Sea Chronicles, that I wondered if other writers had considered the benefits of using spreadsheets as a writing tool. Excel is great for;
Planning your novel
Plan scenes in brief (or detailed if you prefer)
I do a mixture of both on the spreadsheet. Sometimes I plot out the basic scene, but I might add a few bits of dialogue to help me get into the scene when it comes to actually writing it.
It’s easy to copy, cut and move scenes around until you find the right place for them in the story.
Keep track of viewpoint characters
This is great when you have a cast of characters. I don’t like to leave too long between…
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Blog Tour of The Lost Sentinel starts today! http://mybook.to/LostSentinel
Finally, the day I’ve been planning for weeks is here. The Blog Tour kicks off later today with a guest post on Sue Vincent’s site. I’ll be talking about how writers can use spreadsheets to help them plan their novels and giving some insight into the processes that went into writing The Lost Sentinel.
The blog tour line up is confirmed with 17 bloggers on board. Here’s the links to their blogs, which are great and you should definitely check them out.[image error]Here’s those important links;
11th June – Sue Vincent – Guest Post
12th June – Another World – Book spotlight
13th June – Jenanita – Review
14th June – Another World – Author Interview
14th June – A line from a book – Review
15th June – Betweenthelines – Prologue excerpt
16th June – Another World – Review
16th June – Sacha Black – Guest Post
17th June – Brizzlelass – Review
18th June – Rebecca Howie books – Q&A
19th June – Oloriel Moonshadow – Review
20th June – My Peacock Books – Review
21st June – Pooled Ink – Review
22nd June –The Royal Polar Bear Reads – Q&A & Guest post
23rd June – Book Savvy Reviews – Review & Excerpt
23rd June – Bookwraiths – Indie feature
24th June – Mightythorjrn – Guest post & book spotlight
25th June – Louderthansilver – Book spotlight & Guest post
26th June – Books from Dusk till Dawn – Review
And of course the whole reason for this tour is to showcase my new novel.
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I would love you to join me over the next two weeks. Please join in with comments and shares, and don’t forget The Lost Sentinel is on sale for 99p during the blog tour.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
June 10, 2017
#Weekendwanderings around Arundel #photo #Arundelcastle
Last week we paid a flying visit to the beautiful town of Arundel. It is now officially my favourite place! I can’t wait to go back for a proper visit. Here are a couple of photos I’d like to share.
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By the bridge is this wonderful tile map of the river system. I’ve not seen anything like it before.
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I love the ship drawings too (I’m a bit obsessed with ships having featured them in my new book). I can see Farrell and his crew of pirate hunters at the docks trading supplies for the pirates they’ve captured.
There is so much history here, and a museum that definitely needs a visit. Below is a ruin of a Dominican Priory which sits by the River Arun.
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A couple of examples of the Tudor style buildings that are dotted around the town.
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The castle was something special and could be seen from pretty much any location in Arundel that we passed through. We didn’t get to go inside the castle this visit, but next time…
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I will do a proper feature on Arundel Castle in the autumn.
Over the next few weeks I have some more photo posts planned. Look out for Chichester and its magnificent cathedral, Bognor beach, and some more shots of my falconry day. I hope you can join me again.
June 7, 2017
The Lost Sentinel Blog Tour Line up #fantasy #wwwblogs
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With just over a week to go before the publication of The Lost Sentinel, I have almost finalised my blog tour schedule. So far 16 wonderful bloggers have agreed to post reviews, host interviews, feature me as a guest blogger and share excerpts – see the list below for details.
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(note – apologies Oloriel Moonshadow for the spelling error. This will be rectified asap.)
I’d love your help in sharing these posts on social media. And if you want to get involved, let me know. I want The Lost Sentinel to make an impact on its publication day and beyond!
If you would like a free copy in exchange for an honest review which you agree to post on Amazon or Goodreads or your book blog, please get in touch.
You can of course pre-order the book now on Amazon for only 99p. It will also be available to read for free on Kindle Unlimited from 16th June 2017.
Thank you in advance to all the book bloggers and reviewers who have already agreed to help. Publication day wouldn’t be the same without you!
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#WordlessWednesday – Cute young Buzzard #raptor #birdsofprey #photo
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Thank you, Sally at Falco West Sussex Falconry for a wonderful morning.
