Angela Addams's Blog, page 15
April 25, 2013
Ad Astra Take Two.....
Sword Play....the weird r-rated version.
So, last week I told you all about my experience at Ad Astra and the unfortunate confusion over the Weapons Check panel... well, that wasn't the only funny incident that happened...oh no, not by a long shot. There was also the Sword Play panel...to which one of my non-writing friends said, "that sounds like a bad porn title" and it kinda was...
We got there a little late and the place was packed...standing room only...luckily some of our quick thinking friends had snagged us a few seats near the front. We sat, we listened, we tried to keep our eyes on the front...I mean, it was interesting stuff... about swords through history...with no props, pictures or illustrations of any sort...just two guys, talking (excitedly) about swords. (I think we've established that this may not have been the best convention to go to with expectations for learning more about the "craft" of writing). And then, just when my friend Tammy started glancing back at me, giving me the "lets get outta here look" the two sword-a-philes got up, walked to the front of the table and proceeded to "demonstrate" sword manoeuvres...with imaginary swords. It was fascinating, for all the wrong reasons, especially when one of the girls pointed out the extremely well packed “equipment” of the one presenter. Sword play indeed. I contemplated asking for some pointers on stance and thrusting...but then figured going to lunch would be safer ;-)
Yet another humorous incident at my first ever convention, not sure it will ever be topped...especially considering the stuff I'm not telling you all ;-)
April 14, 2013
Weapons Check
Check, check...is this thing on????
So, I recently attended my very first convention, Ad Astra, which took place in Markham, Ontario last weekend. I was pretty excited from the start. Not only was I meeting up with the amazing Kelley Armstrong but I had several writing pals attending, some of whom I'd never meet in real life. It was loads of fun and I learned quite a bit, some of it a little disheartening but all of it valuable. I had a few pretty funny mishaps as well...one of which was attending the Weapons Check panel.
The Weapons Check panel...sounds interesting right? For those of you who are writers, sounds promising...a chance to talk weapons...view weapons...perhaps touch weapons? Um...yeah....
So a gaggle of us writer ladies parade into this little seminar room, all coming off of a Kelley Armstrong induced high, giddy, excited, looking forward to a night of learning. We take a seat near the front (don't want to look to keen) and watch as our panel host begins to unload some weapons...a bow, a musket...a plastic looking futuristic gun of some sort....that was the first hint that I might be in the wrong place. Toy weapons? Really?
Once all the weapons were on display, our host looks up and says, "Wow, I wasn't expecting so many people to attend! This is great! It's only going to take about five minutes to go through the information and then I can start checking weapons." Or something like that....which was my second hint. Checking weapons? You mean literally?
"That's why I'm here!" Says the guy in the front row, fake parrot attacked to his left shoulder as he lifts his homemade, gigantic, anvil like weapon on a pole.
And that was when I knew...we had stumbled into a realm that none of us was prepared for...this Weapons Check panel was for folks who were dressing in character, folks who had fake weapons as part of their costumes and needed to make sure they met regulations. In other words, not us.
It was funny...awkward but funny. We figured out a way to get the heck outta there quick, ignoring the pleas of the host to "just stay" "we can talk weapons", feeling like we narrowly escaped an hour of painful weirdness.
We laughed our way downstairs not knowing that while we were running away, at that exact moment, 14 floors up, all of the mega authors were holding a meet and greet, an event that we sadly missed out on because we'd been too fixated on the idea of a tactile experience with weapons.
So, lesson learned...when attending cons, take the titles literally cause a Weapons Check might just mean you'd better have your light sabre or photo torpedo or whatever.
So, I recently attended my very first convention, Ad Astra, which took place in Markham, Ontario last weekend. I was pretty excited from the start. Not only was I meeting up with the amazing Kelley Armstrong but I had several writing pals attending, some of whom I'd never meet in real life. It was loads of fun and I learned quite a bit, some of it a little disheartening but all of it valuable. I had a few pretty funny mishaps as well...one of which was attending the Weapons Check panel.
The Weapons Check panel...sounds interesting right? For those of you who are writers, sounds promising...a chance to talk weapons...view weapons...perhaps touch weapons? Um...yeah....
So a gaggle of us writer ladies parade into this little seminar room, all coming off of a Kelley Armstrong induced high, giddy, excited, looking forward to a night of learning. We take a seat near the front (don't want to look to keen) and watch as our panel host begins to unload some weapons...a bow, a musket...a plastic looking futuristic gun of some sort....that was the first hint that I might be in the wrong place. Toy weapons? Really?
