Phil Rowlands's Blog, page 5

The Counter Revolution

Firstly apologies to those of you expecting a post on Christmas Ghost Stories. I have been busy this week adapting A Christmas Carol Revisited for a Concert Reading in Manhattan on December 19th. If you have ever been involved in a Christmas production of any sort you know how they can test the Good Will To All Men aspect of the festive season to the limits.

My good friend, poet and author Glyn Scott has however come to my aid(I think) although his contribution does come with a health warning . . .

Great poets and authors have always pushed the boundaries of what may be considered good taste.
The following poet is no exception. Many of you may find his poem morally offensive and therefore I would like to make the following observations:
1. 'Glyn Scott' is NOT my pen name. He is much older and uglier than me. Pictorial evidence is provided below.
2. No penises were harmed or compromised in the making of this poem.
3. If you are easily offended (or female) please DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT.
4. No money exchanged hands in the promotion of this poem (yet).


PICTORIAL EVIDENCE in support of my previous observations.

PLEASE DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED.

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

HERE GOES. . .


The Counter Revolution.

We march like ancient warriors
along the rugged track,
To another field of battle
There is no looking back.

Our hearts are strong and wilful
Our hopes continue on
We are the veterans’ rugby team
Whose muscles have all gone.

The game begins and in no time,
we are praying for a rest
No violent scrums we settle in
like hens upon a nest.

The referee has abandoned hope
of controlling this debacle,
Our collective aim is to a man
avoid having to tackle.

Spectators few in number
There for memories sake
Stand and issue platitudes
Like mourners at a wake.

Our wives abandon us to chance
Of ever coming back
They see the pain that has no gain
and give us constant flack.

They say we men are obsolete
Mars usurped by Venus
Our worth is measured only
by the short length of our penis.

They demean us daily
saying boys they will be boys,
then replace us in the marital sack
with a range of sexual toys.

Yet we will fight on valiantly
sod our feminine side
We owe it to our brave young sons
To avoid the manhood slide.

So hardy veterans every where
Play on, there’s no game finer.
Against the ever growing threat
The march of the vagina.

So get up off your knees, man
Support your local club.
If she says be home by six
her demanding you must snub.

Give her both barrels, my son
Reduce her to a pallor
and you and I will one day share
a brew in old Valhalla

Glyn Scott
The Ruptured Bard.

P.S. I f by some remote chance some of you enjoyed this poem let me know and I'll buy Glyn a pint next Monday when we meet for lunch.
If, as I strongly suspect, you find the tone of this poem morally reprehensible please forward me your comments on a blank £20 note and I will ensure the poet is made aware of how much he has offended your sensibilties.
I can however personally vouch for the fact that he was severely ruptured while researching this poem. Great poets must be prepared to suffer for their art.
NEXT WEEK:
I will take a look at Ghost Stories and feature as many authors as I can.

Kindle Authors: Christmas - An Inspirational Season For Writers

Kindle Authors: Christmas - An Inspirational Season For Writers: I knew Christmas was just around the corner when the headmaster of the school my grandson attends called me into his office last week. Wh...

Christmas - An Inspirational Season For Writers

I knew Christmas was just around the corner when the headmaster of the school my grandson attends called me into his office last week. What could I say but yes? I suppose I've grown into the role over the years! What a joy to be able to ask your grandchild what he wants for Christmas. If the answer is too expensive I always have the option of explaining the elves are in dispute with the management so he might have to settle for another football! Last year was easy - he was only five - but this year I know I'm going to come under more intense scrutiny. Let's just hope he doesn't start peeping under my beard. I'll have to change my deodorant though as he commented that "Father Christmas smelt just like you Bampa!"

Christmas is also an opportunity for writers to relaunch any books with a Christmas related theme. Goodreads has listed its top 20 favourite fictional Christmas Books. Click on the image below to view it for yourself but before you do, try and guess which book you think would be top of the list. My guess was that perennial favourite, and my personal number one, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I was astonished to find I was wrong. See if you fare any better.

 I was delighted to see that listed among them was Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas In Wales not just because I'm biased but because it is a magical book. Christmas seems to have inspired many fantastic stories. So much so that the classic fairytale The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson did not even make the top 20. I was also astounded that one of my favourite stories that was turned into a smash hit BBC serial never even got a mention. John Masefiled's The Box of Delights is truly a delight. If you have never read it then give yourself a treat this Christmas. Also do all you can to get a copy of the BBC DVD starring the late great Patrick Troughton. Christmas still provides inspiration for stories from contemporary authors like the ones featured in this blog that embrace many genres.   Probably the most famous Christmas character after the Infant Jesus and Santa Claus is Ebenezer Scrooge the hardened old miser who found redemption and joy in the season of Hope and Forgiveness.I have always been fascinated by this particular character and it was one of the motivational factors behind my own particular Christmas story contribution A Christmas Carol Revisited. Set in contemporary Manhattan it attempts to explore issues that Dickens may well have written about were he alive today. Here is Ebenezer Clinton Scrooge III's take on Christmas as he watches the bustling sidewalk crowds from his penthouse eyrie.
"Scrooge gazed out of the window. Somewhere below, the river flowed blacker than the Styx through the city’s dark heart into the eternal depths of the poisoned oceans. But Scrooge’s eyes were fixed upon another river. The unceasing flow of humanity condemned as surely to follow the course of existence to its inevitable conclusion as the river was compelled to flow into the embrace of the blind and restless sea. Christmas held out hope that the journey was not in vain. That was one of the reasons he despised it. Christmas was for the weak, for sentimental fools who had never grasped that salvation in this world was something to be wrung forcefully from life’s unwilling grip. Once the presents had been opened and the parties were over what was left apart from hangovers and a bigger overdraft? He smiled. He was above that now, had been for years. Just as detached and aloof as the gigantic reflection of himself superimposed on the vista upon which he cast such a scornful eye."

