E. Rachael Hardcastle's Blog, page 23

Writing Related Resolutions

As the end of 2016 fast approaches, I've made a list of my 10 writing related new year's resolutions. First of all, here's a reminder of my achievements this year (the 10 goals I managed to meet!).1000 Sales Reached1500 Sales Reached250 Facebook Likes Reached1000 Twitter Followers ReachedStart The White Room, my indie podcastBe on the radioHave someone I don't know say I'm their favourite authorHave someone I don't know recognise me/ my nameSign something other than a book for a fanGet an editorial review for my bookNow I'm taking on 2017...Finish re-writing Finding Pandora: Book Four: Eternity and publish it before EasterHit 2000 Sales by Easter and 3000 before my birthday (September)Release the Arriette Monroe novels (books 1-4 of Finding Pandora) as a full volume with additional material in paperback and ebook formatsFinish typing up my non-fiction bookFinish writing Aeon Infinitum: The WantedFinish writing Aeon Infinitum: Faded RealmReach 500 Facebook likes forwww.facebook.com/ERHInspiredHit 2000 Twitter followers forwww.twitter.com/ERHardcastleHit 100 Youtube subscriptions for my channelBe in the newspaper or in local mediaI'll do my best to keep you all updated with my progress - there are plenty of other goals I can add when I manage to cross a few of these off.I am pleased with and proud of my success in 2016. Here's to an amazing 2017. Wish me luck and thanks for your continued support.Have you set your goals yet?E. Rachael Hardcastle

Readers' Favourite Review

Reviewed By Sandy Masia for Readers’ FavoriteClick Here For The Review PageFinding Pandora: World is a young-adult high fantasy novel based on the planet Haeylo. It follows Arriette, a smart young woman with a love for knowledge, and one of the few human beings remaining on a planet ruled by Everlasts and simmering with demonic forces. It's when her ex-boyfriend Kalvin, having left Arriette for her best friend Susan, reaches out with news that Susan is gravely ill that everything changes forever for Arriette, leading her into a life changing, incredible journey.The world of Finding Pandora is interesting on its own, comprising a mirroring history and an assortment of creatures that will make for consuming contemplation sessions. A lot has happened in this world and something apocalyptic lurks beyond the horizon, seething and scheming and weaving; you can sense it past the passages and happenings. This is testament to E. Rachael Hardcastle’s ability to choose carefully what to show and what to suggest. It is with this skill that E. Rachael Hardcastle delivers a light-pierced somber story with a compact, multifaceted plot. This makes Finding Pandora: World a book the eyes can’t skim over and forget, it demands the reader be engaged and it challenges the reader.Finding Pandora: World is tightly knit, restless, violent beneath the calm, snappy and thought-provoking. It is the strong visceral response Finding Pandora: World evokes after reading that makes it a triumph of its own kind. Finding Pandora: World isn’t just about the characters or the story, it is about a fissuring world at the edge of its fate.

Calling All Writers

☕☕CALLING ALL WRITERS☕☕I am now taking written interview requests for my online journal.I offer these free of charge and can schedule your interview in line with your current promotions.The interview questions are standard and are in relation to writing and reading. Your answers can be as in depth as necessary.These will be shared across my Twitter, Facebook, Google + and Pinterest followers to help you market and promote yourself and your work.

Low Ash Primary School's Book Delivery

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The Author Interviews, Round 4: #12: Eva Pasco

