R.M. Ridley's Blog, page 23
July 12, 2014
It’s Like Fishing But Without That Fishy Smell
I’m plugging away trying to get reviewers for the novel. What even cooler is that a friend of mine is doing it for me too. Actually, she’s kicking my ass at it in terms of positive feed back.
This doesn’t mean I’m swamped with offers but I have some offers. Some, to me, right now, is a sweet word.
I have managed to get a couple more chapters edited in the second novel ‘Bindings * Spines’… which reminds me, I should really send a couple chapters of the second novel to my beta readers. I have also worked some on a short story.
The problem with falling into my usual habit of writing before social media right now, is this – usually I get up, stumble down stairs, pour coffee, and drop on the couch beside my wife. I exchange occasional grunts of pseudo language while the caffeine diffuses through my system. Eventually enough of the good stuff makes it to my brain to kickstart the neurones into firing again, and after another cup, I’m running on at least six of eight cylinders.
That’s when I get up and go to the computer and start writing.
Here, cat-sitting, I get up, stumble into van, drive four blocks, stumble in house, deal with cats, get coffee going, eventually get coffee in mug, flop in front of computer and…well, I’m simply useless. The discombobulation of it all stays with me through out the day, despite the caffeine ingested.
A few more days and I’m home – then I’ll have to come up with a a whole new excuse for not getting work done.
Any way this was about reviews – really it was. Don’t argue it’s my blog!
so getting reviewers is like trying t o fish. You find out what fish are in the water, then you decide what fish to go after. Then you have to look through all the information about what is the favourite place for the fish to reside, what food does it like best, etc etc.
Once you have that information you put the brightest lure on your line and cast out.
You might get a few tugs, but you have to hold fast until some one really grabs hold then you can real them in, thrashing and fighting and…
Okay the analogy might have broken down at this point. That’s probably good, because if I got to gutting and filleting, I’d probably never get another review again.
Any way, it can be boring, tedious and ridiculous , but if you hook one, the whole day becomes worth it. So thanks to all reviewers – not just the ones getting back to me – but all of you for what you do for us Indie’s!
Filed under: Book Release, MIscellaneous, Publishing Tagged: Bindings & Spines, caffeine, cat-sitting, coffee, edits, review, short story
July 10, 2014
New YA Book – Summer at Paradise
From R. Barri Flowers, author of the bestselling teen novels, COUNT DRACULA’S TEENAGE DAUGHTER, TEEN GHOST AT DEAD LAKE, and OUT FOR BLOOD, come the start of an exciting new young adult adventure series,
SUMMER AT PARADISE RANCH.
Four months shy of turning sixteen, Lexi Montoya was still trying to come to terms with her parents’ divorce and her mom’s remarriage to a man she met online, relocating to Maui, Hawaii.
Choosing to remain with her dad in Seattle, Lexi had planned to spend her first summer since the divorce hanging out with her boyfriend, Matt, and best friend, Robin. But her dad had other plans, insisting she spend the summer visiting her mom and stepdad at his ranch called Paradise Ranch in Wailuku, in west Maui.
Lexi went there with an attitude. Then she meets a cute Hawaiian guy named Mitsuo, is thrown into a love triangle, become friends with a teen girl living on a ranch next door, April; rides her first horse– an Arabian mare named Poppy– learns to hula dance and surf, and finds herself embroiled in a dangerous rescue mission when Poppy and another horse named Casper go missing from her stepfather’s ranch.
By the time her tropical summer adventure comes to an end, Lexi hates to leave Maui and say goodbye to Mitsuo. But can she stay when Matt is waiting for her back at home to pick up where they left off? Or will he lose her to a summer romance?
SUMMER AT PARADISE RANCH is a great coming of age adventure with young romance and mystery in paradise. Now in eBook, print, and audio.
Buy links:
Amazon USA:
Summer at Paradise Ranch (Paradise Ranch Series #1)
Amazon Canada:
Summer at Paradise Ranch (Paradise Ranch Series #1)
Amazon Australia:
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/430812
EXCERPT
CHAPTER ONE
It was the last day of school before summer break and Lexi Montoya was leaning against her locker facing her boyfriend, Matt Holloway. Next to Lexi was her best friend, Robin Forrester, who was facing her boyfriend, Dirk Watson. Just four months shy of her sixteenth birthday, Lexi hated the thought that instead of spending summer vacation in Seattle, where she lived and had her friends to hang out with, she was being forced by her dad to go visit her mother in Hawaii.
