Cheryl Burman's Blog: Blog posts for readers and writers, page 49

The what, when and how of character backstory

Backstory is critical to a reader’s understanding of our characters. But there are ways to do it without bogging the reader down.

My novel Keepers starts with a young mother, Raine, hanging out washing in the teeth of a fierce wind. We gather she lives at the top of a hill, somewhat isolated. She is upset, thinking about a person called Teddy and how, a month ago, she received news about him.

The reader has no idea who Raine is, why she is at the top of the hill or who Teddy is and what’s happened...

Free ebook Dragon’s Gift

To get hold of your free ebook Dragon’s Gift, all you have to do is sign up to my monthly newsletter.

Dragon’s Gift – a collection of myth, fairytale and legend-based short stories – has great reviews. Some stories are light, others very much not so. Some turn fairytales on their heads, others are entirely my own original thoughts! Several stories have won prizes.

‘Definitely add it to your TBR list. It’s more than worth a little bit of your time.’

‘…you’ll be swept away by the amazing image...

Goodreads reading challenge problems?

Looking for short reads to meet your Goodreads reading challenge goals this year?
Our Indie Stars Bookshop can help you out.

Fifteen indie authors have banded together to bring readers a variety of books across genres, ages – AND length.

Our novella, short stories and anthologies section showcases four authors and fifteen works, including my own Dragon Gift.
Let us help you meet your Goodreads reading challenge goals.

Christmas stories, romances, women’s contemporary fiction, historical...

Win Guardians of the Forest in the Indie Stars Bookshop

Yes, you can win Guardians of the Forest! The three books are among the prizes in our free Indie Stars Bookshop competition, along with many others across genres and age range.

Love this message from a friend’s granddaughter – best review ever!

(Note the competition closes midnight 28 Nov BST but the store is open until the end of the year.)

Very pleased to have teamed with fifteen fellow indies to provide our readers with this 24 hour service, and the chance to win a book box of six...

Six scene essentials

The WHY, WHO, WHERE, WHEN, WHAT and HOW of scenes

In editing The High Alps of Asfarlon, I found I had snippets of advice about scene essentials gleaned from books, blogs and webinars tumbling through my head like circus acrobats – and as hard to pin down. Off I went then, to gather what I could find into a semblance of order.

This is how it fell out. Sorry about having to re-order the traditional who, why, where, what and when – this works better for a logical approach to scene essentials.

...

Indie Stars Bookshop is live – win 6 books and a game!

Indie Stars Bookshop is live! A collaboration of 15 indie authors, to bring you holiday season gifts for all ages and tastes AND a competition to win a book box and a murder mystery game.

Go here to see what it’s all about!

Take a peek!! and thanks to Dreena Collins for this great video

Click on the image to go to the Indie Stars bookshop!

The post Indie Stars Bookshop is live – win 6 books and a game! appeared first on Cheryl Burman.

Keepers ebook 99c/p thru to end of the year

Subscribers to my newsletter received a free Keepers ebook – with its stunning new cover – as my birthday gift to them. (I know, it should be the other way but I’m a generous person.)

But to keep the party going, I’ve reduced the Keepers ebook price on all platforms to 99c/99p. So here’s your chance to join the long list of fans and treat yourself – consider it my birthday gift to keen readers of women’s historical fiction (with more than a touch of romance).

It’s also part of the brilliant Indi...

Keepers ebook 99c/p thru October

Subscribers to my newsletter received a free Keepers ebook – with its stunning new cover – as my birthday gift to them. (I know, it should be the other way but I’m a generous person.)

But to keep the party going, I’ve reduced the Keepers ebook price on all platforms to 99c/99p. So here’s your chance to join the long list of fans and treat yourself – consider it my birthday gift to keen readers of women’s historical fiction (with more than a touch of romance).

Available here.

Read about Keepers...

Keepers ebook giveaway

It’s my birthday on 8th October so I’m giving others a present! Join the email list for my popular newsletter to receive your Keepers ebook giveaway.

Last day to do so! Sign up here.

Click on the image for retailers

The post Keepers ebook giveaway appeared first on Cheryl Burman.

Keepers makeover – love this new cover

I decided Keepers needed a makeover – a new cover (and blurb) to better reflect that this is a story about a young woman learning to cope in a changing world. Raine, who is not quite 18 when her story starts, faces many challenges. For starters, having to live on a post World War 2 migrant camp in a sprawling flat Australian suburb doesn’t help her longing to be back in the countryside where she grew up. In those days, her greatest fear was that Father Christmas had kidnapped her darling Pop (...