Heather Marie Adkins's Blog, page 14

9/11 & Losing Innocence

Yeah.  Everyone else in the world is blogging about 9/11 today.  I thought about going a different route; finding something upbeat to go on about here at the Cottage, keep it toasty, keep it light.

But, no.

9/11 was a moment that defined my life.  And no matter how hard, no matter how much it sucks, how much we'd rather forget some of our most defining moments…

They are the ones that make us into the people we are meant to be.

I was 16 years old when the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001.  Young.  Impressionable.  Innocent.

But innocence never lasts, does it?  Destruction and hate at the magnitude of the 9/11 disaster can change a girl's mind about the world at large.

For the first time, I was forced to think of something beyond my own little cocoon.  It was no longer clothes, dances, friends, and football games on Friday nights.   It was the real world.

For the first time, I understood war.  Death.  Terror.  Pain.  I didn't lose anyone in the tragedy of 9/11 but I knew others who did – and I knew that the firefighters lost in the collapse could just have easily been my family, my firefighter uncles and grandfather.

My high school was, and probably still is, a bit of a preppy, upstart kinda school.  There were many, many cliques and a lot of separation between the groups.

But, there was a dissolution of that separation during 9/11.  A lot of silence – companionable silence.  Hush over the student body, as if speaking were tantamount to a deadly sin.  The kind of banding together that was sweeping the nation could be found in miniature in my high school.

My mom  was on her honeymoon during 9/11 – she had just left with my stepdad.  My cousin Cory stayed with me while they were gone.

(PS For those of you who  haven't followed my blog for years, Cory passed away in 2008 in a car accident.  He was 25 years old – a US Marine and a firefighter.)

This was one of the last periods of time I remember spending with Cory because it wasn't too long thereafter that he left to be a soldier.

When I arrived home after an extremely surreal day of school, Cory was waiting for me.

"I want to go to church.  Do you?" he asked me, sitting on the couch in our living room with the television silently playing coverage in the background.  I hadn't known Cory to be a very religious guy.

I shrugged.  "I guess.  That sounds like a good idea.  We should do something."

"Where should we go?"

There was a church nearby that was small but popular, so I named it.  We hopped in the car and went, both of us silent.  We sat beside each other in the pew, holding hands and praying.  I didn't really know who I was praying to at that point in my life, but I did it anyway, hoping someone was listening.

I wish I could remember more about that time with Cory.  If I had known I would lose him only a few short years later, I would have categorized, written, and intently observed every move he made, every word he said, every smile he gifted me.  But, like everything in life, like 9/11, death is something we never see coming.

People say the loss of one's virginity is the loss of innocence.  I say bullshit.  My first sexual encounter is damn near forgotten.  The loss of one's innocence can't be calculated by bumbling teenage encounters — the loss of one's innocence is measured in adversity.

My loss of innocence began on September 11, 2001.

On this ten year anniversary, my heart remains with the families of 9/11 victims.  I salute the soldiers of my country, the police officers and firefighters — those active and those who were lost in the collapse.  And I continue to pray for the world to find peace and coexistence on all levels.

Most of all, I just cling to Hope.  Hope in a brighter future.

The Halloween Collection by The Indie Eclective

 

It's here!  The best damn group of indie writers this side of, um, Jupiter!  (What?  I couldn't think of anything better.)

THE HALLOWEEN COLLECTION FROM THE INDIE ECLECTIVE

The Indie Eclective: What is it, who are they, and why can they spell neither "eclectic" nor "collective" correctly? The Indie Eclective is an ensemble of authors operating under the assumption that Readers like Good Books. The Halloween Collection showcases spooky reads from nine very different authors. Whether you enjoy light or dark paranormal, YA or adult-themed genres, there's bound to be a story to suit your tastes. Thanks for reading!

In the Collection…

Rhyn Trilogy: Origins, by Lizzy Ford: Gabriel's fate as an assassin seems set until he meets a courageous half-demon child named Rhyn, whose plight rekindles the humanity he thought he'd lost.



Ralphie the Special Werewolf by P.J. Jones: Ralphie doesn't want to get snipped, but his pack is tired of watching him defile the sofa cushions. Now, he's got to find a mate by Halloween night—or else.