The same mother who had abandoned her nearly a year ago, divorced her dad, and married a man she’d met on the Internet. In Lexi’s way of thinking, she was in no hurry to see her mother again—certainly not anytime soon. But her father had other ideas, believing it would be good for her to try to repair the relationship with her mother. Lexi suspected that he had an ulterior motive for sending her packing to Maui. Her dad had a new girlfriend, whom she believed he wanted to spend more time with—minus the presence of a teenage daughter to mess things up.
The notion of being an ocean way from Matt for an entire summer annoyed Lexi. But she had no choice in the matter.
It didn’t set well with Matt either. “That sucks!” he complained as she broke the news to him, gazing down at her with deep blue eyes.
“I know, right,” Lexi told him, flipping her long brown hair over her shoulder.
“What am I going to do without my best friend?” Robin complained, her forehead creasing above thin brows.
Dirk rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding me? Who wouldn’t want to go to Hawaii for an all-expense paid trip to paradise?”
“Uh me,” Lexi said. “Especially when my life is right here.”
“And it’ll be here when you get back,” he said. “But going to Maui…wow. Maybe my mom should try to hook up with someone there. My dad probably wouldn’t care too much, since she’s always complaining that he never pays attention to her anyway.”
Robin frowned. “That’s not very nice.”
Dirk shrugged. “Hey, I’m just saying.”
“Maybe I should give you the ticket then,” Lexi suggested. “You can go in my place and I’ll stay at your house, with my dad totally clueless.”
Dirk laughed. “I think Matt would probably have a problem with that.”
Matt ran a hand through his thick brown hair. “I’d have more of a problem if she met some surfer dude in Hawaii and decided to kick me to the curb and never come back.”
Lexi met his eyes in earnest. “That’s not going to happen,” she promised. “No surfer dude could ever take your place with me.”
“You sure about that?”
“Positive. I’ll just be going through the motions and putting up with my mom until the summer ends and then I’m back here where I belong.”
That seemed to pacify him. “Cool,” he said, grinning, before giving her a kiss.
Lexi was only too happy to kiss him back, loving the feel of his lips on hers. Besides, she wanted the kiss to be enough for both of them to last through the entire summer.
“Get a room,” Robin joked.
Blushing, Lexi broke the lip lock. “We’ll pick it up later,” she promised Matt.
“Sounds good to me,” he said.
“I just hope that in between all that fun in the sun you find the time to text your best friend and boyfriend—like every day!” Robin said.
“Definitely,” Lexi promised, even though the last thing she expected was much fun while on the island, where she was headed against her wishes.
* * *
That evening, Lexi was packing and wishing she didn’t have to, when her father came into her room.
“Can I help with anything?” he asked.
She faced him and frowned. “Yes, you can tell me I can stay home for the summer.”
“We’ve already been through this, Lexi,” he said. “You need to spend some time with your mother.”
“Why should I?” she challenged him. “She walked out on us.”
“I know and I’m not excusing that. But she’s still your mother.”
“I wish she wasn’t!”
Lowell Montoya stepped closer to his daughter, his brow furrowed. “You don’t mean that.”
“Yes, I do,” Lexi insisted, or at least she did on some level. “How can you just pretend what she did to you when she ran off to be with another man is okay?”
“It’s not okay,” he said. “What she did was unforgivable. Except, at some point, you have to forgive, if not forget, and move on.”
“You mean move on to Rebecca?” Lexi shot him a cold stare. “Isn’t that really what this is about—shoving me aside so you can pretend I don’t exist, just like mom did?”
“No, honey, that’s not what this is about. I would never shove you aside for anyone, and I don’t think that’s what your mother was doing—not intentionally anyway.” He paused. “This will always be your home. My relationship with Rebecca has nothing to do with how I feel about you as my only child and someone I love dearly. You’ve always told me I need to get a life. So now I’m trying to take you up on that and see where it goes.”
