Do we have other ecofiction authors in this group?

[Clare]

The Goodreads Choice Awards are happening now. I don't see many environment books featured this year, but we could lend our support to any that are in the running. Opening round:
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...

The next rounds will be at the top of your screen as voting progresses.

[Glen]

Yes I am writing in this genre. My first novel was "Pipeline Underground", built around Vancouver and the BC interior, and written from the perspective of a disillusioned government apologist who is now an aspiring writer. My second two are "Raincoast Gold" and "Raincoast Power" using development projects on the BC north coast as a backdrop for a recovering highflying environmental consultant. I am an marine biologist that has worked for both government and industry. Right now I am trying to figure out the whole marketing end of this writing world. Any suggestions and reviews would be greatly appreciated.

[Clare]

Welcome to the Group, Glen.
We are supportive here so quite likely, someone will be delighted to review your books.
What may help is if you are able to make one available as a free Amazon download for a few days. Let us know if so, and people can grab it to read as they have time.

Marketing - I use Linked In. I post environmental material, with my own photos, and repost suitable articles from other news media. I don't go heavy on selling, because people get turned off by spam. They also get poster fatigue, so once or twice a week is fine.

Some writers use social media platforms, I don't, because of data privacy issues. However, I am well aware that many firms have a page on lots of platforms, and churn out the same message on each one without participating and helping anyone else. Other readers can tell.

[Glen]

Thank you Clare. This is very helpful.

[Clare]

Great! I have just sent you a friend request on Linked In. We have Ed Struzik in common.
Edward Struzik
My first suggestion on Linked In is to place a banner photo on your page to give you more context, and after that, to make a few posts as you feel comfortable doing. Your book cover shows up well for the Pipeline book. These days, your post is far more likely to be read if it has a photo.
You can check my page for an example.

[Glen]

Clare wrote: "Great! I have just sent you a friend request on Linked In. We have Ed Struzik in common.
Edward Struzik
My first suggestion on Linked In is to place a banner photo on your page to..."
Thanks Clare!

[Colette]

Clare wrote: "The Goodreads Choice Awards are happening now. I don't see many environment books featured this year, but we could lend our support to any that are in the running. Opening round:
https://www.goodre..."

Bon Echo and The Competition
Hi there, I have joined your group recently and getting my bearings. Yes, my book would fall under the environmental category, more specifically climate change, and I am hoping to find someone interested in reviewing my book for Goodreads/Amazon. The first book in my Bon Echo series is Bon Echo and The Competition, a young adult (cli-fi) Climate science fiction novel. The following is my Amazon detail page book description for this book...
Maven, a bookish senior high school student living in a small town in Ontario, struggles to win a scholarship to go to university. Instead, to her shock, she solves a heartbreaking mystery from her childhood, leading her to discover her true calling in the great fight against global warming. Read Maven's diary along with her as she recalls her search for the true meaning of happiness and success through the power of fellowship, knowledge, and imagination. Still, none of this would have been made possible without the help of her extraordinary friend and mentor from a time before recorded history. Follow Maven and her fellowship focused on saving the world from global warming. "Bon Echo and The Competition" is an exciting science-based quest filled with surprising adventures and discoveries.
Anyone interested, I would be happy to hear from you :D!

[Clare]

Hi Colette, welcome.
I love the sound of your book!

[Colette]

Hi Clare, thank you so much for your warm welcome and liking the idea of my book :D! And if you or you know of someone who might be interested in reviewing my book that would be awesome! I would be happy to gift a copy for them. Cheers!

[Clare]

Authors may be interested in entering writing contests. Reedsy has collected several onto this page. The cost and closing date are stated. I spotted a couple that request environmental themes, and a few are free. You can select fiction, non-fiction etc. on the left.
If you find one interesting, click on that contest for more details. These days we generally enter contests on line, using web forms such as Submittable or an e-mailed PDF.


https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-conte...

[Ned]

I am pursuing that plan of one person at a time. I will be giving 20 presentations this spring as I launch my fourth book Good Endeavour: A Maryland Family's Turbulent History 1695-2002

But I find every talk is different because I am just trying to connect with the audience on a personal level. I don't care if they buy the book so much. Just want to inspire them and support them in our collective journey to live in balance with this planet.

[Jimmy]

Feel free to message me through Goodreads if you are interested in a Zoom event on Climate Change.

[Ned]

Yes I would participate in a zoom on climate change

[Jimmy]

Send me a personal letter on GR. Use the mail and I will see if I can set one up on Zoom. I moderate weekly events. Same with anyone else.

[P.L.]

Hi there, I'm a retired planetary scientist now writing science fiction as a way to convey climate science. Science fantasy, cli-fi.

