Fiona Tarr's Blog, page 7

Nominated for the Author Academy Awards

The Jericho Prophecy has made the short list and is now nominated as a finalist in the Author Academy Awards. This is a global award and hundreds of books were up for consideration. I’m pretty honoured The Jericho Prophecy was selected as one of the top 10 Fantasy submissions.

 

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How I found out was pretty funny really. I had been getting emails about the nomination and they had been slipping into my spam folder :). I’m sure the organisers would be horrified to find out. It wasn’t until I got a personal email from one of the team-In a little bit of a panic-to let me know personally that I had been nominated.

The Jericho Prophecy is the first in my new series The Eternal Realm. It debut #first release in mythology for nearly 2 weeks and that was awesome. This achievement had a lot to do with the fantastic support from you guys; my readers.

For those of you who haven’t read it yet, The Jericho Prophecy is a retelling of the Old Testament bible story ‘Fall of Jericho’. I have messed with it quite a bit though; sort of twisted the ending, added the Canaanite goddess Asherah and the usual strong female characters you have come to know and love.

The Jericho Prophecy is also in the final stages of the Readers Favourite Awards, so fingers crossed, we might have a finals nomination there too.

Now before all this lovely fuss happened, I had planned to raise the price of this book (because I have a new one out very soon and well to be honest its pretty good). So if you haven’t managed to get your copy yet, grab it now @$2.99 before it goes to $3.99. You can find the book on Amazon or all other digital sellers.

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The first book in my series – I know running two series side by side, crazy right! – Call of the Druids (Volume 1 in The Priestess Chronicles) will be available in October. Cover reveal coming soon.

Readers Favorite 5 Star Review for The Jericho Prophecy

Official Press Release: Readers Favorite

 

Author’s new book receives a warm literary welcome.

Readers’ Favorite announces the review of the Fiction – Mythology book “The Jericho Prophecy” by Fiona Tarr, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CNBWX9F.

Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

“Reviewed By Eeva Lancaster for Readers’ Favorite

The Jericho Prophecy by Fiona Tarr is biblical fiction based on the fall of Jericho. It has been forty years since the Israelites wandered in the desert, and they arrive in the land of the Canaanites, ready to claim the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, and backed up by the powers of Yahweh, the Israelite god. Joshua sends spies to Jericho for information and there, Salmah, one of the spies, meets Rahab, a priestess of the goddess Asherah, protector of Jericho. In spite of their differing faiths, the two connect and conspire to save their people from the impending turmoil, brought about by the gods whose intentions they cannot comprehend. Under the command of Yahweh, Joshua seems determined to slaughter every man, woman, and child, but Salmah finds it hard to accept that the Israelites will gain the land of milk and honey this way. He starts to doubt if the intentions of Joshua are really the will of Yahweh. He and Rahab, along with the goddess Asherah, work together to find a more amicable solution. Asherah has motives of her own and she is determined that the line of Salmah and the royal family of Jericho be preserved to fulfill a prophecy.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Jericho Prophecy. The history and the characters are skillfully developed by Fiona Tarr. The plot was captivating, and the dialogue kept me engaged. I enjoy biblical fiction and this book made it easy for me to imagine that I was there in Jericho, amidst the chaos, making me empathize with the hopes and doubts of a people who witnessed firsthand the miracles and powers of the gods they worshiped. There’s romance and intrigue and I easily got caught up in the machinations of both gods and mortals. I found myself rooting for the characters and sympathizing with the dilemma they found themselves in. Fiona Tarr is a highly entertaining writer with exceptional storytelling skills. I recommend The Jericho Prophecy to readers who like biblical myths and legends, reinvented to give us a deeper view of the people and events we often read about. There is a lot of meat in this book and it gave me hours of entertainment.”

You can learn more about Fiona Tarr and “The Jericho Prophecy” at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-jericho-prophecy where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

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Author Spotlight with Christy Nicholas

I get to meet some great Indie Authors in my travels and Christy Nicholas is no exception. She has an extensive catalogue of books and a real affinity with the Celtic fantasy genre of which I am also quite attached. Christy has a brand new release just out which is on sale for a limited time, but before we jump to the bargains, let’s get to know Christy a little better.

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Great to have you with Atime2write Christy. Thanks for joining us. I’ve read your first book in the Druid’s Brooch Series and I just wanted to let you know you inspired me to write a Celtic story myself.  I think your book must have called to my Scottish & Irish ancestry.

