Angel Ramon Medina's Blog, page 3
January 8, 2017
Richard Klu Author Interview
Richard Klu Author Interview
An up and coming sci-fi author has stopped into the Hybrid Nation for an interview! The man sounds cool as he has other hobbies besides writing, which we will let him tell us for himself. As seen on his website he is a hard-working author willing to pay his dues and is trying to write the best book possible, after all, isn’t that what we authors want to accomplish. Anyway, let’s quit the small talk, hehehe. Richard Klu, welcome to the Hybrid Nation and let’s get this interview started!
1. When did you decide to become an author?
I don’t recall an exact time, it’s more of something that I just became over time.
2. Why did you decide to become an author?
It was a natural course of my life. It felt right to write and create and I kept with it.
3. What genres do you plan to write for the future?
Horror and fantasy. I am working on my first horror novel right now.
4. Besides writing what else do you like to do and what are your hobbies?
Art. I sketch, paint, sculpt, and do pointilism.
5. Who’s your biggest inspiration for your writing?
All the English teachers that tried to tell me my opinion of abstract works was wrong. Writing and art are a transfer of emotion. What makes one reader happy could make another sad. Art is different to everyone and that’s what makes it special. Writing is an art form. I feel like a lot of English teachers forget that. I had most of my English teachers come close to failing me until I was in college when one pulled me aside and actually explained to me what I was doing and how to better process my thoughts into words. Previous to writing, I had been akin to math. Whereas after this experience writing was like art for the first time.
6. How much time do you dedicate to writing your books?
Every day I strive for 5 pages. If 5 pages come quickly, an hour. If 5 pages come slowly longer. What’s important to me isn’t the time dedicated but the quality of my output. I could spend all day trying to figure out how to transition from one part of the story to another and have a 2 hour writing session that results in 1 page. Conversely, I could not think about writing all day and then sit down and flop out 10 pages. I guess the best way to say it would be that I don’t dedicate time. I dedicate brainpower.
7. How important do you think writing is to the young generation?
Writing is of equal importance to every generation.
8. How excited were you when you finally published your first book?
I was fairly excited.
9. What is the easiest part of writing in your opinion?
Creating a world. It's the easiest part. Imagine a whole world and the kind of things that are happening in it. Worlds are easy, they hold the story and concrete objects. The Story is harder. It’s made out of characters that change and have to deal with the events in the world.
10. What is the hardest part of writing in your opinion?
The hardest part of writing is finding people to read what you have to write and give you an honest opinion. You can’t ask a friend or family member. Their views of you are skewed. Your mom will tell you you're wonderful and you best friend will try not to hurt your feelings.
11. What is your favorite and least favorite part of writing?
I love that when people read my writing they will form their own views and opinions. Everyone will see my vision a little bit differently because of their own life experiences. My least favorite part of writing is that no matter what I do you will never see what I am creating through my eyes because we all have different experiences.
12. What can we expect from you next?
Another book.
13. How do you deal with writer's block?
I take a shower, a long hot shower. Then run freezing water over me. Then hot again. Shock your system. Also new experiences. New experiences stimulate brain chemistry.
Well, that’s a wrap ladies and gentleman. It was nice talking to this brilliant and kind-hearted man. Richard it was an honor talking to you and once again congrats on your books, that is certainly an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors and may your success continue for years to come.
If you’re interested in getting Richard Klu’s books, head over to the books Amazon page and grab yourself a copy of one of his books, you’ll enjoy them!
Link to his books: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_bylin...
Social Links:
Twitter: @Richard_Klu_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardKluAu...
An up and coming sci-fi author has stopped into the Hybrid Nation for an interview! The man sounds cool as he has other hobbies besides writing, which we will let him tell us for himself. As seen on his website he is a hard-working author willing to pay his dues and is trying to write the best book possible, after all, isn’t that what we authors want to accomplish. Anyway, let’s quit the small talk, hehehe. Richard Klu, welcome to the Hybrid Nation and let’s get this interview started!
1. When did you decide to become an author?
I don’t recall an exact time, it’s more of something that I just became over time.
2. Why did you decide to become an author?
It was a natural course of my life. It felt right to write and create and I kept with it.
3. What genres do you plan to write for the future?
Horror and fantasy. I am working on my first horror novel right now.
4. Besides writing what else do you like to do and what are your hobbies?
Art. I sketch, paint, sculpt, and do pointilism.
5. Who’s your biggest inspiration for your writing?
All the English teachers that tried to tell me my opinion of abstract works was wrong. Writing and art are a transfer of emotion. What makes one reader happy could make another sad. Art is different to everyone and that’s what makes it special. Writing is an art form. I feel like a lot of English teachers forget that. I had most of my English teachers come close to failing me until I was in college when one pulled me aside and actually explained to me what I was doing and how to better process my thoughts into words. Previous to writing, I had been akin to math. Whereas after this experience writing was like art for the first time.
