Stuart Aken's Blog, page 340

Review of Cloven by Sally Spedding.

Cloven is published by Macmillan.
355pps, 35chps plus prologue & epilogue, 2 maps, 138,000 words.
The account of the haunting of Ivan, a potter new to the area, by Sian, a disabled girl from Wales. The stories of Sian's life and death, around 1830, and Ivan's trials with local gangsters and the wife of the local doctor, in 2002, are intertwined. The characters live and the story is a page-turner, told in an intelligent but accessible style. Description of place, people and emotion is effective and evocative. The research on historical issues brings to life the poor Welsh girl and her life of hardship and suffering. Ivan is a sympathetic character with his faults, dreams and ambitions but an essentially good man. The character of Valerie, with whom he belatedly falls in love, is excellently drawn; good to have a heroine who isn't all blonde curls, boobs and legs but a real woman with faults, fears and a kind heart.
This is a book more to be admired than enjoyed in many ways, yet I did enjoy it and was pleased with the ending, which was apt. A good story, well told and one I'd recommend.

Author Interview with Patricia Rockwell

Patricia Rockwell has spent most of her life teaching.  From small liberal arts colleges to large regional research universities—and even a brief stint in a high school, her background in education is extensive.  She has taught virtually everything related to Communication—from a fine arts speech-theatre orientation to more recently a social science research approach.  Her Bachelors' and Masters' degrees are from the University of Nebraska in Speech and her Ph.D. is from the University of Arizona in Communication.  She was on the faculty at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for thirteen years, retiring in 2007.
Her publications are extensive, with over 20 peer-reviewed articles in scholarly journals, several textbooks, and a research book on her major interest area of sarcasm, published by Edwin Mellen Press.  In addition to publications, she has presented numerous papers at academic conferences and served for eight years as Editor of the Louisiana Communication Journal.  Her research focuses primarily on several areas of communication:  deception, sarcasm, and vocal cues. 
Dr. Rockwell is presently living in Aurora, Illinois, with her husband Milt, also a retired educator.  The couple have two adult children.  SOUNDS OF MURDER is her first novel.
Tell us about "Sounds of Murder" in a few sentences. 
It's a cozy mystery.  Pamela Barnes is a Psychology professor and acoustics expert at a small southern University who discovers one of her colleagues strangled to death in the departmental computer lab.  When she stumbles across a recording of the actual murder, she feels compelled to track down the killer.  She does so by studying the acoustic output of the recording and attempting to identify the sounds made during the murder.  Then she searches for potential killers who might have made the same sounds.  Oh, and she gets in a lot of trouble along the way.
 How did you come to write this particular book?
I used to be a college teacher and researcher myself—actually in the field of Communication, but much of my research involved sound.  My dissertation evaluated the accuracy of acoustic technology and human coders to differentiate between liars and truthtellers based on their voices alone.   I always loved mysteries and vowed to write one when I retired and had time. 
 If you have a favorite character in your novel, why that particular one?
Pamela is the main character and probably my favorite, most likely because she is most like me.  I also have other favorites among the characters—many of them based on academic types I knew during my years of teaching.  There is one sharp-tongued widow professor named Joan who is sassy, classy, and enjoys a night on the town.   I rather like her.
Where and when is your novel set and why did you make these specific choices?
It is set in the present day at a small, regional university in the South in the mythical town of Reardon.  I specifically don't indicate which state, although I drop a lot of clues.  I set it in a place I knew.
 How can people buy your book?
It's available in print and Kindle form at Amazon.com. 
 What qualities make a successful writer?
If you just mean writer (and not bookseller which is an entirely different matter), I think persistence, organization, and the ability to brainstorm are important qualities.  This may be my first novel, but it's not my first book or published work as I have many scholarly works published.  I know from experience the effort and time that goes into what may seem like something very simple.   I think of many short papers that I published that I worked on for years and years.  I think of the many times I started from scratch and totally reorganized many things I wrote that eventually were published. 
 How do you set about writing a piece? 
Actually,  with "Sounds of Murder" I joined the NaNoWriMo event, which is an annual novel writing contest that is held online each November.  Contestants are encouraged to write a novel in 30 days and the keyword is "finish" the book.  You can always polish it later, but first you have to finish it.  I found this technique to work well for me.  So well, in fact, that I tried it again the following year and completed the second book in the Pamela Barnes acoustic mystery series.  I will be writing the third such book this November.  I have it outlined and will follow my regular routine of writing a chapter a day.
