Barbara G. Tarn's Blog, page 143

Random Friday

Very random. Well, DVD random.

I finally watched Brave – the carrot after finishing all that publishing stuff. I took it as a fantasy, since Americans’ sense of history is… well, let’s say they forgot where they actually come from. Yes, it did look like Scotland, but. Besides, there’s magic, legends, etc, so it is fantasy. I still think that a woman wearing weapons and riding a horse wouldn’t wear a gown, but that’s just me! Nice story – for younger women at least. I’m past the “I so love my mum even if we fight” stage, sigh!

I also liked the two shorts enclosed, especially wordless “La Luna”, and I found it strange that there was nothing about the making of. Maybe it’s the Italian version or because it’s a version in a children’s line – and children don’t really care about the making of their cartoons. Ah well… will have to check more adult cartoons!

By the way, I showed the YouTube version of Three Blind Mice to my nephew. Being Italian, he had no idea there’s a song behind the mice in Shrek. He pretended not to be interested, but he turned his head at the sound of the music, LOL! He hates me when I speak English to him, but eventually he’ll grow out of it… This year I’m helping him with his English homework (and then he can play all he wants with PBS Kids, but I translate for him only when he asks) – when I’m home, that is.

Next Tuesday I’ll be in London, so it will be Mom’s charge again – and she can’t speak English, haha! Yes, that’s all the traveling for this year, by the way. Spent half my vacation at home working on indie publishing, but I went to 2 comicons (Torino and Lucca), and then a few days in Massa (featured in Shooting Star along with Garfagnana) and a few in London – meeting friends and relatives. Next year we’ll see!

A few years ago I asked my friend Jennifer to record something from the American TV – and this year she found the DVD, so I finally got to see Bollywood Hero! Which kindly puts Da Muse at the very beginning (playing himself, in case you’re wondering) and then jumps into Bollywood-mode (sort of – it’s still from an American perspective!) and ends with… Dhoom Taana (sans Deepika&Shahrukh, of course). I knew the song as soon as it started, LOL!

Nice short TV series (3 episodes) of a Hollywood actor trying to get into Bollywood – see Luck by Chance for the differences in acting schools… I’m sure most American viewers didn’t get the references – like at the end, the auto-rickshaw driver mentioning “an Indian superhero! Just imagine!“. That’s Krrish, in case you didn’t know! (and the line is in English, repeated a lot at the beginning of the movie, albeit before the actual birth of Krrish, LOL) – but I hope they had fun anyway. I was chuckling throughout the whole thing. But then, I’m a Bollywood lover!

To complete the random randomness, Mark Slaughter speaks – I’d have died to read that in a magazine in the 1990s (that was before the internet, in case you forgot). I loved Slaughter and Mark was my former muse. And I loved being part of Slaughter International – I still have two penfriends that became real life friends from then (*waves at Renee and aforementioned Jennifer*) – and I kinda miss the 20th century. But well, life goes on! Thanks for the interview, Mark!

Mark&Barb 1998

And now wishing you a wonderful weekend! Next week – Lucca Comics report, PODs and more!

Writer Wednesday

So, after spending 3 or 4 days on CreateSpace last week, struggling with their templates for both interior and covers (is was sooooo much easier with Lulu!), I decided not to redo all the print versions. From now on the POD version will be with CreateSpace (so, next title is Star Minds Snippets), but I won’t republish with a CreateSpace Edition the older works. The MatchBook program doesn’t seem to be live yet (or I’d see it on Star Minds), so no hurry.

Since it costs a fortune to have proofs shipped and then pay for the extended distribution, etc, I’ll spare myself the expense this year – on the old titles at least. I have updated the covers and interiors of the Lulu editions, though. Better or worse, I’m not selling any, so for now they will do. I’ve ordered proofs of 5 Lulu PODs and 1 CreateSpace – waiting for delivery. They should arrive today, but I will post them next week, so you can compare.