AuthorEva Pascostopped by to answer my Author Interview questions.You can take only three items to your secret island. What would you take? Why?As opposed to being stranded on a deserted island, I’ll interpret “secret” island as a remote retreat with minimal amenities, primitive technology, and a sparse population. The perfect place to get away from it all without having to hunt and fish to survive! This will give me more imaginative latitude for what three things I would take:A book of challenging crossword puzzles. Solving them is one of my favourite pastimes, but I have little time to spare on the mainland.A box of 12 No. 2, pre-sharpened, yellow Ticonderoga pencils to accompany the crossword puzzle book. As a former elementary school teacher, these pencils were one of my classroom’s golden rules.A deck of cards. Once all of my pencils are worn to a nub, I’ll need something else to occupy my mind. Nothing like a few games of Solitaire!You are living in the world from your latest novel. Where are you? What is it like?I am living in the fictitious French-Canadian mill town of Beauchemins located in Rhode Island, one of six New England states along the east coast of the United States. Beauchemins is a modest, close-knit community harbouring secrets and scandals.You are your most recent protagonist. Who are you? What is the first thing you do?I’m Augusta Bergeron, the town siren, who blames my reckless behaviour on maternal abandonment. Every morning I report to work at Brulé Bookbinding Co. A Gal Friday, I sit at a desk across from lifelong friend, Marc Brulé, the mill owner. He gave me permission to leave early so I could stop at Paquin’s Market to pick up crème fraiche for my landlady, Yolande Marchand. She plans on making pea soup for a little dinner party in honour of Lindsay Metcalfe, Beauchemin’s historian-in-residence, arriving from Cambridge, Massachusetts in early evening.Say, if you’re inclined to hobnob with the socially elite or upwardly mobile, we’ll part company here and you can go on your merry way. More than likely, you’d rather tarry with us plain-spoken and unpretentious French-Canadians who proudly identify ourselves as “Canucks,” eh?Who is your favourite author? Why?One of my favourite authors is Anne Lamott who inspires me to take on what I do in my novels. In her own words, “I try to write the books I would love to come upon, that are honest, concerned with real lives, human hearts, spiritual transformation, families, secrets, wonder, craziness—and that can make me laugh.”Where do you get your ideas?As truth really is stranger than fiction, some news stories make a lasting impression on me. Eventually, my imagination runs amok with distorting the facts and fabricating incidentals which add credence to my story, as incredible as some of these incidentals might be. For example—“Death by hibachi! Vernon Blais went out in a blaze of glory, smoked to death barbecuing charcoal briquettes while locked inside the bathroom with the window shut …”Why do you write?Courtesy of my mother’s tutelage, I became a proficient typist at the age of nine. While there never was a conscious decision on my part to become a writer, by the age of twelve I began typing mysteries and spy thrillers on my girly-pink Tom Thumb typewriter. In high school I composed a Romance novella which earned its own reserve shelf in the library. After a long dormant period preoccupied with college, and a 29-yr. teaching career, I underwent a midlife renaissance when I retired from the profession. Having engaged in extensive genealogical research, organized all of my recipes, and no longer creating my own block dolls for retailers, I resumed storytelling. Writing and everything it entails now consumes me.How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?I avoid “rejection” by self-publishing. I avoid criticism as much as possible because I don’t rely on beta readers or editors to evaluate my work and make suggestions. I am my own harshest critic, so undertake the gruelling task of proofreading and editing my manuscript. Thus far, I’ve only received two “bad reviews” for my first novel which I consider in poor taste. While I’m very sensitive to unfair, unjust, or unwarranted reviews—they’re to be expected. I turn a blind eye.What do you find difficult about writing?Because I’m so intent on the reader seeing what I’ve laid out for them with their heart, mind, and soul—for me, the most difficult thing about writing is “choosing the right words” to tell my story. More than incorporating exact nouns, exciting verbs, and colourful adjectives to develop characters, relate plotlines, and elaborate on important themes, I rely heavily on imagery and introspection associated with lyrical writing. In my estimation, no