Barbara G. Tarn's Blog, page 145

Sunday Surprise

So, I skipped August, and in spite of the list of guests, I thought I’d restart the “WoW Sunday”, which, for the newcomers, isn’t what you might think, but Words of Wisdom or Writers on Writing – a collection of five writerly quotes. Which goes well between writers’ interviews, don’t you think? Here’s this now monthly feature for your eyes only – five writers’ quotes.

Don’t buy into the myth that writers are a dime a dozen. There is only one you. As long as people crave stories, as long as we need books, we are going to need writers. These days there are so many more ways to publish and so many more ways to connect to the readers. The future is bright.

-  Agent Wendy Lawton @ Books&Such

That is what I have been saying now for a year, and it scares hell out of me to have a major publisher agree. And base his very survival and the survival of his company on being right.

I had honestly hoped I was going to be wrong. I still do, because in my opinion, the best writer is a writer who has choices, who can move into a future and write what he or she wants, and sell it either directly to readers or to a publisher. That is how it is working for me and Kris and Mike and Barry and Joe and a number of others who follow here. We haven’t gone knee-jerk indie or defend-the-fort traditional.

The best is using both indie and traditional at will. The writer’s will.

- Dean Wesley Smith

I am not one of your professional patriots, you must understand. I am not a flag-waver (I don’t even own a flag) and I eschew nationalism. I’m a globalist, who believes that human beings should not divide themselves into any divisions less than “human being.” Let everyone be merely different facets of an overriding humanity.

- Isaac Asimov

I have this strange feeling that if writers spent more time on their own craft, and less time worried about how others do things differently, there would be a lot more good books being published from all directions.

- C.S.Splitter (R.I.P.)

My advice to any writer who plans to be published whether its self or traditionally: start networking NOW. Don’t wait til your book is published. Don’t wait til you have a deal. Start talking to people, start being friends and care about others around you. Draw them into conversation and encourage them. It pays back in so many ways and you know what? It makes you feel good. Because being good to others – knowing that you made someone else smile is way better than just one sale. But the real point here is that – if people like you and genuinely care about you – they will be interested in your writing.

- Cambria Hebert

Random Friday – Giveaway

Since in a few day it will be Da Blogoversary (4 YEARS! That’s eons in blog time! ), I thought I’d do a giveaway. Simply add a comment with the title of your choice to this post and this post only to win one of my e-books – anyone, from any pen name. You haven’t tried B.G. Hope yet? Try one of her funny body switches, or her contemporary stories. You haven’t tried Silvery Earth or Star Minds? Get one in the world you haven’t yet explored. You’re bilingual? Check the Italian stories!  Winners will be announced on Wednesday, Oct.2 – after the blogoversary.

I also decided to try the Goodreads Giveaway feature. It is scheduled to open for entries at midnight on Sunday, September 29 and end at midnight on Wednesday, October 2.

Goodreads Book Giveaway


Books of the Immortals – Air
by Barbara G.Tarn

Giveaway ends October 02, 2013.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

I have selected the English-speaking countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) and added India and Italy just because. Well, you readers of this blog should know why. Goodreads users might wonder – although I did tag it as “India/Persia inspired”!

So, we’ll see how this goes… This GR feature is for the POD versions of books, so that’s why I’m giving away only one copy – international shipping might kill me if I give away more!  I still have a few copies of BoI – Air European Edition that I couldn’t bestow on English-speaking friends in past two years, so let’s hope this will bring in one new fan. One reader at the time, I will reach my 5000 true fans!

Anyhow, 4 years, yikes! Lots of bloggers went MIA in the meantime. But some are still there, like Shafali, Viv and Joleene… it’s been wonderful sharing the WordPress platform with you ladies! Here’s to another 4… hundred years of blogging! Have a great weekend! And don’t forget to enter the giveaways!

