Deborah Jay's Blog, page 60
May 22, 2016
Five Reasons You Can’t Get Your Novel Published – And Why It’s Not Your Fault
For those who still hanker after a traditional publishing deal, this post presents more of the cold, hard facts of the publishing industry – and why simply writing an awesome novel is not the only factor in getting published.
by Larry Kahaner
Dear Author:
Thanks for sending us your manuscript. The plot is unique, the characters are compelling and the writing is top notch. It’s one of the best books we’ve ever read. Unfortunately, it’s not right for us.
Best Regards,
The Publisher
What the…?
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May 16, 2016
Washington Post’s Neologisms
Couldn’t help but share this one – you MUST take a look – hilarious!
According to a meme that’s been going around, the Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its annual neologisms contests, in which readers are asked to supply alternative meanings for common words. Seeing how much you all enjoyed my post on Oxford Dictionaries’ Surprising Word of the Year 2015, I thought you’d also appreciate this!
Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.
Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you’ve gained.
Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.
Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.
Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.
Gargoyle (n.), gross olive-flavored mouthwash.
Flatulance (n.), emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.
Rectitude (n.), the…
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May 12, 2016
#FREE 12, 13 & 14th only – THE WORD-LOSS DIET by Rayne Hall – for serious #writers only
Quick share, folks – for 3 days only (May 12, 13 &14), Rayne Hall is giving away ebook copies on Amazon of her title, THE WORD-LOSS DIET, part of her ‘WRITER’S CRAFT BOOK’ series.
If you haven’t seen them yet – shame on you! All writers can learn something from these excellent books.
If you don’t have a copy of this one, grab it NOW – I have just done so.
Do check the price before you buy – time zones vary.
Find it at: viewBook.at/B00AWA7XEE
NOTE – this is a book for serious writers only – to quote Rayne, “Be warned – it’s a tough programme, not for novice writers or the faint of heart.”
Here is the Amazon description:
Tighten and tone your writing style, and use simple revision tricks to slim down your manuscript. Shed thousands of words without changing the plot.
Strip away the word fat and reveal the muscle of your unique author voice.
This book is short, but potent.
It is perfect for
– self-editing before you submit your book to agents and publishers, or before self-publishing
– understanding why your stories get rejected, or why so few readers buy your book after downloading the sample chapters
– taking your writing craft skills to the next level
– polishing your writing style for the move from amateur to professional
The book is based on Rayne Hall’s popular class of the same title which has helped many writers shed word weight and develop a leaner, stronger writing style. Some authors say the class was the best investment they ever made. Now you can study the techniques in book form at your own pace.
Please note: This book assumes that you have some fiction writing experience. You’ll benefit most if you’ve already mastered the basics of the craft and want to learn specialist techniques. It is not recommend for absolute beginners.
May 9, 2016
#Writers, how do you handle multiple viewpoints in fiction? #amwriting #amediting
As I am still buried in the endless edits for The Prince’s Son, this will be another short(ish) blog, reflecting on how I’m tackling the multiple viewpoint characters in the book – and perhaps then I might find out how others do it as well.
When I began this book, I had 6 viewpoint characters. I quickly realised that 2 of those could easily be told in a separate book, and indeed that would work better, because although the event occur concurrently in real time, after the opening, the action does not intersect. So those 2 viewpoints now have their own book under construction, which will be no. 3 in what has now become a quadrilogy.
The 4 remaining characters were all necessary to this tale, so I set off as usual, then discovered I was having a hard time keeping track of each of the individual character arcs I’d planned.
My solution? I created 4 separate files, one for each character, and wrote their individual stories in isolation. Of course there were times when they were involved in the same events, and although I didn’t write strictly to the timeline, I found jumping between characters not such a challenge when I could look back over a single file and see the events and progress of that one character alone, without having to skip through multiple chapters of other characters to trace the individual evolution of one.
When it came to putting it all together, I used the Scrivener cork board feature (if you haven’t seen this, I recommend taking a look). I created one virtual card per scene, with a one sentence summary, and colour coded to each individual character. That meant at one glance I could shuffle scenes around to distribute the viewpoints more evenly while sticking to the overall timeline with ease.
I write in Word, so I admit I had to do the hard work of cutting and pasting the scenes together to create the whole book, because I haven’t yet figured out if it is possible to export from Scrivener back to Word. (If you know how, I would love to hear.) It didn’t take too long, and I’ve become very happy with this way of working.
