Angela Verdenius's Blog, page 3

Changes & The Year Ahead

So the year has ended and started slow with the writing. Work has been crazy busy, then I injured myself and...Let’s just not go there! Recovering well, and determined to continue the New writing Year doing, as the Barefoot Investor Scott Pape advises, Treading My Own Path!

The writing world in general has changed a lot since I started as a wee sprite over 20 yrs ago. Some good changes, some not-so-good changes, and some downright ugly changes, let's be honest. Social media now plays a role in a lot of things, as does Political Correctness, eBook piracy, trademarking and the ugly war of words that erupts now and again. I never signed up for the nastiness I sometimes see on the internet. I just wanted to write for my pleasure and others. The marketing is enormous, the drain on time and finances to keep my name out there, even the climbing over other authors to get my marketing bids seen first. It's not just me, many authors are on this cycle. It's the way of it now, the competition is fierce and there's big money to be made from authors trying to keep their names and books visible. The pressure is enormous. I have honestly thought of dropping it all and walking away. I took a break for about 3 months, I was so disheartened by it all. Now I'm writing again, but at my own pace. I'm not pushing to get a certain number of books out a year, and I'm not clawing my way over other authors in the marketing stakes. I'm no longer following the pressure of marketing/advertising guides, I'll do it when and how I like. I've left most of the yahoo groups and blogs I belonged to, I'm going it alone - I did it before the internet became such a huge thing and I'm doing it again. I have some great friends both in the writing world and in my personal life who I talk to. I'm writing from my heart without fear and Treading My Own Path.
It's empowering.

But meanwhile...

So where am I currently with this next book in the Hope Bay series, starring our debonair Steve? I have his heroine all picked, started the first chapter - and now they won't talk to me. I've tried. I've tried to push through it but no-go. I persevered but not happening. So I pushed him aside for awhile (serve you right Steve) and am working on the red-edits of the 4th sci-fi romance I've been doing. Have to say that's coming along a little quicker as by bk 4 my writing was improving a little!

Okay, hoping the New Year has been going well for you all. My heart and prayers are with my fellow Aussies caught up in the fires - the victims, all the firies, ambos, cops, emergency workers, wildlife workers, vets, volunteers and wildlife and animal victims (if I’ve forgotten anyone, you’re on this list too *hugs*).

Also a big thank you to the US and NZ firies for coming to help.
And a special notice - my condolences to those families in the US and Australia who have lost firies in the fires. My prayers are with you all.

New Book started - CRISES!!

So I started plotting my next Hope Bay book (contemporary romance series).
I had the character picked. Steve was going to get it - I mean the suave hotel-owner was going to get his story told.
But suddenly Daz started knocking on the door. He looked out at me from his cafe door and said "What about me?"
Oh geez.
See, I hate when this happens. I hate when I think I have the next couple sorted to start writing then someone else comes along demanding his story.
At the same time.
Which I can't do.
Crises Point people!!!!
I have to decide STAT!!!
Steve or Daz? Daz or Steve?
Serve them both right if I went with someone else instead!!!

Discount Price

Hi all

just a quick touching of base to let you all know that Mercenary (bk 2 in the Heart's Desire Soul Destroyed series) is now 99c for a couple of weeks only.

So if you're not sure if you'll like sci-fi romance but have thought about giving it a go, then now's a good chance to dip your toes into the sub genre!

Mercenary is only available at Amazon - free for Kindle Unlimited, 99c for general. The link below is universal, so it will take you to the Amazon shop in your country, otherwise it will default to the US store.
hyperurl.co/Mercenary

cheers!

Betrayed Links all Up for eBook

Hi all

just a quick update to let you know that all the ebook links for Betrayed are now up on my website www.angelaverdenius.com . Sorry, I'd past the direct links here but some are so long and I have yet to master HTML coding to shorten them!

You can get the ebooks from :

Smashwords (PDF, MOBI & ePub)
Amazon (kindle)
iTunes (apple)
Kobo
B&N (Nook)

cheers!
Ang

Oh My - I Can't Even - Brain Fried!

Oh for &^$#@! sake!

A friend politely mentioned that my little spiel on Amazon - *previously published as 'Heart of the Betrayed', but has undergone major red-editing/revising/re-writing* I had made a mistake, putting red-editing instead of re-editing. So I went into Smashwords, fixed it, went into Amazon, fixed it - then for %$#@! sake, after I rechecked it, I'd changed it to ed-edited!!!!! *&%#@! Now I have to wait until tomorrow after work to fix it AGAIN on Amazon, because it takes that long to make the changes. AND it's also on Mercenary and Outlaw!

I mean, seriously - trying to tell people that it's all been fixed and I can't even get the warning spelt properly??????

Ang *red-faced and swearing*

Whoo! Betrayed is Finished!!

Yes!!!
'Betrayed' is finally finished. A complete re-edit/revise/re-write of book 3 in the Heart's Desire Soul Destroyed sci-fi romance series.

For anyone interested, the blurb and cover is on my website. along with the links to buy www.angelaverdenius.com

It is available now at Amazon and Smashwords, and will become available at B&N, Kobo and iBooks as soon as the links become available, so check back at the website if you want to buy it from these other places.

As with the previous books in the series, Betrayed will be available in ebook for about a month from various places, then I'll flip it to Amazon only (so general Amazon buying as well as Kindle Unlimited).

