Michelle Irwin's Blog: Write On Shell, page 2

Happy 4th Birthday Bex'n'Books

For the past 4 years, we've been hard at work supporting so many wonderful authors, connecting with like-minded readers, and having a blast along the way.This year to celebrate, we've organised, with the support of over 40 authors, to have available 60 FREE books, PLUS we have a HUGE rafflecopter giveaway below, PLUS a MASSIVE e-book giveaway on our Facebook page.Take advantage of these amazing gifts from some of your favourite authors, and please be sure to pay it forward by leaving an honest Amazon review once you have finished. It's one of the best ways to say thank you!The books will be FREE Friday 27th - Sunday 29th*We do not guarantee that the books will be free. We are only listing those who have signed up, so please check before you download*Also, stop by our Facebook page to enter our e-book giveaway pinned at the top of the page.Thank you, everyone, who has offered their support over the past 4 years!
Becky, Justine, Donna & V xxx

A Perfect Moment by Becca Leehttps://amzn.com/B00K36M73YArdent (The ArcKnight Chronicles #1) by Alexia Purdyhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B0150GNAPKAs He Bids by Olivia Rigalhttp://oliviarigal.com/book/as-he-bids/Baggy Pants and Bootees by Marilyn Chapmanhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00MH310PWBlind Seduction by T Hammondhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C8UB0JKBlood Claim by Magen McMinimy http://amzn.com/B005J85VHKBloodlines by S.L. Dearinghttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U68QAZ0/Breaking my Heart by Aleya Michellehttps://amzn.com/B00K4ILVFQCrossed by Lacey Silkshttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SE4903WDecline (Declan Reede: The Untold Story #1) by Michelle Irwinhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014AS2ARIEver Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale #1) by Alexia Purdyhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B009WVIDPWEvery Breath You Take (Billionaires in Disguise: Georgie and Rock Stars in Disguise: Xan, Book 1) by Blair Bablyonhttp://smarturl.it/EBYTPageFashionably Dead by Robyn Petermanhttp://robynpeterman.com/fashionably-dead/Floor Time by Liz Crowewww.amazon.com/dp/B0071MH634 Fragile Façade by Sophie Daviswww.amazon.com/dp/B00JFS97N4Golden Dunes of Renhala by Amy Joy Lutchenhttps://amzn.com/B00GWVSPEOGrade A Stupid by AJ Lapehttps://amzn.com/B00A4CHNL8Heart Raider by Sophia Knightlyhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CRQUCSKHeavy Soul by Shey Stahlhttps://amzn.com/B01DL9AY8YHer Forbidden Fantasy by Michelle Darehttp://amzn.to/243WbNQHis Assistant, Part 2 (His Assistant Serials) by Sharon Cumminhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SU9NB7CHis Wicked Games by Ember Caseyhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D8C14ACHolding Out by Lila Rosehttp://amzn.to/1QrdPy3Hollywood Stardust Supporting Roles by Kim Carmichaelhttps://amzn.com/B014XDVLAWIf I Seem Dangerous by Rose Sawyerhttps://amzn.com/B016R5CQCGImmortal Blood by Magen McMinimyhttp://amzn.com/B00AOHGJXGIn Love with My Brother's Best Friend, Part 1 by Sharon Cumminhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B019OZ3CDSLife's What You Make It by Theresa Troutmanhttp://amzn.to/1lZAOqeMaid for the Rock Star by Demelza Carltonhttp://smarturl.it/B00Y9MUCEOMake Me Whole by Kaithlin Shepherdhttps://amzn.com/B014YWZ2PCMangled Hearts by Felicia Tatumhttp://feliciatatum.com/francesca-and-cade/Need You Now by Mika Joliehttps://amzn.com/B0157C0X5MNew York (Allie's War Prequel) by JC Andrijeskihttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0063OY7HE/Perfectly Equipped by Lacey Silkshttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B014EIYDDSPortal by Ashlea Rhodeshttps://amzn.com/B0148D7BQUPromises, Promises by Josie Bordeauxhttp://smarturl.it/PromisesPromises Rae Falling: A Romance, Episode 1 of Billionaires in Disguise: Rae by Blair Babylonhttp://smarturl.it/RaeFallPageReady to Were by Robyn Petermanhttp://robynpeterman.com/ready-to-were/Relatively Famous by Heather C. Leighhttp://amzn.to/1HBiYSORenhala by Amy Joy Lutchenhttps://amzn.com/B009I3SO9ERise of Alpha by Lorenz Fonthttp://amzn.to/1oYHgRORoyal Blood by Amity Crosshttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QJD78T8Saving Maverick by Debra Elisehttp://amzn.to/1Re486YScandal: Part One by Alison Fosterhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZNY96OE/Seek by Clarissa Wildhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PG7VYPMSoulless: The Immortal Gene by Jacinta Mareehttps://amzn.com/B014ONKO9KSound Advice by L.B. Dunbarhttp://amzn.to/1VD3rv8Special Delivery by Lia Fairchildhttp://amzn.to/nAjQGh Stone Cold by Olivia Rigalhttp://oliviarigal.com/book/stone-cold/Swaying Fate by Irma Geddonhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B015I0IPGWTake Me Home: A Bodyguard Christmas Story by Alison Fosterhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B019G5X704/Talented by Sophie Daviswww.amazon.com/dp/B0076Y7ON4The Dragon's Portal by Sally Slayerhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00C8U6914/The Last One by Tawdra Kandlehttps://amzn.com/B00MYAZ9O6 The Legend of Arturo King by L.B. Dunbarhttp://amzn.to/22xam9OThe Posse by Tawdra Kandlehttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DS6DQZEThe Witch Hunter by Nicole R. Taylorhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BOXS8TCThrough the Fire (Daughter of fire #1) by Michelle Irwinhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OOTXGSQ/Trolling for Trouble by Olivia Hardinhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B009D7VMUSWild for You by Sophia Knightlyhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064GLQBQWitch Way Bends by Olivia Hardinhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B006DNUJ3G
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rafflecopter Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp...