“Yeah, well I’d like to do the same thing with my relationship with Matt,” she said.
“And you will have plenty of time for that,” he assured her. “Your mother’s not perfect and neither am I. She’s reached out to you. Just give her a chance.”
Lexi fixed him with teary eyes. “And what if I hate it there?”
“Then you can come home. But I’m pretty sure that, in spite of your beef with your mother and desire to stay in Seattle, there will be plenty of things in Maui to keep you occupied.”
“I hope so,” Lexi muttered, though all she could really think about at the moment was being forced to face the mother who had turned her back on her.
He wrapped his arms around her and Lexi rested her head against his chest. I know I have to do this, she told herself reluctantly. Otherwise, she might never find out why her parents’ marriage failed when she hadn’t seen it coming. Or would her mother not even bother to tell her side of the story?
CHAPTER TWO
The following morning, Lexi was on the long flight to Maui reading a novel. Or at least she was trying to. She had trouble concentrating, as she found herself thinking about Matt, whom she was already starting to miss. Also weighing on her mind was what to say to her mother. Very little had been said when she just up and left for Hawaii to start a new life, minus her husband and daughter. Lexi wondered how she could get past that now that her mom was hoping to reconnect with this visit.
I can never forgive her for what she did, Lexi thought, even if her dad seemed to have done just that now that someone else had come into his life. But if she was going to get through this summer, she just needed to keep her cool somehow and deal with it until it was time to go back home.
The plane touched down at Kahului Airport right on time. After grabbing her bag, Lexi made her way into the terminal, before spotting the familiar face.
Lexi was approached by her mother, who looked like her, with long brown hair and blue eyes, but was a little taller and a lot tanner. Standing beside her was a tall Hawaiian man in his late thirties with black hair in a short ponytail and a mustache.
“Hello, Lexi,” her mother said.
She did not respond while her mom gave her a brief hug.
“This is my husband, Ernesto Estrella.”
Lexi gazed up at him as he said, “Aloha, Lexi.”
“Hi,” she said tonelessly.
“How was your flight?” he asked.
“It was okay.”
Joyce Estrella smiled weakly at her daughter. “I’m sure you must be tired and hungry.”
“Kind of,” she admitted.
“Well, we’ll take care of that,” her mother said. “Let’s go get the rest of your bags and get out of here.”
Lexi, still in no mood to be too hospitable, rolled her eyes and said, “Whatever.”
When she stepped outside, the warm, muggy air hit her face and Lexi took a moment to survey the surroundings. She saw some palm trees and other Hawaiian scenery. She couldn’t believe she was in Hawaii on the island of Maui, which made her the envy of many of her friends. Then she came back down to earth when she remembered she was there under protest.
The drive in Ernesto’s Ford Bronco was mostly silent other than a few words by Ernesto, seemingly for effect. That was fine with her. Since she really didn’t have anything nice to say, she figured it was best not to say anything.
Soon she saw them pass by the sign to Wailuku, the place in west Maui, located in Maui County, where her mother and Ernesto lived. It was there that Ernesto operated a working ranch. Lexi had seen livestock at the State Fair and zoo, but never on an actual ranch. But she was more interested in going to the beach and swimming while in Hawaii.
They passed by a red-haired girl around Lexi’s age, who was riding a horse in a meadow. Lexi felt a little envious, since she had never been on a horse before. Maybe she would get the chance during this trip.
“Welcome to Paradise Ranch,” Ernesto announced, as they drove up a winding road and through some gates onto the property.
Once out of the car, Lexi took in the ranch with its rolling hills, grazing horses, goats, ducks, chickens, and more.
Ernesto chuckled. “It’s probably not what you’re used to back in Seattle.”
“No, not quite,” she admitted, carrying one of her bags.
“Don’t worry,” he said, holding her other bags. “You’ll feel at home in no time at all.”
Lexi wasn’t so sure about that, but gave him a tiny smile anyway. It left her when she looked at her mother.
A couple of men walked up to them in full cowboy attire.
“Well, who do have we here?” said the darker skinned lanky one with black hair.
