Nicole MacDonald's Blog, page 2

Formatting is the bane of this indie author’s existence

It doesn’t help that I’m a bit of a perfectionist, but really, you want your work to look as good as possible. I just don’t know why it has to be soooo hard! And time consuming. I’m determined to have the paperback versions of each book looking absolutely beautiful, inside and out. With Lisa working on the full version of the cover (expanding Keary’s original design to include a spine and back), I at least know that the outside of the book will be gorgeous. Sure, there are little tweaks here and there, but I feel totally secure knowing that I have a photoshop whiz working on it. Which just leaves the inside… Who knew there was so much to consider when formatting the inside of a paperback?? Every time I think I have the layout right, I realize it’s wrong *sigh* and while I will get proofs from CreateSpace before I allow this book to be purchased by anyone, it would be SO neat to be able to look at the proof, squeal, and then declare it good to go because I got it all RIGHT. That’s my current fantasy.
Take care all!Nic The Arrival, available FREE at at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Kobo : Smashwords : SonyAwakening available at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : Smashwords : iTunes US : iTunes UK : SonyFeel the Burn available at Amazon : AmazonUK : Smashwords : Kobo : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Barnes & Noble : Sony 

I need your opinion! Check out these two pictures

Hi everyone :) I know, long time no blogging, but I've been fairly busy with all sorts of things, including working at getting book one into paperback. I'm at the formatting stage right now, and I need your opinions on something! Below are two pictures, one with point of view change indicators, and one without. What I need to know is which would you prefer to see? Would you find the change indicators too distracting? Or, do they make it an easier read? Take your time, mull it over *grin* and let me know here or on the BirthRight Trilogy facebook page!


This is a screenshot showing the POV indicators

And this screenshot is without them





Many thanks for your time!Nic The Arrival, available FREE at at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Kobo : Smashwords : SonyAwakening available at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : Smashwords : iTunes US : iTunes UK : SonyFeel the Burn available at Amazon : AmazonUK : Smashwords : Kobo : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Barnes & Noble : Sony

A little clarification

As more and more readers finish Feel the Burn, I’m getting an increasing number of ‘What’s next? When’s AfterBurn coming out?’ messages, so I thought I should run through a few details for you all. When I originally planned the BirthRight Trilogy I never envisioned any continuing books. Not because I didn’t want to, more because a. I wasn’t sure if anyone would like them b. I wasn’t sure if I’d actually be able to write three WHOLE novels (felt like the biggest, craziest task I’d ever attempted) Then, towards the end of drafting Feel the Burn, I realized I did have ideas of what I’d like to do next, where else I’d like to explore on Gar’nyse. After almost four years of living on the world I’d created in my mind, I found myself rather attached to it and the characters! So, although I finished Feel the Burn with ‘the future is as yet unwritten’ my mind ticked away over possible concepts for what else to do. Clearly in the beginning there was the obvious tying up of various bits and pieces, but that wasn’t enough to really inspire me, and that’s when the concept for the Voyager series started to develop. What this all boils down to is, I never intended to write another book THIS year. My major goal for this year is to get all three books of the trilogy into paperback and to release an ebook set on Amazon and Smashwords. Once these tasks are out of the way then I will be able to fully focus on working on AfterBurn and the beginning of the Voyager series (as well as two other, non-related series on the side ;p) so I hope, but can’t yet promise, to have AfterBurn out sometime next year! Until then I suggest you follow the facebook page for the BirthRight Trilogy as I do post the occasional snippet from the current AfterBurn draft. Thank you all SO much for your support of my writing and I’m really thrilled beyond words that the trilogy has found a place in your hearts!


Take care, Nic

Do you believe in equal rights for all? Are you sick of watching women play the weaker roles? Try The Arrival, four kickass girlfriends out to find love while saving a whole new world in the process. Multi-tasking to the max.
The BirthRight Trilogy — screw being the damsel in distress!

