Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 5

Gold and Bronze Awarded to Crystal Moth Conspiracy

Crystal Moth Conspiracy made some headway with critical reception and was placed in two award programs. I received my first gold medal, which has been a goal for a while.

GOLD Medal in Dan Poynter’s Global Ebook Awards 2023 Fantasy/Contemporary CategoryBRONZE Medal

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Simon Rose, Calgary Author, The Stone of the Seer

My guest today is Calgary author Simon Rose, who has published eighteen novels for children and young adults, eight guides for writers, more than a hundred nonfiction books, and numerous articles on a wide range of topics.

Your most recently published books were those in The Stone of the Seer series. Remind us again of what it���s all about.

The Stone of the Seer is young adult historical fantasy series, featuring The Stone of the Seer, Royal Blood, and Revenge of the Witchfinder. The exciting story is mostly set in the mid-seventeenth century during the English Civil War. In The Stone of the Seer, Lady Elizabeth Usborne, Kate, and Tom encounter a magical stone, mysterious parchments and manuscripts, and an incredible time viewing device. In Royal Blood, Lady Elizabeth, Kate, and Tom are in London, witnessing the political turmoil at the time of the Civil War, including the king���s trial and execution. Revenge of the Witchfinder takes place in multiple time periods. The story features weird dreams, disturbing visions, parallel lives, and a bewildering identity crisis, as the lead characters discover to their horror that not even the passage of centuries can prevent a bloodthirsty witchfinder from the 1640s from seeking his deadly revenge.

Do you have any current projects?

Right now, I���m working on another historical fantasy novel series, this time set in the early years of World War II, that I���m hoping to publish next year. I���ve recently finished another story that takes place in the later stages of World War II and am putting the finishing touches to that one as well, potentially for publication the following year. Yet another series is currently in development in the same paranormal genre as my previously published Flashback series, which can learn more about on my website.

I���ve also been working on the script for a film project and continue to work on the adaptations of my Shadowzone series into screenplays for movies and TV shows. You can learn more about my work writing screenplays for clients and creating adaptations of my own work here on my website. 

Anyone interested in keeping up to date with the projects that I���m working on is always welcome to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, which you can do on my website.

You certainly seem to be very busy. You also do other work related to writing and publishing, right?

Yes, I offer coaching, editing, consulting, and mentoring services for writers of novels,

short stories, fiction, nonfiction, biographies, and in many other genres, plus work with

writers of scripts and screenplays.

I���m also a writing instructor and mentor at the University of Calgary and have some courses coming up in the fall, including Writing for Children and Youth. My own online courses, including Writing Historical Fiction and Writing for Children and Young Adults, are also always available.

I’ve just wrapped up work on a study guide for a fellow author’s historical fiction novel, set in World War I and World War II. You can learn more about my various coaching, editing, and consulting services, for all age groups and genres, on my website, as well as my services for business writing projects. 

So where can people buy your books?

People can buy The Stone of the Seer, Royal Blood, and Revenge of the Witchfinder, as well as all my other books, at Amazon and all the other usual places online, which you can link to on my website at www.simon-rose.com I���ll also be making some personal appearances at local events in the fall, where people can buy autographed copies of all the books in the series, as well as all my other novels.

Thanks Simon, for being my guest here today.

You can learn more about Simon and his work on his website at www.simon-rose.com

where you can also link to him on social media and at other locations online.

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New in Books Interview

I was featured on New in Books regarding my new novel, Crystal Moth Conspiracy. We cover the following

What���s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Crystal Moth Conspiracy?If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Crystal Moth Conspiracy, what would they be?What���s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?What books are on your TBR pile right now?What scene in your book was your favorite to write?Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?Give it a read

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Manybooks.net Author of the Day

I am pleased to share that I was featured on Manybooks.net as the author of the day in celebration of my new novel, Crystal Moth Conspiracy, with an interview! We talk about the supernatural thriller, the artwork, and the Macrocosm. We cover:

