Janis Hill's Blog, page 9

Let’s hear it for the Teachers!

Not really knowing where to go with this week’s blog I started thinking over how it actually came about that I could wear the official ‘Published Author’ badge (even if it is homemade – it has glitter!)

And I realised that, unsurprisingly, my teachers played a great role in getting me here. Not just by teaching me to read, write and construct a sentence, but by egging me on by their positive and negative comments. I will include the ones who were negative about it, as they were mostly right when they said you can’t be an author for a living and expect a lot of money, so focus on getting a real job Janis! But I am stubborn and therefore enjoyed being a pain in their side by continuing to write my stories. I had to. I exist therefore I write.

Then there were those fabulous teachers who encouraged me from the word go and I will just name drop Mr Williams right here as he will always be the first supporter of what I love to do. Yes, back then (from the age of about ten) my writing approach was a little odd, but he encouraged it and helped it grow and bloom. Without him letting me draw metres of pictures on old computer printing paper that I then translated into words, without him letting me scrunch and screw up my paper as I liked the feel of it that way more than flat and sterile… I’d not be what I now am. Without him just letting me write when I had no other school work left to do (and it usually shut me up), would I have ever felt so free to just write because I had to?

Through my schooling years other teachers did their best to just ensure I stuck to the curriculum and only wrote what was required of me. But they didn’t always stop me from slipping that extra note book out to disappear into once I’d done their required work and was waiting for the rest of the class to catch up. When I was able to start using loose leaf sheets of paper in high school – woo hoo! They could never always tell when I was madly scribbling down their notes off the board and when I was just madly scribbling down what the voices in my head were saying and doing. I was a C+/ B- student and away a lot due to illness. They got what they got from me.

Here I dearly want to thank my English teachers of high school – Mrs Raymond, Mrs Christie, Ms Kallum and dear Mrs Reid – who copped me at my most eccentric and got my best ever Dave Lister impersonation when I was made to read a book review as the main character. I do still feel I must apologise for my descriptive prose with the dead rat in it. You told me to explore all the senses with that one and I was kind of into Regency feasts with a twist at the time. It wasn’t every day you saw a teacher physically pale when reading your work and just know she’d found the rat. So – sorry!

Not every one of these high school teachers encouraged me to be a writer. Far from it, as the majority of them were just trying to get me through high school with good enough grades to get into a decent university course and therefore be out of their hair and off their books. All the same, you encouraged me to be who I was and to love writing and not be afraid to feel the poetry we were learning with its soft sorrow or to mimic an author’s prose to better my own. Most of you despaired at my overly pretty cursive writing riddled with horrific grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. But you never made me put my stories away just suggested I learnt a real job first. And so, thank you all.

This thanks doesn’t just go out to the English teachers of my high school days. In fact, coming from the background I did, being the fourth family member they were educating and, quite frankly, them having to deal with an arrogant, bored and lost half adult – though mostly child – that I was, this is a thanks to them all. Their attempts to educate me, though often futile, did help me be the person I am. From the cow dissections to the mistake one physics teacher made by letting me near potassium and water, you let me be who I was and learn while doing it. As for the potassium… well, the science teachers knew of my family background in science and knew I knew what happened when you put potassium into water as I’d seen my dad do it to classes of university students many times. What my poor dear science teacher didn’t realise was after lunch I was usually in a bored and mischievous mood. And, yes I did indeed know what potassium did in water, and what happened when it was a largish piece of potassium dropped into a rather small glass beaker of water. I could move fast back then too. Should I mention this was also the science teacher quoted for telling me a pig’s heart was not a muppet and cannot sing nor dance? Yeah, that was an after lunch class too.

But I digress, I really just wanted to say thank you for letting me be who I was. As frustratingly annoying as that was. You didn’t try and squash writing out of me completely, you just tried to make me put it to one side until life was better suited to tinkering with it. And despite never finishing high school due to illness, you were right. I never gave up on writing, despite the education system giving up on me for a while. I went out and got myself that real job in IT and turned my love of writing into a career… just don’t tell my former bosses I only write fiction as some of those User documents are just brilliant. And never get me to take the minutes for the meetings, as potassium and pig’s hearts turned into dead horses and, when the season was right, Christmas carols. At least I proved no one reads minutes from meetings.

So, I am now a published author, homemade badge with glitter and all, and if it wasn’t for those early years of encouragement and forced education, I doubt I would have held on to my desire for so long and never given up on the actual writing side of things.

To those who were paid to teach me, to those who just helped me learn how to be who I am and never give up on writing – Thank You!

Feel free to name drop.

Until next time,

Janis Hill XXOO

 

The Pros and Cons of – eBooks.

Okay, so last week I started this whole pros and cons thing by addressing the appeal and dislike (if there really is such a thing) of owning and using paper books. As promised, this week it’s all about the eBook!

