Stuart Aken's Blog, page 321

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Jacaranda

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Jacaranda: noun - any tree of the genus Jacaranda (fam. Bignoniaceae), having showy tubular purple or blue flowers and fragrant and ornamental wood; the wood of such trees.
'Daisy drifted in a dream along an avenue lined by Jacaranda trees in full bloom, the purple flowers matching almost exactly the colour of her delighted eyes.'

Edit,Edit, Edit.

Image via WikipediaTwo more chaps done on book 2. 10 more of book 1 corrected. So, not a bad day.
Posted another author interview and wrote and posted a review for a book by the same author.
Walked to the doc's to pick up prescriptions - timely, as my chronic problem decided to haunt me again this morning. As rest is the only cure, I've not done half the things I intended and will now have to give up for the day and go and relax for the rest of the evening. Still, there's a new dramatisation of Women In Love on the goggle box, so I'll put my feet up and imbibe a drop of the red stuff whilst I see what sort of job they make of this one.

And, why, you ask, the nude? Well, she's the allegorical figure of 'Romance' and came up from the links that Zemanta found from trawling the content of this text. This application seems to have a mind of its own and sometimes makes the most inexplicable links. This one happens to be in the public domain, so is free from copyright. And it's a piece that celebrates rather than exploits female beauty, so it's fine with me. How about you?

Zoe Winters, Author, Interviewed.

Zoe Winters writes quirky and sometimes dark paranormal romance. Information about her Preternaturals series can be found at zoewinters.org


SA: Tell us about Save My Soul in a few sentences.
ZW: Anna just bought a house she's fantasized about since childhood, but she doesn't know there is an incubus trapped inside. Basically the book is about her trying to resist getting involved with him (and losing her soul) while she tries several methods to get him out of her house including exorcism, gypsies, witches, and paranormal investigators. The book is a paranormal romance that is heavy in both humor/snark and angst.
  SA: How did you come to write this particular book?
ZW: A few  years ago I was trying to think of something to write for Nanowrimo (back when I did Nanowrimo), and I was driving down this road in my town past this old plantation-style house I love, and basically almost the whole plot just fell into my head. It was bizarre. I don't usually get book ideas in such a: "Here's the story" kind of way.

 SA: If you have a favourite character in your novel, why that particular one?
ZW: Cain is my favorite. And he appears across several books in the series. He's the villain in Save My Soul, but he gets his own book later. I love him because he's just so "wrong" and funny. Like, he's an incubus and he kills his prey, but because my world has reincarnation he doesn't think of it as "ending them", just "inconveniencing them". Cain is someone you shouldn't like, but once you get to know him, it's kind of hard not to. At least that's true for me.
 
SA: How can people buy your books?
ZW: If people are looking for Save My Soul, here are all the active buy links for print and E:

http://zoewinters.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/save-my-soul-now-available-in-ebook/  

For other titles, people can search my name out at major online retailers like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or Smashwords.com

Save My Soul is book 2 in my series, but it can be read first without any difficulties/confusion. Book 1 is my anthology trilogy: Blood Lust, which contains the stories: Kept, Claimed, and Mated.  Book 3 will bring in some characters from both book 1 and 2, plus a new hero and heroine for the romance part.
SA: What is your working method?
ZW: I'm probably the most boring writer on the planet. I sit down, open a document, and start typing.  I use an app called Focus Booster and Freedom to help me focus on the task at hand. I do outline and worldbuild for the series, but my method is so intuitive that there really isn't anything wham bam pop that you can SEE, or any special rituals that will make me seem quirky and awesome. I just type stuff. When necessary I Google stuff to make sure I'm not writing completely unbelievable weirdness.

 SA: What single biggest mistake do beginners to writing make?
ZW: I think they don't learn how to respect their subconscious mind. Some people call this the "muse" but I've never liked the "muse" metaphor. It's easier for me to remember it's a part of ME and not some outside divine inspiration or whatever. A lot of writers try to make their book "perfect" the first time, and they try to edit too much during the rough draft process. But those are two very different parts of the brain. I know there are some writers who that is their process, and it works great for them. But for most it's best to let the subconscious play without judgment in the rough draft, then in the editing phase you can start being more logical/critical.


SA: To what extent are grammar and spelling important to a writer?
ZW: To the same extent oxygen is important to living beings.
 SA: You write Paranormal Romance. What attracted you to this particular genre?
ZW: I really like growly alpha males. Bad boys. I think we've reached the end of the bad line when the sentiment is: "You could be my dinner or you could be my lover, or... if you're very lucky, you could be both."
 SA: To what extent do you think genre is useful in the publishing world?
ZW: Well, it's a marketing categorization. Anything that helps you define and find your target audience is a good thing. A lot of people complain about how genre limits their brilliance or whatever, but no matter how brilliant you are, you have to be able to find your audience. If you don't have a short tag/hook/category to attract those readers, good luck. lol.
 SA: Marketing is often considered a chore, especially by indie authors. What is your opinion on this issue and how do you deal with it?
ZW: Marketing is just building awareness and brand. It encompasses things like social media and blogging, guest interviews like what I'm doing here, guest blogs, sales, pricing, description, book cover, paid advertising... it's basically anything and everything having to do with the packaging of what you're selling and raising your visibility. If people can't see you, they can't buy you. I do feel that after awhile too much marketing cuts into your writing time. Like I do a little bit of it now, but I do less of it than I used to because my primary focus at this point is writing because I've got a strong enough platform to not babysit it 24/7, and my goal right now is to focus on building backlist.
SA: How long does it normally take you to write a novel?
ZW: It varies. Sometimes I can get a rough draft written in a month, sometimes it takes three months. Rarely it takes longer, but that's only when I'm going long periods of time without actually writing. So I'm not sure I can count that in "how long it takes me".