Writer Wednesday

Seems Kobo is running a sale – 50% off sale (it runs through the remainder of September with code Sept50 in the cart). I don’t have a Kobo reader, so I don’t know… But it comes handy, since I have a new title out – well, if Kobo makes it “live” in a timely manner, that is. Like Smashwords, they’re expanding and hiring, so it takes longer to publish with them.

I wanted to announce a new title, but unfortunately I was knocked out the whole weekend with a sore eye – which didn’t allow me to stay at the computer for more than five minutes. Not to mention that the text needed one last reading pass, formatting and then upload. So next week, sigh.

I will then share news from writer friends – this is for my screenwriter friends, mostly. Two years ago at a workshop on the Oregon coast (you can guess by who), I met a writer who specializes in Amish fiction.

Four years ago, I signed my first book contract. It was part of a sweet series set in various real towns all over the U.S. put out by a young publishing company called Summerside Press. As my agent went through the contract with me over the phone, she came to the part about movie rights, and I laughed out loud. Me? A movie. Psssht. Like THAT would ever happen!

And then it happened! She’s now currently on the set of the movie based on her book! That’s why I’ve given up writing screenplays and went back to writing prose – one day a producer might find one of my books and decide to make a movie out of it…

Here’s the thing: I absolutely knew in my heart that my little Amish book would never see the light of day as a movie. The mere thought was totally ridiculous. My contract could have given the publisher all movie rights and I wouldn’t have cared because the possibility was too remote. It was my first book with a “real” publisher. At that stage of my career, I would have signed ANYTHING if it meant getting published.Moral of the story: Every word of a contract is really, really, really important because no one can predict the future and NO book should be viewed by the author as a throwaway.

So that’s total wisdom from a writer who made it! Now I’m eagerly waiting for the DVD to come out so I can watch a movie based on a friend’s story!
Also, I have another friend looking for work. If you’d like to have your stories translated into Italian and taste that market, contact me, and I’ll put you in touch with her. I have no idea of her prices or how well you could do – like I said, Italians don’t read much. But most of my sales on Kobo are in Italy, so things are changing!
Eye-doctor (a.k.a. Da Oculist) sez I’ll have to stay put for at least 7 days, so I can’t spend too much at the PC – the white screen kills my left eye. I can write (the paper doesn’t hurt my eye as much as the screen does), so I’m jotting down ideas longhand, but I have to limit my time online. I will add the writerly links next week (when hopefully I’ll feel better, if not healed) and sign off. Don’t worry there are posts scheduled, you won’t miss me! Have a great week (I’m spending mine in the dark, brainstorming with myself and trying not to panick at the ideas accumulating, LOL!)!

Happiness is…

Sunday Surprise

I think I’ll have to start calling them Sunday Interviews. But since I know I’ll run out of interviewees again soon, I’ll just keep the title for this year. So, here’s another Wyrd Worlds author – it was an honor sharing the anthology with him! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Ross Harrison!

Where do you live and write from?

I live in Ireland, just over the border in the south (i.e. the Republic). I write from there, but mostly from my mother’s shop in Derry, just the other side of the border. I moved here twelve years ago, in 2001. It has been an interesting time to watch the city go from bombings every other week to City of Culture this year.

When did you start writing?

I started writing at a very young age, but I don’t remember exactly when. I just wrote short things for myself and for select family members. For some reason, I think most of those early things were horror-related. Gremlins in one, for example. A demon hunter in another. Slowly, the stories became longer and more open. I wrote about a team of soldiers. Then I wrote part of a prequel to that. Then finally, I started work on what began to become my first ‘proper’ book. I lost that through computer corruption, but I still have enough that I’ll go back to it at some point. After a while of feeling sorry for myself for losing that, I started writing again, and that new ‘story’ became my first novel, Shadow of the Wraith.

What genre(s) do you write?

Science fiction, so far. Mostly science fantasy, but I have also written a steampunk short story and a semi-noir thriller. I am very slowly making my way through something completely non-sci fi, but I’m not sure what genre it is yet. And it may not be a complete work for quite a long time.

