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.

Indie Author Spotlight - Maureen Murrish

Maureen Murrish was born in Co Durham, England close to both the sea and the countryside; the love of both has never left her.  During her working life she has been a nurse, a soldier and a swimming instructor amongst other things. She has also raised her beautiful daughter. She began creating fictional characters and telling stories to amuse her younger sister when they were still children. Her first novella, The Lost Sorcerer, was published January 2012. The first two books of the Dragon World series -The Bonding Crystal and The Missing Link, were published February 2012 and February 2013.  All are fantasy adventure books for teens and young adults.

Spotlight Interview Questions:

1) What is your all-time favourite book and why?

Favourite book? Crumbs, soo many. Each book is my favourite as I read it or I put it down and don’t bother,  but those that linger in my mind, the ones I just can’t forget and would willing read again if there weren’t so many other books out there to sample I suppose I would class as favourite.  Let’s see. Dead Witch Walking, by Kim Harrison has to be up there as it started me off on the whole Rachel Morgan series.  And then there is the Other World series by Kim Harrison.  I love the way Kim’s fictional world is pulled together through the eyes of so many different groups to form the whole.

From way back in the mists of time the books that started me on the road to avid reading and writing were Treasure Island and The Count of Monte Cristo. They really fired my imagination at the age of 9 or 10 and I’ve never looked back. They hold a very special place in my heart.

2) Is there an author you could be compared to or popular fictional characters your book's characters could relate to and why?

I suppose we soak up a little bit of the style of all the books we read and then rearrange it and turn it into our own unique style. I write books I wish I could have read while I was still at school.  Fantasy, adventure and strong characters.  That type of book still appeals to me and I read them as avidly now as I would have then. I really don’t know who I could be compared to and I would hesitate to say ‘this person’ or ‘that’.  I like magic and mystery and a strong plot.

3) Can you give us your favourite quote from one of your books and explain it?

This is one of my favourites (slightly edited to prevent spoilers) because it outlines how much the relationships between Robby, Abigail, and the dragons, Frenzel and Dimble have altered.

Abigail paused, obviously struggling for the right words. ‘You’ve changed, Robby McRoss. Jaswinder is where you belong. You and Frenzel. Together. Don’t throw that away.…. Think of what you will be giving up… Me and Dimble, well we know we only have this time together. But you and Frenzel could have the rest of your lives. Don’t give that up because of me.’

4) What types of things/people/music inspires you and makes you want to keep writing?

My characters and their lives keep on pulling me back. I hate leaving one of them at a place they are uncomfortable. Abigail perched on a cliff. Robby in a cage, I can’t leave them, I have to get them sorted.  So, I try always to leave them where I know they are waiting for me to rescue them. It’s a very strong incentive.

Music is important while I write. It’s like a blanket, a cocoon I can retreat to, a place I can concentrate. My life is so hectic the music has to be calming, classical usually, or new age. I can’t say it inspires me though. I find inspiration in nature, a beautiful landscape or a surreal sky. I am lucky where I live. The countryside is open and breath-taking and just a twenty minute ride away is the seaside where I grew up. I love the ocean.

Loch Lomond and the Scottish Highlands are half day’s journey north.  I go there whenever I can. These are the places I find inspiration.

5) Describe your typical writing day or week.

I wish I could say I write full time but I don’t. I work full time and I fit my writing in around everything. One day it may be the other way around but for now I have no set writing times. I try to write on an evening and a weekend.  I write in my lunch hour at work, if I get a lunch hour, (colleagues already know I am odd so it raises no eyebrows!). When I am out with my sisters and they take the pen from my fingers I talk about my books instead.  Sisters are great sounding-boards; even if they are not listening! I have created many a scene that way all ready to write up when I get my pen back.

6) Is there a food or drink you have to have when you're writing?

No. I usually emerge form a writing session only when I am hungry and thirsty. Then I grab the first thing I can find before getting back to the keyboard.  Writing time is precious.

7) Can you tell us what you're working on right now (& possibly provide an excerpt & cover)?

Right now I am getting to grips with book three of Dragon World. I have created the structure and am now beginning to build the story: none of which is safe for public consumption at the moment.

Book one and two are available as eBooks but will soon to be available as paperbacks too. At the moment I am preparing book one for publication as a paperback on amazon.  I would love to share an excerpt of that with you.

The Bonding Crystal (Dragon's World)

The small grassy area they were on was no more than a hundred metres long by fifty wide. It was enclosed on three sides by sheer cliff and on the forth by the drop into the gorge. There were no hidden paths or ways up the mountain as far as they could see and the only way off it seemed to be the way they had come.

