C.J. Duggan's Blog, page 12
May 12, 2012
Finally!
OMG! FYI FAQ's ???
(That's my teenager speak for hey check out my website I have finally got my act together and updated the FAQ section - WORD *crosses arm's gangsta style*)
O.K I will stop now....sorry :( That was tots awks!
Seriously though, much like a teenager would say sitting on public transport with all her iPod clad friends, check out my FAQ section, it is seriously Amaze-balls.
The reviews are in:
"C.J's FAQ section is so deeply thought provoking and life changing it will make you wonder how you ever lived without it?"
C.J's Mum
"What!? Do I just press this? Oh Sh*t, where did it go? The screens gone blank, hang on a second let me get out of here."
C.J's Dad
Hmm, high praise indeed. Seeing as you are all collectively holding your breath in anticipation I will now offer you a grand reveal in style.
I know! Tots random right? Aside from such amazing showman ship click on the below link and check out my updated website!
>>>>>>>> C.J's FAQ! <<<<<<<<
(That's my teenager speak for hey check out my website I have finally got my act together and updated the FAQ section - WORD *crosses arm's gangsta style*)
O.K I will stop now....sorry :( That was tots awks!
Seriously though, much like a teenager would say sitting on public transport with all her iPod clad friends, check out my FAQ section, it is seriously Amaze-balls.
The reviews are in:
"C.J's FAQ section is so deeply thought provoking and life changing it will make you wonder how you ever lived without it?"
C.J's Mum
"What!? Do I just press this? Oh Sh*t, where did it go? The screens gone blank, hang on a second let me get out of here."
C.J's Dad
Hmm, high praise indeed. Seeing as you are all collectively holding your breath in anticipation I will now offer you a grand reveal in style.
I know! Tots random right? Aside from such amazing showman ship click on the below link and check out my updated website!
>>>>>>>> C.J's FAQ! <<<<<<<<
May 3, 2012
Calling all Writers!
Every now and then you will meet someone or read something that leaves a lasting effect on you. I am going to share with you such a piece of writing from such a lady. As you can guess, both of them have left there mark on me.
As a fellow writer Nina has touched on so many things I see in myself. No doubt other writers will read and feel the same.
Thanks to Nina for sharing this with me and allowing me share it with you.
A Writer's Perspective on Writers. ByNina D'Angelo
I’ve come to the conclusion that writers are almost –if not always- impossible to live with. Now you may be scratching your head and wondering what makes me think this. It’s not because I’ve experienced living with a writer. In fact I live with people who seem to make it their mission to read and write as little as possible. Their mission instead seems to spend countless hours in front of the idiot box.
I say this because I am said writer.
I say it because I see the resigned look of family and friends faces when they realize I am in ‘that’ frame of mind- the one where nothing else matters but churning out this chapter that is stuck within my mind.
I say it because I have no illusions as to my being the perfect girlfriend/wife, daughter or best friend. I’m not. If anything I am far from it.
But here’s the gist. Most people who know me knew that when I took this gig that it wasn’t going to be an easy ride and luckily have accepted it.
Writers are anti-social
Ok. This is partially true. It’s not our fault. No, seriously it’s not. Usually we are bugged by non-writer types who have this grand illusion that we need to get out more. This usually results in a very uncomfortable and unusual silent dinner in which we writers conspicuously look at our watches.
This probably sounds like a tick in the anti-social box, but here’s the simple truth. We’re writers. That’s what we do. We were not born to socialize. We were born to write. Yes, we love you and we enjoy spending time with you but guess what? We like spending time with our writing more. It consumes us.
While you’re sitting across wondering why the hell you even took it upon yourselves to get us out of our jim jams and into fresh air, we’re thinking about sub-plots and the quickest way to poison someone without leaving a trace.
Now this doesn’t mean we don’t want to spend time with you. It doesn’t mean we don’t love you. We just like to be left well alone when we write. We don’t need people constantly walking in and out of our study/writing area and asking inane questions.
Once the novel is finished, we will take a deep breath, surface and spent quality time with everyone we love before we de-surface again for the next saga. It’s just who we are. You knew this when you involuntarily took this gig on.
Writers are unobservant.
This is a favorite quote of my family and friends. I’ve been told by that a bomb could go off in the middle of my living room and I wouldn’t notice. Now that’s not entirely true.
Writers are actually quite observant. It’s what helps makes us brilliant writers. We just notice things that are important to us. This includes the shape and contrast of blood spatter on a wall, the heavy treads of a killer’s footsteps as he stalks his prey or the sounds of a death rattle as his victim takes his last breath.
It does not include cans of empty sodas on the bench or the pile of clothes desperately in need of ironing.
Yes, there are occasions where dinner will not be cooked. There will even be times where you will come home to find us wearing the same clothes we were wearing when you left for work. And yes, we do forget to eat and will drink coffee that has been sitting there for two hours. These are all the stuff you may deem important but when we have a deadline to be met, they are things we will ignore.
Writers will use their friends and family as their muses.
Be warned. This is true. Whether we mean to do it intentionally we will twist and contort characteristics of everyone we know and turn them into characters for our latest creation. We sometimes will blatantly steal your anecdotes and turn them into our characters experiences. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Without even realizing it we throw so much of ourselves also into our work. It’s why we are so scared of being rejected. It’s why our novels become our babies.
And God forbid you should cross us or even worse- ask to be used in our twisted little creations. My best friend agreed readily when I asked if I could use her profession, an alternate of her name and put her in the prologue of my new novel ‘Nowhere To Run’. Luckily she has a sense of fun and didn’t mind all that much that the first scene saw her raped, tortured and murdered.