  Ghost stories are aso a great Christmas Tradition so next week we'll take a look at some Indie authors who write within this genre.


The first of our authors with a Christmas theme is Carol DeVaney.
Her novel is entitled 'A Smoky Mountain Christmas'.
Tina Cole has one goal: to take back control of her life. Falling in love isn't part of the bargain. On the rebound from a fizzled relationship, she lands on writer Hank Gordon's doorstep and finds that everything she thought she wanted out of life means nothing without love.
Recently divorced and disillusioned by love, Hank Gordon has sworn off women. He isn't in the mood to entertain a woman with an attitude who frustrates him more than any woman he’s ever met. Hank’s novel deadline is twenty-four hours away and he's cut off from the world with no phone or email service, and a beautiful, aggravating crazy woman to distract him. If Hank thinks his life couldn't get any worse, he's wrong. Not only is he baby-sitting a sassy Southern princess who has no idea what a kitchen is for, but two escaped convicts turn up at the cabin, while Hank’s horse is about to foal.
A Smoky Mountain Christmas is available on Amazon Kindle. Click the image to access the book.

The next author is the exotically named 'PY Lab'.





 Her Christmas offering is 'A Chinese Christmas Carol'.
After giving birth to her daughter, Joie’s world begins to fall apart as she becomes a whole different person. She is not the happy person that she once was. One evening, she meets a woman, and from then onwards, she finds herself re-living specific moments of her painful childhood past.

Our third author is Christopher Lord and his book is entitled The Christmas Carol Murders.

 It’s the holiday season in Dickens Junction, Oregon. Local bookstore owner Simon Alastair is getting ready for the community’s annual celebration of Charles Dickens’s well-known story. But when a mysterious stranger shows up in the Junction and is murdered hours later, Simon begins to suspect that his little community has been targeted for destruction by a shadowy organization. And why is everyone suddenly reading Ayn Rand?
Christopher's novel has received rave reviews on Amazon.  [The Christmas Carol Murders] is full of love for books...readers will eat it up. Full of homespun characters and curious goings-on, Lord's mystery is a love letter to both Dickens and to the small town amateur detectives who've kept the peace in hamlets from River Heights to Cabot Cove.

- Chelsea Cain, New York Times best-selling thriller writer

A delicious romp through the world of Dickens wonderfully imagined in the 21st century by Christopher Lord. The Christmas Carol Murders has it all: mystery, eccentric characters galore and a touch of frivolity. You don't have to be a Dickens fan to fall in love...

- Margaret Coel, New York Times bestselling author of Buffalo Bill's Dead

"...a different, yet delightful, type of cozy mystery...coupling old fashioned values with au courant perspectives and literary interests...The Christmas Carol Murders is one treat you won't need to beg for! Just go out and get it or gift wrap it up for a friend!

- Audrey Lawrence, Fresh Fiction (tinyurl.com/9ocubkf)

Lord [brings] this story to life in an old fashioned kind of way with a modern day twist...The murders were tastefully done...[Lord] had me guessing to the very end...Mr. Lord writes with passion, pulling you into the story, not letting you go until the end, leaving you wanting more. I say he has a hit on his hands.

- Robin, Romancing the Book

NOW: One to look out for:
 
Kelly S Gamble
Her darkly humorous Christmas novel They Call Me Crazy is due for release this December.
Roland Adams was just a good ol' boy from Deacon, Kansas. When his wife, Cass, is found trying to dump his body in the Spring River, the town can only come to one conclusion: She's crazy. Certifiable. Always has been.

While Cass' big city lawyer fights for her freedom, Cass' life unfolds, as do her odd relationships with her worm-farming brother-in-law, her psychic grandmother, her gold-digging sister, and her estranged best friend ... her only friend, a promiscuous fifth grade teacher. What binds them together has also torn them apart, and their secrets may be the key to Cass' deliverance.

But Roland is the only one who has all of the answers. And he's not talking.

They Call Me Crazy is due to hit the shelves this December.
Good Luck Kelly

NEXT WEEK: Ghost Stories For Christmas


 

 

What To Write? Try Getting Passionate!

Let me make it clear from the outset that this is not intended to send every one of you off to write another version of Fifty Shades. Actually my wife is probably smiling a little at the title right now. This article is about fire in the belly rather than fire in any other part of your anatomy.

As writers we often struggle to get motivated to write or perhaps we experience the dreaded mental block and feel like giving up completely. Why not take a step back and look around? There are so many issues personally, locally and globally that can arouse our emotions. Issues we can get passionate about. Issues we can write about. I recently joined a site called AmeriCymru.net. One of the members, nicknamed Swansea Jack, is prolific in the number of issues he flags up. Prolific and passionate. The world could do with a lot more like him.

When writing my play-based early years math program I was driven by the numerous comments I had read from children and adults on internet forums. Most of them were very passionate in their intense dislike of math and the horrible experiences they had endured. It motivated them to write about it. Open your local newspaper and you will inevitably find someone with something to say about a local issue that affects the community. It could be the local authority's intention to chop down some well loved trees or a decision to close a hospital annexe. Remember we are not only authors but part of our local community. Get fired up. Get engaged. Create your own story.