Once all the weapons were on display, our host looks up and says, "Wow, I wasn't expecting so many people to attend! This is great! It's only going to take about five minutes to go through the information and then I can start checking weapons." Or something like that....which was my second hint. Checking weapons? You mean literally?
"That's why I'm here!" Says the guy in the front row, fake parrot attacked to his left shoulder as he lifts his homemade, gigantic, anvil like weapon on a pole.
And that was when I knew...we had stumbled into a realm that none of us was prepared for...this Weapons Check panel was for folks who were dressing in character, folks who had fake weapons as part of their costumes and needed to make sure they met regulations. In other words, not us.
It was funny...awkward but funny. We figured out a way to get the heck outta there quick, ignoring the pleas of the host to "just stay" "we can talk weapons", feeling like we narrowly escaped an hour of painful weirdness.
We laughed our way downstairs not knowing that while we were running away, at that exact moment, 14 floors up, all of the mega authors were holding a meet and greet, an event that we sadly missed out on because we'd been too fixated on the idea of a tactile experience with weapons.
So, lesson learned...when attending cons, take the titles literally cause a Weapons Check might just mean you'd better have your light sabre or photo torpedo or whatever.
March 29, 2013
Guest Interview: Author Anne Michaud
Once again, I've got my good friend, Anne Michaud on my blog with an interview and a contest!
1) The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Give me a quick run down of what’s happening in your writing world these days.
Well, I've been hard at work on my sequel, Girls & Aliens, and I'm outlining the next installment, Girls & Ghosts. There's this French novella about Hiroshima that needs editing and a screenplay idea floating around in my brain. Oh, and did I mention my next YA novel, Killer Girl? Yep, I'm busy all right.
2) What kind of writer are you? Do you plot your stories out? Do you have a particular routine? What does your writing “day” look like?
I outline everything that comes up as the story gestates, then write accordingly. I often stray, but then I readjust the outline, to not get stuck. My routine is write as I wake up, eat, walk the dog, write, eat, write, read, go to bed. My life is so glamorous, I fear people will get jealous.
3) How long have you been writing for?
Full-time, since my Master's in screenwriting eight years ago. It never stopped since, it comes out in short stories, novellas, novels, scripts. It just won't leave me alone. Seriously, is there a drug for it to stop? Help!
4) What’s your opinion on agents? Traditional Publishing? Self publishing? Etc.
I used to dream of traditional publishing and agents, but recently, I'm not so sure. I want to make a living out of this writing bug, and from what I'm reading on the internets, it doesn't happen as much as it used to with trad pub. I'm adjusting, I'm not locking doors, I really want to see my work in hardback at Indigo, but if it doesn't happen, no one's gonna die.
5) Where do you think we’re going in this crazy publishing world?
Exactly where we are: some will buy indie, some will buy trad, some a mix of both. I refuse to believe paper books will vanish, and I'm fed up of readers snubbing indie from bad experiences. Like everyone else, I want to read good books, and hardbacks aren't immune to suckiness, just as indie isn't either.
6) What is the best way to sell books? To get your name out there?
If I only knew. I'm guessing good reviews get word of mouth, then some sort of blog tour to reach potential readers, and if luck is involved, it'll work. If not, all that hard work for nothing – until the next book comes out and it starts all over again!
7) What are your goals for the future? Where do you want your writing to take you?
I want to learn a living from my writing, which means after I finish my transcription contracts at 4 in the afternoon, I go to my WiP and write until my brain bleeds. On free weekends, I write some more. I've read over and over again how indie writers can actually reach their goals by productively releasing more than one book in a year, so that's what I'm trying to to.
8) If you could get inside the head of one writer (living or dead) for an hour, who would it be and why?
Neil Gaiman, because his world is beautiful and frightening, and I wish so much to be part of it. Not in a creepy fangirl way, more like a character he shapes into someone dark and demure. Oh yes, me loves the dark.
Anne is not only a talented writer but she also makes these super cute skeletons...here's your chance to win some!
Contest Info
Author Bio
She who likes dark things never grew up. She never stopped listening to gothic, industrial and alternative bands like when she was fifteen. She always loved to read horror and dystopia and fantasy, where doom and gloom drip from the pages.
She, who was supposed to make films, decided to write short stories, novelettes and novels instead. She, who’s had her films listed on festival programs, has been printed in a dozen anthologies and magazines since.
She who likes dark things prefers night to day, rain to sun, and reading to anything else.