`*•.¸(*•.¸(´*•.¸(*•.¸¸.•*´)¸.•*´)¸.•*´)¸.•*•••••• BIRTHDA...

`*•.¸(*•.¸(´*•.¸(*•.¸¸.•*´)¸.•*´)¸.•*´)¸.•*•••••• BIRTHDAY SALE! •••••••.¸.•*(¸.•*(¸.•*(¸.•*´`*•.¸)`*•.)`*•.¸)`*•.¸It’s my birthday this weekend, so Deceive is on sale for just 99c!
Straighten up, pull it around, and get back on the track.Declan Reede's life is in a tail-spin. Although he knows what he wants, he can't see the road that will take him there. Wherever he turns, new secrets, lies, and half-truths threaten to send him crashing off-course. To deserve his family, he must fight his past mistakes and prove himself worthy.But can someone out to deceive cost him the life he now craves?**Due to strong language and sexual content not intended for anyone under age of 18**Amazon: US: http://amzn.to/1MV8o8CUK: http://amzn.to/1ZbjNxCAU: http://bit.ly/drtus02B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/29401... https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id10... https://store.kobobooks.com/…/deceive... https://www.smashwords.com/books/view... it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
If you haven’t started Declan’s story yet, you can still grab Decline FREE Amazon: US: http://amzn.to/1MV8flIUK: http://amzn.to/1ZbjsLiAU: http://bit.ly/druts01B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/29401... https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id10... https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebo... https://www.smashwords.com/books/view... it to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1idmVoJ

Glossary

As we near the end of Declan's story (only 17 more days until the last book releases), I thought I'd share the glossary I built over the four and a half novels so you can refer back to it at any time. This isn't a be all and end all glossary of Aussie to US terms, just the ones that appeared in Declan's books that needed additional explanation. Are there any others you can think of?

Temperatures are in Celsius, weight is in kilograms, and distance is (generally) in kilometres (although we still have some slang/idioms which use miles).Arse: Ass.AVO: Apprehended Violence Order.Bedhead: Headboard.Bench: Counter.Bitumen: Asphalt. Bonnet: Hood.Boot: Trunk.Bottle-o: Bottle shop/liquor store.Buggery: Multiple meanings. Technically bugger/buggery is sodomy/anal sex, but in Australia, the use is more varied. Bugger is a common expression of disbelief/disapproval. Came down in the last shower (Do you think I): Born yesterday CAMS: Confederation of Australian Motor Sport.Cherry (Drag racing): Red light indicating that you “red-lighted”/jumped the start. Cock-ups: Fuck-ups/mistakes.Dagwood Dogs: CorndogsDiamante: Rhinestone.Dipper: See S Bends below. Do (Charity Do): Function/event.Dob: Tell on. Doona: Blanket/comforter.Face Washer: Face cloth.Fairy-Floss: Cotton candy.Fillies: Girls.Footpath: Sidewalk.Formal: Prom.Fours: Cars with a four-cylinder engine. Gobful: MouthfulHANS: Head And Neck Support.Hydralyte: Hydrating formula (electrolytes).Loo: Toilet. Message bank: Voicemail. Mirena: An IUD that contains and releases a small amount of a progesterone hormone directly into the uterus.Mozzies: Mosquitoes.Necked: Drank from.Newsagency: A shop which sells newspapers/magazines/lotto tickets. Similar to a convenience store, but without the food. Off my face: Drunk/under the influence (including of drugs). Pap: Paparazzi.Panadol/Paracetamol: Active ingredient in pain-relievers like Tylenol and Panadol.Pavlova: Meringue-based desert, usually served covered with fresh cream and seasonal fruits (aka: sugar heaven). Phone/Mobile Phone/Mobile Number: Cell/cell phone/cell number.Prep (school): Preparation year. Privateer: Someone who finances their own races.Real Estate: All-inclusive term meaning real estate agency/property management firm.Rego: Registration (general); cost of vehicle licence.Ricer: Someone who drives a hotted up four-cylinder (usually imported) car, and makes modifications to make it (and make it look) faster.Rugby League: One of the codes of football played in Australia. S bends (and into the Dipper): Part of the racetrack shaped into an S shape. On Bathurst track, the Dipper is the biggest of the S bends, so called because there used to be a dip in the road there before track resurfacing made it safer. Sandwich with the lot: Sandwich with the works.Schoolies: Week-long (or more) celebration for year twelves graduating school. Similar to spring break. The Gold Coast is a popular destination for school leavers from all around the country, and they usually have a number of organised events, including alcohol-free events as a percentage of school leavers are usually under eighteen (the legal drinking age in Australia). Scrag: Whore/slut.Scrutineering: Process of going over the car and rules to ensure there is no corruption or mistakes.Shout (referring to drinks or food): Buy for someone. “Get the tab.”Silly Season: Off season in sports. Primarily where most of the trades happen (e.g. driver’s moving teams, sponsorship changes etc). Skerrick: Scrap.Slicks: A special type of racing tyre with no tread. They’re designed to get the maximum amount of surface on the road at all times. Wet weather tyres have chunky tread to displace the water from the track. Skulled: (can also be spelled sculled and skolled) Chugged/Drank everything in the bottle/glass. Soft Drinks: Soda/pop.Stiff Shit: Tough shit/too bad.Sunnies: Sunglasses. TAFE: (Technical And Further Education) Trade schoolTassie: Tasmania (in the same way Aussie = Australia)Taxi: Cab. Thrummed: Hummed/vibrated.Titbit: Tidbit.Tossers: Pricks/assholes/jerks.Tyres: Tires.Year Twelve: Senior.Wag: Ditch school.Wank: MasturbateWankers: Tossers/Jerk-offs. Weet-Bix: Breakfast cereal brand.Whinge: Whine/complain.Uni:University/college.

