Lynne Stringer's Blog, page 16

The Heir is on sale!

Woohoo! It makes me happy to tell you this news. The Kindle version of The Heir will be on sale on Amazon for only .99c during the month of February. It’s at the discounted price now. Here is the link to it on the US Amazon site.

Now, it will only be at this discounted price in the US, the UK and Australia, as far as I know. I’m sorry if that means you miss out. But if you’ve been looking for an opportunity to buy The Heir now is the right time. Maybe you’ve already read it and you know a friend who would love it. Send them the link. Please share it around as much as possible.

This special deal has, of course, had me scrolling through numerous sites that advertise cheap or free ebooks. I don’t know much about this area, so most of the ones I selected let you post your book deal for free. I have selected a small number of sites that charge but I don’t have a lot of funds so I’ve had to limit that number. The trouble is, which ones are the best? It’s always difficult to tell. They’ll all tell you they have a lot of followers through various social media outlets but that doesn’t always mean a lot. So I’ve guessed and hopefully my guesses will yield positive results.

Mostly I just want people to know The Heir exists. I’m proud of the book and of my trilogy and sometimes it’s so hard to get the word out there when you’re with a small publisher or if you’ve published on your own. Thank you to all of you who support me and support other authors like me. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Have you signed up to a site that advertises ebook deals? If so, let me know in the comments. I’m sure I haven’t tried every site out there. I’d be happy to follow up on any suggestions you make.

An Author in Australia

Welcome to my Australia Day Blog Hop entry! My name is Lynne Stringer and I am an Australian author. So far I have written the Verindon trilogy, a YA sci-fi romance series that was published by Wombat Books, here in Australia, over the past couple of years. If you look at the menu bar above you will see links to all three books – The Heir, The Crown and The Reign.

I’m giving away three ebook copies of The Heir with this blog post. To enter simply leave a comment below and you will go into the draw to win. Entries close at midnight AEDT 27th January.

You can also receive the first chapter of The Heir for free just by entering your email in the bar above the comments section. Once you’ve received the first chapter I can also let you know of other upcoming releases and blog posts.

It can be tricky being an author in Australia because we’re so far away over here in the land down under. The internet is an invaluable tool in reaching out all over the world to people who are always looking for their next great read. I know what it’s like to do that. Hopefully this blog hop will help you fill up your TBR list with some fantastic new titles. Click here to visit other participants on the hop list.

Have fun!

Anthologies

How do you feel about anthologies? Anthologies are books that are a compilation of novellas (or something else) put together, usually with a common theme, to form one book.

Recently a few author friends of mine were involved in a special anthology called Tied in Pink. It’s a collection of romance novellas with the proceeds from the sales going to support breast cancer research. It’s a fantastic cause and although I’m not really a novella girl, I bought it to see what it was like.

The stories in the book were all different, both in style, setting, genre and other characteristics. The only common denominator was the romance angle and the mention of a little pink bow to bring the reader’s attention back to the driving force behind these stories. It was a poignant reminder, especially as some of the novellas covered cancer themselves. Some were particularly moving, some more lighthearted. I think there was something for everyone in there. I found myself pulled in, even though the stories were shorter than I like. I enjoy a story that takes me away to a different world for as long as possible, but these were still enjoyable, even in their brevity. Maybe I should try reading anthologies more often!

If, like me, you’re not a novella person, you might still find a story in there to like. I’ll put the link here in case you would like to check it out. If nothing else, you’ll be supporting a worthy cause.

Do you enjoy compilations? Are they something you’d normally read or do you find you prefer a longer book by one author? Let me know in the comments section below.

Friends

Friends are great, aren’t they? They’re supportive, encouraging, and when you’re an author, they’re often your most dedicated cheer squad.

I mentioned in last week’s post about two friends who raced to inform me about an upcoming movie with eerily similar themes to my trilogy. Although it was sad to hear about it, I was grateful that they cared enough to tell me, especially the first one, who was so indignant about it that she wanted me to sue them! Not going to happen, but it was a nice thought.

They’re also the people who are the first to RSVP for any of my book launches and to share details about my books on their Facebook pages. They’re the ones who tell me not to give up when all this ‘author’ business seems a little bit too hard to keep going. They’re the ones who grasp at any detail about any new release, as though I’m the greatest author on the planet.