Something I, and most people, feel passionate about is the wilful murder of children. This was again sadly brought to the forefront of our attention in my own native Wales recently by the abduction and murder of April Jones. Perhaps this is not the time or place to comment but it is something I feel very strongly about. My view is that people like Ian Bradey and Myra Hindley should face the death penalty. Why should they be allowed to live when they carry the memories of the last terrible moments of the life of someone else's child in their head, able to replay it over and over whenever they please. I accept the argument that people can genuinely change but as far as I am concerned once they have murdered a child they have abrogated their right to live. Please don't bombard me with arguments to the contrary I am really not interested. This is an issue I just feel too passionate about.

Other issues that I have written about with passion include the wanton destruction of the coal industry by the Margaret Thatcher led Tory government. It was a time when the police were unleashed against communities such as mine like a paramilitary force. Communities that had endured decades of deprivation. Communities that sacrificed countless lives and drove the industrial revolution. Communities that the likes of Margaret Thatcher could never understand because she never grasped the true meaning of community. It inspired me to write a poem that will probably never find its way into any anthology but at least it made me feel better!

On a lighter note I recently wrote a novella entitled 'A Christmas Carol Revisited' as a tribute to Charles Dickens a man I not only admire as an author but as a social commentator and reformer. He exposed the social injustices and malpractices of his day with a passion suffused with humour. As an indie author I knew I had to promote the book myself. One of the things I did was email the secretary's of Charles Dickens' societies around the world. The most polite responses were inevitably from American societies.



 As a consequence I was contacted by the Secretary of  The Entertainment Committee (The City Bar) in New York asking my permission to perform a staged reading on the 19th December in the City Bar Building, Manhattan. Proceeds of the event go to charity. There are 1500 seats and attendees will be asked to voluntarily contribute something in a '5' denomination for a children's charity. Say no more!
I hastily point out that I will receive no monetary compensation if this goes ahead but the fact that my book could be read in such a prestigious venue in the very place it is set is enormously exciting. It is also being performed on the date 'A Christmas Carol' was first published. I hope you also appreciate the promotional aspect. I could never have afforded to pay for such publicity. The lesson has to be start networking with people - get passionate and promote your book.

It's my great pleasure to introduce you to people who like to help Indie authors in very practical and innovative ways. Here are some more.


 Helpful Sites For Indie Authors. . . Want to Write, Publish, and Sell your Books? Get comfortable, because you’ve come to the right place. Provided by Ben Galley and other industry experts, this is your quintessential guide to becoming a professional author:       Biblio Connection is a social community for all book lovers.Our goal is to connect and encourage interaction between readers, authors, booksellers, publishers, illustrators and book collectors.       We provide book and blog services for any budget: book blog tours, cover art, and more. The indie revolution has left a gaping problem for authors. Without the backing of a traditional publishing house, new books often receive subpar editing, poorly designed covers, and flailing marketing efforts. And many services are out of reach to those who are funding their own projects.       CommuniCATE posts writing techniques, creativity articles, inspiration and writer's resources twice a week.
      Do You Want Book Publicity?
Get Free Book Marketing & Book Promotion
Let us do book advertising & book PR for you for free
As many new book titles are published daily, it is getting even more difficult to sell a book. The key to
increased sales lies in creating awareness about your book's existence to as many readers as possible.       Our Team has the inside track on which journalists want your story. We’ll write you a compelling press release and get it directly in front of them – within 24 hours.         An online magazine for literature.         Our writers' association provides support, guidance, advice, contacts, advocacy and connection for the self-publishing author.        






  Limitless Publishing is a publishing company which specializes in:
*Mind, Body & Spirit*Young Adult fiction*Paranormal

Located in Hawaii and we are a "quality" publisher, not a quantity publisher. We truly believe in helping authors create something amazing from the cover to the final edits. Our team is not only talented, but many of the members are successful authors themselves. We are following our dream and we want to help fellow author's follow their dream as well. Because, following your dream is the first step to becoming limitless...Currently accepting ALL genres.      

  World Literary Cafe
Where Authors and Readers unite!
 I have actually just used the AskDavid service which sounds absolutely brilliant. So far I have been very impressed. My book is now in a four week waiting list which pans out just right for Christmas!
I will write a review later in the year.



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It's that time of year again - competition time. Well act...

It's that time of year again - competition time. Well actually practically any time of year is competition time, it's a never ending carousel. However it can be a very lucrative carousel with many organisations dangling very tempting morsels in front of us hungry writers.

If you are one of the many aspiring authors who have not yet picked up a pen in anger one of these competitions may just be what you need to kick start your writing career.

Competitions provide 3 very important elements for budding and established writers:
 A sharp focus. Prescribed parameters that actually help creativity.A definitive time scale. Without any further waffle here are some that may get your creative engine out of first gear:

EREWASH WRITERS GROUP: Creepy Christmas Chiller Competition 2012

THE BETTY TRASK PRIZE (Commonwealth only)
For first novels by writers under the age of 35 on 31st December 2012

THE MCKITTERICK PRIZE (Work must have been first published in the UK or be unpublished)
For the best first novel by an author over the age of 40 on 31st December 2012

CINAMMON PRESS WRITING AWARDS
Short stories, 2,000 - 4,000 words

COMMONWEALTH WRITERS SHORT STORY PRIZE
Original, unpublished short stories 2,000 - 5,000 words.

INKTEARS SHORT STORY COMPETITION
Short stories, 1,000 - 3,000 words.

INTERNATIONAL AEON AWARD SHORT FICTION CONTEST
For science fiction, fantasy and horror stories up to 10,000 words.

THE ANTHONY HECHT POETRY PRIZE
Book-length poetry collections.

BALLYMALOE INTERNATIONAL POETRY PRIZE
For poems up to 50 lines.