We will question you however if you ask if you can be the serial killer. Unless we decide to make you one, please don’t ask. It’s just plain creepy. (A former friend of mine who shall remain nameless asked if he could be the serial killer in my novel- the said killer who rapes, tortures and slits the throat of his victims-needless to say I distanced myself from him shortly afterwards).
Give Writers their space and let us write.
Here’s the news. If we say we want to be left alone to write, please do it. Do not knock on the door or even pop in just to see how we’re doing. If we wanted you to know what we were doing, we would come out and tell you.
If we want liquids, foods or feel the need to stretch our legs we are quite capable of doing so ourselves. Although we do readily forget to eat, drink and take a break that usually means we are on a roll and god help you if you dare to interrupt us.
I love my family to pieces but I like to think that they have learnt that when I have turned the music up really loudly and I am locked in a room for hours on end, I am writing. I do not want you coming in, sitting on the edge of my desk and asking me to describe what my novel is about. Especially, when you have the attention span of a Knat and will start discussing something randomly like how I should clean my desk because it will make it easier to find things. If you didn’t really want to be told how said writer has dumped the headless body in an abandoned field then don’t ask.
I’m lucky enough to have someone in my life who does understand the term space. In fact he encourages it actively (Perhaps this I should be worried about?). He will either hear the swift change in my tone when I am suddenly distracted while talking to him or that glazed expression that indicates I’ve gone off to my own little dark world where serial killers are running amok and victims are piling up by the dozen.
Luckily he knows me well enough to just smile indulgently and say the two words I want to hear ‘Go Write’. Nor does he find it disturbing to start a phone call to me with ‘So, did we kill anyone today?’
Writers are not shiny, happy people
Accept it. Unless we’re someone who writes those God Awful self-help books or taking a heavy dosage of valium, don’t expect us to be shiny, happy people.
Now I’m not saying there aren’t writers who are permanently on a high (My guess is they regularly imbibe in speed or other medicinal products but that’s just me.) just that writers are notorious for being self-absorbed, dark and twisted personalities. Still don’t believe me? Does Ernest Hemingway ring a bell? No? How about Sylvia Plath? I can see from that stunned expression on your face you’re wishing you hadn’t crawled out from under your rock. O.K, I get it. How about Anne Rice or Leo Tolstoy?
Hell, if you’re still scratching your head there’s the likelihood you’re one of those people writers hate. You don’t get the references. You will never get them and you think that sunlight is actually good for you. You’re the very shiny, happy people we writers can’t stand.
Writers (In fact all artists alike) are brilliant at what they do because they can tap into that dark source from within and use it to their advantage. It’s why we have the ability to churn out stories that make your hair stand on end, or make you bawl your eyes out on a moving train in front of hundreds of other travelers. We revel in it. It’s what makes us who we are. Don’t try and change us into shiny, happy twits. We will just retreat further.
Some of the best stuff I have written has come from that dark place. It’s where you pour everything you have into a chapter and by the end of it you either hate it or are reaching for a tissue because you’re crying so hard it hurts.
Time means little to us
I have to confess in most cases this does not relate to me. I live by my watch. I don’t like being late to anything. However, if I am writing it’s a whole different ball game. I think it must be a general rule that writers do not notice time passing us by. The only time we will notice it is when we have a pressing deadline- then we will hear every tick, every second, every minute, every hour at a high decibel rate.
Again, it’s not because we’re unobserving but because we simply lose track of it. The thing about writing is that it sucks you so deeply within it, that you stop hearing, seeing and feeling anything around you. So, yes WW3 could occur in a writer’s living room but unless it distracts them, they’re not going to notice it. You could dress up like a go-go dancer and do the can-can around their desk and the only response you’re likely to get is a passing glance before they go back to writing again.
I’m guilty of this. When I’m writing I tend to plug in my headphones, turn up the music and just tune out to everything but my writing and the music. I’m also guilty of starting writing at 9pm only to glance at the clock at 3am and realize it is way past bedtime. More often than not I have gone to work with less than four hours sleep. It’s a habit I’ve become accustomed to.
Patience is a Virtue
See the words above. Try them. Yes, we know as writers that we can be unpredictable, trying and give a whole new meaning to the word patience. Patience is a word friends and family of writers need to learn quickly. Trust me on that one, because writers will test to see how far they can press it time and time again.
Mainly because it’s a word we have to be familiar with at the same time unfamiliar with. We’re impatient in most things we do except our writing. Usually we are rushing to get back to our work. We’re well aware that we try the patience of everyone around us especially when we are in a black mood and snapping at our loved ones. It’s not because we mean to but we are frustrated or just want to throw ourselves into our work and something is holding us back.
Be Prepared
Be prepared for the tantrums and the black moods. Be prepared for the frustration that will come with writer’s block. Be prepared to be in it for the long haul. You’ll see both the upsides and downsides of what a writer can go through. If you’re there for the start, you’re going to need to be prepared for the rejection letters, the desolation that will follow and the tears that will fall. If you’re even luckier to be there for the end, you may see the pride and joy that comes from being recognized as a published author.
The main thing is to remember- be prepared because it doesn’t happen overnight and it will be a bumpy ride.
Eccentricities
This is one you’re just going to have to deal with. Suck it up and get used to it. We’re eccentric not crazy. Accept that when having a conversation with us we will switch topics so rapidly you start to wonder if you’re talking to one or many personalities. Our brains are not necessarily wired the same as yours.
