Laurie Stevens's Blog, page 2

$400 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway -- Two days left to enter

I'm co-sponsoring a giveaway of a holiday shopping spree with Amazon.  Why not go for it?  We can always use a gift card to spend and $400 can buy a lot of books (they make great gifts... especially mine!)  But really, you can buy whatever you want...
Enter the giveaway at https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/black-friday-giveaway-1/

Oh No I'm Hopping Again: Sisters in Crime Blog Hop

Sisters in Crime, a wonderful organization for both women and men, and it's not just for crime writers, but for readers, too.  I have met some very good authors there who have given me resources and support -- and you need both to carry you along on a writing journey.  So when Connie Archer and DJ Adamson tagged me onto this bloghop, I readily joined in.  Here are some of the questions and my answers:

Do you listen to music while writing? What's on your playlist?

Music plays a BIG role in my writing process.  Why? Because I see written passages in very filmic terms, as if a movie of the scene is running. The music inspires me just as any movie soundtrack would and I very often get my best ideas when I'm listening to a key song.  For instance, when I was writing Deep into Dusk , there were certain songs that inspired me and here they are. I'm also going to tell you what scenes I imagined the song running behind (and why). 

"Love is Blue" the Paul Mauriat version. 
No particular scene, really throughout the entire book because Gabriel's relationship with the femme fatale is certainly "blue."

"Alive" by Kid Cudi
The scene with the unknown assailant being dastardly with the ladies.  Damn, I even name the song in one scene. Why? Just listen to the melody, it's a bit menacing. 

"Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele
This song inspired the tough patch Gabriel and Ming had in this book. Lots of passion between them but lots of problems, too.

"Melancholy Hill" by Gorillaz
When Gabriel is flying home from Mexico and it's nighttime and the lights of Los Angeles are blanketed out below him. I envisioned the plane flying by all things Los Angeles (such as the Griffith Park Observatory on its hill) to signify his homecoming -- and him wondering if Ming was going to forgive him.

If someone said "Nothing against women writers, but all of my favorite crime fiction authors happen to be men," how would you respond?

Far be it from me to argue with someone's preference in crime authorship… (narrow-minded as it might be!)



If you missed Connie Archer and DJ Adamson's answer to these questions and others, here's your second chance:

Connie Archer
DJ Adamson

Meet My Character: Gabriel McRay

A Blog Hop

I was invited onto this hop by award-winning author D.J. Adamson, whose novel Admit to Mayhem is a seriously great read about Lillian Dove, who struggles with alcoholism and runs across a crime she's forced to try and solve .  Good luck, right? But Lillian is stronger than she thinks. DJ has two novels due out in the fall of 2014. Visit DJ's Blog to learn more about Admit to Mayhem

Let's Now Meet Gabriel McRay
Where we first meet Gabriel
 Gabriel has his flaws.  He was fired from the job he loves (that of being homicide detective) because he couldn't control his temper and used excessive force.  His relationships with women stink -- he's divorced.  He's emotionless in the bedroom. He doesn't try to improve his lifestyle, he mostly hides from the world.  What do we like about Gabriel when we first meet him? Not much. But we do realize fast that Gabriel is not only hiding from life, but from something in his own past that is haunting him. Something he cannot remember.  Because of his job termination, he's mandated to see a psychologist.  That begins Gabriel's journey to try to eradicate his inner demon.  Gabriel has a strong sense of right and wrong, even if he stumbles once in a while. He is sympathetic to the victims of the crimes he solves (he does get hired back). He soon realizes he was victimized himself.  And with that knowledge, he continually tries to better himself, to be a happier man, and that redeems him in our eyes.His psychological journey and the mysteries in the book are interwoven.  I believe that every life experience, good or bad, empowers us in some way and helps us to grow spiritually. That's why the cases Gabriel solves must impact whatever point he's at in his recovery.  It's not an easy scenario to create, but I try.You can read an excerpt here:  The Dark Before Dawn Please keep in touch with me here: Facebook or my my websiteHop on over to the extremely talented Craig Faustus Buck to meet his characters! [image error]    Craig Faustus Buck is an L.A.-based author and screenwriter.   His short story "HoneymoonSweet" is the featured story in this year's Bouchercon anthology, and his short story "Dead End," is a nominee for Best Short Story at this year's Anthony Awards. His first noir novel, Go Down Hard, First Runner Up for Killer Nashville's Claymore Award, will be published by Brash Books in 2015.  He's written an Oscar-nominated short film and co-authored two #1 NYT nonfiction bestsellers.   Craig's Website and Craig's Facebook
 Thanks for Hopping Along!  

A new publishing company

The publishing world is in an evolution and during periods of change, start-ups and independents have a chance to squeeze in between the giants who have dominated.  I decided to take an old-time approach to publishing creative artists and FYD Media is what was born of that decision.