It’s humbling and wonderful that these friends stand by me and always believe in me, even when I don’t believe in myself. So to all my friends who have supported me, thank you so much for everything you do. I appreciate you and love you and thank you for helping me through those times when times were tough. You’re awesome!

 

Mixed emotions

This week has been a real up and down week for me as an author.

First of all, I realised afresh just how difficult it can be to find an original idea. Another friend has seen the trailer for the upcoming movie by the Wachowksis, Jupiter Ascending, and instantly recognised its similarity to The Heir. I knew all about it, of course, but now that it’s soon to be released, it hit me afresh that they may well have massive success with an idea that I thought would work pretty well, especially as a movie. There’s no suggestion, of course, that they stole the idea from me. That the Wachowskis would even know of The Heir‘s existence is unlikely. They received the first draft of this movie while I was writing the first draft of The Heir and pre-production began two months before The Heir was published. It’s all above board. We just happened on the same idea around the same time and one of us has a big studio and a huge publicity machine and one of us … doesn’t.

The most difficult thing to deal with about this is the fact that most people who are introduced to my books in the future and compare it with Jupiter Ascending won’t even think to check the publication date. They’ll just assume I copied the movie, especially since I’m the ‘little guy’. That’s what bothers me most about it. I don’t want to be seen as the one who copied them. I didn’t do that. I had an idea and I used it to create what I believe is a wonderful story, spanning over three different books. But I know that won’t be what most people see. I wish I could stamp ‘published in June 2013′ on the front of the book, just so everyone is clear on that.

After a day of reflection on all this, I continued reading over my new manuscript, tentatively titled How Far Forgive. I was pleased to note that I really enjoyed it. That may seem a strange thing to say if you’re a reader; wouldn’t I be expected to like my own book? Why would I write it if I didn’t like it? But authors a strange, emotive creatures. We go from loving our story to despising it sometimes within a few hours. And there I was, enjoying what I’d written. It was a good sign.

By the end of the read-through, I was happy enough with it that I think my work is done on it … for the moment. We’ll see what happens in the next leg of the journey – submission. I’ll keep you posted.

Another year over

Christmas has been and gone in its usual rapid blur. I once read a poem that stated ‘Christmas morning comes too soon. Anticipation’s best.’ I agree with the writer. The best part about Christmas, for me, is the delicious expectation of it. Once the day itself arrives it is over in a rush and we’re left full of food and trying to find something to do on Boxing Day, apart from spend more money at the sales or (if you’re in Australia) watch the cricket.

Of course, immediately after Christmas, the year begins its last week, treading inexorably towards a new year.

New years can be frightening or exhilarating. They are frequently coupled with resolutions that don’t last more than a few months and, if you’re like me, thoughts about what lies ahead. I started both 2013 and 2014 looking forward to a book release. At this stage, that’s not going to happen in 2015. However, I was working on my latest manuscript again today, and except for the last, inevitable read through, I believe it’s ready for submission to my publisher. This is always a nerve wracking thing, even if you’re a published author. The acceptance of previous manuscripts does not guarantee the automatic acceptance of a new one.

Whatever the case may be with my new manuscript, I know one thing – I will work as hard as I can to help it succeed. I will also continue to get the word out about the Verindon trilogy. So I guess that’s one commitment I can make in the new year and one thing I can be certain it will bring forth – more for me to do. But with that, goes the reward of knowing that people will hear about my books, and hopefully, enjoy them.

Happy 2015! What are you hoping the new year will bring you? Are you going to make a resolution? Let me know in the comments section!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day is almost upon us and that means that our family is finally having a well-deserved break. My husband has finished work for the year so the past few days have seen the last of the Christmas preparations and also some fantastic day trips on Queensland’s Gold and Sunshine Coasts. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Queensland, each coast has its own delights and features something for everyone, so I can heartily recommend them.

This time of year also means I am having a break from book promotions. I think I’ve done a good job this year so I feel okay about giving myself some time off to take it easy and not worry about that kind of thing. Fortunately, there are others always prepared to shine my torch for me. My father sent me an email earlier today to say that he encountered two girls in a bookshop looking through the YA fantasy section and he recommended my books to them. They were happy to check them out. It’s nice when friends and family share the love.

Please keep in mind, particularly if you follow me via Facebook, that new restrictions being introduced in 2015 may make it difficult for me to promote my books freely. If you want to stay in touch, please sign up using the form at the bottom of this page. Then I can email you about any new books coming up and when I blog once a week.