And I'm running a sale, with a free prequel and three titles a 99c, as we keep setting heat records. Science fantasy with environmental themes. Aerovoyant is the most directly concerned with climate science. But they all tell stories from the same "world." And so:

🆓 Vengeance is FREE (normally 2.99).🆓 Politicians and activists spar over the role of regulations on Planet Turaset in this thriller/sci-fi mashup.

Seven Strengths is 99c (normally 4.99). On planet Turaset, a young woman leaves her country home and finds love and treachery in the city.

Aerovoyant is 99c (normally 4.99). When Myrta begins to see air, the fossil fuel industry wants her silenced. Can Alphonse help her expose their treachery?

Telomeric is 99c (normally 4.99). Ten years ago, Odile fought for environmental justice and it broke her. Now she wants to raise her son in peace. But the old passion to fight is boiling up again.

❤️📚Four books for THREE bucks. ❤️📚

#kindlebooks #freebooks #booksale #amreading

Link: http://tinyurl.com/424xubpv

[Tui]

My books are definitely eco-fiction. One is "Ripple - A Dolphin Love Story" which suggests some possible consequences of dolphin extinction that most people might never consider. The other is my Work in Progress which is just past the third draft stage and now in the final editing phase. It will probably be called "Melody - The Haunted Dolphin." I live among my characters and kayak with them when I can. Melody has an even more powerful eco-message.
Ripple is here:

[May]

Hello, I’m May, a Marketing Assistant at Sasquatch Books, Penguin Random House. I don’t want to spam the group but thought that you might be interested in this recent book we published, The Climate Action Handbook by Dr. Heidi Roop, Professor and Climate Scientist. It’s uniquely visual and perfect for anyone at any point on their climate journey. Would you be open to sharing it with your group? We could provide a few copies for a giveaway too if that’s of interest. Thanks for considering.

[Clare]

Hi May, thanks for telling us about the new book. This seems like a good fit for us.
Goodreads runs giveaways, but they are only open to people in the USA.
If you have another giveaway in mind, like a draw for Group members, I am sure we could facilitate this.
Or you could try both methods.

Heidi Roop

[Clare]

Writing and Wellness provides a useful reminder that writers with lots of followers may just be dragging bots. We are told how to identify these and what kind of real subscriber is valuable.

https://writingandwellness.com/2023/0...

I add that using Bitly as recommended will lose you a lot of engagement, as people can't see where the link is pointing or even if it hides a dodgy download.

[Kevin]

Wondering if this group is still alive, as it's an important one and the subject of much of my ongoing writing, -kev aka FitOldDog

[Clare]

We are here, where are you?

[P.L.]

Yes! We are still around. I check in periodically, often when I have a sale. I'll put the mention in the Green Group Author folder.

[Clare]

Thanks, I will go check the authors' folder.

[Tui]

My eco-interest is the ocean. My books are all set in and near the sea.
My novel Ripple is "The twenty-million year old story of how love inspired one dolphin to an intellectual achievement that changed the universe."
It suggests some possibilities of dolphin extinction that most people will never have thought of. It's written from the point of view of the dolphins and its message of preventing extinction is entirely invisible until the last chapter which is the only one with humans.
I've spent time in the deep sea under sail with dolphins around me, night and day, and I still kayak among them here near my home in the Bay of Islands in Aotearoa (New Zealand). They are my world.

[Clare]

Sounds gorgeous and enlightening!

[Clare]

Here are some interesting and science-backed tips to increase your will power. The writer, Colleen M. Story, is helping writers get down to work. However, our will power may also be needed to help us make good choices about buying, cooking, recycling.

https://writingandwellness.com/2018/0...

[Simon]

Tipping Point

Hi - I'm a lawyer and eco-thriller author and i have posted a link to the first fiction thriller i wrote back in 2011/12 - which was inspired by watching Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth back in 2008, which drove me to attempt the enormous task of writing a non-fiction scientific guide on global warming - The A-Z of Global Warming. Role on 15 years and i have now just finished my 13th Sci-Fi thriller, sALIENt 2.

Tipping Point was the first of 9 eco-thrillers involving the main character, Robert Spire. Anyway, synopsis below for anyone interested..

5 Stars - Amazon Reader - "A gripping mix of suspense, science and corruption." "A riveting adventure."

Two Dead Climatologists...An International Conspiracy...A Looming Global Cataclysm...

When eminent climatologist, Dr Dale Stanton - in the process of studying the Atlantic Ocean's Thermohaline Circulation - is found dead in his London apartment, environmental lawyer, Robert Spire, is given the task to administer a large legacy left by Dr Stanton in his will. The job should have been straightforward, until a second climatologist drops dead on the other side of the Atlantic...

When Spire's client engages him to look further into her son's death, it soon becomes apparent that not all is as it seems. Spire soon discovers he is under surveillance and an attractive female Russian spy is tracking his every move. Is she involved in the mysterious deaths of the two climatologists? And if so, why?