So now that I’m editing, I am literally going through each file without reference to the others to see weaknesses in the individual character arcs and strengthen them before final assembly.
Does any one else do anything remotely resembling this? Or do you not tackle that many viewpoints in a single book? I needed to, so I ‘invented’ this way of coping, but I’m sure curious as to how other people do it.
May 6, 2016
New release & #giveaway – FOREST OF DEMONS by Debbie Cassidy #HighFantasy
A new voice in High Fantasy, Forest of Demons by Debbie Cassidy, is available for download today!
No one goes into the forest alone.
No one steps off the beaten path.
Nineteen-year- old Priya has lived in the shadow of the forest all her life. She knows the rules better than anyone. Do not go into the forest alone and never stray from the beaten path. Her village has lived in tentative peace with the inhabitants of the forest for decades, until the day that someone breaks the rules.
With first blood drawn, Priya’s dreams of leaving for the Capitol are put on hold as the village goes into lockdown. The unbearable heat shifts to a bone-chilling winter and just as Priya thinks she will be trapped forever, two strangers stumble into the village with a fantastical story that will shatter all her conventions, freeing her at a horrifying cost.
Now Priya’s dreams are coming true, but in a way she could never have imagined, and the burden of protecting her people falls upon her shoulders. Will Priya succeed in delivering a message that could save them all?
From the dusty heat of a small village, to the icy grandeur of the Capitol, Priya must make an impossible journey.
Freedom always comes at a price.
Grab your copy today!
Amazon UK | Amazon US
Debbie Cassidy is a 35 year old multi-tasking ninja who lives in England, Bedfordshire, with her
three kids and very supportive husband. Coffee and chocolate biscuit s are her writing fuels of choice, and she is still working on getting that perfect tower of solitude built in her back garden. Debbie has been writing for eight years under the pen name Amos Cassidy with her best friend, Richard Amos, but Forest of Demons is her first solo venture, and the first book in a four book high fantasy saga.
You can connect with Debbie via her website at amoscassidyauthor.com. Check out her personal page and her other books under the pen name Amos Cassidy. You won’t be left without a great read while you wait for the next installment in the Forest of Demons saga.
Sign up to Debbie’s newsletter to get updates on her new releases: http://eepurl.com/bVywM5
Stalk Debbie Cassidy:
Facebook | Twitter | Website
Sign up to her Forest of Demons newsletter to get up to date information on new releases and take part in exclusive giveaways: http://eepurl.com/bVywM5
Sign up to the Amos Cassidy newsletter and receive two free novellas and information on new releases, exclusive giveaways and much more: http://amoscassidyauthor.com/amoscassidy-free-download/
GIVEAWAY:
$15 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends 5/25
Giveaway is provided by the tour organizer, hosts are not responsible in any way. You must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
May 2, 2016
#AudioBook #Review – HIDDEN TRUMP by Mark Henwick #UrbanFantasy
I am ashamed to say I’ve had this one sitting on my kindle and my phone for an absolute age. Not because I didn’t want to listen, but because I simply could not find the time! There are hours and hours of listening here – great, when you have time to kill, but I don’t get that, I have to wait for long journeys to be worth getting started.
So finally I had a few lined up, and here is what I have to say about HIDDEN TRUMP, Bite Back book 2
Hidden Trump by Mark Henwick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As usual, nothing in Amber Farrell’s life is straightforward. The sheer number of complications that wrap her life are mind-boggling: family, relationships, athenate, werewolves, adepts, crime lords, the FBI… The list keeps multiplying as each problem impinges on other aspects of Amber’s life, twisting already difficult situations into crises.
I love it! The way these problems develop are all so logical – no artifice or plot devices here, they unfold in realistic fashion, producing a highly complex, multi-stranded plot that to me, makes the ideal novel.
Henwick’s writing is a joy – his descriptions posses a wonderful organic flow that leaves me, as a writer, seething with envy; his over-arching thread for the series is skilfully woven into the events of the individual story, and his heroine is both super strong and yet by no means invincible. She’s working things out as she goes alone, with all the attendant confusion and doubt that brings. The action and pace is blistering even with the many long conversations, probably down to the fact that the dialogue is so utterly realistic, and the many characters all have their individual manner of speaking.
I listened to the audio book and at this point I would also praise the narrator, who has a fantastic range that makes each and every character’s speech instantly recognisable – I was never in any doubt as to who was speaking. This is a long book, and you need to enjoy a voice if you are going to listen for that many hours. I’d highly recommend this audio version if you don’t want to sit and read the book.