All that remains now is to wish you, my friends, a happy and blessed Christmas. I pray that you will have a wonderful time celebrating with your families, or if you are alone this Christmas, that you won’t feel lonely.

May the God of peace be with us all this Christmastime and in the new year.

God bless,

Lynne.

Why do we suffer?

I read not long ago that blogs by authors should steer clear of comments on social issues. I was going to write about something frivolous this morning, but I find that’s impossible.

I live in Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia. Yesterday in Sydney, the next closest capital city, a man took several men and women hostage in a cafe. I was watching the drama unfold yesterday, praying desperately that everyone would get out unscathed … physically, at least.

Tragically, overnight two hostages and the gunman were killed. I have to admit, this result made me feel guilty about writing my current manuscript, which deals with a similar situation. It has also brought many questions to my mind.

Why do things like this happen?

I am a Christian and believe in a God who is involved in the world and who cares about its inhabitants. However, the most difficult part of the Christian faith for most people is why God allows things like this to happen. There are no easy answers. I could make a glib comment about something good coming from this, and I believe that’s possible, but that doesn’t negate the fact that people have been killed and some families will not have a loved one with them this Christmas. Not only that, the victims who escaped will be scarred for life and it may take them years to even get a semblance of their life back. It’s difficult to think of a good that outweighs that.

As I believe that God is a presence for good in our world, not evil, I do believe that the ultimate good from all this suffering will outweigh the bad. Sometimes it’s a struggle to believe it, but my trust in him means that I do. It never makes this kind of event easy to deal with, though, and I will continue to pray for the families who have lost loved ones and have suffered in other ways as a result of this.

Do you believe in God? How do you deal with the question of suffering? Let me know what you think.

The magic of Christmas

I love Christimas and I always have. I was one of those kids who always woke up early (sometimes really early!) and usually woke up the rest of the house. I enjoy everything about Christmas.

I can remember at time when, as I became a young adult, the magic did tarnish a little for a while there. It didn’t seem as special anymore, as our family was small and unlike many families, our Christmases didn’t involve catching up with relatives we hadn’t seen in a while (I know for some people this would be a good thing!). That changed when I met and married my husband and his family was included in my own family’s celebrations. It was no problem to include them, thankfully, as we all get along well.

My Christmas was enriched once again when my son was born, especially as he grew and was able to understand what was happening. It’s a delight to see his face light up when he talks about it. Now, the cynic in me knows that most of his enjoyment is wrapped up in the idea that he gets a lot of presents that day, but I hope, as with me, his joy in the season will last beyond childhood and continue into his adult years. My joy increases every year he grows and especially as I see all our family (those who can, anyway) come together for the day and enjoy the celebration, sharing in the love that is part and parcel with the Christmas season.

How about you? Is Christmas a joyous time for you or is it just another chore to get through? Tell me your thoughts.

‘Tis the season to be busy

Christmas is a busy time of the year for anyone who celebrates it. There are houses to decorate, presents to buy and food to prepare, and this is all usually accompanied by lots of rushing around, particularly in the week before Christmas.

Being one of those annoyingly organised people, I usually have all my Christmas shopping and other things done early (I have only two presents left to buy this year). This is because I don’t like to feel rushed, especially at a time of year I enjoy, like Christmas. I want the chance to simply sit back and take in the time of year, what it means and the family and friends who come together for it.

However, becoming an author has brought an additional element into the mix – promotion.

Christmas is now extra busy because my books make great Christmas presents so I need to let everyone know that they are available for purchase. This means even more promotion than usual in the form of book signings (I have one at Books @ Stones this weekend) and seminars or anything else I can get. Not to mention as much work on social media as I can achieve. I’ll mention here that my publisher is still offering the full trilogy AND a t-shirt shipped to anywhere in the world for only $55.00. Go to my home page and click on the link to take advantage of this offer. I’m happy to sign any copies if you let me know who to sign them to.

Because I like to save Christmas time for enjoying Christmas, I try to get all this done as early as possible. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. This year I think I should have a couple of weeks off so I can take in the joy of the season and the fact that we can have a little break after a hectic year. That’s my goal, anyway – to fulfill my obligations as an author and enjoy a wonderful time of love and giving with my family and those closest to me. It’s a juggling act but one that needs to be mastered.