word is frivolous, so I weigh each one carefully for its nuance and impact. This process alone, is not only difficult, but agonizing. Hence, if I can produce a paragraph in one sitting, I feel I’ve accomplished my goal as a writer for the day.Do you ever outsource (editing and cover design) your work?As mentioned, I don’t outsource editing because I take full responsibility for the painstaking process. While I designed every aspect my book cover for ‘An Enlightening Quiche,’ my publisher implemented my specifications.What is your opinion on the indie vs traditional publishing argument?Even though writers who choose to go Indie must do everything ourselves or find suitable professionals to help, I believe the arguments for Indie publishing outweigh the cons:One has creative control over content and design.Faster turnaround for publication.Higher royalties.Talk us through your creative process from start to finish.No outline. No rigid plot to hem me in. You might say the windmills of my mind propel the story, whereby the end justifies the means to get there. From past practice, my characters sabotage the ending I have in mind. Believe me, I know better than to question their judgement!While I’m rarely at a loss for words, bursts of brilliance for how to best articulate an idea or parlay snatches of dialog overtake me when I’m away from the keyboard doing housework. I immediately turn off the vacuum or abandon my dust cloth to heed my inner voice by scribbling the message on a notebook kept on my desk for this purpose. Another quirk of mine is to play music conducive for plying my mood to write a scene. For example, listening to “Wicked Games” by Chris Isaak provided the heat I needed to better convey one of my character’s thoughts on the subject of a certain male.What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Based on what I practice: Write to please yourself and go with the flow of your creative instincts. An innovator always stands apart from a crowd pleaser.Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?Absolutely! Several readers have let me know they’ve read ‘Underlying Notes’ more than once. Recently, a reader disclosed that she plans to read ‘An Enlightening Quiche’ a few more times. I think it is a good idea to read a book more than once because you’re able to pick up subtle and subliminal clues you may have missed the first time around. Details take on more significance for the big picture.Do you have a favourite genre? Tell us more!No surprise, my favourite genre is Contemporary Women’s Fiction, the one in which I write. Having undergone a midlife renaissance by rekindling my flair for writing, it came natural for me to tap into significant issues affecting the lives of women over forty. My character-driven novels host personas who plunge the depths of despair in their darkest hours prior to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel through redemption and empowerment.Do you shop for indie books online? If not, why?I do shop online for Kindle Editions of Indie books. Ebooks are more affordable. Most Indie paperbacks cannot be found in brick-and-mortar book stores.What would it take for you to leave a review on Amazon/ Goodreads?It goes without saying that I always leave a book review on Amazon and Goodreads. As a published author who relies primarily on Amazon to drive book sales, the more reviews a book has, the more often retailers will recommend the book to others and feature it in searches. Also, potential buyers might use the number of five-star reviews as a quick snapshot of whether a book is worth their time and money. Therefore, it is a courtesy I extend to each of my fellow Indies whose books I’ve read.After downloading book one of a series for free or discounted on Amazon, do you ever go back and pay more for book two? If not, why?Due to the daily demands on an Indie author with an extensive TBR list, it will take me quite some time before I get to the next book in a pile comprised of free or discounted eBooks. More than likely, I won’t have time to get to the next book in the series regardless of its price.Do you ever visit an author's website? If so, what do you look at?I rarely visit an author’s website unless their blog is linked to it.If an author offered you a free book, would you sign up on their mailing list?Because I already have several eBooks waiting in the wings, a free book offer would not entice me to sign up on their mailing list.Do you ever enter giveaways and/ or order signed copies?On occasion I have entered Giveaways. I’ve yet to order a signed copy, though I’d be honoured to acquire one.Thanks to Eva Pasco for taking part in my mini-series.If you would like to support this author please consider purchasing a copy of the book.