RWDU

Last weekend, the 4th and 5th of March was Readers and Writers Down Under. It was such a great weekend. I got to spend most of it hanging out with two fabulous chicks (Allyson and Megan), and got to meet some new readers, got to hang out with readers I met least year, and got to finally face-to-face meet some friends from the interwebs. There were panels and parties. I was lucky to be part of the Hot Tree Editing "Would I Lie To You" which was heaps of fun (and I'm eternally thankful that the video cameras weren't out hehehe).

I thought I'd share some photos and a giveaway with you all.















GIVEAWAY! 
For your chance to win the chequered flag in the last photo, as well as other awesome prizes, enter the rafflecopter below. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Killed Darlings

Over on Facebook, I've been participating in Author Life Month. And I shared the Day 12 challenge - Killed Darlings - over there. Rather than let it be buried in Facebook fairly quickly, I thought I'd share it here as well in case anyone wants to come back and read it.Through the Fire had a lot of darlings killed during writing and then again the editing process. There were so many parts my publisher and I agreed to cut in order to speed up the pace and lessen the backstory.I gave one of my street team girls a pick of original YA-style start of the very first draft of Through the Fire or some of the cut high school scenes. She picked the high school scenes...Now remember, this is pretty raw and unedited (but don't worry if you haven't read Through the Fire yet, it won't spoil anything too much for you). Despite that, it's still completely in cannon with the rest of the story. “Evelyn Meyers?”Here we go again.Arranging my face into a forced smile, I headed to stand near the teacher’s desk. I’d endured the process of a new school often enough in the last two years that I knew the etiquette and expectations involved. As I walked, Dad’s voice rang in my ears with each step.‘Give them enough that they won’t ask questions, but not so much that they can catch you in a lie.’It wasn’t worth reminding him that I didn’t know enough to lie.“Evelyn, it’s lovely to have you in our school,” the generic teacher—tall, brunette, thick-rimmed glasses, pleasant-enough nature—said warmly. “Why don’t you tell the class a little about yourself?”Trying to ensure my smile wasn’t a grimace, I turned to the other students. With the number of times I’d had to introduce myself in the past, it should have been the simplest thing in the world. The same worn-out speech should have fallen easily from my lips, but somehow the words became stuck on my tongue.Although I wanted to say, ‘My name is Evelyn, but you can call me Evie. I just moved here from New Jersey and I’m looking forward to finishing the school year here.’All I managed to say was, “It’s uh…just Evie and umm…I just moved from…ah…”My mind drew a blank as I thought of the many towns we’d been in over the years—twenty-six at last count. I stared out at the other students, hoping to see the words I needed printed on someone’s forehead.“Is she stupid or something?” a girl sitting at the desk across the aisle, diagonally behind mine, stage-whispered to her neighbor. I glanced toward the teacher, who appeared oblivious to the comment.Obviously her hearing isn’t as good as mine.A titter ran through the class.Glancing toward the person who spoke, I spotted a girl with a rounded face, pink lips and dirty blonde hair pulled into two tight braids, one on either side of her head. Both the girl and her neighbor each gave me an overly sweet smile when they noticed me looking in their direction. Another of Dad’s often repeated statements echoed in my mind.‘Don’t make enemies. It only gains unwanted attention.’But he’d never faced the first day at a new high school over and over.“Louise!” a dark-haired boy, sitting in front of the girl with the braids, hissed at her.She glared at the back of his head and then stared at me with narrowed eyes.As if the words were written in her icy gaze, my mind chose that moment to offer up the information it had hidden from me earlier.“From New Jersey,” I finished off lamely, before slinking back to my seat as the teacher thanked me.Heading back to my desk, I wished the whole way that a chasm would open beneath my feet and swallow me whole. Once I was back in my seat, the boy beside me leaned over conspiratorially. As he did, a gold chain swung loose from beneath his shirt.“Don’t worry, I’ve moved around a lot too,” he whispered.Dark eyes appeared to appraise me carefully as he tucked the chain away.Just as I was about to ask him how he knew that I’d moved a lot, he beat me to the punch.“I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve forgotten where I’d just come from,” he explained. He seemed friendly enough as he watched my reaction with a small, knowing smirk on his lips.