I’m still very much in the red – if I didn’t have DayJob to pay the bills, I would have quit – and it might take me longer to find my readers, but I’m in for the long run. I’m not trying to get rich quick. And the learning curve for CreateSpace doesn’t pass the WIBBOW test. I’m better off writing than struggling with POD templates. No matter what they say, I can’t sell printed books in the US from Italy, so I’ll just get back to writing and try to put out more titles in e-book format.

Now if you want another taste of the Snippets before the actual publication, Shooting Star is out! Kol-ian’s stay on Earth finally revealed, with some backstory on S’lyss as well – no, they never met on Earth, but they go back a long way! And if this goes on LousyBookCovers again, I don’t care. Whoever buys a Snippet as double will have a discount for the complete book when it’s out – with the great cover by Phoenixlu, very similar to the one that is already out, but with Ker-ris instead of Kol-ian facing the reader.

Find Shooting Star on Smashwords, Kindle, Barnes&Noble and then Kobo and Apple (US i-bookstore). Since I love one of the drawings of M’aera S’iva, in a couple of weeks you’ll have also his story as a single at 99cents – and then it will be Star Minds Snippets! The whole story in one book (280pages in print) at 4.99$ – but again, if you have proof of purchase of a 2.99$ Snippet, you can have it for half the price.

The Kobo controversy is over, and I sure hope they get rid of those glitches in categories and DRM soon. Now in November I’ll have to write and read in Italian, since I want to translate Star Minds for a Christmas release, but I will publish one last title in English before the end of the year, in December, just in case you want to gift yourself with the latest Barbara G.Tarn’s title!

Oh, and I spent Sunday lettering S.K.Y.B.A.N.D 13, so… it’s out! Only on DriveThruComics as PDF, as usual. My dear reader will probably wait until the third and final Omnibus, I know, it’s okay. I really hope to finish it next year – I’m not really expecting to draw the last two chapters  by Christmas. But then… you never know!

As for B.G. Hope… well next year I’ll publish more. I’ll have the third and last body switch and then a M/M romance novel or novella. Now the writerly links of this week!

Kris Rusch and the Priests vs. the Mathematicians. And how writers get caught between them – unless they decide to ignore the gatekeepers, that is.

David Gaughran sharing more Amazon “secrets” – should I dust out of the drawer my historical novel now that Amazone makes life easier for authors of historical and literary fiction?

David Farland on what to look for in a beta/first-reader – I’m all for #6. You have no idea of how many offered and then never got back to me, saying “oh, I didn’t think it was urgent” when the first thing I say is “I need it by…” That’s why when I’m asked to do it for someone else, I get back to the writer ASAP (or don’t apply if I don’t have time). I have a non-native beta who might not grasp the grammar and typos, but she’s very good at spotting plot holes or descriptions that don’t fit – thank you, Bookwatcher, for your prompt comments that urged me to discard two stories and write a new one instead!

And then from Colleen Doran’s Facebook page, this article about Slaves of the Internet, Unite! – valid for writers and artists as well. No more free books from this author, I value myself too much. I won’t raise prices either, since I price them according to wordcount, but no more “free” stuff for exposure (unless it’s Wyrd Worlds 2 because that’s fun!). Free doesn’t bring in sales of other titles anyway.

Tomorrow I’m off to Lucca Comics and Games, so I’ll probably be offline until the weekend – unless I manage to use a wi-fi connection from my Kindle somewhere. So have a great week!

Happiness is…

Sunday Surprise

And it’s not only a Wyrd Worlds author, but also the wondrous gal who had this crazy idea of putting together this anthology! We’re already pressuring her in doing volume two… but here’s her interview! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Steph Bennion!

Where do you live and write from?

I currently live in London, in a leafy suburb a few miles south of the Thames. I have a day job, so my writing is done at home, mainly at the weekends or an occasional snatched evening. I have a love/hate relationship with London; the city provides a wealth of inspiration on cultural, political and historical issues to flavour my writing, but it’s a very expensive place to live and socially quite harsh compared to the rest of England.

When did you start writing?