She blogs http://annecmichaud.wordpress.com
She tweets @annecmichaud
LIVE CHAT on APRIL 30th 9PM east http://www.darkfuse.com/events.html
March 15, 2013
The Secret
Shhhhhhhhhh
Isn't much of a secret really. I mean, I've understood the idea of “The Secret” for some time...think I watched a show on Oprah about it or something. In case you haven't heard of "The Secret", it's something along the lines of visualizing one's goals to the extent that you believe it will happen. The power of faith. Believing in yourself. Whatever.
I'm not a very spiritual person, neither is my husband. In fact, he makes fun of me whenever I talk about astrology or “nonsense” like that cause it’s all superstition as far as he’s concerned. We were talking one afternoon about my writing goals and some decisions that were pending...decisions that were out of my control. I said something negative (which is typically the way I roll when talking about myself) and he surprised me by saying that I needed to believe in my goals if I wanted them to happen and that speaking negatively about it went against the principles of “The Secret”. I think my mouth actually dropped open and I thought about checking his forehead for fever. The Secret? Really? That's bordering on spiritual in many ways. The power of faith? Restricted territory in our world.
He went on to say that he'd been watching a documentary about “The Secret” and although he couldn't finish watching it cause it got too preachy and boring (this is when I knew he was still the same level headed man I married) he did find it intriguing that the idea of believing in your goals could have such power. When I tried to argue about track record he said, "you can't base what's going to happen in the future on what has happened in the past, not when you're talking about things that are out of your control". Hmmmmmmmm....now, that made sense to me, it really gave me something to think about. Nothing that has happened in my past could impact the decision that was coming, at least not luck or superstition or anything like that..
So, that night, while reading in bed, I started thinking about what he said. I closed the paperback I was holding and looked at the cover. Of course it was the genre I write and it just so happened that the author’s last name name starts with a capital A...so you know what I did? I covered all the other letters in that author's name except for the A, and then I envisioned myself holding my own book, tracing that embossed A over and over again. It felt good. It felt powerful. So that’s my secret. ;-)
It will happen. I will hold my own book in my hand. One day.
February 20, 2013
Guest Post Cover Reveal!
My good friend and gothsis, Anne Michaud has a book coming out very soon. I invited her on my blog for her cover reveal and to give you all a little taste of what is to come!
Death Song Excerpt
Something catches in the back of my throat. Ihide my face in my hands to quiet the sobs. But then,something ain’t right. Air moves around me and Istop. I look between my fingers, but the blur of mytears thickens everything: the bathtub, the towels,and someone on the floor.
A woman’s in here with me, door still closed andlocked. An exhale, like after a deep swim, and a smell,like the swamp close to my empty home. A chill runsdown my back, I wipe my eyes, rub and scratch themto see more clearly. And I do.
Two gray hands scratch the floor tiles, nails greenwith algae, putrid flesh sagging on her legs, armsand torso, hair so long and wet and heavy, it dragsher down. Diluted, impossible to focus on, like littlewaves rippling over her body from head to foot, seaweedin the water. Scales and fins, mermaidlike, littleknives, those are. And they scrape the floor, like afork on a plate. It’s her—Limnade.
She opens her mouth of scissor-teeth and the rottensmell of fish wraps around my throat like twohands trying to choke me.
“You can’t be…” I don’t finish my breathlessthought and jump backward, knocking over the dishof decorative soaps. Blurry waves, vision impaired,out of focus, unreal. She crawls toward me, eyes unblinking,lethal, hands inches from me: my legs refuseto move, as my body feels like stone. Frozen,hypnotized, a statue. Then I hear something comingfrom within her…
A melody, reminding me of something lost, ticklesmy ears. It drags on until the sweetness turns sickly,vibrating into a full-on super-scream, hyenalike,enough to pop my ears and make them bleed. Herlarge mouth deforms her face into one gap of black,the cry so high and strident, I scream from the pain.Limnade stares at me, everything but her fadesaway—Jo’s nice bathroom, Jo’s new life, Jo himself—none of it matters anymore. Her fingers brush myforehead, they’re cold and sticky like clams. And I letthe darkness take me away.Goodreads
She who likes dark things never grew up. She never stopped listening to gothic, industrial and alternative bands like when she was fifteen. She always loved to read horror and dystopia and fantasy, where doom and gloom drip from the pages.
She, who was supposed to make films, decided to write short stories, novelettes and novels instead. She, who’s had her films listed on festival programs, has been printed in a dozen anthologies and magazines since.
