Elizabeth Earle's Blog, page 11

“What are you looking at?”

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Walkies

Beward of the "W" word!

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Thank Goodness for Tea and Dogs.

Sometimes it's easier to draw it...

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Positive Plans & Crossed Paws for Leela

The days always start with a new hope now. It’s been a long time since I felt this content and I’m happy to carry on whichever way the path is taking me. I’m learning a lot about myself. I’ve got several plans going forwards. There’s always the risk when I leave Papageno to go home ... Read morePositive Plans & Crossed Paws for Leela

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Valentines, Giants, Children and Perth!

I hope you had an awesome Valentines Day- single or not. A lot of people complain about the day- “it’s commercial” and “blah blah blah” but if people are all up for making pancakes on pancakes day, buying flowers on mothers day and buying presents on Christmas Day, then it’s bloody ok to simply show your loved one how fantastic they are.

Me and Adam didn’t get each other anything- and I know this sounds cheesy, but him just waking me up with a cup of tea that morning and saying “Happy Valentines Day” was present enough.

We had a lovely day at ours with a bbq with some of my parents’ friends and then we walked down to the beach to watch the sunset. We settled up with a bottle of wine and cheesecake, to only find that the wind was high and sand and cheesecake really don’t mix. We found some sand dunes to huddle behind and it was awesome just watching the sun sink into the sea.

We really value each other, and I think the fact that we know how lucky we are and realising how far we’ve come, just makes our relationship stronger. I’m lucky to be spending this journey with my best friend and I wake up every morning like “Jesus- how did I get away with bagging this guy?”

He insists that he feels the same way, but nevertheless, I still feel as though I’m punching above my weight with this one. I feel blessed.





Anyway, our week so far has been pretty chilled. I’ve been doing a lot of writing, as I say in each one of my posts, but I’ve had a break this weekend because we had guests yesterday and today we spent a large portion of the day in Perth to watch a procession called The Giants. It’s basically where a predicted 4 million people were expected to arrive for the event in the blazing heat to watch giant puppets.

Today was the day where I questioned whether I wanted children or not. Our day started with a little girl screaming on the train- this wasn’t the “I’m upset” scream. This was the “I’m screaming because it makes mummy laugh.” I’m not accustomed to this fashion of screaming. The mother turned around every time her daughter screamed grinning, as if to say, “oh goodness, isn’t she a cheeky one?”

My eardrums did not agree.

We got off the train to see a mother and her young son help her younger son up the stairs. She was carrying a handbag and a folded pram in one hand, and her youngest son’s hand in her other. This child, despite the heat, despite the huge crowd and despite his mother’s exhaustion decided- no he didn’t want to walk up the stairs- he wanted to be swung up them and hitched up his little legs towards his chest up two flights of stairs.

I wanted to shout at him, “Can you not see your mother is exhausted? Can you not see that you need to stop playing up because you’re making her life harder?”

People offered to carry the woman’s pram but she refused. I felt for her when we turned the corner and there was another flight of stairs.

Watching the procession, it was a mass of crowded bodies and body odour. I felt claustrophobic and overwhelmed with the heat. Children were squealing and pushing behind me, my rucksack constantly shoved by someone. I stepped back to stand onto chewing gum. Lovely freshly spat out chewing um. On BOTH flip flops.

After wriggling in the same place for an hour as I desperately needed the ladies, we walked in a mini mall to the toilets. My dad and Adam walked into the men’s, victoriously emerging five minutes later with empty bladders.

My mother and I were still standing outside a long queue of stressed out looking mothers with their children to give up. (luckily we found a snazzy restaurant so we used their loos- if you’re interested that is.)

Then in the restaurant after ordering drinks and waiting 20mins to finally be served, we sat down. A father in the restaurant wasn’t allowed to sit in a proper chair because his two year old son wanted to sit there, so his dad had to sit on a tiny stool. We saw families waiting for their meals with their teenagers ignoring their parents, their faces glued onto a mobile screen. There’s nothing better than family time, hey?

On the way back on the train, we were met by a little prince who kept shouting the word “Never!” at his dad when he asked him to sit on the train seat properly, his limbs spread out so the woman next to him was constantly prodded with knees and elbows.

I’m really starting to question whether having children is all that it’s cracked up to be- it’s hard being a parent- and I know there’s nothing worse than when your kid starts playing up in public. I think it’s just different from when I was a child. I know it sounds cliché to say “I would never dream of behaving like that” but I really wouldn’t. I knew my mother had a tough time as a single parent- why would I try to make that time harder? It’s bloody tough having kids, and I’m not sure whether I would be ok just having a dog. I’m sure I’ll see a baby tomorrow and be all gooey about it again.

