Countdown to Christmas Giveaway!!

November already? This year has gone by so fast. I love the crisp cool fall weather and the changes in the leaves on trees. It is also a little reminder that Christmas is almost here!

So by now you should know what is coming next...

For those of you who don't, I mentioned in September, I have some really cool things planned for December that I am excited about. 

To celebrate this, I decided to do some Countdown to Christmas Giveaways. There are a bunch of cool eBooks to win this month! Discover some new authors and books while helping me celebrate the fact that Christmas is less than 2(ish) months away! Whoopeee!!!

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Another Privilege of Being a Writer

As most of you already know, I simply ADORE being a writer. Yes it is really hard work and yes, sometimes I do wish I could step back and take a breather. But I have chosen the indie path and I couldn't be happier with my decision. For me I know there is so much more to come in this writing journey and I'm loving every part of it.

I feel very privileged to be in a position where my job is one I love. Writing doesn't feel like work to me and although I find marketing challenging, the fact I get to make up stories for a living takes the sting out of trying to get my books noticed. However one aspect of marketing that I really enjoy is the chance to talk about my books and writing to others...especially students.

Suzhou Singapore International School invited me to chat to some of their Literacy classes during Book Week. I had over 10 forty-minute sessions talking to high school students about my passion for writing and answering loads of questions - everything from cover design to how I go about constructing a story. Being able to rabbit on about writing this week was a privilege. Their questions were insightful and fun to answer. It made me realize that I have come to learn a lot about writing. The fact I could talk about it with such ease and no notes, means it must be ingrained. After 12 years, I still don't have the courage to call myself an expert, but I do have the courage to say I know what I'm talking about.

Another thing that occurred to me over this week is that last year, I used to tell people I was an indie author with a certain degree of shame. Like somehow because I wasn't traditionally published, I wasn't quite cutting it. I didn't feel that at all this year. As I was talking about what I had achieved in my two years as an indie author, I felt both pride and confidence. I am doing it. I am making a career out of writing and I am proud to be an indie author.

My biggest hope is that I have inspired the students. Hopefully they will realize that with a lot of hard work and persistence, they can become published authors...or whatever else they hope to be.

Thank you so much for having me SSIS. And thank you to the indie author community and my fans who have brought me to such a positive place in my writing life.

Countdown to Christmas Giveaway!!

I can't believe it is already October! It's time for the next Countdown to Christmas Giveaway!

Like I said in September, I have some really cool things planned for December that I am excited about. To celebrate this, I've decided to do some Countdown to Christmas Giveaways. There are a bunch of cool eBooks to win this month! Discover some new authors and books while helping me celebrate the fact that Christmas is less than 3 months away! Whoopeee!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Importance Of Chatting With Other Authors

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of hanging out with three amazing ladies - Leigh K. Hunt, Cassie Hart and T. G. Ayer. These writers have become dear friends since I met them in 2010. We formed a Facebook group first - Inklings. Through posting, sharing and leaving screeds of comments, we got to know each other.

And then in late July this year, I got to meet Leigh and Cassie face-to-face. Tee and I flew down, from Auckland to Wellington, for the night and we spent 48 hours basically talking about writing. It was awesome. I came away exhausted, yet totally inspired. It was cool to be in a room of people that didn't mind you harping on about your passion. We never tired of it. The conversation would lull for a moment or the topic might drift to something family related, but within half an hour we were right back to chatting about writing.

It made me realize how important it is to spend time with people who understand the craft, who are passionate about storyline, character development, and the intricacies of writing. We were able to discuss cover design, marketing tips...have a little moan about the challenging aspects of this job.

I guess the purpose of this post is to encourage you to get involved with other authors. Whether it be online or through face-to-face contact, make the time to share your writing journey with others who will understand it. You will get so much more out of the experience if you do.

Wohoo!! Who's Up for a YA Author Club Giveaway?

It's time to celebrate the awesomeness of giveaways...by having a giveaway!!

From an authors point of view, giveaways are a great opportunity to increase exposure of your writing, possibly pick up some more reviews and show how generous you are.

For example, on my YAlicious site, I'm running a three day giveaway. All people have to do is share news of my latest book's release and they automatically receive a free copy of the first book in the trilogy. Readers win with a free book and I win with spreading word that The Elements Trilogy is complete!

If you're an author, trying to get the momentum going on your work, I highly recommend a decent giveaway to get the wheels turning.

So - without further ado - here is another most excellent giveaway, brought to you by the YA Author Club! Discover some great indie authors and support these writers at the same time.

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