I started writing and submitting short stories to various publications when I was in my teens, albeit with limited success, so I’ve been at it for almost thirty years now. I wrote my first novel around that time, which was my attempt at a humorous science-fiction adventure in the vein of The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. Needless to say, my book was terrible and now lives in a darkened drawer somewhere! I kept trying my hand at novels and submitting the better ones to agents and publishers, but got nowhere and came close to giving up. My first real success did not come until 2010, with the sale of an adult fantasy novella called Eve Of Redemption, which I wrote whilst taking a break from science-fiction. That royalty cheque gave me the boost I needed to persevere.

What genre(s) do you write?

I write mainly science-fiction, or what’s sometimes known as ‘new’ space opera, for young adults and adults young at heart! When I was younger I loved the books of Arthur C Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein and the other masters of science-fiction, then later moved onto Ursula le Guin, Philip K Dick, etc. until I got to modern writers like Alastair Reynolds and Neal Stephenson. My own novels tend to centre around working-class folk who find themselves battling the consequences of upheavals caused by those in power, which is a common theme in classic science-fiction. However, Hollow Moon and Paw-Prints Of The Gods are ultimately about friendships and how people come together in times of need.

Where do you find your inspiration? Do you put yourself in your stories?

I tend to get bits of ideas from all over the place; some might spark a train of thought that develops into a story, others may end up as background detail to fill out whatever world I’m creating. I try to credit influences where appropriate; for example, the asteroid colony ship Dandridge Cole, the ‘hollow moon’ of the novels, is named after Dandridge M Cole, the aerospace engineer and futurist who with illustrator Roy Scarfo developed the concept in books like Beyond Tomorrow. I don’t deliberately put myself in stories but I’m sure my own personality is reflected in what I write! When it comes to creating a framework on which to hang all these ideas, I’m a huge advocate for Christopher Booker’s work The Seven Basic Plots, which is a fascinating analysis of storytelling; another fantastic resource is the TV Tropes website, which is great for getting a feel for the nuts and bolts of different genres. I think it’s important to understand the reasons why people like stories and what they expect to get from one before you can successfully deliver something they really want to read. On a very basic level, I try to write books I would want to read myself.

Do you have a specific writing routine?

I try to write every weekend at minimum, but I have no specific routine. There’s various things I do, like not start a new chapter until I’ve edited and proof-read the chapter before, but that’s just part of the process. One thing I’ve recently started doing is use Calibre so I can do a final pre-publication proof-read on my Kobo ereader, rather than on the computer screen or print-outs. It’s amazing what little errors you can pick up that way.

Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?

I always outline. My novels tend to have multiple plot threads and a large cast of characters, so for me it is essential. The outlines always evolve to some degree as I write, but I find that spending time on this framework (we’re back to The Seven Basic Plots again!) does ward against writer’s block and unexpected gaping plot holes. As for speed, I’m not fast. I can sometimes write a short story in a weekend; Paw-Prints Of The Gods took two years from synopsis to publication.

Tell us about your latest book

Paw-Prints Of The Gods is a space-opera mystery set around the discovery of ancient alien ruins on a desert planet; and a prophecy that may or may not be real. Ravana O’Brien, the reluctant young heroine of Hollow Moon, finds herself on another wild adventure, this time in the company of two extra-terrestrial greys, a cake-obsessed secret agent and a mysterious little orphan boy wanted by the alien-worshipping Dhusarian Church. Their long perilous quest brings them into conflicts with cyberclone monks, homicidal giant spiders, a psychotic nurse and a god-like cat woman who knows more than she’s saying. The setting was heavily influenced by the films Ice Cold in Alex and the more obscure Moon Zero Two (the first space western!), with a smattering of sly nods to Raiders of the Lost Ark, 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Phantom Menace. As in Hollow Moon, there’s also a bit of humour to break up the drama. More information and links to retailers can be found at: http://www.wyrdstar.co.uk/books/pawprintsofthegods.html.

How did the Wyrd Worlds anthology come about?