I’m not sure whether we’re bringing up a culture of spoilt little children who are pussy footed around so much that when they’re released into the real world- they won’t know how to handle it. I don’t think I could stand to simply ‘exist’ for a child. I could see mothers, exhausted, not caring with how they looked themselves, the pride in who they are as a person gone, when their little prince or princess is decked out in the latest designer gear, clutching toys in their chubby little fingers whilst demanding for more. I catch a glimpse of them, when they’re having conversations with other adults and the child is at the sideline going; “Mummy! Mummy! Mummy! MUMMY!”

I want to scream. “Mummy’s f**king talking, Jimmy!”

One awful thing that happened today in the train station. A mother hadn’t strapped in her daughter and her baby fell out of the pram, face planting the concrete floor. Her two daughters without a word, helped her with the pram and their younger sister. I couldn’t help but think that woman was bloody lucky her pram hadn’t been near the tracks- and luckier still that her daughters made the situation a lot easier for her.

I don’t know whether it’s just been a bad day for me and people, but I really had started to think- If I end up on an Island with just a select few people- I think I’ll be ok.
Apart from all that- it has been a lovely day. It was nice to get out and what we saw of the procession was good. It’s really nice learning about the aborigine culture and seeing the no nonsense approach to life here. No one beats around the bush- they get to it whether you like what you’re hearing or not.

Adam and I have got ourselves a job in New Zealand picking apples- we are really excited and I hear the population over there is pretty low too.
I promise I am a people person- really I am.

Anyway- let's leave it with some book info- The Girl with Nine Lives is coming to Audio Book on Audible next month and to celebrate I'm selling The Girl with Nine Lives and The Girl Who Bit Back as a buy one get one free on Kindle.

Two books for one on Amazon offer!

P.S- Mums- you all deserve bloody medals, high fives and spa days and ONE day they will appreciate every bloody thing you do for them. And if they don't? Disinherit them.

Love you all.

x x x

Book Signing Success!

So I had my first book signing at Fargo Village in Coventry at The Big Comfy Bookshop! It was pretty much amazing and everything I had hoped for and more- probably because my mother showed up from Australia! I had no idea she was coming and I literally couldn't stop crying! It made the day even more special and I can't believe how lucky I am.(Photos courtesy of Monique Jacklyn Photography)



 My beautiful nephew was very vocal during my talk about The Girl With Nine Lives!  My lovely sister graced us with her presence :) My wonderful wonderful mother finally here in the uk!


Busy signing away...





An absolutely amazing place!



So lucky to have an amazing mother!

Some very special friends came to visit...
And the wonderful Michael- thank you so much for welcoming me into your beautiful shop! I look forward to making it my new local!All in all, it was a very special day.
If you would like to grab a copy of The Girl With Nine Lives you can get one here;Amazon UK LinkAmazon US Link

Apologies, book signing and happy returns.

So, I have a big apology to make to all of my readers.

I've been off the radar recently- and it's not because I'm not passionate about what I do- it's just that there's been a few bumps in the road and I've been waiting till things normalise- until I normalise.

I believe things happen for a reason, and unfortunately the recent events caused my writing to suffer.

I wasn't excited about storylines, my focus was lost and other issues became more important. The worlds that I created for me to sink into in the past weren't enough of a haven for me to escape into.

I'm getting back on track, and I suppose a great way for me to finally step up my game is to announce that I have a book signing on the 18th of October 12 noon at The Big Comfy Bookshop in Coventry.

I'm nervous and excited, Excited because I'm finally there, and nervous because I have nightmares of being there and no one turning up. It'll just be me at a desk, with a pile of books and a hopeful expression slowly dying as I realise that no one will come.

It is a ridiculous thought- but I'm being honest.

But I just wanted to let you know that I'm back, I love you and that writing has commenced on a new project. If I didn't have my writing I would be nothing. I would merely be a collection of skin and bone with no spirit to give. This is my life- this is my soul- my writing is everything to me, and I suppose by me neglecting it, I have been neglecting myself.

Following the story of Ellena and Ben has been emotional. You lose yourself in a story when you start pouring so much of your insides onto paper. I never write about people I don't care about. I never write about characters I can''t relate to- who I haven't been inspired by.

I've had some and my best moments sitting in front of this laptop, tapping out my innermost thoughts. It's about time I continued Ellena's story and introduced you all properly to it at the book signing in Coventry.

If you still haven't given The Adventures of Benedict and Blackwell a try, well here's the series available on kindle for you.

Click here for the series!



I'm very excited to be doing the book signing at The Big Comfy Bookshop in Coventry. They truly represent what a bookshop is about- it's about community, comfort and escapism with a cup of tea and some good music. I'm hoping it will be a place that I can do justice to when I visit.

If you are interested in discovering more about the place, visit their blog here


Right- I'll love you and leave you- I have writing to do!
Love Love.x x x

EBOOK DEAL!

For a limited time! Get 3 books for 1! Only 99c/99p!