This means that we will stop midway through conversations about your latest boyfriend/girlfriend and switch to commentary about our novel. This doesn’t mean we want you to reply, just that we have switched off from your latest fling and retreated to our own world.
Also don’t be surprised if mid-sentence we will spew out an idea for the next novel or something that needs to go in our next chapter. Be even less surprised when we reach for that trusty notepad we carry anywhere.
And lastly just remember the most important one of all
Love us for us.
'Nuff said really.
Here! Here!
Like what you see?
You can check out Nina via Facebook or Blog
As a fellow writer Nina has touched on so many things I see in myself. No doubt other writers will read and feel the same.
Thanks to Nina for sharing this with me and allowing me share it with you.
A Writer's Perspective on Writers. ByNina D'Angelo
I’ve come to the conclusion that writers are almost –if not always- impossible to live with. Now you may be scratching your head and wondering what makes me think this. It’s not because I’ve experienced living with a writer. In fact I live with people who seem to make it their mission to read and write as little as possible. Their mission instead seems to spend countless hours in front of the idiot box.
I say this because I am said writer.
I say it because I see the resigned look of family and friends faces when they realize I am in ‘that’ frame of mind- the one where nothing else matters but churning out this chapter that is stuck within my mind.
I say it because I have no illusions as to my being the perfect girlfriend/wife, daughter or best friend. I’m not. If anything I am far from it.
But here’s the gist. Most people who know me knew that when I took this gig that it wasn’t going to be an easy ride and luckily have accepted it.
Writers are anti-social
Ok. This is partially true. It’s not our fault. No, seriously it’s not. Usually we are bugged by non-writer types who have this grand illusion that we need to get out more. This usually results in a very uncomfortable and unusual silent dinner in which we writers conspicuously look at our watches.
This probably sounds like a tick in the anti-social box, but here’s the simple truth. We’re writers. That’s what we do. We were not born to socialize. We were born to write. Yes, we love you and we enjoy spending time with you but guess what? We like spending time with our writing more. It consumes us.
While you’re sitting across wondering why the hell you even took it upon yourselves to get us out of our jim jams and into fresh air, we’re thinking about sub-plots and the quickest way to poison someone without leaving a trace.
Now this doesn’t mean we don’t want to spend time with you. It doesn’t mean we don’t love you. We just like to be left well alone when we write. We don’t need people constantly walking in and out of our study/writing area and asking inane questions.
Once the novel is finished, we will take a deep breath, surface and spent quality time with everyone we love before we de-surface again for the next saga. It’s just who we are. You knew this when you involuntarily took this gig on.
Writers are unobservant.
This is a favorite quote of my family and friends. I’ve been told by that a bomb could go off in the middle of my living room and I wouldn’t notice. Now that’s not entirely true.
Writers are actually quite observant. It’s what helps makes us brilliant writers. We just notice things that are important to us. This includes the shape and contrast of blood spatter on a wall, the heavy treads of a killer’s footsteps as he stalks his prey or the sounds of a death rattle as his victim takes his last breath.
It does not include cans of empty sodas on the bench or the pile of clothes desperately in need of ironing.
Yes, there are occasions where dinner will not be cooked. There will even be times where you will come home to find us wearing the same clothes we were wearing when you left for work. And yes, we do forget to eat and will drink coffee that has been sitting there for two hours. These are all the stuff you may deem important but when we have a deadline to be met, they are things we will ignore.
Writers will use their friends and family as their muses.
Be warned. This is true. Whether we mean to do it intentionally we will twist and contort characteristics of everyone we know and turn them into characters for our latest creation. We sometimes will blatantly steal your anecdotes and turn them into our characters experiences. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Without even realizing it we throw so much of ourselves also into our work. It’s why we are so scared of being rejected. It’s why our novels become our babies.
And God forbid you should cross us or even worse- ask to be used in our twisted little creations. My best friend agreed readily when I asked if I could use her profession, an alternate of her name and put her in the prologue of my new novel ‘Nowhere To Run’. Luckily she has a sense of fun and didn’t mind all that much that the first scene saw her raped, tortured and murdered.
We will question you however if you ask if you can be the serial killer. Unless we decide to make you one, please don’t ask. It’s just plain creepy. (A former friend of mine who shall remain nameless asked if he could be the serial killer in my novel- the said killer who rapes, tortures and slits the throat of his victims-needless to say I distanced myself from him shortly afterwards).
Give Writers their space and let us write.
Here’s the news. If we say we want to be left alone to write, please do it. Do not knock on the door or even pop in just to see how we’re doing. If we wanted you to know what we were doing, we would come out and tell you.
If we want liquids, foods or feel the need to stretch our legs we are quite capable of doing so ourselves. Although we do readily forget to eat, drink and take a break that usually means we are on a roll and god help you if you dare to interrupt us.
I love my family to pieces but I like to think that they have learnt that when I have turned the music up really loudly and I am locked in a room for hours on end, I am writing. I do not want you coming in, sitting on the edge of my desk and asking me to describe what my novel is about. Especially, when you have the attention span of a Knat and will start discussing something randomly like how I should clean my desk because it will make it easier to find things. If you didn’t really want to be told how said writer has dumped the headless body in an abandoned field then don’t ask.
I’m lucky enough to have someone in my life who does understand the term space. In fact he encourages it actively (Perhaps this I should be worried about?). He will either hear the swift change in my tone when I am suddenly distracted while talking to him or that glazed expression that indicates I’ve gone off to my own little dark world where serial killers are running amok and victims are piling up by the dozen.