 Beginning writers make many mistakes:  what do you think is the most harmful?
Failure to revise.  I would include in that, not having someone or several someones read it and give constructive criticism.  I'm lucky to have a couple good editors whose opinions I value and they read my work many, many times before I'm satisfied.
 To what extent are grammar and spelling important to a writer?
As you can probably imagine, coming from a teaching background, I'm fanatical about grammar and spelling.  When I'm revising and find a mistake in my own work, I'm extremely hard on myself.
 How much revision of MS do you do before you send it off?
A lot.  As I said, I have several editors or "readers" who are very critical and whose opinions I value.  Although I don't "send any MS off, because I have my own publishing company, that doesn't mean that I don't expect my own work to be polished and perfect.
 To what extent do you think genre is useful in the publishing world?
I don't know if "useful" is the word I would use.  I know it exists.  As a matter of fact, my own publishing company, Cozy Cat Press, was formed specifically to produce one genre of novels—the cozy mystery.  We are a niche publishing company—and we make it clear to potential authors who might consider submitting their work that we are only interested in publishing cozy mysteries.    As far as I know, we are the only publisher that publishes only cozies.  There are quite a few publishers that publish only mysteries.
 How do you know where to begin any given story?
That's a hard one.  I try to start with an exciting moment, a scary, or frightening moment that leads directly into the mystery.   Most cozies are plot driven and typically fairly short so there isn't a lot of time for elaborate character development.    I have learned from my critics how important it is to start off "with a bang."
 What sort of displacement activities keep you from actually writing?
Not sure what you mean by "displacement" although I assume you mean anything that distracts me from writing when I want or need to write.  Actually, it's not much of a problem for me as I'm very organized and highly motivated, so when I intend to write—I write.
 Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?
My husband is super supportive.  I have a writing buddy—actually a co-publisher—who is also an incredibly supportive co-writer and friend.  The rest of my family and friends—not so much.  I try not to let it bother me.
 Is presentation of the MS as important as most agents and publishers suggest?
I can't really answer that from the writer's point of view as I didn't make very many attempts with traditional publishers before I became disgusted and decided to form my own publishing company.  Now that I'm a publisher and receiving submissions myself, I would say that to some extent presentation is important.  However, no matter how "pretty" the book is, if it isn't readable, it doesn't really matter.
 How long does it normally take you to write a novel?
One month.  As I said, I follow the NaNoWriMo formula.  I start November 1 with Chapter 1 and I end November 30 with Chapter 30—doing a chapter a day.  So far, it has worked great for me.
 Who or what inspires me?  
Other authors—particularly cozy authors. 
 IF there's a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?
I find book marketing is FAR more difficult than book writing.
 Is there any aspect of writing that you really enjoy?
It's really like giving birth.  You watch the little creature grow and develop in the womb of your mind and then it's born onto the paper and eventually flies off a reader's home—just like a first-grader going to school.
 Do you think writing is a natural gift or an acquired skill?
I think you have to love writing (which is the gift part), but you can always work on getting better (the skill part).
 What single piece of advice would you give to writers still hoping to be published?
It's really hard.  Personally, I'd find a small publisher (like Cozy Cat Press—and there are many others) where you won't get the expensive bells and whistles, but you will get a lot of tender loving care.  Or do as we did and form your own company—but, boy, that is hard.  Let me tell you.
 What are you writing now?
I'm just getting ready to write the third book in my Pamela Barnes series.  I'll start it November 1.  I have an extremely complete outline ready and I work on revising it daily.
 Do you have a website or blog that readers can visit?
I'm an avid blogger.  I have one devoted to communication-related issues:  http://communicationexchange.blogspot.com    and one a personal diary blog:  http://subjectivesoup.blogspot.com.    Also, our company website:  www.cozycatpress.com
 Given unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?
Actually, I'm quite happy with my environment.  I have a small study on the second floor of our house.  My computer and two printers are there.  It overlooks our living room, so I can chat with (or ignore) my hubby when he's watching golf on TV.
 Where do you actually write?
At my computer.