My mouth curled into an easy smile, my first genuine one in almost two weeks.“I’m Clay,” he said, dragging his hand through his shaggy hair. As his gaze focused on me again, I saw that his eyes, which had appeared almost black at first, were actually a very dark brown. “Consider me your welcoming committee into this madhouse.”“Is it really that bad?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.He shook his head and laughed. “Nah, not really. No worse than anywhere else I’ve been. I went to this one school where the principal would shout at everyone through the PA for ten minutes at the start of every day.”He laughed again and I felt myself smiling wider in response. There was something about Clay that simultaneously put me at ease and piqued my curiosity.I wanted to ask why he’d moved around so much, but it would risk having him ask me the same question in return. There was no way I could explain things to him when I didn’t even understand them myself.“Mr. Jacobs,” the teacher called to Clay. “If you’ve finished your conversation, perhaps we can get back to leaning Math?” She stared at him with an eyebrow raised.After winking in my direction, Clay turned his attention to the board. My gaze, however, remained glued to the side of his face. He was extremely striking in profile, with his chin jutting out proudly and his lips curled into a tiny smirk. I guessed that he was probably quite popular with the girls, and maybe even a few of the guys.“I can feel your eyes on me,” he chuckled quietly without looking in my direction.“Sorry,” I murmured, reluctantly turning my attention to the front of the class as well.“Don’t be,” he whispered, leaning into the space between us. “I kinda like it.”~ 0 ~“Show me your class schedule,” Clay said while I was packing up my math books after the bell had rung.I handed it over without a second thought, trying to be polite because I figured he was going to be chivalrous and point me in the direction of my next class. In truth, I was experienced enough in memorizing maps and working out routes that I didn’t really need his help, but I didn’t want to dent his fragile male ego either—I’d learned how difficult and pouty men could be after dealing with my father’s shifts in mood.While I waited for him to read through it and point me on my way, I watched as everyone else left the room. Louise—the girl who’d made the snide comment during class—brushed by my seat roughly, banging my head with her bag as she went.Just as I was about to stand up and say something, regardless of Dad’s advice to not make waves, Clay handed my schedule back to me. Without another word, but with a wide grin on his face, he stood and left, leaving me dumbfounded and staring after him. I glanced down at the sheet of paper in my hand. He’d highlighted the border of our shared classes and jotted down his cell number.I chuckled as I read his note.
‘For when you need a friend.’Two can play at that game.My next class was another one I shared with him, so I pulled out my cell and programmed his number in before firing off a quick text as I walked toward the door.‘How does now work for you?’He was waiting for me outside the classroom door and swept quickly to my side just as his phone beeped. He pulled out his cell and smiled as he read the message.I turned away, embarrassed that he was reading my text in front of me. While I was deliberating looking in another direction he grabbed my books, drawing my attention back to him.“Consider it a one-time welcoming gesture,” he said, his tone suggesting that he expected me to wave him off and reach for my books again.I laughed. “Well, as long as it’s only a one-time thing, I might as well take full advantage.”He nudged me gently, and offered me a disarming smile when I glanced at him. “Come on, let’s go,” he said.As I walked in companionable silence beside Clay, I began to consider the various almost-friends I’d had over the years. I’d never been so instantly at ease with any of them. Even though we’d barely spent an hour together, it already felt like I’d known Clay for years. It occurred to me that maybe it didn’t matter how much time I’d spent with other people, maybe it came down to chemistry.“What’s got you so deep in thought?” he asked as we stopped at our next classroom.There was no way I was telling him what I’d just been thinking. I might have been comfortable with him, but not that comfortable. Instead, I just shrugged.