Luckily he knows me well enough to just smile indulgently and say the two words I want to hear ‘Go Write’. Nor does he find it disturbing to start a phone call to me with ‘So, did we kill anyone today?’
Writers are not shiny, happy people
Accept it. Unless we’re someone who writes those God Awful self-help books or taking a heavy dosage of valium, don’t expect us to be shiny, happy people.
Now I’m not saying there aren’t writers who are permanently on a high (My guess is they regularly imbibe in speed or other medicinal products but that’s just me.) just that writers are notorious for being self-absorbed, dark and twisted personalities. Still don’t believe me? Does Ernest Hemingway ring a bell? No? How about Sylvia Plath? I can see from that stunned expression on your face you’re wishing you hadn’t crawled out from under your rock. O.K, I get it. How about Anne Rice or Leo Tolstoy?
Hell, if you’re still scratching your head there’s the likelihood you’re one of those people writers hate. You don’t get the references. You will never get them and you think that sunlight is actually good for you. You’re the very shiny, happy people we writers can’t stand.
Writers (In fact all artists alike) are brilliant at what they do because they can tap into that dark source from within and use it to their advantage. It’s why we have the ability to churn out stories that make your hair stand on end, or make you bawl your eyes out on a moving train in front of hundreds of other travelers. We revel in it. It’s what makes us who we are. Don’t try and change us into shiny, happy twits. We will just retreat further.
Some of the best stuff I have written has come from that dark place. It’s where you pour everything you have into a chapter and by the end of it you either hate it or are reaching for a tissue because you’re crying so hard it hurts.
Time means little to us
I have to confess in most cases this does not relate to me. I live by my watch. I don’t like being late to anything. However, if I am writing it’s a whole different ball game. I think it must be a general rule that writers do not notice time passing us by. The only time we will notice it is when we have a pressing deadline- then we will hear every tick, every second, every minute, every hour at a high decibel rate.
Again, it’s not because we’re unobserving but because we simply lose track of it. The thing about writing is that it sucks you so deeply within it, that you stop hearing, seeing and feeling anything around you. So, yes WW3 could occur in a writer’s living room but unless it distracts them, they’re not going to notice it. You could dress up like a go-go dancer and do the can-can around their desk and the only response you’re likely to get is a passing glance before they go back to writing again.
I’m guilty of this. When I’m writing I tend to plug in my headphones, turn up the music and just tune out to everything but my writing and the music. I’m also guilty of starting writing at 9pm only to glance at the clock at 3am and realize it is way past bedtime. More often than not I have gone to work with less than four hours sleep. It’s a habit I’ve become accustomed to.
Patience is a Virtue
See the words above. Try them. Yes, we know as writers that we can be unpredictable, trying and give a whole new meaning to the word patience. Patience is a word friends and family of writers need to learn quickly. Trust me on that one, because writers will test to see how far they can press it time and time again.
Mainly because it’s a word we have to be familiar with at the same time unfamiliar with. We’re impatient in most things we do except our writing. Usually we are rushing to get back to our work. We’re well aware that we try the patience of everyone around us especially when we are in a black mood and snapping at our loved ones. It’s not because we mean to but we are frustrated or just want to throw ourselves into our work and something is holding us back.
Be Prepared
Be prepared for the tantrums and the black moods. Be prepared for the frustration that will come with writer’s block. Be prepared to be in it for the long haul. You’ll see both the upsides and downsides of what a writer can go through. If you’re there for the start, you’re going to need to be prepared for the rejection letters, the desolation that will follow and the tears that will fall. If you’re even luckier to be there for the end, you may see the pride and joy that comes from being recognized as a published author.
The main thing is to remember- be prepared because it doesn’t happen overnight and it will be a bumpy ride.
Eccentricities
This is one you’re just going to have to deal with. Suck it up and get used to it. We’re eccentric not crazy. Accept that when having a conversation with us we will switch topics so rapidly you start to wonder if you’re talking to one or many personalities. Our brains are not necessarily wired the same as yours.
This means that we will stop midway through conversations about your latest boyfriend/girlfriend and switch to commentary about our novel. This doesn’t mean we want you to reply, just that we have switched off from your latest fling and retreated to our own world.
Also don’t be surprised if mid-sentence we will spew out an idea for the next novel or something that needs to go in our next chapter. Be even less surprised when we reach for that trusty notepad we carry anywhere.
And lastly just remember the most important one of all
Love us for us.
'Nuff said really.
Here! Here!
Like what you see?
You can check out Nina via Facebook or Blog
April 13, 2012
FREE!! YA Paranormal and Contemporary Download.
I am so excited to announce that an exclusive sneak peek of 'The Boys of Summer" is featured in
"A Taste Test"
Available to DOWNLOAD for FREE. What's not to love?
This book is a taste test of all things YA Romance. Within these pages you'll find excerpts from a range of contemporary and paranormal YA stories that have either just been released or are coming out later in the year. There is also a full short story for you to enjoy. Nine fantastic authors are featured and we are all very excited about sharing our work with you. This sampler book is completely free of charge. This is your chance to try out some new flavours, discover some fresh writing talent and get excited about 2012 YA releases.
It's FREE and available RIGHT NOW from Smashwords in ePub, Kindle, PDF and others. Other sales venues coming soon!
GRAB A COPY!
>>>>>>>>> HERE! <<<<<<<<<
And above all, ENJOY! and spread the word.xo
"A Taste Test"
Available to DOWNLOAD for FREE. What's not to love?