Human Rights: Human Responsibilities.

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A recent event prompts me to ask a serious question. The British Parliament, in order to conform to European Law, has decided to allow convicted prisoners the vote. It is doing this simply because it would otherwise face costly law suits under Human Rights legislation.
My question is this:  We have a Bill of Human Rights. Why do we not have a Bill of Human Responsibilities?Everything in nature has an opposite – good/bad, dark/light, big/small etc. Surely we should understand that our laws need to reflect natural laws? If we have a written statute that guarantees human beings certain inalienable rights, is it not sensible to have similar legislation dealing with human responsibilities?
The Bill of Human Rights is constantly used in courts to back up the often spurious claims of offenders, criminals and other anti-social groups and individuals. It seems to me that if a person wants the backing of the law, they must conform to that law themselves. By breaking that agreement, they surely place themselves voluntarily outside the protection of the law, don't they? No one forces an individual to break the law. Okay, I accept that in certain countries and under certain regimes there are laws which we, in the so-called free world, hold as abhorrent. It is possible for such laws to be excluded from any international agreement on responsibilities.
I suggest that the UN, as the most fitting international organisation, should set up a discussion with all the nations of the world to discuss the idea of a Bill of Human Responsibilities, which, once enacted, could be used to counter the spurious claims of terrorists, murderers, rapists etc who use the Bill of Human Rights to gain undue rights. It might also make people a little less likely to commit certain crimes if universal legislation existed to outlaw harm to others.
I'd be interested in all opinions on this and invite your comments and observations.

