Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 40
April 30, 2018
Calgary Horror Con 2018
This year I am pleased to announce I will be a part of the Calgary Horror Con!
There are many special guests, screenings and vendors at this convention.
Find the map and full list of vendors on the Calgary Horror Con website.
When?
June 2nd & 3rd, 2017
11:00 am – 7:00 pm daily
Where?
Clarion Hotel
2120 16 Ave NE
Calgary, AB T2E 1L4
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April 18, 2018
Steena Holmes, NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author
This month’s guest is Steena Holmes, whose work has been named the “20 Best Books by Women in 2015” by Good Housekeeping and Redbook. She has also won the National Indie Excellence Award in 2012 for her novel Finding Emma as well as the USA Book News Award for The Word Game in 2015. Steena lives in Calgary, Alberta, and is a self-proclaimed “travelholic” who can’t resist a good cup of coffee.
Thank you, Steena Holmes, for joining us, can you give a brief introduction of yourself?
Hey! Well…to start, I’m one of those people who need a good cup of coffee in the mornings to get my day started. Actually, to be honest, I need a lot of cups to get started. I have three daughters that keep me on my toes since they’re gorgeous teenagers (and probably the reason for all the grey hair I have to keep coloring). I’m a small town girl who grew up on the Great Lakes and the sound of the water soothes my soul almost as much as travelling fills my well. I love black sheep and chocolate cake and curling up in front of a fire with a glass of wine. On weekends I smile when I come across a flea market or craft sale and I hate to cook.
Tell us about your latest novel, The Forgotten Ones, which was released April 1, 2018.
The Forgotten Ones is a story about the secrets that can be buried for so long within families that you think they disappear until one day, they come back to haunt you.
How does The Forgotten Ones vary from the other books you have written?
It’s a little darker than my other stories. I gave myself permission to go to that dark side and in the process, realized it was a journey I really enjoyed!
You currently have 25 books listed on your website ranging from Womens Fiction, Psychological & Suspense, Small Town Contemporary to Sweet Romance – wow! Has your process evolved much from book to book?
It has. With each book I find I grow as a writer and as a storyteller. My goal is always to challenge myself, to write a stronger novel than the one before and hopefully I’m doing that. When I started, I was a ‘panster’ – someone who never plotted. Now I find that I need a bit of a plot (which is something my plotter friends have been trying to help me with for years.)
Do you find the writing process has gotten more templated, systematic, or is each one a challenge on their own?
Each book is different. Each one has its own process and no two books are written the same. For instance, the story I’m in the middle of right now is being written in sections that I’ll have to piece together before I submit it to my editor.
You also keep busy blogging about travel and advice for authors for branding with intent, how do you manage your time throughout the week?
I did mention that I need a lot of coffee to get my day started, right? While the caffeine starts to work, I focus on everything else other than writing. I find my sweet spot is late afternoon/evening – I can stare at my computer screen for hours and struggle to get 200 words down, or I can sit down for an hour or so and pound out a scene in no time. I’ve struggled for years to train my brain to write during the day but I’ve decided to throw in the towel.
For aspiring writers, what would be one piece of advice you would give them?
Can I give more than one? Pretty please? You know that passion that you feel whenever you think of your story? Never let that go! Embrace it, use it and give it space to grow as you grow as an author. Focus on that first story and just let the words flow. The most important thing you can do is write the story. Afterward, you can find editors to help correct things but first, you need to write. Which means, carving out time to write without feeling guilty. When I started, I had three small children at home and worked a full time job. I would write during my lunch hours and then for an hour after the kids had gone to bed. If it’s important to you, you’ll make the time. If it’s not, you’ll make up excuses.
My last piece of advice would be to stop comparing yourself to other writers. We are all on a different journey and we all have different strengths when it comes to writing as well. Surround yourself with people who understand your passion and share it but don’t compare yourself.
Let’s thank Steena Holmes for joining us to talk about her writing!
You can find Steena Holmes’s work at the links below:
You can also follow online her at:
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April 13, 2018
YEGman on BeatRoute
EDMONTON – Edmonton’s night life has its fair share of cops and thugs. There was a time when a typical night out would almost certainly involve an encounter with either one. Boom and bust Edmonton produced some of our most rambunctious citizens and Konn Lavery’s new novel #Yegman captures the zeitgeist of this era with clarity…..
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YEGman at Southpoint Chapters
I’ll now be heading over to Chapters Southpoint for a signing of YEGman May 21. Drop in for a meet & greet the author, artwork, and of course, the books themselves.
When and Where:
Saturday, September 16th from 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Chapters Southpoint
3227 Calgary Trail NW
T6J 5X8
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Calgary Comic Expo 2018
I will be heading over to Calgary for the exciting yearly expo of comics and entertainment. This year I will be bringing YEGman, Seed Me Dream and Reality novels for you to consume. In addition the World Mother: Seed Me Novel Score will be available to purchase in CD format as well.
Where is the Calgary Comic Expo?
April 26 – 29, 2018
Calgary Stampede Park
Thurs: 4:00PM – 9:00PM, Fri: 12:00PM – 8:00PM, Sat: 10:00AM – 7:00PM, Sun: 10:00AM – 5:00PM
I’ll be at booth BF SP5112
See you all then!
Be sure to grab your ticket to join this exciting event of costumes and pop culture.
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YEGman at Westside Chapters
I’ll now be heading over to Chapters Westside for a signing of YEGman. Drop in for a meet & greet the author, artwork, and of course, the books themselves.
When and Where:
Saturday April 21 from 11:00am – 4:00pm
Chapters – Westside
9952 170th Street, Edmonton, Alberta
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April 11, 2018
Why do I need to do Book Signings and Where to Begin?