FRANK O'CONNOR INTERNATIONAL SHORT STORY AWARD
For short story collections published in 2012.

TOM HOWARD/JOHN H REID SHORT STORY COMPETITION
Short stories, essays or other prose, up to 5,000 words.

WINNING WRITERS SPORTS POETRY & PROSE CONTEST
For one or two poems, short stories or essays or other prose, on a sporting theme., all with 6,000 word maximum.

BRUNTWOOD PRIZE FOR PLAYWRITING 2013
Full length (at least an hour) stage plays written in English.

LIGHTSHIP INTERNATIONAL PRIZES
Short stories up to 5,000 words.

If there isn't anything in the above to stimulate the creative juices you'd better take up knitting!

As you know every week I feature Indie authors but for the next couple of weeks there is a slight change of focus. I shall instead be flagging up people who are attempting to help or provide a service for Indie authors so here goes.


People Out To Help indie Authors. . . Melissa Foster is a wonderful connector of readers and books, a friend of authors, and a tireless advocate for women. She is the real deal"--Author Jennie Shortridge       The Independent Author Index is designed to offer independent authors another avenue of exposure. It is also designed to be engaging and interactive.      
I write and blog News for and about Indie Authors, Indie Books, Writing Tips. Handling Book Promotions and Author Interviews       If you're anything like us (and what are the odds of that?) you love to read. . .We're always open to a good, opinionated author who loves to review books, so if you want to review for us, send your sample review, CV and query to let us know. Welcome to Novelspot, the book-lovers paradise.
      Indie author, e-publisher, and the writer behind Publish Your Own Ebooks, a self-publishing resource for those who are writing and publishing ebooks.       We're readers, not writers. An ebook Publishing & Social marketing team of readers help you writers find readers

Making A Great First Impression - Literally

I would very much like to welcome Cynthia Moss to Kindle Authors.
Cynthia works at Wichita State University having also graduated from there. She kindly agreed to supply a guest post on a subject that all aspiring authors should take very seriously.


Making a Great First Impression - Literally                                                           If you’ve been reading the reviews for self-published authors, you’ll notice a similarity among the negative ones. Over and over, it seems to come down to grammar and punctuation. Reviews occasionally even ignore the actual story –plot, characters, setting, and all— to instead focus on glaring errors in syntax. After the ridicule, often including grammar, reviewers frequently take potshots at the intelligence of the author. Granted, some of this criticism may just be sour grapes, but this automatic assumption that poor grammar equals idiocy is not at all uncommon.

From blogging to Facebook, the proliferation of online writing has resulted in a casual, conversational style. This means that proper grammar and syntax is occasionally left by the wayside as writers attempt to imitate the way that people really speak. Is this a bad thing? Well, that’s debatable. What isn’t debatable is that an excess of common grammatical mistakes littered throughout a manuscript detracts from a writer’s credibility.  Even when the manuscript itself shows obvious creative promise, there are few able to squint past the poor presentation.Why don’t self-published authors take the time to get their work proofread then? Simple. It’s a question of money. It’s difficult to find a qualified editor who is willing to take reduced fees on a book that is priced so inexpensively that the author must sell a good many of them in order to have significant revenue. I believe there’s also a sneaky thought that the quality of the writing will shine through any holes in syntax and shortcomings in punctuation and spelling. The reality is that readers usually only give an author one chance, and the grammar and syntax of a work is much like the visual impression one makes in a face-to-face job interview. Grammar, in this sense, is very much the professionally dressed exterior and firm-but-not-too-firm handshake of any literary endeavor. The need for proper grammar and punctuation cannot be too strongly stressed in the work of new authors. I’ve seen so many self-published works dismissed in scathing reviews. These reviewers have a point. Why should they trust an author with their time and money if the author contradicts his or her right to credibility with every incorrectly spelled word and inaccurate use of the apostrophe, ellipsis, and dash? I do not propose to just point out a problem, however. I wish to offer a potential solution to aspiring and established authors. As an inexhaustible reader of fiction and occasional writer, I have a passion for helping authors achieve their literary vision. I’ve worked with a couple of aspiring children’s book authors, as well as numerous editing work, and I take pleasure not only in adjusting grammatical errors, but most importantly  in ensuring the author’s unique voice emerges from the piece. There are too many self-published works that are dismissed or denied respect simply because of a lack of proofreading. It’s important for authors to make the best literary first impression they can; proofreading is an essential step of this process. For an electronic resume, pricing, and payment options, I can be contacted at:
Cnm06@hotmail.com
Once again it's time to meet some authors in various stages of their development. Some have already completed their books, some are engaged in the process of writing while others are mentally preparing to take the plunge and get started. Cynthia's post is a timely reminder to us all.

Please take the time to visit the websites and blogs and Twitter accounts of this determined and talented group.

More talented Aspiring and New Indie Authors. . .
You now have Cynthia's contact details if you want help with the essential stage of proofreading and editing.

For help with promotion using Google+ and Blogger I am making Google+eXplosion available for FREE. Please CLICK HERE TO GET ACCESS

For those of you who haven't started and are waiting for inspiration you will have to wait a long time. Perspiration precedes inspiration.
For those of you without a blog or website get one and start promoting your book. Google+ eXplosion will show you how.

I will be more than happy to feature your finished book. In fact I will be delighted so get writing please.

 NEXT WEEKCompetitions To Cut Your Teeth On. 

Aspiring Authors - Just How Aspiring Are You?

The Power Of Aspirations
Great leaders have always been visionaries able to inspire others with their aspirations and dreams.