Author Interview with L. Anne Carrington

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L. Anne Carrington is a writer whose previous work has covered topics from fiction to news stories, human interest features, and entertainment reviews. She wrote The Wrestling Babe internet column for seven years, is a former music reviewer for Indie Music Stop, and pens several other works which appears in both print and Web media.
Currently a staff member of Authors on Show, a literary website which showcases new authors as well as features news and information by and for aspiring and published writers, Ms. Carrington is a former cosmetologist, actress, and retail employee/manager whose upcoming first novel, The Cruiserweight, received an Honorary Mention in the 2010 Paparazzi Publishing Sports Theme Book Awards in the Best Book - Misc. Sports category. She also received the 2010 Paparazzi Publishing Best New Sports Author Award.
The Cruiserweight is scheduled for release in paperback in late 2010/early 2011 by Night Publishing, and currently available for download on Smashwords.
 Tell us about The Cruiserweight in a few sentences.
It's wrestling, romance, life's ups and downs of two main characters, cruiserweight wrestler Brett Kerrigan, and wrestling journalist Karen Montgomery, both together and as separate people.
How did you come to write this particular book?
I noticed there's a lot of non-fiction accounts on the market about wrestling, but never recalled any fiction work. I wanted to do something different from the mainstream romance; something people would tend to notice, quirky yet fun.
Where is your novel set and why did you make these specific choices?
Karen's job and home are set in Pittsburgh. I chose this location because I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. I always loved this city and the changes it has gone through over the last few decades. Brett travels all over the world, but his first home base is Los Angeles (where he feels uncomfortable and out of place most of the time), and then moves to Orlando to be closer to another job later in my book.
How long did it take to write your book?
From July 2008 to September 30, 2010, a little over two years.
How much revision of your MS did you do before you sent it off?
So many times, I lost count. During some points, I was ready to scrap the entire MS. Something kept me going, however, and I'm glad I put in all of what seemed at the time to be endless revisions.
Who designed The Cruiserweight's book cover?
Tracey Washington (also known as Irin) is the creative genius behind it.  She's a 20-year-old Communications/Media major and aspiring graphic artist. We'd gotten acquainted on of all places a wrestling message board. She'd done graphics for other members and I'd admired her work. Tracey and I bounced ideas off each other until the final cover was produced. It needed a few minor tweaks to meet publisher standards, but overall, I love it. It captures The Cruiserweight's story so well.
Tracey does have a blogfolio online at http://pixelvalkyrie.tumblr.com/  You can also follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/pixelvalkyrie .
How did you find your publisher?
I hope this doesn't come off as pompous, but in a way, I guess Night Publishing found me. I posted The Cruiserweight's first chapter on their sister site, Night Reading , earlier this year. Night Reading not only has a voting system from readers each month where they decided which writer gets a deal with Night Publishing, but also Night Publishing's staff hand picks others to offer deals. I was contacted in August with an offer, and without elaborating further, accepted.
Night Publishing is an independent publisher based in the United Kingdom, not a vanity publisher, as some have assumed. Night Publishing is also the business publishing arm of Valley Strategies Ltd., a business consultancy arm of the Mud Valley strategy and brand marketing community. Night Publishing's goal is to sign 50 authors by the end of 2010. At last look, their roster is up to 42 writers. I'm honored to be part of such a fine brand.
What qualities make a successful writer ?
Being thick-skinned, that is, open to accepting everything from constructive criticism to rejection to the occasional bad review. Not everyone is going to love you, and that's fine. Discipline is also a good quality, along with remaining level-headed once you become successful. Most of all, being supportive to fellow writers; no one likes a "diva/divo" type, even in the writing world.
Do you think writing is a natural gift or an acquired skill?
I'd like to think it's a combination of both. Even the most gifted writers can benefit from newly acquired skills.
To what extent are grammar and spelling important to a writer?
I find both very important. A writer can be the most brilliant storyteller with excellent prose, but even one misspelled word or grammatical error can kill the entire book.  These are where reading, editing, re-reading, and re-editing, plus getting honest feedback, are most critical, at least in my opinion.
What single piece of advice would you give to writers still hoping to be published?
Never give up. No matter how much one wonders if the process of trying to be published is worth it, questioning their own talents, and the frustration we all tend to feel during submission after submission (and stacks of rejection letters as a result), there's someone out there who's will eventually give you a chance. It may not be a million-dollar contract (and really, those are a rarity nowadays), but someone will find your manuscript fascinating.  There's also been a few writers who initially went the self-published route, only to be picked up by a traditional publisher later, so there's hope for almost anyone.  In any event, never think you're good enough, and don't take rejection slips personally.
Are you involved in other projects?
I do some freelance writing, and presently working on a jewelry design project that will work in line with my novel. One of my articles, An Overview of Causes of Hearing Loss and Deafness, was recently licensed by Internet Broadcasting, a company that is the leading provider of Web sites, content and advertising revenue solutions to the largest and most successful media companies. I've done guest blogging for a few sites, and always open to appear on other sites/blogs.
I'm also part of the administrative staff of Authors On Show , a site that features both published and unpublished authors, a weekly flash fiction contest, features on those who have supported the website, and other items of interest.  My roles on AOS are those of weblog manager, entertainment reporter/columnist, and writing the Monday feature which reports the latest author happenings, SEEN This Week.
How can people buy your book?
The Cruiserweight isn't yet available in book form; however, downloadable versions may be found on Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/5954
Do you have a website, social network site, or blog that readers can visit?
My website is http://www.lannecarrington.com/, which contains additional information about me and my book. There's also pages on current news and upcoming appearances, which are updated on a regular basis.
I have a blog, The Book Shelf, where I blog on book, author, and other literary-related topics, as well as give a brief review on a chosen Book of the Week each Monday. The address is http://newandgoodreading.blogspot.com/
For reference, I only have two Twitter accounts. The first is my main account, http://twitter.com/#!/lacarrington1 , and the other is for my book, http://twitter.com/#!/TheCWNovel . All my other real social network accounts are listed on the homepage of my website, and if there's anything else (unless I mention it) in my name, they're fakes and posers.