Sunwalker's Kiss by Shéa MacLeod: While searching for a magical bloodline, Sunwalker Jackson Keel discovers magic of a different kind.

The Village of Those Who Touch The Dead by M. Edward McNally: "All obligations will be paid. There are no exceptions."'

Haunting in OR 13, by Alan Nayes: Halloween never frightened Sara McCaffe, until she stepped into Operating Room 13!

To Taste of Shimmering Revenge by Jack Wallen: A vampire is awakened after four hundred years only to find his kind embarrassed and shamed by the rash of shimmery, hunky vampires on the big screen. His revenge will be sweet and tasty.

Magickal Vendetta by Heather Adkins - Revenge is a dish best served up in a pink saucepan for accident-prone blood witch, Gretchen.  By harnessing the power of Halloween, she hopes to break the bond with the soulmate who did her wrong.

From the Keegan's Chronicles series:  Haunted House by Julia Crane - Keegan, Lauren, and Anna find much more than they bargained for during an innocent trip to a commercial haunted house.  Someone long dead awaits them on the second floor…

From the Gifted Teens series: Mind-Blower by Talia Jager - Kassia and Daxton's romantic picnic is interrupted by the arrival of creatures bent on her destruction.  Will her powers fail her when she needs them most?

It's FREE.  It's full of talent, whimsy, and maybe just a little bit of gore…pick it up now at Smashwords!

Coming soon to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Guest Blog by Cheryl Shireman

When I began researching the digital revolution and self-publishing, I did so at the not-so-subtle push of my Daddy.  I was on the fence, clinging to the old model (and dream) of a traditional publisher and my books on the shelves at the local Barnes & Noble.  I ran a lot of Google searches – and I did a lot of soul-searching, too.  But it was a particular search – and a particular author and her book – that gave me the courage to leap off the fence and dive head-first into self-publishing.

I am so incredibly honored today to post a guest blog from my dear friend (and kind, beautiful soul) Cheryl Shireman, author of "Life is But A Dream" and "Broken Resolutions".  Between Cheryl and my dad, they gave me this path of indie publishing.

Writing Between the Diapers

By Cheryl Shireman

Writing is not a priority in my life. I have spent countless hours writing. My bookshelves are filled with classic novels and books on writing. I've never wanted to be anything but a writer. But writing is still not a priority. I'd like to say that it is, but that would be a lie. You can say that something is a priority, but saying it doesn't make it true. Where do you spend your time and money? That's your priority.  It really is as simple as that.

I started writing in my teens and I never stopped. At least not completely. There were many times, however, when real life trumped fiction. I married my childhood sweetheart when I was nineteen, gave birth to three beautiful children, went through a painful divorce, and then went to work in a factory. I wrote between the diapers, I wrote between the tears, and I wrote between pushing buttons in that much-hated factory. But, in reality, writing wasn't a priority. Various fiction and non-fiction books were created and stuffed under the couch during these years, but as a single parent, scribbling words on paper didn't seem quite as important as paying the bills.

One day, while on my way to work in that factory on second shift, I passed my kids coming home on their school bus. At that moment, I decided to go to college and get a "real" job so I could be home at nights. That was my priority. Being able to support my kids and being at home when they got off of that school bus.

The first day of class, as I walked across the campus of a small community college, the school bell rang, echoing across the green expanse of lawn and serving as a sign. I was in the right place. I was going to make a better life for myself and my children. Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting in my first class behind a girl with a huge bow in her hair. At twenty-eight, I felt old, and silly, and out of place. As she chewed bubble gum and popped a bubble, I fought the urge to get up and run from the room. The only thing that kept me in my seat was the thought of passing that school bus. So, I stayed. I worked full-time in a factory, raised three kids, went to class, and cut wood on the weekends to heat the mobile home we lived in. Buying my own chainsaw and cutting wood was cheaper than trying to heat a dilapidated mobile home nestled in the woods of Michigan.