Please give us a short introduction to what Crystal Moth Conspiracy is about.What inspired you to write about a fugitive who is fleeing from a notorious gang?Tell us more about Lola. What makes her tick?Your books have received multiple awards. Did you always want to be an author? Tell us more about your journey to becoming an author.You also work as a graphic designer. How has this influenced your writing?Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?Interesting cover. Do tell us more about the design.Do any of your characters ever take off on their own tangent, refusing to do what you had planned for them?Readers say the book was suspenseful throughout. How did you pull this off?What did you have the most fun with when writing this story?When starting on a new book, what is the first thing you do?Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?What are you working on right now?Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?Read the interview

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Crystal Moth Conspiracy Live Book Launch

I am pleased to share that the book launch for my new novel will be happening this month!

When? June 20, 6pm PST

Where? Facebook.com/konnlavery

This is a short livestream event (30-40 minutes) that anyone can come and listen to. If you’re eating dinner or hanging out with friends, save the date and tune in. We will cover the following:

About the BookChapter ReadingArtworkQ&AJoin the Live Book LaunchOrder BookCrystal Moth ConspiracyAsh Born Book One

Lola Cabello is a fugitive after exposing the law���s connection to the notorious Crystal Moth gang who destroyed her life and family, igniting her need for revenge and descending her into a world of reptilian drug lords, demons, and the fantastic.

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Writers of Horror Podcast (Episode��#005)

Join Julie Hiner as she talks to the multi-talented Konn Lavery.

Big thanks to The Writers of Horror and Julie for having me. Check out their site for more goods. In this episode we cover:

Memories of first writing at a young ageInspiration – writing, graphic design, musicCrossing genres – dark fantasy, horror, crimeThe Horror Collection – The Lost Edition by KJK PublishingCrystal Moth Conspiracy: Ash Born Book One – coming in JuneSeed Me transformed into Cultivate – evolving previous workREADING PACK – currently available on Konn’s websiteA sweet ready buddy – Spank

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Live for Everyone

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Click Here to Join Konn's Patreon Today

Konn's Popular Membership:
Monthly Short Stories + eBook for $5/mo CAD
$0.16 a day.



Three eBooks to dive into The Macrocosm
Monthly Short Stories in Written and Audiobook Format
Access to drafts, works-in-progress, and writing updates
High Rez Short Story Artwork for Phone Backgrounds
Your name in the thank you section of the next Macrocosm short story collection
Access to The Macrocosm Wiki

You're basically buying me a drink every month, fueling me to craft more stories!

Let's not forget you will get a copy of the Into the Macrocosm eBook to jump-start you into this strange world of fantasy, horror, thrillers, scifi, and bizarre.To view this content, you must be a member of Konn's Patreon at $5 or more - Click "Read more" to unlock this content at the source

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The Limitless Life Podcast With Kyle Smith

Thanks to Kyle Smith for having me on his new podcast: The Limitless Life

We chat about the creative process, idea generating and the writing journey.

Thanks again for having me my friend! I always enjoy our chats.

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Writing is a Lifelong Craft

Time is a relative concept, and literary fiction is effective at transporting you to another space, slowing down, and speeding up the moment. Writing books is no different, and for the past month, I’ve been putting in the hours to wrap up the next novel. Along the way, I learned new writing techniques that took me years to figure out. It’s better to learn something later than never. Writing is a lifelong craft. Take the journey.

Welcome to Another Edition of Unprocessed Thoughts

Writing is a never-ending skill that takes years to get good at. It takes even longer to be a master at your prose. Thankfully the writing community is quite willing to share their expertise and provide opinions on how to better each other. Context is critical when writing any idea down, fiction or non-fiction, and writing with clarity is the primary goal.

Improve At Your Own Rate

Writing is a lifelong craft, and each author grows at different rates. Some authors like Bram Stoker or Richard Adams don’t start writing fiction until their forties or fifties. Others start from the get-go, like Stephen King. Other authors, like Clive Barker, start early in their adulthood.