“Just, you know, new school, new friends, new life.”He nodded knowingly. “I used to hate my Dad because his, um, job forces us to move around so much, but now…I don’t know, I guess I’m glad to have seen so many places and met so many people, you know?”Smiling in response to his honesty, I considered his words. I’d never really stopped and thought about the benefits of moving, beyond the relief that I’d felt whenever we finally settled in one place again.“Come on, let’s get to class,” he said, knocking my shoulder lightly with his own.~ 0 ~After two hours shared with Clay on my first day at my newest school, I had my first class where I had to get by without my newfound friend. I’d found the classroom relatively easily and picked a desk somewhere near the middle of the room. Some of the faces of my classmates were already starting to look a little familiar, so I smiled politely at anyone who looked in my direction. Somehow, I already felt more comfortable than I had at any other school. I suspected Clay’s smile and his infectiously optimistic personality had a lot to do with that.As I pulled out my books, I noticed that Louise took a seat behind me.“They’ll let any old trash into this school, won’t they?” she bemoaned loudly to her friend.Rolling my eyes at her lame attempt to rattle me, I twisted in my seat to face her.“I didn’t get a chance to properly introduce myself before. I’m Evelyn,” I said, giving her the falsest smile I could muster.Her mouth twisted into a slight sneer. “Louise.”“I gathered.” I infused my voice with as much disdain as I could. I wanted her to know that I saw through her tactics and she didn’t intimidate me. Despite Dad’s warnings to not draw unnecessary attention to myself, I wasn’t the type to just shy away in a corner when confronted. “It’s lovely to meet you.”She gave me her best bitch brow. I had no idea what I’d done to earn her hatred so quickly, but I’d started enough new schools to realize that was the nature of high school. I also suspected that my fledgling friendship with Clay had aggravated the situation, especially if the glare she’d given me after he’d scolded her was any indication. I wondered whether she had her own plans for him. It was almost too easy to decide to test the waters and see if her reaction was mostly jealousy.“Everyone’s just so nice here,” I said, my voice dripping with insincerity. “I’ve even got a lunch date with Clay.”“Is that so?” she asked.“Yeah, he’s been super welcoming,” I said before turning back toward the front of the room.“That’s what’s so sweet about my brother,” she said loudly to her friend, although I was certain the words were meant for me instead. “He takes care of all the strays.”Brother?The shock I felt at her revelation rattled me and I was unable to even pretend to be unaffected as I swiveled in my seat again. “Clay’s your brother?”Louise gave me a self-satisfied smirk. “Of course silly, he’s my twin.”“Twins?” My mouth popped open in surprise. Even though I’d only known them both for a few hours, I could easily tell that Clay and Louise were complete opposites in every way—both in looks and personality. I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept of them not only being related, but that they’d shared a womb. “What, were you swapped at birth or something?”Her eyes widened for just a fraction of a second before narrowing fiercely. Although I wasn’t sure what, I sensed I’d said something terrible. I ran through the conversation in my head and decided she was mentally unstable.The rest of English was spent watching the clock tick over minute by minute. I was desperate to meet with Clay to find out whether Louise was just a snarling cow, or if she was a lying one as well. I wasn’t entirely sure how to approach the issue with him, but thought that I would try for a subtle approach. After all, I didn’t want to ruin my friendship with him before it had really begun—especially over someone like Louise.As soon as the bell rang, I raced to pack up my books and leave the room, only to be surprised by Clay waiting outside the classroom for me.“I thought I’d wait for you here,” he said. “It’s on my way back to the cafeteria.”I made a mental note to check the truth of his statement later.“How was class?” he asked as we walked.“Good. I met your sister, officially.”So much for subtle.“Oh.” He scrubbed the back of his neck with his palm. “Louise is real pleasant, right?”“So, twins, huh?”“Yeah, sorry I didn’t mention it.” His cheeks pinked a little. “I wanted you to have a chance to get to know me before the she-devil scared you off.”“She-devil?” I asked. “You don’t get along?”