I wrote assignments for my classes, I wrote some short stories, I wrote bits and pieces of novels when I could find the time. Much to my surprise, my college professors told me I was a gifted writer and I should pursue writing. I remarried and moved from that mobile home into a beautiful home where we had great Halloween parties for the kids and went all-out decorating for Christmas. I watched as my son graduated high school and then enrolled in college. We moved to Indiana for my husband's job, built another house, and made it a home. I drove my daughters to dance class three nights a week, worked various jobs, and went to graduate school. And I wrote when I could.

Now, years later, my three kids all have college degrees, and are happily married. The youngest was married in December of 2010. This year, 2011, is the first time in my life that I have actually been able to make writing a priority. Although I am still working a part-time job, I am now able to devote a full forty hours a week to writing. As a result, I have published two novels this year, and will publish a third before the end of the year. The last seven months has been a crazy and exciting whirlwind. Finally, I am living the life of a writer. I write for a living, and that is, literally, a dream come true. It has been a long time since I first picked up pen and paper as a teenager, but that dream has never faded.

About a month ago my daughter-in-law started looking for a full-time position. She and my son have one child, a two-year-old daughter named Anna. Perhaps I am slightly biased, but Anna is the most adorable child you have ever seen in your life. She is also fearless and highly intelligent. To top it off, she has her daddy's curly hair and her mommy's big blue eyes, and she calls me "Bomb Bomb." Up until now, my daughter-in-law has been working part-time and her mom was watching Anna three days a week. When I heard that she was looking for full-time work, I knew my daughter-in-law would ask me to watch Anna the other two days. The timing could not have been worse. I have the career of my dreams. I not only have the time to write, I have the freedom to do so. In a life that has been filled with taking care of pets and children and houses, I now have an empty nest, and free hours to spend writing. Finally, it is my time.

So, when my daughter-in-law asked me if I would watch Anna, I was prepared with my answer – "Yes. I would love to watch her."

This week was my first week to watch Anna. Yesterday, while Anna was eating pasta for lunch, she leaned forward and stretched out her little arms to me. I moved in and she gave me a hug and said, "Best friends!" in my ear.

And you know what? Writing still isn't a priority. At least not on Thursdays and Fridays.

Cheryl Shireman is the author of Life Is But a Dream, Broken Resolutions, and You Don't Need a Prince: A Letter to My Daughter

Life is But A Dream at Amazon

Broken Resolutions at Amazon

You Don't Need a Prince: A Letter to My Daughter at Amazon

Cheryl's Website

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Pink Snowbunnies in Hell (no, really!)

A sleep-deprived author mixes up her metaphors.

A graphic designer has too much time on his hands.

Twenty writers, fueled by copious amounts of chocolate, dream up quirky, funny, and occasionally creepy stories.

And the Pink Snowbunnies Ski in Hell Flash-Fiction Anthology was born.

These are very short stories, under a thousand words each. Some have actual bunnies. Some take rather offbeat trips through the underworld. And some just have a character that shares the sleep-deprived author's mixed metaphors.

All proceeds from this anthology are going to local animal shelters. Pink snowbunnies can take care of themselves, but thank you for helping us support those animals who do need a little assistance.

Stories included in the anthology:

Domestic Disturbance, by T.L. Haddix

Wedding Heaven, Ltd, by A.J. Braithwaite

When, by Robin Reed

Where's JoJo? A Bunny's Guide to Family Dysfunction, by Julie Christensen

Wingman, by Nathan Lowell

It Finally Happens…, by Heather Marie Adkins

Careful What You Wish For, by Barbra Annino

Of Demons and Bunnies, by Nichole Chase

Pink Snowbunnies are the New Pink Ribbon, by Jimi Ripley

One Wrong Turn Deserves Another, by Asher MacDonald

Marissa's Tattoo, by Steve Silkin

Eulogy, by Suzanne Tyrpak

The Taste of Pink Snow, by Susan Helene Gottfried

Revenge of the Peeps, by Camille LaGuire

Love in a Time of Bunnies, by Coral Moore

The Bunni and the Bird, by Penny Cunningham

The Recession is Hell, by Randi Rogue

Pink Snowbunnies Acrostic, by Molly Black

Don't Mess with the Meadow, by Rex Jameson

A Gift for a Very Special Girl, by Debora Geary

Available now at these platforms!

Amazon

Smashwords

I entered this contest before I ever published my first book back in June and made it in the top ten stories   So, my name is listed on it at Amazon!!  Woot!!  It is now available and it benefits puppies!!