The Arrival, is currently available for FREE at at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Kobo : Smashwords : Sony 

Earthquakes…

You may or may not have heard about the recent quakes in New Zealand. I don’t really know if they made international papers – no one died. It’s the queerest thing to experience.
You’re sitting there at your desk on the 21stfloor that stares out at the harbour while glaring at the ceiling as those on the floor above are playing ping pong. Does that sound weird? Well in New Zealand multi-floor buildings (newer buildings) are designed with earthquakes in mind and the building sways in high winds, when the lifts zoom up and down, and when those on the floor above decide to play an enthusiastic game of table tennis.The vibrations running through your desk are distracting and a tad unnerving, but nothing you’re not used to. Then it hits.The floor, the entire room jolts and (to quote Jennifer Lawrence) you shriek a very bad word; a very bad word being loudly yelped by people in the rooms behind and across from you. The shaking picks up and you dive under your desk, fingers gripping the carpet.It stops.Just like that everything seems startling clear. Your heart pounds and you give a nervous laugh. People come charging around. A work mate is sobbing and you try to soothe her.The room starts to sway again.Everyone freezes eyes wide and bodies tense.The crying work mate gives another horrified sob and you guide her under the table. Your cellphone starts ringing. It’s your partner.‘All okay-‘ the line cuts off as the network overloads.

Can you find New Zealand on the map?
After the quake Friday afternoon we got the okay to evacuate and I made it home just after five. Everyone checked in and all was well. And that’s when you start to realise just how weird it is to live with the constant, real threat of the ground beneath you jolting.It’s short, shocking, and over minutes after it starts.Without any real damage or visible results, you’re left almost feeling like you imagined it. Everything is normal. Yet you know, at any given second it could start again. You go to the supermarket, as are lots of others, and in the back of your mind you consider options.Can I squeeze under that shelving? Is it stable at the end of the aisle?As we pulled out of the supermarket Glenn suddenly stopped the car. All the other cars around us had stopped too and I realised then that we were shaking. Another quake.There’s been too many aftershocks to count and they’re still going. While we made the bed last night I heard the drawers creaking. A second later and the room starts shaking again. As I type this I’m sitting at my desk with my hair smothered in henna and wrapped in plastic wrap (yes, I look a-m-a-z-i-n-g) and hoping that we don’t get a big quake before I get to wash this out (only five hours to go…). Work has txted to say the building’s been checked and is sound so we’ll be opening as normal on Monday.Providing of course, there isn’t another decent quake before then *grin*

The earth moves for us….
Nic
The Arrival, is currently available for FREE at at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Kobo : Smashwords : SonyAwakening on special till the end of August! Available at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : Smashwords : iTunes US : iTunes UK : SonyFeel the Burn on special till the end of August! Available at Amazon : AmazonUK : Smashwords : Kobo : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Barnes & Noble : Sony 

Study shake-up

I confess I got no writing done on the weekend. What I did do, finally, is reorganize my study!! It’s gone from feeling kind of ‘meh’ to ‘Ooo, now I want to type!’
Isn’t it funny how something as simple as rearranging furniture can really ‘fix’ a room. Now it feels like a cozy study nook instead of a cluttered mess that included dog sleeping area/drawers/massive trunk/sewing stuff. All the pieces have a proper place and now I’m hanging out to buy an electric fireplace so to cinch that coziness *grin*  Of course the rotten winter weather certainly adds to the inspiration! I ended up baking a gorgeous butterscotch pudding for dessert on Sunday night and already one pair of pants are now a tad too tight *giggle* oh well! At least winter is the best time for vegetable soup too ;p an easy way to cut calories but up your veggie intake. Winter just inspires me to cook and I love the smell of a simmering stockpot full of winter vegetables. Sable loves it too and the last batch I made she managed to get into. I’d poured the soup into a variety of containers and once it had cooled, sealed them up (or so I thought), popped them in a bag and went to grab my gumboots. Our chest freezer is in the garage so I had to carry them out there. In the 10 seconds or so it took me to grab my boots and get back to the door, I discovered Sable busy lapping away at the one container with a loose lid. That dog is quick!! She cowered away when I scolded her but ended up winning anyway, that container of soup was designated ‘hers’ and added to her meals for the week. Next time I’ll leave the bag on the table instead of beside the door *grin* then let’s see her reach it!

What if… it all went terribly right!
Nic
Do you believe in equal rights for all? Are you sick of watching women play the weaker roles? Try The Arrival, four kickass girlfriends out to find love while saving a whole new world in the process. Multi-tasking to the max.
The BirthRight Trilogy — screw being the damsel in distress!