This book is a taste test of all things YA Romance. Within these pages you'll find excerpts from a range of contemporary and paranormal YA stories that have either just been released or are coming out later in the year. There is also a full short story for you to enjoy. Nine fantastic authors are featured and we are all very excited about sharing our work with you. This sampler book is completely free of charge. This is your chance to try out some new flavours, discover some fresh writing talent and get excited about 2012 YA releases.
It's FREE and available RIGHT NOW from Smashwords in ePub, Kindle, PDF and others. Other sales venues coming soon!
GRAB A COPY!
>>>>>>>>> HERE! <<<<<<<<<
And above all, ENJOY! and spread the word.xo
April 8, 2012
Would you look at that!
It appears that every entry has some form of an announcement of late.
So much seems to be happening it's nice to sit down after a long weekend away to review where I'm at. There are many things in the wood works at the moment, including a free work of short fiction I will post up shortly, and a YA novella I aim to release in July.
But for now it's about The Boys of Summer that will be featured in this upcoming April release!!
A FREE Young Adult Sampler with some exciting new YA authors.
So if you want an exclusive sneak peak to my YA debut 'The Boys of Summer' watch this space and be the first to grab your copy.
It seemed only natural to nickname them the "Onslow" Boys. Everytime they swagger in the front door of the Onslow Hotel after a hard weeks work. Their laughter loud and genuine as they settle on to their bar stools. I peak through the Restaurant partition; a flimsy divider from my world to theirs. I can't help but smile when I see them, see him... Toby Morrison.
Quiet, 17-year-old Tess doesn't relish the thought of a summertime job. She wants nothing more than to forget the past haunts of High School and have fun with her best friends before dreaded senior year begins. Summer is when everything happens. Riding bikes down to the lake, watching the fire-works at the Onslow show, and water fights at the sweltering Sunday markets.
How did she let her friends talk her into this?
Convinced nothing good can come of it after first shift disasters; rude wealthy tourists, and a taunting ex-boyfriend. Tess finds unlikely allies in a group of locals dubbed 'The Onslow Boys' who are old enough to drive cars, drink beer,and not worry about curfews. Tess's world expands into a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love, and heart breaking chaos.
All with the one boy she has never been able to forget.
It will be a summer she will always remember.
April 3, 2012
Do a girl a favour?
Well, well, well...LOOK WHATS ON GOOD READS.
FINALLY an Author Page up on GoodReads has been added Now you can add The Boys of Summer to your 'to be read lists' HERE
Also up for exploration is my new website
http://cjduggan.weebly.com
I am taking part in an exciting YA Sample ebook that will be released in April, followed by a whirlwind blog tour with some of the hottest up and coming YA writers of 2012.
I am truly honored and excited to be apart of this project and can't wait to bring it to you in the next few weeks. So hit on the website follow the social links and keep your finger on the pulse for some amazing YA novels. Best of all the sample will be FREE, so keep posted and be the first to grab a copy.
FINALLY an Author Page up on GoodReads has been added Now you can add The Boys of Summer to your 'to be read lists' HERE
Also up for exploration is my new website
http://cjduggan.weebly.com
I am taking part in an exciting YA Sample ebook that will be released in April, followed by a whirlwind blog tour with some of the hottest up and coming YA writers of 2012.
I am truly honored and excited to be apart of this project and can't wait to bring it to you in the next few weeks. So hit on the website follow the social links and keep your finger on the pulse for some amazing YA novels. Best of all the sample will be FREE, so keep posted and be the first to grab a copy.
March 29, 2012
Drum Roll...Website Reveal!!
Oh yeah! I am EVERYWHERE, like your worst nightmare....Well hopefully not.
I have been busy-busy-busy trying to make sure I cover every angle of networking. I have established an Author page on GoodReads (love that site) doing a wee bit more plugging for my 'The Boys of Summer' page on Facebook and drum roll........
All links can be found on my NEW website. A one stop shop for all things C.J Duggan.
I know it's SO exciting!
And here it is...
http://cjduggan.weebly.com
Check out my works in progress and all that links me to the big bad world.
Do a girl a favour and check out my social links.
ABOUT ME: http://about.me/cjduggan
BLOG: http://can-duu.blogspot.com.au/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/#!/CJ_Duggan
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002387829530
GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5779034.C_J_Duggan
FACEBOOK (The Boys of Summer) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cj-Duggan-The-Boys-of-Summer/207724915934429
For all that already follow, like and generally support me through numerous means, I can't THANK YOU enough. You are awesome and if it weren't for you I would just be some lonesome crazy story teller.
xo
I have been busy-busy-busy trying to make sure I cover every angle of networking. I have established an Author page on GoodReads (love that site) doing a wee bit more plugging for my 'The Boys of Summer' page on Facebook and drum roll........
All links can be found on my NEW website. A one stop shop for all things C.J Duggan.
I know it's SO exciting!
And here it is...
http://cjduggan.weebly.com
Check out my works in progress and all that links me to the big bad world.
Do a girl a favour and check out my social links.
ABOUT ME: http://about.me/cjduggan
BLOG: http://can-duu.blogspot.com.au/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/#!/CJ_Duggan
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002387829530
GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5779034.C_J_Duggan
FACEBOOK (The Boys of Summer) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cj-Duggan-The-Boys-of-Summer/207724915934429
For all that already follow, like and generally support me through numerous means, I can't THANK YOU enough. You are awesome and if it weren't for you I would just be some lonesome crazy story teller.
xo
March 2, 2012
Where the Magic Happens.
If there is one thing I have learnt over this past year (in my writing) is that you need your space, or rather "A" space to call your own.