Why I Love Country Music

I know. Dub me a redneck. That's fine. I am, after all, a Kentucky girl.

Country has come a long way since the 90s when it was all "my momma got run over by a train and I crashed my pickup down at the bar drinking away my sorrows over a woman."  It's no longer twangy, stereotypical Country.  Don't ask me why, I just feel the need to highlight what draws me to this style of music today.

Reason #1

The Merging of Genres

Alright, so maybe Jason Aldean wasn't the FIRST country star to begin merging country music with rock, but he certainly has been the best.  Without googling or putting a whole lot of thought into it, the first song to come to mind is "My Kinda Party".  Great background guitar mingling with guitar, and of course, Jason's tendency to sound like a country rocker when singing.  Plus, hey, he's hot

Along the same rocker lines, we have Eric Church's current hit single "Homeboy".  By far, this is my favorite song right now.  It is real.  It is emotional.  It is rough.  And the music, dear gods, the music is incredible.  There are several points in the song where I just close my eyes and SAVOR the sound.

Another song that really gets me right now because of the blending of music is "Country Must Be Countrywide" by Brantley Gilbert.  This song has it all–steel guitar, piano, mention of Chris LeDoux…but also has that Jason Aldean rock sound.  Apparently, Brantley Gilbert wrote a lot of Jason's songs so in a way, maybe this is where it originated. Plus, um, he's really HOTT too.

Of course, some of the older country stars have managed the same thing–adding rock to their country. Lest we forget Trace Adkins and his "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" from several years ago…

But this genre merging hasn't stopped at rock. Some country stars are branching out into hip-hop/R&B–I know.  How weird, right?  Tim McGraw might have been the first to test the waters many years ago with "Over and Over", a beautiful song he did with rapper Nelly (who, coincidentally, is one of the ONLY rappers I ever loved and still listen to).

Today, we don't just have duets like the one mentioned above–we have good ole Jason Aldean (coming full circle from the first song in this reason) and "Dirt Road Anthem"…country rap with steel guitar. Apparently he wasn't the first to sing this song, but he's the only one I need

Reason #2

Island Music

Yeah, so this could probably be categorized under reason #1 as a merging of themes, but nahhh. I LOVE country island music. It's fun, it's upbeat, and all things holy in the universe it makes me want a vacation SO BAD.

If we had to credit someone with starting the island theme, it would have to start with Jimmy Buffett about 30 years ago, right?

Well, maybe he isn't "country" but he's certainly taking the country world by storm today with his island country duets! So, to me, that says he was the influence for guys like Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, and Alan Jackson.

Kenny Chesney immortalized his music as the beginning of island popularity with "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" at the turn of the 21st century. He's followed with many more to solidify his place as the prince of this genre, including "When the Sun Goes Down" with Uncle Kracker and recently, his duet with rocker Grace Potter for "You and Tequila"

But, as much as I like good ole Kenny, nobody does island music as good as the Zac Brown Band. They hit country music with their own brand of island with their single "Toes" around 2009. Today, though, their new single "Knee Deep" is one of my top five favorite songs. And they sing it with, YEP, Jimmy Buffett

Plus, Juliette Lewis is in the video–she's a cool damn chick.

And let us not forget country music legend Alan Jackson, who took a dive into island music with Jimmy Buffett (again with the Jimmy) in 2003 "Five O'Clock Somewhere" and has recently released another island themed song, "Long Way to Go".

Wow, I want to go to the beach.

Reason #3

Darius Rucker

Come on.  An African-American country singer who had a prolific and successful career in blues rock, who then breaks onto the country music scene and is an OVERNIGHT success?  That's right, world, Hootie goes country!

The man makes better country music than almost half the country stars out there.  His music is full of raw emotion, and he's cute   I love that he's taken a predominantly white music style and rocked it.  He's one of my favorites. He grabbed me with his first single "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" but he found a lifelong fan with this one…

His other releases have been just as great. I'm hooked on Darius.

