Heather Marie Adkins's Blog, page 17
July 14, 2011
New FREE short story "The House"
The House
by Heather Marie Adkins
Susan is appalled when she moves back home after college to find her parents are packing the family off to Florida–to her Gran's empty ancestral home.
The place is a mess, but it goes beyond the aesthetic–there is something even more frightening in the house than they ever imagined, and it's deeply intertwined in their family's past.
Some of her ancestors aren't quite gone, and they're determined to play out their anger to the bitter end, despite the home's new inhabitants.
She can only hope her family will make it out alive.
Available for FREE at Smashwords
Pending at Amazon for 99 cents (will update)
July 11, 2011
IWU Blog Tour – Steven R. Drennon
Today, I'm interviewing author Steven R. Drennon. Everybody *wave* 
So I noticed from your website that you're a lot like me–you don't limit yourself to a specific genre. What do you like about writing across genres? Poetry, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, and Suspense…what else would you like to try?
You mean I missed something? I have kicked around the idea of writing a western or maybe even a series of westerns, but I'm not sure the market is really there. I am going to be doing a new contemporary fantasy series with three different novellas that take place in current times. They won't be of the vampires and werewolves type that seem to be so prevalent these days. Instead, each will feature an element of unexplained phenomenon that might be somewhat unique and different.
Are you a many, many WIPs at once kinda guy, or do you have to completely focus on one at a time?
I am definitely a person who likes to have many different things going at the same time. I have full outlines for a three book suspense series, I have complete outlines for the contemporary fantasy series I mentioned above, and I also have complete outlines for a three book historical fiction series. Each series is considerably different from the other, so if I find myself getting bogged down on one type of writing, then I can switch it up and do something different for a while.
Historical Fiction and combat search and rescue…I'm completely intrigued. My family is heavy into public service–we've got millitary, police, firefighters, EMTs, and I'm a police dispatcher. Can you give us an idea what this series will be about?
I recently read a book titled "No Man Left Behind", which is a complete history of combat search and rescue in the US Armed Forces. It is a very detail oriented book which unfortunately was pretty dry reading. The authors present every documented case (and there are hundreds) in a very straightforward, factual manner, but there is no emotion or dialogue. For example, they will say that on such and such a date, the pilots of a specific type of aircraft were involved in the rescue of a downed fighter pilot at this location. They give very specific details and names, but you never get any dialog, and you never get to know what was going on in the minds of those involved. They also don't do a very good job of describing the setting. I decided I would select certain stories from their book and change the names so that I can give the characters some personality and bring the stories to life. I'm changing the names because all the dialogue will be made up by me, and I didn't want anyone attributing any comments made in my books to the actual persons involved.
Do you use beta readers or a critique group? Do you feel like this type of feedback is crucial to writing?
I do use beta readers, and I believe they have been very beneficial in helping me to develop as a writer. I don't know that they are "crucial", but I would definitely say that they have helped me to improve.
You have some beautiful covers. Do you do your own? If so, what is your process? If not, promote your cover artist
Well, the poetry book covers were all done by me using photographs that I took myself. I think they could have been done a little better, but I was realistic enough to know that I probably wouldn't sell enough to recover the cost of having them done professionally. My two fantasy novels, however, were done by Glendon Haddix of streetlightgraphics.com, and he was absolutely wonderful to work with!
On my Facebook author page (http://www.facebook.com/StevenR.Drennon) I have some new covers for my upcoming novella series. There are three for a series of suspense novels about three different female serial killers, and those covers were done by me. I purchased some stock photos from dreamstime.com, used cooltext.com to generate the titles and author names, and then used the Gimp software product to merge them all together. They are not finalized yet, but I'm getting close to where I want them.
There is also a folder with a couple of covers for the suspense novellas I am currently working on. One of those was done by me, and the other I obtained from Razzle Dazzle Stock (http://www.razzdazzstock.com/). I was looking through their pre-made covers and found one that was absolutely perfect for the story I am currently working on, so I just had to buy it!
Tell us about ROW80. What is it, and how easy/hard have you found it to follow the challenge? Have you ever done Nanowrimo? How does it compare?