I intend to write some more thrillers and a fantasy series at some point in the future. I’ll wait until I’ve finished my sci fi series before I move on to that, though.

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

I’m not sure where most of my inspiration comes from. Usually a book starts with a scene, and then it comes to me as I go from there. I was inspired to write the semi-noir thriller while playing a game called Max Payne 3. The narration in that sparked a desire to try something with hints of noir.

I don’t put me in anything, but when writing a main character, it is hard to not have the odd characteristic in common. Travis Archer has a few of mine, more than anyone else. But more along the lines of what I might be like/do in his life and his position. So a different me, I suppose.

Do you have a specific writing routine?

No. I write when I feel like writing. I try to write when I don’t feel like writing, and sometimes that will lead to me actually feeling like it, but often not. There’s no point in me trying to write when I don’t feel like it, because nothing flows and no ideas come, and it will end up lacking. I can edit no matter how I feel, but certainly not write.

I used to find myself desperately wanting to write at just about the same moment I desperately needed to go to bed. Thankfully, now I write during the day and reserve the night for sleeping.

Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?

Up until now, improviser. Shadow of the Wraith, Temple of the Sixth and Kira were all written with only a vague idea of direction. As I said, I start with a scene and let it flow from there. Then I’ll get ideas for more scenes and directions which I’ll jot down. But there was no proper outlining or planning involved. The thriller was a little different. I started the same way, but at about chapter 3 or 4, I ground to a halt. I decided to give planning a try, and it worked out well. For that kind of book, it helped a lot to have all the plot points written down.

As for speed, the first two novels I sped through. They still took a long time to finish, but everything flowed very quickly and easily. With the noir, it was a lot more like hard work. I don’t know why, but there was a lot more sitting staring at the page and waiting for something to happen. Then nothing would happen so I had to make it happen. It was a harder to write, but that didn’t really take away from the enjoyment.

Tell us about your latest book

The thriller is my latest, but I don’t know when that will be published.

I’m also one of the contributors in a free science fiction and fantasy anthology. Twelve authors have contributed short stories of varying shortness to ‘Wyrd Worlds’. The anthology is available from Smashwords, in all e-formats: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/355249

My latest available novel is Temple of the Sixth. It’s the second in my non-linear science fantasy series. Theak failed as a private detective, but that doesn’t stop a group of gods tasking him with the galaxy’s deliverance. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ANSWQTM/

Indie publishing or traditional publishing – and why?

Self-publishing is fairly hit or miss on the reader’s part, because anyone can do it. That said, some pretty bad stuff gets traditionally published too. But for me, self-publishing is perfect. There’s a distinct lack of pride to go with ‘yes my books are published’ since, again, anyone can do it. But I know that my books are not terrible pieces of work that should never see the light of day, and so it certainly beats having them sat in a slush pile on the desk of some agent who isn’t interested in new writers

There are pros and cons of both indie and traditional, but some of the pros that once existed for traditional publishing are fading away. For example, unless you become a fairly big name, it doesn’t matter if you get a publishing contract; you can still expect to do your own marketing. So really, the differences are becoming fewer.

I have no problem being self-published, so long as readers continue to buy and enjoy my work. That said, it would be nice to have just one book traditionally published just for that feeling of being good enough (acknowledgment, I think it’s called!). But that’s mostly an ego thing. I’ll settle for enjoying unexpected first book sales figures. I was contacted by an agent just before I published Shadow of the Wraith, as he had come across part of it online and wanted to read the whole thing. I had to say no at the time, but I did intend to submit my thriller to him. Unfortunately, he is closed to submissions now, with no reopening in sight. But rather than wait around for that, I will push on with it myself, with no disappointment or anything of the like.

So which one? Whichever. It doesn’t make a lot of difference.

Any other projects in the pipeline?

