Fiona Tarr's Blog, page 8

The Cover Disaster that Launched a New Name

I had an awesome artist concept in my mind that would have made a fabulous cover if I could have commissioned a brilliant Digital artist, but alas there just wasn’t the budget. So we searched the stock images and took my concept & turned it into a draft. It was ghastly.

I thought it was a good start to begin with, but then I asked a few of my fellow authors what they thought. One author told me that it was a cross between a western scene & Ben Hur, while another advised it screamed Christian Fiction – ouch!

Here is how it evolved from the cool images I showed you in my earlier post here to this.

 

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While commissioning a skilled fantasy digital artist might have saved it, that just wasn’t an option this time around, so we are back to the drawing board but with some great new insights. This feedback has guided some major pre-release changes.

Fall of Jericho has undergone a name change. With such a direct biblical reference it was at risk of attracting readers who might be offended by the rather broad spiritual content. See the prologue preview here to get my drift

Fall of Jericho – Prologue Preview

It may be the my celebratory glass of wine talking but I am really excited to share with you my draft prologue for Fall of Jericho. I just finished the plot edit and now I am ready to tackle what I call my mise en scene edit (setting the atmosphere for each scene) but before I start on that, here is my Prologue draft. Tell me what you think!

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The Goddess gathered the energy from the matter around her and imagined what she wanted to see. Her Oasis, her Sanctuary formed before her sight and it was beautiful with fresh flowing water, lush green grass, precious creatures and an abundance of peaceful energy to fill her spirit.

The Host of Heaven were in disarray and Asherah withdrew from their divinity. Her sanctuary hovered above the new city founded by the exiled ancestors of creation. They were cursed for such a trivial transgression that the Goddess took pity on them and vowed to protect and care for them until the end of time.

The people worshipped Asherah, goddess of fertility, love and nurturing until the reign of their civilisation became blinded by wealth and power and intelligent design, but the Priestesses of Asherah never lost faith for they were givers of harmony and healing.

War was coming to her people, Asherah could feel it in her spirit, but the wars of humanity passed quickly for the Host of Heaven who were busy with a war of their own. A war that transcended eternity. A war that found no winners and continued to wreak havoc on the inhabitants of the world below.

Before I get too far into my mise en scene edit, I might draft a few cover designs so keep an eye out. They will be loosely based on some of the pictures I shared recently. This one being one of the most popular.

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Author Spotlight with Marilyn Peake

It is amazing how many USA Today authors I have interviewed recently, but Marilyn goes one step better. She has also made the Wall Street Journal Best Seller list so I had to find out more about her work.

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Marilyn has a new Paranormal Romance series with the first book just released and has kindly offered my readers a free copy of her Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy first in series, Shade.  Before we jump to the goodies, how about we find out more about Marilyn and her writing.

 

Marilyn, I’m always curious about what books manage to make the USA Today Best Seller list, so can you tell me more about the novel that got you there. 

My Science Fiction novel, The Other, was in the multi-author boxed set, Dominion Rising organized by Gwynn White and P.K. Tyler, when it sold enough copies to make both the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. That boxed set did amazingly well, selling over 30,000 copies during pre-release and release week and continuing to sell after that. I’ve been reading books by the other authors in that boxed set and I’m really proud to have had a book in the same collection with them.

Everyone has such a unique story that led them to become a writers; what’s your story?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid. In high school, I wrote for several local newspapers. I finally published my first novel, The Fisherman’s Son, in 2003. It’s the first book in a trilogy of children’s novels. My own children were little when I wrote that series and it was great fun reading it to them because they loved the books so much.

A start with children’s books is amazing. I notice you now write mostly Sci-fi & fantasy. Do you have a preference?

I love writing in both Sci-fi and Fantasy and don’t have a preference. I also enjoy reading books in both those genres, as well as reading literary novels.

I always ask this question when I see authors making the USA Today Best Seller list. Do you write full-time or do you have a day job? 

I’m a full-time writer.

Tell us something your readers might not know about you.

In addition to writing, I’m also an amateur photographer. I especially love travel photography.