I will start by pointing out this is not a review of eReaders or eBook aps. No. I have my preferred ones; you may have yours, wonderful. We can now enjoy our eBooks using the method that suits us best. This is more as to why the actual story, in the form of an eBook, has their good and bad points.

And so here we go…

The Pros of eBooks…

My first and foremost has to be that I can keep on getting eBooks long after my physical bookshelves have become overfull and I simply can’t fit another book, let alone another bookshelf, into my home. Don’t get me wrong, there are certain series I have been collecting in paper form for years and so will complete their set in paper. However, there are simply dozens of authors and series of books I’ve baulk at owning as I just don’t have the space. Yes I enjoyed the books and the author’s work, but not enough for me to have given up precious bookshelf space for. Now, with the wonderful world of eBooks, I have clouds of shelves instead and so the collecting can once more commence. Yes!!!

To go with this, eBooks are far more portable. No, hear me out! Yes I know that there are loads of paper books just as portable in the plain sense of the word. However, I am talking about the portability of multiple books. When I have to go to those dreaded job interviews of spend hours in waiting rooms for other appointments, I’d often forget the book I was reading and my brain would slowly turn to sludge reading whatever hideous fashion magazines had been left out… just to pacify you into submission out of sheer boredom I swear! However, since the mid 1990’s I’ve always had a mobile phone with me. And these days, it’s also a link to my lovely cloud of books. Never a dull magazine again!

Then there is going on holiday with limited space to put all the books you may or may not want to read while away. These days, not a problem – I have my phone and I have my eReader. So what if I can’t have them switched on during take-off and landing? If you want to be reading a paper book during those times, go for it. But as I am usually too busy fussing over hordes (my children) claiming we’re about to die, or just enjoying the concept of science at work (yah, I’m a nerd remember?) I don’t generally have the time to read. However, when stuck with no wi-fi, no TV and kids asleep early after a hard days holidaying… Why hello cloud library, long time no see!

Although this next one will also appear in the cons section – affordability! Oh I agree that there is an overabundance of ‘cheap and nasty’ (poorly written and/or edited) eBooks out there as every man, woman, dog and cat can self-publish these days. But some of my favourite authors, who have written hundreds of good books (some are now even TV series and radio shows) are available as eBooks. And these were people I felt I could never own simply as I didn’t have the space or budget for their books. Now I can buy them for under $10 (sometimes under $5) and I am happy. Finally I can own and read them whenever I want, rather than have to hunt through the inter-library loan system and just pray the copy I finally end up with isn’t too dog-eared and mucky.

Ebooks are also so very flexible to read. No, I know you can’t bend them and creased them and what not like some evil people do to books. But that’s called damaging them and we just won’t go there. What I love about my eBook world is that at night, when the usual insomnia kicks in, I can curl up under the blankets and, without needing to turn any lights on, can ‘open’ up my eBook and read away in the darkness until the evil thoughts that awoke me are thumped into submission by my imagination and a well written story. Others I share my bed with are also thankful of this as it means I don’t have the bloody light on all night keeping them from sleep. Insomnia, shouldn’t be shared so just kill it with an eBook.

Now, I am admittedly new to eBooks and so may be proven wrong on this one. But I also like how you can’t really lend them to a friend. And there goes that argument of it being returned vs the same copy of the book now being in your friend’s possession. Me, bitter? Nah!

So onto the other side…

The Cons of eBooks…

Now I don’t know if this one should really be included, as it’s more about the eReader than the eBooks but here it is anyway: They’re not as durable as a paper book. Basically, you spill your coffee on it, it’s gone. Your library should still be up there in that magical cloud… but it’s not as if you can prop it by the fire or use the hairdryer on it until it’s back to normal and keep reading a slightly stained version. Nor can you lay in a hot bath and enjoy an eBook. Well, I’ve not even dared to try that one so am just guessing it sounds like a good afternoon ruined.

The impact of owning hundreds of eBooks just isn’t the same as having a house lined with shelves of paper books either. I mean, people inwardly groan and suffer in silence when you show them pictures of your kids or your last weekend on your phone… do you really think they want to sit there and ooh and ahh over you thumbing your way through pictures of books out there somewhere in that cloud? It’s just not the same. The wow factor is gone. Plus, it is rather suspicious when your eBook device smells of cinnamon and cloves. Just saying.

Another is the tactile nature of the eBook. Don’t get me wrong, I have a cover for my eReader that is soft and so nice and really is pleasing to touch and hold and enjoy a good book on. But it really isn’t the same as the paper version. You know it, I know it… there is a tactile beauty in even the oldest, rattiest book that is lost when it becomes just words behind a glass screen… no matter how pretty that case and cover is.