Oh yes, us writers are ever so adaptable to the elements. Scribbling profusely on the coach, jotting an idea down on a cafe napkin, or penning the next best seller while we attend soccer practice for little Johnny. We write anywhere we can, and our brainstorming is constant.
But sometimes you need to feel in control (well I do anyway) The cruncher for me was the lead up to NaNo (In a nut shell write a novel in a month) I thought I am going to need to be dedicated and focused in a way I had never had to be before, but NaNo was about big daily goal setting, and being my first time I early took on the challenge.
So for inspiration I cleared a space in the spare guest room that I could call my own, a nifty little nook at the end of the house with no distractions. I then as a gift to myself, I went and stocked up on a whole lot of stationary to fit out my new office (Smiggle how I love thee) So for about two days I lovingly set out my work space. Because at the end of the day, writing is as serious to me as my day job, both require passion and dedication in order to thrive.
I can honestly say it was the best thing I ever did!
I now have a space for all my research, brainstorming, paperwork, funky new stationary. I have my Macbook pro, my kindle, books, lolly jar and other favorite objects surrounding me.
The key is to create an environment of inspiration, a place where you are happy to be in. I walk into my room and smile every time because it is mine and it's where all the fun stuff happens. It HAS to be comfortable, if your not comfortable there is no way you are going to be creative.
Make sure it is silent as possible, allowing only for music ( if that's how you roll?) Music for some can be just as aspiring. Oh and allowances are made for our better half's to bring us in drinks and food for nourishment, but also stock up on the munchies and drink to keep those creative fires burning.
Of course it's up to the individual, but I love my office/space/nook/study whatever you want to call it? I don't limit myself to say that I can only write at that very space, but it is most certainly where I go when I am getting serious on my novel. Big writing sessions, correspondence networking, dreaded editing and re writes, it's my location of choice.
How about you? Do you have your very own space? What's your writing routine?
Where the magic happens
I love my space! My second hand table with glass top and decorative material displayed underneath. It's the perfect height and size boasting three generous draws for extra storage. To the left I have my turquoise lolly jar (empty of course) it was a gift from my mum. I also have a glass Eifel Tower vase I brought in Melbourne, and a French style statue next to it. To my right I have all my Smiggle stationary and my beloved Kindle is always in reach, in fact I never go anywhere without it.
And of course the crowning glory is the picture of Paris front and centre. I purchased this when in a second hand shop in Beechworth when I was 18. It was a special girls trip away organized specifically to mend my broken heart from a jilted Summer love.
I spotted it and had to have it I think it cost me $5?
When I left home I didn't take it with me, I hadn forgotten all about it. It wasn't until I went back home for a visit some 10 years later that I saw it collecting dust in the rumpus room. I ended up clearing a space on the back seat of my car and brought it home. A few months later when organising my writing space, I found I was basing everything around that picture. My white stationary, my colored glass nic nac's. Little did I know how vital the picture really was at the time when I made an impulse buy in an effort to heal my broken heart (therapeutic shopping at it's best)
So be creative, surround yourself with inspiration and treat yourself every now and again, you just never know where it will take you? :)
*Would love to see your writing space's. If you care to share attach a link below.*
Oh yes, us writers are ever so adaptable to the elements. Scribbling profusely on the coach, jotting an idea down on a cafe napkin, or penning the next best seller while we attend soccer practice for little Johnny. We write anywhere we can, and our brainstorming is constant.
But sometimes you need to feel in control (well I do anyway) The cruncher for me was the lead up to NaNo (In a nut shell write a novel in a month) I thought I am going to need to be dedicated and focused in a way I had never had to be before, but NaNo was about big daily goal setting, and being my first time I early took on the challenge.
So for inspiration I cleared a space in the spare guest room that I could call my own, a nifty little nook at the end of the house with no distractions. I then as a gift to myself, I went and stocked up on a whole lot of stationary to fit out my new office (Smiggle how I love thee) So for about two days I lovingly set out my work space. Because at the end of the day, writing is as serious to me as my day job, both require passion and dedication in order to thrive.
I can honestly say it was the best thing I ever did!
I now have a space for all my research, brainstorming, paperwork, funky new stationary. I have my Macbook pro, my kindle, books, lolly jar and other favorite objects surrounding me.
The key is to create an environment of inspiration, a place where you are happy to be in. I walk into my room and smile every time because it is mine and it's where all the fun stuff happens. It HAS to be comfortable, if your not comfortable there is no way you are going to be creative.
Make sure it is silent as possible, allowing only for music ( if that's how you roll?) Music for some can be just as aspiring. Oh and allowances are made for our better half's to bring us in drinks and food for nourishment, but also stock up on the munchies and drink to keep those creative fires burning.
Of course it's up to the individual, but I love my office/space/nook/study whatever you want to call it? I don't limit myself to say that I can only write at that very space, but it is most certainly where I go when I am getting serious on my novel. Big writing sessions, correspondence networking, dreaded editing and re writes, it's my location of choice.
How about you? Do you have your very own space? What's your writing routine?
Where the magic happens
I love my space! My second hand table with glass top and decorative material displayed underneath. It's the perfect height and size boasting three generous draws for extra storage. To the left I have my turquoise lolly jar (empty of course) it was a gift from my mum. I also have a glass Eifel Tower vase I brought in Melbourne, and a French style statue next to it. To my right I have all my Smiggle stationary and my beloved Kindle is always in reach, in fact I never go anywhere without it.
And of course the crowning glory is the picture of Paris front and centre. I purchased this when in a second hand shop in Beechworth when I was 18. It was a special girls trip away organized specifically to mend my broken heart from a jilted Summer love.