“This is Lexi,” Ernesto said, “Joyce’s daughter. Yoshito is one of our ranch hands.”
“Aloha,” he said, tipping his hat.
“And that’s Doug, our ranch foreman.”
“Howdy,” he said with a nod.
“Hi,” Lexi told them, noting that the ranch foreman was shorter and older than the other one and had gray hair.
“Why don’t we go inside and show you around,” Ernesto said.
She nodded at the man who was now her stepfather, something that would take a lot of getting used to.
They headed for the main house, which was surrounded by swaying palm trees. It was huge with lots of windows and a wraparound lanai. Inside, it looked just as spectacular with high ceilings, hardwood floors, and nice furnishings. Lexi noted that the windows in the Great Room had amazing ocean views.
“This is your room,” Ernesto said on the second floor, as she followed him and her mother into it.
It was spacious, bright, and had a ceiling fan in motion.
Ernesto put her bags down. “I’ll leave you two alone and whip up something to eat,” he said, and gave Lexi’s mom a kiss on the mouth.
“We’ll be down soon,” she told him. When they were by themselves, her mother said, “I’m glad you came.”
Lexi curled her lip at the corner. “As if I had a choice.”
Joyce frowned. “Look, I know you’re angry, but I want to try to make it up to you, if you’ll let me.”
“I don’t see how you can,” Lexi told her honestly. “You left dad and you left me so you could hook up with a man you met on the Internet.”
“It wasn’t like that,” she said.
“So what was it like, Mom?” Lexi demanded. “What was so wrong with the life you had that you gave it all up for this?”
Joyce sucked in a deep breath. “It’s a long story.”
Lexi pursed her lips. “Yeah, right. You can’t possibly justify what you did. And forcing me to come here won’t make up for it.”
“Look, whether you like it or not, I’m still your mother.”
“No—you stopped being my mother the moment you abandoned me,” Lexi retorted.
Joyce sighed. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“Just leave me alone.”
She glared at her mother and watched as she left the room.
Lexi took a moment to calm down, while wondering if she had reacted too strongly without really giving her mother a chance to explain.
How did she expect me to act? Lexi asked herself, having had months for her feelings to fester.
She took out her cell phone and texted her dad, Matt, and Robin to let them know she had arrived safe and sound.
* * *
Lexi sat at a long dining room table eating Hawaiian barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, and pineapple coleslaw. She admitted to herself that it was good, while remaining silent as her mother and Ernesto chatted as if they were one big, happy family.
“So I’m sure you don’t know too much about me,” her stepfather said.
“Not really,” Lexi said, trying to remember the few things her mother had offered to share about the man she had married.
“Well, maybe I can fill in the blanks,” he said. “I lost my first wife nine years ago in a tragic accident. Back then, we had both hoped to run this ranch and have a family. Once Gloria was gone, I thought I’d never meet anyone to share my life with again. Then your mother stepped into it and, what do you know, we turned out to be a perfect fit. I couldn’t be happier, especially now that I’ve been given the opportunity to meet her beautiful daughter.”
“We’re not a family,” Lexi blurted out, even if she appreciated the compliment. “You’re not my father and she’s barely my mother.” She shot her mom a cold stare and stood up from the table.
“Sit back down right now, young lady!” Joyce ordered her.
“I need to get some air,” Lexi snapped back, and stormed off. She heard her mother say, “I’ll talk to her.”
Ernesto responded, “Let her go. Give her some time to cool off and adjust.”
Lexi didn’t know if either was possible. Why had her father made her come here anyway? Did he seriously believe that seeing her mother and another man play house and pretend everything was all right would make it so?
She went outside and saw the red-haired girl she noticed riding earlier approaching the house.
“You must be Lexi,” she said. “I’m April Ashbrook. I live next door, even though the houses around here are pretty spread out.”
Lexi walked up to her. They were about the same height and slender build. April’s hair was long, with bangs and was pulled back into a ponytail. She had aquamarine eyes.
“Hi,” Lexi said. “How did you know?”
“Your mom has practically been singing about her daughter coming to spend the summer,” April said.
Lexi cocked a brow. “Seriously?”