‘Looks like we have to go back.’ Abigail said as they ate a little more of their rations.

‘Maybe, but once we get back then what? The path here was the only one, remember?’

‘We haven’t any option,’ Abigail said. ‘We can either go back or sit here.’

‘There is another choice,’ Frenzel said. ‘We follow the second path.’

‘What second path?’ Abigail and Robby said together.

Frenzel nodded toward the causeway. ‘The path that leads into the falls.’

There was a stunned silence.

‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ Abigail said.

‘The Fire Falls?’ Robby asked. ‘How?’

‘The Fire Falls can’t harm dragons.’

Abigail gave a short laugh, ‘Maybe not but they can make a mess of humans!’

‘Even if you can get through how could we?’ Robby said.

‘The same way I brought you to Jaswinder. The Crossing Fires are far fiercer than these and I brought you both through safely.

‘That’s a matter of opinion,’ Abigail said peevishly. ‘I felt ill for the rest of the day.’

‘But the flames did not harm you.’

‘Wasn’t that because you carried the first minister’s talisman?’ Robby asked.

‘We only needed the talisman because I carried you both, I will only be sheltering one this time if Dimble will follow with Abigail.’

Robby thought he detected a note of challenge.

‘If it’s what Abigail wants then I’ll shelter her through the flames,’ Dimble said.

‘Wait, wait,’ Abigail said. ‘There must be another way!’

‘Can you think of one?’ Robby asked.

‘Well no, not right off, but given time…’

‘Didn’t Skelso say this part of the task was to test our trust in one another?’ Robby said.

‘Yeaah, but…’

Robby turned away to hide a grin. He could understand Abigail’s caution; he felt exactly the same way. But for Abigail there was the added worry of Dimble’s less than perfect record. Not to put too fine a point on it, Dimble was clumsy. Abigail would rather pull her tongue out than admit it but he knew that Dimble’s catalogue of accidents must have her wondering if she would come through the other side as a charred cinder.

‘Perhaps Frenzel could come back for you?’ he offered.

Abigail bristled. ‘If Dimble says he can shelter me then he can, thank you! I was merely thinking that we don’t even know if there is anything behind the falls. I mean has anyone ever been through them?’

‘I do not know but as there is a pathway and as it is the only pathway, it seems logical that that is the way we must go.’

‘Well, thank you for the benefit of your logic, Mr Spock.’

‘Right,’ cut in Robby, ‘well that’s settled.’

‘Settled? Looks to me like all we’ve settled is death by Fire Falls instead of death by falling,’ Abigail snapped.

The Lost Sorcerer

If anyone in the village where 13 year old Tosni lives discovers he is developing strange powers they will kill him. He has to leave. But before he can put an escape plan into action Kavnen throws him out. In the middle of the night. In the middle of winter. Now his only chance of survival is to find his real parents, fast. But there are more than his parents looking for him.

The Bonding Crystal (Dragon's World)

It is a shock when 14 year old, Robby, discovers he is to be bonded to a dragon. It is an even bigger shock when he realises that before he and his dragon stand any chance of bonding they have to prevent the evil-one from killing his fellow bondlings and destroying the inhabitants of the city he is just learning to love. Only his onetime protector, Abigail who, despite all the rules insists on tagging along, and a strange little dragon who has been condemned to live life as an outcast are able to help him.


The Missing Link (Dragon World)

Robby hopes that he and Abigail will have a chance to get to know Moilana and its people better during this visit to Dragon World but his hopes are dashed much sooner than he could have imagined. When Dimble goes missing and Abigail is seriously injured Robby suspects the secret Abigail and Dimble refused to share is at the heart of the problem. Robby finds himself part of a rescue mission that goes fatally wrong leaving him, Frenzel and Abigail stranded in the wild-lands beyond the northern mountains and searching for Dimble without backup.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maureen-Murrish/e/B009M3JH4G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FantasyFictionWriter

Blog: http://maureen-murrish.blogspot.co.uk/

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So Many Things To Tell You!!

Man - I really do have SO many things to tell you. Having been on holiday with my family, it's been challenging to stay on top of all my writing stuff. But many things have been going on in the background and I want to tell you about them.

