Author: mel

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Author Spotlight…Robert Downs

  Let’s meet this week’s spotlighted author Robert Downs…This is the first of a weekend of features we’re running with Robert – come back tomorrow and Monday to learn more about MANfiction in his guest posts! 

Robert aspired to be a writer before he realized how difficult the writing process was. Fortunately, he’d already fallen in love with the craft, otherwise Casey might never have seen print. Originally from West Virginia, he has lived in Virginia, Massachusetts, and now resides in New Mexico.

Despite his literary side, numbers are very much a part of his world, to the point that he has a business administration degree from West Virginia University as well as an MBA from Columbia College.

Falling Immortality is his first novel.

Falling Immortality

Falling Immortality

 

Falling Immortality

Casey Holden, former cop, current PI in Virginia Beach, VA, screens his clients the way he screens his women, based on whichever drop-dead gorgeous woman happens to waltz through his door first and manages to hold his attention. So when Felicity Farren, widow-at-large, struts into his office asking him to solve the two-year-old murder of her husband Artis, she intrigues him. When Casey starts digging, he learns the murder isn’t what it seems to be and he doesn’t have a big enough shovel to unearth the truth. And to top it all off, his former rival at the police department, Greg Gilman, is determined to disrupt his investigation. Casey’s challenge is to learn what really happened to Artis, and why Gilman can’t seem to remove his head from his butt. And he’ll need all of his wits to complete the task.

 

 

 

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

Website: http://RobertDowns.net

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Writing 101…The End of the World

Lots of people believe the world is going to end, and lots of that can be blamed on good fiction. A good story can instill fear in an entire population. Once upon a time, back when the TV didn’t exist, a nationwide panic was created over a radio program. The public literally believed that Earth had been invaded by an alien population. That is good writing. The end of the world can make for a great topic — just ask the Mayans. We’re still talking about them 2,000 years later. A good story is pretty powerful stuff.

The End of the World as They Know It

 
Writing about a catastrophic, world-ending event can be a heady experience. You can make it thrilling, you can make it sad, you can make it frightening and horrifying. That’s the power of the pen: you can do anything you want. But some writers take even that a little too far. Because you can’t just end a world out of nowhere. You’ve got to lead up to it, a little.
Before you can end your fictional world with some sort of catastrophic event, you have to make me care. You can’t just end an entire world without making it an emotional experience. Should I be glad this world is ending? Maybe it’s a horrible place filled with villains. Should I be sad? Was there a hero or heroine I just can’t help but love, someone who must now die along with all the rest? Should I be frightened and horrified? Maybe your world ends in a way that could make my world end, and maybe that scares me. Let me get to know the world before it ends, and meet some of the people who live on it. Otherwise, I’m going to be yawning over your descriptive passages and rolling my eyes as lifeless body after lifeless body is consumed by lava (or whatever).
To make the end of the world matter, you’ve got to add the human connection. And put some structures or natural wonders on the world while you’re at it. I’m going to feel the loss of a beautiful world more keenly than an ugly one.
And when you finally end the world, or write about your catastrophic event, do itspectacularly. Describe the screams, the smells, the pure horror of the event. After all, the end of the world isn’t something that happens every day.

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This post originally featured on Jade Varden’s author blog in 2012.

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Author Jade Varden is a regular guest contributor on Aside From Writing. The Writing 101 features originate from her own blog  at http://jadevarden.blogspot.co.uk where you can see more of her thoughts on writing, as well as her own books. Her debut novel Justice and sequel The Tower are available now! Read our review of Justice here.

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Author Spotlight…Double Trouble!

 

 This week we have a twist on our author spotlight feature – as we have two authors with us! Christy Hall and Amanda Gerry wrote Phoenix Angel together…Let’s find out if two heads are better than one 😉 

Christy Hall has been addicted to the many realms of fantasy and science fiction all her life. She joined her first peer writers’ group in the sixth grade, joyfully sharing world building at a young age. A graduate of Southern Utah University, she now teaches at a local charter school. When she isn’t busy designing activities for her Mythology class or going on field trips with the Star Wars Club, she is spending time with her sister, A Gerry. C. Hall’s favorite authors include J.R.R Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and Tracy Hickman.