April smiled. “She and my mom have become good friends since your mother moved in with Ernesto. Joyce talks about you all the time, and how much she misses you. Does that surprise you?”
“Uh, yeah,” admitted Lexi. “My mom and I aren’t exactly on the best of terms right now.”
“Oh.” April eyed her. “Want to take a walk with me?”
Since Lexi wasn’t eager to go back into the house yet, this was a no brainer. “Okay.”
“So you’re from Seattle?”
“Yep.”
“Cool. I was there once a long time ago, but I can’t remember much about it.”
“It’s a nice place to live,” Lexi said, proud to be from the Pacific Northwest.
“That’s great,” April told her. “Hawaii is pretty nice to call home, too.”
Lexi smiled as she thought about all the things Hawaii had to offer. “So how long have you lived in Maui?”
April grinned. “Pretty much my entire life. My dad is a retired member of the U.S. Coast Guard. He was stationed in Maui at Maalaea Harbor just a year after I was born and remained with the Coast Guard until five years ago.”
“So he’s now a farmer?”
April chuckled. “Actually, he’s a rancher, like Ernesto.”
“Is there really a difference?” Lexi asked.
“Not always. Farmers mostly cultivate land to produce food. Ranchers raise livestock, like cattle and horses. Some people are ranchers and farmers.”
Lexi blushed. “Thanks for the lesson for a city girl.”
April smiled. “Anytime.” She paused. “So what’s with you and your mom, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Actually, she did mind, since she barely even knew her. But she also felt comfortable around April, as though they were longtime friends.
“My mom met Ernesto online while she was still married to my dad.”
“Ouch!” April made a face. “I can see how that might piss you off.”
“Exactly.”
“Still, there are usually two sides to every story,” April said.
“Meaning…?”
“Meaning that maybe she had a good reason for doing what she did.”
Lexi frowned. “Hey, my dad never cheated on my mom and he wasn’t abusive or like a mass murderer or anything.”
April chuckled. “That’s good to know—especially on those last two points. Neither was mine. But that didn’t stop my parents from separating for a while, before deciding to get back together. It’s been cool since then, but it doesn’t always work out that way for every married couple.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Lexi conceded, and thought about Matt’s parents getting a divorce. It had taken him time to accept it, but it seemed like he had. Maybe she should too, since it was pretty obvious her parents weren’t ever getting back together. “It still hurts, though,” she told April.
“I know,” she said. “Maybe now that you’ll be spending the summer with your mom, you can get past that.”
Lexi nodded thoughtfully, while keeping her options open. “I saw you riding a horse when we drove in.”
“Yeah, I love riding horses,” April said. “I’ve been riding since I was nine. Do you ride?”
“Not yet,” Lexi admitted. “But I plan to learn.”
“It’s easy as pie. We should go riding together sometime.”
“Cool,” Lexi said, though preferring she had a little practice first, so she could keep up without falling on her butt.
“Well, I better get back home,” April said. “I have to feed the chickens.”
“Wow,” Lexi said. “Sounds like fun.”
April laughed. “Not really, but I like helping out around the ranch, especially during summer break. You’re welcome to join me anytime you want, though I’m guessing that your mom and Ernesto will probably be putting you to work at Paradise Ranch before you know it.”
Lexi chuckled uneasily. “Maybe. Right now, I just want to see how things go between me and my mom.” And Ernesto too, she thought, realizing he was part of the picture, whether she liked it or not.
About the Author
R. Barri Flowers is the bestselling author of young adult novels, including OUT FOR BLOOD, COUNT DRACULA’S TEENAGE DAUGHTER, TEEN GHOST AT DEAD LAKE, GHOST GIRL IN SHADOW BAY, DANGER IN TIME, and CHRISTMAS WISHES: Laura’s Story. His novels can be found in print, eBook, and audio. In addition to bookstores, many of the titles can be found at public libraries across the country.
The author has also written a number of bestselling teen and young adult related nonfiction books as well, including RUNAWAY KIDS AND TEENAGE PROSTITUTION, KIDS WHO COMMIT ADULT CRIMES, and CHILDREN AND CRIMINALITY.