The Girl With Nine Lives: 
Fondness of rum? Check. Job heading nowhere? Check. Mastermind criminal boss discovering you have unravelled their plot? Check. Talking cat with an addiction to catnip deciding to take control of the situation? Check. Welcome to the lives and adventures of the ginger moggy Ben and his human, Ellie.

Ellena Blackwell is your average woman- desperate to make the best of her Degree and failing miserably. Falling into such a hole of self-pity, even her cat, Ben, is sick of her and tells her to snap out of it.

And that's when Ellena realises she has a talking cat, and he's not going to go away anytime soon.

Having a devious crime boss as Principal to the college she works at, Ellena discovers a dangerous secret that the Head Office would very much rather that she didn't know. Deciding to take control of her life, Ellena enlists the help of Ben to investigate as soon as her friend goes missing.
But Detective Calloway is determined to get involved, and Ellena soon learns that Ben isn't the only one who thinks he has nine lives.

The Girl Who Bit Back: 
Ellena and Ben return in this sequel. Corruption, greed and an attempted murderer stand in their way, and soon Ellena finds that she and Benedict have to bite back to survive...

The Girl With Ten Claws 
A lot has changed for Ellena Blackwell. Becoming business partners with Surf Master Brynn O’Connell over Craggy’s and discovering her childhood cat can talk are just a couple of things.
When a body washes up to shore, the entire village of Craggy’s Peak is in shock, bringing back painful memories for Brynn. With a killer on the loose and a talking cat determined to interfere with every aspect of her life, Ellena’s nine lives appear almost up…



http://www.amazon.com/Lives-Boxset-Ad...

Sell More Ebooks

Authors Going it Alone
In recent years, more and more authors have decided to take the plunge and go their own way in getting their book published. If you’re one of these people, then you probably know by now that writing the book is only half of the work done.Now the dream and the goal of all of us authors, is to be able to write full time. But without a traditional publisher and agent, sometimes that is difficult.But don’t be disheartened. The world of eBooks has exploded and more and more self-published authors are making it on their own.



I’ve wrote a book, now what do I do? Firstly, you need to make sure it is all up to standard for publishing. Do NOT go to a Vanity Publisher. Vanity Publishers will take a huge chunk of money and deliver a printed book that you could have produced yourself through readily available platforms. Vanity Publishing is one of the lowest forms of publishing. This is how the ranking works with publishing.
Traditional Publishing


Self-Publishing

Vanity Publishing

Book cover design Do NOT do this yourself. Make sure you get a professional who does this for you. A book is often let down by its book cover, and even though the saying goes “don’t judge a book by its cover”- the harsh reality is, is that people DO. You can find someone on Fiverr.com if you have a tight budget. It doesn’t matter if you think you have a nice photograph of some trees or a sunset- if you want to be taken seriously as an author, you need to behave so.If you are on a serious budget, then contact your local design college or university. There are always hungry students out there wanting to showcase their work and designing a budding author’s front cover could be something to kick-start their own design career. Offer them to have their name printed as “Illustrator” on the back beneath your blurb. They will be more than happy to have their name out there.

Editing Us authors have all shook our heads in shame when one of our readers point out a silly mistake in our books. It’s the truth of it- sometimes when you’re starting up, you don’t use an editor. If you are strapped for cash for an editor- ask a friend to read it over in case there are silly mistakes in your manuscript. Make sure it’s someone who has a good eye for reading.

Setting up an online platform What do I mean by this? Setting up a platform online is by increasing your visibility. The more sites you mention your book to= more mentions= more people talking about it= it appears more on Google search= more sales.There are some great websites out there dedicated to spreading the word of your book without the huge fees. Set yourself a budget with each title’s promotion. Although there are specialised companies out there that deal with book promotion, unless you’ve got the money, I’d recommend going it alone. What they provide are things you can pretty much do yourself.Fiverr.com is the best cost effective site I have come across in promotional services. Just type in whatever you are looking for under “book promotion” and a vast array of services will pop up- all destined to give your book the exposure it deserves.
Tip with Fiverr.com- read the reviews of the seller before you proceed and only go with highly ranked sellers.
For more tips, including 108 sites to promote your book and how to get on the Amazon Bestseller's list, download Sell More Ebooks

How To Sell More eBooks!

During my time as an author, I've learnt the hard way in promoting and marketing my work.

After advising other writers on how to better their sales, I decided to put it all in one manual.

After listing the best promotional websites to show your book to gain more sales, to tips on how to get into the top 100 on Amazon, I compiled all of the tips and tricks I learnt on how to become a Bestseller.

I love writing my material, but the sad truth is that writing your story is only half the job done. Without promoting your work, it will very rarely get seen by the public and your dream of doing this full time will fade away.



To download a free sample on Amazon, click here for U.S.A!To download a free sample on Amazon click here for U.K!