Firstly - The Elements Trilogy is nearly complete!! This is a big month - Unleashed will be published on Thursday 8th. On Friday 23rd and there will be Facebook Party run by Mrs Potter's Publicity Services to celebrate. If you'd like to join in, you can follow this link - The Trilogy Is Complete Release Party! There will be a bunch of prizes and competitions going on.

To celebrate the completion of the trilogy this month, I am running a sale on Unknown. You can pick up a copy of the book for only 99c! Unknown on Amazon.

There is also a Blog Tour scheduled for September. If you'd like to be a part of it, you can sign up here.
ATOMR - The Elements Trilogy Blog Tour.

And if you haven't had a chance to see it yet, here is The Elements Trilogy Book Trailer.

*****

In other news, I have started work on Before (a novella prequel to Betwixt). I am having SO much fun hanging out with Dale again. I really do love him. Keep an eye out for a cover reveal later this month and an announcement of the release date.

And finally, I'd like to highlight Indies Unlimited latest book - First Chapters. For only 99c you can grab a sampler book filled with new authors to discover. I've bought myself a copy and am really enjoying reading the first few chapters off all these books and adding a bunch of new reads to my TBR list.

Where's The Line Between YA and NA?

The New Adult genre has been in play for a while. It's not until I joined Indie Inked that I really started to find out more about it. Some of the authors within the group have had great success with their NA novels. It got me thinking... Should I write one of those? And then I started thinking... Well what is the NA genre really? How is it different to YA?

From what I can tell so far, NA books deal with characters who are slightly older - 18+ years. They are dealing with some of those issues you face out of high school...the really big coming of age type moments. A character's first proper job, first serious relationship... possibly an engagement, a heart shattering break-up, having to take care of family. You know, the really big stuff that makes or breaks a person.

I guess YA novels deal with some of those issues too, but in NA the author can go into more depth, make it more gritty and intense. I think another big difference is that NA can be more violent and also more detailed with sex. 

I'm still deciding how I feel about this. These books are aimed at a 16 - 18+yrs . I know people are basically adults by then and I don't want to by an old-fashioned stuff, but I am still going to think very carefully about how I present the sex and violence in any of my books. 

Okay - so now that I have laid my foundations, I want to put forward a question. 

Where is the line between YA and NA books?

I am asking this because I am currently writing a novella - Before. It's a prequel to Betwixt and describes Dale's journey when he was going through his bad boy phase. He got up to a lot of mischief and I need to include this in the story to make his journey more impacting. I feel like it is an NA style story, yet it's about a teenage boy. Do I market this book as a YA or an NA?

I know some authors who have faced the problem of starting a YA series and as the characters grow older the books need to become grittier... more NA like. So does the marketing change halfway through a series?

I'm really interested to know what people think on this.

As a reader, I am open to both YA and NA books. I love both genres, although some NA's go too far for me. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I have heard one author comment that someone complained because her NA novel wasn't raunchy enough?

I feel like the YA/NA genres are very closely linked and I think people need to be open to the fact that some YA novels will be racier and some NA novels will not have as much punch. 

How do you define the difference between the two genres?

How important is it to differentiate between the two?

Indie Author Spotlight - Toni Lombardo

 
The YA Author Club is expanding is author presence and bringing on new talent every single week. This week, we are introducing the newest member of our team, Toni Lombardo. She is not an indie author, and she does not plan to become one. She's working hard at establishing herself within the traditionally published world. We wish her the best of luck in her efforts and thought it might be kind of cool to offer our fans/friends/followers a new voice within the club. 
Instead of posting information about indie publishing, Toni will take a few minutes every few weeks to fill us in on her trials and tribulations as she journeys toward the Big Six.

Also... leave us a comment and let know which Big Six pic you like best #1 (first one) or #2 (second one). The one getting the most votes/comments will be the one we use to introduce Toni's posts from this point forward.

Social Media Sites for Toni:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/write_to_live
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IamLifewriter

Without further ado, we are pleased to introduce Toni Lombardo:

Hello there blog readers! Toni here, I am going to talk about myself now.  Hope you don’t mind.

Okay, so first off I am a twenty something (21)  and striving to be a writer!  I am currently(ish)  a student at a community college (although at the moment I am taking a break from school)  and my plan is to major in meteorology.  Of course I’ll have to transfer to a four year.  In some moments I want to major in English, because I am in love with words (a good thing for a writer, right?) .  I would like to teach an elective class in a preppy school to do with the appreciation of old timey writers (Stoker, Melville, Shelley, etc.) and introduce the kids to modern day writers who I think are fantastic such as John Green (The Fault in Our Stars) , Jay Asher (Thirteen Reasons Why) , *clears throat* T.R. Graves (not kissing up, she is actually really great, like go read her books now!) .