She who likes dark things prefers night to day, rain to sun, and reading to anything else.
She Blogs
She tweets @annecmichaud
Death Song Excerpt
Something catches in the back of my throat. Ihide my face in my hands to quiet the sobs. But then,something ain’t right. Air moves around me and Istop. I look between my fingers, but the blur of mytears thickens everything: the bathtub, the towels,and someone on the floor.
A woman’s in here with me, door still closed andlocked. An exhale, like after a deep swim, and a smell,like the swamp close to my empty home. A chill runsdown my back, I wipe my eyes, rub and scratch themto see more clearly. And I do.
Two gray hands scratch the floor tiles, nails greenwith algae, putrid flesh sagging on her legs, armsand torso, hair so long and wet and heavy, it dragsher down. Diluted, impossible to focus on, like littlewaves rippling over her body from head to foot, seaweedin the water. Scales and fins, mermaidlike, littleknives, those are. And they scrape the floor, like afork on a plate. It’s her—Limnade.
She opens her mouth of scissor-teeth and the rottensmell of fish wraps around my throat like twohands trying to choke me.
“You can’t be…” I don’t finish my breathlessthought and jump backward, knocking over the dishof decorative soaps. Blurry waves, vision impaired,out of focus, unreal. She crawls toward me, eyes unblinking,lethal, hands inches from me: my legs refuseto move, as my body feels like stone. Frozen,hypnotized, a statue. Then I hear something comingfrom within her…
A melody, reminding me of something lost, ticklesmy ears. It drags on until the sweetness turns sickly,vibrating into a full-on super-scream, hyenalike,enough to pop my ears and make them bleed. Herlarge mouth deforms her face into one gap of black,the cry so high and strident, I scream from the pain.Limnade stares at me, everything but her fadesaway—Jo’s nice bathroom, Jo’s new life, Jo himself—none of it matters anymore. Her fingers brush myforehead, they’re cold and sticky like clams. And I letthe darkness take me away.Goodreads
She who likes dark things never grew up. She never stopped listening to gothic, industrial and alternative bands like when she was fifteen. She always loved to read horror and dystopia and fantasy, where doom and gloom drip from the pages.
She, who was supposed to make films, decided to write short stories, novelettes and novels instead. She, who’s had her films listed on festival programs, has been printed in a dozen anthologies and magazines since.
She who likes dark things prefers night to day, rain to sun, and reading to anything else.
She Blogs
She tweets @annecmichaud
February 9, 2013
Finding Cupid's Arrows Blog Hop
So Valentine’s Day…ugh…not a holiday I particularly cherish. It’s too pink for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love the chocolate that typically comes with the day but all that lovely dovey stuff gets a little noxious and seems so…put on?
To me, romance doesn’t just happen one day of the year, and even though I write erotic romance where everything is hot, heavy and all tied up into a neat little bow by the end, real life and real love isn’t always pink.
As I’ve mentioned in past posts, I’m not the most romantic of folks. I don’t ewwww and awww over flowers (actually, I hate getting flowers) and jewelry. I don’t like the gushy bad poetry that flies around all over the place. I’m not into teddy bears or other cutie things. If my husband ever posted a sappy love note to me on FB I would barf and then kill him. I understand that some women love that kinda thing but that’s not what romance is to me.
Recently, my hubs and I were having a conversation about a situation at work that I was dealing with. I was very upset that I wasn’t getting support about a really important issue.
Me: “I just don’t understand why they won’t stand up and fight along side me. It’s important for us all to stand strong.”
Hubs: “Because they are all cowards, Angie. And you, are not.”
I swear, those words actually had me tearing up a bit, (I didn’t let on of course cause I’m a tough lady) but his support, at that moment, was exactly what I needed to hear and those words were the epitome of romantic to me. He gets me. That’s better than bad poetry, ugly roses, expensive jewelry, maybe even chocolate (gasp) and corny posts on my FB timeline.
So there you go, another anti-romance, romance post.
In the name of anti-romance, romance, I’m giving away a copy of my Cupid’s Conquest novella, Going the Distance. All you have to do is leave a comment and your email to be entered to win. I’ll randomly draw the winner next week.
Then you need to hop on over to the next stop on our….BLOG HOP for a chance to win more amazing prizes, including the BIG prize, a beautiful, Cupid inspired Arrow necklace and a $25 GC for Evernight Publishing!