Introducing Eva Pasco!

Earlier this month, author Eva Pasco and I had planned to discuss Indie publishing and her book, An Enlightening Quiche on my podcast, The White Room. Due to unforeseen technical difficulties, we had to cancel the show, but I really wanted to share some of Eva's advice with you all. Here's how the interview went:Welcome, Eva, why don't you tell us all about your book?Taking a little over 8 years to write and publish my recent release, AN ENLIGHTENING QUICHE, this Contemporary Women’s Fiction novel finally rose to the occasion, baked to perfection, according to my recipe!Two headstrong women in their forties coming from different moral directions clash within the confines of northern Rhode Island’s French-Canadian mill town, rife with secrets and scandals:Augusta Bergeron: Dysfunctional. Deceptive. Demure. More than meets the eye at face value and stuck in a holding pattern, the town siren engages in morally destructive behavior she attributes to maternal abandonment until she eggs-humes her mother’s quiche recipe.Lindsay Metcalfe: Pedigreed. Privileged. Proper. Mourning the recent death of her mother, the historian-in-residence hailing from Boston sets out to preserve the legacy of an impoverished mill, but gets more than she bargains for when taking a self-centered adolescent under her wing.Their first-person narratives relate how an heirloom quiche recipe and baking rivalry expose misconceptions, misdeeds, and malicious intent which wreak havoc in altering the lives of those affected from the fallout of a tragedy.I'm interested to learn about your book's pricing on Amazon. Can you tell us why you priced your book at both the Kindle and Paperback prices? How do you feel about giving books away for free or pricing them at $.99? Do you think lower prices hint at the books being self-publishing, and do you think there is a magic price range for selling more books?My publisher set pricing for the Paperback based on their “suggested list pricing guide” for books of comparable length (550 pages). Their authors were given the option to price eBooks between $3.95 - $9.95, with the suggestion for fiction books to have a “cover” price of $3.95—the price I had in mind anyway.For Indies, book cover design and editing can be stressful and expensive. When I looked at yours on Amazon I initially thought of a cookbook due to the cover, however then realized it was far from. Can you tell us a little bit about your cover design (choice of image, etc.) and whether this was outsourced externally? Also, how did you cope with your editing process and did this go to an editor following your own amendments? Do you think the cost of editing puts Indies off outsourcing? Do you feel Indies are capable of doing everything themselves? Do you think that covers should reflect the genre they are to sell books?Emma, you’re not the first to mention that my book cover made you think of a cookbook. The glossy cover design is entirely my doing, incorporating: a stock image; letter font, style, and color. I purposely avoided a “gendered” look, which, in my opinion, denigrates the genre of Contemporary Women’s Fiction treading on the territory of Literary Fiction rather than Nit Wit Chick Lit. (Slapping myself silly). Besides, the word “Novel” and the front cover blurb serve to dispel the notion ‘An Enlightening Quiche’ is a cookbook. Ever the optimist, I’m hoping its literary reputation will leave no doubt in anyone’s mind! It is a matter of preference for the author to have their covers reflect book genre as a lure to sell. While potential readers may judge a book by its cover, and I have received many compliments on mine, content is what holds the reader’s attention to the last page.I’m proud to divulge that I edited my own book in its entirety as I did my first novel published by an Independent Press in 2008. At the time I received my edited manuscript to implement suggestions, I noted edits which would have sorely compromised the integrity of my story. When I mentioned this to my publisher, he gave me carte blanche to proofread and edit my own work. I then went on to edit one of his works in progress. The experience served to make me even more proprietary of my work. Trust me, I can be my own harshest critic. For me, proofreading and editing are an ongoing part of writing both during and afterward. I’ve lost count of how many times I had poured over the manuscript prior to submitting it for publication, and then three more times before I gave my publisher the go ahead to print.Editing is a costly, but necessary expense for those who don’t have the stomach for it.Whether we Indies are capable of doing everything ourselves, it is the nature of the beast. Joining author groups on social media is one way of pooling our intellectual and creative resourcefulness to find ways to increase our visibility to targeted audiences. I find mutual the support and cooperation amongst my fellow Indies invaluable.Your book has a lot of reviews on Amazon, and a Reader's Favourite Review. Do you feel reviews help book sales, and would you say this matters only after you reach so many? Have you ever had a negative