Reason #4

Pride and Patriotism

There is a lot of pride and patriotism in country music.  Now, this area gets sketchy because many of those songs also include a lot of Christian themes–not my cup of tea (obviously, Pagan, hello).  But when there's more patriotism than Christian stuff, those songs really get me. As much as I may complain about this country (and as much as I'd love to pack my bags and live in Ireland) I am proud to be American, and there is no music in the world quite as patriotic as those songs found in country.

Who's the biggest patriotic singer? Well, duh, Toby Keith. "Courtesy of the Red, White , & Blue", "American Soldier", and "American Ride" (this last one is a GREAT video) have been pretty great lil tunes. But, nothing beats his new one.

That song gives me goose bumps every time I hear it.

Reason #5

YOUTH!

Alright, so yeah, I love the oldies. Country music from the 90′s is like a warm security blanket, something I will adore forever.

Then again, I'm a daughter of my generation. I embrace change. I push for change. I am a lefty in so many ways. So, when it comes to all the young people breaking onto the country music scene, I'm a fan.

Taylor Swift was a teen when she took country music by storm, and today she is one of the most loved music stars out there–across genres. Even with all her little teeny-bopper fans, Taylor hasn't strayed from her love of country music. I'm not afraid to admit it. She's one of my favorite music stars of all time.

A couple years ago, Gloriana toured with Taylor. They literally exploded over night, and yep, I love them too. A very fresh, young sound that makes me wanna dance. Embedding has been disabled at their video, so "Wild At Heart"

Now, The Band Perry has shot up the ranks of my heart and sits quite near the top with Taylor. They have a different kind of sound that I dig. In a big way. From their first single, "Hip to My Heart" (that I played over and over after it came out) to "If I Die Young" (which has literally catapulted them to fame) to the new single today that I sing at the top of my lungs in the car, I love this band. She is absolutely beautiful and her voice is lovely. And I really dig the videos.

And recent newcomers The JaneDear Girls are quickly becoming a favorite! Not only are they gorgeous but their music is upbeat and sexy. FYI, if you ever wondered how I feel about growing up in Kentucky, here's your answer. "Wildflower" and "Shotgun Girl"

Last but not least, Lady Antebellum. They need no introduction. They have ruled the country charts for years now–they started the flow of new blood into this genre. Their music speaks to everything country girl in my soul.

Updates, Updates, Updates!

I've been really bad about blogging because I've been insanely busy.  However, I do have about five draft blogs started and just hanging out in my dashboard–I'll get to them eventually.

What's happening now? A lot.

The Indie Eclective has launched! Yes, we know how to spell eclectic and we surely know how to spell collective, but we're a group of authors flaunting (or flouting?) both.  The Eclective consists of:

Me
Julia Crane
Lizzy Ford
Shea MacCleod
Alan Nayes
Talia Jager
Pj Jones
Jack Wallen
M. Edward McNally

We few, we proud, we are authors who spread across genres like peanut butter on pickles–um, or not.  From horror to paranormal romance to epic fantasy and parody, the nine of us talented, somewhat weird writers offer something for everyone's tastes.  The truth of the ereading revolution is that many readers are stepping outside their comfort zones and sampling new and interesting genres simply because the price is right.   The hope we collectively (or eclectively) share is that we can bring quality books to people by working together.

The Indie Eclective will be releasing our first anthology of short stories in October as a promotion for our books. It will be Halloween themed–ooooo.

My hush hush project with a fellow Louisvillian author is about to commence, as well.  Keep Louisville Writing is the brain child of horror/thriller writer Jack Wallen and myself.  During the month of September, you may see flyers ALLLL around town pimping our books and our website. "Keep Louisville Weird" has been a motto for supporting local business for as long as I can remember, so Keep Louisville Writing is our petition for those Weird Louisvillians to support their local authors.

Both Abigail and The Temple are going in to Print form, hopefully this weekend.  I'd love to have them up and active by the first week of September for Keep Louisville Writing, but this is Print On Demand publishing we're talking about here.  Nothing goes according to plan.

"Snowbunnies in Hell" will be released on or around August 29th!!  Check back, I'll post as soon as it's live

I am in the middle of several projects.

I'm formatting an ebook for my dear friend and beta reader, Katy.
I'm working on "polishing" a manuscript for an author friend.
I have finished Constant State of Disaster and I am getting ready to do a final revision before sending it out to betas.
Then I'll be moving on to my first young adult novel, a paranormal romance that needs significant revisions before going to the betas.