If you could steal the credit for authorship of any book, what title would that be?

I would have loved to have written the Harry Potter or The Expanse series! Those are both amazing!

Marilyn is a multi-award winning author and I have really enjoyed getting to know more about her work.

AWARDS: Silver Award, two Honorable Mentions and eight Finalist placements

in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, two Winner and two Finalist

placements in the EPPIE Awards, Winner of the Dream Realm Awards, Finalist

placement in the 2015 National Indie Excellence Book Awards, and Winner of

“Best Horror” in the eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards.

 

Get your free copy of Shade, book 1 in Marilyn’s Young Adult Paranormal Series here.

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And take a look at Marilyn’s brand new Paranormal Romance series Blood and Ashes here.

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Cover Feedback Survey Results are In

33 Responses and Some Awesome Feedback

First up, thanks to everyone who took the time to give their feedback on covers; my covers in particular. Here is a quick summary of the results.

Less than 20% of you said you buy a book based on its cover, while nearly 80% said that is can affect your decision sometimes.

72% of you like my covers, which was actually great but with 18% not liking them I probably need to consider some minor tweaks in the future.

Thankfully, 10 of you lovely respondents have offered to join my ARC & Cover review team which is fantastic. Keep an eye out as I prepare the final version of Fall of Jericho and draft some cover options.

Fall of Jericho Update

I have written over 38,000 words in my first draft. I’m over half way through my initial plot and I am really excited about where the story is going. It’s so much fun weaving my signature sub-plots into the story and I am dedicating February to finalising my draft ready for my beta readers. That puts me well on track for a May release.

Some Images Just for Fun

I have been searching images for the book cover. Sure, most people know the Old Testament version of Jericho, but as readers would expect, my version is quite a lot more complex than the origonal. For instance, the ancient Canaanites (they lived in Jericho) worshipped the Goddess Asherah and here is a little hint, she has quite a role to play in this story.

So let me know what you think of these pictures of the ‘Goddess’, along with a few pictures of boring city walls; I promise they won’t be boring when I am finished. I have a few ideas in mind for the cover and would love to know if you like any of these pictures.

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Favourite Covers

As I work with my cover designer on Fall of Jericho, I would love to see what you consider to be your favourite book cover in the fantasy genre. Comment below with a link to the book or tell me the book and author so I can take a look. This will really help me prepare the best possible cover options for the next book and every book after that.

 

 

Author Spotlight with Melinda Kucsera

I’ve met some very interesting authors with my Author Spotlight articles, but when I asked Melinda a few questions in preparation for this interview I discovered her characters really do have a mind of their own. Melinda has Kindly offered the first book in her series free to all my readers. Grab your copy here and make sure you read it quickly because if you love the series, book 4 is available on pre-order here.

Before you rush off to get your copy, let’s get to know a little more about Melinda and her novels. WARNING! Melinda’s characters can be a little presumptuous so just be prepared people

2017 in Review

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Not sure if its the completion of my first series, the compilation of years of work or the generosity of both my readers and other authors I network with, but 2017 has been a great year for my books. It’s the first year I managed to write more than one novel (Heir of Vengeance and The Ehud Dagger Novella) and its the first year I might even break even on the cost of producing my books

Sally Cronin Features The Ehud Dagger

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Sally is a fabulous supporter of Indie Authors and her website is a great source of new books from your favourite authors. This article features my latest book The Ehud Dagger Novella.

What is absolutely fantastic is that Sally went looking for my latest book and I got a spike in sales before I even knew she had run the post. This was a wonderful surprise and a credit to Sally’s strong following but it got me thinking about the relationships I have made since I published my first book Destiny of Kings back in 2014.

The Power of Communication

One of my previous jobs involved working as a Community Development Officer or my title was actually Community Connections Director (fancy name, regular job). It was during this role that I became acutely aware of the importance of building relationships with like minded people, so when it came to writing, I was better prepared to start the marketing process via networking and communication. Sally was one of my first networking buddies and I really value her ongoing support, so please make sure you check out her site.