review and how did you cope? How would you advise Indies increase their reviews – what strategies have you used to tempt readers into actually leaving one and how has this affected your sales?Due to being a “hybrid published author,” one who self-published by outsourcing through a small independent publishing company, I don’t have access to daily sales reports at Amazon. My royalty statements will be received on a monthly basis. The royalty earnings period listed on the statement is always two months behind the royalty processing date. Even though the publication date for my Paperback is August 22, 2016, I didn’t launch its official release until after the Kindle Edition was published to Amazon on September 16th. So, I’ve yet to see the fruits of my hard labor.While I can’t say if reviews impact sales, garnering reviews is important to me. They provide validation of my work and I covet them as much as my ‘Readers’ Favorite Five-Star Seal for the time and effort every reader expends in writing them.While I try to steel myself for the day my second novel will receive a negative review, I have received a 1-Star, mean-spirited review for my first novel which I ignored.Other than asking a prospective reader to leave a review, I can’t say that I’ve engaged in any strategy to entice them to do so, other than posting ready-made ads which stress the importance of such on my Facebook Page from time to time. The best I can come up with is asking each reader to leave an honest review, reminding them it can entail a sentence or two.What are your thoughts on the indie vs self-publishing argument? Based on your experiences what would you advise new and aspiring authors to do when looking into the different options?Based on my personal experience for engaging an independent publisher to avoid interior formatting and acquiring an ISBN, I believe I made the right choice going this route. My publisher has been very responsive and accommodating. I’m pleased with the quality of my book. Contemplating the third time around, I’m leaning toward Createspace because I will have control over pricing the Paperback at a much more affordable price. For now, I’ve navigated the Matterhorn by offering signed copies of ‘An Enlightening Quiche’ at 40 per cent off suggested retail through my web page at Authors Den.My advice to aspiring authors looking into different options is to consider the best vantage points for “selling” your books.Please share a passage from your book.I’ve chosen this one to highlight my chief protagonist’s collision course to hit rock bottom by engaging in morally destructive behavior:“What are you drinking?”Way too early for calling the shots in the first round, I admit to overrating a preliminary social inquiry pertaining to lubrication, a libidinous Freudian quip uttered to pick up women at a bar. Accustomed to placing an emphasis on body language, innuendo, and the power of suggestion to hasten the likelihood of pulp friction with a handsome stranger who bought me a drink, I declined tipping the scale in my favor playing the aggressor with Gabe.About time emancipation from anticipation occurred gradually as ketchup oozing slowly from an upside-down bottle with just enough G-force applied to overcome resistance, reluctance, or reticence. Catsup as catsup can with no guarantees for how right the night might be, or how the following morn would simulate a Tequila Sunrise when one transitioned from a horizontal to an upright position.I could put the blame on Maine for altering my game plan from seduction to subduction, but the inconvenient truth lay in the acquisition of a whiskey-soured premonition of a lost soul past her prime groping in the darkness through the thicket of another decade, then another, ravished by the winds of change. A vision of myself as a ghoul from Christmases Yet to Come appeared in the guise of a long-in-the-tooth trollop flicking fried-dyed hair and wearing age-inappropriate, skintight attire tautly stretched over my butt of a joke. A comparable image satirized every night by Cohen at closing time inside the chamber of Chuggers put the fear of God in me.Where can people find you and your work online?Besides accessing my two novels, one can find everything else I’ve ever written (over 100 Memoirs; numerous Retro 60s Flashbacks; a slew of Rhode Island essays) at: http://www.authorsden.com/evapascoAma... http://www.amazon.com/author/evapasco... https://www.goodreads.com/EvaPascoIn closing, I want to thank you for your gracious invitation and hospitality.I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the Indie Fab Five, a close-knit group of author pals who’ve defined 2016 for me: Aliya DalRae, R.M. Gauthier, J.B. Richards, and Lyra Shanti. Huzzah!Hugs to my family and longtime friends, Pam Bell and Peg Lueck, who’ve been with me from the start of my literary journey.Thanks to Eva for this fantastic interview and my apologies to the live viewers we did have during the podcast which unfortunately had to be cancelled. I have also gained some further information from Eva as part of my Authors Interview series, which you can read on my blog tomorrow (13/12/2016).