In other news, I have a zucchini in my garden that could quite possibly kill a person.  The two roosters are still alive and crowing in my chicken coop, for now.  If they don't find new homes soon, I'm dropping them in the sewer.  (Not really, PETA, relax…I kid I kid.)  Our neighbors are getting a new roof so I didn't sleep for shizzle yesterday and I'm quite cranky.

Oh, plus, I'm REALLY upset with my place of employment. That enigmatic light at the end of the tunnel beckons…quitting the day job and writing full time.  Maybe one day

That's the scoop, folks.  Busy girl here.

Coexist at Pixel of Ink Today!

My friend and fellow author Julia Crane is being featured today at Pixel of Ink, a very prestigious (and hard to come by) advertising venue for Kindle books on the cheap.

Pixel of Ink has nearly 160,000 unique visitors to their site each month as well as 47 thou Facebook fans.  It is by no means a cheap way to advertise but most authors report earning back their cost and then some.  There is an insane waiting list to be featured at Pixel of Ink.

Julia writes Young Adult paranormal romance which is a HOT ticket in today's reading world.  She's received dozens of rave reviews and ratings for her debut novel "Coexist" and has a loyal following of people who are itching for the next book in the series.

If you hop by the Stone Cottage today and catch this blog entry, please take a moment to link through to Pixel of Ink's website and "Like" her post.  (I'm also throwing in the Facebook link if you wanna go "Like" there too!)

POI recommends as many "Likes" as possible to spread the word and if there is any author out there who deserves the love, it's Julia.  She's kind, she's talented, plus she's one of my best friends, SO GO HELP HER NOW *smiling sweetly*

http://www.pixelofink.com/

http://www.facebook.com/PixelofInk

Indie Author Spotlight – Laura Yirak

Delivered to Eternity, An Alesta the Vampire Book



by Laura Yirak
 
In Alexandria, Scotland, Alesta finds herself in yet another "Soul" encounter. It is every vampire's deepest desire to take life's very essence. In her struggle she is brought back to very dark times.


 

There is William McKenzie, husband, lover, enemy, The Count, maker and soul-mate and Patrick, her new young and very handsome human desire. Who will Alesta choose?

This tale is fast-paced, exciting and delivers it all, with a bit of bite, fear, and romance.

Laura has four 5-star reviews and one 4-star.  Praise for her novel: 

"I love it when I find a book that captures me right away. Delivered to Eternity is that kind of book."

"This is a great first book, and the author is well on her way to being a very successful novelist!"

"I loved this book and I'm anxious to see what the author, Laura Yirak will come up with in the future. It's a page turner, and the author's talent of creating characters that seem real is amazing. These aren't just names in a book, these people are ones you can relate to and feel like you know."

Find Laura online at her blog and at Twitter @laurayirak

Buy Delivered to Eternity:

Amazon

Smashwords

 

 

Making It Better

Damn but this world is one of heartache.

I'm not going to get into it because it's not worth it to dredge up a terrible pain that took me days to vanquish.  Let's suffice it say someone left me a scathing review on one of my FREE short stories that completely ripped my world in two.

Now, I'm searching for an editor.

Traditionally published authors have the resources behind them to perfect their work–three, four, five editors to go over each novel and make suggestions for tightening it up.  However, us little ole indies ain't got that fancy pants nonsense over our shoulders (an editor would kill me for the previous sentence, btw).

Our books are priced WAY cheaper.  An editor who wants to charge me $300 is going to cost me 150 book sales on a 2.99 book to make back my investment and begin to profit.  I'm lucky to make twenty book sales a month on The Temple, given I don't have a giveaway like last month's iPad party turbo charging my sales.

So, let's do some math. For the sake of easy math (because this writer is not mathematically minded) let's say 25 sales a month.  Into 150 sales?  That's 6 months to make back the $300 I'll have to spend on The Temple.

Of course, the above is a LOW end of the spectrum quote.  Another quote I've received was $585–that's almost one entire biweekly paycheck.  Or, an easier way to look at it is that's about a little less than 40% of my entire monthly earnings.  I don't even have that leftover after paying my monthly bills, so it's not possible.