I spotted it and had to have it I think it cost me $5?
When I left home I didn't take it with me, I hadn forgotten all about it. It wasn't until I went back home for a visit some 10 years later that I saw it collecting dust in the rumpus room. I ended up clearing a space on the back seat of my car and brought it home. A few months later when organising my writing space, I found I was basing everything around that picture. My white stationary, my colored glass nic nac's. Little did I know how vital the picture really was at the time when I made an impulse buy in an effort to heal my broken heart (therapeutic shopping at it's best)
So be creative, surround yourself with inspiration and treat yourself every now and again, you just never know where it will take you? :)
*Would love to see your writing space's. If you care to share attach a link below.*
February 29, 2012
Cover Reveal 'This Life'
The cover for the book I am about to reveal will always be extra special to me. It was the story in the forefront of my mind and my heart when I made the life changing decision to take my writing seriously. I had always intended it to be my debut novel but out of respect of making this story the very best it can be I made the difficult choice on releasing for 2013. Until such time I will be giving updates and sharing 'This Life' news prior to a release date. I am very excited and proud to be able to share with you what is my beautiful cover as designed by the amazingly talented Keary Taylor of Indie Designs. Enjoy! xo
I sensed his presence...all the time. How could I not? He just won't shut up! He doesn't think I see him, but oh I see him, and hear him. I find it somewhat amusing the things people say when they don't think you hear them. But that's people, he's not a person, he's not a man, he's not really here, he's dead...I wonder if he knows it??
Kate Sawyer sees thing's, dead things but that little fact hasn't plagued her for over 10 years , not since the ghost of a dead Maths Professor helped her cheat on her final exams. Having been raised in a wealthy well known family Kate's off beat visions have threatened to hurt the Sawyer's perfect profile. After years of therapy and medication at her parents insistence Kate's ghostly connections as a child soon disappeared ...until now.
James Bayley has been in this life longer than any other, he doesn't know why. His existence is that confined to an inner city townhouse, where over a century he has silently watched people pass and his surroundings change. He aimlessly wishes to pass from this life to the next, until beautiful Kate inhabits his home, and his so called existence will never be the same.
Together they unlock many truths and find that all you are and all you have been is not all that matters
I sensed his presence...all the time. How could I not? He just won't shut up! He doesn't think I see him, but oh I see him, and hear him. I find it somewhat amusing the things people say when they don't think you hear them. But that's people, he's not a person, he's not a man, he's not really here, he's dead...I wonder if he knows it??
Kate Sawyer sees thing's, dead things but that little fact hasn't plagued her for over 10 years , not since the ghost of a dead Maths Professor helped her cheat on her final exams. Having been raised in a wealthy well known family Kate's off beat visions have threatened to hurt the Sawyer's perfect profile. After years of therapy and medication at her parents insistence Kate's ghostly connections as a child soon disappeared ...until now.
James Bayley has been in this life longer than any other, he doesn't know why. His existence is that confined to an inner city townhouse, where over a century he has silently watched people pass and his surroundings change. He aimlessly wishes to pass from this life to the next, until beautiful Kate inhabits his home, and his so called existence will never be the same.
Together they unlock many truths and find that all you are and all you have been is not all that matters
Happy Anniversary, Ya Filthy Animals!
I know, I see it. All sitting around chortling amongst themselves drinking cups of tea with pinkies elegantly pointed skywards.
Reaching for a cucumber sandwich a subject is brought up from the 'olden days'
"Her name was C.J or B.J or something, says she was a writer"
"A writer you say? Oh how cute"
"Yes, used to blog a fair bit back in the day you know? Bless her heart."
"Whatever happened to her, this C.J woman?"
"Some say she went mad, some say she went off to write a novel and was never heard of again."
Clutching her pearl necklace "My stars! How dreadful"
"Indeed!"
*chortle-chortle-chortle*
At this point a door is kicked open with such an almighty force, the gusting wind from the out door elements upends the table. Cucumber sandwiches , along with sun hats and monocles are sent flying. Fearful eyes are shielded from the figure standing before them.
It is I......C.J Duggan. I take a step into the room looking much like this:
Yeah I'm back, I have been on a journey and I am back in the blog-a-sphere to kick some writing butt. Seriously you didn't think I had gone for good did you??
I put down my flame thrower so as to pick up a wayward cucumber sandwich, I dust of the lint...*shrugs* Eh 3 second rule.
Mmmm Num-num-num-num...
Soooo what ya been up to I hear yo ask??
Living the dream? Changing the world? Saving lives?
Well...not exactly, but what I can say is that I have been very busy with edits for my NaNo project The Boys of Summer, I even received an exciting offer to be apart of a promotion project with said YA Romance, but more about that on a later stage.
I have also been so busy I can't believe that the February has all but come and gone and how anti climatic as February actually marks my one year anniversary in the wonderful world of blog. So as promised I aim to reveal my cover for my Paranormal Romance 'This Life' as a cause of celebration.
Woooooooooo......Thanks to all my wonderful followers, I really can't not tell you enough how AH-mazing you all are. I have met some truly fabulous people I am also honoured to call friends. 2011 was such an incredible year personally and professionally I can not wait to move onto 2012 with each and everyone of you.
What can I say? I totally heart you all.
C.J xoxo
Now excuse me while I disappear behind the curtain to ready the cover reveal for "This Life"
WATCH THIS SPACE
Reaching for a cucumber sandwich a subject is brought up from the 'olden days'
"Her name was C.J or B.J or something, says she was a writer"
"A writer you say? Oh how cute"
"Yes, used to blog a fair bit back in the day you know? Bless her heart."
