Haru Ichiban's Blog, page 5
April 21, 2020
A Year of Battling the Shadows
It’s been over a year since I last updated. Even though I take writing with the seriousness of a job, this “respite” was something I seemed to need. Why?
I love writing, and it was (and is) my intention to publish a novel a year minimum, but ideally two or more plus multiple short stories. I had my third novel, Forbidden: Evil Days almost ready since a year ago. Yet I did not move for a year. The reason?
Everybody says it is hard to start out on your own, especially when you’re no tycoon daughter and have to climb every step on your own. However, I had noticed that I was having a harder luck than any other person who was getting started like me, even though I have quite some confidence in my writing. Places that supposedly gave you a few reviews gave me none. People who offered to review disappeared into thin air after getting my book. And the few people who did answer all treated me like I was forcing them to down garbage. Many of their critics proved valid, but you can criticize someone and still be nice. They really didn’t need to try belittling me, insulting my characters or laughing at what I write. I was sure I had the misfortune of meeting the absolute worst people on the block. In any case, a phrase came around over and over: “You need an editor”.
Yeah, right! I have no money, barely managing to buy food and pay the bills, and I would hire someone that charges so much? However, I realized that something had to be done. This situation just couldn’t go on. I wanted to go forward, so I had to remove the blocks somehow! The issues that came out from the people who read (totally unrelated to each other) were:
-Bad grammar. Apparently I sucked at English. It is not my mother language, after all.
-Lack of descriptions. I knew I had this problem because of my past as a fanfic author, but I thought I had gotten better.
-Specifically my first novel, it seemed the beginning was boring and undefined. Really? Well, I tried to keep an air of mystery—did I overdo it?
Okay, I don’t have money for an editor, but this needed to be fixed. The simple answer was: If I can’t hire an editor, might as well become one myself.
So last year…
-I learned English. No, I mean, really learned, starting from the very foundations, the first grade, the very structure of sentences. Been back to the drawing board in the most humbling of ways. Pride will not help at all here.
-Enlarged my personal thesaurus. English is a very poor language compared to Spanish or Japanese. It has very few synonyms and few words.
-Started to pay attention to every little thing that might need a description.
-Absolutely rewrote Forbidden and Forbidden: New Days, now with this more sophisticated, better grammar. I used an editor. :)
So yeah… Last year was absolutely unproductive, and yet building stronger foundations for my career is probably the most important thing I could have done.
In any case, I think I’ve learned enough for now… I guess? The other day I was comparing my writing to 50 Shades of Grey’s (which is usually considered mediocre) and mine came out on top (grammatically speaking), so I think I’m ready to go on. Now my grammar is mediocre at worst, LOL!
Ready to resume the fight! Very soon, we’ll have Evil Days around!
January 29, 2019
Japanese Lesson coming out today!
Finally, my first short erotic story is out! Check it out: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MC792VL
As a transfer student in Japan, Mia has been doing extremely well--except in writing. As per her teacher's suggestion, one of the other students should become her tutor in this matter. And who offers but mysterious and sensual Yu--whose unorthodox way of teaching includes a brush and chocolate sauce!
January 4, 2019
Japanese Lesson - Darkintense #1 Cover Reveal!
Cover reveal for the first book on my short erotic stories series Darkintense. It will be out very soon, definitely in January! PM me if you want an ARC.
December 28, 2018
December 8, 2018
ARCs Giveaway: Paranormal Romance/Erotica - Forbidden: New Days
Forbidden
Forbidden: New Days
I will be giving ARCs around December 15th. Forbidden:New Days needs to be read after Forbidden, which I'll provide as well if needed. Just send me a PM with your mail!
Enjoying a life of opulence, fun and games, and enthralled in torrid passion and love for each other, Lei and Sween start their detective career, but it’s not the adrenaline pumping job they had envisioned. Ennui slowly invades Sween, making her wonder if she would ever work in some exciting case.
Two days later, she wishes she had never asked for that.
Now the miraculous survivor of an unprecedented massacre, Sween is compelled to investigate the most mysterious and brutal crimes in her city’s history. Thank goodness she has Lei for support—but wait a minute! Why is he flirting with that lady at his office? The people at work think that other woman and not Sween is his wife! Strange days have arrived as she walks away from home, despite Lei’s desperate claims of innocence.