An author friend told me he can't justify the expense of an editor.  As indies, we're expected to price our books low.  Mine are 2.99–if I paid 600 bucks for an editor, I'd have to sell 300 books to earn that back.  For someone with their books priced at 99 cents, they have to sell 3 books to earn just a  DOLLAR.  Imagine the math on that one when trying to earn back the up-front costs one put into it.

I can't justify the costs either.

It's very disheartening.  This is my dream–my entire life revolves around my writing.  I want so badly to make my career at this that my heart ACHES every minute of every day.  When I'm not writing, I'm not happy.  It has consistently been proven to me that there is a huge correspondence between the amount of time I spend writing and my attitude.

But lately, after my lil ole 2 star,  I'm just not happy all the way around.

It's funny how easy it is for one two sentence review to completely overturn my world.  Maybe twenty words and my heart is ripped into two pieces and flung to the far reaches of the universe.  Twenty words and I seriously question whether I'm cut out for this biz.  Do I suck?  Can I not tell a story?

For the span of about two days, I almost took down The Temple and Abigail.  I almost stopped writing completely.

Go ahead, tell me I'm irrational.  Remind me books are subjective.  Preach to me that even Stephen King gets 1 and 2 star reviews.

But that doesn't change that fact that my work doesn't have an editor because I can't afford one.  So when someone mentions that in a review, it's true.  Flat out.

All the big Indie Author Gurus repeat themselves over and over–have a good cover and get an editor or you're never going to make it.

Well, I guess I'll never make it.

Unfortunately, the outlook isn't good for me to find an editor I can afford.

IWU Blog Tour – Arshad Ahsanuddin

Today, I welcome to the Stone Cottage author Arshad Ahsanuddin of the highly rated Pact Arcanum series.

Though you answer it a bit at your website, I'll ask once more: why vampires? What do you believe sets your vampire series apart from the rest?

The vampire is an age-old archetype of fantasy and horror, which has  long preceded the current popular renaissance in interest.  I originally conceived the story back in the 1990's when I was a die-hard Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel fan.  What intrigued me about the vampires in those stories was the fact that though they were vampires, that was only one aspect of their personalities and they were unique and distinct characters.  I've tried to do the same with my characters, trying to make them each unique in voice, motivation , and backstory.  As for what sets my story apart from the others, I'd have to wonder that myself.  I haven't read many of the other series in the vampire genre, other than the staples of Anne Rice, Dracula, etc.  And yes, I did read the Twilight saga.  They kind of lost me in the fourth book when Carlisle says he genotyped Jacob and the other vampires, and they had extra chromosomes.  I mean, come on.  Who does a karyotype when tending a broken leg?  He may be a vampire and a doctor, but show a some professional ethics, please.

I saw one reviewer wrote that "Sunset" would be a difficult book to categorize or define. What genre would you consider the Pact Arcanum?  Do you write across genres?  If so, why?

The genre of the series would most broadly be considered Speculative Fiction, of which a subset is urban or contemporary fantasy.  On top of that the story is also a paranormal romance, with both straight and gay characters.  So, in a way, I'm writing across three genres: urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and gay fiction.  Two, if you consider paranormal romance as transcending the characters' particular naughty bits.

I see Pact Arcanum is set in the future.  Give me an idea of setting.  What has changed in the world?

The world is similar, except for some technological advances, such as virtual/holographic interfaces for computers.  The vampires/vampire slayers are more advanced, having declared a truce and turned their attention away from killing each other to working together.  By combining magic and science, they have achieved quantum leaps in technology, including space flight and temporal manipulation, and have secretly set up colonies across the solar system.

Your covers are gorgeous.  Do you do them yourself?  Does each image on each of the three books represent something inside?

I created the cover art myself from licensed stock photographs, which I cobbled together in Photoshop.  Each image represents an aspect of the protagonist of that book.

Have you used your real life experience as a hematopathologist in your writing?  For those of us who don't really know what that is (i.e. me), what is a hematopathologist?