Enter here for a chance to win the necklace and GC!
a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway
Evernight Publishing All of the Cupid's Conquests titles are all sale this week too!
January 31, 2013
High Concept vs Low Concept...Um...pardon me???
I was recently at a workshop being given by the amazing, Kelley Armstrong and discussion turned to high concept vs low concept. Now this is something that I know a lot of my author pals are kind confused about. What exactly is high concept anyway? And how does one capture the elusive high concept idea?
The explanation Kelley gave made sense to me at the time, high concept is an idea that will make a lot of money...an idea that catches people's attention immediately and doesn't take a lot of explanation. It goes hand in hand with a great log line...those tremendously difficult one line summaries of our 90k blood sweat and tears.
While sitting in the workshop I started going through the ideas I've had over the years for my novels and wip. I came up with log lines that were okay...decent...maybe high concept...I think. Well, they certainly sounded good in my head at the time. But it wasn’t until I was watching the movie Limitless the other night that I truly understood what high concept meant...the log line for that movie crashed into my brain the second I turned my thoughts in that direction.
Down and out man is given a pill that allows him to tap into all of his brain power.
Whether you've seen the movie or not, whether you’re a writer or not, I'm sure you can come up with a million ways that would be a great story...and it was a great story.
How about this:
Man wakes up from coma to find the world overrun by zombies.
High concept. Exciting. (Well, at least two years ago it would be, pre-zombie saturation) Makes you want to know more right?
Sometimes the log line is amazing but the story that follows isn’t so great. Sometimes the log line stinks but the story is awesome. What I figured out about high concept is that the trick is to find that elusive idea that doesn’t already exist, in a new or emerging market, and then execute it in a non-suck kinda way.
Easy right? Lmao. Right.
January 20, 2013
Witch Hunt: Author Interview
I had the opportunity to interview the authors from Witch Hunt: Of the Blood - One question, a variety of interesting answers...
It is my belief that out of all of the supernatural species the witch is the most powerful.
Agree or disagree and explain why.
K.L. Schwengel:
Trick question. :) Singly, I would have to disagree. There are likely more powerful species in the supernatural realm. But when witches combine their energy within their circle, I believe they can be incredible strong.
Devin O'Branagan:
Disagree. I actually think angels are more powerful because they access more realms of existence than I believe witches can.Keri Lake:
Agree. The ‘supes’ we write about in fiction are based on real individuals who, throughout history, have fought against social persecution for what they believe. Weaving this trait into a character is what I enjoyed most about writing "The Banishing." The witches in the Witch Hunt story possess supernatural abilities, but they wield their power in a manner that is aligned with their beliefs.
Krista Walsh:
I have to agree! They may not have great physical strength, but they're able to manipulate the world around them to their advantage. No matter what "brand" of witchcraft you consider (Oz, Hogwarts, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Witch Hunt), the magic users are the characters to watch out for. They're also the most fun to write!
Suzanne Hayes Campbell:
Interesting question. "Supernatural" means: (of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature: a supernatural being.
I do not believe in supernatural beings or magical powers. There are many things in the universe that are explainable by scientific means—I'm fine with that. This lack of belief in the paranormal doesn't preclude the writing of fiction based in that world however. In some ways a scientific mindset may makes it easier to write fantasy in a more convincing way.
If supernatural beings existed, their powers would be a continuum. At times one may best the other, but not all vampires would be always equally powerful, nor all demons, nor all fairies, etc. More importantly, witches are not supernatural beings. Witches are humans having a set of beliefs, and practice a craft associated with those beliefs, it follows that a witch's power is dependent on their abilities to perform their craft.
My character, Prissy Hawthorne—a young child, suffered the trauma of the Salem witch trials in the early 1700s when religious fanaticism was at a high, when knowledge of science (including herbology) was not widespread, nor deep. Anything not understood was the providence of God or evil powers. Women, were labeled witches for using knowledge outside the mainstream. Witches, ever since, have been associated with the underworld lumping them in with other "supernatural" beings such as devils, demons, ghosts and the like. They were not such beings then, or now.
Five novellas based on Devin O’Branagan’s bestselling novel, Witch Hunt!
You’ve closed the cover on Witch Hunt, but the story isn’t over … yet! Devin O’Branagan has handpicked writers to take up her characters’ stories and explore what happens next.The anthology begins with O’Branagan’s own novella about Hawthorne matriarch, Vivian. Vivian and her fellow British witches work together to prevent a Nazi invasion during World War II. Then there is Colonial maiden, Bridget, who struggles with the guilt of failing her family in Salem, 1692. Her younger sister, Prissy, mysteriously disappears and finds another magical world. Julia, torn by family loyalties, love, and her spiritual quest, pays a huge price to continue the bloodline. And Miranda uses her powers against the great influenza outbreak of 1918—but finds the ultimate foe is prejudice against her kind.