The Arrival, is currently available for FREE at at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Kobo : Smashwords : Sony 

When the writing isn’t right

For those that follow my facebook page for the Trilogy, you’ll know I’ve mentioned that the draft for AfterBurn is taking longer than  Awakening or Feel the Burn did. Partly this is because I don’t have the story as well planned out as the previous two books, and partly—as I’ve just discovered—it’s because the writing was wrong.Not all of it! Thankfully ;p just Elena’s POV.I think it stems from not knowing enough about Elena. So that’s what I’m having fun drafting now, her history. There are bits and pieces I already know, but now I’m figuring out how they link up and why. And now that I’m working that out, finally AfterBurn feels a little bit closer *grin*. In the meantime, as I make copious notes, I’m having fun with re-working book one. It’s giving me the opportunity to put show more of the girls’ characters instead of waiting for book two for development. I’m also switching and/or removing the occasional POV. It’s all time consuming work but I really want to be fully satisfied with The Arrival. I can’t wait to get it into print!My current other sources of inspiration are Game of Thrones—I’m on to book four and enjoying it more now that (sorry to those that love them) a lot of the boring characters are gone ;p though I don’t think I’ll have any major desire to read beyond book four. Maybe I’ll continue in the future when he finally finish’s the series!I’m doing the same with the Outlander series at the moment. As much as I love the books I just haven’t any current desire to read the latest book. Again I think I’ll wait till she’s done ;p And my other current inspiration (minor obsession) is The White Queen. I watch it each Wednesday morning while pedaling away madly on the spin bike (best invention ever – no more excuses for not doing exercise in winter!). Because I have to wait for each episode I’m watching Treehouse Masters on Monday and Friday. All in all, lots of gorgeous things and fabulous characters floating around in my head!


What are your current inspirations/obsessions? Share them, I’d love to hear.
What if… it all went terribly right!
Nic
Do you believe in equal rights for all? Are you sick of watching women play the weaker roles? Try The Arrival, four kickass girlfriends out to find love while saving a whole new world in the process. Multi-tasking to the max.
The BirthRight Trilogy — screw being the damsel in distress!

The Arrival, is currently available for FREE at at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Kobo : Smashwords : Sony

The competition is extended!

I’ve decided to extend the character competition end date to the end of July, it gives those readers who’ve just started a better chance and those who haven’t yet, but want to, a chance to have a go. As you may have noticed I’ve been fairly quiet on the blog front and that’s just because it’s a busy time of the year – I can’t wait for the day I get to write fulltime!I’m currently working on the draft of AfterBurn while also going over the first three books so I can release them in paperback! I’m very excited at the thought of having actual, physical copies of the books on my shelves and it means I want them as perfect as possible (naturally).  I’ve reworked books one and two so that the language is less passive and more active and once all three books are up to scratch I’ll release them as a set on Kindle before getting them into print.For all those who love the trilogy make sure to keep an eye out on my BirthRight Facebook page as I’ll actually offer the set for FREE for a select few days (non consecutive) so that those of you who’ve read and love the trilogy get a chance to grab the latest/freshest version for free. On these FREE days (via Amazon KDP select) I’ll also offer the Trilogy via coupon at Smashwords – you can download any electrical version here for whatever ereader you have and you’ll have to do this if you have a Nook/Ipad/Kobo etc as it’s the only way I can stay within the KDP Select rules.
Hope all you in the Northern Hemisphere are having a lovely summer! We’ve had a bit of a wild winter so far (someone’s roof arrived in our backyard the other week) and I’m loving how it’s already a little bit lighter in the mornings and evenings!
What if… it all went terribly right!
Nic
Do you believe in equal rights for all? Are you sick of watching women play the weaker roles? Try The Arrival, four kickass girlfriends out to find love while saving a whole new world in the process. Multi-tasking to the max.
The BirthRight Trilogy — screw being the damsel in distress!

The Arrival, is currently available for FREE at at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Kobo : Smashwords : Sony

Fancy being a character in the Voyagers series?