Just a few questions to help everyone get to know you a little better.

What motivated you to write a story with Celtic origins?

I’ve always loved all things Irish. I have some ancestry in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. My mom used to sing me an Irish lullaby (Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-rah!) and had an Irish Rovers album called The Unicorn. Since I’ve grown up, my fascination with Ireland has led me to travel there five times (so far!) Once I got into writing, I knew exactly where I wanted to set my stories.

Do you have any more books planned in the series?

There will be a total of nine books. Three trilogies, because I’m wedded to symmetry. I’ve started writing book seven, the first of the final trilogy.

I have a thing about even numbers & symmetry so I get what you mean. So who do you see as the audience for your books?

Fans of historical fiction, fantasy, and adventure. Those that like Diana Gabaldon’s books, or Sara Donati.

Is the brooch on the cover of your series real, or a product of your artistic flair?

Both, really. It is strongly based on a real piece of jewelry made by Walker Metalsmiths in New York. I had a vision in my mind of the brooch and an internet search found something almost exactly like what I imagined. With his permission, we used his image and modified it to be perfect. The ultimate inspiration was the historic Tara Brooch, which dates to the 7thcentury.

Tell us a little more about your Green Dragon persona.

When I was 12, I read the Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey. To this day, they remain some of my favourite stories. In her books, female dragons were either green or gold. The gold had all the responsibilities, and the green had all the fun. Thus I became a green dragon!

That is amazing. We have Anne McCaffrey books on our book shelf but its my husband who has read them. I’m yet to open them up; maybe I should take a look. I understand you travel quite a bit. What is your most favourite place?

Usually the last place I’ve visited! Right now, that’s Iceland. We went around the Ring Road in 2015 and I was unprepared as to how stunning the landscape was. Ireland will always hold a piece of my heart and soul, but Iceland blew me away. Next we’re planning a trip to Norway and Denmark for 2019.

I’m a little envious over your travels. I was wondering, what project are you working on at the moment?

I’ve just barely begun the seventh book in the Druid’s Brooch Series, Age of Saints. It’s set in the 6thcentury, and has St. Columba as a supporting character.

Roughly how long does it take you to complete a novel and can you tell us a little more about your process?

After a couple weeks of planning and research, the first draft takes me about two months to write. The longest part is the editing—beta readers, professional edits, re-writing, refining, etc. A total of about four-five months, all told. However, I usually have one project started during the editing process of the previous one.

Finally, I often like to throw in a quirky question to finish up so; If you were a new addition to a giant crayon box, What Colour would you be & why?

Rainbow Sheen. Because I have many aspects, and cannot be defined by one colour! J

Thanks Christy. It was great having you with us. Good luck with your latest release; Misfortune of Time. Readers can grab this latest book at a special price of only US.99c until the 15thJuly, so be quick, just click on the image to find it on Amazon.

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You can also pick up Christy’s first in series for only US99c

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To find out more about Christy, visit her Amazon author page here. Or find more of her various creative works on her website Green Dragon Artist. 

The Review that Sparked a Re-format

There is a certain amount of pain and pleasure that goes into preparing a novel for publication. There is the constant search for perfection, the misery of discovering a missed typo and then there is the agonising formatting process.

Well it turns out this process does get easier the more novels you publish and I feel the format for The Jericho Prophecy has been very well received, but that is novel #6 and I have learnt a lot since my first book was released in 2014.

So when I got this (barely) 4 star review while coincidentally formatting The Complete Collection of the Covenant of Grace series, I became aware that not all e-book readers are created equal. My first three books were formatted using a double space between scene changes and different POV’s (points of view).

In print it looked and read fine. On a my iPad in Kindle reader, also fine; but not so fine on some Kindle e-readers. Thanks Yvi for pointing out the difficulty you experienced reading Destiny of Kings when the space didn’t appear on your e-reader. Now, since book #4 I have used **** to show a clear definition between POV or scene changes and while formatting Volumes 1-5 into The Complete Collection I had already started formatting all these double spaces with the asterisk, but now I am working on reformatting books 1 -3 in order to be consistent and more readable.

If you were just about to continue reading the series after your free copy of Destiny of Kings, then maybe you can consider buying the boxed set of volumes 1-5 which has already been reformatted.