Quantity over quality rears its ugly head here too. As mentioned, every man, woman, cat and dog can self-publish these days. And, well, quite frankly – not all of them should. Yes there are some great self-published eBooks but by god there is some crud too. If it’s really cheap or free… that should be telling you something. Yes it may be a promotion to a really fantastic new author or series. Or, more commonly, it’ll be something that has either been badly written, badly edited and well, is just bad. Wading through all of this to discover a new author can be daunting and far less enjoyable than wandering through a paper book store. I mean, who doesn’t love to waste a rainy afternoon in a really good, old second hand book shop?

Remember I mentioned cost? Yes, this one is a killer for me. I tend to read one to two books a week and have recently been doing it by buying the eBook version as I’ve been unable to make it to my local library due to injury. It’s quick, it’s easy and quite often you won’t realise exactly how much you’ve just spent on these books hidden in the clouds until you monthly bill turns up. Can I get an Eeep?

If I was to buy the same amount of books in their physical form (even if done via a simple point and click online bookshop) I will know there and then that the budget has been blown. Plus the wait for them to arrive tends to deter me from being so frivolous. But with an eBook… find it, click to buy it, read it…. Receive the bill, clutch your chest, consider what groceries you can forego for the month ahead and do your damnedest not to do it again. Buying eBooks can become very addictive.

Again, I’ve surely missed some of the pros and cons on being an eBook owner… but here are my basics. If asked to choose between paper and eBooks… I don’t know if I could give a straight black or white answer. But I’ve always been a bit of a grey person myself as it is. I love them both; own them both and one day hope to be published in both. Thankfully I don’t have to choose… I just have to watch my budget as the latest in one of my favourite paper book series is out soon and I must find the money and space for it!

How about you? Paper or plastic?

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

Shamless plug!

Seriously though, is it really a shameless plug if it’s done on my own blog site that was set up just so I could plug my work and waffle on about writing stuff?

Anyway, what I am going on about is my current favourite review for Bonnie’s Story – A Blonde’s Guide to Mathematics. It was a sponsored review given by the San Francisco/ Sacramento Book Review and is pretty darn cool. I know a lot of people are thinking ‘Well, being a sponsored review means you paid them to say something nice.” So I would like to put the record straight by saying they guarantee to review your book for the fee paid… but they never promise it will be a flattering review. So, to get a 4 out of 5 stars review, yes I’m happy.

Oh, and I didn’t pay for it. My Publisher did.

Want to see the reason I am bragging? You can read the full review for free here!

Or, support this cool Book Review magazine by buying a copy here.

And, without giving any spoilers, I will just add that yes it’s almost as good as a free brownie and hot chocolate to have my writing likened to that of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams.

Haven’t bought a copy of Bonnie’s Story yet? Check out my Where to buy page for more info.

Okay, shameless plug over. As you all were.

Janis. XXOO

The Pros and Cons of – Paper Books.

Being an avid reader and lover of books, as well as a published author of an eBook, I’ve been asked a lot which do I actually prefer. It used to be plain and simple – paper books. Hard cover, soft cover, magazines, etc. All the better to hold and feel.

However, the more I dabble in being the owner of eBooks and eReaders, the more I am starting to waver. I share a house with my husband and three kids and there is limited bookshelf space or, more importantly, limited space to put in more bookshelves. And, yes, we have a lot of them already – all being avid readers and book lovers. All I can say now is eBooks have given me more bookshelves!

Now, I won’t do the pros and cons of paper books vs eBooks as the one blog post. No, I want to give them each equal space and so I will focus on paper books for this one and save eBooks for next.

And so…

The Pros of Paper Books…

I think the biggest pro for me is having the honour to own some really old books. I have a bit of a cookery book habit… as in I love to collect cookery books. And by calling them ‘cookery books’, rather than ‘cook books’, I hope you realise this means they are usually old. The majority of the ones I treasure are now fifty to sixty years old. Yes people, the 1960’s were fifty years ago now… I’m sorry to break it to you. However, some of my most favourite cookery books are eighty to one hundred years old. They are brilliant in what they demonstrate you can make from apparently nothing, plus are a wonderful window into the world that was. One of my favourite lines from my 1909 cookery book is the serving suggestion for a dish of four lamb chops. Something like: ‘Would suit four ladies at a luncheon or two gentlemen for supper’. Oh I could go on about cookery books, but I was really just trying to use them as an example to why an old book is so cool to own in paper form.

I mean, yes, you can own the same book as a dull old eBook copy… but it honestly isn’t the same.