"Whatever happened to her, this C.J woman?"
"Some say she went mad, some say she went off to write a novel and was never heard of again."
Clutching her pearl necklace "My stars! How dreadful"
"Indeed!"
*chortle-chortle-chortle*
At this point a door is kicked open with such an almighty force, the gusting wind from the out door elements upends the table. Cucumber sandwiches , along with sun hats and monocles are sent flying. Fearful eyes are shielded from the figure standing before them.
It is I......C.J Duggan. I take a step into the room looking much like this:
Yeah I'm back, I have been on a journey and I am back in the blog-a-sphere to kick some writing butt. Seriously you didn't think I had gone for good did you??
I put down my flame thrower so as to pick up a wayward cucumber sandwich, I dust of the lint...*shrugs* Eh 3 second rule.
Mmmm Num-num-num-num...
Soooo what ya been up to I hear yo ask??
Living the dream? Changing the world? Saving lives?
Well...not exactly, but what I can say is that I have been very busy with edits for my NaNo project The Boys of Summer, I even received an exciting offer to be apart of a promotion project with said YA Romance, but more about that on a later stage.
I have also been so busy I can't believe that the February has all but come and gone and how anti climatic as February actually marks my one year anniversary in the wonderful world of blog. So as promised I aim to reveal my cover for my Paranormal Romance 'This Life' as a cause of celebration.
Woooooooooo......Thanks to all my wonderful followers, I really can't not tell you enough how AH-mazing you all are. I have met some truly fabulous people I am also honoured to call friends. 2011 was such an incredible year personally and professionally I can not wait to move onto 2012 with each and everyone of you.
What can I say? I totally heart you all.
C.J xoxo
Now excuse me while I disappear behind the curtain to ready the cover reveal for "This Life"
WATCH THIS SPACE
February 10, 2012
Music Soothes the Editing Beast
I have been working on the edits for The Boys of Summer in lui of an exciting promotional project that will involve what will now be my debut novel. My Paranormal Romance 'This Life' will follow. On This Life news I plan to do a cover reveal before the month is over to celebrate my blogging anniversary, so lots of exciting things to come.
Do you ever have the song that tends to run through your mind over and over as you immerse yourself in your characters world? Some might say it is an anthem but I just think it's a trigger, for there are whole play lists to the books we write. This song seems to pop into my head every time I look at my book cover, now every time I hear it I smile and think of my characters. And although it's not like this song in particular is represented with in the book as it is centred in the mid 90's, it never less makes me smile and give a nostalgic feeling for summer.
The song is by Paul Mac titled Sunshine Eyes
What follows isn't any thing more flashy than some music and my book cover, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.
* I do not own the rights to this music*
Think back from the place you are
it starts so far
and the end I can't imagine
To track all sense is lost
time to cost
consequensive actions
Lost in the not too far
just the way you are
just wait for it to be said
The past will leave divide
so stretch it out
till it snaps into the present
Chorus:
And then there's the sunshine
comes from your eyes
lights up the world from inside
I can see me smiling
We're near in the here and now
just don't tell me how
it will be a happy ending
step back I will tell you all
I will bear my soul
and I won't just be defending
I've doubts I've been burnt before
but I'm back for more
coz without I think I'm dying
Your eyes reflect I drown
and through coffee brown
I can see myself still smiling
Chorus:
And then there's the sun-shine
that comes from your eyes
Lights up the world from inside
I can see me smiling aaaaaaooh
I can see me smiling aaaaaooh
I can see me smiling aaaaaaaooh
I can see me smiling eeeehhhhhh
And then there's the sunshine
comes from your eyes
it lights up the world from inside
I can see me smiling
and then there's the sun shine
that comes from your eyes
that lights up the world from inside
I can see me smiling
aaaaaaaaaaaooh
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooh
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooh
What song makes you smile?
Do you ever have the song that tends to run through your mind over and over as you immerse yourself in your characters world? Some might say it is an anthem but I just think it's a trigger, for there are whole play lists to the books we write. This song seems to pop into my head every time I look at my book cover, now every time I hear it I smile and think of my characters. And although it's not like this song in particular is represented with in the book as it is centred in the mid 90's, it never less makes me smile and give a nostalgic feeling for summer.
The song is by Paul Mac titled Sunshine Eyes
What follows isn't any thing more flashy than some music and my book cover, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.
* I do not own the rights to this music*
Think back from the place you are
it starts so far
and the end I can't imagine
To track all sense is lost
time to cost
consequensive actions
Lost in the not too far
just the way you are
just wait for it to be said
The past will leave divide
so stretch it out
till it snaps into the present
Chorus:
And then there's the sunshine
comes from your eyes
lights up the world from inside
I can see me smiling
We're near in the here and now
just don't tell me how
it will be a happy ending
step back I will tell you all
I will bear my soul
and I won't just be defending
I've doubts I've been burnt before
but I'm back for more
coz without I think I'm dying
Your eyes reflect I drown
and through coffee brown
I can see myself still smiling
Chorus:
And then there's the sun-shine
that comes from your eyes
Lights up the world from inside
I can see me smiling aaaaaaooh
I can see me smiling aaaaaooh
I can see me smiling aaaaaaaooh
I can see me smiling eeeehhhhhh
And then there's the sunshine
comes from your eyes
it lights up the world from inside
I can see me smiling
and then there's the sun shine
that comes from your eyes
that lights up the world from inside
I can see me smiling
aaaaaaaaaaaooh
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooh
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooh
What song makes you smile?