Reviews: How You're Doing It Wrong

TL:DR - You're not. 
The two easiest ways a book buyer can ensure their favourite author keeps writing are: 1. buy their books (not download from pirate sites) and 2. review their book. Authors, particularly indie authors, need reviews. That's a fact. Reviews are vital for some promotional companies and if an author doesn't have enough, they will likely never be able to take advantage of those promos.

Reviews also tell Amazon and iBooks and other booksellers, "Hey, this book is getting attention, you should promote it to other people." They help readers decide whether or not to buy a book. They can help legitimize a book (if someone is thinking of buying a book, human nature dictates they'll be more likely to buy one with 100 reviews over one with 2 or 3 reviews). In short, reviews are awesome.

With that said, I have seen a few people lately talking about reviews. This is natural when I have so many indie authors and awesome supporters on my friends list. Inevitably the talk often turns to things that reviewers shouldn't do, how not to review, or things that should be off limit to criticism. To me, this is dangerous. Why? Because in the current climate, with authors and readers/reviewers more accessible to each other than ever before, it causes tension. I know plenty of readers less likely to leave a review for fear of "doing it wrong." Here's the simple fact: Reviews are opinions. There is no "wrong" (except of course a personal attack against the author, but that's just basic human decency).

These "doing it wrong" posts often boil down to a couple of reasons people "shouldn't" review a book (or shouldn't drop a star from a review). Now, I can't speak for everyone, but if I'm on the fence about a book, I look at the bad reviews first. And if the reviews are, "This book stinks because of this personal opinion I have," and it's a personal opinion I don't share, I'll usually go ahead and grab it. (E.g. "This book stinks because the hero wears a pink tutu at one stage and I don't think the hero should ever wear a pink tutu" would probably have me rushing to buy the book. Why is the hero in a pink tutu? I want to know that story!)

So what are some of the reasons someone "shouldn't" review? I've listed some below, but it's by no means an extensive list of reasons I've heard/been told.

Personal Taste: 
The argument: You shouldn't review if you don't like the genre. (Why are you even reading the genre). Variation: If you don't like the tense/POV style/etc 
My counter-argument: How boring would like be if we all read the same genre constantly? If we didn't try to step out of our comfort zone once in a while, how would we find new books? New authors? New genres that we'd previously had prejudices against for whatever reason. I don't particularly enjoy spy dramas, and yet I loved Dan Brown's books (let the judging commence LOL).

If someone is given a book that their friend is raving about, let's say a paranormal romance, but the first person doesn't like paranormal romance there are a few ways it could go.
1. The new reader might read the book and love it regardless of the elements they don't like.
2. The new reader could discover a new genre they thought they didn't like but really do.
3. The new reader might read the book and think it's okay, but what might have been a 5 star read for a fan becomes a 3 star read for that reader.
4. The new reader might find the book reinforces everything they hate about the genre.

So if the new reader hates it, should they not review just because they don't like the genre? In my opinion, it's their choice. If they want to write a 1 star, scathing review spelling out all of the reasons they hate the genre and why that booked sucked out the butthole... they can and should. That sort of bad review isn't going to affect the sales of the author. Not really. I mean see above, that is my buying habit, and I know I'm not alone in that buying habit. If someone reads something outside of genre and doesn't feel comfortable reviewing it, then they shouldn't. Note: it's totally up to the reader to decide whether or not they feel like they should review.

Spelling/Grammar: 
The argument: Some authors can't afford an editor, so please don't down-rate books for bad grammar.
My counter-argument: Please do. Honestly, please, please do. I am a fussy reader. I don't want to work for my books, I like to sink into a book and just enjoy it from start to finish without having to try to sort out what the author is saying versus what the author meant to say. This is not to say typos won't sneak into the book. They will. Even traditionally published books get errors like that. I'm talking about constant incorrect word usage, constant pronoun confusion, shifting tense, head-hopping, These are all things that I want to know about. If people want to review and knock down a star for this, go for it. If they don't feel comfortable, they don't need to. If they want to contact the author direct instead, then that's a personal choice too.

Didn't finish the book: 
The argument: You can't review a book you haven't finished. 
My counter-argument: I get it. This is a tough one. And highly controversial. In fact, it's probably one of the most hotly debated ones. How do you know you don't like a book if you haven't read the whole thing? Maybe the author turns it all around in the last 10% of the book and that 10% is awesome and the best thing ever. But if you have to fight 90%, are you really going to enjoy the book overall? Can even the best author turn it around that much? If you don't feel comfortable rating a book you didn't read all the way through, don't. But if you want to tell everyone why you couldn't finish...well, that's fine too.

So, how should someone review? 
However they want to. That's how. Even if they don't feel comfortable reviewing at all, that is their right as a book reader.

It's awesome if you review. You keep doing your thing, and do it however the hell you like. Out of courtesy to other readers it's better to avoid (or at least flag) spoilers and say why you (dis)liked the book rather than just repeating the blurb, but I'm not going to say that they are must do's. There is no "must do" when it comes to reviews. Review however you want, with whatever rating system works for you, for whatever reason you choose.

The most important thing is to have fun reading, because reading is awesome.

Tell me, what do you think? Do you usually leave reviews? Is there anything you personally don't like to leave reviews for?