I blame Goodreads! I’m a moderator for the Smashwords Authors Group and there was a period when every other writer joining seemed to be a fantasy or science-fiction author who wrote short stories. I suggested the idea of an anthology, volunteered my services as editor and Wyrd Worlds took off from there. It was an interesting collaborative effort; we even had a competition to choose the cover before going with the one Ross came up with (Ross Harrison, another of the contributing authors – Barb’s note: interviewed here). If I may add a blatant plug (did I mention that it’s free?), the book’s web page is at: http://www.wyrdstar.co.uk/books/wyrdworlds.html. And for statistics’ sake – we’ve shifted over 800+ downloads to date!

Indie publishing or traditional publishing – and why?

With Hollow Moon, I did pursue traditional publishing. However, I found just a handful of UK agents were seeking new clients in the genre, of which only one took the trouble to reply properly to my enquiry (it was a rather nice letter, though). By this time, I’d already started writing Paw-Prints Of The Gods and had a third book in mind. Self-publishing offered a way to draw a line under Hollow Moon so that I could concentrate on taking the story forward, thus Paw-Prints Of The Gods became destined to be self-published in turn. That’s not to say I reject traditional publishing; I think we’ll see more authors making a success of dabbling in both arenas. Hugh Howey and Wool is one example, another is novelist Tanith Lee (she also wrote a couple of cracking episodes for BBC’s Blake’s 7), who has books on Smashwords.

Any other projects in the pipeline?

I’ve been working on a novella called Catastrophe Jane, set in an alternate-history version of my native Black Country during the industrial revolution. It’s in the vein of the Flashman books of George MacDonald Fraser and firmly aimed at an adult readership! This started off as a way to keep busy, after I made myself take a break from Paw-Prints Of The Gods ahead of tackling the final editing, but it’s looking like it may develop into something quite fun. Other than that, I have an early synopsis of the follow-up to Hollow Moon and Paw-Prints Of The Gods, of which I’m reluctant to say anything more at this point! Finally, I’d like to return to what we did with the recent Wyrd Worlds anthology. It was nice to work with yourself and other writers on such a project.

What is your goal as a writer and what are you doing to achieve it?

The best science-fiction inspires. For my own work, I can’t hope for anything more. However, if the BBC is looking for a new name to pen an episode or two of Doctor Who…

One more thing, both Hollow Moon (normally $2.99) and Paw-Prints Of The Gods (normally $3.99) are currently on ‘reader sets the price’ offers on Smashwords and I’ve decided to carry on with this for a few more weeks, so check it out!

Random Friday

… sort of Art Friday. I’d start with the powerful ad that uses real google searches to show the scope of sexism worldwide – great pictures of women, and great message. And I thought I lived in the 21st century. Obviously not. I better move to Sylvania or Ypsilanti, LOL!

And then there’s Michelle’s “secret” life as a cover designer. I loved her cover for Cinders (which was done by her, with a friend as model, and it  wasn’t a secret) and I know she’s a great photographer. Check what she did incognito and if you need a cover designer… try her!

As you know, I do most of my covers – except when I hire other artists like Phoenixlu, Silvano Beltramo or Cristina Fabris, but I’m still the one adding the lettering, trying not to ruin the artwork. That’s because I like illustrated covers on SFF stories.

When I do it all by myself, I’m not the best cover artist (in fact, I was featured on “lousy book covers” – thanks, Mr Rodent, for the link, although I wonder what those Google Alerts are for, since they don’t show results when things like this happen). I’m not an Artist – with capital A – and I freely admit it.

That’s why I’m as hobbyist on DeviantART, and don’t offer cover design, not even for other genres. I use mostly my own photos (not as good as Michelle’s) for the contemporary stories – or I use silhouettes, like on some B.G. Hope’s titles. Well, even Barbara Sangiorgio has a couple of drawn covers… but still, I’m not a real cover artist.

Now, the next cover will be…

Heh, just kidding. Won’t be the cover of the whole booklet, but it’s a start. Superdeformed Barb 2013 and the new muses (compare with the other two I posted last week). I’m working on it, but only in my spare time! I still have to do the lettering of SKYBAND 13… I know, I’m a sloth!

Have a great weekend!