A hematopathologist is a laboratory physician, who is focused on using laboratory test and microscopic evaluation of tissue biopsies to diagnose diseases of blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, such as leukemia and lymphoma.  My colleagues got a laugh out of the fact that I write about vampires, given my area of expertise.  There hasn't really been much overlap over my job and the books, though, other than the general appreciation of science and mathematics that I acquired over the course of my training.

You offer a lot of sage advice on editing through the Pact Arcanum blog.  What is your personal process for editing your work?

I don't offer advice so much as information.  God knows, my first books should have had another round of editing to become truly impressive, though the flaws in the material are mostly evident to other writers.  The main thing is to make sure you don't approach your writing in isolation, or you blind yourself to the flaws in your work which become glaringly obvious on an unbiased read through.  After I published my third book, I read it again and realized that I used the same first name for two separate characters, in the same book.  That required some quick rewriting to fix, but it was a major embarrassment.

As for my personal editing process, as soon as I finish my first draft, I send it to a substantive editor who points out overall structural defects in theme, setting, plot and characterization.  After I respond to those critiques, I send it to a copyeditor to identify problems of grammar, punctuation, and language.  Recently, I identified the need for line editing, in which an editor goes through the book line by line and points out changes in language and phrasing that are awkward, repetitive or cliched, so there might be a revision to the three existing books in the future to tighten up the language and give the reader the best experience possible.  Since I would in eBooks and print-on-demand, I have creative and editorial control over my books and can go back if absolutely necessary.

What's more important to a reader, the cover, the blurb, or the first few pages? (in your opinion)

It depends on the setting.  In a brick-and-mortar store, definitely the cover, followed by the back cover text, and then the first five pages.  Those are the three chances to hook the reader, and they have to shine.  For eBooks, though, given the availability of search engines and sample chapters, the main hook is in the short blurb, which catches the reader through the catalog listing or tag cloud, and causes them to go in for a closer look.   Then the first chapter is key, since they will in most cases, be able to read the first 10-20% for free.  The writing is your hook, not the visual appeal, as with a print edition.

You have several posts on writing guides that you have read and reviewed.  What are the two essential writing guides you recommend to every writer?

The two that I have read that are of singular importance in shaping my growth as a writer are Story Engineering by Larry Brooks, and Writing Fiction for Dummies by Ingermanson and Economy.  They lay out the blue print for the essential elements of plot, characterization, and setting that define the overall structure of the novel, leaving the nuts and bolts of dialogue and theme to the writers developing voice.

Does the Pact Arcanum end at "Moonlight"? If not, what else do you have in store for readers?

The main storyline of Pact Arcanum ends with Starlight, the fourth book, which I am presently working on.  It will probably be available early next year, and picks up the story through the eyes of a new character, Antonio Jameson, introduced  in Moonlight.

How long have you been independently published? Did you attempt the traditional route at all?

I didn't try for traditional publishing.  Other than the editing and the prestige, it seemed like a bad deal all around, with a small advance, low royalties, loss of creative control, and lack of marketing support.  I didn't see what a publisher would offer me that I couldn't do on my own, or learn to do.  As it happens, I used a publishing service, which I think ended up costing me entirely too much, so I'll probably be leaner in my development and publication of the fourth book.

Sunset

Book One in the Pact Arcanum series

Los Angeles, 2040. The terrorist Medusa and her followers threaten to destroy the metropolis with a nuclear bomb. One individual, the vampire Nicholas Jameson, comes forward to oppose them. As Nick takes on the terrorists, the fragile peace between the races hangs perilously in the balance as the supernatural peoples are exposed.  Can Nick lead the four races into peaceful coexistence, or will the final war destroy them all?

With millennia-old magic, emerging romance, and ever-shifting allegiances, this inventive new series unveils a scintillating, homoerotic world of Nightwalkers, Daywalkers, Sentinels, and Humans, who battle for world dominance in the not-too-distant future.

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About the Author:

Arshad Ahsanuddin is Canadian-born, but lived in the United States for most of his life. He is currently a practicing hematopathologist, a physician who specializes in using biopsies and laboratory data to diagnose diseases of blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, such as leukemia and lymphoma. Yeah, a blood doctor writing about vampires. The irony is not lost on him.  It certainly amuses his colleagues.

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Twitter Handle @pactarcanum