The Symbol of all Symbols

Readers of my high fantasy series,Finding Pandora, will know I absolutely adore semiotics. Signs and symbols are really important to me and I wear one of them around my neck every day, as I'm sure most people do in the form of a cross, a heart (or as I've noticed most recently) the figure eight of Infinity.Featured in my series is my most favourite symbol of all, Indalo, which is a simple stick man holding what appears to be a rainbow above his head. I love this symbol for three reasons:1. Its simplicity2. Its beauty3. Its meaningIn her book 'Signs and Symbols Sourcebook', Adele Nozedar says that the symbol is actually Spanish of over 5000 years old, but the arch above its head represents the 'vault of the heavens' and the bridge between God and man or Heaven and Earth. She says the symbol is 'a reminder of the complex belief of man as the microcosm and the Universe as the macrocosm'.So why do I use the symbol inFinding Pandoraand what relevance does it have to my protagonist, Arriette Monroe?Arriette, although unaware in the early novels of this 12 part series, is a symbol herself (why? I can't say without a spoiler!), and her adventures in search of Pandora's Box strip away her innocence, opening her eyes to the evils of the world. She learns that the bridge between man and God is, despite her friends' assumptions,notthe box but rather Pandora as a guardian. Not only is the symbol and its name the password to the Recruit's underground sanctuary (shh, don't tell anyone else...), but in Arriette's religious beliefs it's like Limbo, where a dying Haeyloian soul temporarily pauses to reflect upon their life before moving on.InBook Two: Heaven, we see this happen to the beloved President Andrew Kainesand watch as the ghost of his mother guides him to a painful realisation, before throwing him back into the world for a second chance to impress Zinnyi.Behind this entire series is a poem I have loved since early adolescence by William Blake,Auguries of Innocence, and in it he says:To see a world in a grain of sand,And a heaven in a wild flower,Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,And eternity in an hour.From the above I'm sure it is clear why I chose the names of the first four books in this series:World,Heaven,InfinityandEternity, but in my opinion, both the poem and the symbol's meaning are deeply connected. I believe that an understanding of the Universe comes only when we can see past what's before us every day - the mundane and routine - and realise human beings are tiny, unique worlds within a complex external structure.InBook Two: Heaven, when Sebastian Sky opens the Recruit's lair by whispering the word 'Indalo', he is recognising a system far greater than anything a Haeyloian mind can comprehend, and in return their creator Zinnyi grants him access to the sanctuary.My mission statement reflects that same belief:1. realising our true purpose2. being a significant part of something larger than ourselves3. building a stronger future for the human race4. recognising the planets strugglesBooks one, two and three (World, HeavenandInfinity) are out now in paperback and e-book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Nook. You can downloadWorldfree of charge on your e-reader from any of those distributors, or for just £5.99 order a beautiful glossy paperback in time for Christmas (complete with a map and additional content) from Amazon.co.uk/.com.E. Rachael Hardcastle