Hanging at the end

So, apparently I'm becoming known as a bit of a cliffy queen (laughs maniacally), because of this, I just wanted to take a moment and have a chat about cliff-hangers. 
There is loads of evidence to say that cliffhangers work to draw people back to the next part. Whether it's a book, a TV show episode, a movie (Lord of the Rings, I'm looking at you!), a cliffhanger gives people a reason to return.
I've heard some readers say they hate cliffhangers and won't read a book that has one. Does that mean it's up to the author to warn if a particular book ends on a cliffy (my personal opinion on this is no - if a book is part of a bigger series, I work on the assumption that there'll be *some* degree of cliffy at the end). 
I've heard the argument that if a book is good enough, if the writing is decent and the characters compelling there's no need for a cliffhanger. And yep, 100 percent agree, except . . . well, sometimes resolving the cliffy will kick off the next part of the overall ARC of the story. I know that's certainly the case for the two cliffies I've been blasted over for Declan's series. (Highlight text to reveal minor spoiler.) 
Sometimes, the story is 100 percent resolved, but the cliffy is there more in the reader's mind than on the page purely because they want to know what comes next for the characters. This is the case in Rise from Ash where we leave Evie and Clay at the point we leave them, with that part of the story resolved, but with a lingering threat in the air. 
As a reader, I love cliffhangers. Yes, the wait can be so frustrating--doubly so when it becomes clearer and clearer that the author is likely to never finish the next book--but the thrill of "OMG I have to know what happens next," is so much more intense when it comes at the end of the book than at the end of each chapters. It can leave the characters lingering in your mind long after you put the books down. Whether that's just because of the story ending in a cliffy or because the characters would linger anyway, who knows? I can say some of the more memorable book endings I've read are cliffhangers. A few spring instantly to mind: Lord of the Rings when Frodo was captured by Shelob. The ending of Radicals by Frankie Rose (that was certainly one that had my jaw hanging open).  
Love them or hate them, I do think cliffhangers have a purpose, and for some authors they're here to stay. For me, I won't say all of my books will end on a cliffy, I won't say they won't. It'll come down to the same thing it always comes down to for me. What are the characters saying? What do they want me to . . . 
(To be continued)


(Continued: say. Tell me what you think of cliffhangers in the comments.)

Right This Instant (Love)

I have a pet peeve when I'm reading (okay, I have a few, but today I'm only going to talk about one of them). I know I'm not alone in this, but I am not a fan of instalove in books. At all. If I'm on the fence about my enjoyment of a book, it can be the shove in the direction of put it down and ignore it.

*Cups hand to ear* Is that the sound of pitchforks I hear? I'm sure it is. Whenever a similar thing comes up on posts, and I express my distaste there's always one or two that are quick to leap to the defense of insta-love. A mumble of how someone's uncle met a girl and they were married in a week. The thing is yes, I know it seems like instalove happens in real life, but I don't personally buy that it happens there any more than in books. Bear with me for a second and you'll maybe see why I say that. It can happen in a book too and it can happen believably there too. BUT in my opinion, there is a big difference between instalove and fast love (and if you end this thinking I'm a crack-pot and of course instalove is a thing, that's fine. It's the awesome thing about opinions, we're all entitled to them and entitled to express them. It's the differences in the world that make it interesting).

So before the hoarding masses come for me in their mob with pitchforks and torches, I'll explain a little more. These are just my interpretations and opinions too, so feel free to disagree. In fact, I'd love to chat with you about it in the comments if you do.

Now, before we go any further, I'm going to attempt to define things a little more. At least, my own understanding of it.

Instalove: First glance = "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in the whole world and ever will love anyone."

Fast love: First glance = "You fascinate me and I want to know more about you." The actual progression to a deeper emotion then starts to occur.

I'm sure you can see the very clear (but very important) difference between the two. In the second one (fast love) the falling in love process might only take a few hours of intense getting to know you before people are offering up engagement rings and planning their gift registry. It might be a day. A week. A month. More. But the "love" at first sight is really nothing more than attraction. I have read more stories than I can mention which have the POV character bandying around the word soulmate after that first glimpse.

The "getting to know you" stage is what makes it believable. It's the difference between between me personally buying into the relationship or not. I love when the first glimpse inspires butterflies. When the POV character is desperate to learn more about this stranger. Add in a few mutual interests, or something for the characters to bond over (shared heartbreak maybe) and I'll be eating that story up any day of the week. Tell me that they're desperately in love before a single word is uttered and the only thing faster than the falling in love will be my eye roll as I lose any connection I might have had to the characters.

And because I have to say it, there are certain stories/genres that get a bit of a bye on this issue. Which stories? Paranormal (especially ones with shifters and some sort of imprinting system like a few real animals do have) and possibly fantasy/sci-fi if there is a justified reason for it (again, whose to say that the Dalgorns from Zargorn six don't have an ESP that auto-detects the love of their existence after all).

What do you think? Do you love instalove? Get bothered by it? Couldn't give a toss either way? Leave a comment below, I'll be back to answer them.  For now, I think I hear a crowd gathering at my door . . .

Looking back, and forward

It's already the new year, and a few days into the new year already in fact.

2015 was an epic year for me, and I owe so much of it to all the people who follow me, support me, buy my books, and are here.

I attended my first readers conference, Readers and Writers Down Under, in March, and my first Supanova in November.

I released seven books:
Besieged by Rain
All Amity Allows
Rise from Ash
Decide
Decline
Among the Debris; and
Deceive

I had my first photo shoot with dedicated models.

I reached the #1 spot in angels on Amazon for a giveaway with Evan.

I hit my first 1,000 subscribers on my newsletter.

There were challenges along the way, but I had so many wonderful people around me who picked me up and kept me going.

As I look forward to 2016, I have so many more exciting things planned. Returning to RWDU in March, and hopefully Supernova in November. My first international signing. New series, new books in existing series.