Another pro is the smell of books. I’m sorry, but I do happen to like the smell of books. That musty, dusty, papery smell of books en masse in one place for a decent amount of time. Yes, depending on where they’ve been stored they may take on the odour of cockroach or rodent… but in my family they smell of cloves and cinnamon. Why? As these are natural pest repellents to silverfish and other paper eating bugs. So whole cloves and cinnamon sticks are scattered behind the books on the shelves, or poured into the boxes storing them elsewhere. And, to me, it’s so wonderful to crack open a much loved, much read book of mine and be enveloped in that papery, musty and clove scent.

The feel is, of course, the next one. Curling up on the couch by the fire with hot beverage in one hand and good book in another is heaven. Though you do need to ensure it’s a correctly proportioned book for how you are curled, as it can become more of a juggle if you’re say reading an eight hundred page plus hard cover epic, compared to a nice little paperback of around eighty thousand words.

The achievement/ ability to show off that you love books would round all these up. I don’t know about you, but being able to walk into a home and see the walls lined with bookshelves full of books is pretty impressive to me. It’s the wow factor. Look at me, I love books this much! And, as long as all those books are indeed loved and read regularly… then that’s okay. You look a bit of a dork if they’re untouched and all the same thing. Think the pretend books they display in bookshelves at places like Ikea. ‘Display only’ books in a home are a big turn off…. Which makes a great opening to the:

The Cons of Paper Books…

Yes, ‘display only’ style bookshelves in a home do make you look the pretentious numpty. It would be far better if you gave the books away to a good home and just kept all the DVDs you really watch in the shelves instead. Then there is the fact that owning so many books means you have a lot of dusting to do. As a mildly dusty smell may be good, but having to wipe off an inch thickness of dust and cobwebs to see the title on the spine is bad. Very bad. And cloves and cinnamon only go so far to deter things eating them.

Speaking of things eating them, kids and pets don’t go well with paper books. Yes you could say they don’t go well with eBooks either… but seeing your electronic device flushed down the toilet and eaten as a chew toy isn’t as heart aching as opening your one hundred year old book to see a yellow crayon smiley face over the recipe you were reading. Or, and this really has happened, forgetting to lock your bored parrot in the laundry and so coming home to see the hundreds of books in your bookshelves now spineless as they were such fun for the bird to pull apart. No, we didn’t suddenly have a new feather duster.

Size and volume, as impressive as it can seem, can be a pain when trying to actually read them. I have a large, hard cover medical text book on anatomy and physiology I enjoy reading. (I like knowing how it all works, okay?) Thing is, not a book to curl up on the couch with. Too big, too cumbersome and its hard cover corners are just so gosh darn pointy! Anything you read on your eReader is all the same size. Just saying.

A con that was also a pro is the smell. Yes, if you’ve had the misfortune to have to store your books somewhere there are rodents, cockroaches or say, the ability to flood, the smell of your books isn’t always that nice. Mould and mildew, rodent stink and roach stains. It’s heartbreaking. Worse than act of parrot.

Which brings you to the up keep of paper books. Yes there is the dusty, pest repelling, rodent de-odourising and pet and child proofing side. Yes there is the finding a decent place to store them all (shelves, boxes or otherwise). But just finding a place to store them and look after them can be a full time job. Let alone when you are gullible enough to lend a book to someone you felt was a friend. Yes, they may have been a very good friend when the book was loaned out… but what about when it is returned all dog-eared and stained? Or – horror of horrors – never returned though they swear blind that they did. And no that is not your copy of the book now in their shelves; it was a copy they bought after reading it. Sure.

I am positive there are more pros and cons to all this, but I don’t want to go writing a novel on it all. All in all, paper books can be a great thing to own and something I hope to always have in my possession. But you do need to look at both sides of things before stating they are the only type of book to own and read.

My next weekly post – the pros and cons of eBooks.

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

Still poor – but living my dream as an Author.

This blog post is a little different. Think of it as a brain dump as to how I feel about being an Author.

Now, trust me when I say I would love to be comfortably well off thanks to royalty payments from my books. And, maybe one day I will even get to the level of paying a phone bill with them. Woo! But I have approached this ‘being a published author’ thing with both feet on the ground and what I’d like to think is a firm grasp on reality. Well, I may not have when I started… but I’ve finally found my place in it all.

Here’s the thing, when I told my friends I had signed my first publishing contract I got the usual “Remember us when you’re rich and famous” or “Wow, you’ll be raking it in” and took it in the jest the majority of it was intended. When asked what I hoped to achieve with one of my works finally being out there in the public eye, my response was simple – I hope they enjoy it after buying it and I hope to earn enough per quarter to go to my favourite chocolatier café for a hot chocolate and a brownie. And you know what? First royalty payment – I achieved my dream. Yay!

No I am not a defeatist or only think small. Yes I am a cynical and sarcastic cow… but that’s not the point either. I write because I have to. It’s almost like the need to breathe and eat. Stories take over my train of thought and I find myself running scenarios over and over in there until I just have to write it down to free my brain up for more important things. Like where I left the kids, what was I making for dinner and how that stain got into the carpet?