6. How much time do you dedicate to writing your books?
Every day I strive for 5 pages. If 5 pages come quickly, an hour. If 5 pages come slowly longer. What’s important to me isn’t the time dedicated but the quality of my output. I could spend all day trying to figure out how to transition from one part of the story to another and have a 2 hour writing session that results in 1 page. Conversely, I could not think about writing all day and then sit down and flop out 10 pages. I guess the best way to say it would be that I don’t dedicate time. I dedicate brainpower.
7. How important do you think writing is to the young generation?
Writing is of equal importance to every generation.
8. How excited were you when you finally published your first book?
I was fairly excited.
9. What is the easiest part of writing in your opinion?
Creating a world. It's the easiest part. Imagine a whole world and the kind of things that are happening in it. Worlds are easy, they hold the story and concrete objects. The Story is harder. It’s made out of characters that change and have to deal with the events in the world.
10. What is the hardest part of writing in your opinion?
The hardest part of writing is finding people to read what you have to write and give you an honest opinion. You can’t ask a friend or family member. Their views of you are skewed. Your mom will tell you you're wonderful and you best friend will try not to hurt your feelings.
11. What is your favorite and least favorite part of writing?
I love that when people read my writing they will form their own views and opinions. Everyone will see my vision a little bit differently because of their own life experiences. My least favorite part of writing is that no matter what I do you will never see what I am creating through my eyes because we all have different experiences.
12. What can we expect from you next?
Another book.
13. How do you deal with writer's block?
I take a shower, a long hot shower. Then run freezing water over me. Then hot again. Shock your system. Also new experiences. New experiences stimulate brain chemistry.
Well, that’s a wrap ladies and gentleman. It was nice talking to this brilliant and kind-hearted man. Richard it was an honor talking to you and once again congrats on your books, that is certainly an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors and may your success continue for years to come.
If you’re interested in getting Richard Klu’s books, head over to the books Amazon page and grab yourself a copy of one of his books, you’ll enjoy them!
Link to his books: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_bylin...
Social Links:
Twitter: @Richard_Klu_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardKluAu...
December 7, 2016
Alison Clarke Interview
This excellent author who lives in Alberta, Canada has decided to take some time to be interviewed in the first ever Hybrid Nation author interview! As the founder of the Hybrid Nation, I’m honored that this very nice woman has decided to come to me to do an interview. Just a little background, she is an Afro-Canadian author who is the author of “The Sisterhood”. If you love fantasy and middle-earth stories you should really check it out! Also, she is the winner of the 2016 Writer of the Year by Diversity Magazine! So without further ado, Alison I will ask you a series of questions and you can answer them anyway which you want. I will also ask you for any advice you may have for any future writers! So here we go!
Questions:
1. Where are you originally from?
I was born in Derby, England. My background is also West Indian--Jamaican, Barbadian, and Chinese. I also have ties to Ghana.
2. When did you decide to begin your journey as a writer? I began this journey when I was in grade six.
3. What is it about writing that you love?
I enjoy creating different worlds.
4. What are your favorite genres to write and/or read?
I love to write fantasy, but I also enjoy writing poetry. In terms of reading, I love to read biographies, all types of fiction, poetry, and prose--including science fiction and fantasy.
5. When did you hear about the contest and how did you hear about the contest?
I first heard about the contest in 2015, through my work in the writing community. It was mentioned again this year.
6. You told me you’re getting a masters degree and finishing up your thesis, what is your major? I’m doing a creative writing thesis on Phillis Wheatley--the first black American to publish a book of poetry and she was a slave.
7. How nervous were you when the results of the contest were about to be read or it was close to being crunch time? I wasn’t. I figured, what will be will be.
8. How much does winning the contest mean to you?
It means a lot, as it will help propel me further in terms of writing, and other things I want to do.
9. How vital do you think is reading is for today’s young generation?
It is important, more than ever, to expand young minds, and language helps people to analyze, which leads to a more informed, knowledgeable society.
10. How long was the contest and what was the process like for you when it was taking place? It was about three days, and it was a lot of work, as it was a people’s choice award--people had to vote for you.
11. When and where did you get the idea for your first book “The Sisterhood”?
It was at home, and it was about five years ago.
12. I’m sure everyone must be proud of you, with that being said what will winning this contest do for you regarding the future?
As I mentioned previously, it will help me in terms of achieving more goals--in terms of writing and so on.
13. What is your next book about or can you give us an idea what the idea is or do you prefer to keep it under wraps?
I prefer to keep it under wraps.