Your book is completed, you’ve done the launch and a wave of relief brushes over you. Or maybe you have more anxiety now that you’re left in the void. Who knows? Regardless, now that your book is out – what do you do next? In a previous post we chatted about what to do at a book launch and why you need one. This post is geared towards those who have finished their book and are looking to do more public events – specifically book signings. You may be thinking – Why do I need to do book signings when the launch is done? I got to write something new!
Hold up, just because your book is done, that doesn’t mean the fun ends here. This book is brand new to many people for months – if not years – and you are the face of the novel. If you don’t do anything to get it out there, no one will ever know about it. Let’s discuss what to do.
Why do I need to do book signings though, I can sell books online?
Yes, you can sell books online and there are authors who have found plenty of success doing this. There are also a lot of authors who haven’t found success doing strictly online sales. Having a physical presence helps readers and potential fans get to know the mind behind the book. People love behind the scenes – think about DVD releases for movies.
Champion Fans
When you’re at a book signing, someone comes up and wants to know about the book – so you pitch it to them. They like it, they buy it, and have you sign it – they are thrilled. They invested their time and money to get to know you and the impression you leave on them is going to last. These types of fans are known as champion fans, they’re the ones that have gone out of their way to get to know you. These fans also tell their friends about your work and they’ll tell their friends and so on. Champion fans are fantastic ways to promote your book and the best way to find them is to be in the public.
Pitch the book? Talk to people? but I am antisocial!
Yes, as most authors are, hence the stereotype. Ultimately it comes down to practice, this topic gets into sales, pitches and learning to convert leads into sales – a much bigger discussion for another blog post. For book signings, you don’t need to be constantly trying to convince people to learn about your book, that is nagging. Be friendly, be approachable and treat people with respect.
Where to Begin with Book Signings
Okay, now that I’ve convinced you that you need to do book signings, let’s chat about where you begin. If you have publicist, agent or publisher, you may have some people working with you to lead you to success. You also may be entirely on your own, which is an entirely different ballgame.
Plan in Advance
Book signings are done in retail stores, which are bookstores, they plan in months and seasons. So, you can’t want to do a book signing next week and expect a store to give you a day. Think about two to three months in advance when you are talking with a book store.
Now that you are time travelling in the future with your mind, when do you want your signing? What time of day? That is part of the joy of planning ahead. Usually weekends are a good time to have a signing and weekday evenings.
Be Professional
You want your work to be taken seriously? Act serious. That is how you get a book store to want to have you at their location and even return for second book signings. Dress well, speak well and have your contact information available.
Initial Contact
Alright, so you’re being professional, and you’re prepared in advance, time to talk to people! One old school way of contacting book stores is going to their store and asking to speak to the manager. This works great if you are in the area. The approach of asking for a manager also applies to talking on the phone. Use the phone method more often since you can’t go down to every store you wish to have a signing at. Save the in-person approach if you really want to make an impression.
Once you’re speaking to the manager, ask if they are interested in book signings and inform them about the type of book, genre and age range that it falls under. More often than not they will say no, but some will say yes and they will ask for additional information to book the signing. This is where business cards come in handy so you can continue the conversation.
Professionalism – You’re author platform
Professionalism is so key! It applies to your physical presence and your online presence which is your author platform. It is your online presence which encompasses your social media, your website, your book sales, newsletter, etc. This needs to be as professional as you are in person. Everyone searches online now and when you make that first contact with a manager, chances are they are going to google you to find out more about you and your work. Make sure it is how you want to be represented to the public.
Keep Track of Stores and Managers
For each store you approach, keep a notebook or spreadsheet about which one you went to, who you talked to and their contact information. This can come in handy especially if you want to do returning book signings.
Summary
The tips above will help making your first contact with booking a signing. Next we will chat about the actual signing. What are the do’s and don’ts at a signing?
Do you have any other experiences with organizing book signings? Other thoughts? Share in the comments.
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Guest Post: Four Steps on How to Start World Building
Author Kelly Charron was kind enough to have me on her blog to discuss World Building tactics.
Some of the most captivating fantasy and science fiction stories have immersive worlds, creatures, and items that entrance the reader. It is important to lay down the groundworks of your universe for them to become enthralled with the mystery and wonder of your story. The question is: how to start world building?
In the blog, we cover:
How to Start World Building
Step One: The Big Bang
Step Two: Expansion
Step Three: Clustering
Step Four: Review and Repeat
Read the article on Kelly Charron’s blog
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April 6, 2018
Guest on Simon Rose’s Blog
Author Simon Rose from Calgary was kind enough to have me return to his blog and discuss my new thriller novel, YEGman.
In 2017 Simon had me on his blog discussing the revamp of Mental Damnation.
For this interview we discuss how YEGman came to be, behind the scenes and what to expect of this novel. Some of the questions we cover are:
Tell us more about YEGman
How did you come up with the story?
What is the age range for YEGman?
Do you have anything else in the works?
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EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Sounds of Society YEGman on Brutal Resonance
Brutal Resonance is hosting the exclusive premiere for Sounds of Society, YEGman novel soundtrack.
Konn Lavery is a multi-media musician and author whose creativity just never dies. The author is hard at work writing and finishing up his latest novel YEGman, but the talented gent has also created a full fledged soundtrack to go along with his novel. “Sounds of Society: YEGman Novel Soundtrack” takes the core concept of the novel and blends it into a melting pot of industrial, noise, metal, and warped electronic bits. The album will take you on a journey through ten tracks with an additional introductory song.
With all that said, we at Brutal Resonance are proud to bring you on part of this multi-media experience with this exclusive stream of “Sounds of Society”. While you eagerly await the release of the book, you can let your ears feast on this audio experience:
Listen to the album on their site!
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