Devyn Jayse's Blog, page 7
June 24, 2017
Author Interview: Alec Hutson
Q: How did you get into fantasy?
I was a dinosaur kid. Some of the first words I learned were ‘ankylosaurs’ and ‘diplodocus’. An interest in fantasy grew out of that, I think. My mother read stories set in Narnia and Prydain to me, and by grade 3 I was reading Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms books. I’ve always been attracted to stories (or paintings or movies) that can elicit a soaring sense of wonder – and by that I mean a feeling of ‘otherworldness’, that tingling that suggests another reality has touched our own. I’ve always wanted to create that same feeling in others. In Grade 2 I wrote my first fantasy book. I’ve always had the dream, but for much of my adult life I set it aside. Then three years ago I took it out and dusted it off and set to work.
Q: What is your latest fantasy release?
My latest is a sword-and-sorcery novelette called Twilight’s End. But the work I’m most well-known for is my debut, released last December, which was The Crimson Queen. It’s epic fantasy, and the start of a new series.
Q: What inspired you to write your first fantasy book? How long did it take?
I would say the literary inspiration for The Crimson Queen is mostly George RR Martin, although my book isn’t nearly as dark and sprawling as The Song of Ice and Fire. What I wanted to do was try and merge the nuanced characters and deep world building and quality writing of Game with the tone and feeling of the old TSR fantasies (Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance again) I grew up reading. Basically, a less dark and gritty Martin, or a more refined pulpy fantasy adventure.
Q: What sub-genre of fantasy do your books/series fall under? Is there a different sub-genre of fantasy that you would like to experiment writing in and why?
I like writing epic fantasy and sword and sorcery. I know it’s trite, but I enjoy adventuring in medieval-style worlds. Castles and swords and fortresses clinging to the sides of mountains. I know a lot of readers are tired of this millieu – but not me.
Q: Which of your books do you believe resonated with readers the most? Why do you think it received that attention?
The Crimson Queen shocked me with its success. I was hoping to sell a few hundred copies this first year, and after seven months I’m verging on 20,000 copies sold (ebook, full reads in KU, audiobooks, and print combined). I think there’s a hunger for non-YA medieval style epic fantasy that has a bit of depth to the characters and plot.
Q: What are some professional milestones that you’re proud you reached?
Today I just reached 1k ratings on Goodreads for The Crimson Queen. I think Goodreads ratings is a better measure that Amazon reviews (and harder to game) for reader satisfaction, so I’m quite pleased. I’m also quite happy that even though I’ve had a large number of reviews, the averages are still high, with 4.36 / 5 on Goodreads and 4.7 / 5 on Amazon.
Q: What is the next project you’re working on? When do you hope to have it available?
I’m writing two short stories that I hope to include in anthologies in the fall. Otherwise, I’m working hard on the sequel to Queen. I hope to have it out this winter.
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Thank you Alec for participating in the Author Interview.
You can find Alec’s books on Amazon.
Cover Reveal: Blaze
I relaunched my instaFreebie short story BLAZE with a new cover.
When I first published Blaze I couldn’t find a cover that suited the story and settled for the original cover. I thought it matched the plot line but perhaps gave more of a dystopian/post-apocolyptic vibe. Despite my misgivings, the cover seemed to appeal to readers. Over 1,500 people have downloaded Blaze since I launched it at the beginning of April.
I’m curious to see if the new cover will attract more readers.
What do you think of it? I’ve included the original cover so that you can compare the two.
Before:
After:
What do you think? Do you like the original cover or the new one?
Get Blaze here – exclusively on instaFreebie.
Personally, I think it’s stunning. Look at all the lovely details!
June 20, 2017
Fury: A Fantasy Collection
My short story Blaze is in an instaFreebie boxset. It’s a fantasy collection featuring 9 other authors and over 2,000 pages long.
Special thanks to AJ Chaudhury who organized the group and put this together & Amir Lane who designed the stunning cover. The goal was to get this into as many readers hands as possible. Right now we’ve exceeded 1,500 downloads so it looks like we’re on the right track.
It’s available for a limited time so grab the collection while you still can!
June 15, 2017
Congratulations!
Congratulations Terry Boehm you won a $25 Amazon gift card!
Thank you all for participating in the giveaway.
Here is the winning entry:
June 6, 2017
Thank You!
I’m overwhelmed by the from all of you. So many great names are being submitted, it will be difficult choosing just one.