I have been writing since I can remember.  I wrote short stories or was forced to by teachers, but I always enjoyed it and nine times out of ten exceeded the length required or well wanted (sometimes they weren’t happy) .  My dad also made up stories for me when I was little, I hope to one day publish and anthology of them (I do attribute that to my love of the plot) .  I actually sat down to write a book when by hand when I was fourteen? Maybe? But I gave up on that book (I will one day reapproach that book, but for now the characters and I are not mixing…it’s not my fault blame them)  to write what I wanted to publish as my first.  I started that book when I was fifteen and finished it when I was sixteen and went onto the next.  I am on the third in the series and am currently rewriting the first book.  I was young when I wrote it and afraid of words like sex, so I would dance around the word.  Plus other things I wrote in it are just cringe worthy and embarrassing.  Trust and believe if a writer says their work is cringe worthy it is…we are our biggest critic yes, but if we can make ourselves cringe it is pretty correct to believe that the reader would wonder what the heck the writer was thinking.

I spend my days working at a clothing store.  I love it.  I work with kids ranging from size 6-20.  I love working with the girls who aren’t societies standard of ‘beauty’.  It’s great because you can see the kid coming in so self-conscious (because they are a size 16 not 12 like their friends)  and leave smiling because you told them they are beautiful and helped them pick out clothes and raved over how amazing the kid looked and sometimes the kid even hugs you.  I know this sounds like I am saying ‘oh look at me.  I’m so great.  Blah, blah, blah.’  That is not my intention.  Today’s society is so messed up, these kids are so self-conscious at such a young age, and they are getting bullied.  Their parents telling them they are beautiful is one thing, when a someone else makes a big deal about it the kid feels good.  I think it’s a thing everyone should do.  Encourage people, because one day you will need it.   Okay enough about my job.

I also spend my days plotting up stories and plot twists.  I like listening to music and sometimes it even inspires or curbs scenes. I like going to the gym and reading, it is where I get most of my reading in.  In one day at work…working on stock in the back room, five new book ideas came flooding in.

I have one dog, a Beta named Platelet in one tank with a snail, eight goldfish all named after characters in my books and a Plecko and a snail in another tank that is huge.  I have the plecko and snails to help keep the tanks clean.

I’d like to write more often and I need to.  It is the best and worst thing in the world, if you are a writer you will understand that sentence; if you are not a writer ask one that you know.

I use Twitter and Instagram and Facebook to interact with writers and friends and share stuff about my books and from time to time excerpts! 

I hope to change the publishing world by introducing them to new styles of writing!  And once you get to know me you know I don’t just dabble in things, I jump in whole heartedly with both feet, and most of the time without a safety net.   I am beginning to blog under the supervision and guidance of Graves (I just love her) .  Please come back bi-weekly to join me on my journey of publishing and writing on my blog series called Toni’s Big Six Journey. 

It can be found here: http://yaauthorclub.blogspot.com

Listening to: Wishing Well by Ben Moody: All for This

Quote: “Just know, when you truly want success, you’ll never give up on it. No matter how bad the situation may get.” - Unknown

Spotlight Interview Questions:

1) What is your all-time favorite book and why?

“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green (TFIOS) .  It is just perfect.  I cried on every page and went hysterical at Chapter 21.  I re-read the book within two months and re-experienced all that beautiful pain (readers of this book will get it #nerdfighter) .  Also, I bonded with my IBBF (internet best friend forever)  over this book.  We’ve known each other for a little over two months as of 7.12.2013, but it is one of the greatest friendships I have had.  So, beyond being a great book it brought me a great friend.

2) Is there an author you could be compared to or popular fictional characters your book's characters could relate to and why?

Oh gosh, this is a biggie.  I don’t really know.  I have my own style, but some of my darker pieces, like “The Tale-Tale Heart” which is a re-doing of “The Tell-Tale Heart” by E.A. Poe for a final English paper, have been associated to Poe.  I’m actually about to start a second mirroring piece of his, that T.R. Graves is up-to-date about.

As far as characters…People are going to think TFIOS for some of my characters, because I talk about the book ALL the time and it is a book about kids with cancer.  But my book is about a kid or two with cancer but there is more of a story to it than that, just like Green’s.

As far as my characters relating to other characters…oh I don’t know, never thought about that.  I’ve read books with characters that reminded me of mine, but never really thought about it that way.  I think Devon would like Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

3) Can you give us your favorite quote from one of your books and explain it?