Breaking Faith Published as an eBook

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Regular readers of this blog will know that I published a novel, Breaking Faith, some time ago, in paperback, with YouWriteOn. Part of that deal included me retaining the rights to electronic publishing. At the time of initial publication, I was uncertain where epublishing was going, and decided to hold back until things were a little clearer. Well, it is now certain that ebooks are very much part of the publishing scene; a growing part, offering great choice to readers.
The mainline publishers have, almost without exception, chosen to price their ebooks at around the same cost as the paper versions. This strikes me as unwise, unfair and unhelpful to all. The initial costs in setting up a book for paper publication are substantial, although, in the days of POD (print one demand, if you didn't know) these have been substantially reduced. But the initial costs in transferring such matter to epublishing platforms is significantly less than those of traditional publishing. And the production of an ebook is almost without cost, once the transfer has been done.
As I hold the rights to electronic publishing, I looked at what was on offer from various online publishers. Smashwords seemed the most attractive option for both myself, as writer, and for readers. The company produces ebooks for all the major ereading platforms and has links with most of the major distributors. In fact, there is nothing to stop readers from purchasing direct from Smashwords; it's as simple as clicking on the book on their website.
Pricing is always an issue. My paperback sells for £7.99 in UK on Amazon.co.uk and is priced at $10.79 on Amazon.com and these seem fair prices for a paper product, with all its associated costs for publisher, printer, warehousing, distribution, retailing etc and produces a small royalty for me as the author. I am a professional writer and I need to make a living from my work, where I can. So I have priced the ebook at $2.99 (this translates to around £1.86 at the time of writing). I hope you'll think this is a fair price for my labour (Smashwords take a small portion for their business services, of course). If we are to continue to have some sort of reasonable quality in the world of the novel, the creator needs to be paid a reasonable price for the finished product, otherwise writers will go out of business. Those willing to produce work for either nothing or very little are sometimes in the process of making a name of course but, more often than not, they are simply desperate to have their words out there and this naive zeal too frequently results in poor quality work, which floods the market and generally devalues the worthwhile contributions made by others.
So, if you'd like to read Breaking Faith, and you have a PC or a digital reading device, you can now do so by visiting Smashwords. If you don't have the software to read ebooks on your PC you can get free software by visiting  http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/ There is also free software for downloading Kindle books to your PC or Mac .Just one piece of information for those who buy the ebook: the paperback contains a small amount of explicit erotic content, which I have excluded from the ebook. I've done this because a couple of readers were uncomfortable with the sex and I want to give my readers choice. It's much easier to adapt an ebook than it is a print version, so I opted to make the modifications to the ebook. The story, however, remains the same, as only what happens in the bedroom has been modified.

Review of The Birds & Other Stories by Daphne Du Maurier.

Modern Virago - (Victor Gollancz, originally) 6 short stories;
The Birds 12,000 words. Infinitely better than the film. Set in Cornwall and in a farmworker's cottage, featuring the farmworker and his family. Excellent tension build up and only a vague reason given for the birds' uncharacteristic behaviour. Fear and sheer incomprehension handled well and the hanging ending was just right.
Monte Verità 24,000 words. More a novelette than a short story. Excellent characterisation of the main protagonists. The sense of isolation and superstition amongst the ignorant was well drawn. Again, the ending was perfect.
The Apple Tree 15,000words. Clearly, a precursor to many copies. Tension was well handled but I found little sympathy with the main character, in spite of the fact that he was well drawn. I found I didn't really care what happened to him and, in any case, guessed the ending some short way into the story. A good illustration that the spirit of the dead returned as something else is a theme that has been overdone now.
The Little Photographer 15,000 words.Very well drawn characters. Some brilliant scene setting of the south of France and the overpowering effects of the heat. Set in a time gone by when things mattered that no longer cause concern. The hanging ending, an uncertain future, matched the ambivalence of the heroine perfectly.
Kiss Me Again, Stranger 8,000. An unusual tale with an oddly schizophrenic sub text around eroticism. The sense of menace was drowned in the period detail to some extent and I found it hard to believe in the killer's motivation.
The Old Man 3,000 words. Another story where the 'surprise' ending has been so much copied as to make it disappointing. I confess, I didn't see it coming and that was in part due to some dishonesty in the descriptions. Some of the attributes given to the protagonists could only be human, so to find the story concerned swans left me feeling cheated.