 

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Let me know in the comments below if you have enjoyed the different POV’s in my books or if you have any feedback on my new boxed set of The Complete Collection of the Covenant of Grace series.

Marie Lavender – Enlightenment through a Traditional Publisher

Marie Lavender is joining me again on Atime2write to share an article about traditional publishing.

Marie is a multi-award winning author who writes across a number of genre, so no matter your taste, Marie probably has something in her huge selection of books to suit.

Enlightenment through a Traditional Publisher

by Marie Lavender

I always knew I wanted to be an author, from the moment that I began writing stories in my free time, around the age of nine. Before then, the tales just spun in my head. I borrowed writer’s reference books from the library, even bought the ones I liked when I had spare money. It was a dream to see my name on a novel in the bookstore.

But the industry changed. The arrival of eBooks and indie publishing simplified the process for some writers. Starting in 2010, I even tried it for a while. Since then, I’ve published fifteen books on my own.

Still, I held out hope that I’d reach a real publishing company. I selected the manuscript closest to my heart – Upon Your Return– a historical romance in which I’d poured blood, sweat and tears of writing and research for eight years. By 2011, the novel was ready to be seen. At that point, I began contacting numerous literary agencies and publishing companies, hoping to snag someone’s attention. It’s not as easy as it sounds in theory, though. Each agent and publisher has their own ideas about what they’re looking for with new materials. Plus, some are not too welcoming to new writers, especially without having representation. I received a lot of rejections,  and after each one, I told myself to brush it off and keep trying. Someone somewhere would want my book. I even had a few full manuscript requests. However, after receiving one particularly scathing email, stating I should rewrite the whole story in order to be considered at their fine establishment, I took some time to digest those comments.

Am I willing to sacrifice my vision of the story, to destroy my characters – those I’ve come to care about like family – just so that I can call myself a true published author?

My instincts and my heart screamed a resounding no, and I politely declined their offer, thanking them for the time they took to read the book. And guess what? I kept trying, sending queries to other places. You might think I’m crazy because of what I went through. At that point, why would I even bother?

Well, I believed in the story. I was convinced someone would see its value, the way I did. And…I was right.

In August of 2012, I received a surprise in my inbox. There was a full book contract waiting on me! A publisher actually wanted to take a chance on me, but more importantly, on my historical romance novel. Of course, after reviewing the contract, and checking that their royalties met industry standards, I signed on with them. Later I was assigned an editor, from whom I learned so much about correctly revising sections, and even more about how to avoid head-hopping. We fixed some historical inaccuracies too. I discovered what my weaknesses were as a writer, and how I could improve. Beyond all that, the editor was kind enough not to change my ‘voice’, to affect the original vision I had for the book, and I’ll be forever grateful for it.

February of 2013 brought wonderful news! Upon Your Returnwas released through Solstice Publishing, and distributed via many online booksellers. The publisher was so great to work with. The opportunity I was granted through being published helped to spark ideas for other books in the series, as well as standalone stories and different series in other genres. Additionally, being with Solstice taught me the benefits of having a pen name, and now I have plans to move my backlist under the same name so it’s all less confusing.

In February of this year, the boxed set for the Victorian maritime romance trilogy was released.

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I now have four series established with Solstice Publishing. You might wonder why I’ve stuck around, at least besides the fact that they’ve accepted every manuscript I’ve submitted to them. For one, they maintain a consistent connection with their authors, almost a familial bond. Respect goes both ways. If you respect your publisher, they’ll respect you as a writer. Solstice often offers up a ton of advice to new authors during their journeys. For most writers, the process can feel a bit solitary. The people at Solstice are willing to answer any questions, and provide tutorials as needed. Getting established in the industry is tough for anyone, and it helps to have a helping hand. Another point in their favor? They welcome writers who write in multiple genres, as that leaves the promise of future publishing opportunities. Most publishers prefer their writers to stay rooted in one spot, and usually publish in one or limited genres. Furthermore, their reputation keeps expanding. With over 300 authors and more than a thousand books available, they’re doing quite well for their company size. Solstice is also one of the few companies in the industry that does not require a literary agent for manuscript submissions. I’ve never had any bad experiences with their editors either.