Amanda Gerry developed an interest in fantasy at a young age. In middle school, she fell in love with writing short stories and was thrilled when her sister proposed creating a series of novels together. Her fondness of writing comes from many sources, but the most prominent is her avid devotion to video games.  Some of her favorites include Mass Effect, The Elder Scrolls series, and anything that lets her shoot zombies. She received a Bachelor’s Degree from Southern Utah University and teaches at a local charter school.

Christy’s Interview

You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy? If I won one million dollars the first thing I would buy would be a Bumblebee Camaro that really transformed. Then when I parked it at Wal-Mart, I would have it turn in to a giant robot while I went to buy laundry detergent.

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world, which would it be? If I could jump into any fictional world, I would definitely want to be an elf in Middle Earth. What’s not to love about living forever, wearing pretty dresses, and frolicking around Mirkwood with Legolas?

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? Right now we are working on the Shardwell magic series, book four. When complete it will be six novels. Book 2, Guardian of Time, is scheduled to be released in August of this year. After that, my sister and I have this amazing idea for a new series with dragons and prophecy.

If you could have any superpower what would you choose? Teleportation. Hands down. I hate driving!

What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? Never give up. There is a story inside you that you want to share. No matter how hard it gets, perseverance is the way to succeed as a writer.

Amanda’s Interview

What is one book everyone should read? Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.

What inspired you to want to become a writer? I have always loved books and creative writing. But most of all, I wanted to work on a set of books that I would want to read.  Our books contain all the elements of both story and characters that intrigue us.

Who are your favorite authors of all time? Jane Austen, R. A. Salvatore, Tracy Hickman, and Margaret Weis

What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? Be patient and stick to what you believe. Remember that you are writing the book. Don’t change anything unless it makes sense for your characters.

How do you react to a bad review?  Not everyone likes the same type of book.  I think about what the bad review has to say but I don’t let it affect me or my writing.

What do you do in your free time? Play video games.

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Phoenix Angel

Phoenix Angel

 

What is happening to us?  I’ve asked this question a thousand times, but there is no answer.

I was a normal teenager, trudging my way through senior year with my best friend. Then a boy named Kyle Spencer came to Idaho Falls, and since then everything has fallen apart. Something mysterious has passed among the three of us. We’ve developed terrifying abilities—strange powers that separate us from normal people.

Even worse, someone—or something—has taken a deadly interest in us. We never know when they are going to strike, or how to protect ourselves. We don’t even know who they are.

All we know is that they want one of us alive, and we don’t know who. The others they want dead. Which will I be?

Want to know more? Check out their website!

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Writing 101…Stepping Outside Your Genre

Self-published authors have to work hard to build up a fan base and to establish themselves as “real” authors in the eyes of their readers. That’s why stepping outside your genre and writing something completely different can be pretty tricky and scary business. What if you go out on a limb…and lose all of your fans? 

Outside the Box

After putting all that time and effort into building up a fan base, stepping outside that comfort zone with a totally different book is a brave thing to do (some might say foolish). While some of your fans may stay true, others may be turned off because they aren’t fans of that particular genre. That means you’ve got to start all over again, and start targeting fans in your new genre to find the readers that will be interested in this new book of yours.
It’s a lot of work, but it’s not all that different from all the marketing you’ve already done. You should re-focus your efforts with every new book you release, whether it’s in the same genre as your others or an altogether different one. Stepping outside your genre actually gives you a unique opportunity to gain an even bigger fan following, and reach out to readers you mightn’t find otherwise.
Don’t ever be afraid to make a change. One of the joys of self-publishing is that you get to do whatever you want, write whatever interests you, and let your own skills as an author develop and grow in any way you like. You don’t have to answer to anyone, uphold contracts or write sequels you aren’t really feeling. If you have to do some extra marketing to get more readers, that’s just something that comes with the job.

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This post originally featured on Jade Varden’s author blog in 2012.

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Author Jade Varden is a regular guest contributor on Aside From Writing. The Writing 101 features originate from her own blog  at http://jadevarden.blogspot.co.uk where you can see more of her thoughts on writing, as well as her own books. Her debut novel Justice and sequel The Tower are available now! Read our review of Justice here.

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Mel’s Thinking…Christmas Tidings and Busy Times

Noel

Hope everyone has been enjoying the holiday period with friends, family, books… All that time off from work, but it still seems busy!

