Stuart Aken's Blog, page 213
June 21, 2015
Internet Research for Fiction Writers, by April Taylor, Reviewed.
Sometimes, you come across a reference book and wonder, ‘Why didn’t I find this sooner?’ April Taylor’s Internet Research for Fiction Writers is such a book. An earlier find would’ve saved me a good deal of time. Still, now that I have it on both my iPad and Mac, I can use it for the future and really get to grips with searching for information online.
The book is organised into easily absorbed sections and explains the process in steps that are simple to follow. April even gives examples an...
June 18, 2015
Are You a Grammar Nerd?
Interested in Grammar? Is this you?
Like to see more on the subject? Click on this link: grammarly.com/grammar-check
Filed under: Author, Creative Writer, General, Word Use Tagged: Author, English Language, Grammar, Words, Writing
June 17, 2015
Do Androids Dream, by Maureen Turner, Reviewed.
Science fiction romance with a different sort of premise. This book tells the story of a frustrated and downtrodden woman whose life is altered forever when her uncaring husband brings home an advanced android for her to teach idiomatic English.
The characters are well realised; the android is especially well drawn, which is quite an achievement. It’s easy to empathise with the main female character and she grows through the story.
Essentially a love story, the premise drives this interestin...
Here is my interview with Stuart Aken
I’ve been interviewed by Fiona McVie on ‘authorsinterviews’. Here’s her post.
Originally posted on authorsinterviews:
Name: Stuart Aken
Age: 67 outside, about 23 within.
Where are you from?
My mother was warned I’d be born dead, due to her shock at my father’s death three weeks earlier. But, stubborn from the start, I landed very much alive. That was in a neighbour’s bed as we’d been evicted from the home that was tied to my father’s job. This all happened in Hull, a city port in...
June 15, 2015
Running and Writing for ME/CFS no. 37
The paperback version. Writing:
Those of you who follow the blog will know that the book was launched yesterday, 14 June, in digital and print forms. For those who missed the announcement, please follow this link to the post, where you’ll get the details.
This part of this series of blog posts has now come to a natural conclusion, so future posts will concentrate on the running aspect, where I’m training for a half marathon, The Great North Run, to be completed on 13 September this year.
Othe...
June 14, 2015
Today’s the Day!
The back cover of the paperback version. From today, you can read my latest book. M.E. and me: Chronic Fatigue, My Recovery After 10 Years is now available as an eBook through Smashwords by clicking here, or in digital and print forms through Amazon by clicking here.
ME/CFS is a debilitating condition that’s still not properly understood. It deprives victims of their normal lives, generally attacks only those who’ve led active lives, and causes great distress for families and friends as well...
June 12, 2015
Call to Arms – Book Marketing Results
Some interesting findings on book sales from advertising.
Originally posted on Nicholas C. Rossis:
Following my Call to Arms, a number of you responded by sharing with me your book marketing experience. I now have about a hundred responses by some fifty authors. Although some of the responses were expected, there were quite a few surprises in there for me.
MethodologyFor anyone wishing to take a look at the raw data, you can download this Excel spreadsheet.I groupedthe results acc...
In the Nick of Time!
The paperback version. The paperback proof copy arrived today and it looks good. I was hoping to get this in time for the print version to be available at the same time as the ebook, which has been on pre-order for a couple of weeks. The launch date for that is 14th June.
The process with Amazon and Createspace means that the print book should be available at once through the Createspace estore by clicking here. Because of delays that exist in the system, it will be available on Amazon.com in...
June 11, 2015
Like Being on TV; only Different.
Yesterday, 10th June, I spent an hour in live conversation online with Sally Ember. Sally is a writer and writing tutor who has ventured into the world of Google+ Hangouts in a way beneficial to readers and writers. She invites writers to share their thoughts with readers in her weekly show, Changes.
I choose to write because I’m not a comfortable public speaker. That’s a common enough position for authors, I think. But I do actually have experience in public speaking, since I was a staff tr...
June 9, 2015
Live Online, Talking Books, Fiction, and Much More
Tomorrow, Wednesday 10th June, I’ll be live online in conversation with author Sally Ember, Ed.D on her talk show at *Changes*. It’s not so much an interview as a chat between authors and bloggers, covering topics of mutual interest. We’re both interested in writing in different genres, especially science fiction and speculative fiction, as well as the nuts of bolts of the craft, and the art of blogging.
For a flavour of her show, click on this link. And, if you’re an author interested in ap...
