Why Readers Make Me Write – Guest post by A.M. Harte
I know Anna Harte can write, and I know she’s been extremely generous and supportive of my own writing, that’s why I’m very pleased she chose my blog as the final destination on her Above Ground Blog Tour to help launch her first novel. Details of the book, the author and where to find copies are to be found at the bottom of the page. Also, if you’ve been part of the mystery prize giveaway (or want to see who got what) the widget at the very end could be your gateway to happiness. Meanwhile, let me say once again what an honour it is to be able to play a part in the Above Ground launch. Releasing your first book is a very special thing for a writer’s and it is great to be involved in such an important event. And now, I’ll shut up and let Anna talk…
Why Readers Make Me Write
I can’t remember how I first came across Graham Storrs.
Was it through mutual author friends? Twitter? One of the numerous writing communities, or random chance?
All I know is that Graham is one of the few indie authors I (somewhat!) know whose work blew me away. I read TimeSplash and thought: Woah. Then I thought: I want to write something like this.
Throughout this past month, I’ve been running a blog tour to celebrate the release of my first novel, Above Ground. I’ve looked at how, where, and what to write, but I haven’t stopped to think about WHY.
Certainly authors like Graham – authors whose work captures my imagination – play their part in making me want to write.
But it’s more than that.
The truth is that I can’t imagine not writing.
If I go for a long stretch without writing, I get restless, anxious and irritable. It’s akin to cabin fever, trapped in my head with characters stepping on my toes. I feel unproductive and incomplete.
So why do I write? Simply to avoid being unhappy and/or going insane?
Of course not.
Writing also fills me with a terrible excitement. It’s all-consuming and empowering. No other activity fulfils me even half as much, and there is a (perhaps egotistical!) delight in seeing one’s thoughts come into being.
But the most important reason behind my writing – what made me transition from a writer scribbling stories to myself into an author willing to release her work into the public – is the joy of sharing.
My readers are the reason I write.
Without the support of my readers, Above Ground would have never made it to where it is today. They’ve encouraged me and had the utmost patience with my less-than-speedy output, and the only way I can repay their trust is to keep on writing.
My readers are the reason I write.
I’m a voracious reader myself. I know what it means to dedicate time to an author, to believe in their work and nudge them for sequels. To think that someone could feel the same way about my work is, quite simply, awesome.
My readers are the reason I write.
Ever since I read TimeSplash, I’ve been (gently) pestering Graham for a sequel. It is my sincerest hope that, with Above Ground, I can capture reader imagination in the same way.
Above Ground
The first glimpse of sun may be her last.
When Lilith Gray goes above ground for the first time, she hardly expects to stay there — much less be trapped on the surface with no way home.
Hunted by trackers and threatened by the infected, Lilith is on the run, desperate to return underground. Her only hope for survival lies with a taciturn werewolf with a dark agenda of his own.
Lilith’s old carefree life has been reduced to one choice:
Adapt. Or die trying.
Find Above Ground on Amazon and Goodreads
Kindle US – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009YA879S
Kindle UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009YA879S
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16090171-above-ground
A.M. Harte writes twisted speculative fiction, such as the post-apocalyptic Above Ground and the zombie love anthology Hungry For You. She is excellent at missing deadlines, has long forgotten what ‘free time’ means, and is utterly addicted to chocolate. She lives in London, a city not half as foggy as some seem to think.