President J F Kennedy had no idea of the technical challenges involved in getting a man to the moon but he motivated people to meet that challenge and succeed. This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the realisation of that dream. Apparently when he asked Werner Von Braun what it would take to put a man on the moon the scientist told him, the will to do it.

Dr Martin Luthor King went to the mountain top and others followed.

Winston Churchill inspired Britain to stand firm before the might of Nazi Germany as Europe threatened to slip into darkness.

They painted an irresistible picture in the minds of men through the power of the spoken word. Imagination embraced the dream and the dream became reality. 

Einstein said "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
Captivate the heart and mind through the power of the imagination and knowledge will follow. If we are inspired to accomplish something, if the dream is big enough we will acquire the skills and knowledge we need to create the reality we desire. How large are your aspirions?

"The soul," said Aristotle, "cannot think without a picture."
The dream is an intangible picture by which we create a tangible future.
Nothing ever happens without a dream.
A man or woman with a clear dream can achieve anything. If your aspirations are big enough nothing else matters. Walt Disney lived by that truth and children everywhere have enjoyed the fruit of his vision.  'Aspiring author' is a term I frequently encounter on Twitter bios. Yet this term does not really tell us how committed to that aspiration a person is. The bios are far more revealing: "Trying to pluck up the courage to publish my books. . . ""Aspiring author looking for a reputable editor. Mother & full time referee. . . ""Aspiring author, student with the Writers Bureau and carer for an elderly mother . . .""Banker by day, wordsmith by night. . .""Aspiring writer of Sci-fi and Fantasy. Focusing on high/epic fantasy. Currently seeking an agent. . .""I'm an aspiring indie author. I like to interact with others who are indie writers.""Poet, aspiring novelist, mother of three, and college student.""Ex-restaurateur, aspiring writer, and I totally have a dog.""I am a mom of two boys, proud Canadian, and aspiring author. I'm in the process of writing my first book, and loving every minute of it!""Aspiring (perspiring) writer. Check out my book links. . ""Aspiring writer of novels with dark content. Currently starving.""Aspiring writer, amateur blogger, employed social worker. . ."   Aspiring authors can be found in all walks of life, harassed mums, ex restaurateurs, bankers, students, social workers, carers and Dads. Many have already finished a book and whether they have been published or not the fact is they are now bona fide authors.  Another telling factor as to how committed aspiring authors are to their stated aspiration is, do they have a website, blog, Google or Facebook page? I've written about this in other posts but while not all indie writers self publish all writers must promote themselves. That is why a blog or website of some kind is absolutely crucial. To help you out I am going to provide PDF copies of my book Google+ eXplosion in return for a Tweet. I wrote about this particular promotional tool in one of my last posts if you want to check it out. I also explain how to use Google's Blogger platform which is the easiest place to start.

Please take the time to visit the websites, blogs, Facebook Pages and Twitter accounts of these aspiring authors. There is so much fantastic talent waiting to be read. Just click on their image.

Here are some of our talented Aspiring Indie Authors
If you would like a free copy of Google+ eXplosion all you have to do is Pay With A Tweet (or Facebook Post)  162 Pages On sale at Amazon for $5.40


This book has great information for us authors who prefer writing to the mystifying maze of marketing. Thank you Phil for guiding us through in such an understandable way.
Richard Silverton (Author)
Thanks to Phil Rowlands, for pointing me to Google+ as a marketing tool for independent authors.
Bryan Murphy (Author)
Wonderful!
Colleen McKlintock

Your Best Promotional Tool - A Great Story

The ability to read fluently is probably one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. Reading enables us to see with the eyes of our imagination beyond the mundane and the ordinary where there are no limitations.
Edison declared, "I never think in words only pictures."
Like Lucy we can stare into the shadowy depths of the wardrobe and glimpse strange and magical worlds.
We can leap into the breaking surf and stand alongside Achilles as he gazes up at the shimmering walls of Troy and dreams of immortal glory.




We can shudder in dark underground caverns as we huddle alongside Bilbo Baggins and listen in terror for the flapping of webbed feet on the cold hard floor.

To deny children entrance to these worlds is nothing short of a crime. That is why your greatest asset as a writer is the ability to write a great story. The power to capture the imagination and send the reader into strange new worlds or back into the distant past while engaging their emotions and intellect is nothing short of magical. It is also an ability that is becoming rarer and therefore even more precious.  The movie industry is crying out for great stories. The advances in technology such as computer generated imagery have enabled producers to bring epic stories to the screen in ways we could never have imagined just a short time ago. Conversely there are a plethora of movies where special effects is king while story has been consigned a minor role. Listen to what Robert McKee has to say in his fantastic book 'Story'.

"Good story means something worth telling that the world wants to hear. Finding this is your lonely task." He makes a very insightful observation when he says," A culture cannot evolve without honest powerful storytelling" "The love of story", according to McKee also embraces, "The love of the dramatic. . . The love of truth. . .The love of humanity. . .The love of sensation. . . The love of dreaming. . . The love of humor. . . The love of language. . . The love of duality. . .The love of perfection. . .The love of uniqueness. . . The love of beauty. . . The love of self - a strength that doesn't constantly need to be reassured, that never doubts that you are indeed a writer. You must love to write and bear the loneliness."

 As independent self-published writers it is essential we promote our work but without these qualities our work will not stand the test of time. Let Robert McKee's words be a call to arms for us all.
 This week we delve into the world of fantasy. I am currently writing a paranormal fantasy for children of all ages and one thing struck me as important. I needed to root my story in the familiar before branching out into the unexplored. Free chapters are available from this blog.