I have honestly been writing stories since I was taught to write and string sentences together. I never set out to become a millionaire (either over night or through time) from my writing. I simply had a story I wanted to share and it just got to the point where some people felt it was good enough to share by them publishing it while others thought it was good enough by reading it. Ta da – My secret is out!

When I realised someone wanted to publish my work I thought them a kind soul giving me a break. I never expected instant fame and fortune. Heck, I will admit to being pompous enough to feel what I wrote was worth publishing, but that was about it. Which is why I set my goal for being a published author as what it was – hot chocolate and a brownie. I refuse to say I set my goal low, I merely set it at what I felt was an acceptable level of reality.

Yes I can write, oooh I even got published! Yeah so? Where in the line of millions of others with the exact same CV do I now stand?

Why aren’t we all getting a ticker tape parade as we’re now authors don’t you know? Meh, we’re all now authors. Small, unknown, emerging authors who are either self-published or have been lucky enough to have a small Indie Publisher take their time, effort and money to take a risk on our work. I am happy… Now.

For those of you who still need lots of gold star reviews, attention and that even elusive royalty cheque for thousands of dollars – you need to be out there. Shaking you assets, schmoozing the crowds, waving your book about and acting the spoilt only child by shouting ‘Look at me!’  I even do this from time to time. Yes because I want to go to the café again after my next quarter payments are sent.  I also do it as I want to thank the people who are taking the risk on me and hoping they make what they can from our success… limited or otherwise.

The most interesting thing about my secret is this happiness of being an author is new to me. Days old in fact. Yes I never expected stardom or fame and fortune… but initially I felt nothing. I just smiled and nodded at all my friends and family getting excited about me getting the publishing contract, I just grinned and beared it when I had to do photo shoots for newspaper articles or attended my book launches. The funny thing is I think my writing is good enough to be on show, but I personally hate being in the public eye. Initially I even felt despondent and disappointed more than elated and excited. I felt my book was good enough to have the major publishers at least skim it rather than bin it as soon as they got it. I felt the literary agents who strung me along with questions and bios wouldn’t then drop me or simply ignore me. I. Was. Good!

Remember my comment about the millions of others just like me? We’re all good… but there are millions of us! I didn’t even want to sign to my publisher as they were a small, Indie place and my first book, green and arrogant as I was, deserved better. Then my publisher sent me their business plan and I realised – wow! They have limited time, limited funds and they want to risk them on me? Their existence in the literary world is fragile and they want to help me become published as they felt my book was worth the gamble? And I signed. My first book is good. I rather enjoy it and others seem to as well… but now I’ve taken the rose coloured glasses off, it wasn’t going to get me the attention I so felt it deserved. But it has got the attention it needed, and given me the experience I really needed too. And, remember it is merely my first book.

Once I was out there shaking my assets and schmoozing, I hit a new barrier. The literary circles in the part of the world I live in are rather snobby. They go to universities to learn to write, rather than just teach themselves like I did. They write literary fiction, not the common as muck commercial fiction I love to both write and read. They want real paper books you can hold in your hand, not a business card giving them the link to where they can download my eBook. Despite being 6’2 and taller than all these folks, they do a very good job of looking down their noses at me and dismissing me as one of those millions I keep mentioning. And I let it get to me.

And then, the other day, in the afterglow of my first royalty payment, I had to update my writing history and I suddenly realised exactly how awesome I was. Yes I am still one of those millions, but guess what? I have my money for that first hot chocolate and brownie! For writing my commercial fiction eBook! Better yet, I’ve just signed my second publishing contract within twelve months of signing my first. And, I got to choose which publisher to go with as I had more than one offer. Yes they were both Indie publishers, but hey – two offers! It will mean that, hopefully, this time next year I can shout a friend when I go for my drink and cake. Yes!

I’m also embarking on a new series of books that my very small fan base is looking forward to reading. Even if I don’t find a publisher for it to be shared worldwide, I still have people willing to read it and asking to read it. This is what I really wanted all along. And hey, they can always pay me with a visit to a café for a hot chocolate and a brownie.

So, there you go. You have my secret and can hopefully see that being one of millions is still pretty awesome.

My only advice from all of this, to other emerging authors (or even those wanting to take the first steps to being an emerging author) is this: write because you enjoy writing, not because you want to make money. Set realistic goals, no matter how good your writing is. There are millions of very good writer’s out there, but there are only a few lucky ones who got noticed and get the big bucks. And, for heaven’s sake – write! Don’t just say you’re going to. Don’t just tippy tap at it a few times a month. Write. Write it all down, don’t re-read every single page every time you do it, don’t try and edit it while it’s still being written. Just write it down until it is finished. Then analyse it, pick it to bits, edit the crap out of it. But finish it first. Research your audience, research your options of how to become published and research the millions of us also out there.