You can see my review of SELIGHT OF HAND, Bite Back book 1 audio book here.
I’m curious – I’ve been thinking about getting my own books recorded for audio – how many of you listen to audio books?
April 29, 2016
#FabulousFridayGuestBlogger – Carmen Stefanescu Cover Reveal: Till Life Do Us Part #ParanormalRomance
This sounds like a great read, and I love the atmospheric cover – hop on over to THE WRITE STUFF to read the blurb.
In lieu of our normal guest blogger style post, Carmen Stefanescu would like to share the cover reveal for her newest book: Till Life Do Us Part. Let’s all support her by sharing as far and wide as we can, and please remember, you are invited to do the same with your new books, as well. Sharing is what we do!
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Marcia, thank you so much for having me as your guest today. You know my interest in anything odd – paranormal, myths, legends – all that is out of the normal boundaries. Reincarnation and chat with ghosts can be included, too.
I’m thrilled to be here, and excited to share the cover for my upcoming release.
Till Life Do Us Part
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Magic, Reincarnation, Mystery, Suspense
Release date: 9th June 2016
Barbara Heyer can hear voices of dead people…
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April 27, 2016
10 things #indie #authors are doing wrong (and 7 things they’re doing right)
For almost the first time since I started blogging, I missed Monday! This has to do with entering my third working week without a day off, plus a monster-sized migraine on Monday (think these things might be related, huh?), so this week I’m sharing a fabulous post from book designer Derek Murphy – you can read the whole thing (and I urge you to – it’s a great insight) at: CreativeINDIE.com
To whet your appetite, here is the infographic that Derek has created to go with the post…
Go on, hop on over to read the whole thing, and then if you fancy, share it as well.
April 17, 2016
#Review – VEILED MAGIC by Deborah Blake #UrbanFantasy #paranormal
I’m away at a 3 day dressage show from Monday to Wednesday this week, so my usual Monday blog is a tad early – but that’s better than missing it altogether, right?
This week I’m reviewing a book by one of my recent favourites – Deborah Blake. You can find my reviews of a couple of her other books here at Wickedly Dangerous and Wickedly Wonderful.
Veiled Magic is not in the same series, but was the book that gained Deborah her agent. It was published recently as an ebook.
Veiled Magic by Deborah Blake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In a world where witches have ‘come out’, the supernaturals are tolerated but not really trusted. Donata Santori is a witch cop, a ‘Witness Retrieval Specialist’, which means she gets the ‘fun’ job of interviewing victims. Dead victims.
To her not-so-trusting colleagues, she’s known as a ‘Ghost Yanker’ – incredibly useful because the fact that a victim is dead no longer gets in the way of a damning witness statement – but that doesn’t make the other cops any more comfortable about being around her. Her office is a windowless basement and she doesn’t get out much, so when she’s asked to attend a murder scene in person, Donata thinks things are looking up. Unfortunately the whole case goes sideways, developing the potential to ignite a second Inquisition.
Donata is a great fun character, and the two hot men in her life spice things up a treat. All three of them have major issues twisting their private lives, mostly family relationship problems, just like regular people only skewed by their paranormal natures. The supporting cast of Ricky the Kobold, Grimalkin the feline familiar, and Elmyr the French bulldog, are all great additions to the mix, as are the odd family members that turn up from time to time. Blake’s writing, as always, gives a smooth and flowing read with some delightful descriptions and dialogue, plus some interesting imprecations: ‘Crap on toast,’ springs to mind.
This book sets up what is clearly going to be an ongoing mystery about a ‘lost’ paranormal race. I really enjoyed it right up until the end, where I was a touch disappointed in the climax. Don’t get me wrong, there is a climactic fight, a sacrifice, and a resolution (of sorts) to the current problem, but it left me with rather a ‘was that it?’ feel, a bit like a balloon deflating.
There are certainly plenty of juicy threads to take forward, and I will be reading the next book to find out where they are taking us, I could just a wished for a more fulfilling ending to this individual novel.
You can find out more about Deborah at her website:
April 12, 2016
Blog Tour #review & #giveaway – THE DRAGON SCALE LUTE by JC Kang #NA #Fantasy
Welcome to my tour stop for The Dragon Scale Lute by J.C. Kang! This is a mature young adult multicultural epic fantasy. The tour runs April 4-15 with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.
For a limited time The Dragon Scale Lute is on sale for only .99 cents for Kindle!
About the Book:Kaiya’s voice could charm a dragon.