Discover what was left out of Witch Hunt and revisit your favorite characters with these exciting novellas. The story isn’t done until the battle’s lost and won.
This anthology contains novellas by Devin O'Branagan, Suzanne Hayes Campbell, Keri Lake, K.L. Schwengel, and Krista Walsh.
All five authors of the anthology are available for discussion at Devin's writers' forum. This is the link to chat with them: Chat With The Authors!
Witch Hunt: Of the Blood is available in both print and eBook formats and may be found at Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. (Smashwords provides copies compatible with almost all types of eReaders including Sony, Apple, Kobo, etc.) It is also available internationally via Amazon worldwide!
Two of the stories in this anthology are bridges to the upcoming sequel, Witch Hunt: Resistance, which will be released in 2013.
The original Witch Hunt is an international bestseller first published by Simon & Schuster's Pocket Books. It has been translated into German and Turkish and is consistently on the bestseller lists. It is the story of 300+ years in the history of a family of witches, from the time of the Salem trials to a modern-day witch hunt. It begs the question: could it happen again?
Witch Hunt is available as both a paperback and an eBook. It is available at Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords.
December 28, 2012
Author Interview: Steve McHugh
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Give me a quick run down of what’s happening in your writing world these days.
Well, I’ve just finished my second book, Born of Hatred, which was launched on the 16th Dec. And now I’m writing my third book, With Silent Screams. Basically, if I’m not currently writing, I’m thinking about writing. I’ll take a few days over Christmas off, although if there’s one thing I’ve learnt about being a writer, it’s that you’re never truly ‘off work’.
What kind of writer are you? Do you plot your stories out? Do you have a particular routine? What does your writing “day” look like?
I tend to know what’s going to happen at the beginning and end of each chapter, and I have an idea about what I want to happen in the chapter. But the small details just happen. It’s nice to be surprised. If I plotted everything out in depth, I’d only get annoyed when I changed everything.
My routine is that I sit down at my desk and just start writing. Because I have a full-time job at the moment, my writing day is always changing. Evening and weekends are when I’m allowed to get some work done. But if I didn’t have to work too, I’d be at that desk for 8am every day. One can dream, I guess.
How long have you been writing for?
I’ve always written, and always wanted to be a writer, but never actually finished anything. When my first daughter was born, 8 years ago, I started to take my writing seriously.
What’s your opinion on agents? Traditional Publishing? Self publishing? Etc. Where do you think we’re going in this crazy publishing world?
Ohhh, this may take a while. Agents are very good at their jobs, and their jobs is to make their agency money. It’s the same with the big publishers, they’re out to make money. You can hardly blame them for it. But over the years, it’s seemed that they’re less willing to take chances on new authors and those who are offered a contact don’t always get the support they should have.
These are probably isolated incidents, and I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who are very happy with their publisher/agent. But it seems like more and more people aren’t. Maybe it’s a sign that more people are using the net to vent their frustrations, or maybe it’s a sign that publishing isn’t taking care of their clients as much as they used to. I don’t know, but it’s certainly something I hear more of.
The other problem with the big publishers, is that they don’t seem to know how to deal with ebooks and the advent of authors publishing their own work. If they’re not careful, they’ll end up like the music or film industry and no one wants that.
It seems like there are also more people who indie/self publish and then get picked up by agents/publishers after proving that they’re a saleable commodity. That may well be where the industry is going. That you have to prove yourself before you get noticed. But by that point, those indie writers who are successful, why bother going with an agent/publisher?
As for that whole self publishing revolution, it’s fantastic that people can get their work read, and make money, without having to jump through the usual hoops. Sometimes it’s not easy to spot those who take the time and effort to make their book excellent and professional before publishing it, and that’s a problem that will always exist.
I doubt I’d ever have been published if not for the ability to sell my book alone. I certainly wouldn’t have gotten the recognition or sales I had without Amazon being available to put my work on. So, from my point of view, indie publishing is a wonderful thing. Something I can recommend to anyone who is just not getting anywhere with your book via traditional methods, or for those who just want to control their own work. It’s a lot of work, and it’s very much a life of highs and lows. But surely if it were easy to do, everyone would be doing it. And when you get success, it’s pretty damn good.