 
So this week's featured authors are from the fantasy genre:

Here are some of our talented Fantasy Indie Authors
REPORT: What Is Behind the Mysterious Disappearances at Firgrove Colliery - The Pit of Shadows?

Read this disturbing report now in the first issue of our online magazine. CLICK  TO ENTER

THIS WEEKS DEBATE: "Is Soaking Your Conker In Vinegar Overnight Cheating?" - VOTE NOW

Get People Talking When 'They Pay With A Tweet'

Many of you probably realise by now that the majority of writers I feature on this blog are mutual Twitter Followers. In other words we follow each other on Twitter. For aspiring authors one of the best pieces of advice I can give you is get on Twitter. It is a unique platform for getting your voice out there. By now you all now my feelings about Google+ and Facebook. Whoever eventually dominates the social media universe Twitter will still be an essential ingredient for success.

Word of mouth is by far the most effective and powerful means of letting others know about your book or blog. Follow authors and readers within your niche and if they like what they see or hear they will spread the word and once the 'tipping point' is reached your book or blog becomes viral.

I recently 'discovered' a simple free app that has the potential to accelerate this 'word of mouth' process. It's called Pay With A Tweet and like most great ideas is based on a simple concept. At the moment this app is only compatible with Facebook and Twitter. Once Google+ begins to provide similar apps the potential will increase exponentially. For now, I am going to focus on its use with Twitter.

Why not let the creators of this app explain the concept in their own words:

Sell your products for the price of a tweet.

In today's world the value of people talking about your product is sometimes higher than the money you would get for it. ‘Pay with a Tweet’ is the first social payment system, where people pay with the value of their social network.

It’s simple, every time somebody pays with a tweet, he or she tells all their friends about the product. Boom.

All you have to do is download a Pay With A Tweet button by filling out a simple form.
 Although it's called Pay With A Tweet as authors we will be doing exactly the opposite. We shall in fact be selling our work, or a portion of it, for tweets rather than money. For example I am in the process of writing a childrens/YA paranormal fantasy called BILLY: Family Secrets. Lets see how I can utilise Pay With A Tweet to start creating an interest in my book while I am still in the process of writing it. So let's take a closer look. The first thing you are asked to do is provide your name and email: You are also required to provide Your Filename. Stating the obvious this is the name you will give to the file you are selling for a tweet. For example, in my case I will be giving away a chapter from my book and therefore I can simply name the file TheAlbum. You can upload a word or pdf file. Providing it is not too large, and as a text file it shouldn't be, you do not really have to compress it as a zip file.  The next section assumes you have a website. If you don't, as an aspiring or established author this is something you need to remedy. It is absolutely essential for every indie author to have a web site of some description. Your file needs to be uploaded to your website and this is the url you will be required to provide in the next field: For example, I will upload the pdf file I have created TheAlbum.pdf to my website http://www.indieauthors.net. The url will now read http://www.indieauthors.net/TheAlbum.pdf  The next thing I am required to do is create a Tweet. You are restricted to 110 characters as this allows people to modify or customize your tweet. Remember this is what you want people to post in exchange for your chapter.e.g. "9 or 90! Get your FREE chapter of BILLY:Family Secrets and discover what lurks within the family album.."
  Next you must include the url that will be attached to every Tweet. In other words the url that sends people to the web page your Pay With A Tweet Button is on. Note, this is distinct from your download file url you provided earlier. I will probably host the Pay With A Tweet Button on this blog so people can see how it works. My url would be http://kindleauthors.blogspot.com This is more than the permitted 29 characters so you are advised in the next box to use a short url like the ones you get from bit.ly. A link is provided for you to use this service if you need to.  Finally all you do is fill in the CAPTCHA code and you are good to go.  Your button will be provided with the button code to place on your website.It will look like this:   Let me know how it works for you. Aplogies to everyone who was expecting the next Chapter of GENRE WARS: Science Fiction v Fantasy. It's been a little hectic this week and I simply have not had the time to create all the links to the blogs and books. Rather than downsize I decided to hold fire for a week or so. Thanks for your patience.     As a teenager struggling with my hormones I never fully recovered from the seismic impact of certain young movie star. I suspect I was not alone and there are a generation of us with our hormones still in mourning. I refer of course to the incomparable Marylyn Monroe.
The blog is intriguing and though a reference is made to the book I have not been able to find a link from the blog. You can access the blog HERE
Here is a synopsis of the book:

While many believe that Marilyn Monroe was murdered on that fateful night in August 1962, the real question still remains. What was the actual reason for her demise? Marilyn was a well-loved personality who ran in all the right (or wrong) circles. What could she possibly know that was such a threat to someone that only her death would bring them security?

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  Authors K.R. Hughes and T.L. Burns have provided us with an intriguing work of fiction. . .or is it? And now it's good to welcome a friend. Croeso Gaynor Madoc Leonard.Gaynor hails from my native Wales originally but now lives in London. Her passion for her home county of Camarthen is evident in her writing. Camarthen is indeed a very mystical place and Gaynor's books reveal a hidden and mysterious world concealed from the eys of the casual passers by.     The ancient town of Carmarthen appears to be little different from any other town, with its chain stores and market, but beneath its busy little streets and behind its respectable doorways, another Carmarthen exists.This 'alternative Carmarthen' is a town riddled with secrets, vice and betrayal, but no secret escapes the attention of Carmarthen Intelligence; its brave agents display constant vigilance in the fight to keep Carmarthen and the rest of Wales free from its enemies.

While the townspeople go about their business, beneath its very centre lies Carmarthen Intelligence HQ, where our heroes, along with their colleagues at the Welsh Bureau of Investigation in Swansea, take up arms against a sinister cabal.