Maybe one day we can shout each other to a hot chocolate and brownie as we are Authors!

Janis. XXOO

Something different – a Book Review!

Now don’t panic, I am not about to start filling up my blog with my opinion of every single book I read. No, that’s what Goodreads if for and if you really need to know my opinion on books, friend me there!

The reason I felt the need to share my review on the following book is partly to promote my current publisher, Hague Publishing. As the book, Frontier Incursion, is another one of their recently published work. I didn’t get it for free, I wasn’t asked to read and review it as part of my contract and freely admit to being slack and not having read any of the other authors I share the publishing house with… yet!

Plus, it’s a really good book! My Australian vernacular wants to tell you ‘it’s a bloody good read!’

Why I chose to read Frontier Incursion, well there are a few reasons. One, I just love the cover! The art itself is by the very talented Emma Llewelyn and really drew me into wanting to know more about these starcats the blurb for the book went on to talk about.

Another reason I wanted to read it was because I freely admit to still being a fan of Young Adult fiction… despite being well and truly in the final stages of being a thirty something. It has been a genre I embraced before I was technically a Young Adult and one I have enjoyed all through my life ever since. I am very pleased my eldest child is almost to the age I can use her as an excuse to be in the YA section of my local library without looking like I’ve lost my way from where all the murder mysteries are kept!

The third reason was because I got to start talking to the author Leonie Rogers via email and social media and felt I would enjoy anything she wrote so decided to give it a go. Hey, six dollars for an eBook of this length and quality was an amazingly good bargain!

And so, without more of my customary waffling, here is my review. It can also be found on Goodreads, of course!

Review of Frontier Incursions by Leonie Rogers.

First I will give you the official blurb of the book:

For Shanna, joining the Scout Corps had been a dream come true. The Scouts were charged with expanding their knowledge of Frontier, a hostile planet their ancestors had crash landed on 300 years before. As the youngest in her class, Shanna struggles to find acceptance and respect amongst her older peers – a task made more difficult by the fact that she has not just one, but two of the colonists’ huge feline companions, their starcats.

On a routine patrol, she and the other cadets are swept up in the greatest challenge yet to be faced by the settlers of Frontier. Now they find themselves on the very frontline of a war they knew nothing about, and possibly the Federation of Race’s last chance against the hostile Garsal. Suddenly their world has changed, and in ways never dreamed of by Shanna and her fellow scouts.

This book really was an amazing ‘let yourself go and be absorbed by this world’ sort of book. I rarely come across one I so freely was able to fall into and become a part of so quickly. Yes I grew up in a part of Australia where plants and animals (and even the dirt) was poisonous and or venomous and we had storms with the potential to flatten the city every year, but I don’t think that’s why I clicked with the story so quickly!

Although the beginning and its Remembrance Ceremony could have been setting the scene for any of your typical ‘we crash landed’ sort of sci-fi story, you quickly learn to relate to Shanna and her brother Kaiden and their lives with their starcats. As the story progresses the world of Frontier starts as the usual sci-fi survivor camp now settlement type story but then unfurls its tendrils of mystery and danger to show it’s not your typical sort of world. But rather a very dangerous one and these are some very clever people to have survived for so long over the centuries. And done so by accepting the planet and all its dangers and moulding themselves to fit into it all, rather than try and mould it to fit them.

I love the scouting parties and the graphical and in-depth views of the world Below in all it’s amazing danger and beauty entwined. It really did keep me wanting to read and wanting to know more. I mean, this book had me up until one thirty in the morning a lot of the time as I’d get to the end of a chapter and my mental mantra of ‘just one more chapter’ would have me winding my way back through the wilderness to see how, when and what would happen when Shanna, Anjo and the Garsal all finally met.

The main story followed by the snippet of Garsal activity pegged onto the end of each chapter can truly be blamed for keeping me so riveted and interested to read that one more chapter a night!

I highly recommend this book, loved it and actually told Leonie off for having it end the way she did as it just had me grinding my teeth with frustration to know what was going to happen and how dare she leave it hanging like that. All in good humour or course! I am so happy there is a sequel coming out next year and I really look forward to reading it. It takes a very good author to do that to you.

I rarely give a five out of five for a book, but this one had me so enraptured for over a week that I now have withdrawal symptoms for having nothing new to learn about Shanna, Twister and Storm. That shows it is a good book and deserves all five stars.

 

Buy Frontier Incursion here.

My new writing project decided – a murder mystery series!

Yes, I am one of those people who just need to be writing. So now that Bonnie’s Story is out and being enjoyed and Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My! is in a holding pattern awaiting publication, what was I to do?