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Author Interview with L.M. Pruitt

L.M. Pruitt has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. A native of Florida with a love of New Orleans, she has the uncanny ability to find humor in most things and would probably kill a plastic plant. Tell us about Shades of Gray in a few sentences.Shades of Gray follows Jude Magdalyn Henries as she deals with monumental changes in her life. By monumental changes I mean inheriting the responsibility of thousands of people, being able to shoot lightening from her hand, and having someone try to kill her.Where and when is your novel set and why did you make these specific choices?Shades of Gray is set in New Orleans, roughly 2007, so it's a little retro. I chose New Orleans because of it's history and general love affair with the supernatural and because I love the city.How do you set about writing a piece?Since Shades of Gray is the first in a series, I had a lot of world building to do. And not just world building, but character building. I spent a great deal of time on understanding the characters and their motivations, so that when I sat down to write, they worked within the plot and the plot worked with them.How do you know where to begin any given story?Begin the story with a hook. Don't pull a bait and switch, but if the first page can't hold a reader's interest they probably won't continue reading. So start with action or tension or something shocking or ballsy. Just grab the reader from the start.Do you think writing is a natural gift or an acquired skill?I think it's both. I think some people are amazing story tellers but they have lousy grammar and spelling. The reverse is true as well. It's having the skill to technically tell a story and the creative gift to imagine that story that makes for a well-written book.What are you writing now?The sequel to Shades of Gray, Shades of Desire, will be available on Kindle on November 2 with paperback following shortly after. The manuscript I'm currently working on, New Moon Rising, is the start of a new series that will be out early next year.How can people buy your book?My book can be purchased on Amazon in paperback or Kindle format. It will also be available at BarnesandNoble.com later this month.Do you have a website or a blog that readers can visit?Readers can visit my blog at http://www.lmpruitt.blogspot.com or find me on Goodreads.Given unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?In a French Quarter house with central heat and air (very uncommon, just to let you know). And maybe a courtyard. A courtyard would be nice.Where do you actually write?Wherever I can.

An Open Invitation to Readers to Express Their Views

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I'm thinking of introducing some topics of controversy on this blog, as an occasional feature. My intention here is to stimulate discussion. Naturally, as the site owner, I will be deciding what topics we discuss. BUT I would greatly appreciate your input as readers. So, if you have a particular subject you would like to have discussed in depth, or superficially, or if you simply want the chance to say a few words on something that you care about, please let me know. Simply make a comment at the foot of this post and I will try to find a way to start a discussion on the topic.So, it's up to you. My first such post is going to be about the existence, or otherwise, of God. So, nothing serious or heavy here (for those who don't get irony, this is an ironic statement).The rules for participation?Only one, really: no gratuitous insults or offensive comments, please.