I am currently working on the third book in my series. This is the first time for a while that I don’t have multiple works on the go. Well, technically I do, but as I said earlier, the other one isn’t likely to see the light of day for a long time, if I even go back to it!

Aside from that, the thriller will be the next thing I publish. It is, as yet, unnamed.

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

Like every writer there is, I think, I would like to be able to write for a living. That’s about it. That’s the goal, and to achieve that, I’m…writing. And improving.

Ross Harrison on Amazon UK, Goodreads and Smashwords!

BOOK BLURB:

When omens of the End Times appear across the galaxy, it signals the start of a war between two immortal forces – the Celestians and the Hierarchy. The Hierarchy have learnt and adapted since they last waged war, forcing the Celestians to enlist the aid of mortals to free a kidnapped god.

Thardriik Jhunassi Kortlyn III – Theak – was a private detective. For a day. Then came the incident with the dead puppy and the inevitable end of his crime-fighting career. Despite his flaws, Theak is a clear choice for the Celestians, and he is drawn into the centre of a battle that will decide the fate of the galaxy.

Time is something the Celestians’ heroes do not have as the Hierarchy’s infection spreads across countless worlds, bending every living creature to their will. With the heroes’ every step bringing them closer towards one final battle, there is only one question: can they defeat an ancient and immortal enemy?

Buy links: Amazon, Smashwords

Random Friday

Total randomness… this interesting campaign in India about women. I guess Laxmi is right, lots of people will disagree with this depiction of goddesses. I think the message is clear, though. I’ve read bad stuff about women in India – both Westerners and locals. Means I need to travel with a  bodyguard whenever I manage to make it over there! I’ll have to cajole my friend who often goes to India (because he’s a man, so he can) into coming with me!

I shall continue the randomness with some form of Art Friday, although my book covers are not as good as my pencil portraits, LOL! As I was drawing #13, I realized the scene inside the chapter didn’t match the cover, so I modified it. This was the original cover:

Chapter 13

This is the modified version:I’m almost done with the inking of the whole chapter, then the hard part comes: colors! I’m using Photoshop 7 since I couldn’t find anything more recent. For whatever that old copy can’t do, I’ll use Photoshop Elements 10. Then comes the lettering, which is actually the easiest and 5 pages are already done, since there’s a lot of prose in this chapter (for the last time in this story).

Before starting on #14 I plan to do some experiments with digital paintings of landscapes – might be useful to paste in the two final chapters of S.K.Y.B.A.N.D.! Also, I’m afraid this will be the last graphic novel of this length (330 pages when complete). I will do more comics, but they will be shorter. And probably plotless, like someone said in a review of Lady Ice (there’s one on Smashwords and one on Barnes&Noble that say almost the same thing – that free comic was an experiment to force myself back into drawing, and it served its point! ).

I’m also planning a couple of covers (like redoing Smeraldo and Kyrio in color) for a couple of short stories that will come out also in Italian. I might use those landscapes experiments to create the POD covers in October as well… lots of ideas popping in my head, I’ll have to line them up, lest I get lost in procrastination!

One a final “art” note – I’ve ordered my calendars for 2014… as soon as I get the proofs, I’ll show you how they came out! I used Lulu again – at least for the calendars. I’ll be using CreateSpace in October for the new editions of POD books… Have a great weekend!

Writer Wednesday

Lots of new neat thingies on Smashwords! First, the Smashwords Interviews feature is finally available for publishers. So you have both interviews with Barbara G.Tarn and B.G. Hope – and I used different questions! Now, should I do also the “publisher” interview? Are there any more questions you’d like me to answer?

Second is the Smashwords Series Manager. I have one for Star Minds and one for Silvery Earth. Although for the correct chronology of Silvery Earth you probably better doublecheck on this blog, LOL! I’m not sure if this will improve visibility or sales, but we’ll see!