Follow R. Barri Flowers on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest Goodreads, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, LibraryThing, Flickr, and http://www.rbarriflowers.net. And learn more about the author in Wikipedia.
Filed under: Book Release Tagged: COUNT DRACULA’S TEENAGE DAUGHTER, novel, OUT FOR BLOOD, R. Barri Flowers, Summer at Paradise, TEEN GHOST AT DEAD LAKE, YA
July 9, 2014
Blatant Plug
This is the blog post where I try to get you interested enough in My Novel that you tell all your friends, reblog this, and tweet it too. I do this with a simple two pronged attack. First, I dazzle you with Fancy Art Work and a Catchy Slogan all made into one big Buy Link! It looks like this
Catchy huh?
Now for the second prong ( not prawn – different sales strategy completely ) for those few who slipped past the first wave of subtle encouragement. A bunch of strangers telling you who awesome the novel is…
Laurisa Reyes‘s review - 5 of 5 stars
“R.M. Ridley is a writing force to be reckoned with, that is for certain. Tomorrow Wendell is a superbly written blend of horror and noir, reading much like Daschiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon only with plenty black magic and gore mixed in for good measure.I found that I couldn’t stop turning the pages, each scene flowed so flawlessly into the next. The descriptions are vivid, the characters completely solid, and the plot engaging”
a_tiffyfit‘s review - 5 of 5 stars
“Once I started reading, I could not put this book down. The story is fluid and fast-paced, the characters nuanced, everything shown as opposed to told. Jonathan Alvey is a magic-wielding paranormal private investigator, a functioning alcoholic, a magic addict who is constantly fighting down the addiction with other addictions, a good man who is struggling with a past, and hellbent on helping others…I think what I liked best about this was its realism. Yes, yes, I know. Magic ain’t real, kid. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m referring to the fact that this world is encumbered with nightmares from our fairy tales, legends, and myths….With characters that are relatable, action that will have you rubbing your own stomach and ribs in sympathy, quirks that make him utterly likable, and an ending that will blow you away, this was one hell of a start to a series.”
So I’m sure if I hopped over and checked, my humble novel would suddenly be in the top one hundred of Amazons Best Sellers, but Lets see if we can’t do a little better than that…
Kaitlyn Rockwell rated it 3 of 5 stars
“The plot hooks you from the first chapter and the pace continues to gain momentum t… the action and interesting creatures keep you reading and wondering until the very end. I look forward to finding out more about Jonathan Alvey and his bizarre cases in the second instalment.”
Jamie White rated it 5 of 5 stars
“The story drew me in quickly, as Ridley has built a diverse and interesting world that is full of surprises. He paced the story well and kept me on the edge of my seat as I waited to see how the whole thing would play out. Through it all, Ridley added in little bits of humor and ridiculousness that helped to break the tension a bit while not taking away from the main story and tone. I would definitely recommend this one to fans of paranormal and detective stories.”
Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars
“This was a fun read. I appreciated the description the author gave to the world he created and the characters in it…I was really rooting for Wendell and Jonathan. The mystery keeps you engaged throughout … All in all a very well done blending of fantasy and detective work! I would definitely read another book starring Jonathan solving more magical mysteries.”
So there you have it, a taste of the reviews coming in for Tomorrow Wendell ; The first of the White Dragon Black series. I’m sure you’re enthralled and already reblogging and tweeting all about this. So the last important thing for you to know is -You can find it at any of the below links.
Amazon (paperback or e-version)
Barnes & Noble (paperback or e-version)
Filed under: Writing
Pay No Attention to Me – I Have a Notebook and Pen
Yesterday was a bit of a boondoggle.
I’m in the city on one of my cat-sitting excursions.I came in this Monday, as they sister was leaving that evening, and I am watching her furry babies for a week. Tuesday, however, my wife had to go to a doctors appointment. So it had been arranged that I would feed the cats their breakfast and drive home to watch over the kitten and the sheep, to make sure neither got in trouble while she was away.
The kicker about the situation was that my wife’s appointment was … yup – in the city.
Yesterday also happened to be the day that the day old chicks we had ordered were to come in to the feed store we use. They were supposed to be in for one in the afternoon, so we agreed I would swing by there on my way and grab them.