I have to apologise for the haphazard postings in the last few weeks – I’ve been attempting to finalise my second book and unfortunately putting together blog posts and pulling together the interviews etc. is quite time consuming and so I’ve not been able to do both. Having taken a little break from posting those – they will be back up in the new year when I get some time back again.

2012 has been an interesting and busy year – we’re approaching the first birthday of the blog (January) – and it’s surprising how much has happened when you look back over the twelve months.

The Indie Author Event in May was great, and will perhaps feature again in 2013 with some little changes. My favourite features are the guest posts – when authors and readers talk to us about something a little different, perhaps more openly than a straight interview allows. I’ve also really enjoyed meeting the other bloggers who contribute to Aside From Writing, which has changed from the ‘real world’ friends that started the blog in January (and disappeared quite quickly after a couple of months) to the ‘book world’ friends that I’ve met in the last twelve months through Goodreads: Emily, Tony, Stephanie and Jade.

So…what now for 2012? I’m going to have to think about that…but I am looking forward to getting some new features up and running, and posting a little more regularly! 🙂 See you in 2013 – Mel x

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Aside from Writing’s Year in Numbers

10,300 Hits, 215 Posts, 259 Comments

1 Blogger surviving the whole first year

3 Bloggers evapourating (metaphorically, not literally)

3 New Bloggers appearing

98 Facebook Friends

907 Tweets, 153 Followers

0 People on Pinterest (I just can’t figure it out!)

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Emily Read…Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

 Emily is our Goodreads pal and all-round lovely lady! 🙂 And, as you’ll know from our side-bar, her blog Confessions of a Bookaholic is one of our favourites. Now and again we feature her book reviews on Aside from Writing so you can get to know her too… ‘now’ is one of those days! 🙂 

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Series: Unraveling #1
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Mystery
Release Date: April 24th 2012
Source: Bought
Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 3/5 Stars


Synopsis: Leaving the beach, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit head on by a pickup truck. And killed. Then Ben Michaels, resident stoner, is leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knows Ben somehow brought her back to life…
Meanwhile, Janelle’s father, a special agent for the FBI, starts working on a case that seems strangely connected to Ben. Digging in his files, Janelle finds a mysterious device – one that seems to be counting down to something that will happen in 23 days and 10 hours time. That something? It might just be the end of the world. And if Janelle wants to stop it, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets – and keep from falling in love with him in the process…

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I lent Unravelling to a friend before I read it, she loved it and then insisted that I read it. So I did. It wasn’t what I expected at all though I haven’t decided whether that’s a good thing or not yet. The whole concept of a countdown till the end of the world seemed a bit cliché but this was actually very interesting. The story centers around Janelle who is hit by a car and killed. But then she’s alive again with a guy leaning over her. She is positive that he brought her back to life, no one believes her of course. When Janelle sees one of her FBI agent dad’s files she finds out about a countdown that can’t be deactivated. She has less than 24 hours to stop it and she’s sure the boy who brought her back to life has something to do with it.

I actually really liked most of the characters in this book. Janelle was an awesome heroine! There were points where she got on my nerves but overall she was a strong, independent character. I love how even when she’s falling in love with someone she doesn’t let it interfere with stopping the countdown. Ben, the main love interest, was quite sweet and nice but his personality didn’t go further than that. But what he lacked in personality he made up for in his romantic behavior. I really did like him but I liked his best friend more. Elijah was very entertaining and the misunderstood vibe worked for him which is a rare occurrence. My absolute favorite character was Alex. He was Janelle’s best friend and a very good one at that. He was always there for her and risked everything to help her, he even took care of her little brother. At first I was rooting for them to get together but as the book goes on you see it’s purely friendship.

The book started off pretty slow but after a while the pace quickened. Usually I am very good at predicting what is going to happen in books but in this one I just couldn’t, the twists and turns are completely unpredictable. Even though it went very quick I enjoyed the romance and the authors world building was almost flawless. One thing I wasn’t keen on was the swearing. I’m used to it in adult books but this was way more than most adult books I’ve read plus it was supposed to be YA. This book is advertised as 24 meets the X-Files, neither of which I’ve watched but after this I may check it out. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy sci-fi or a good mystery.