One final publishing announcement – Choices finally made it to Apple. Gee, they’re slow! Also, there might be problems on Kobo, can anyone tell me if my books are purchasable?  Only try to put them in the shopping cart, don’t finalize the purchase! Since Kobo authors cant buy their own books, I can’t try (unless I try to access Kobo with my Facebook account, probably, but I can’t be bothered, LOL!)…

Still trudging through Amazons which will probably be a double book, since there’s another story that goes with it but doesn’t have Amazons as main characters, but I’m still working on that. Won’t come out until December, I think. Maybe November, if I’m fast. But I keep procrastinating by toying with the Star Minds Snippets.

I’ve written the last one, and now I’m thinking of doing a “novel” version where I put everything in chronological order and make it a prequel-novel. Or should I just leave the short stories and novellas mixed? Also, most stories last years and overlap… I try to stick to one POV character in each, but what if I just put everything in chronological order? A puzzle book or a normal episodic novel? Decisions…

Again, this is the freedom of indie publishing – writing what the story demands and the length it requires without sticking to guidelines. I don’t have (and never will…) George R.R. Martin’s problems of length (I usually am on the short side of stories), but still… Again, great wisdom in Kris Rusch’s business post!

George paraphrased Tolkien by saying that the story makes its own demands. Both men are right: the story is the story, and it’s best for the storytellers to tell the story as it wants to be, not as publishing lengths and artificial deadlines demand it should be. 

Killing the sacred cows of publishing – Agents revised post by Dean Wesley Smith. Really, only one-book-wonders would want an agent in 2013. I hope my writer friends sober up – even if they’re not career writers like me and only want to publish a book or two. Might have to tell them the story of my friend who put her first book up on Kindle and sold 2 copies in the first few hours. I never did that well! True she writes in Italian and for a very specific niche – if I wanted to get rich, I’d write either erotica or yaoi, but I’d rather write what I want instead, LOL!

Hugh Howey’s top 10 list of tips for self-publishers. I prefer “indie”, but I won’t nitpick the word choice! Although at #6 he mentions agents. I’d change that with “IP attorney”. And also why you should self-publish – personally, I want to avoid all the paperwork involved with traditional publishers and I want the freedom to write my story the way I want it, without rewriting according to an editor. Like Hugh says

Remember that it’s okay to write and publish just to make yourself happy, to make yourself fulfilled. There will be authors out there, readers, publishing experts, and booksellers who say that this outpouring of unprofessional drek is ruining the industry, which makes me wonder if these same people drive through neighborhoods yelling and screaming at people gardening in their back yards, shouting at them that, “You’ll never be a farmer!” Or if they cruise past community basketball courts where men and women unwind with games of pickup and shout at them, “You’ll never make it in the NBA!”

Or, as The Best YOU says – watch me! Now apply your butt to chair and just write! If the internet is a distraction, turn it off. Have a great week!

Happiness is…

Sunday Surprise

And it’ s another guest – a fellow author from Wyrd Worlds…. Have you downloaded it yet? No? What are you waiting for, it’s FREE! And this is the author of the opening st ory – but also of the short and hilarious Monday Imps, and I know exactly what she’s talking about since I have imps and pixies in my own house! – who is kindly answering my writerly questions (and actually sent me her own questions, so I’m babbling over at her blog as well). Ladies and gentl emen, please welcome A.L. Butcher!

1. Where d o you live and write from?

I live in the South West UK. I usually write on my laptop as I can lie on the sofa with it, or sit in the really comfy chair. I have a back injury so sitting up at the PC isn’t an option if my back is hurting.

2. When did you start writing?

Oh gosh, I was always an imaginative child, at school I was often the one writing the poetry or short story for the class project. As I have such terrible handwriting this was sometimes a challenge! Most of the writers I speak to tell me they have always been a writer of one sort or another so I think perhaps it is there from the beginning. More recently I used to write adventures for role play games and that led, in a roundabout way, to the novels and other projects.

3. What genre(s) do you write?

Adult dark fantasy/fantasy romance with erotica for the novels and fantasy/ fantasy romance for the anthologies plus poetry now and then.