Spire is soon thrust into an international conspiracy involving a terrorist plot to push the Arctic to its tipping point, and the world to disaster...

Welcome to GLENCOM, an acronym for Global Environmental Command, a semi-secret, massively funded, British Government Department. The world is facing very real and increasingly dangerous environmental threats. GLENCOM and their most reliable agent, Robert Spire, have been tasked to deal with the most urgent and pressing ones… Let's all pray he succeeds.

TIPPING POINT is a fast-paced, unputdownable climate-change thriller, with terrorism elements that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. If you like James Rollins, Brett Battles, Clive Cussler, and the action and adventure of a James Bond movie then you will love the entire Robert Spire Action Thriller series.

Pick up your copy and start reading Tipping Point today!

"Simon Rosser's scientific and psychological thriller "Tipping Point" is one of the best I have read in the past decade. He has a gift for fluent narrative, realistic characterization and for creating settings that come vividly to life for the reader. He blends tension and suspense very successfully against the contemporary background of global warming and its sinister implications.

[Clare]

Welcome to the Group!
Cover looks dramatic.

[Clare]

Authors tend to sit to write/podcast/edit, and may also have another job which requires sitting for long periods. Whatever your age, extended sitting has been shown to be harmful. Some suggestions are included.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-1...

""Our research suggests that sitting less throughout the day, getting more vigorous exercise, or a combination of both may be necessary to reduce the risk of premature aging in early adulthood," said the study's senior author Chandra Reynolds, a professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Behavioral Genetics."

[Clare]

Here is another health study which may be helpful. Writers often sacrifice an hour or two of sleep in order to fit in a few pages of their next book. Seems this could be damaging to our health, long term. Some other sound advice on ageing well is included.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-1...

"Routine shorter and longer sleep durations over time may be hindering successful aging by disrupting physiological and psychological well-being. The patterns found in the study align with previous research linking irregular sleep habits to adverse health outcomes."

More information: Liuhong Tian et al, The association between sleep duration trajectories and successful aging: a population-based cohort study, BMC Public Health (2024).
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral...
Journal information: BMC Public Health

[Clare]

The Goodreads Choice Awards are open - as always, I do not know how books are selected for the opening round.
Though I read a lot, I do not recognise the vast majority of the books this time. The romance books look more like graphic novels.

I normally suggest we can vote for environmental-themed books, but they are extremely few this year. See how many you can find.

https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...

[Clare]

My choice of my favourite three books read during 2024 has gone live on Shepherd.com. Two of them are environmental.

https://shepherd.com/bboy/2024/f/clar...

[Clare]

Here is another reminder that it is healthier to lose weight than to gain it, and 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week is recommended in this regard. Writers can find getting up and out difficult to schedule, especially during winter weather. Maybe try 15 minute morning walks or workouts, and fit the rest in while shopping. After all, walking is free.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-1...

"Exercise duration of 150 minutes per week correlated with clinically significant reductions in weight (-2.79 kg), waist circumference (-3.26 cm) and body fat percentage (-2.08%).

The effect on weight loss was linear, with still greater reductions observed at 300 minutes per week for weight (-4.19 kg), waist (-4.12) and body fat (-1.78).

Results show a linear reduction in body weight, waist circumference, and fat measures associated with increasing aerobic exercise duration with incremental benefits of longer exercise durations.

The findings reinforce current guidelines that 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity or greater aerobic exercise may be necessary for clinically important improvements in waist circumference and body fat."

More information: Ahmad Jayedi et al, Aerobic Exercise and Weight Loss in Adults, JAMA Network Open (2024).
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama...
Journal information: JAMA Network Open

[Robert]

The Quantum Realm is a brand new science fiction thriller series written by Australian author and futurist Robert P Edwards. The Box Set is available on Kindle Unlimited, or head to my website robertpedwards.com to become an ARC reviewer and receive a free copy.

Set at the turn of the century, this dystopian, apocalyptic story draws on analogies with Darwin’s theory of evolution. Humans must adapt to survive in an increasingly harsh environment due to self-inflicted climate change. We have one planet, one home, and we must do what it takes to save it or face the inevitable extinction of our species.

There is good AI, there is bad AI, and inevitably war. The epic story is seen through the eyes of Global Village: connected and wealthy individuals who fight to make a difference in a world that seems set to self-destruct.

Robert P. Edwards
The Quantum Realm Trilogy - BOX SET
Unnatural Selection: The Quantum Realm Book 1
Inheritance: The Quantum Realm Book 2
Serendipity: The Quantum Realm Book 3

[Clare]

Robert wrote: "The Quantum Realm is a brand new science fiction thriller series written by Australian author and futurist Robert P Edwards. The Box Set is available on Kindle Unlimited, or head to my website robe..."

Thanks for this, Robert! Wishing you every success.