Now speaking of communication. I would love to get some feedback from my readers and open up the communication channel between us, so I have a quick little poll I need your help with if you have a few moments.

Have you heard of KU Kindle Unlimited? As an Indie there was a lot of discussion when I started publishing about ‘going wide’ or sticking with KU. Now I chose to go wide, which means my books are available through Kobo, B&N and Apple which I still feel is really important but I need your help to make sure I am on the right track.

So what platform do you use to buy and read your books. I would love for you to do this quick little survey for me so that I can plan how I release my next book; Fall of Jericho in 2018.

Take the Survey Here

There are 4 very quick multiple choice questions so please take a few seconds and help me plan future books sales channels, prices & other options.

If you are not into polls, please feel free to email me here. 

Planning a ‘Research’ Trip through the Mediterranean

I need your help!

I have wanted to visit the Greek Islands and the Mediterranean since I first saw James Bond in For Your Eyes Only many, many, many…. (you get the idea) years ago. Once I started writing novels about ancient Israel, Egypt and other areas of the Med, the lure continued to grow. So, I am planning a trip in May 2019 and I am chasing suggestions from you all about the must see places in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan & Israel.

Now my husband and I are having a rather extensive debate right now; do we stick to Egypt & Israel or do we broaden our travel considering how long it takes & how much it costs to fly from Australia to the Mediterranean? I think 2 months and as many stop as possible is the way to go. He thinks 4-5 weeks and more time in each place is better. Suggestions anyone?

We celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary late in 2018 and our 50th birthdays in 2019, so we thought it was about time and a perfect excuse

Author Spotlight with Eileen Hodgetts

The first question I had to ask Eileen when we talked for this interview was how and with which book she made the USA Today best seller list. I was quite surprised to discover the book was a Novella and part of an anthology, but what was even more interesting was the novella was an urban fantasy comedy, written from a stage play Eileen wrote called Phoebe and the Steel City Vampires.

Eileen has offered the first book in her Arthurian series Excalibur Rising (which isn’t at all what you might be expecting) but before we jump to the FREEbie, let’s get to know a little more about Eileen.

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Q: What made you choose Arthurian Fantasy as your genre for this series?

I wrote Excalibur Rising because I was inspired by Malory and Tennyson to believe (???) that Arthur was only sleeping and he would return. I have held the story in my head for years. When I was in London a long time ago, I wrote it as a class exercise short story and I have been waiting ever since to fill it out.  I didn’t expect to go to 4 books, but there is just so much story there and the legend has endured for so long, I feel there must be something behind it.  I came up with my own reasons for the story to endure and for the fact that no one has ever been able to find the remains of Camelot and the round table..

Q: Tell us a little bit about where you were born and where you live now.

I was born in the UK, lived in South Africa and spent 15 years working between Uganda and the US. I now live in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania where I am very happy and part of an exciting new writing movement.

Q: Tell us more about your project.

It’s called Mindful Writing, based on Hindu meditation and it is now increasing in popularity here. We have four groups and are preparing for group 5. We meet at a library, or restaurant or a church, and we do guided meditation for 20 minutes and then we write in silence for four hours. The energy in the room is amazing. Two times a year we have a Mindful Writers Retreat, 5 days in the mountains, with a similar pattern except more writing hours and adding Mindful Meditative walking. It has changed my life and my writing production; I try to hit at least 3 of the groups per week for quality time.

Q: That sounds like a really productive process. I hear you also do a little cooperative critiquing. How does that work?

I am part of a critique group and we meet once a month when we can read at most 4000 words from each member. We receive the material in advance.

Q: You have so much on, wow! What’s your current writing project?

I am now working on a WW2 mystery series featuring crimes that have taken place during WW2 and are solved after the war by Toby Whitby a young British solicitor. So the stories have two settings WW2 Britain and Post-war Britain. As I read the history of the period I am more and more aware that (a) Britain could easily have been defeated in 1940/41 and (b) Britain was more or less bankrupted by the War and the Britain of the early 1950’s was very troubled with rationing still in place and people suffering great hardships.  I try to include both of these views into my new series.  Book One, War Bride, is now released.