The one thing that self-publishing has taught me is that you only have yourself to fall back on.  The other thing I learned is that you have to have an absolutely finished product, shining, beaming, PERFECT, if anyone is going to pay attention to you. 



But what if you have a great story, but you need polishing?  Of course, that's what editors do. But what if you need help with social media? That's what publicists do. An author can buy just about any kind of service now -- blog tours, publicists for $20K, editors, copy editors, but who is quarterbacking the entire process?  Who oversees each step with an eye to a brand and keeps the focus on the big picture?  You have to be a savvy brand maker AND a good author to play quarterback on your own project.  It's not easy.



I decided to follow the hit makers of old. I don't munch on a cigar with my feet up on my desk and bark orders to underlings.  I have no underlings.  But I am going to play quarterback and take authors (2 so far) through the entire process, from editing to marketing.  Daryl Glinn Tanner and Joy Ruth Mickelson have joined Team FYD.



Can you guess what FYD stands for?  Follow Your Dreams, of course!





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Reaching Readers - How to Sell Self-published Books on Twitter

I thought this was pretty interesting.  I usually don't give shout-outs unless I know they are really reputable, but the price was cheap enough to say, "what do you have to lose?" (49.00 US dollars)

Reaching Readers - How to Sell Self-published Books on Twitter

Interview today: Real Talk With Lee Online Radio by Whats Good Wit Goodie | BlogTalkRadio

Tune in here Real Talk With Lee Online Radio by Whats Good Wit Goodie | BlogTalkRadio and listen to me try to "wing it" on the "fly" (and if you can understand that, you can understand anything;)

A Blog Hop Between Authors

As you watch yourself grow within the writing community, your circle of friends and authors you admire continue to grow as well.  In this post I'm going to answer four questions pertaining to my own writing, and then I'd like to give a shout-out to two wonderful authors you should know about.  Here we go:
What am I working on?
I'm working on The Mask of Midnight, the 3rd in the series.  Honestly, it's done, but thanks to my critique partners, I realized it was only halfway done.  See the 4th questions for a continuation on this particular point!  Also, I'm happy to announce that my publishing company, FYD Media, has signed its first two authors, Joy Ruth Mickelson and Daryl Glynn Tanner.  I've been after their manuscripts for a while now and love their work.  
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
My work is heavily psychological.  I guess you're asking, "What's the difference between that and a normal psycho-thriller.  Well, in the words of another writer I admire, William Knoedelseder, (author of the NYT bestseller Bitter Brew) he says, "In her debut effort, Laurie Stevens may have created a new sub-genre of mystery novel--the psychiatric thriller.
Why do I write what I do?
I'm a fan of this type of book, so I write what I like to read.  Plus, if I dare venture in the badlands of "delivering a message," (instant frown, huh?)  I feel that a lot of folks either don't recognize how their fear is dominating their lives or they are unwilling to face their fear.  I wanted to create a character who was challenged to do both. The theme behind the series is really about his journey.

How does my writing process work?
Okay, if you take where I'm at right now on this 3rd book...   When I turned the most recent draft into my group of editors (a small but effective group), the response was lukewarm.  Even I knew that the work was incomplete, but I was stuck and didn't know where to go with it.  I put down the work, wrote a novella for publisher Stark Raving Books, a short story for a contest, and then returned to The Mask of Midnight.  The break was worth it.  I saw that I had a very linear book on my hands.  Chunks of plot laid out in a row. I knew I had to weave everything together in a tapestry.  So, I took a literary hammer and broke all those chunks to pieces.  Now I'm like a weaver, threading all the pieces into each other.  I like it much better and hope you will too when it comes out this Fall (fingers crossed).  The best way to keep in the loop is to like my page on Facebook, which I update continually.  Here's the link: Laurie's Facebook Page
Now I would like to make you aware of a couple of other authors and how to get a hold of their work.  
Take care of your physical and mental self until we "meet" again,
Laurie
and now introducing...
Craig Faustus Buck

Anthony Award Nominated short story "Dead End"the prequel to Psycho Logic, a novella 

         

Psycho Logic, a noir romp about love, murder, 

porn, psychiatry and valet parking  

Find Craig and more about his books at http://craigfaustusbuck.com


Ray Daniel

Ray Daniel writes first-person, wise-cracking, Boston-based crime fiction including the Tucker mysteries. 

Ray was born in Boston and raised in Revere, MA, a city journalists tend to describe as "gritty." He graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Computer Engineering and a Minor in English. His work has been published in the Level Best Anthologies THIN ICE and BLOOD MOON.

His first novel-length work, TERMINATED, will be published by Midnight Ink this summer 2014.