Already, I have some good goals for my release schedule:
Into the Rain in February
Decipher in March
Declare in May
Court the Fire in June
Phase in August
Igniting the Spark in October.

There should be some other fun surprises along the way too. So thank you all for being with me in 2015, and I look forward to chatting with you all and sharing more of my stories in 2016.

Deceive Teaser

How about a sneaky excerpt of Deceive? We're into the single digit countdown on this now!!

Have you read Decide and Decline yet to get ready for Deceive?


DECIDE 
5* review and a 'crowned heart of excellence' from InD'Tale Magazine​.
Strap in, get ready to start your engines and see where it all began.
From an early age, Declan Reede’s only goal was to race in the ProV8 Championship Series. One thing he couldn’t anticipate was that a blistering kiss shared with his best friend, Alyssa Dawson, might derail his plans.
While he knows things between them will never be the same, it’s impossible to predict just where the road will take them, or how rocky it might get.
Will he decide to fight for love or follow his dreams?
Start Declan Reede's story today with the FREE prequel novella: Amazon:US: http://amzn.to/1NACW5tUK: http://amzn.to/1M8D4GbAU: http://bit.ly/1NACZORiTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id10... and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/decid... https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/decide-3Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...


DECLINE
Hold on tight, stick to the racing line, and watch for the corners.
Four years after making the decision to leave his home town behind, all of Declan Reede's dreams have come true. Unapologetically foul-mouthed and well known for his off-track antics, his success seems unstoppable. At least until Queensland Raceway and a chance sighting of the girl who once held his heart. Now, getting around the track seems an impossible battle as he struggles to return to his previous form. With his career racing downhill faster than his V8 on Mount Panorama, there's more than just his reputation on the line.
What will it take to put the brakes on his decline?
**Due to strong language and sexual content not intended for anyone under age of 18**
Buy Links:US: http://amzn.to/1FclstlUK: http://amzn.to/1VZOrVxAU: http://bit.ly/1QCl5cKB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940152255270iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1033068230Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/decline-1Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view... with Michelle: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleIrwinAuthorAdd it to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1idmVoJ

~ 0 ~DECEIVE EXCERPT~ 0 ~
After we stood like that for a few more minutes, I decided the mood had been too heavy and serious for too long. I owed it to Alyssa to let go of my stress for a while so that I could show her a good time tomorrow. With Alyssa in mind, I twisted my body, grabbing Eden into a headlock and mussing up her hair.“Declan, you jackass!” she squealed, trying to yank herself from my arms. “We almost had a grown-up moment then.”“I know, Edie,” I said. I let her go and ran back inside the room. I glanced around it—I still had find a way to get rid of the images of Alyssa the morning after the school formal, but Eden was doing a good job of keeping me sane at the moment. “So, what have you got planned for tonight?”“Dinner at the Sunshine Room, and then daiquiris at the casino.” She grinned widely. “Eden, you know I’m a dude right? This—” I grabbed my crotch. “—qualifies me as such. Dudes don’t do daiquiris. Those are girly drinks.”“Oh, but look at those pretty locks of yours, Dec.” She jumped up and grabbed a handful of my hair, which was rapidly getting out of control without my regular trips to get it cut. “I’m sure I could put a nice barrette in there, maybe slip you into a turquoise dress to match your eyes. With your inch-long lashes and pretty pout, I think you’d make a hot chick.”I scowled at her. “You know you are just about the right weight for me to pick up and toss over that balcony.”She smirked at me. “I’d like to see you try.”I feigned a shrug and walked away, before quickly running back at the last minute and throwing her over my shoulder. I carried her back outside and sat her on the railing, with my arms wrapped around her to ensure she didn’t accidentally slip.“Declan Reede, you fucking arse, let me down,” she screamed as she clung tightly to my shoulders, squeezing her eyes shut. “You know I hate heights.”“What were you saying about me?”“That you are a manly man who has no feminine aspects at all.”“Exactly,” I said, before pulling her back off the balcony rail. I flipped her around me and put her back on her feet. She smacked my chest before running into the room. Before I could follow her inside, she slid the door shut and locked it. She stood on the other side of the glass and poked her tongue out at me.“Oh, you are going to get it, Edie!” I shouted.She pretended she couldn’t hear me, making ridiculously overemphasised gestures of cupping her ears.“All right, you’ve had your laugh,” I said. “Now, let me in.”She shook her head and laughed.I clasped my hands together and held them in from of me. “Please?” I begged, pushing my bottom lip out.“Uh-uh.”“What do I have to do to get back inside?”She tapped her chin. “You have to say Morgan is the best driver at Sinclair Racing.”“Oh, I see,” I said, laughing. “So for me to come in, I’ve got to lie. Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.”
~ 0 ~

Pre-order Deceive now:
Amazon: US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015YBJCU8/UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015YBJCU8/AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B015YBJCU8/B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/29401... https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1044948363Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/deceive-declan-reede-the-untold-story-2Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view... it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...