To get your FREE copy of Excalibur Rising, just click here.

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To see Eileen’s latest release War Bride, just check it out on Amazon here.

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Author Spotlight with Dean Wilson

It must be getting close to Christmas because there are so many great authors offering some fantastic promotions; so much so I have two Author Spotlights for October.

I asked Dean to join me as he has just released a 23 book boxed set of Fantasy and Sci-fi books from a group of talented authors and they are available at a super special price on Amazon (more about that shortly). Dean is a US Today Best Selling author and he has kindly offered me a special to share with readers a teaser of his work with. Grab your free copy of Rustkiller, an introduction to Dean’s Sci-fi Western series The Coilhunter Chronicles.

But before we jump to the goodies, I asked Dean a few questions about his work.

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Q: Dean, you have an impressive collection of books on your Amazon page. They cover multiple genres so I just wondered what your favourite genre is?

A: That’s not easy, as I like variety, but I’m really enjoying working on the Coilhunter series, which is Science Fiction Western. I just love the grittiness of it, and I like my film noir-esque dialogue. My least favourite of the genres I’ve worked on so far was Urban Fantasy. I think I just don’t like writing in the modern world, even if I’m exploring a fantastical element. I enjoy world-building, so completely different worlds work best for me, like Iraldas (where my Epic Fantasy series is set, and where I’ll eventually explore some Sword and Sorcery) and Altadas (where my Dystopian Steampunk and Sci-Fi Western series are set). This gives me more freedom to tell more unique and interesting stories.

 

Q: With so many books written, I can’t help but wonder; How long have you been writing?

A: Since I was a child, but I only started publishing in the last few years. My first published novel, The Call of Agon, was a work-in-progress since I was about 13 or 14, and it changed substantially over the course of more than a decade, where I not only discovered who the characters were, and what the story was, but also found my voice and style as a writer. Once that was published, and I reined in some of my perfectionist tendencies, I managed to get the rest of that series out relatively quickly. I typically write and publish three or four novels per year. I’ve tried to do more, but I need some assimilation time to ensure I don’t get burned out. It’s difficult, though, as I’m as impatient as some of my readers, and I have so many ideas and not enough time to get them written.

 

Q: What got you started with your writing?

A: I always had a love of words and language, and got into writing as a child, working on my first (unpublished) novel at age 11. I was initially inspired by the usual fare of The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, both of which have big, developed worlds that can contain many stories. That, I think, tells you a bit about what clicks for me. My first published series, The Children of Telm, is a story that largely revolves around language, so you can probably tell that I enjoy playing with words as much as I do with characters and plot. That’s also the kind of fiction I love to read.

 

Q: You host a great website that offers readers all sorts of special book offers. http://sffbookbonanza.com/ Why did you decide to host a separate website from your author site?

A: An author’s success is entirely dependant on his or her readers, so it’s always nice to be able to give something back. That’s one of the motivating factors behind the promos I organise. I started by hosting them on my own site, but they quickly grew too big for it (to the extent that they would crash the web host’s servers). I found I have a knack for organising high-quality promos, and my attention to detail makes them different from what a lot of others offer. With the support of many other sponsoring authors, SFF Book Bonanza now offers monthly prizes of Kindle Paperwhites, $100 Amazon Gift Cards, Gift Baskets, and, every three months, a colossal box of 52 paperbacks from the biggest names in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres. That’s in addition to lots of free or discounted ebooks. Having seen how these prizes bring so much joy to the readers who win them, I’d love to continue doing them long into the future.

 

Q: Are you a full-time author or like most Indie authors, do you have a ‘day job’?

A: I’m lucky enough to be a full-time author, something I wanted since I was a child. Prior to going full-time, I worked as a technology journalist. That was a totally different style of writing, which, I guess, helped me understand the importance of the economy of words. I definitely prefer writing fiction, though.

Thanks for having me!

 

To take a look at Dean’s work, you can download a free copy of Rustkiller here.

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Dominion Rising, the compilation boxed set of 23 new releases from various authors can be purchased from Amazon here

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