ROW80 stands for "Round of Words in 80 Days", and it is a writer's challenge where each participant sets specific goals that they would like to obtain during those 80 days. I believe they have started a new round just recently, but I chose not to participate because I have too many outside distraction over the next couple of months with vacations and such. I think the round that I participated in was very beneficial for me, because it helped me stay on task with the things I was working on at the time. During those 80 days, I got my last three volumes of poetry formatted and published, which was one goal, and I also completed the last 25,000 words in my most recent fantasy novel and got it published, which was another goal. I believe that holding myself accountable and having to report my progress made me feel more compelled to keep on track and get my work done. I believe the Nanowrimo challenge has a very specific goal to complete a novel with at least 50,000 words in one month. The ROW80 challenge is different in that you have more time, and you set your own goals based on what you need to get accomplished, whether it is writing, editing, or formatting.
There are serious length differences in writing poetry and fantasy. How have you found it to write fantasy novels after writing poetry since you were a teen? How long are your books, usually?
When I write a poem, it is almost always something that is spontaneous and gets completed very quickly. I'll usually get a rhyming pattern or a collection of words stuck in my head, and then I'll sit down and write them out and expand on it until I'm done. This is something I can almost always complete in less than an hour. With a book, you have a much larger commitment, and you are allowed many more words to tell your story. Furthermore, your story is grander in scale, so it is naturally going to involve more words. My first fantasy novel was an epic fantasy with over 110,000 words. My second one was a more simple story and only had about 65,000 words.
I freaking love your WIP meters on your website!! How in the world did you get something like that and how can we?
Oh no, you're going to make me give away my secret! Actually, I got those from critiquecircle.com, and anyone can get them for their own site. They have them listed in the Tools section on their site, and I "freaking love" them too!
What work(s) are you promoting today? What are they about? Where can we find them?
The only book that I have really made any effort to promote recently is my newest fantasy novel "Three for Avadar". It is a story about three very different travelers who are brought together by chance as each is headed for the same destination. The story presents different situations from each of the three perspectives while combining some romance with your traditional sword and sorcery. The book is available at Amazon, Smashwords, and B&N.
How to Find Steven:
July 10, 2011
The Best Indie Websites for Newbies
If you search Google for self-publishing help, there are a lot of top names that will pop up. For the most part, they're the famous guys–people like JA Konrath, Victorine Lieski, and Amanda Hocking. These three have established their brands: they have the fan bases, they have the writing, they have the numbers all the rest of us indies are striving to reach.
But the true shining stars of the indie scene are the ones just starting out. On their blogs and websites, they share their woes, their successes, and every step from writing the book to publishing it. That kind of information is the best. But even more than having the right info in the right place, these people are kind and supportive; they're exactly the kind of people an indie writer should want to know.
Indie Book Lounge
A site with a multitude of hang outs for authors. Not only can you list your books for readers to find them, but there are numerous articles by authors for authors.
David Gaughran
One of my favorite writing bloggers out there. David offers his "Indie Publishing for International Writers" which is a kind of "how-to" that is relevant for all writers, not just international. He also offers tips on making money from your writing. David dispels a lot of the myths pushed into the universe about self-publishing, as well as giving current information on the writing world in an ambivalent and informative way.
Ania Ahlborn
Ania is a phenomenal horror writer. I've already posted about her debut novel, Seed, on my blog before so I don't need to go into it again. On her website, Ania has posted a couple of pages about self-publishing that are easy to read and follow.
Mary Pat Hyland
Mary Pat offers an extremely supportive website devoted to indie authors. She offers indie interviews, she promotes other indies books, and she even has a submissions page for indies to initiate contact to be hosted on the blog.
Jack Wallen
Jack's site is a plethora of indie publishing. From guest authors to babblings on writing and supporting the publishing efforts of others, there are more than enough things to keep you busy over at Monkey Pantz.
If you need some comic relief or procrastination reading, check out these indies:
And here's a blog from a trad pub editor/writer turned indie:
Karin Cox (Her website is great for basic writing tips, too)
Last but not least, Indie Writers Unite! on Facebook. No words could convey how wonderful the group is. Go. Join.
I am missing so many here. Do you know of another indie who offers publishing tips or killer support on their site? Let me know in the comments and I'll add them. Maybe when someone else is searching for just the right list of indies to study, this little ole post will help them find the way
July 8, 2011
Ipad2 Giveaway Details July 8-15
The Rules are Simple:
Purchase one of the $2.99 books below and send the receipt to authorgiveaway@gmail.com
Each receipt equals one entry and you can enter as many times as you want.
The winner will be chosen at random by AuthorGiveaways.
The Ipad2, valued at $499, will be sent directly from Apple to the winner.
The books don't have to purchased at Amazon, they can be purchased at ANY online ebook retailer like Smashwords or Barnes and Noble.