Writer Wednesday

So, Star Minds Snippets – Women is out now on Smashwords, Amazon, Kobo, Barnes&Noble and Apple (US i-bookstore). If you haven’t checked my rant on I also uploaded a new version of BoI – Air – slightly revised for word choice and punctuation, so I don’t think I need to let people know (I don’t think I sold any copies on Amazon anyway), but if you happen to read this blog and have purchased it in the past, go get the new version. I’m currently working on the new POD version as well, which should be available through CreateSpace some time next month – it takes time to get proofs in the mail in Italy, sigh.

I also found out that Kobo added a category to 4 out of 5 BoI when I uploaded the new version of Air:

As my few readers might know, it’s adult unconventional fantasy (which is the category that I put in myself) and driving people looking for religious fiction to this book might be a big mistake for everybody involved. Yes, my world has its own religions, but no, I don’t think it would please religious readers of Earth… Most of my characters are atheists and don’t even believe in their own gods! Didn’t Kobo have enough on its plate with WHSmith? Who comes up with those weird categories anyway? This category has been added to most of the “Books of the Immortals” (Air and Ether, Fire and Earth – not to Water since it has already a second (correct) category of LGBT fiction)…

KWL’s answer:

There seems to be a glitch in our system at the moment that’s causing problems with the categories and DRM result.

The DRM glitch is one year old. And the category glitch might be unrelated to the WHSmith problem, but still – doesn’t help. Anyway, I’ll just wait and see…

Now I’m off DayJob, so I’m working on those PODs. The BoI, the CVE, the TSK will all get “new” covers and reformatting. I’m finding typos and fixing them on the POD version, but I won’t upload new e-book versions. And then I’ll be working on the POD version of Star Minds Snippets so I can do a final pass on a printed book instead of a printed manuscript. Expect it to come out next month – with another taste of it next week. From the poor editor’s comments (she hasn’t read Technological Angel), I’ve determined The Rogue Years can’t be read without having read the series, so I won’t add it to Shooting Star. Also, Frank can have the whole anthology at 50% discount since he already bought the double “Women“!

Now, to writerly links – missed them, huh? Well, by blog serendipity, seems they’re all tied again to make us better writers. In my case, indie writer. Kris Rusch has reminded herself of the good old “carrot and sticks” method. If you can’t get your butt in a  chair and write, use that.I’m not watching Brave (that I bought a couple of weeks ago) until I have some publishing done!

Guest on Joe Konrath’s blog Birgit Kluger has written a book on how to sell your English ebook in the German market. If I had a clue, I’d write one on how to sell your English book in the Italian market, considering that 95% of Italians don’t speak English… but there’s a lot of foreigners living in Italy who speak English (sometimes as a second language)!

And then Scott William Carter wrote about the Tsunami of Wonderful (as opposed to the Tsunami of Crap that was supposed to hit the virtual shelves) which pairs very well with Joe Konrath’s Quitter Quitter – not to mention his latest post with his numbers. I ain’t no Joe Konrath, but I ain’t no quitter either. I will slowly find my readers (chori chori, chupke chupke) and live happily ever after. Truth is often stranger than fictions, right?

And now back to work on CreateSpace/Open Office/Photoshop for those PODs… have a great week!

Happiness is…

Sunday Surprise

… and it’s more writers quotes! To interrupt the series of interviews with fellow Wyrd Worlds authors (but we shall continue, so stay tuned) – here’s the monthly feature of words of wisdom or writers on writing! Have a great Sunday!

People fret about the disappearance of one ecosystem: the closure of stores, the slimming down of book sections in newspapers, or Oprah cancelling her book club, and don’t take into account the diverse, decentralized, vibrant system that is taking its place through crowdsourced reviews, hugely popular book blogs, Kindle fan newsletters that have fifty thousand subscribers, Kindle owner Facebook Pages with thirty thousand fans, e-reader forums with tens of thousands of members, huge social networks exclusively for books, as well as the millions and millions of conversations about books and their authors which are happening every day on social media, and by email.

It’s a chaotic and messy recommendation engine, but it’s also one that allows word-of-mouth to spread like wildfire. And it doesn’t care who published the book.

- David Gaughran

To become a professional fiction writer, you must become a major risk-taker without fear of failure or a care in the world what anyone else thinks of you or your writing.