14. When can we expect your next work?
I would say February or March of 2017.
15. Do you see “The Sisterhood” being a long term series or do you plan to diversify to other titles and genres?
The Sisterhood is book one of a trilogy. It will be followed up with another trilogy.
16. What is your inspiration to write, what do you when you get up to encourage you?
I listen to music, go for walks, or read.
17. Are you a believer that being an author means you should have a love for the art?
For me, yes. It is important.
18. Finally, we like to ask you. What advice can you give to young writers who aspire to become an author? Keep writing. By writing, you improve the craft. Keep getting your work out there.
19. If you have anything else you like to say that you haven’t said already, this is your opportunity now. The stage is now yours! Dreaming is important. As artists, no matter what your interests are, it is important to have imagination. As someone once said, “Without Imagination, there is no love.”
Well, that’s a wrap ladies and gentleman. It was nice talking to this brilliant and kind-hearted woman. Alison, it was an honor to talk to you and once again congrats on winning the contest, that is certainly an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors and may your success continue for years to come.
Questions:
1. Where are you originally from?
I was born in Derby, England. My background is also West Indian--Jamaican, Barbadian, and Chinese. I also have ties to Ghana.
2. When did you decide to begin your journey as a writer? I began this journey when I was in grade six.
3. What is it about writing that you love?
I enjoy creating different worlds.
4. What are your favorite genres to write and/or read?
I love to write fantasy, but I also enjoy writing poetry. In terms of reading, I love to read biographies, all types of fiction, poetry, and prose--including science fiction and fantasy.
5. When did you hear about the contest and how did you hear about the contest?
I first heard about the contest in 2015, through my work in the writing community. It was mentioned again this year.
6. You told me you’re getting a masters degree and finishing up your thesis, what is your major? I’m doing a creative writing thesis on Phillis Wheatley--the first black American to publish a book of poetry and she was a slave.
7. How nervous were you when the results of the contest were about to be read or it was close to being crunch time? I wasn’t. I figured, what will be will be.
8. How much does winning the contest mean to you?
It means a lot, as it will help propel me further in terms of writing, and other things I want to do.
9. How vital do you think is reading is for today’s young generation?
It is important, more than ever, to expand young minds, and language helps people to analyze, which leads to a more informed, knowledgeable society.
10. How long was the contest and what was the process like for you when it was taking place? It was about three days, and it was a lot of work, as it was a people’s choice award--people had to vote for you.
11. When and where did you get the idea for your first book “The Sisterhood”?
It was at home, and it was about five years ago.
12. I’m sure everyone must be proud of you, with that being said what will winning this contest do for you regarding the future?
As I mentioned previously, it will help me in terms of achieving more goals--in terms of writing and so on.
13. What is your next book about or can you give us an idea what the idea is or do you prefer to keep it under wraps?
I prefer to keep it under wraps.
14. When can we expect your next work?
I would say February or March of 2017.
15. Do you see “The Sisterhood” being a long term series or do you plan to diversify to other titles and genres?
The Sisterhood is book one of a trilogy. It will be followed up with another trilogy.
16. What is your inspiration to write, what do you when you get up to encourage you?
I listen to music, go for walks, or read.
17. Are you a believer that being an author means you should have a love for the art?
For me, yes. It is important.
18. Finally, we like to ask you. What advice can you give to young writers who aspire to become an author? Keep writing. By writing, you improve the craft. Keep getting your work out there.
19. If you have anything else you like to say that you haven’t said already, this is your opportunity now. The stage is now yours! Dreaming is important. As artists, no matter what your interests are, it is important to have imagination. As someone once said, “Without Imagination, there is no love.”
Well, that’s a wrap ladies and gentleman. It was nice talking to this brilliant and kind-hearted woman. Alison, it was an honor to talk to you and once again congrats on winning the contest, that is certainly an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors and may your success continue for years to come.
December 3, 2016
Angel Ramon Medina's Pet Peeves
I was cordially invited by fellow Hybrid Nation member Bernard Jan tp discuss my biggest pet peeves as an author. the First thing I said is, "Oh boy I'm not the one who likes to complain a lot. In fact, I'm a very humble person and I'm used to having things go rough for me. It's simply a part of life and growing up. However, this article is about my biggest pet peeves, so let's get down to the nitty-gritty shall we?
My first pet peeve is distractions and it earns the top spot on my list. It earns that spot for good reasons. Let me explain, you see my time is divided into five aspects of my full-time author career. They are book promotion, networking, blogging, formatting my finished works for publishing and actually writing my books. Dare I say I managed to get four books done in a period of 6 months with these distractions.