However, as bullets whistle in the night and beloved blood is spilled, maybe both her former life and the truth have been lost forever…
Forbidden: New Days is the second book in a saga of romance full of sweetness and carnal delights, plots with substance, smart heroines, manly and sensitive heroes, morally ambiguous main characters, a mysterious supernatural world, detectives and humor.
November 27, 2018
Forbidden: New Days Cover Reveal
Tadaaaa! It's finally complete!
25th of November 2018, 1:01 a.m., Forbidden: New Days finally reached 100%!
Now it needs a couple of revisions and it will be ready to go. Oh, and I need to work on the blurb too! *facepalms*
And today it's cover reveal day! Or to be precise, maybe one of the covers reveal day. I had another in mind for this book, which I might do (or not) later.
Anyway, darling Lei is on the cover. This pic took me a nice two days to make, quite quickly considering the first one was ten days and in better paper. I thought I had a supply of this great paper (bought three blocks of ten sheets) but when I opened the second one, it was totally different! Much thinner and grainy... It actually took me a lot more effort and paint than the others, and it looks kinda blurred, not sharp. Fortunately the theme allows for it... Argh, I think I even prefer the 75 grams paper--at least it was even! Who the hell likes grainy paper and what the hell is it supposed to be good for?! There should be a warning on the labels that the paper is uneven. And it was not cheap in the least. Damn it!
*cough* Sorry, not wanting to rant in the presence of a handsome man. I think Lei's pallor came out nicely while still looking like living skin. His skin also looks moist somehow.
More news coming soon!
October 31, 2018
Happy Halloween!
What with all my attention focused on finishing my next novel, I haven't had time to rejoice at Halloween stuff like I usually do. Sadly, I come from a country where all the "celebrations" are selling holiday-themed candy in stores, some cafes decorated in appropriate themes, and a few parties in discos I'd rather not join, like, ever. Too bad, because this would be my favorite holiday.
Anyway, this illustration is from last year--it took me a freaking lot to finish, I remember. Sween's hair looks weird, since I couldn't decide between her daytime color (because it's night) and her nighttime one (because there's so much light) so I decided to go with a mix of both.
For those who actually celebrate Halloween, have fun! Hell, at least I got some spooky-colored juice that tastes like cola with tutti-frutti. Not bad.
October 29, 2018
Fallen in Love - Forbidden:New Days
Yes, it’s been a looooooong absence from online media. I wanted to spend most of my time finishing the next book. That’s the most important part!
Forbidden: New Days will be out before the end of November, I hope. But that’s not all… I have a little surprise too! You’ll see after New Days gets published—soon after something else will come out!
But for now, New Days is just around the corner! Like I promised in the first book, this book will be about Lei and Sween starting out as spouses and detectives. A fairly boring life—until their city becomes a nest of mysteries and deadly dangers. And Lei seems to have a strange agenda—is he having an affair with someone else? Why does everyone in his office think he’s married to another woman?!
Until then, have some artwork! I found this phrase out there in some quotes sticker (I have no idea who to credit it for) and thought it was so damn appropriate for Sween.
Coming soon: Cover reveal!
I have licensed this picture under Creative Commons. You can upload it at your place as long as you don't crop or modify it, nor use it for commercial use.
September 13, 2018
Sween in Forbidden:New Days
At last, the first image of Sween in Forbidden: New Days, my next book. I had no idea how to make her look due to her change, but I decided not to alter her much. I just made her a more mature hairdo with no wings (they aren't a fit anymore, after all). Her character development was slight in the first book, so this is fine.
This is her idea of a detective outfit, by the way...
As for Captain Haru, she has discovered a new addiction with the buy of blenders. I've used Splender in this pic and loooooooooooooove it...
September 12, 2018
Adventures of a rookie writer
This book is giving me a bit of a head trip. I am 95% done, and the 85 to 95% part was more difficult than the 0 to 85%. Now comes the delightful last 5%, where I will find... ta-daaaaaa...
- Blank spaces I am supposed to fill... somehow.
-Parts that put a plot hole I need to fill... somehow.
-Removing those parts will give another, bigger plot hole.
-Parts I simply liked and make no sense. These can be saved for another book! ...perhaps.
I wonder if going from rookie to pro involves becoming formulaic, which seems to be the solution for most writers. Please, I want you to give me a great, stinging slap if that ever happens to me. I'd hate being formulaic! Surely there has to be a better way.
Maybe in a couple years I'll be able to tell...!