My own writing journey began when I was in elementary. As some of you know, I wrote backstories for the unbalanced board games I created. This evolved into what I am doing today with the Macrocosm and the upcoming flagship series Ash Born with book one, the Crystal Moth Conspiracy novel.

When I started writing, it was not good at all. The story structure, prose, and characters weren’t anything I would do now because I didn’t have the skillset. Writing must be done continually to understand how to improve, just like any skill.

Understanding the Craft

Writing isn’t the only component of writing. Reading is critical to becoming a better writer. Learning what other authors do with their sentence structures, story arcs, and genres helps you understand the tropes and innovative ways to use words.

Seeking expert help is a handy way to jumpstart your writing without spending years making the same mistake (don’t be me.) People who are more seasoned in writing can help you, and many of them are willing to.

Writings are a supportive group of people. Plenty of writing communities are online through Facebook, NaNoWriMo, geographical writer’s associations, and writing conventions. Take advantage of these to meet other authors and build a network of friends and colleagues.

Writing is a Lifelong Craft with No Rights or Wrong

There’s no silver bullet to strike true at writing. Like all artistic endeavours, the journey is not linear. You’ll jump ahead, regress, improve, and go in circles throughout your life. Along the way, you’ll have sparks of genius; other times, you’ll find yourself in a rut.

So Why Write?

That’s a good question. The process sounds frustrating, yet we keep at it as writers. Each person has their own reasons for doing so. For me, I found the best comparison is a compulsion. I’m fixated on writing and cannot imagine a time I haven’t written for something.

My journey has taken me through making board games, flash video games, poorly drawn high school comics, and, eventually, novels. Even my job as a graphic designer is about telling stories through visual communication. Storytelling is at the heart of who I am, and you can’t remove the core of your being. If you do, there’s nothing left.

The Next Book ��� Crystal Moth Conspiracy: Ash Born Book One

As mentioned at the beginning of the blog post, I’ve been grinding in the hours since the beta reader feedback to finish up the new book and have it out late this spring. The beta readers love the story and characters. The prose needed some polishing, and then it was off to the editor.

I had an “ah-hah” moment with a grammatical error in dialogue during the process. I couldn’t wrap my head around it until the fourth person explained it. Duh! My editors have told me for years to fix the basic error because it was so simple. It’s never too late to learn.

While the editor goes through the massive novel of approximately 143,000 words, I’m preparing the marketing. I have finished the interior art and cover design with unique original art by an illustrator friend of mine.

Keep watch in the coming months for more on it. In March’s monthly newsletter, I will reveal the cover art and synopsis for the novel. If you haven’t subscribed yet, do so to see the incredible art early.

Beer Note: Strange Fellows Brewery Talisman

This month, I’d like to highlight the Strange Fellows Brewery Talisman. It’s a west coast pale ale that isn’t foggy and has a good balance of hops and bitterness. This is my go-to when I am in the mood for a pitcher with some friends.

This one is my favourite of all the breweries I’ve tried so far. All of the Strange Fellows artwork is Viking-themed, as is the tasting room. The design on the can is also pretty fun, showcasing a linework mermaid.

I’d recommend checking it out if you are ever in Vancouver.

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Titan’s First

Want to read this?

Click Here to Join Konn's Patreon Today

Konn's Popular Membership:
Monthly Short Stories + eBook for $5/mo CAD
$0.16 a day.



Three eBooks to dive into The Macrocosm
Monthly Short Stories in Written and Audiobook Format
Access to drafts, works-in-progress, and writing updates
High Rez Short Story Artwork for Phone Backgrounds
Your name in the thank you section of the next Macrocosm short story collection
Access to The Macrocosm Wiki

You're basically buying me a drink every month, fueling me to craft more stories!

Let's not forget you will get a copy of the Into the Macrocosm eBook to jump-start you into this strange world of fantasy, horror, thrillers, scifi, and bizarre.To view this content, you must be a member of Konn's Patreon at $5 or more - Click "Read more" to unlock this content at the source

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