I arrived at quarter after one. No chicks yet. The truck had broken down about an hour down the road. I shrugged and parked the van out of the way and set in to wait.
My wife didn’t have to leave the house until 3, so I figured we’d be fine. In fact, it wasn’t too much longer that the company told the feed store the truck was back on the road.
So, like I was trying to get out of Casablanca – I waited… and waited… and waited.
No one seemed to know what was taking the truck so long. The feed store staff were none too pleased, and, I confess, I could have been happier.
Finally it was three. My wife left for her appointment, and we both crossed our fingers, and hoped the truck would pull in any second. The kitten is old enough to be left alone… in theory. This was the first real time test.
The only reason I didn’t go crazy, cursing, and cankerous? A full sized note book and a working pen. Sometimes, being a writer is real blessing. Sure, the truck didn’t come until after my wife called to say she was on the way back. Sure, I sat from one thirty or so, to four thirty or later. Sure, I got home only five minutes before my wife.
It was all okay to me because… I wrote.
A new short story is well on its way! I got the urge, the whisper in the ear, and I was off! This wasn’t just good for passing the time waiting, because of the spurt of writing yesterday, this morning I was able to open the fifth novel in the white Dragon Black series and get back to work on it, for the first time since my computer crashed and burned.
The sheep behaved, the kitten slept through it all as far as we can tell, and I got writing again. In the end, it almost seems a win… oh, and the chicks are, as always, adorable.
Filed under: Homesteading, MIscellaneous, Writing Tagged: 5th novel, casablanca, cats, chicks, Jonathan Alvey, kitten, sheep, short story, waiting, White Dragon Black Series, writing
July 8, 2014
An Old Old Story Made New For Me
If you are thinking I’ve come up with a reinterpretation of a fairy tale – think again.
If you are thinking I’ve come up with a twist on a well known myth – think again.
If you are thinking, he’s just found out that he needs to drive up reviews, to increase his exposure and hopefully his sales, but can’t do that unless his sales are driven up, and those sales write reviews, and he’s caught in a vicious circle where he thrashes and flounders desperately, trying to break free of the whirlpool sucking him in and down… then you are right.
Every indie author goes through this. I knew every indie author goes through this going in. But knowing and experiencing … well different perspectives can change the whole picture.
So what am I going to do? I honestly don’t know. Im continuing to approach blog reviewers, and request reviews. I’m percolating thoughts through my grey matter, in hopes answers come to me. I don’t think I’m going to have a ‘eureka’ moment however. There have been many people in this same doldrums before me and their ghost ships still bob out there a few hundred feet away.
Still, that is no reason to quit trying. I’m going to be throwing more effort and time into what I do best – writing – but I’m not giving up on marketing yet… not by a long shot.
Filed under: Book Release, Publishing, Writing Tagged: book reviews, exposure, sales, Tomorrow Wendell, writing
July 7, 2014
New Release – Bollypunk the 2nd Book!
Second Daughter (The Dharian Affairs #2)
Assassins, skyships, and royal intrigue…
Kindle, Kobo, AllRomance
Second Daughter is the second book in The Dharian Affairs trilogy (Third Daughter, Second Daughter, First Daughter). This steampunk-goes-to-Bollywood (Bollypunk!) romance takes place in an east-Indian-flavored alternate world filled with skyships, assassins, royal romance and intrigue.
Reviews of the first book, Third Daughter:
“The author fuses carriages, steam trains, airships and clockwork with the rich eastern culture that underlies Bollywood storytelling…” – Cherie Reich
“The political intrigue, the steampunk gadgets, and the beautiful costumes kept me in wonderment.” – Tony Benson
ìThird Daughter is vividly breathtaking. Quinn delivers royal intrigue, exotic locations, and sweeping romance. Not to be missed!î – Pavarti Tyler, author of Shadow on the Wall
ON SALE – 99cents until 7/21
Third Daughter (The Dharian Affairs #1)
Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iTunes, AllRomance
(also available in print)
The Third Daughter of the Queen wants her birthday to arrive so she’ll be free to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon may force her to accept a barbarian prince’s proposal for a peace-brokering marriage. Desperate to marry the charming courtesan she loves, Aniri agrees to the prince’s proposal as a subterfuge in order to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she does not love.