I'll admit I do have good time management skills, nevertheless though it's annoying when I want to just write my book that I get requests from ppl for links to my books or replying to one of my author friends. While I do manage to get all of these things done, I notice that one of the aspects pf my job begin to take the back burner and I have to take a day just to catch up. At the end of the day though I do take accountability of letting these small distractions get in the way of my main goals and let's face it I have only been at this for only six months so I fo get distracted easily as I continue to find ways to better myself.
I'm sure when I get better at writing and become a veteran I'll be distracted less often. I say my biggest distraction is book promotion simply because my name is getting out there and I want to make sure that I keep on sending the message out. I also want to make my first book into an audio book, but I can't seem to find the time for that with all these "SELF" imposed deadlines that I put in myself. I always say for my age and experience I have gotten a lot more done than aspiring authors out there, although it has come with sleepless nights and serious backaches.
My second biggest pet peeve is time itself. 24 hours in a day is simply not enough for my goals and the fact I want to have a life, spending quality time exploring the island of Puerto Rico makes this a serious issue. There isn't much I can really do about it, it will always be 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Well, except for leap years then it's 366 days, yay!!! So I try the best I can to manage my time better and although I have 4 works and a box set out there along with articles for another website, I feel that I still can do better. Sometimes I feel bad when I can't reply to an email or message on social media right away because I'm trying to catch up with what I'm doing. Everybody I know calls me the busy bee of the Hybrid Nation and I feel like that I have to, after all, I'm the founder of a growing community of aspiring writers. What helps me is that this is my full-time gig and my parents have been very supportive of my dreams, so a big thank you to them and the thank me for helping them as well getting around the island. I vow in 2017 to try to do even better in time management.
My third pet peeve is liars in the world of publishing and the author world in general, whether it's getting a dishonest opinion or a dishonest person to touch your work I hate liars! Just like any other trade you need, to be honest, lying will get you a bad reputation in the writing world. I learned that the hard way with my first book when I hired this person that I will not name as I have gotten over that phase of my career. To make the long story short I hired this "person" to "edit" my book and I took it for granted, mistake #1. Mistake #2 giving it to someone else to read it, in this case, my good friend Bernard Jan read the book and noted that the book had numerous mistakes. Don't get me wrong, I was pissed off and I did have a few choice words with this "Editor". He decided to refund my money if I kept quiet, so I took my money and I let bygones be bygones to just forget it. I took it as a lesson learned that you can't trust everybody who has a "title". I hate being lied to, but at the end of the day I picked myself back up and decided to forge ahead to fix the mistakes that were made. As a result, my first book is something I can be proud of and I learned a valuable lesson that I hope all of you will learn as well.
Finally, my last pet peeve is Bernard Jan himself, he bugs the heck out of me and always has some wise crack to use against me. He also is one who can't take a joke once in a while. Bernard if you're reading this you know I'm joking, right? Anyway, he isn't annoying, he's a cool dude who's been in the trade much longer than I have been. I just wanted to put this in as a small joke as his dream is to pull my ears! lol
I hope you enjoyed this article describing what annoys me and how I manage to remain so positive and focused on my mission. By the way, I invite my fellow members including Benjamin Munday, Josh Davis, Grant Leishman, J.F. Fleming and Alison Clarke to write a blog post or do a video on their pet peeves as an author/writer!
My first pet peeve is distractions and it earns the top spot on my list. It earns that spot for good reasons. Let me explain, you see my time is divided into five aspects of my full-time author career. They are book promotion, networking, blogging, formatting my finished works for publishing and actually writing my books. Dare I say I managed to get four books done in a period of 6 months with these distractions.
I'll admit I do have good time management skills, nevertheless though it's annoying when I want to just write my book that I get requests from ppl for links to my books or replying to one of my author friends. While I do manage to get all of these things done, I notice that one of the aspects pf my job begin to take the back burner and I have to take a day just to catch up. At the end of the day though I do take accountability of letting these small distractions get in the way of my main goals and let's face it I have only been at this for only six months so I fo get distracted easily as I continue to find ways to better myself.
I'm sure when I get better at writing and become a veteran I'll be distracted less often. I say my biggest distraction is book promotion simply because my name is getting out there and I want to make sure that I keep on sending the message out. I also want to make my first book into an audio book, but I can't seem to find the time for that with all these "SELF" imposed deadlines that I put in myself. I always say for my age and experience I have gotten a lot more done than aspiring authors out there, although it has come with sleepless nights and serious backaches.