As you know I’m drafting the book following the BirthRight Trilogy; AfterBurn, which will lead on to a five book series I’m currently calling the Voyagers series (just a draft name, it may change). I’m looking for various ways to get more attention to The Arrival, but after trying Blog Tours and currently being enrolled in NetGalley, I wanted to try something different—something fun for those that love the trilogy. And what is that, you ask?
A chance to be a character in the Voyagers series!

Disclaimer! I will discuss ideas with the winner of this contest and you very likely won’t be human once a character is created. The inspiration you provide may create a character you didn’t expect at all (i.e me using Glenn’s grouchy morning personality to create Nnelg ;p) or close to what you suggest (i.e LeaDee suggesting she be a naughty fae that likes to bite – Hello Leynorah J). Basically YOU will inspire a character and the character’s name will ideally be an anagram of your name (Leseach = Chelsea; Nnelg = Glenn; Sito = Otis; Ageip = Paige).


The way to win this exciting prize?? Pretty darn easy, actually!
I’m sharing a picture of the cover on the BirthRight Facebook page, and all you need to do is re-share it with comments as to why you recommend it/or what you love about it—why everyone MUST download it now (as well as mentioning where it’s available), and then convince as many others as possible to share the link. At the end of June, the person with the most shares will win.
Things to include in your advertWhat YOU loved most about The Arrival - or the Trilogy in generalThat The Arrival is available free everywhere - itunes : Amazon : Barnes & Noble : Kobo : Smashwords : Sony : WattpadThat people MUST share the post to help YOU win!
I’d suggest providing a link to the bookstore/place where you personally downloaded it from to make it easy for people to find.


Do you need more inspiration to create an awesome advert? Rather than simply sharing the cover?
Okay then, how’s this. The person with the BEST advert will also win. This isn’t about shares, this is about a clever/informative/snappy advert that draws people in. This will be voted at the end of June too. The winner of the Best Advert will have a character inspired by them too, and that character will appear in the first book. Make sure to share your advert on the BirthRight Trilogy’s facebook page too!
The main difference between the prizes is that the person who wins the most share’s prize will be a character who continues through the books. They may or may not appear in book one and they will be in no less than three of the books (possibly more – I’ll know when I get there!). While the winner of the Best Advert will be in the first book of the Voyagers Series only.

You know your friends better than anyone, so appeal to them in the way you know best and good luck!
What if… it all went terribly right!
Nic
Do you believe in equal rights for all? Are you sick of watching women play the weaker roles? Try The Arrival, four kickass girlfriends out to find love while saving a whole new world in the process. Multi-tasking to the max.
The BirthRight Trilogy — screw being the damsel in distress!

The Arrival, is currently available for FREE at at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Kobo : Smashwords : Sony

Guest Post by Patricia Lynne: I lurve Vampires!

I love vampires, especially writing about them. There are so many ways you can take the myth. The bloodthirsty monster or an immortal looking for lost humanity. The sun burns them or makes them sparkle (although, I’m not a fan of the sparkling variety.) They can be hideous or sexy. Readers dig a romantic vampire.
When it came to writing Being Human, I wanted to create a vampire that was different from what I was reading. The romantic vampire was very popular. He was sexy, dashing and bemoaning his lost humanity. Bloodsucking had to happen, but the vampire wasn’t enjoying it. It’s a reminder of darker days where deaths occurred as a result of feeding. I was getting real tired of the whiny vampire who was saved by the love of a woman. Where’s the bloodlust? The excitement of drinking blood? Come on, vamps, get some flesh stuck in your fangs!