June 3, 2017
Beautiful Bath, Roman Baths and Peregrines #photography #Somerset
Bath is a beautiful city and one I was lucky enough to explore for my birthday treat two weeks ago. The weather on the first evening was fantastic, and we somehow managed to plan our stay with the start of Bath’s Music and Literary festival. Music to suit any taste was played all around the city, but the drumming and dancing procession was the highlight for me. I could have followed them around all evening!
[image error][image error]The Cathedral and Church by the Roman Baths looked beautiful in the evening sun;
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On our wander around the city I spotted this pub. It reminds me of one of my favourite characters from my new book, The Lost Sentinel – Garrick. I know from my beta readers that he’s also a favourite of theirs.
He’s partial to an ale or three, so I wonder what Garrick would make of this pub being named after him.
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The picture couldn’t be more different from my Garrick though; he’s young, big built, shaven-headed and handsome! He’s also a hero with a big heart.
The next morning the sun had disappeared, but Bath is a beautiful city to explore in any weather. Many of the roads through the city had been closed off to traffic for a bike race happening that day.
This is the Guildhall, which I’d love to see inside.
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The church we’d seen the previous evening had been open to the public so I hadn’t seen these beautiful doors.
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The Roman Baths were fascinating;[image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error]
There was plenty to explore inside the baths too; the different bath houses, the artefacts, and videos of ancient roman life to bring the past alive.
You can also taste the natural spring water, which is said to have magic or healing properties. It was warm and had a very unique flavour – I suggest having a chewing gum at the ready!
Finally we stumbled upon a church with roosting Peregrines, which was a real bonus at the end of the trip. Despite the rain, I managed to get a couple of shots of them though the quality at such a distance wasn’t so great. Still wild Peregrines!
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There was still so much of Bath we didn’t get to explore, which gives me a perfect excuse to go back there.
I hope you enjoyed my little tour. Next time I have a mini tour of Arundel and Chichester to share. And some wonderful shots of birds of prey from my day at Falco West Sussex Falconry. What an experience that was!
May 30, 2017
Launch day bargain £1.99 for 13 Steps to Evil by @sacha_Black #amwriting #writingtips
I love villains!
I love reading about them and I especially love creating them in my own fantasy books. When I heard Sacha Black was publishing a book dedicated to creating evil characters, I snapped up a copy of 13 Steps to Evil. I can’t wait to read this how to book and my review of it will follow soon.
In the meantime, here’s some information about the book. Why not pick up a copy yourself while it’s on sale at £1.99?
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Book Blurb
Your hero is not the most important character in your book. Your villain is.
Are you fed up of drowning in two-dimensional villains? Frustrated with creating clichés? And failing to get your reader to root for your villain?
In 13 Steps to Evil, you’ll discover:
How to develop a villain’s mindset
A step-by-step guide to creating your villain from the ground up
Why getting to the core of a villain’s personality is essential to make them credible
What pitfalls and clichés to avoid as well as the tropes your story needsFinally, there is a comprehensive writing guide to help you create superbad villains.
Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned writer, this book will help power up your bad guy and give them that extra edge.These lessons will help you master and control your villainous minions, navigate and gain the perfect balance of good and evil, as well as strengthening your villain to give your story the tension and punch it needs.
If you like dark humour, learning through examples and want to create the best villains you can, then you’ll love Sacha Black’s guide to crafting superbad villains. Read 13 Steps to Evil today and start creating kick-ass villains.
Purchase from: All good retailers, but universal link to all bookstores is here.
Sacha Black Author Bio
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Sacha Black has five obsessions; words, expensive shoes, conspiracy theories, self-improvement, and breaking the rules. She also has the mind of a perpetual sixteen-year-old, only with slightly less drama and slightly more bills.
Sacha writes books about people with magical powers and other books about the art of writing. She lives in Hertfordshire, England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son.
When she’s not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, blogging, sniffing musty old books, fangirling film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules.