NEW
Both books now have a map!
Download the map free here
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NEW RELEASE: Second Daughter (Dharian Affairs #2) Assassins, skyships, royal intrigue #steampunk #fantasy #romance http://bit.ly/SDAmazon
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Skyships, saber duels, royal romance: Third Daughter (Dharian Affairs#1) ON SALE 99cents http://bit.ly/ThirdDAmaz
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Filed under: Book Release Tagged: bollypunk, Second Daughter, Susan Kay Quinn
July 6, 2014
Book Review : Relative Evil
A fellow author of mine from Xchyler gets her first review of her novel
Originally posted on CuzIsaidSo Weblog:
It is very cool to read a book that was written by someone you know. It is even cooler when the book turns out to be fantastic. This is the case with Relative Evil by Debra Erfert. Deb is a super fun person with that special quirky sense of humor that makes me love her. At retreat last week, she would come up behind me and act weird. After reading her book, I’m glad I didn’t read it before retreat or I would have been scared of her!
If you are looking for a good, clean, suspenseful story that will keep you reading til your eyes are dried open and your fingers are sore from gripping the book so hard, Relative Evil is the one for you.
Debra has taken a sweet, girl-next-door-writer and turned her into a superstar writer that is fighting for her life amid family drama. The…
View original 70 more words
Filed under: Writing
July 5, 2014
Oh the Tediousness of Begging
The tediousness of begging eventually got to me yesterday. I spent most of the day reading blogs to see if they were sites I wanted to be associated with and then, if they were, reading the review policy and then filling out forms or sending off e-mails.
I know it is a prudent and smart thing to do. I know it can help to reach an audience that otherwise would never know about the book. I know it needs doing.
I know I hate it.
But then no job can be filled exclusively with what we enjoy doing – even this one.
So I reassure myself that even if I can get one blog site to accept ,and get just one half-decent review from them, it is worth it.
I want my book to succeed. I don’t care about money but I do care that people actually read it, and hopefully enjoy it.
So back to the blogs I go.
Filed under: Publishing
July 3, 2014
Honesty Is The Best Policy
When I sent out the Arc’s (Advanced Reading Copy) of my novel, I made sure to emphasizes that I wanted honest reviews. It is expected that people give honest reviews but sometimes there is a feeling that you shouldn’t say anything bad. I drove home again and again that I wanted honesty.
I got it.
I couldn’t be more pleased. The reviews I’m getting are positive:
“Fascinating, edge of your chair action, and a main character both…“
“Fun and Thought Provoking Read“
“One heck of a start to a series! Please, sir, may I have some more?“
But with-in the reviews, even the ones that give four stars and recommend it to others, some have said there are little things that they didn’t like. They all say it wasn’t enough to deter them from reading, and it wasn’t enough to make them dislike the story, but it was there.
This, to me, is fantastic. I may be a bit weird in that but there it is.
Soon I’m going to contact these people (I can do that because they are associates of mine) and get a bit of discussion going because I want to know – I want to hear and understand – what they didn’t like and why. I’m not going to do this because I think they are wrong and want to argue my case, I’m going to do this because I think that every opinion of a book is right to that reader. I want to hear their thoughts for the same reason I have a personal editor, and beta-readers, because it’s a reflection on my writing. Their thoughts may be able to help me make the series better.
I’m not saying that I’m going to change what comes in the future based on every single individuals personal quirks. I am saying that input is important. If I have lots of feedback I can gauge what does and doesn’t work and from there make informed decisions. I’ll write what my Muse tells me to write – just like I always do- but maybe with a keener eye.
If any of you go and get my novel and read it – I ask you to leave you comments and thoughts with me. I would love if you wrote reviews for Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Nobles…. but there are many places you can find me one line and drop a note. Many places you can share your thoughts on my novel with me, knowing that your honest comments will be respected and considered because, as a writer – like in life, you never stop learning.
Filed under: Book Release, Writing Tagged: muse, reveiws, Tomorrow Wendell