- Dean Wesley Smith

Because all that tells me is this: the more I write and publish, the more readers will want what I write.

And oh, that makes me happy. It keeps my butt in the chair, and my fingers on the keyboard. It also makes me a bit crazy: I have more stories to tell than I could ever get to. I’m typing as fast as I can—and having a ball.

That’s what all the writers who’ve decided to embrace this new world will tell you. We’re having fun, some of us for the first time in years. (To me, writing has always had to be fun or there’s no point in doing it.)

- Kristine Kathryn Rusch

I don’t know if I have a specific point or conclusion, I’m just kind of rambling here. I guess my point is, everyone is passionate about at least one thing. Even if it’s a passion for the desire not to be passionate about anything. If yours is writing, creating, building, and dreaming, embrace it. Live through the pain, celebrate through the joy, and know that every up and down feeds your love for the written word.

– Loralie Hall

This joy, this enthusiasm, having it hurt when I can’t sit down to write, that’s the way it was over thirty years ago when I used to hammer stories out on an old typewriter. It was what made me write a novel in longhand back when I was in high school. This is what sparks the light in the eyes of students who come to my classes, and fuels the secret smile writers have when alone and an idea strikes them.

It’s been gone for a bit. I am so thankful it’s back.

- Michael Stackpole

The Starry Mind of Barbara G. Tarn

Last week I posted a review of Niall Teasdale's with the bisexy cyborg Aneka Jansen. This week I encountered another bisexy cyborg in Barbara G. Tarn's Women - which has the most fantastic cover ever! Er, sorry, got carried away there, but... so sexy. Okay, that's a battle suit on the cover, not a cyborg, but... whatever.

I just couldn't wait until Wednesday to let you know Frank invited me over at his blog to ramble! Thank you, Frank! :)

Random Friday

One of the reasons to go to London is to watch Krrish 3 coming out on Diwali (nov.4th) – but Hrithik has just been to London to promote it (or is it the videogame? What was he doing at an Apple Store anyway? *wonders the i-Nothing Gal*) already – way ahead of the release. Sigh. I’m always lucky with the movies stars I like – when Keanu was shooting 47 Ronin at the Shepperton Studios I didn’t manage to meet him (not to mention when I went to LA and he was in NY or I went to NY and he was in Europe – he has a knack for avoiding me!).

Anyhow, I’ve decided to continue a comic I did in 1998 and then a second (much shorter) part in 2000, which eventually will become a booklet about Superdeformed Barb which will include also Teen Barb and other vignettes I did – but not the Happiness Is… See the definition of Super deformed – although mine is a very personalized way of deforming people. It’s more Schulz than manga! But then, my drawing influences come from all over the world… I’ve never drawn True Manga style!

I’m currently writing/sketching the beginning – and if you wonder why I’m saying this now, it’s not total randomness, it is related to the previous paragraph!

Since I didn’t know what to talk about today, here’s the ramble. The 1998 comic was called “Superdeformed threesome”, starring me, Brad and Leo (my muses back then – do I need to specify their family names? ). I’m going to do “SD Threesome Millennium”, starring me and my two muses of today, Keanu and Hrithik (see how that ties to the first paragraph?)!

A little bit of self-irony doesn’t hurt, even if I’m almost 50. I don’t care, life is beautiful with my imaginary friends! Anyhow, won’t be anything I’ll start working on until next year, since I want to finish SKYBAND first, and then I need to publish a B.G.Hope title which is referred to in one of the pages. But the London episode above might end up in it, like other real episodes ended up in the previous “SD” stories!

Speaking of Muses (since they both are) – I got a thumbnail of the cover of Star Minds Snippets (that’s Second Muse in case you were wondering. Is there still someone out there who doesn’t know what Ker-ris looks like?). Unfortunately the Cosmopolitan cover widget no longer works, so you’ll have to wait another couple of weeks… maybe I’ll do my first cover reveal, LOL! No, wait, that’s treating a book like traditional publishers… so no “cover reveal”, just straight to publication!

And that’s all for today… have a great weekend!