Had she lived when the power of music could still summon typhoons and rout armies, perhaps Cathay’s imperial court would see the awkward, gangly princess as more than a singing fool. With alliances to build and ambitious lords to placate, they care more about her marriage prospects than her unique abilities.
Only the handsome Prince Hardeep, a foreign martial mystic, recognizes her potential. Convinced Kaiya will rediscover the legendary but perilous art of invoking magic through music, he suggests her voice, not her marriage, might better serve the realm.
When members of the emperor’s elite spy clan– Kaiya’s childhood friend and his half-elf sidekick (or maybe he’s her sidekick?)– discover mere discontent boiling over into full-scale rebellion, Kaiya must choose. Obediently wedding the depraved ringleader means giving up her music. Confronting him with the growing power of her voice could kill her.
Goodreads | Amazon
My review
Dragon Scale Lute by J.C. Kang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The wonderfully opulent oriental setting of this fresh fantasy novel is brought vividly to life with lush detail and imagery, and magic that is exquisitely subtle and intricately woven into the fabric of the world. Great job for a debut work.
Kaiya is an awkward adolescent princess, on the verge of womanhood. The only girl child in the Royal Family, she is much loved by her father, the Emperor, who wishes to find her a suitable husband to make her happy. Unfortunately events increasingly dictate that she may have to be married off for political gains rather than pleasure.
Music is Kaiya’s passion, and in years gone by she might have been feted for her talent, as it once imparted the awesome ability to sing dragons out of the sky, and vanquish enemies. Sadly, that magical gift has (apparently) been lost, and though Kaiya longs to revive it, time is running short before she may be forced to give up music altogether if her new husband so decrees.
And then comes Prince Hardeep, prince of a beleaguered land, lover of music, and martial art adept. His mission is to seek aid from the Emperor for his people, but the political situation is complex, and although his plight gains Kaiya’s support, his requests will go unattended.
Kaiya is an exquisitely drawn character – naive yet morally strong and tenacious. The other view point characters, Kaiya’s childhood friend Tian, who was banished years ago and is now a spy, and his half elf comrade, Jie, who wishes Tian would notice that she is female, are equally well presented. The story rattles along at a nicely balanced pace, with twists and turns, battles and consequences, betrayals and lighter moments for relief. The ending is exciting and satisfying, and yet open at the same time, leading skilfully on to the rest of the series.
I did find Kaiya’s incredibly frequent changes of mind a touch over the top, and if they were supposed to be down to magical influence, it didn’t quite come over clearly enough. There were also some proof reading errors – largely missing words – not enough to be a huge problem, but just sufficient to be notable. And if it had been me, I would have used a different title, probably something like ‘The Magic of Music’, or ‘Musical Magic’, as I wouldn’t find the current title enough of a hook if I were browsing.
Definitely recommended for all lovers of fantasy, particularly those who like a setting other than the standard medieval Europe, and although the characters are young, there is plenty, but plenty, of intrigue and action for adults, and a shocking twist at the end to throw new light on where the next book will take us. I look forward to finding out.
About the Author:
A Chinese Medicine Doctor and Martial Artist by trade, JC Kang would have never started writing fantasy stories save for two fluke coincidences.
In the Christmas of 2010, while cleaning out childhood junk from his mom’s house, he came across his old Dungeons and Dragons campaign world. Before relegating the binder of maps and notes to the trash where it belonged, he decided to peek back and see what his 13-year old self had created.
He couldn’t help but laugh at the silly ideas that had crossed his teenage brain. Rivers flowed uphill. Empires produced resources out of thin air. However, a few interesting premises had potential.
For the next six days, he redesigned his world, taking into account things he’d learned over the last 25 years. Advanced stuff like gravity, evolution, and supply and demand.
On the seventh day, he rested. Looking at his glorious creation, he was hit by the realization that he’d never play D&D again.
A month later, the second event occurred: three weeks of major snowstorms. Stuck indoors for days at a time, he used his skills as a professional technical writer and pumped out a 120k word novel set in this world… only to find out that fiction writing and technical writing were two different beasts.
He set off to study the craft, and learned advanced ideas like characterization, point of view and tension. After revising the first book, he wrote a prequel. After the prequel, he wrote a sequel. And finally, he wrote the prequel to the prequel: the Dragon Scale Lute.
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GIVEAWAY:
One (1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
One (1) winner will receive a paperback copy of The Dragon Scale Lute (US)
Ends April 20, 2016
Prizing is provided by the author, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 18. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