My second biggest pet peeve is time itself. 24 hours in a day is simply not enough for my goals and the fact I want to have a life, spending quality time exploring the island of Puerto Rico makes this a serious issue. There isn't much I can really do about it, it will always be 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Well, except for leap years then it's 366 days, yay!!! So I try the best I can to manage my time better and although I have 4 works and a box set out there along with articles for another website, I feel that I still can do better. Sometimes I feel bad when I can't reply to an email or message on social media right away because I'm trying to catch up with what I'm doing. Everybody I know calls me the busy bee of the Hybrid Nation and I feel like that I have to, after all, I'm the founder of a growing community of aspiring writers. What helps me is that this is my full-time gig and my parents have been very supportive of my dreams, so a big thank you to them and the thank me for helping them as well getting around the island. I vow in 2017 to try to do even better in time management.
My third pet peeve is liars in the world of publishing and the author world in general, whether it's getting a dishonest opinion or a dishonest person to touch your work I hate liars! Just like any other trade you need, to be honest, lying will get you a bad reputation in the writing world. I learned that the hard way with my first book when I hired this person that I will not name as I have gotten over that phase of my career. To make the long story short I hired this "person" to "edit" my book and I took it for granted, mistake #1. Mistake #2 giving it to someone else to read it, in this case, my good friend Bernard Jan read the book and noted that the book had numerous mistakes. Don't get me wrong, I was pissed off and I did have a few choice words with this "Editor". He decided to refund my money if I kept quiet, so I took my money and I let bygones be bygones to just forget it. I took it as a lesson learned that you can't trust everybody who has a "title". I hate being lied to, but at the end of the day I picked myself back up and decided to forge ahead to fix the mistakes that were made. As a result, my first book is something I can be proud of and I learned a valuable lesson that I hope all of you will learn as well.
Finally, my last pet peeve is Bernard Jan himself, he bugs the heck out of me and always has some wise crack to use against me. He also is one who can't take a joke once in a while. Bernard if you're reading this you know I'm joking, right? Anyway, he isn't annoying, he's a cool dude who's been in the trade much longer than I have been. I just wanted to put this in as a small joke as his dream is to pull my ears! lol
I hope you enjoyed this article describing what annoys me and how I manage to remain so positive and focused on my mission. By the way, I invite my fellow members including Benjamin Munday, Josh Davis, Grant Leishman, J.F. Fleming and Alison Clarke to write a blog post or do a video on their pet peeves as an author/writer!
December 1, 2016
Janus: The Devil's Election Preview
I'm pleased to announce my next book will be a political thriller. I'm about to hit 25,000 words into it. I was hoping to have it out for the beginning of January, but it looks like it will be delayed until the end of the month.
Anyway, I just wanted to give you a preview of the story or what the blurb will be, no official release dates will be given out. It's too early for that, but I will keep you posted on my progress on my twitter account @puertorico05971.
It's September 11, 2016, only 2 months away from the most controversial election in the history of the United States. Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton are both running for office, but they both could not be any more hated by the American public.
Meanwhile, an organization called the Terrorist killers are investigating a substance known as the stem-cell substance. It supposedly extends the lifespan of a human being and be the next great breakthrough in genetic engineering. However, as with any high-profile drug, it's being distributed illegally. What starts off as an ordinary drug bust begins to escalate rather quickly into a conspiracy plot that will have serious implications on the general election of 2016.
As the story deepens it turns out that an arch-nemesis of the Terrorist Killers is behind all this, known as Janus. He's using the funding of Trump and Clinton to fund the drug's distribution and his criminal activities. In exchange, he promises to rig the election, by hacking into the voting machines and changing the votes to the president that pays him the most. What no one knows is who this Janus character really is, a two-faced conniving snake who's been wanted by the FBI for the longest. Does Janus intend to keep his promise or is he a traitor to the American people along with the stem-cell substance.
It will be up to Mariano Hernandez the star agent to find out the true identity of Janus, something no one knows not even the FBI. Do the stem-cell's really help extend the lifespan of a human or is it hiding a more sinister effect.
Who will win the election, the ultra-conservative Donald Trump, the ultra-liberal Hilary Clinton or will Janus plunge the United States into his own idea of socialism. What are the true intentions of Trump, Clinton, and Janus?
You'll have to find out in a story where no one can be trusted, everybody is a suspect, the fate of the united States is at stake and one substance can destroy mankind. Everybody will be backstabbing each other just to get ahead, is there anyone Mariano can trust or will he need eyes behind his back as well. Find out in:
Janus: The Devil's Election
Coming in early 2017!!!
You will never see politics the same ever again after reading this book. For 007 fans it's a redux of your favorite agent!
Anyway, I just wanted to give you a preview of the story or what the blurb will be, no official release dates will be given out. It's too early for that, but I will keep you posted on my progress on my twitter account @puertorico05971.
It's September 11, 2016, only 2 months away from the most controversial election in the history of the United States. Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton are both running for office, but they both could not be any more hated by the American public.