You can click any image below to view the book on Amazon
July 7, 2011
I Heart Twitter–the RIGHT way
Twitter is a great little place to mingle and pass around the figurative cigar, but there are so many opinions out there on what is the right (and the wrong) way of using this social network site.
If anybody gives a hoot, here's my two cents.
Don't spam. People who choose to follow you did not follow you to look at links to your book every hour on the hour. It doesn't matter whether it's free or 9.99–don't spam. That's not saying you shouldn't promote your work–absolutely you should. But, in moderation.
You need to have something to say that others are going to enjoy. It's amazing the simple things I tweet that garner attention. Yesterday, I tweeted because I saw a flock of pigeons wandering around and flapping their wings; I commented on their lack of intelligence. I got a response, so I thus responded in kind. I've lost track of how many times this kind of thing has happened, where I've begun a conversation because of a simple tweet. The one thing I can tell you, though, is that not a single one of those conversations began because of a post about my book.
Twitter is about making connections. When you're a faceless person earmarked by your twitter handle, you shouldn't be trying to sell your work. You should be selling yourself. Your tweets should give some kind of insight into the person you are–hell, a lot of my tweets are things my younger sister says or observations I make of the world as I walk through it. Through those simple things, I connect with the people who follow me. I give them a glimpse of who I am so that when I eventually tweet about my book or my blog or even my successes, they already like me as a person so they'll be more inclined to go check those things out.
Too many of the people I follow do nothing but tweet about their work. Of course, I'm a huge indie supporter; I haven't bought a traditionally published novel in over a month because I've spent so damn much money on indies. But all the books I've bought have been from people who have interacted with me in some way; they've taken that extra step to be kind, to be witty, to allow me to get to know them.
I try to respond to everyone who sends me a PM thanking me for the follow; if they say something back, it can usually spawn a pretty awesome interchange. If not, they just become another number on my page. If I catch a tweet in my neverending feed that strikes my fancy, I make the effort to reply or RT–even if they never write back (usually they do).
I can't get to know someone on Twitter who constantly says, "This Novel is Great, now available at Amazon for 4.99 gen.er.ic.bit.ly.link…" That doesn't make me want to get to know you. But if you tweet that once every few days, and in between you're making me laugh, sharing inspiring quotes, and taking the time to interact with me and others, then I may just go buy your book. Because I like you.
July 6, 2011
Lemon Basil has Taken Over
I love growing things. I consider it less of a hobby and more of a passion, along the lines of reading and writing. For me, nothing reaches that feeling of euphoria that often accompanies a finished piece of writing than watching something I've grown from seed thrive.
Lemon basil was one of the herbs I took on this year. I've always had tremendous success with regular basil (always until now–my regular basil looks awful.) So I figured I'd try another variety.
Oh, how I didn't realize what I was in for.
I started some sweet little seeds that sprouted so tiny. I transplanted to my raised bed in the backyard. It was just a plot with scrawny baby plants; now, it a gigantor monster patch that by harvesting a hundred stalks barely looked like it had been touched.
I then used all those stalks to stuff old wine bottles and create Lemon Basil Vinegar and Lemon Basil olive oil. Six bottles worth.
Not only the lemon basil, but the mint is taking over, too. I had always heard that mint is invasive–I believed, but I just really had no idea. I bought a seemingly innocuous little darling from the store maybe four inches tall. It is now a ravenous, hungry entity slowly taking over the herb garden. I'm making vinegars out of it, too, mwahahaha.
I am a poor girl, so Christmas gifts on the cheap are LOVELY. We have an overabundance of bottles because I refuse to toss anything, and we had a gallon of vinegar. Easy peasy. I'm slightly impressed with myself.
Also, vay, vay excited to use my own bottle of vinegar for cooking!
Last night, I made another batch of homemade bread. I just don't know how anybody could eat store bought bread after having the homemade stuff. The smell, the texture, the taste–plus, knowing there is nothing in that recipe that you didn't want in it.
In other news…myself and two other writers from Indie Writers Unite! had our flash fiction pieces chosen for inclusion in an upcoming anthology titled "Pink Snowbunnies in Hell." EEK! Shout-out to Rex Jameson and Suzanne Tyrpak–we shall share pages together, be excited!!
July 3, 2011
Week In Rewind
Zeus and all things holy, it's been a helluva week. I feel like I'm still reeling from everything that has happened in my life.
First up, the novel has a new cover! Check it out:
Courtesy of my incredibly talented little sister, Sheridan. She's entering two stunning pieces in the Kentucky State Fair this week, so keep your fingers crossed for her!