This suggestion from a reader tickled my funny bone because…well, I’ll let my reply speak for itself! Jeanette, you and I are on the same page 
June 2, 2017
Help Me Name a Character
I need your help choosing a name for one of my female characters. This person has a pivotal role in my series. Without spoiling it, all I can say is that she’s a kickass woman.
Leave a comment below with the name of your choice.
That’s all you have to do and you’ll be entered in a draw to win a $25 Amazon gift card. The winner will be announced in the next email from me. Not a member of my group? Sign up by clicking HERE.
Thank you for participating and good luck!
April 11, 2017
I is for InstaFreebie #AtoZChallenge
I first put Blaze on InstaFreebie on 1st April. So far I have had 137 subscribers sign up to my mailing list. That’s a great number, even when you take into account my nondescript cover.
Hopefully by the time I launch my debut book I will have amassed a greater number of subscribers and built a decent-sized mailing list. I’m already thinking of a second work that I can publish on InstaFreebie to capture more readers.
InstaFreebie is a good way to find new readers. Once they sign up for my mailing list I can try to convert them into readers of my paid work.
My advice to writers is to do the following:
Write a short work.
Put it on InstaFreebie
Make sure readers have to opt-in to your mailing list to get your free book.
Join Instafreebie promotions.
InstaFreebie will even help you reach an audience if you put together a promotion of 10+ books by posting it on their page and promoting it through their emails.
April 8, 2017
G is for goodreads #AtoZChallenge
I love reading. I love books. I love finding out what people are reading and what they’ve enjoyed. Strangely enough, I’ve never been part of a book club.
If you’re a fan of books you have to be on Goodreads!
This year I’ve been binge-reading. I read a lot of books at once and then slowly read parts of some until the urge to binge struck again.
For the 2017 Reading Challenge I chose 100 books. As of today, my Goodreads Reading Challenge is 54% complete. I think I’ll read more during the summer.
As part of self-publishing, it’s been interesting to see how people use Goodreads. I leave short reviews that serve as reminders to myself. I tend to forget if I’ve read books or not. Goodreads basically acts as my journal. If I read something and forget about whether I liked it or not, it won’t be unusual for me to leave zero stars. That’s not a reflection on the book but rather that my bad memory was back and I couldn’t remember what I had thought of the book.
I enjoy being part of the community at Goodreads and it’s important as a reader and writer to see what books people are enjoying and recommending.
Do you have a Goodreads profile? Follow me or add me as a friend HERE.
April 7, 2017
F is for Facebook #AtoZChallenge
Discoverability is essential for a new author. In an attempt to gain exposure to new readers I’ve started using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Of all of them, I’ve found Twitter to be the easiest to use, but Facebook has been the most beneficial.
I’ve learned so much from the myriad of groups I’ve joined on Facebook. It’s been amazing watching people share their successes, help others try to meet their goals, and dispense valuable advice. The indie writer community is wonderfully generous and I am so proud to be a part of it.
One Facebook groups I highly recommend is 20BooksTo50K. It’s a great resource for new and established writers. It’s based on the thread/book of the same name.
If you’re a starting (or even established) author, I would recommend you join Facebook and learn how to use it. I’m still not the best at it but I learn something new every day. I even have a Facebook Page, but I have to confess I haven’t made the best use of it so far. I need to determine what content I want to share on my page.
April 6, 2017
E is for Editing #AtoZChallenge
I like to jump around projects which means at any given time I am both writing and editing books. I have a lot of plans for the upcoming year, chiefly to publish all ten of the books I have in the pipeline. It may seem a little too ambitious but I have been working on several books over the course of the past year and I feel like I’m finally ready to start my indie author journey.
One of the most important elements after writing is editing. I am still learning how to self-edit (something I still struggle with). Try to get your manuscript in the best possible shape before you send it off to an editor.
Secondly, identify what kind of editing you need done. Does your book need a developmental edit? Would you benefit more from a content or line edit? Based on your needs, you can narrow down your search for an editor.
Remember to research the credentials of the editor you hire.
Most editors offer a sample edit which is a great way to gauge if the editor is the right fit for you. I would recommend asking for that before you sign up with an editor and possibly end up with a bad edit.
Your relationship with your editor is an important one. You need to trust that this person is helping you turn your manuscript into the best possible shape it can be in. Take your time choosing an editor and don’t be afraid to keep searching if you don’t find the right fit.