SA: If there's a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?
ZW: The fact that everybody has an opinion about everything. How you publish. What you publish. And if you're indie, every aspect of everything you do. The stories themselves, etc. Sometimes it's just too much noise for me, and I take an Internet sabbatical.

SA: Is there an aspect of writing that you really enjoy?
ZW: I really enjoy all of it except the aforementioned noise. (Though I do love hearing from fans!)


SA: Do you think writing is a natural gift or an acquired skill?
ZW: A little of both. I think more than anything, it's a passion and love affair.

SA: What are you writing now?
ZW: Right now I'm working on worldbuilding and planning the next few books in my series. I am writing stuff, but not for this name because I'm taking a series-writing course to make sure I'm not setting anything stupid in motion that will kill my series down the line.

SA: Do you have a website or blog that readers can visit?
ZW: Both.
Site: http://www.zoewinters.org
Blog: http://zoewinters.wordpress.com
Also, Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/zoewinters


SA: Given unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?
ZW: A cottage on the beach.

SA: Where do you actually write?
ZW: It varies. Sometimes in the living room, sometimes in the bedroom (depends on the time of year due to AC/heating)

Zoe was recently a guest on the brilliant and well-known J.A. Konrath blog. I suggest all authors read her post: you'll find it here - http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/03/guest-post-by-zoe-winters.html


And here is my review of Save My Soul, for what it's worth:



Save My Soul, by Zoe Winters, is a paranormal romance with edge. This is not a genre I've read much, but, in interviewing Zoe for the blog, I became fascinated by the ideas and themes she explores in her writing. There are associations and asides in the narrative, which will have greater resonance with those fully conversant with the genre. But, even as a newcomer, I found the book engaging and entertaining.
Zoe contrasts the tension with humour, and does this well. Her characters are fully formed; even the demons. Her confident descriptions of, and familiarity with, these supernatural beings begs the question, 'How come you know so much about them, Zoe?' And makes me wonder if she's had personal experience of them; such is the depth of detail and intimacy she displays.There are biblical references in the text that cast, for me, a new light on perceptions of god and religion. As an agnostic, I'm already seriously sceptical about such matters, but Zoe's story telling skills are such that I was willing to suspend my disbelief sufficiently to enjoy the tale.And that's the most seductive element of this book: the story. It's a great story, with twists and turns, threats to the spunky heroine, mysteries in need of solutions, periods of naughtiness both sexual and otherwise, and a mix of characters that brings real depth to the tale. It manages to be erotic without ever straying into pornography and it keeps the reader turning pages, wondering what will happen next. I'm glad I read it.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Iatrogenic

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Iatrogenic: adjective - a disease or symptom induced unintentionally by a medic's treatment or examination; pertaining to the inducing of disease in this way.
'When Dr Death prescribed a performance enhancing drug for Joanne, her resultant heart attack was described as an iatrogenic event and, in spite of his patient's death, he was found to be not culpable by the board of enquiry.' 

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Habergeon

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Habergeon: noun – a sleeveless coat or jacket of mail or scale armour; a small hauberk (which is the longer version).
'The Duke of Camdarathananman donned his habergeon in preparation for the fight to come against the fearsome hordes of hamsters that were about to invade his bed chamber.'

Edit Not Moving On

Agh! No movement yesterday, or today, or tomorrow. Too many things getting in the way.
Still, Thursday will see some movement.
And, at least, now I've assembled them, Kate and I have comfortable new seats to rest on whilst at our computers. Our old ones had given up the ghost and comfort is so vital for concentration.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Gabble

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Gabble: noun - confused and unintelligible talk; an example of this; inarticulate noises made by some animals.
'Miriam stood by the entrance to the chamber, where the political leaders were supposed to be debating a serious issue but all she heard was gabble from these representatives of the people.'

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Fable

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Fable: noun - a fictional narrative or statement; myth or legend; fiction devised to deceive; ridiculous or untrustworthy tale, idle talk; falsely claimed to exist, or without existence beyond popular legend; short story, with animal characters, conveying a moral; an individual or thing which is now proverbial.
'It seems to me that all religious scripts and sacred texts are, in reality, no more than fables designed as ways to either explain what was once inexplicable or, more sinisterly, to form a hold over people to make them obedient to some hierarchy.'
'Aesop designed his fables to educate folk into ways that are more tolerant, wise and thoughtful.'
'Stories of the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot and the Yeti are clearly nothing more than fables, since extensive attempts to prove the existence of these creatures have always failed to come up with any reliable evidence.'   

Editing Still

Image via WikipediaA further chapter for book 2 edited and ready for correction, and 5 more chapters from book 1 corrected and saved in readiness for the day I approach an agent /publisher.
Another full day, with an early morning rise after Kate returned from her seaside trip for sunrise pix unfulfilled due to cloud cover. At least she has a location for the next attempt. Valerie and I took a different walk and saw more of the local countryside; unfortunately the light wasn't good enough to produce any worthwhile photos.
Sunday dinner was my duty today, as Kate is studying and Valerie is desperately trying to compile her table of fixtures for the bowls league. The chicken was good, served with the trimmings and a glass of vino to help with the preparation.
Now it's time for relaxation in readiness for tomorrow at work. Roll on retirement and a time I can spend more hours actually writing.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Earn

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Earn: verb - receive or be entitled to wages for work or services; have as income; obtain or deserve as payment for efforts or merit; gain as interest or profit; acquire a name or reputation, incur. L16.
'Although the banker was said to earn a multi-million pound bonus, his actual actions and results could not be used as justification to say he merited this reward.'
'Many of the world's top bankers have justly earned reputations for both ineptitude and greed in their handling of the finances and economies of their businesses.'