Joey Paul's Blog, page 10

#TeaserTuesday

Zya soon finds out there's more to this world than she will ever know...BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/TRANSLUCENT

[ID: A blue DNA background with the title TRANSLUCENT at the top and out now in ebook & paperback just below the title The except reads:

“Why are you telling us all of this? Are you expecting help?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I was hoping we could camp in the area. I know we can't ask for supplies, or ask for help, but we don't have a choice here. If we don't go to the hub, Bea will order us killed.”
“How she's gonna do that from S-W?” Dane scoffed.
I looked up to meet his eyes, and I could pinpoint the moment he made the connection.
“She's tracking you,” he said, anger resurfacing. “That's why you just told us all of that, isn't it?” He stopped up, hand moving to his hair. “You don't have any idea of the risk you've put us through! You're a f*cking child compared to the council."

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the bottom left corner is the Readers' Favorite Review Seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

5 Facts About My Current Working Projects

5 FACTS ON MY CURRENT WORKING PROJECTS

I know I did one of these recently (found here) but I have since changed some of the projects I'm currently working on and wanted to give you all some more facts about them. As it stands, right now I have two revising and rewriting projects, one revision project, and one project in edits. I'll break down the facts based on those! So let's jump into it!

REVISING & REWRITING

FACT #1: PENNEY WILL BREAK THE RULES TO SAVE DANE
The first revising and rewriting project is a YA paranormal/romance, the first in a trilogy with a little bit of mystery thrown in there. Penney is 17 and a psychic. She has the choice ahead of her to go the normal route and be a regular human, albeit with psychic abilities, or to join the Academy and train and work for them in all things psychic. Penney is clear she wants to go the normal route. She wants to be a teacher like her mama. The rules are also clear that you can never interfere with a vision or the future. So when Penney has a vision from nowhere showing her that her best friend, and long time crush, Dane is going to die in a few weeks, Penney throws all the rules out of the window. Screw what the universe wants, she will do whatever it takes to save Dane's life, even if that means pushing him into the arms of someone else.

FACT #2: ABBY AND HER FRIENDS WILL STOP THE WITCH HUNT, WHATEVER THE COST
The second revising and rewriting project is a YA urban fantasy, and again the first in a trilogy. Abby is 15, a witch, and also battling unknown chronic illness(es). She's on the path to getting a diagnosis when the pandemic struck and the world went into lockdown. Dealing with worrying symptoms, she's forced to hide inside, and then a witch hunt happens out of nowhere, and Abby and her friends know the first witch taken. They will do whatever they can to save any witches from being harmed, even at the cost of their own safety.

REVISING

FACT #3: ZYA ISN'T SURE ABOUT THE HUB, BUT SHE'LL KEEP HER FRIENDS SAFE
The revising project is the third in the Invisible quartet, Visible. This is a YA dystopian series that deals with death, a virus, disability, adaption, resilience, and finding a way to stay alive. Zya and her friends were forced to leave their segment, and she's gotten them to what she thought might be safety, only she's not sure if that's actually the case, or if they've just ended up in mortal peril. She needs answers and she'll do whatever it takes to get them, even at the risk of her own life.

FACT #4: THE HITS KEEP COMING FOR JONAH, AND HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO SURVIVE
Jonah took a lot of stress in the second book, and with their journey to the hub ending the way it did, Jonah isn't sure that he's able to survive what's happened, and what's coming. He thinks he has a chance if nothing else goes wrong, but that's the problem, everything is going wrong, and he won't be the weak link in the chain getting his friends killed.

EDITING

FACT #5: JESSIE HAS NO IDEA WHAT TO DO
The editing project is the fourth in the Cramping Chronicles series, which is YA urban fantasy all about Jessie, who's 15, chronically ill and disabled, and also an empath. She can literally feel certain people's physical and emotional pain. With the way things ended in the third book, Jessie is left adrift and struggling to find a way to keep going. She has no choice but to face the danger ahead of her, and hope she comes out the other side, the alternative doesn't bear thinking about.

So there we go, those are five facts about my current working projects! Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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Review of Pomela's Revenge by Kyla Stan

 

They believed that evil was vanquished…until they unleashed the Death Goddess.

After the war with Manitou, Violet Poet-Tongue is now an honored member of the Skin Walker pack alongside Tohon, the warrior alpha who bit her. She is celebrated among her new people and claimed a hero, but Violet senses something dark within the wilderness, an unspeakable evil that grows stronger every day.

Then on a cold winter morning, Queen Kamaria of the Bastet Clan, Tohon’s mother, arrives with members of her pack, including a feisty daughter named Hila, and Tafari, a wise shaman. They seek shelter after facing the perils of their homeland. But Violet also learns the Bastets had a vision of Pomela, Goddess of Death, and she desires to kill all Animal Children using ancient earthen spirits called Primordials. To make matters even more complicated, Kamaria has secrets about her magick she won’t reveal, causing tension between Violet and the Bastets.