The answer was simple. Crime Fiction. Or, to be more precise in its myriad of sub-genres – Cosy Crime Fiction. That light hearted approach to death, murder and mysteries that is most well known in book series such as MC Beaton’s Agatha Raisin or Hamish Macbeth… through to those enjoyable TV shows like Lewis and Midsomer Murders.

Crime fiction, on many of its genre levels, has been a great interest of mine for years and my shelves and eBook is filled with some simply brilliantly written works. And some not so well, but still much loved by me, ones. Because of this love, I also seem to associate with crime fiction authors a lot more on social media. Mostly as they are just the nicest, friendliest bunch of people you could meet… and that sort of thing needs to rub off on me by association, right?

So when having such wonderful people offer to read my work and comment on it, it’s great! But as my recent contributes to fiction have been as far away from their preferred genre as can be… well, it’s given me the desire to have a go at writing something crime fictiony to see if I can.

And so begins my journey to try and write a wonderful series (twenty six books in all) based in a fictional town in my much loved Adelaide Hills. I won’t go into it too much as I am in the middle of pitching it, but the feedback I’ve gotten so far from my fan base (yes, I really do have one!) is that is sounds fun, entertaining and interesting. Always a good start, right?

So watch this space for Mount Loxley Murder Mysteries – The Autumnal Artist. It will hopefully be making an appearance in bits and pieces by the end of the year when I hope to have it fully completed and doing the rounds. Who wouldn’t want rejection letters from publishers and literary agents alike for Christmas?

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

This is it! Release day!

As a lot of my author friends say – Happy Publication Day!

Yes, Bonnie’s Story – a Blonde’s Guide to Mathematics was not only released today, but done with a little book launch party at the wonderful Mount Barker Community Library. There will be pictures… I just haven’t been sent them yet. So watch this space!

We doubled the audience numbers we had at the Adelaide Writers Week launch too, and I wasn’t even related to all of them! Still, we were up against the first sunny day in a week, and I am still a little author fish in an ocean of literary geniuses, so it was small. We like saying intimate. And, as there was cake, hot chocolate and choc chip biscuits… can you really complain?

I signed some of my Bonnie’s Story business cards and flyers (and not just for my daughter’s collection) and even helped one of the guests at the launch buy a copy of the book!

Despite starting out the day all nerves and worry over disappointing the Library for drawing only a small crowd, or disappointing people who bought the book for it not being good enough – I had fun! Actually, I think we all did! ANd I received some fantastic feedback from people who have already read the book. Still, that sunny day was enticing me all the same to go hide in the garden to plant some bulbs. If I don’t turn up for any further public appearances, I suggest you look there first.

In other news, I’ve now sold  I think 10 copies of Bonnie’s Story – A Blonde’s Guide to Mathematics. Not bad for an eBook just released today!

I’ve also discovered that we’ve been suggested as a good read on the USA Today website. Loving this level of confidence in plugging my book, especially from people I don’t even know. So thank you so very much for the plug. I’ll add you to my list of people I owe a drink!

Speaking of people I now owe a drink, the fantastically talented author and, I’m told, pretty good Morris Dance Michael Jecks has provided me with my first celebrity quote!

It is:

“A brilliant YA story from an author with the imagination to fire a dozen Dr Who stories! Exciting and gripping.”

And although Bonnie’s Story is more Chick Lit or New Adult in genre than Young Adult, I do love the bit about Dr Who. Seeing I’ve lived and breathed it all my life and do blame it on a lot of my quirky ideas in writing.

Breaking news! Really, I just did that to try and see if you were paying attention, though this next bit is indeed big news. Despite being knocked back of two Literary Agencies this week – as I obviously come across as a two bit no good author to those too busy to take the time to get to know my work – I’ve actually accepted the offer of another publishing contract with Hague Publishing for my current manuscript Isis, Vampire and Ghosts – Oh My! So…. Yay!

I had been offered a contract by another Indie Publisher (within four days of pitching it I must add in my best gloaty tones), I’ve decided to stick with Hague Publishing as, quite honestly, they’ve decided I was worth them putting a lot of their time and effort into supporting my writing dreams, so I should return the favour and try and support them back. And, of course, make us both a bit of money while we’re at it! I’m starting to give up on the idea of finding a literary agent too. I’m obviously not shaking my assets at them in the most impressive money making ways, so I may just give up, stick with the writing – which is what I do best – and enjoy my paddle in a smaller pond as that little fish I keep mentioning. I will, however, keep shaking my assets at all likely readers, so don’t fret if you missed it last time! There will be more shaking soon.

To end with another bit of news. If you’ve already read Bonnie’s Story, you may be happy to know there is going to be a sequel and I’m already working on it, and discussing it with Hague Publishing. As usual, watch this space for more updates to come.