Meanwhile, an organization called the Terrorist killers are investigating a substance known as the stem-cell substance. It supposedly extends the lifespan of a human being and be the next great breakthrough in genetic engineering. However, as with any high-profile drug, it's being distributed illegally. What starts off as an ordinary drug bust begins to escalate rather quickly into a conspiracy plot that will have serious implications on the general election of 2016.
As the story deepens it turns out that an arch-nemesis of the Terrorist Killers is behind all this, known as Janus. He's using the funding of Trump and Clinton to fund the drug's distribution and his criminal activities. In exchange, he promises to rig the election, by hacking into the voting machines and changing the votes to the president that pays him the most. What no one knows is who this Janus character really is, a two-faced conniving snake who's been wanted by the FBI for the longest. Does Janus intend to keep his promise or is he a traitor to the American people along with the stem-cell substance.
It will be up to Mariano Hernandez the star agent to find out the true identity of Janus, something no one knows not even the FBI. Do the stem-cell's really help extend the lifespan of a human or is it hiding a more sinister effect.
Who will win the election, the ultra-conservative Donald Trump, the ultra-liberal Hilary Clinton or will Janus plunge the United States into his own idea of socialism. What are the true intentions of Trump, Clinton, and Janus?
You'll have to find out in a story where no one can be trusted, everybody is a suspect, the fate of the united States is at stake and one substance can destroy mankind. Everybody will be backstabbing each other just to get ahead, is there anyone Mariano can trust or will he need eyes behind his back as well. Find out in:
Janus: The Devil's Election
Coming in early 2017!!!
You will never see politics the same ever again after reading this book. For 007 fans it's a redux of your favorite agent!
Writing a great book blurb
Writing a book is the fun part of the process and the cover art is part of the fun as well. However, besides editing your book coming up with a catchy book blurb can be frustrating. In fact, it can be the hardest part of the process, after all, this is the first thing a potential reader will see besides your cover and preview. If your blurb sucks the person will probably ignore your preview altogether.
According to my experiences, people don't necessarily read the preview. That's not to say no one does, but most casual readers ignore the preview and read the blurb. Think of your book blurb as your biggest marketing tool once you get your potential reader to your book page whether it be Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Play or Kobo. If you take a look at the picture above it gives you a pretty good idea of what to do to make a good book blurb. However, there are some finer details that I would like to discuss that can enhance your blurb. Here are the 5 steps in my opinion that you should follow and what not to do, which even I'm guilty of doing as well. It's part of the learning process, so let's get started shall we?
1. Introduce the main character(s): This is where you want to have one to two sentences about the protagonist (Hero in fiction) and the antagonist (Villian in Fiction). Give the reader some background about the main character(s) such as their role and profession. However, keep it short and sweet or you'll risk rambling on the story without getting to the meat of the story. The trick here is to keep the facts interesting and tell the reader what makes the character(s) stand out from other stories. You can talk about any supporting characters, but only if they play a major role. No need to waste valuable words on characters that no one will really care about even as they read the story although they may play a role in the story.
2. Set the scene: This can be tricky especially if your book has many settings. In this part, you want to give the reader a sense of what the world is like and what role will it play towards the story. Answer this question is the setting just a world or is it an integral part of the story. If the latter fits your book, include it. Make each character count! Remember the golden rule, only put in the major parts leaving the finer details out of the way.
3. Discuss the plot: In a short and simple manner discuss the problem and the actual plot of the story. Here is where many writers mess up at, even I'm guilty of this. Some authors misunderstand what a book blurb is. These same people believe that a blurb is a summary of the book. This information is false, that would be a synopsis and nobody want to read that. The blurb is meant to make the reader use their imagination to build a prediction on what is going to happen based on what's written on it. Instead give a quick summary of the main parts of the story and the most interesting parts of the story. Keep finer details to the reader to find out as he/she reads.
4. Your final part of the blurb should be your "punch line" or what do you want your readers to take out of your blurb. This should be the big question that will be answered in the book. In otherwords, this is where you need to put your pitch line and hit your audience with what separates your story from the others in your genre. This is especially important for those authors that are writing fiction since it is a very competitive market. Think of this like the last quarter of a football or basketball game.
5. Don't write your blurb after you write your story: Contrary to popular belief you want to have your blurb written way before your book is done. There are two reasons for this. One is because you're simply exhausted from writing and editing your story that your blurb may not come out right because you're in a rush to get the book out. The second reason is because is much more practical to have your blurb done already that way you can make sure that your story is matching up to your blurb and your desires. Also, it's one less thing to worry about when writing, you can just write on without worry.