So glad this is all done! Now I can just spend a few days doing the usual things and tidying up, and then have a week off writing before starting the next Hope Bay novel. Yes, I KNOW I said I was going to do another sci-fi first, but I've had this idea that's just been burning away in my brain, and I have the characters, the cover, the storyline - and it just won't let me be. So I've had to cave-in and admit the next book will be a Hope Bay novel.

Nothing like being (not) decisive, right?!

cheers!

Getting to the End!

Update on the current rewrite of the 3rd book in the Heart's desire Soul Destroyed sci-fi romance!

On the 2nd last round of edits.

1st round finished was the major re-write with scene changes, deletions & addits, along with grammar and spelling fixes. (Fixes? Probably just blew that grammar right out of the water then but...gotta live on the edge sometimes, baby!)

Now on the 2nd round, which is looking for missed plot holes, as well as some rewording of sentences and even deletion of words/phrases not needed - basically getting rid of useless twaddle. (Yes, I said 'twaddle'. Actually, I've become quite fond of that word the last few days. TWADDLE! Yep, sounds just as good now as it did seconds ago and yesterday and the day before!)
This round is quicker, as it's mainly reading and fixing here and there.

3rd & FINAL round I hope to start tomorrow, and this entails last checks before releasing this baby out onto the unsuspecting world!

So have 3 days off work, got the music playing softly, flask of hot coffee, and I'm going to hit the keyboard again. Working hard, people, working hard to get this done ASAP.

Okay - well OKAY! Yes, I admit I DID get diverted by watching cat videos on YouTube, but I'm back to work on this manuscript right now, I promise. ;-)

Oohh - one last thing - check out the totally AWESOME cover on my website - www.angelaverdenius.com! No blurb as yet, but the cover - thank you to cover artist Melody Simmons once again!

Cake Batter

So my Mum is making a cake.
So I'm *cough*an adult*cough* and lurking in wait for the cake batter.
Yes, I am a cake batter fan.
Yes, I lurk in waiting.
No, I am not ashamed of this fact.
Yes, I am popping in now and again to dip my finger in the bowl.
No, I am not ashamed of being chased out of the kitchen by my mother.
Yes, I am waiting for her back to be turned so I can have another go.
No, I am not ashamed of being opportunistic, either.
No, I am not ashamed that I love cake batter.
Yes, I love to lick the bowl when she's finished making the cake.
No, I am not ashamed of the fact that my brother is married and lives away, meaning I get the spoon full of batter, too.
No, I am not ashamed of the fact that I'm happy I don't have to share the batter bowl and spoon with my brother.
Yes, I am SO stoked that I get to lick the beaters, too.
No, I am not ashamed of being a selfish grown-up brat when it comes to cake batter.
Mine! Mine! Mine!
Now excuse me while I go inside - I hear the mixer has stopped - time for CAKE BATTER!!!

Tax Time, Writing, Sicko

So, got 4 days off work. Normally I'd be over the moon because it means I can write write write, but alas...alack...awoe (okay, that's not a word but I'm using it anyway - because I can), it is also tax time Down Under.

So instead of writing, I'm going to be getting all my paperwork in order for the accountant. Oh joy. Nothing like having paper spread all over the place, making sure everything balances and I have receipts and - well, you all know what I mean.

However, it's not a complete loss - I have music on, I'm warm and snug in my little backroom (aka storeroom converted to my writing/craft room). Yes, did you notice what I added there? Craft room! Because I've been so sucked into Diamond Mosaic Painting (I LOVE it), I now have that squashed in here as well!

Anyway, back to the subject at hand - music on, hot cuppa, in warm clothes, cats mooching around - actually, no, they're sun baking in both the backroom and on the back veranda, lucky little buggers. I'd give anything to be curled up with a good book rather than getting tax paperwork ready but...could be worse! At least I'm comfortable, and to be honest, I really don't mind making sure everything balances. Getting it altogether gives me a sense of accomplishment.

Oh yeah, baby, I'm a sicko....I admit it...

Save the Dove! Wait...what?

So I was heading to work the other morning. 20 to 7 in the morning, cold, sun just rising. I get near the bridge and pass a little dove sitting on the side of the road. Well, on the road actually, not far off the kerb. I glance in my rearview mirror and it's still sitting there. Another glance as a car passes it and the dove doesn't move.
This is one of those 'darn!' moments. You know those moments, when you're on your way to somewhere important but you just can't leave some poor little furry or feathered fellow living being sitting in danger.
That dove was going to get squashed by a car.
So I turn around and head back, pass the dove, and yep, it's still just sitting there.
So I turn onto a side street, park, get out into the cold, lock the door and run down the embankment to get the dove. I get close, bend over, reach out - and the b****y thing flies off. Like, it flies straight up and off into the wide blue yonder. Leaving me there, bent over, hands outstretched, looking like a fool to the other early morning commuters driving to work and slowing down to gawk at the idiot woman standing in the cold, bent over, with her arms stretched out and hands grasping air while mouthing 'You $#@!*&!!".
So I straightened, turned, ran back up the embankment, got into the car, turned on the heater, did a u-turn, came back onto the main road and drove to work.
As one does.
Because some of us have to work, not fly around making fools out of stupid humans!!!
Score one for the dove....