Could there be a traitor among them?
Why does Myddfai have a sheriff?
Does Betti Williams make the best breakfast this side of Llangollen?

I am really looking foward to discovering this secret Camarthen.




Gaynor also has another book available from Lulu hot off the press - 'A Meeting Of Dragons'


Click the image to go to Gaynor's page on Lulu.
Good luck Gaynor we need all the Welsh authors we can get.

 Next week we consider the most important promotional tool of all.Featured authors will be from the Fantasy genre.
  

AmeriCymru - To Thine Own Self Be True

 An absolutely fundamental requirement for any writer is to discover their own. identity, their own unique voice. So many aspiring authors out there are focusing solely on becoming the next J.K. Rowling or attempting to mimic the success of Fifty Shades of Grey. What you write must firstly reflect who you are. Who you are will determine what genre or genres you are most comfortable with. What genre you choose will define your audience or readership. Whatever other people think or whatever the current trend might be should not influence or deflect you from being who you really are.

 Ceri Shaw left his native Wales to live in America. Having a strong sense of identity led him to create, along with his partner Gaabriel, the website AmeriCymru. I will let Ceri speak for himself as someone who has most emphatically 'to his own self been true'.
It might be a good idea to take a quick tour of AmeriCymru before reading the interview.















 
Q: What inspired you to get AmeriCymru up and running given all the hard work that it would inevitably entail?
 Tough question:) In retrospect I suppose there were three reasons. I had been involved in a small way with web design and site development before AmeriCymru and I relished the challenge of promoting a site with a name that would be unpronounceable and unintelligible to most people here in the States and that bore no discernible relation to the relevant keywords. There was also an element of hireath of course. I realised that I was 6000 miles from home and that a site like this would afford many opportunities to keep up with people, events and ideas back home. However, the main reason was that I was simply appalled by the lack of knowledge about Wales that I found in the States.. Everyone knows all about Ireland and many take the time to raise a glass, or several , on St Patrick's Day, whether they are of Irish descent or not. The Scots are similarly well served. The movie 'Braveheart' and the network of Scottish Highland Games around the country have done much to give them a positive image. But general knowledge of Wales didn't go much beyond Dylan Thomas and Lady Di. So we decided to do what we could to change that. I don't know how much of a contribution we've made but certainly our current focus is very similar to yours i.e to to promote the wealth of literary talent that exists in Wales .  Q: Going forward what is your vision for AmeriCymru? An even tougher question. Our hope for the site is to both increase awareness of Wales and Welsh culture and heritage and to network more people in Wales and around the world, to hook people up with each other and to provide a platform for all things Welsh.We're working on a plan to expand our content over the next year with even more on Welsh writers, poets, musicians and other artists than we've already got and articles on Welsh history and profiling Welsh emigrants outside Wales. We'll be taking a look at what we can do that could be a resource for Welsh societies and groups also what we can do to benefit individuals - education? Community? Genealogy?
We'll also be expanding the online eisteddfod we do. This year's online competitions are open for entries in short story ( http://americymru.net/group/west-coast-eisteddfod-online-short-story-competiti ) and poetry ( http://americymru.net/group/2012-west-coat-eisteddfod-online-poetry-competitio ) until September 30th. Next year we want to increase the prize money and spend a lot more time promoting these competitions. We plan on changing the live event we do but there will still be a West Coast Eisteddfod live event.

In passing I'd just like to encourage any writers of short stories or poetry to take a look at the competition pages linked above. There is still time before the deadline for entries and your participation is welcome. If the rules seem in any way confusing please feel free to email me at americymru@gmail.com Q: Is AmeriCymru open to anyone with an interest in learning more about Wales and its links with America or would you see that as endangering its integrity? As it says in the Croeso box on the site:- "AmeriCymru is a social network for the Welsh, Welsh ex-pats, persons of Welsh descent and cymruphiles all over the world" I guess membership is open to anyone who likes Wales or some aspect of Welsh culture. Tom Jones fan? You qualify! Having said that we approve all new members prior to admission otherwise we would be overrun by the usual crowd of spammers, viagara salesmen etc. Q: What aspects of AmeriCymru have been particularly successful and what aspects do you feel need further development? Well, I would describe myself as a lazy perfectionist. So I look at the site every morning and want to tear it down and totally rebuild it from scratch. Fortunately I am saved from these destructive urges by the realisation that the sheer amount of work involved would be intolerable. In all seriousness I am not sure that any one aspect of the site is more important or works better than any other. I am, however, a keen believer in exploiting all of the advantages that the various Web 2.0 platforms have to offer . For that reason we exist on a Ning , Blogger and Joomla and have a presence on every social network known to man. It's very difficult to be heard on the internet and for that reason I think it is essential to explore every possible avenue to get your message across. In terms of future development I think we will continue to proliferate and strengthen the presence we currently have on existing platforms and channels. Plus We're always looking for what our members and readers want and need. As I said before, we'll be working on expanding our content a lot more and identifying resources out in the world like Welsh societies and groups, places like the Great Plains Welsh Heritage Project, heritage museums, travel to Wales and all the wonderful things in Wales like the national museum, coastline, castles etc Q: As a Welsh author I am secretly pleased that your bookstore only features Welsh authors or works related to Wales because the competition is fierce out there. Do you see this policy as one that will encourage more Welsh writers? That is certainly our intention and to that end we have further plans that we hope to announce shortly. Watch this space for further announcements. We also have a number of other ongoing initiatives which can be read on this page :- Writers of Wales Q: Many people believe they have ‘a book in them’ but have never actually committed themselves to writing it. Given your experience in creating AmeriCymru from scratch what advice would you give to aspiring writers to help them get started? I confess I am one of the many :) Maybe if AmeriCymru had not consumed my energies for the last four years I would have got around to putting pen to paper by now. One of these days ( and soon ) I must. I would hate to resort to repeating platitudes about the evils of procrastination at this point and I wont, for fear of being labelled a hypocrite. If my experience with AC is any kind of paradigm or analogy for the creative process then I have to admit I had grave doubts to begin with. I sat in front of my computer screen with the basic site design complete before my eyes and drank a whole sixpack of extra strength lager before I summoned the courage to click 'publish'. I am not recommending my M.O. to anyone but I guess you have to do whatever it takes. The only real problem is doing nothing. Q: Have you written a book yet? If so can you tell us something about it? If not, what book would you like to write, or have written, and why? Not yet. The best I can say is:-

