Julia Hughes's Blog, page 15

Fill your kindle with free ebooks!

Attention book lovers! The fabulous and very prolific indie author Elle Casey has organised a Super Spring Giveaway - and there are masses of titles to choose from, with over 1,500 books to give away. Take a look at these beauties: Book images are linked to Amazon so you can read the blurb & even sample those which intrigue you. Then go here Elle Casey's Springtime Indie Book Giveaway to place your order. You can request as many different titles as you wish. 

What do all successful authors have in common?

Answer: Bad reviews!

What do all successful authors do about it?

Get over it!

The first one stings a little, but most successful authors (having already employed an editor, beta readers and proof readers to iron out all the little niggles,) soon learn to deal with the fact that no-one can please everyone all the time. Just make certain the "Hey – I love this book – when's the next one due out?" reviews out weigh the "This story sucks and I barely managed to read it through my yawns" type of reviews, and hope to please most of the people most of the time. By the way, this advice is given by mega successful authors, not just me!

In case any regular blog readers are wondering what brought this little "tough love homily" on, it's because I happened to read a post written by someone who appeared to be in pieces because of one bad review. I meant to compose an uplifting "there there my dear, cry on my shoulder" type post. But really, "get over it" and "move on" makes a better author – and a shorter post.

So on to the next common trait of a successful author –

What else do all successful authors have in common?

Answer: Parodies!
I can't speak for other authors, but two recent parodies of "The Griffin Cryer" have had me rocking with laughter. The first has been a very public shameless rip-off by the great Randall Peterson, via his Twitter account @itsonlymeandyou. The second came from my own editor – it's too rude to re-produce here, but if you're over eighteen, and you'd like a copy of "The Griffin Cryer – The Alternative Version" (approx 300 words) email Mervyn@talonpublishing .com, with the subject line "TGC Alternative" – I sincerely hope everyone reading this takes advantage of this offer! (That'll teach him!)


Finally: 
Third and last common successful author trait –
(or if you prefer successful author common trait)

"Write the first draft with the door closed, the second with the door open." (Stephen King – who else?) With this in mind, Sean & Daniel Campbell who are currently working on the long awaited sequel to their chartbusting novel " Dead on Demand " are seeking beta readers. Zoom on over to their site now, before demand exceeds supply, or drop them an email at Early Look @90daysnovel.com (join the spaces).

 

May the best title win!

I'm thrilled to have three titles nominated in the 2013 eFestival of Words Competition – "An Explosive Time" appears in Best Action/Adventure, while "The Griffin Cryer" has been nominated in three categories: Best YA, Best Fantasy/Urban Fantasy and "The Book we would like to see made into a Movie". Most surprising of all, my Celtic Cousin Wren, who is undoubtedly a maverick, has been nominated for 
"Best Hero."

"A Ripple in Time" has been nominated for Best Novel, and it really is an honour to be amongst such glittering company. Thank you to everyone at eFestival of Words, and good luck to all my indie author friends. I sincerely hope the best ebook wins! 

The Griffin's Girl

Balkind and friends, by Damian Harrison The Griffin's Girl is a short story set on Ella-Earth, and introduces Chione. High on Cherub's Cliffs, Mother Andorra and her maidens supply food, warmth and shelter, while griffins teach their youngsters, known as griffinettes, the wisdom of griffins. Once a year the Griffin Master visits. He will select only the most promising griffins to form an alliance with his recruits. 


Chione knows the Girl dreams of being a griffin rider. Recruits to this exclusive troop are selected only from noblemen's sons. While rare, it has been known for a talented young griffin lad of common stock to be chosen, but how can a girl ever become a griffin rider? 


Then tragedy strikes, and the young griffin and her girl must summon all their courage to outwit the men who seek control of Ella-Earth's griffins. 


You can be the first to read "The Griffin's Girl" - sound good? Go to Charlie Plunkett's site, download this picture of Balkind, Frankie and the Rider and bring it to life with colour. Full details and a free copy of this beautiful sketch by the talented artist Damian Harrison can be found at Charlie's site - so zoom on over! 

A Special Hello to the Children of Year 4B

This is a picture from my latest book "The Griffin Cryer." If you pop over to Charlie Plunkett's site you can download this picture, and colour it in. Here's the link: Charlie's site. Have fun in the jungle! 

New book release by Laura Howard - rave ARC reviews!

The Forgotten Ones
The Danaan Trilogy
Book One
is now available exclusively on Amazon!



Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.


About Laura Howard


Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.
Connect with Laura: Blog | Twitter | Facebook |

Happy St George's Day

Though in my view, today's an even more important anniversary than the old dragon slayer's day – Shakespeare's Birthday. No one has done more for – or with the English language, and for my tuppence worth, we owe him an even greater debt than our patron saint.

Although many young teenagers might disagree as they struggle to please their English Lit exam board! The older I get, the more I appreciate the man's outrageous talent. Most of us quote the Bard without even knowing we're doing it!

To emphasise the point, as this excellent post points out even the phrase "Household word" was coined by Shakespeare – "Shakespeare's quotes in common everyday use."

Happy birthday Will, may your plays continue to entertain and your words continue to intrigue for many more centuries.

Finally!

In a flurry of feathers, paperback copies of "The Griffin Cryer" have arrived at the Hughes residence. They'll be winging their way to their new homes, so if you entered and won a free signed copy, keep an eye on the skies over the next few days (weeks if you're overseas from the UK). 


If you didn't win - there's another chance to enter for free over at Griffin Riders - fly fly fly! 

Everyone's a winner!

Grateful thanks to everyone who helped spread the word about my recent eBook giveaway of "A Ripple in Time" - despite a low key approach the Celtic Cousins hit the top twenty free charts in Action and Adventure and stayed there for the duration of the promotion. I'm hoping that everyone who downloaded a copy gets the chance to read and enjoy this time travel fantasy, if you do - there's two more titles in this series - although all are enrolled in Amazon's select programme so if you're a prime member you can borrow them for free, or follow me on twitter @tinksaid and be among the first to know about future promotions. Congratulations to Ms. CH who entered and won a signed paperback copy of "A Ripple in Time" which is steaming its way to you right now! 

A Ripple in Time is free …

Artwork by Monica La Porta, and Alessandro Fiorini Waking up with a start sometime last week, after an incredibly successful free run with "The Griffin Cryer" I realised

a) KDP select was due to run out on "A Ripple in Time", and

b) a free promotion would tie in with the anniversary of the Titanic's sinking.

"A Ripple in Time" isn't solely about the Titanic tragedy, but hopes to explore a biblical phrase that intrigues me:

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." (King James Bible: 1 Corinthians 13:12)

In other words: "Bad stuff happens to good people, only God knows why, but one day, we might get to see the whole picture."

In "The Magician's Nephew" (C S Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia) Aslan tells Digory that had he stolen an apple from the "Tree of Life", rather than received one as a gift, his mother would have made a recovery from terminal illness, but in days and years to come, they would both look back and think it better "she had died." Strong stuff in a children's book – but Lewis's own mother died when he was very young, and in later years, the love of his life, the American Joy Gresham, also died far too young. If I could turn back the years, I'd haunt Lewis until he granted me an interview: but keep to the rule laid down by Dr Who and his tardis gang: – no tampering with pivotal moments in time.



"A Ripple in Time" free to download from Sunday 14th March to Thursday 18th March.