Publishing Low Ash Primary School's Books

Following my visit to Low Ash Primary School, the Year 6 students recently sent me their finished and edited short stories to be published in two one-off books for their school's library.The purpose of this post is to document how their books were made from start to finish.Step One -Prior to visiting the school, I used canva.com and pixabay.com to source free images and design two full spread book covers. Normally this would be done later on, however I wanted the children to see what the finished project would look like. During the publishing process I can choose what finish I'd like on the book.Step Two -writing the book. This part was out of my hands. Following our workshop, the children were given time during their English class to finish writing their stories and to edit them for spelling errors. They were then asked to type up their stories so their teachers could send me them in an e-mail.Step Three -collation and formatting. Once I received the stories, I had to copy and paste them into an Open Office document, then ensure the formatting was correct for each section.I used Times New Roman, size 12 font for the story font and Ariel, size 14 font for the child's (author's) name. I used Berylium, size 12 font for headings and Euphemia, size 18 font for the titles. Finally, I used Candara, size 12 font for the contents.The book's size was 5'x8' so the page format had to be adjusted, then the header and footer included to ensure the book's title and page numbers were in the correct place and consistent throughout. I decided on the bottom right for the page numbers, although they could also have been centred.Step Four -sections and hyperlinks. The book is also available to the children and parents as an e-book, so I had to be sure the children's names in the contents linked to the relevant story in the book. To do this, I used section breaks rather than page breaks to separate the stories, ensuring the title began five lines down. I also needed to be sure none of the stories shared the same page.Once the section breaks were set, I then highlighted the relevant title and child's name in the contents and used the hyperlink button to link it to the corresponding section. This means nothing in a paperback book, but in a PDF e-book it's a handy tool to have.Step Five -Proofing and E-Book Creation. I had to check everything was in place and looked right before I could export the document as a PDF file for the children and parents to upload to their e-readers.This is where I add the copyright information, the publisher details and I also wrote a brief introduction. When this was ready I sent it off to the teachers with a 3D mock up of what the book would look like.Step Six -Publishing. I use Createspace to publish, distribute and ship my books so I uploaded the files to them. Createspace assigned the ISBN number for free although the book is not going to be made available to the public.It was up to me to select the paper and the cover finish. I opted for a full-colour gloss front and back cover with cream paper inside. The spine width was too thin for text so they kindly deleted that for me. The book/s still look fantastic without it.The project was sent off for the publisher's approval and when it came back with the all clear, it was up to me to proof the book and check everything looked and read ok. This is what the cover and page proofs look like online. Some authors like to order paperback proofs, but this can be expensive.Step Seven -approval and shipping. The book is then approved by me and made available in my account to order copies of. As there were two books, this entire process was done twice and two books were ordered (printed in America) and shipped to me.Although I have only explained the basics above, this should give any young aspiring authors an idea of how much work goes in to publishing your own book. It can be a long process, but it's fun and rewarding in the end.I look forward to delivering the books to Low Ash Primary School before Christmas.Watch this space.E. Rachael Hardcastle.

Map Of Haeylo

Released to help my loyal readers visualise the Haeyloian landscape, I will be re-releasing the novels in the series to include the below map. Due to the internal print of my novels being black and white, the second image will be included at the front of the book, while the colour version will be displayed here on my site for you to reference as and when.I hope you like them and enjoy following Arriette's adventures.E. Rachael Hardcastle