“If you don’t know, you do not deserve to know!” –Devon

Oh my, how can I explain, Devon?  Okay so in this scene Devon just found out something in his family. Sorry for being vague, don’t want to give away plot points. He is really struggling in his life at the moment and this news was just devastating.  Like a lot of teens Devon struggles with the idea of self-harm and when his brother is talking to him he (Devon)  hints to wanting to hurt himself, and when his brother doesn’t get the hint he says the above quote possibly angrily. 

4) What types of things/people/music inspires you and makes you want to keep writing?

Things that inspire me to write…I don’t know.  Sometimes I just see something, okay I was in a store the other day and saw a beautiful all glass frame, free standing.  I saw it and instantly knew it belonged to a character in one of my W.I.P.s, and when I got home it was already done the character would have it in their house.  So it is just kind of random, if I see something and it attaches to a character, I say it inspired me.

People- My best friend Anne is who I write for along with a few other people.  Anne is my muse and my ‘first reader’.  She keeps me going when I don’t want to write and pushes me to finish projects. So she inspires me as well as Graves, Green, Asher, and others.

Music!!! Ahh, such an inspiration!  Don’t want to say too much here because this topic is going to be a whole blog post for me!

What makes me want to keep writing—my characters.  I get a points where I miss them and I physically feel missing them, I feel pain of sorts.  Sometimes just thinking and plotting and writing notes just does not suffice, so I write to subdue the longing for interacting with them.  And I love writing, so that helps.

5) Describe your typical writing day or week.

They are random.  I write whenever and wherever.  At one point I was writing (more than this at home)  every Friday night at the bar in Red Robin, where one of my friends works.  I would buy an unsweetened peach tea with EXTRA regular syrup and she kept me in well supply.   It was a great writing environment and the support was great!

6) Is there a food or drink do you have to have when you're writing?

I love, love, love peach tea, but I can’t have too much caffeine otherwise I can’t sleep.  So at one point it was that, but now….yeah, it is still that, I just can’t have it all the time.

7) Can you tell us what you're working on right now (& possibly provide an excerpt & cover) ?

Sooooo many things! The book I am working on to get published first is Life’s Not a Fantasy I have a cover idea, but no cover yet!  An excerpt? Sure!  Here is the introduction.  It is written by Devon:

It wasn’t ever supposed to be like this.  Our family was always so torn apart, even before what I’m, about to write.  Dad was out fighting for ‘our safety’ but was never home...he was a ‘lifer’.  Mom chose her favorites and clung tightly to them, and I fell to the bottom of that spectrum.  I was okay with it though.

I was always the ‘untypical typical’ teenager, meaning I was or still am the loner.  I’ve done my fair share of stupid things, but more on that later.

He, Cameron always held us together.  He was our rock.  He could make or break our family and now his name resonates with pain.

How can one name ruin everything?  How can one name bring so much pain?

It’s been days, moments, but his name already feels like a curse. 

Thanks for reading!  Hope this was entertaining.

Keep writing,

Good Stuff To Know - July Edition

I haven't done one of these posts in a really long time. Sorry about my inconsistency with posting lately. I am planning on getting back into after our vacation. It's hard to keep things up when you're away from home...plus I've had all these releases in quick session. It's been a crazy couple of months... yet so much fun!

Anyway - I thought it was about time I got back into this post as I know many of you find it really helpful.

Here are a few links I've been storing away that may come in handy.

Jonathan Gunson is a total legend when it comes to sharing great marketing tips. I thought this post had some excellent points. 7 Best Seller Strategies for Writers.

I am a "do it yourself" book trailer maker. I came across this blog post the other day with a bunch of links for finding awesome background music for trailers. Not all of these are free, but they are royalty free, which is really helpful. 21 Sites of Free Music for your Book Trailer.

I actually hunted for these two articles. With the new adult genre rising in popularity quickly it's been hard to find the line between YA and NA fiction. I think even readers are confused sometimes. I think authors need a really clear idea in their minds about what New Adult fiction is.
This post was brilliant: New Adult Fiction: The Next Big Thing in Publishing?
And this post was really helpful when dealing with YA writing: 5 Tips for Writing and Marketing YA/Teen Books.

I've actually decided to do a full post on this topic, so keep an eye out for that next week.

Hopefully these articles are helpful to you.
If you have anything else you've come across that you'd like to share, please feel free to add it in the comments section.