Secondly, I will soon be taking part in an online giveaway. Myself and three other indie authors – Talia Jager, Julia Crane, and Michael Edward McNally – will be running a giveaway of an Ipad2 over at this blog. Details will be announced when the giveaway officially begins on July 8th; it will last a week. Simple to enter and you just might win…
Third, my upcoming novel "Abigail" is now currently in the hands of my beta readers. I had two ladies already email me to let me know they finished it – one is going to go back over it with a fine-toothed comb, while the other already sent me her thoughts. Hopefully, I'll get some really great feedback and can make "Abigail" the best it can be before publication.
An update on novel numbers – I try NOT to worry about my sales. I don't want them to consume my life, particularly this week because I haven't done any promotions with our recent family stuff going on. Didn't feel right. Here is where I stand:
Underneath – 212 free downloads at smashwords; 5 purchases at BN/Amazon
The Temple – 4 purchases at BN; 5 purchases at Amazon; at Smashwords only 1 purchase; 4 copies given away for free.
That makes for a total of 10 copies sold in the ONE week The Temple has been out. I haven't hit up my facebook friends, and I think they gave me at least some of the success with Underneath. I'm not going to promote there until after the 15th when the giveaway ends.
Really? Ten copies sold isn't bad at all for one week. It's certainly not a grand success, but it's something
I've already blogged before about the tragedies of this past week, but suffice it to say after the above mentioned Plus-Sides and spending two whole days with my little sisters, I'm feeling a bit more like a human being.
Shameless plug for a great author – Bill Bryson. I just finished "A Walk in The Woods" last night, his travel narrative on walking the Appalacian Trail. Freaking hilarious. I definitely recommend his books! Tonight, I'll be starting indie author Larry D. Marshall's book "Her Book of Shadows" – very excited to see how he has portrayed the Wiccan world!
July 2, 2011
Shea Macleod – Kissed by Darkness
Kissed by Darkness
by Shea Macleod
Danger is always on the menu for Morgan Bailey, a sexy and street-smart bounty hunter, who prowls the dark underworld of Portland, Oregon hunting creatures of the night. Morgan's never met a vampire she couldn't dust or a demon she couldn't kill until she's hired to destroy a new kind of mystical threat: the Sunwalker.
A powerful immortal once believed myth, the Sunwalker carries with him an ancient secret which, if left unchecked, will destroy Morgan's world. Pursued by a passionate Templar Knight and the target of the local vampire clans, an ancient power is awakened within her, unlike anything she's ever known. Morgan must uncover the truth behind her mission and about herself, before the Darkness lurking inside swallows her whole.
Shea is one of the nicest indies I've met. You can sample chapter 1 of this novel on her blog here and while you're there, be sure to check out the rest of her site; Shea's incredibly funny.
And now that I have finished shamelessly promoting Shea's debut novel, I am off to purchase it!
June 30, 2011
Taking the bad times with the good
What an awful day.
I wish that no one would have to see a child in a coffin. Keegan looked as innocent and beautiful in death as in life. His white casket was child-sized. He was buried with a teddy bear my baby brother gave him and a bunch of Fire Department patches and pins.
The service was long and hard. On two huge screens above, they ran a video of pictures of Keegan. He was an extremely photogenic child. All I could think while watching was - gods, they look so happy. He was a happy, happy little boy. So many smiles, so many memories. And that's all Scott and Shannon have left.
They had a singer with a beautiful voice who sang some of Keegan's favorite church songs. Many people spoke, including an absolutely gut-wrenching poem from his brother and a bittersweet remembrance of Keegan stories from my Aunt Patti.
I felt like it was Cory's funeral all over again, just without the military. Every fire department and police department in Louisville was represented. The final receiving line after the service was nothing but uniformed public safety. It's wonderful the support network you find in public service. They completely shut down Breck and Bardstown, two completely busy streets, for the funeral procession. Keegan had uniformed, motorcycle Sheriff's deputies to lead the way, as well as all the family's police and fire cars in the procession running their lights. As proud as I was to see Keegan being so honored simply because Scott and Shannon have touched so many lives in public safety, it also really opened up that scar in my heart where my forever love for Cory sits.
The graveside service was short and sweet. I waited until many people had left before I stepped up to Cory's tombstone and finally let myself have a good cry with my head against it. I want him back. I want Shannon and Scott to have Keegan back.