Until next time,

Janis. XXOO

This, that and the other.

So, with two weeks to go until Bonnie’s Story: A Blonde’s Guide to Mathematics is released, I am starting to get out there and ‘shake my assets’ (as my husband puts it) to anyone I think would be interested in reading this fantastic eBook.

In recent weeks, people who got the chance read Bonnie’s Story for free via NetGalley have been sending in some pretty good reviews. And I’ve also made some sales though people pre-ordering it! So a big thank you to those I don’t know who read and reviewed for me, and also big thanks to those family and friends willing to go out and buy my book. Here’s hoping you’ll start a trend with people I don’t actually know to be inspired to buy it too.

On the blog itself, I’ve been updating a few of the pages. Not only has my ‘You’re Invited’ page been updated to show the Mount Barker Community Library launch on June 15th, but I’ve updated my ‘Media & Reviews’ page to show off some of those fantastic bloggers taking the time to let me know what they think. Both good and bad, as long as there is constructive criticism, I appreciate all comments.

In non Bonnie’s Story news, I’ve started pitching Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My! to publishers. Surprisingly, within days of starting my pitch I received an offer of  a contract by one small house publisher… and there is the strong possibility of being offered another contract by a different small publisher in the near future. As I put so much time and effort into this manuscript, I am rather chuffed at the instant interest when I am still just an ‘Emerging Author’ (AKA a no one in the literary world).

And, because of this interest, I am putting myself out there and not so much shaking my assets as professionally and politely showing them to various Literary Agents in the hopes I get a nibble of interest there too. I mean, I enjoy writing and that’s why I do it. I have a small fan base as it is… but to really ‘make it’ as an author a Lit.agent is the way to go.

Mind you, my version of ‘making it’ as an author is getting enough per quarter to afford a hot chocolate and piece of cake at one of my favourite local cafes. So, yeah, I’m aiming big here people so watch out!

Well, that about wraps it up for this blog post. Winter has arrived here in the Adelaide Hills with some glorious wet, cold and soggy days. Believe me, making it through our hot and dry summers with the real threat of bushfires… wet weather is just a sight for sore eyes.

And just to add a little whimsy to my post, I’m including a pic of what other creative things I’ve been up to recently. Last Sunday, I made this rather piggy rich chocolate cake topped with chocolate ganache and marzipan for my Middle Horde’s birthday. See, I can not only write, but my marzipan pig bottoms are rather cute too.

 

Until next time,

Janis. XX

One month to go – Eeep!

Yes, I’m still alive. I was just following the principle of it being better to remain silent and thought a fool than open my mouth (or write a new post on nothing) and remove all doubt.

So, it’s ONE MONTH until Bonnie’s Story: A Blonde’s Guide to Mathematics is released! Yes, I am excited… and hopefully not the only one who is.

To celebrate the release I am having another book launch. This time in my lovely local Adelaide Hills at the Mount Barker Community Library. The event is free to attend, but as they’re putting on refreshments they’d like a rough idea of numbers, so if you can make it please book here.

I hope to see you there. As it’s an eBook I can’t exactly sign it for you, but can sign one of my cards. Plus, once Bonnie’s Story is up on Amazon, I plan on signing up with Authorgraph and so hope to be able to provide a cute little e-signature that way. Watch this space, erm blog, to find out more.

It’s also lovely to see some action with Bonnie’s Story at Goodreads. So far the reviews have been fantastic, keep them coming! Remember, I’m always open to constructive criticism. So if you felt it sucked, explain yourself or be seen as a sour puss sock puppet.

I’ve also made some pre-sales on Bonnie’s Story and yes, you only have one month left to get it at the discounted pre-sale price of $4 AU. So head over to Hague Publishing and buy one now! I am really touched by the pre-sales… even if I feel they came from me asking people to buy a copy on my birthday – and they did!

What else can I share right now? Well, my latest manuscript Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My! has already gathered some interest by two small indie publishers I’ve shown it to (yes, talks of contracts already!) And so, on some sage advice, I am now doing the Literary Agent door knock again. This is going to be a slow process as they get a lot of enquiries and I now must show some patience and wait for their response. In my usual super stellar positive attitude, I am indeed expecting more rejections. Hey, I’m called an emerging author for a reason – I need to push my way through all the rest and emerge at the top waving the hardest and yelling the loudest to be seen. Simple.

But if there is a Literary Agent who accidentally stumbled onto this post and is reading it… send me a note. I really am a published author now and really do have publishers already offering me contracts on my latest work.

Okay, that’s it for now. Really excited about the month to come as I don’t know what’s going to happen. I really don’t expect much, but am still looking forward to see if I flop or fly!

Until next time,

Janis.