The first line of the novel that I will never write is this..."There is nothing that I want to do."

Sorry to be so cryptic :) Q: Promoting and marketing is vital to success. How do you intend to promote and market AmeriCymru to ensure its continuing development? I don't think we have an overall promotional or marketing strategy as such. Our goal is to just keep on getting bigger and better. Please feel free to join us and let us know how we're doing. We're always open to new ideas. (Join AmeriCymru HERE)
 Last week in GENRE WARS we featured Romance v Historical. One featured book I am currently enjoying is "I Serve" by Roseanne E Lortz. Co-incidentally Roseanne, like Ceri, resides in Oregon and given the subject of her novel she is a definite candidate for AmeriCymru. Come on Roseanne, what are you waiting for?   
Croeso Jean Mead.  Jean is the author of 5 traditionally published books. She lives in Wales. When not writing she is sailing Ruby, a Gibsea 372. Jean is also a member of AmeriCymru.
 
 FREYA 800 A.D.  "Stunning first book in a new  historical series."
Freya lived more than a thousand years ago at the beginning of the Viking raids on Britain.
Home was a longhouse, one of several in the settlement; a stockade protected the small community from bears and wolves roaming the vast glacial wilderness.Freya's husband,
Olaf, hungered for wealth. He sailed the longship, Odin's Thunder, across the Norse Sea to wreak havoc on the Picts of northern Britain. Freya, haunted by images of her husband's rapine and cruel infidelity, prays to pagan gods for his return.
With the settlement almost deserted, Knut, a man of the mountains with a warped and cruel mind, crossed the threshold of Freya's longhouse, with devastating consequences.
In a dreadful twist of fate, Freya is forced to live in isolation. It takes all her willpower to survive a dark and frozen winter with only Brock, her favourite hound, for company.
When Olaf had been missing for two winter seasons, Freya sailed to the shores of Britain to find him. Betrayal and tragedy lie ahead.
 Signed copies available contact: jean@jeanmead.wanadoo.co.uk
THE WIDOW MAKERS
 
Jean Mead's novel The Widow Makers is inspiring reading: a classic tale, full of all the ingredients which make for the finest of novels.
Based in the mid-19th century, it tells the story of the young Standish family, who move from the coalfields of Lancashire to the slate quarries of North Wales in search of a better livelihood. Daily life is much like their Welsh neighbours': death comes in the cruellest form to the village, but those who remain thrive, despite desperate poverty, barbaric working conditions and the cruel winter climate. The eldest Standish boy, Tommy is something of a changeling; he desires a different life and ruthlessly goes in pursuit of his dream of the grandeur and riches of the landowners' class.
Mead's exceptional talent as a raconteur lets us share the family's emotional rollercoaster ride, as they lose their eldest son, as he grasps the riches that are so important to him, regardless of the hurt and misery he causes his family and anyone who dares to step in his way. Joe, his father, is a gentle giant of a man and through his eyes we see the beauty and majesty of the Welsh countryside, thus giving this book a greater substance. My only criticism of The Widow Makers was that it ended too soon; I felt bereft! A sequel please
 STRIFE  Fan's of Jean Mead's first novel in the Widow Makers series will love this, the second in the saga of the mining Standish family. Set in the mid-19th century, it continues the tale of the family's fortune in the slate quarries of North Wales.
The eldest son Tommy Standish is now the hard and ruthless manager of the Garddryn Quarry, while his father Joe and younger brother Frank are quarrymen. The family find themselves pitted against each other as Joe fights for fairer working conditions and pay for his fellow workers, while Tommy is determined to grind every last bit of sweat and toil out of them to further his own ambitions and wealth.
A nasty character through and through, Tommy treats everyone equally badly - from his depressed and opium addicted wife Henrietta to his young son Edward and his parents, who remind him of his embarrassingly humble upbringing. You find yourself caught up in the struggle of those he is oppressing, hoping that his scheming will be foiled and that someone will stand up to him, as Jean Mead sweeps you along with her vivid descriptions of 19th century life and the harshness and beauty of Snowdonia. A compelling vivid account that leaves you finishing the last page with regret and hoping for more.                               You can visit Jean's Website HERE
  We wish Jean every success in the future.
Continuing with our Welsh theme here are some more mutual Twitter followers who are also Welsh authors or authors based in Wales.

Click on each authors image to visit their blog.
Hopefully they will all decide to join AmeriCymru.
Here are some of their excellent books.                                   Next Week GENRE WARS is back.
Must be honest there was a pretty poor response to Historical v Romantic. The Romantics lead 5-2
This time its Fantasy v Science Fiction
One of our featured books concerns a woman who back in the 60's was the Helen of Troy of her day.
Also a look at an app that will show authors how they  can use the power of Twitter to help their book go viral.