Enter Tommy and the vampires in Being Human. The first thing I did was get rid of their humanity by erasing their memories. A newly turned vampire instantly starts forgetting being human. It’s replaced by instinct and a drive to survive. Tommy just doesn’t want blood, but needs it. He has no qualms nomming on a tasty human until not a drop is left. Can you really be mad at him when he’s no different than a tiger hunting and eating prey? It’s necessary. Otherwise, he’ll die. Permanently.
But even then, Tommy has human in him. His twin brother, Danny helps him discover that he is still human. He has emotions and feelings. He’s not a monster.
If reviews are anything to go by, I did pretty well creating a unique twist on the common vampire. I hope to continue doing so. I’m horrible at creating series. Instead, my muse comes up with a new ways to write
Bio:Patricia Lynne never set out to become a writer. In fact, she never considered it an option during high school and college. She was more of an art and band geek. Some stories are meant to be told and now she can't stop writing. Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo and has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow.
Twitter -  https://twitter.com/patricialynne07
Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/patricialynne07
Goodreads -  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/635444.Patricia_Lynne Website - http://www.patricialynne.comAlso available by Patricia Lynne: Snapshots
Being HumanFor Tommy, there is only one thing he needs to do: survive.
Only surviving isn't that easy. The hunt for blood can be tricky when humans know to fear the night. Desire sits on the edge of his mind, urging him to become the monster humans think he is. Vampire Forces, a special branch of police, is determined to turn every vampire to ash. Tommy included.
The only human Tommy can trust is his twin brother. A bond connects them, and with Danny's help, Tommy starts to understand the human world he struggles to survive in. He'll learn what friendships means and feel the sting of betrayal, find that sometimes the worst monsters are very human, and come to understand that family means more than blood. Tommy just wants to survive and he knows what he needs to do. But with the number of humans that mean more to him than a meal growing, Tommy learns there's more to life than simple survival. He'll discover being human doesn't mean being a human.

Available at:
Amazon Kindle - Amazon UK Kindle - Amazon Paperback - Barnes and Noble
Smashwords - iTunes - Kobo - Sony ebooks

Bedtime antics with a melodramatic dog

Our huntaway, Sable, whom readers of the Trilogy know as Audi, can be a right brat at times. Huntaway’s are very intelligent dogs and this shows in their personality. In New Zealand they’re usually breed just for farm dogs because of their innate desire to work. They want to work and they LOVE it. Not the best choice for a pet unless you intend on taking up agility training or something else equally demanding (Search and rescue? Got chickens you want herded?). We did have two dogs, but our gorgeous staffy had to be put to sleep in Oct 11. We were worried  about how Sable would handle being an ‘only’ child but we shouldn’t have—the little brat loves it *grin*.
(Stealing my seat)
Onto the bedtime drama!Every evening Sable ditches our company in lieu of hanging out on my seat in the conservatory. When bedtime comes around I head on in there and call her out, ushering her to my writing room, where she and Griffon (the cat) sleep. Normally it’s an easy call, and she’s up and at my side. Lately however this hasn’t happened. I think it may be due to when I was sick and she played being ‘sick’ and slept on the bed with me till Glenn came in. Apparently the three-seater couch with the comfy, fleecy dog bed on top isn’t cutting it anymore…The routine now goes like this.‘Sable, come!’ —Dog doesn’t budge.‘Come on, bedtime!’ —Nope. Still not budging.‘Sable, COME!’ —Not happening, not even a flicker.At which point I grumble, stomp over to the seat and pry her reluctant body from it onto the floor.And this is where she gets sneaky.The moment her feet hit the floor she dashes for the dog bed in the conservatory (where she’s actually meant to be—rather than on my seat) and drops. Goes fully, ragdoll floppy. Another bunch of growled orders from me get completely ignored. With much grumbling I reach down and haul the heavy ass up (25 kilos of unrepentant dog) and sort of half carry/half drag her out the room into the hallway. Usually at this point she very begrudgingly gathers to her feet.Then fervently looks for an escape.If I haven’t shut the door to the lounge, bedroom, and any room in the house other than my room, she promptly dashes through the open door and repeats the ragdoll routine. Accompanied by a strangled shriek of frustration from me.Then when I do finally get her into my room, she refuses to climb on her bed. Instead she flops to the floor with a long suffering sigh and a pointed look that plainly says ‘animal abuser’. (playing 'sick')I’m hoping this wee performance won’t last too long, and I can’t even blame it on adolescence (yep, dogs go through it too) as she’s nine and a half now.Perhaps it’s old age… ;p
If you’re not having fun, then you’re doing it wrong!
Nic
Need a break from vamps, werewolves and teeth grindingly frustrating love triangles? Try The Arrival, four non-oversexed friends (according to a reviewer) creating chaos on a whole new planet after dabbling in the arcane…
The BirthRight Trilogy — screw being the damsel in distress!

The Arrival, is currently available for FREE at at Amazon : AmazonUK : Barnes & Noble : iTunes US : iTunes UK : Kobo : Smashwords : Sony