I can not even imagine. For 6 years, Shannon's entire life has been about Keegan. Every minute of every day has been spent with her child. Now, I wonder if she finds herself looking for him, you know? Does she stand, speaking to a friend, and suddenly look around, searching for Keegan? It's something every mother gets used to doing; he's not right at your feet, so you look around for him. And the immediate pain that would come from realizing you're looking for a child who is no longer there…I have a horrible, deep hurt inside me for Shannon. And for Scott, too, who has now lost two sons.
Cory at least got to accomplish so much in his life. He loved being a firefighter. His kindness led him to be so involved in the Crusade for Children every year, and the love he had of his country led him to the US Marines. He touched so many, many people in the 25 years he had - goddess, it's strange. I'm older now than Cory was when he died.
At 6 years old, Keegan didn't have that chance. It's not fair.
Death is never fair.
June 29, 2011
IWU Blog Tour #3 – Guest Post by Jack Wallen
Guest post by indie Jack Wallen from right here in my hometown. Enjoy!
Control Issues:
Or why I decided to be an indie author
***
Notice I do not say "Or why I decided to self publish". Why is that? Because "self publishing" carries along with it a stigma that implies a lesser product. That is not the case with "indie author", because we are many, we are mighty, and our "products" are outstanding.
That being said…let me bend your ear a bit about the choice to go "indie".
When I started writing, over two decades ago, I had no idea what I was really doing. Mostly I was writing stage plays that would wind up getting some production. But mostly my writing was serving a very simple purpose – cheap therapy for yours truly. But eventually the writing would take over and I would come to realize the words not only held a powerful sway over me, but others as well. People would "accidentally" read some of my work and beg for more. Short stories started turning into much longer stories and eventually books that would never see the light of day.
Those were the early days where writing a story with a meandering plot and dimension-less characters was okay so long as the emotional connection and conviction was there. And it was – oh how it was. Even though there was much missing in those earlier works, they served as a powerful outlet for the creative monster that lived inside of me. That creative monster would eventually dictate the only path for me that held any sort of truth…indie publishing.
I am not a control freak. Far from it actually. I know the only thing I can control is my reaction to an external stimulus. Outside of that I fully understand we are all just swimming in the chaotic pool of entropy known as life. However….
Thanks to my going the indie route, there is one thing that I can control and that is who has the last say in my work…me. To the core, I am an artist. I love to create. Creativity is the main course in my soul's daily meal and if I neglect to feed that beast, it gets rather irritable. But still, that doesn't fully answer the question – or does it?
Being an indie author gives me license to:
Mingle genres.
Break rules generally not broken.
Create my own covers.
Freely market my books.
Use my content in ways that might not be allowed otherwise.
Draw outside the lines.
Make my own deadlines.
I like those options. But most of all, I like that those options allow me to flex my creative muscles in ways traditional publishing would never allow. How can any creative type pass that up? But that's not all…
When I was an actor I saw the writing on the wall early on. The economy of the country was about to drop the hammer on the arts, which would, in turn, negatively affect small theatres across the land. So, before I wound up becoming a statistic in the dying of the arts, I decided to call it a career. I think a similar death knell is being sounded for traditional publishing. Not that I think, in any way, traditional publishing will go away. It won't. The consuming public still likes their hard back and paper back books. But traditional publishing, as we know it now, is on the outs. The model is broken and must be fixed. What that fix is, I do not know. I strongly believe traditional publishers are somewhat lost as to what to do. The indie author picked up a baton in the book marathon and bolted out of the gate like Usain Bolt chasing after yet another record. Those of us fortunate to jump into the race early won't have to worry about playing catch up or learning the rules…because we are making the rules and that, my dear, feels really good.
We, indie authors, have assumed control and that is a powerful feeling. My creative monster is thrilled by my choice of being an indie author…and so am I. Because of this I now have the following published works:
I Zombie I
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Paperback
A Blade Away
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Paperback
Gothica
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Paperback
Soon, the following titles will be added to the mix:
Shero (super hero satire) Late July, 2011
My Zombie My (second in the "I Zombie" trilogy) August 4, 2011.
Die Zombie Die (third in the "I Zombie" trilogy) Late October, 2011.
Endgame (working title) Late fall 2011.
I also plan on creating a new post-apocalyptic series, based on the "I Zombie" trilogy, which will hopefully see the light of publication early 2012.
For more information on me and/or how to contact me, take a look at these sites:
Get Jack'd: http://www.monkeypantz.net
Twitter: jlwallen
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jlwallen