Violet and Tohon must face ancient monsters and magickal secrets, but can they stop Pomela while forming an alliance with the Bastet Clan? 

Amazon

My Review: 4.5 STARS

I picked this up having read the first book and was looking forward to getting lost in the world again. While it’s a short quick read, there were some parts that I felt could’ve been expanded upon, though it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of it. Stan has a way of making the world vivid for you and pulling you into it, and taking you along for the ride. Overall a good read!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

 

Choosing Your Genre [CC]

Helping you break down which genre your book falls into! #Authortube 
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THE LIGHTS OUT TRILOGY: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/p/lights-out-trilogy.html
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#TeaserTuesday

Jonah is sure that this is the way to save them all...BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/TRANSLUCENT

[ID: A blue DNA background with the title TRANSLUCENT at the top and out now in ebook & paperback just below the title The except reads:

"For all you or I know, Felix and the others made contact. You don't know everything, Lumi, and sometimes it's better to jump in and ask questions later!” I was shaking with rage.
I could see Jackson and Delia just staring at us. I waited for the verbal blows from Lumi, but they didn't come.
“Fine, Jonah, you wanna see what's there, we'll go,” they said, tonelessly. “Because you're right, I don't know who made the contact or even if it was made, but I’m only trying to do the right thing here. I'm out here with you, fighting the same fight. But you wanna go, then I'll back you up."

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the bottom left corner is the Readers' Favorite Review Seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

 

The Trials Of A Crime Writer: Growing Your Ideas

THE TRIALS OF A CRIME WRITER: GROWING YOUR IDEAS

One of the many things I've learned over my years of thinking up crime ideas is that you can always go bigger. You can start with an idea that feels like it's more a short story and then end up with one that's more than a novel. I've written nearly fifty first drafts, and the two that will put me at fifty itself are both crime ideas. Some of the ones I've already written are a mix of other genres, but I find that I always come back to crime maybe because it was that genre that got me into writing in the first place, who knows!

Either way, crime is something that encompasses a wide array of things. It can be a private detective, or a police procedural. It can be adults, or teens, or even children taking on mysteries and solving them much to their own satisfaction and also for the readers. While I like the police ones as much as the next crime reader, I've always had a soft spot for the untrained taking on crimes and bringing about that ending. It's probably why I've written so many crime books while also being a young adult writer.

My point today though is that crime is one of those things that can always lead to more dominoes being lined up. If you take a story where someone has died, you can always throw in another body, or someone going missing, or twisting the narrative here and there before you end up with a whole series with an arc that expands the whole thing. That, for me, is the beauty of the crime genre. It grows and grows and grows, and it feels like it never stops, and I love that about it.

But how do you learn how to grow them? I think for me it came about just absorbing ideas in the form of both reading crime books, and also being aware of the world around me. While there are some crimes that don't work for young adult, there are others that work even better for them, and the reason I mention that is simply because that's always where my focus is for growing an idea. You, dear reader, might be someone who's writing adult and in that case, the floor is open to you too.

I read a lot of books. I read a lot of genres. I go from adult to young adult and back again. I'm not someone who really sticks with one genre all the time, and while there are some I don't read, like epic fantasy, I do appreciate that there can be outliers that will pull me into their worlds and make me want to know more. The reason I mention this is there are ways to grow your crime ideas while reading outside of that genre. I've had ideas about thrillers because I've read a romance series. It's been the tweaks here and there that have taken that idea and turned it into something bigger and more manageable for me. You really can find inspiration for your ideas from pretty much anywhere!

Writing has always been an escape for me, and while I've always explored the darker side of fiction both as a reader and a writer, there have been times when it's been those dark sides that have brought me over to the light. I love romance, not really one for dark romance, but sometimes while reading a romance, I can take the setting and the stakes and turn it into a crime thriller with more darkness than the current work I'm reading. The point is that everything, every idea, every plot, can be grown. It's just about finding the right fuel to grow it, and also to know when you need more to it, because while everything can be grown, sometimes they can grow too much and in that case, it's better to start cutting back and seeing what works.

So my one piece of advice for those looking to grow their ideas? Read. Read all the genres you want, and hone in on and focus on the pieces of the plot that would work for you. You'd be surprised at where you can get inspiration from!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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Review of Rumors And Puzzles by Kenzie Brayne

Fitting together, not fitting in.

Last summer, I almost told Tyler how I felt about him.

But that was before he changed, abandoning our friendship for popularity, parties, and—if rumors are true—lots of girls.