I’ll always be grateful to Solstice for giving me a professional boost, and offering a glimpse into the world of traditional publishing. Be advised, I’m not endorsing Solstice Publishing here. I am not asking anyone to submit to them. That is more about personal choice. What works for one author may not for another. I’m simply stating that though every writer’s path is unique, the option of traditional publishing should be considered, at least briefly. Or perhaps you can be a hybrid author like me, and try dipping your toes in both worlds. There’s nothing wrong with going the indie route either. I’ve met plenty of successful authors who publish their own books, and are quite content with managing each aspect of it.

Yet I’ve learned a lot on my journey, and found some benefits to working with a traditional publisher for select titles. Just this week, a new book released, the sequel to Second Nature. Blood Instinctsis a futuristic paranormal romance/urban fantasy and book two of the Blood at First Sight Series.

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Below you can learn more about the novel. I hope I’ve given you something to think about. Traditional publishing isn’t for everyone, but it is a great option if you’re willing to put in the work to get there. Maybe you’ll find a pleasant surprise in your inbox too!

 

Blurb for Blood Instincts

Enter the Other World at your own risk…

What if you found out that you weren’t exactly…human?

Myah Sullivan is suddenly living that nightmare. There are Others in the world, dangerous, supernatural creatures that make her mind spin and cause her to question the reality she’s always known.

Oliver King is her savior, a vampire who tries to show her the way. Through her journey she learns far more than she ever thought she would about herself, and about the past. Soon, she discovers that there is so much more to meeting Oliver than mere happenstance.

Can Myah accept her new reality, or will she retreat into that normal, safe world she once thought was her own?

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JtGURP

All other ebook retailers: http://books2read.com/u/bppKAk

Publisher:  http://solsticepublishing.com/blood-instincts/

Goodreads link:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40237583-blood-instincts

Author Bio

Multi-genre author of Victorian romance, UPON YOUR RETURN, and 23 other books. UPON YOUR LOVE and THE MISSING PIECE placed in the TOP 10 on the 2017 P&E Readers’ Poll. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART was nominated for the 2017 Reader’s Choice Awards. The I Love Romance Blog became a finalist in StartDating DK’s Romance Blog Awards of 2017. ILRB landed on Feedspot’s 2017 TOP 100 Novel Blogs and TOP 100 Romance Blogs. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART placed in the TOP 10 Books of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog. TOP 20 Authors of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog. Mystery Blogger Award for 2017. A to Z Blog Challenge Survivor in 2016. March 2016 Empress of the Universe title – winner of the “Broken Heart” themed contest and the “I Love You” themed contest on Poetry Universe. SECOND CHANCE HEART and A LITTLE MAGICK placed in the TOP 10 on the 2015 P&E Readers’ Poll. Nominated in the TRR Readers’ Choice Awards for Winter 2015. Poetry winner of the 2015 PnPAuthors Contest. The Versatile Blogger Award for 2015. Honorable Mention in the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. Finalist and Runner-up in the 2014 MARSocial’s Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader’s Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013, 2014 and 2016. 2013 and 2014 Amazon Bestseller Ranking for UPON YOUR RETURN. Top 10 Authors on AuthorsDB.com. Winner of the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.

 

Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 24 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. She has also contributed to several anthologies. Her current published series are The Heiresses in Love Series, The Eternal Hearts Series, The Magick Series, The Code of Endhivar Series and The Blood at First Sight Series.

 

Author Links

Official Website: http://marielavender.com/

Blogs: http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/

http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/

http://marielavender.blogspot.com/

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58

https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender

https://twitter.com/marielavender1

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MarieLavender/posts

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a

Amazon author page: http://Author.to/MarieLavender

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender

http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender

http://marielavender1.allauthor.com/

http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender

http://manicreaders.com/marielavender/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos

Sign up for Marie’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1g3wO13

 

 

#1 New Release – The Jericho Prophecy

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The Jericho Prophecy has debut at #1 New Release in Mythology and I couldn’t be happier. Thanks to everyone who picked up their copy during the release special offer of 99c.

Such a successful release wouldn’t be possible without the help of some great author friends of mine. These wonderful people helped share the news about my latest Fantasy Novel with their readers. You might even find out some more intriguing information about me while reading their articles and interviews, so take a look. Browse around their sites while you are there as these are some of the Indie Author worlds best.