According to my experiences, people don't necessarily read the preview. That's not to say no one does, but most casual readers ignore the preview and read the blurb. Think of your book blurb as your biggest marketing tool once you get your potential reader to your book page whether it be Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Play or Kobo. If you take a look at the picture above it gives you a pretty good idea of what to do to make a good book blurb. However, there are some finer details that I would like to discuss that can enhance your blurb. Here are the 5 steps in my opinion that you should follow and what not to do, which even I'm guilty of doing as well. It's part of the learning process, so let's get started shall we?
1. Introduce the main character(s): This is where you want to have one to two sentences about the protagonist (Hero in fiction) and the antagonist (Villian in Fiction). Give the reader some background about the main character(s) such as their role and profession. However, keep it short and sweet or you'll risk rambling on the story without getting to the meat of the story. The trick here is to keep the facts interesting and tell the reader what makes the character(s) stand out from other stories. You can talk about any supporting characters, but only if they play a major role. No need to waste valuable words on characters that no one will really care about even as they read the story although they may play a role in the story.
2. Set the scene: This can be tricky especially if your book has many settings. In this part, you want to give the reader a sense of what the world is like and what role will it play towards the story. Answer this question is the setting just a world or is it an integral part of the story. If the latter fits your book, include it. Make each character count! Remember the golden rule, only put in the major parts leaving the finer details out of the way.
3. Discuss the plot: In a short and simple manner discuss the problem and the actual plot of the story. Here is where many writers mess up at, even I'm guilty of this. Some authors misunderstand what a book blurb is. These same people believe that a blurb is a summary of the book. This information is false, that would be a synopsis and nobody want to read that. The blurb is meant to make the reader use their imagination to build a prediction on what is going to happen based on what's written on it. Instead give a quick summary of the main parts of the story and the most interesting parts of the story. Keep finer details to the reader to find out as he/she reads.
4. Your final part of the blurb should be your "punch line" or what do you want your readers to take out of your blurb. This should be the big question that will be answered in the book. In otherwords, this is where you need to put your pitch line and hit your audience with what separates your story from the others in your genre. This is especially important for those authors that are writing fiction since it is a very competitive market. Think of this like the last quarter of a football or basketball game.
5. Don't write your blurb after you write your story: Contrary to popular belief you want to have your blurb written way before your book is done. There are two reasons for this. One is because you're simply exhausted from writing and editing your story that your blurb may not come out right because you're in a rush to get the book out. The second reason is because is much more practical to have your blurb done already that way you can make sure that your story is matching up to your blurb and your desires. Also, it's one less thing to worry about when writing, you can just write on without worry.
November 19, 2016
The Thousand Years War Trilogy is out for Pre-Order!
Great news! The Trilogy of The Thousand Years War Series is out for Pre-Order and will be released on November 29, 2016! If you haven't read any books of the series, this is your best chance to read all three books in one epic collection. Better yet you'll be able to read the third book before it's release date of December 13, 2016!
To Pre-Order your copy today:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N74QOOI
Everywhere else:
https://books2read.com/u/4Xg275
To Pre-Order your copy today:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N74QOOI
Everywhere else:
https://books2read.com/u/4Xg275
October 13, 2016
Revenge of the Gloobas is available for pre-order!
I'm pleased to announce my latest work is available for pre-order. You can get Revenge of the Gloobas before it comes out and guaranteed to have your copy delivered to you at launch date. The tentative date is December 13, 2016, but it could come out sooner.
Prepare for the Gloobas to launch their revenge plot as they attempt to align the planet using Earth's gravity. They will use the planets aligning in order to develop a death ray capable of destroying earth's population.
The story promises many twists and turns that will leave you speechless. Finally, the ending will leave you to the edge of your seat!
I wish we could reveal it, but I have sworn not to tell anyone the ending or else! So all you can do is pre-order for now and anticipate the ending or even better, see if you can predict the ending!
Pre-Order on Amazon Today!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MCRMBOF
Prepare for the Gloobas to launch their revenge plot as they attempt to align the planet using Earth's gravity. They will use the planets aligning in order to develop a death ray capable of destroying earth's population.
The story promises many twists and turns that will leave you speechless. Finally, the ending will leave you to the edge of your seat!
I wish we could reveal it, but I have sworn not to tell anyone the ending or else! So all you can do is pre-order for now and anticipate the ending or even better, see if you can predict the ending!
Pre-Order on Amazon Today!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MCRMBOF
September 26, 2016
Suprise Release of Angel's Nightmare Adventure!
Surprise!!! Everyone! I took a break from my third novel as I was working on a sneak release of my short story horror story. It is a zombie invasion story that takes place in New York City told in two different perspectives. One is in the point of view of a 17-year-old kid that is about to undergo an operation on his mouth to fix an overbite. The other perspective is that of a Rookie NYPD officer, will their paths cross?