Lorraine Sears Author Interview

A different approach, this time. I invited Lorraine to say what she wanted, in her own way. I think this makes a refreshing change.
I've always loved creative writing.  Even as a child I can recall the joy of dreaming up new places and characters.  Imagination is a real gift.  Some people are logical, some people are practical and then there's me.  I don't think I have any other talents that make me stand out, but I don't mind.  As long as I have books to read and a way to write, be it pencil and paper or PC, I'm happy.
I can never simply sit and unwind, there always has to be something occupying my mind, or I get terribly bored.  On leaving university, I ended up working in a shop for a while, I was so desperate to write (anything) that I got over a hundred pen-pals from all around the world – it's actually how I met my husband.
When I was on maternity leave with my daughter in 2003, I found just sitting around waiting for her to arrive, and then when she had arrived, waiting for her to do something, it felt like my mind was addling.  I needed output.  That's when I started dreaming up the characters for my very first novel.  With no computer at the time, I wrote in journals, developing characters and building a complete fantasy world.  That was the first time I realised I wanted to write seriously, my epiphany. 
When we finally got a computer, I committed that novel to the screen.  Three re-writes later, and I'm not ashamed to say that, that particular story will never be shown to another, but it will always have a special place in my heart.
It was in the wake of the Twilight craze, stumbling around for something to replace the hole left by the Cullen's, that I discovered Christine Feehan's Carpathian series.  I've always loved vampires, if I ever went on Mastermind, vampire lore would be my specialist subject, but anyway, thanks to the Carpathians, I realised paranormal romance, both reading and writing, were what floated my literary boat.
It took me four months to complete the first draft of Soul Reunion.  Knowing nothing about getting published, I went on line to research.  That's when I found Writers Beat; an on-line community for writers, where you can connect with other writers, get information, advice and best of all, critique on your work. 
From there I got talking to people about shorts, flash fiction, etc.  I'd used them as a way of alleviating writers block or as simple writing exercises.  Mike Coombes, co-founder of GUD magazine, had an idea to pull together a small select group of shorts writers for an experiment, and to my everlasting joy, I was among them.
Hothouse was born on April 15th 2010.  A sweatshop or short fiction factory, where we write, share, critique and edit before submitting to various markets, with a view to getting published.  Having never shared my work before, it was a daunting experience and I often felt I was floundering as all my co-writers got acceptances and my mailbox remained painfully empty.  I wrote (and write) everything from murder to spiritual stories, erotica to children's fiction.  At one point, being the only member without an acceptance, I got myself in a panic thinking, I'd be asked to leave.
Then, one day, all of a sudden, an acceptance!  A flash piece, called 'Mine' was accepted by The New Flesh magazine.  I was over the moon.  Getting that first acceptance… there are no words, even for a writer, unless you've experienced it yourself.  Euphoria is the best I can do. 
After that I got more confident and within four months, I'd managed to achieve a fantastic eight acceptances.  Markets included e-zines, anthologies and my greatest achievement to date, a publishing contract with Untreed Reads, for my short story, A Daughter's Love. 
A Daughter's Love is only 1,300 words, no more than a coffee break read, but Untreed Reads saw it as being packed with emotion, and welcomed me into their family.  The story is about a woman, living with her war vet father and the struggles they have to overcome.  It was inspired by stories I heard about my own mother and her father when he returned from WWII.  I feel it is a fitting tribute to two people I loved so much. 
I'm so proud of this story, because it's actively being sold by e-book retailers all round the world, and for a very low and tempting price.  I don't care about the money, I'm just awed people are willing to pay for something I've written. 
But the real thrill for me is that Untreed Reads put this story on Amazon Kindle.  As an avid reader, I'm always on Amazon buying books.  And now, I can search and find myself among so many brilliant authors.  It might sound silly, but it keeps me smiling.
It's still very much my intention to get my novel, Soul Reunion, published and I've developed subsequent plots to turn it into a Soul Taker series.  But writing is a discipline and focusing so much on shorts as I have been, I'm constantly learning about the craft of writing.  So, I've realised there's still a lot of editing needed before I try sending it out into the big wide world again.  And while I do that, I'll still be working on my shorts as well.
On average I write one short story every week, obviously, not all of them make the grade.  It's sometimes hard to find the time, so not without the sacrifice of some sleep, as I still have my family and job who need my attention too. 
Red Lorry's Journey is my blog where I record the ups and downs I experience as a writer, share my successes and discuss the books I'm reading, linking them to my reviews on Amazon.  The blog is as much a diary for me, as it is a way to share my experiences with those who read it, and of course, it's just one more way for me to get my written word out there.