The Author Interviews, Round 4: #11: Guy Donovan

Following on from the wonderful interviews earlier this year, I'd like to share with you my interview withGuy Donovan, author of Songs Of Autumn: Book Three of the Dragon's Treasure.Where do you get your ideas from?Oftentimes, I get ideas from my life, or observations of the world around me (literally, like what’s going on outside my window as I write). Like so many other authors though, it’s impossible to say really. Call it a muse, call it my subconscious working overtime through my fingertips, but I frequently just find myself thinking “what if…?”Why do you write?Because I have to! I tried denying my creativity once before, after leaving the animation industry in the early 2000’s. I was going nuts after a few years and had to find some outlet for my creative side. My wife suggested writing and…here I am.What do you find most appealing about your chosen genre?Most appealing about fantasy is its near total freedom to create whole worlds, if I want, or to accept the challenge of working my crazy ideas into a known, historical period and make it all work. Fantasy works on an almost subliminal level, enabling the author to address issues of more recent interest to the general public, but disguise them as mere stories from another time. Gene Roddenberry did that to fantastic effect with the original Star Trek, which was after all, a more science-y sort of fantasy, wasn’t it?How do you deal with bad reviews, rejection and criticism?Take a deep breath, look at the cat meaningfully and repeat “control, control, you MUST learn control!” as often as possible to ensure kitty’s not bearing the brunt of my frustration. Then just move on.What do you find difficult about writing?Containing my first drafts to something short enough that the average reader actually wants to read some of it! But that’s what editing is for, isn’t it?Do you ever outsource your work?No. Never, though I frequently bounce ideas off my wife, who is also a writer.What is your opinion on indie vs traditional publishing?Apples and oranges, to some extent. You hear some people (well, a lot really) bemoaning the unprofessional state of many indie books, and they are not necessarily wrong, but I have to say that I have read my fair share of “professional” books that have contained mistakes and even outright sloppy writing that defies all those “secrets to good writing” articles we are all bombarded with.Talk us through your creative process from start to finish.Okay. First, I need to have either a character or a situation in mind. Then I research until I can’t bear to do any more, which in my case has been largely the post-Roman period of Britain’s early middle ages. Then I try to figure out a general arc for my story/ character. I don’t outline, but I do lay out a general idea of where my character is going on this trip, beginning, middle, and ending. Then I just write, keeping my “roadmap” in mind to get me to the eventual destination I want. I veer off the map a lot as other ideas grab me, often taking my character(s) in unexpected directions, but I usually manage to course correct enough to keep my intended story intact. After the first draft is done, I try to set it aside for a minimum of a month, so that when I start editing, it feels “new” to me again. I tend to run through quite a few more drafts than many other authors I’ve spoken with. My upcoming third book in The Dragon’s Treasure Series, “Songs of Autumn,” is currently in a fifth draft before going out to beta readers. Then I anticipate at least one more before it’s “finished,” at which point it gets a final round of spell and grammar checking, which usually involves a few last changes to other last minute ideas, that almost, but not quite results in a sixth draft. Then it’s on to designing and creating the cover!What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Read. Read more. Read something else, particularly outside of your genre. Read everything! If you don’t read anyone else’s work, why should anyone read yours?If you could go back in time 12 months, what would you advise yourself?Give that MS you’re about to publish just one more look in one more different format. Go on…you know you’ll find something you missed!I also gained some insight into this author's reading habits.Would you agree a good book must withstand more than one read?Absolutely! Many of my favorites have been through a half dozen or more readings and I still love them every bit as much as that first go through. Some, my real, REAL favorites, get worn out, I read them so much.What do you look for when shopping on Amazon for a Kindle book?On Amazon, the cover is king, no matter what you learned about the proverbial “books and covers.” A really eye-catching cover will get a click, at the very least. After that though, it’s all about the concept with me. One of the quickest things that tends to make me move on to another, are mistakes in the blurb. I can’t stress how important it is not to waste that awesome cover by leaving a typo in your blurb! Next would be reviews. How many and are they generally positive or generally negative? All authors get both, of course, but what predominates? Next is the price. If it’s an unkown and he/she wants $15.00 for his/ her book, I’ll likely pass, especially if that’s the price for an e-book. The last thing I’ll check, oddly enough, is the sample, just to make sure. Again…mistakes in that probably cancel the deal, no matter who it is.Who is your favourite author and why?Ray Bradbury, hands down. His concepts, humanism, and sheer level of artistry with words made him, for me of course, not only the greatest American writer ever, but the greatest period.Do you shop for indie books online?I do. I live in a very small town and the nearest really big book store is about a three hour round trip for me, not including a few hours spent there, of course. That makes the internet essential most of the time.What would it take for you to leave a review on Amazon/ Goodreads?As an indie writer myself, I leave a review for all the other indies I read. As for the big, “professional” types, I rarely ever leave one. They really don’t need my support as much as my fellow indies do.After downloading book one for free/ 99p or 99c on Amazon, do you ever return and pay more for book two?I have not, but I absolutely would if I enjoyed the first one enough.Do you ever visit an author's website and if so, why?I do, and fairly often. That’s a great way to get valuable insight into their way of thinking and also their interests outside of writing, which of course often make it into their writing.What would it take for you to sign up to a mailing list?Usually, I have to have really liked something that author has done. And even then, I think twice about it. I try to keep my inbox fairly clear of clutter and that’s hard when everything that catches my eye, even for a few moments, results in tons of mail.Do you ever enter giveaways and/ or order signed copies?From time-to-time, I have, but as a general rule, I do not. When I do, it’s usually to support another indie who’s trying to be noticed.What would it take for you to recommend a book to a friend?Great character(s), setting, and a really strong hook, like taking an old, tired idea and turning it on its head somehow. A strong command of language is essential too. The best idea in the world can be totally neutered by lame, lifeless writing.A huge thanks to Guy Donovan for this interview and we wish him all the best with his work in the future. For more information, please visit the author's website, social media or shop online for their books.