Marie Lavender shared a New Release Feature on her website Writing in the Modern Age and so did Sally Cronin, in Sally’s Cafe.

I wrote a few articles for other authors sites including these ones for Juneta key, Montgomery Mahaffey & Chris the Story Reading Ape.

I also did a number of author interviews and I think you might discover a few new facts about my writing you hadn’t learnt yet if you take a look on Renee’s, Christy’s, Carol’s & Julie’s sites.

Thanks to all of the authors who helped with the launch, including those who tweeted, FB’d and sent out the New Release to their readers via email. These included Melinda, Marilyn and number of others who I have tagged on Twitter.

If you missed the 99c deal, I’m sorry. The book is still available through all your usual outlets including Amazon & all other ebook suppliers. So far all the UK & US reviews have been glowing 5 stars, so I think its worth the $2.99 price tag, why not take a look at the preview & decide for yourself.

The Jericho Prophecy has been nominated in the Reader Awards Contest. This is the very first book I have ever submitted to a contest so I will keep you posted if it makes the finals; fingers crossed. Your reviews are not necessary for this contest but they certainly could help, so if you have read The Jericho Prophecy, please don’t forget to tell me what you thought by reviewing on your ebook store.

I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into the next book in The Eternal Realm Series.

 

What I’m Reading – David Gemmell

Sword in the Storm – David Gemmell.

You may not know that it was David Gemmell who inspired me to write fantasy. His books are fast paced and full of humour, humanity and realistic characters.

When I started to draft my latest book; a novella based on the Shiloh Priestess Order in the Covenant of Grace Series, I wanted to change the setting to a more celtic world. I did some research into the origin of the Celtic people and discovered just what I needed to use in my coming mini series. Once I decided to focus on the Celtic history of magic and folklore I thought I needed some inspirational reading.  That’s where David Gemmell’s books once again came to mind; in particular his Rigante series which is based in Celtic culture.

I am so sad over the literary industries loss with the passing David Gemmell. I honestly believe he was one of the greatest heroic fantasy writers and have yet to find anyone who can hold a candle to his unique style.

I am working my way through the entire series (now on to book two pictured below). It’s been so long since I read it, I have forgotten so much about the fast and deep plots he wrote.

If you would like to join me in reading this series, you can buy David Gemmell’s books online here.

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The Jericho Prophecy Cover Reveal

It’s been a really difficult job selecting between these two final covers. Both were really well received by readers & fellow authors but I have finally settled on one.

I am so happy with this cover, I hope you love it as much as I do. My ARC team saw three final options and I took into account some peer feedback, making a few tweaks along the way; even my editor got a preview this time around. After some really close deliberation, I am happy to reveal the final cover for The Jericho Prophecy Book 1 of The Eternal Realm.

 

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This cover won out over the other final option (below) as the most suitable for the digital version (especially the thumbnail size) but once I get organised and run a few paperbacks, the option below will definitely come up best for the paperback.

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Here is some early feedback from my ARC team: “A truly wonderful read with the plot very skilfully woven throughout the book. I’m now eagerly anticipating the next one. Well done! Fantastic work!”

Another ARC reader “A great book by a great author!! Definitely a Must Read!!!”

– Whoop Whoop!! I am a little excited right now. Add this to my Beta team who said The Jericho Prophecy was my best novel yet and I am really looking forward to offering you a super special deal on release.

So! If you want to make sure you get your hands on a copy of The Jericho Prophecy for only 99c then it might be a good idea to either either email me a note (I will send you a special release email to remind you), follow me on facebook or keep a close eye on my website. The book will be released on the 1st May on Amazon & other digital resellers for 99c for one week only, after which it will go up to my regular book price of $2.99.

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The Jericho Prophecy is a slight departure from my earlier series, but I expect readers will enjoy some of the Biblical elements they are used to, but at the same time, find a refreshing underlying plot that will follow throughout the entire series. Each book will be a stand alone novel, so no waiting on a knife edge at the end of this book.

Tell me what you think of the cover for my latest release. I’m nail biting here for your feedback

Author Spotlight with Amanda J Evans

Amanda has a keen interest in the spiritual realm as I do, so her latest novel caught my eye recently. Save her Soul is available on Amazon (at a special price) but before you jump in and grab her novel, why not get to know her better.

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Hi Amanda, thanks for joining me. I notice you write across a number of genre including some interesting non-fiction books. Of all your books, which is your favourite and why?