For now, this is strictly a short story. Although I have plans to convert and make it into a full-fledged novel series in the long-term future. Well, I hope you enjoy this little surprise that I have just revealed, something fresh to read before I come out with my third novel of the Thousand Years War Series, "Revenge of the Gloobas".
On occasion, I will be working on this particular series that I will call "Angel's Nightmare Adventure". It will be limited to short story collections for now. Yes, I'm also a horror writer on occasion.
This should make the perfect Halloween gift for any lover of horror stories. As we're only a month away from Halloween. It's only 99 cents, so for a dollar, you can enjoy a cool read. Just don't read at night! Lol
Finally an update for my third book I'm close to the end of the book and should begin editing it in a week or so. It should be out for late fall into early winter.
To order the book follow the links below:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0WEZNO
E-Books(Apple, Kobo and Inktera): https://books2read.com/u/4jKLw2
For now, this is strictly a short story. Although I have plans to convert and make it into a full-fledged novel series in the long-term future. Well, I hope you enjoy this little surprise that I have just revealed, something fresh to read before I come out with my third novel of the Thousand Years War Series, "Revenge of the Gloobas".
On occasion, I will be working on this particular series that I will call "Angel's Nightmare Adventure". It will be limited to short story collections for now. Yes, I'm also a horror writer on occasion.
This should make the perfect Halloween gift for any lover of horror stories. As we're only a month away from Halloween. It's only 99 cents, so for a dollar, you can enjoy a cool read. Just don't read at night! Lol
Finally an update for my third book I'm close to the end of the book and should begin editing it in a week or so. It should be out for late fall into early winter.
To order the book follow the links below:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0WEZNO
E-Books(Apple, Kobo and Inktera): https://books2read.com/u/4jKLw2
September 8, 2016
Framed already receiving praise!
My second book Framed: The Second Book of the Thousand Years War has already gotten it's first 5 star rating and it's only a month old! Moments like these are great for me and those long nights are paying off! You can check it out on the link below:
https://www.amazon.com/review/R1CI55O...
https://www.amazon.com/review/R1CI55O...
August 21, 2016
Third Book announcement! Plus some good news on the series itself.
I'm pleased to announce that there will be a third installment of The Thousand Years War Series. The title will be "Revenge of the Gloobas". I will not mention too many details of the book, since its a work still in progress. I say maybe by late October or Early November it will be out, God willing that is.
However I will say this much it will be another epic adventure, only this time the gloobas have changed up their strategy. They have taken over the solar system via the virtual world and all of the planets are all mixed up. While Uranus may be close to Earth, other planets such as Mercury will be light-years away. Their master plan is to align the 9 main planets perfectly to Earth to shoot a death ray from their mother planet called "Goo". Sorry that is all I can reveal for now, my creative ego refuses to let me reveal more, but you get the point. It's COMING SOON! Be prepared for the most epic sci-fi novel of the fall reading season.
The reason that there will be indeed another book in the series is because of the success the series has enjoyed. The first book has been riddled with praise and 5 star ratings, which I'm humbled by like always. Framed: The Second Book of the Thousand Years War Series came out this month and it looks very promising! Thanks to Josh Davis and the Davis Publishing Company for helping me with my second book and if you are reading this Josh you will be in my head for this one. Anyway if you want to check out my first and second books the links are below. To end it I want to wish everyone a good night or day if it's daylight already. Authors continue writing, readers continue reading and everyone continue to enjoy life! Check me out on Facebook, Twitter (@puertorico05971) and Goodreads!
However I will say this much it will be another epic adventure, only this time the gloobas have changed up their strategy. They have taken over the solar system via the virtual world and all of the planets are all mixed up. While Uranus may be close to Earth, other planets such as Mercury will be light-years away. Their master plan is to align the 9 main planets perfectly to Earth to shoot a death ray from their mother planet called "Goo". Sorry that is all I can reveal for now, my creative ego refuses to let me reveal more, but you get the point. It's COMING SOON! Be prepared for the most epic sci-fi novel of the fall reading season.
The reason that there will be indeed another book in the series is because of the success the series has enjoyed. The first book has been riddled with praise and 5 star ratings, which I'm humbled by like always. Framed: The Second Book of the Thousand Years War Series came out this month and it looks very promising! Thanks to Josh Davis and the Davis Publishing Company for helping me with my second book and if you are reading this Josh you will be in my head for this one. Anyway if you want to check out my first and second books the links are below. To end it I want to wish everyone a good night or day if it's daylight already. Authors continue writing, readers continue reading and everyone continue to enjoy life! Check me out on Facebook, Twitter (@puertorico05971) and Goodreads!