This summer, a surprise vacation to Tyler’s lakeside cabin forces us together again. He doesn’t understand why I’m so mad, but after our moms partner us up for a jigsaw puzzle competition, we agree to a truce on the very first night.

Piece by piece, we rebuild our relationship until Tyler has me convinced. Beneath the mask, he’s still the lovable dork I once fell for. And now I’m falling all over again.

Life at the lake is a dream come true, but it can’t last forever.

Back home, Tyler introduces me to his world of image and expectations. It’s clear I don’t belong there—but does he?

Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

I read the first book in this series and adored it, and when I saw this one I had to pick it up and lose myself in another sweet summer romance. I adored the glimpse into the past and then the story beginning, Tyler and Brooke were perfectly matched even if they seemed to be too different. I adored the setting, the way Brayne has a way of making you soak up the characters and story as if you’re there watching it all play out in front of you. The two of them, along with the puzzles, just made for an engaging and sweet romance. I just loved it, right up to the end! Very much recommended for any who love sweet romance!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

 

Working With Editors [CC]

Giving you the details of what working with editors is like! #Authortube 
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#TeaserTuesday

It's clear Kai isn't happy with Zya...BUY NOW: http://www.books2read.com/TRANSLUCENT

[ID: A blue DNA background with the title TRANSLUCENT at the top and out now in ebook & paperback just below the title The except reads:

Kai instantly locked onto Zara, moving to steady her so she wouldn't pass out. Avery and Colin helped Kai lower Zara to the ground. “She needs salt and fluids to counteract the stress of the journey,” Kai said to me.
I resisted the urge to snap that I knew that, we didn't have any of it, and that there was little chance of it appearing in mid-air. But I held back. “Just do what you can,” I said, stiffly.
Kai gave me a poisonous look as if I, personally, had made sure our supplies weren't enough.

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the bottom left corner is the Readers' Favorite Review Seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

The Trials Of An Indie Author: Finding A Way That Works

THE TRIALS OF AN INDIE AUTHOR: FINDING A WAY THAT WORKS

A big thing about being an indie author, is that pretty much everything to do with the publishing process is in your hands. You have to write the book, revise the book, pay for the editors, do the edits, pay for the cover designer, do the promo and formatting, or pay for someone to do both. All of it is in your hands, and that can be exceptionally overwhelming, especially if you're also on a budget or just haven't done anything like this before.

While I do not regret taking the path I did when it came to publishing, I do realise that comes from a position of privilege. I was first published in 2005, so almost 20 years ago. I also got into KDP and the like early on when they were first out there. I made mistakes, I made a whole lot of them, but I am still here. I am still publishing. I've worked with a number of different editors, but have had the same cover designer all the way through, so I've been lucky to have that continuity there.

But I'm also aware that I could not have made it as a trad pub author. Not because there's anything bad about trad pub, you pick the path that works for you, and both are very much valid. I just mean that with the way my health has gone, and the way my writing journey has been, I don't see how I could be sat here with 23 books of varying genres out, if I'd queried and gotten an agent. The trad pub path is very much valid, but it's just not for me. I know a lot of other writers feel the same way, and that's okay. Neither one is better or worse than the other, they both have their pitfalls, and their gains.

That said, going into indie is about finding a way that you can do all the things you need to, and still pay your own bills, still bring about a story and release that will hopefully work for you. Too much of the time I see advice on doing it all on your own, or the opposite of paying through the nose otherwise you will fail, and I'd just like to say that there is some middle ground there. You can find a way that works for you without breaking the bank.

Firstly it's about deciding what things you can do yourself. Like you can write, and revise yourself, but I wouldn't skip an editor of some kind. If you're in a position of only being able to pay for one, go with the dev because I feel like way too many authors stick to line or copy and do not realise that they are missing a chunk of story and plot issues because that's not what those editors do. Now you might be lucky and be able to use beta readers only, or combine them with a copy editor who's willing to give some feedback on the story as well, but do not go into that relationship expecting or demanding it. Make sure you communicate with them, and make sure they are comfortable doing that, and if they're not, respect that.

Now I have zero design skills. I do not have the first clue about that stuff, I can write a brief for a concept for a cover, but I could not design the cover myself. There are some authors who can, and that's great for them, but if that's something you can't do, then go for saving your pennies for this as well. A cover can make or break a book, and it's about making sure you put your best foot forward there.

At the end of the day, you can choose where, and how, you spend your money, but if you want to be able to make some kind of living as a writer and author, then you need to put in the work, and some of that is monetary work. There are people who are willing to barter with you for prices, and there are others who will do payment plans, but at the end of the day, these professionals also deserve to get paid, just as you should, so work out what you can afford, what you can skip, and don't just attach a huge money amount because someone on the internet spent the same so you have to too. It's about finding a way that works for you, and that's okay.

Good luck! Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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