What is the best way to sell books? To get your name out there?
Write something good is probably the best way. If it’s good, people will pick it up (maybe not millions of people, but still, it’ll find an audience). Using FB/Twitter and the like are incredibly helpful too. As are all of the amazing people out there who will lend you their blog.
There’s no single way to get your book sold. Get a very good cover, have a good story and make sure it’s well written. That’s all you can ever really do. All the blog tours/FB status in the world won’t matter an inch, if your work sucks.
And whatever you do, don’t be an asshole. It will come back and bite you on the ass.
What are your goals for the future? Where do you want your writing to take you?
To be rich and beloved by all. Okay, on a more serious note. I’d love to write full-time. That’s my goal. To make enough money that I can work from home and write. One day, I hope that comes true.
At the moment, I have notes for about two dozen Nate books and then a steampunk mini series (which would make a great comic if I ever get the time), a YA series set in the same world as Nate’s and an historical series set in the same world too. Lots of ideas, lots of notes, only so many hours in the day.
There was a time when Nathan Garrett was feared. When the mention of his name was enough to stop his enemies in their tracks. That time has long since passed.When Nathan’s friend asks for help investigating a pattern of horrific crimes, he reluctantly agrees. But his investigation leads to a serial killer who is something more, or less, than human, a creature of pure malevolence and hatred.There are some things that even a 1600-year-old sorcerer hesitates to challenge. But when evil targets those Nathan cares about, his enemies will discover exactly who Nathan used to be. And why they will learn to fear him once more.Born of Hatred is an action-packed, Urban Fantasy set in modern-day England with historical flashbacks to late nineteenth century Montana. It’s the second book of the Hellequin Chronicles, following the widely praised Crimes Against Magic, which introduced sorcerer Nathan Garrett.Purchase from: KindleAmazon.co.uk - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Hatred-Hellequin-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00AOLBMO8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355662389&sr=8-1Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/Born-Hatred-Hellequin-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00AOLBMO8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355662370&sr=8-2&keywords=hellequin+chronicles+book+2
A paperback copy will be out before the end of the year.
December 15, 2012
Guest Interview: Author Colin F. Barnes
1
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Give me a quick run down of what’s happening in your writing world these days.
Well, first off, thanks for hosting my today. You rock. I’m currently being all zazzy about my debut novel Artificial Evil: Book 1 of The Techxorcist, a cyberpunk/technothriller that mixes Blade Runner, Mad Max, and The Exorcist. Beyond that I’ve just completed a gothic novella ‘Heart for the Ravens’ that will be published by Fox Spirit Books. I’ll soon be heading back into more of The Techxorcist with the follow up: Assembly Code.
What kind of writer are you? Do you plot your stories out? Do you have a particular routine? What does your writing “day” look like?
No single day looks the same. I do like the idea of routine, but it doesn’t always work out like that. I have a schedule I like to stick to, but with most best-laid plans, it never quite runs the way you’d want it to so I just try and write when and where I can.
I’m a plotter; I hate having to go into a project not knowing where I’m going. I write quite lengthy outlines, detailing each scene, the character’s motivations, transition points, reversals, and the whole fail/success cycle.
Once I have that structure in place I’m free to get creative and decide how to get from one scene to the other. By doing it like this I find it gives me direction and each time I sit down to write I can get straight to it; there’s no worrying about whether it’s working or not. Some find it restrictive, but placing restrictions (an outline) on one’s self can often be very creative.
How long have you been writing for?
Seriously for about 10 years, but I’ve been writing stories since I was about 8 or 9.
What’s your opinion on agents? Traditional Publishing? Self publishing? Etc. Where do you think we’re going in this crazy publishing world?
Honestly? I have no real idea. The whole thing is a mess at the moment and no one has any clue as to what they’re doing or where it’s going. I personally believe in a blended approach in that I’m happy to self-publish work, submit to small/indie press and also follow the traditional model, but the main thing is authors have more power now. We aren’t slaves to bad contracts or dodgy agents, we have various avenues to explore and that’s pretty great.
What is the best way to sell books? To get your name out there?
Write badly written porn fan-fic of a previous best-seller. Beyond that, just keep writing and hope you’re one of the lucky ones to break through.
What are your goals for the future? Where do you want your writing to take you?
My goals for the future are to conclude The Techxorcist series, and a duology that I’m currently writing. I’m always looking to improve my craft, so I’d like my writing to take me from one book to another improving each time and hopefully building a fan base that will allow me to continue writing full-time.