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

I often get inspiration from small things – for example a conversation with my friend who was cleaning out old food from her larder led to a short fantasy tale about the jars and pots conspiring against each other. Another was thinking about where the socks go when you wash them….

Nature and history provide a lot of ideas plus I read a great deal so sometimes that will spark an idea.

No, I don’t put myself in my stories.

5. Do you have a specific writing routine?

Not really, I try but somehow it never quite goes according to plan. I try and write something every day, even if it is just a blog post or notes.

6. Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?

I have an overall idea in my head for the series but generally the stories are improvised. There are plans but they are more vague ideas than outlines. Every time I outline I end up changing the plan significantly anyway. I cannot force a story and ideas often occur as I am writing. I am quite slow, usually as I am distracted by other things but if I can focus I can get on with it well enough.

7. Tell us about your latest book

Book 2 of my adult dark fantasy series, The Shining Citadel – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Book II was published at the end of May.

The setting of the world of Erana is dark, magic is illegal and elves are enslaved. The land is run by the corrupt Order of Witch-Hunters and slavers who rule by fear and division. Yet magic persists, albeit in hiding, and not all shun the elves, risking life and limb to help an oppressed people.

This adventure follows the characters from Book I when a desperate elf arrives in the peaceful valley of Tremellic asking for help to find a lost family heirloom. Of course not all is as it seems and they leave on a dangerous adventure to find the Shining Citadel, the mythical elven city lost in time and magic. The heroes are watched by a man with a lot of power, a man who could destroy them as he too craves the supposed wealth of the Citadel and his own ambition in destroying the Magelord Archos and his friends.

Information hinted at in Book I plus a good deal of other juicy info is revealed, a lot of it unwelcome and the heroes must deal with this and what it might mean for the future. There is a lot more threat in this book and revelations will impact on later books. Magic and mayhem abound.

Aside from this novel I have just had some short fantasy (non-erotica) stories published in a couple of anthologies. The first is a fairytale type story – The Tale of Treyna the Beloved – which explains why the sun and moon are rarely seen together in the sky. It is a sad tale.

The anthology is called No Sleeves and Short Dresses, it is a collection from various writers on the Good Reads website and all royalties go to http://www.bliss.org.uk which is a charity supporting premature babies and their families. All the stories are summer-themed and cover a variety of genres.

The second anthology is Wyrd Worlds, by a collection of fantasy and sci-fi indie writers, also from Good Reads who publish on Smashwords. I have two short stories – The Blue Phial- which is a short story set in the world of my novels – a Tale of Erana. There is also a story about why things always go wrong on a Monday. This one is free!

Links for the Shining Citadel

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/352783?ref=ALB123

The Shining Citadel – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Book II

Link for No Sleeves and Short Dresses – a Summer Anthology

No Sleeves and Short Dresses: A Summer Anthology

Random Friday

Mmm, okay, it’s Friday, and I don’t have anything non-writerly to report. I haven’t done anything for the graphic novel (shame on me) – but I’m finishing that Snippet, so I can send it to beta-readers soon. I had to disinstall Photoshop CS2 again, and the link where I downloaded it the first time isn’t working without registering with Adobe anymore. So I put back Photoshop 7 while I wait for someone with a newer version to gift me with his or her old one! I’ll have to aks my offline friends if they have any – I still have Photoshop Elements, but I don’t like it. Meh.

I haven’t rewatched or watched any movie either, since I’m reading after dinner. Or writing. So nothing new on that side either (and I’m currently reading an Italian book, so I won’t talk about it here, although I’ve already mentioned it on the Italian blog). Thus I’m embarrassed to say I don’t have much to say today – what a wacky sentence, but it’s true. So I guess I’ll make it Photo Friday and post some pictures of skies and clouds I took lately…

Click to view slideshow.

Sort of lame, I know, but I really don’t have anything to say today! Have a great weekend!