My favourite book to date, published, has to be Save Her Soul. This was my first full-length novel. I loved writing it, I loved all the twists and turns, and I loved the surprises it threw at me. I don’t plan my books, I literally just pick up my pen and notebook each morning and start writing. I might have a vague idea of what the next scene will be, but that’s about it. Save Her Soul was special because when I picked up my pen to start writing this I had no idea what I was going to write. What came out on those first pages was a really strong female character who was struggling to deal with the death of her sister. I knew instantly this was going to be a character I would love, and I can honestly say, I loved Kate. The choices she made throughout remained in character and the choices she had to make in the end were selfless and really brought her to life.

I have written some non-fiction as you’ve mentioned and these books were written before I had the courage to follow my dreams and write fiction. I felt non-fiction was the easiest thing to do because I had the experience to share in those books. Surviving Suicide: A Memoir from Those Death Left Behind, is a personal book and was a way of healing for me.

I write in a similar way, without too much pre-planning J . Tell us a little about your writing career.

I’ve always dreamed of being a writer. It was the one thing I loved more than anything as a child and I guess it has stuck with me. It wasn’t a career I followed though, as I never had the confidence. I always dabbled, poetry mostly in my teen years and I let writing go in my twenties, took up an administrative career, and had a family. In 2003, I discovered ghost-writing and how you could get paid to write for someone else. This was the turning point for me. I like the idea of someone telling me what to write. I began writing articles and website content and moved on to short eBooks and marketing stuff. It felt amazing to be writing again and I realised how much I missed it. I joined poetry groups and forums and had a ball. In 2016, I joined a local writers group and that is when my fiction finally started to take off. I’d always been afraid I couldn’t write a long story, that I didn’t know how. In July 2016, our writers group decided to try the page a day challenge. I thought I would finish some of the short stories I had started. I opened one, a prompt on pirates, and started adding to it every day. I just kept writing, allowing the characters to tell their story, and Finding Forever was born. The day I finished it, I decided to keep going with the page a day challenge and started Save Her Soul. I never stopped. I still do the page a day challenge now and have a number of projects that I am working on.  

If you could explain your writing style in one sentence, what would that be.

This is a really tough question. I guess you could say, my writing style is personal, deep, and emotional. I like to get inside my character’s head, to get a feel for them, an understanding if you like. I like to think that I transcribe their life and story with the words they give me. I want readers to experience their stories the way I do, as if viewing a movie in their head.

If you could claim authorship of any book written, which book and why?

Another very difficult question. I think this would have to be a book that would change lives. Make people think about all the amazing things they can do. It would have to be a book that contained magic, or a superhero. A book where good wins over evil. I always loved The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. A small boy with the power to defeat evil and create a world of wonder by making wishes.  

I saw the movie, but must admit I never read the book. If you don’t write full time, what is your regular working world all about.

I write full time but not for myself. My day job involves writing website content for a number of clients around the world. The subject matter varies, but I enjoy it. I usually have about 40 minutes to write for myself each day and I’d love to eventually be able to write my own books full time.  

Tell us something your readers might not already know about you.

I’m a very shy person and I love spending time alone to contemplate my thoughts. My husband like to say I live in my head a lot of the time. I believe in happy ever after and that being kind is one of the most important qualities you can have. I try to look for the positive in everything and the good in everyone I meet. I’m not very confident where my writing is concerned and I’m always blown away when I receive messages and reviews from readings saying they loved my stories.

What genre do you most enjoy reading?

I love reading books about magic and my favourite genre is probably Young Adult. It’s such a vulnerable age and I love books that show teens with strength and compassion, and the courage to change the world around them. I love books to have a happy ever after because I’m a big soppy romantic at heart.

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Places to find Amanda:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amandajevanswriter
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amandajevans
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/117144241706669072531/
LinkedIn: http://ie.linkedin.com/in/amandajevans/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajevanswriter/
Website: http://www.amandajevans.com

Author Spotlight with Lee Isserow

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I knew the moment I saw the cover to Lee’s books this was going to be a very quirky interview. Lee’s writing style is fluid and easy to read, so take a look at this special offer on the first in his paranormal thriller series The Freelancers – The Spirit Box. Don’t forget to read the interview below; it is probably one of my favourites to date