Find Ray at 
www.raydanielmystery.com
Twitter: @raydanielmystry
Facebook: www.facebook.com/raydanielmystery

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Quotable Authors Podcast: Episode 29 -- Laurie Stevens (+playlist)

Dreams to Reality: Unlocking Your Creativity

Dr. Bob Weathers and I are giving presentations geared to helping you get calm enough to let go and get creative.  I thought I would post our flyer online here:  "The 7 Keys to Unblocking Creative Flow"
by Dr. Bob Weathers and Laurie Stevens   
# No Wasted Motion                                         There is no wasted motion when it comes to navigating toward a creative outcome. Be confident that all your experiences in life and education are logged in your mind and will be used by you in some form. This is why you can go to conferences, take classes, and communicate with fellow writers. Nothing is ever wasted. Your brain will file and categorize everything you do and come across.
#2 Right and Left Brain                                        UCLA psychiatrist Dan Siegel, articulates the left brain hemisphere’s specialties of logic, linear, A-Leads- to-B thought. Contrasted with that is the right brain hemisphere with its gifts of intuition, grasp of a big picture, and creative imagination. Understand that you possess both hemispheres. If one day you are more left-brain oriented, then use it to construct specific details in chapters such as dialogue.                                                          #3 The Creative Process        In regards to that right brain process, seeing the bigger picture (such as organizing a plot), know that original thinking includes letting go.  This letting-go process connotes “incubating”, the technical term researchers use in creativity. Here we allow mental space for unique synthesis or drawing together of the non-obvious.In other words, each of us does indeed have the capacity, even the birthright to create anew. One way to do this is not by doing, but by doing nothing. Be still, receptive, and open to receive creative inspiration.But how do we do this?
#4  The Beginner’s MindAlong with relentlessly utilizing our best intellect when it comes to mastering the skills required in creative writing, there also exists the imperative to find our way back to what the East calls “beginner mind.”This perspective requires our seeing things through the eyes of a child.Take time away from the day-to-day grind by breathing, relaxing, and shifting gears. Nature can be a good coach. A walk down the street or a workout in the gym can help you unplug and rediscover your beginner’s mind.
#5  Teach to LearnThe best way to learn is to teach. Few things sharpen the mind more quickly than explaining your work to someone else. Putting yourself out there for all to see can do this. By entering contests or teaching skills to another writer, you open yourself up to feedback and constructive criticism.The poet Rumi noted: “Those who insult (critique or challenge) me are simply polishing the mirror.” So, get your mirror polished! Read books. Edit books. Whether you are correcting someone’s mistakes or admiring his unique approach to a subject matter, you are honing your own craft.       #6 Less is MoreOne really good practice in writing, speaking, in life, is to subtract. Pare back your content. The temptation in human discourse is to generate always more. More pages written, more plot complications more developments, ever- increasing details about the characters we have created... Always more. We are suggesting you learn the subtle, sometimes even painful art of expressing more by saying less.            An ancient Chinese saying puts it this way: “In the pursuit of knowledge every day something is added. In the practice of wisdom, every day something is dropped.
#7  Think Globally (Act Locally)Deliver your message. Are you being true to your initial inspiration?There is a moral component to all we do, including in the process of creative writing. If you have uncovered through your own creative process that which is potentially transformative, healing, or inspiring to others, then it is absolutely incumbent upon you to seek the most skillful means for communicating the knowledge widely. That is why your work has importance. This concept should be enough to clear your mental path. How can your idea be judged negatively if it was an organic thought that you conceived for a purpose? Reread this if you find yourself forgetting the fact that you matter. Above all, a writer is a messenger                                                    Dr. Bob Weathers holds a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology and a Master’s of Arts in Religious Studies. As Curriculum Developer at California Southern University in Irvine, he recently developed their Addiction Studies Certificate and mindfulness-based training. An expert in therapeutic counseling and recovery coaching, Dr. Weathers lectures widely on the connection between creativity, spiritual development, and emotional well-being. He drums avidly, a testament to his lifelong involvement with music. Dr. Weathers can be reached at bob@drbobweathers.com.                                    Laurie Stevens is a screenwriter, playwright, and bestselling novelist. Her novel The Dark Before Dawn is the first in a psychological suspense series. Deep into Dusk is the second. The series has garnered multiple awards including being named to Kirkus Reviews “Best of 2011,” receiving top honors at the London and Hollywood Book festivals, and winning both the Southern California and Los Angeles Book Festivals. Psychology and forensics interest Laurie and she enjoys researching and writing about both. She lives in the city she writes about: Los Angeles. To learn more visit her website at http://www.lauriestevensbooks.com.      Follow on Facebook at Laurie Stevens, Author      

The latest video interview -- Bookxy and me