If you could get inside the head of one writer (living or dead) for an hour, who would it be and why?
Ray Bradbury. The man was pure magic. A bonafide literary genius. And he was such a lovely guy. He was the most passionate of all writers about his work and found joy in almost everything he did. I’d love to see how he saw the world just for a while.
Thanks for hosting me, Ang. It’s gratefully appreciated.
Artificial Evil: Book 1 of The Techxorcist is available as a paperback and ebook from:
Print:
Anachron Press:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Evil...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Artificial-Ev...
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4054964
eBook:
Anachron Press:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Evil...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Artificial-Ev...
Kobo:
Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/shop/colin-f-barn...
Print book $10.99 (6.99)
Ebook $4.99 (£3.20)
Tagline:
Three hackers. A deadly plot. One chance to save humanity.
Short Description
In the tradition of William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and Richard Morgan, British writer Colin F. Barnes delivers a cyberpunk tech thriller for the modern age.
2153. Post-cataclysm. The last city exists beneath a dome where the mysterious benefactors 'The Family' tightly control the population with a death lottery and a semi-autonomous network.
All is well until the day family man Gerry Cardle, head of the death lottery, inexplicably finds himself the no.1 target of a malicious Artificial Intelligence. Gerry's numbers are up, and he has just 7 days to save himself, find the source of the AI, and keep the last stronghold of humanity safe.
Gerry finds help in the shadows of the city from two rogue hackers: Petal - a teenage girl with a penchant for violence, hacking systems and general anarchy, and: Gabriel - a burnt-out programmer-turned-priest with highly augmented cybernetics.
With his new team, Gerry discovers there is more beyond the dome than The Family had let on, and his journey to find the source of the AI leads him through a world of violence, danger, and startling revelations.
Everything is not as it seems. Gerry is not who he thinks he is. Evil can be coded…. can Gerry and his friends stop it before it destroys humanity?
Artificial Evil is book 1 of 3 of The Techxorcist series. The larger-than-life offspring of Blade Runner, Mad Max, and The Exorcist.
Quotes:"Artificial Evil: Book 1 of The Techxorcist sees the revival of everything we used to love about cyber punk, repackaged with new twists in this tech thriller. This is a brilliant tale that combines fantastic characters, great tech and a little bit of good old fashioned possession" - Adele Wearing, Un:Bound
"The Techxorcist project piqued my interest for a couple of reasons. First, it is the brainchild of Colin F. Barnes whose work has, to date, always lived up to expectation. The second reason is the title; not only is it fun to say, but it also sets the tone for a grim cross-genre design.Having had the pleasure of reading Articificial Evil: The Techxorcist Book 1, I can honestly say I was not disappointed. The quality of the writing, the originality of the ideas – they blend together to show Barnes’ work at his best. The passion behind the project comes through every description and in every brilliant character – once you meet Petal, you’ll understand.Artificial Evil reads as multiple stories at the same time. On the surface a fantastic plot-arc following a post-apocalyptic virtual battle against an evil AI, the brilliance is in the layers of interpretation going on behind the scenes. There are elements of a dozen classic tales intricately woven into the characters, the concept, and the dialogue, and the combination creates a story that is so rich in meaning and allusion it’s impossible not to connect with this seemingly distant and unrecognizable world.A story that opens the mind to possibilities, crazy ideas that somehow seem plausible, Texchorcist is an exploration of how much we’re willing to give up to be free, and how far we’re willing to go to keep that freedom." - Krista Walsh, Raven's Quill. Bio
Colin F. Barnes is a writer of dark and daring fiction. He takes his influence from everyday life, and the weird happenings that go on in the shadowy locales of Essex in the UK.
Growing up, Colin was always obsessed with story and often wrote short stories based on various dubious 80s and 90s TV shows. Despite taking a detour in school into the arts and graphic design, he always maintained his love of fiction and general geekery. Now, as a slightly weathered adult, Colin draws on his experiences to blend genres and create edgy, but entertaining stories.
He is currently working on a Cyberpunk/Techno thriller serial 'The Techxorcist.' which combines elements of Sci-Fi, Thriller, and Horror.
Like many writers, he has an insatiable appetite for reading, with his favourite authors being: Stephen King, William Gibson, Ray Bradbury, James Herbert, Albert Camus, H.P Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and a vast array of unknown authors who he has had the privilege of beta reading for.
Website: www.colinfbarnes.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ColinFBarnes