Contact Information
General
Email: sachablack@sachablack.co.uk
Non-fiction Website: www.sachablack.co.uk
Fiction Website: www.sachablackbooks.com
Social Media
Twitter: @sacha_Black
Facebook: Sacha Black author page
Pinterest: Pinterest profile
Instagram: Sacha Black profile
Goodreads non-fiction: Sacha Black profile
Goodreads fiction: Sacha de Black profile
Tumblr: Sacha Black profile
Google+: Sacha black profile
Linkedin: Linkedin Profile
Amazon Sacha Black profile
May 28, 2017
Cheddar Gorge, Gough’s Cave and #Somerset #landscape #photography
With the last of my birthday’s celebrations over (almost I still have a falconry day to look forward to!) I thought it was a good time to share some of my pictures of Cheddar Gorge. This is a spectacular place to visit. Let me show you why…
Firstly there’s Gough’s cave;
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Cheddar has some brilliant stalactites (grow down from the ceiling) and stalagmites (grow up from the ground).
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Of course there has to be a picture of its famous cheese stored in the caves;
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It was amazing to see the pockets of life flourishing underground;
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The light show in the Dream Hunters cave made the day even more memorable. I would say it was even better than Gough’s cave and it’s something we hope to take the children to see very soon.
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Cheddar Gorge is a photograph’s dream. The views of Somerset are spectacular. The 3 mile (felt like 10 miles) cliff top walk is hard going but worth it.
A couple of photos from my Sony Xperia camera phone.
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The rest were taken on my old Lumix camera
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It is a wonderful place to visit and has given me plenty of inspiration for my book series – Silent Sea Chronicles, which features plenty of caves, caverns and mountain passes.
Next weekend I hope to share some pictures of Bath and its Roman Baths.
May 26, 2017
*BOOK REVIEW* Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson
I’m really pleased to share this excellent review of Visions of Zarua on Dancrossbookblog.
*BOOK REVIEW* Visions of Zarua by Suzanne Rogerson
‘Two wizards, 350 years apart. Can they save the realm of Paltria from Zarua’s dark past?
An ancient darkness haunts the realm of Paltria.
Apprentice wizard Paddren is plagued by visions of a city on the brink of annihilation. When his master Kalesh dies in mysterious circumstances, the Royal Order of Wizards refuses to investigate.
Helped by his childhood friend, the skilled tracker Varnia, and her lover Leyoch, Paddren vows to find the killer.
The investigation leads Paddren down a sinister path of assassins, secret sects and creatures conjured by blood magic. But he is guided by a connection with a wizard from centuries ago – a wizard whose history holds the key to the horror at the heart of the abandoned city of Zarua. Can Paddren decipher his visions in time to save the Paltrian people from…
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May 23, 2017
#Tuesdaybookblog #Audio #bookreview The Widow by Fiona Barton #thriller
The Widow by Fiona Barton
Narrated by Clare Corbett
The Blurb
THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, AND RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK
‘If you liked GONE GIRL and THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, you might want to pick up THE WIDOW by Fiona Barton. Engrossing. Suspenseful’ Stephen King
We’ve all seen him: the man – the monster – staring from the front page of every newspaper, accused of a terrible crime.
But what about her: the woman who grips his arm on the courtroom stairs – the wife who stands by him?
Jean Taylor’s life was blissfully ordinary. Nice house, nice husband. Glen was all she’d ever wanted: her Prince Charming.
Until he became that man accused, that monster on the front page. Jean was married to a man everyone thought capable of unimaginable evil.
But now Glen is dead and she’s alone for the first time, free to tell her story on her own terms.
Jean Taylor is going to tell us what she knows.
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My Review
Even though terrible subject matter is touched upon in this book, it was a very enjoyable read / listen. The story switches between the present day and back into the past when the little girl Bella is abducted. It’s easy to follow the storyline, and this technique helped to drag you into the story.
It’s soon clear the widow is an unreliable narrator. It’s hard to like most of the characters involved, however Sparks seems like a dedicated and likable detective as he risks his career trying to find the missing toddler.
The story moves along at a compelling pace and you have to pay attention to the little details that might turn up later. You’ll wonder if there are any big revelations or twists as the story unravels, but you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out what’s really going on.
I would recommend to thriller lovers.
4 stars
Audio extra – I loved the end of the audio book where the author, Fiona Barton and the narrator, Clare Corbett chat about writing and audio books. Brilliant added extra.