My Favorite Quote:
“I mean, contrary to popular belief, I’m actually not harboring a secret desire to grow up and become a bioterrorist.”

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

Read Emily’s interview with us here!

Goodread Group: Books, Blogs, Authors and More

 http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/62777.Books_Blogs_Authors_and_More

My blog: http://emily-confessionsofabookaholic.blogspot.com/

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Interview with…Author L S Murphy

 

 


  A few weeks ago we spotlighted L S Murphy’s book Reaper. Today she’s back with us for an interview, so we can find out more…. L.S. Murphy lives in the Greater St. Louis area where she watches Cardinals baseball, reads every book she can find, and weaves tales for teens and adults. When not doing all of the above, she tends to The Bean (aka her daughter), her husband and a menagerie of pets. Reaper is her debut young adult novel.She is a co-rep for the Southern Illinois region of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and a member of the St. Louis Writer’s Guild. Repped by Julia A. Weber of  J. A. Weber Literaturagentur.

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1. What is you favorite way to spend a rainy day? Reading of course.

2. What is something people would be surprised to know about you? That I used to be quite athletic.

3. What is the one book you think everyone should read? YA – Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas

4. How did you celebrate the sale of your first book? Dinner at my favorite restaurant.

5. Night owl or early bird? I used to be a night owl, but necessity converted me into an early bird. I’m usually up by 4am when I’m working on a new project.

6. Your most unusual or random habit? I am obsessed that the light switches go the same direction. I don’t know why, but it drives me batty. I’ll run all over the house to fix them all.

7. What are you working on at the moment – do you have any other books in the works? My romance novella, A Reason to Stay, was released on November 2 of this year. Since I sold Reaper, I signed with literary agent Julia A. Weber for a YA contemporary novel about a seventeen-year-old who decides to spend her summer vacation playing baseball instead of traveling to Europe with her friends. 🙂 I recently finished a first draft of a YA contemporary romance that centers around a high school football season.

8. If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world. which would it be? Vampire Academy. I’d make a badass dhampir.

9. Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book? I actually have a playlist for Reaper! Starting October 11th until the release date of January 7th, I list one song on my blog every Thursday that relates to the plotline in some vague way.

10. What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? Don’t let anyone else take away your dream by telling you that you aren’t good enough. It’s your dream. Follow it.

11. Can you see yourself in any of your characters? Quincy’s a little OCD about certain things like I am.

12. What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you? Don’t stop. You’ll get there.

13. Cats or Dog? Both. I have three cats and a very guilty dog.

14. Facebook or Twitter? Twitter all the way. I’m completely addicted.

15. Text or Talk? TEXT! I hate talking on the phone. I sound like a chipmunk.

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

Blog: http://lsmurphy.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LSMurphy

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LSMurphyAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5046440.L_S_Murphy

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Author Spotlight…Leslie Deaton


Let’s meet this week’s spotlighted author: Leslie Deaton… I’m a full time thinker, doer, consultant, planner, part time baker, and overtime dreamer. Always a buckeye at heart, I was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio where I lived in a creepy old farm house with nothing better to do than read tons of books. After high school, I moved to Columbus where I studied English at the Ohio State University. I loved my time there. It opened a whole new world of opportunity to me. I spent my free time reading great books and writing in my journal. Grad school at George Mason University brought more of the same, until finally I dreamed up Lyla Mercer and created The Mercer Legacy series. Now I live outside of Washington DC, work as a consultant by day and author by night. My biggest fans are my husband, my three dachshunds and my family.

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Lyla Mercer is back, and this time she not only has to face the consequences of her actions the night of the battle, but she must learn to do it alone. A History Renewed (the sequel to A Marked Past) is now available. After Lyla discovers the truth about her family’s dark past, she knows her life will never be the same. Her move to Salem revealed a history plagued with secrets and a future full of danger. Lyla is a witch, and the Mercers aren’t the only witches living in the small town.

There are others, some allies, some enemies; and one unfathomably evil man who is hunting them all. Fearing their own extinction, the witches unite, ready to defend themselves, but when Lyla breaks the coven rules, she finds herself forced to face her hunter alone.

A History Renewed reveals the next journey in Lyla’s fight for survival; one in which she must master new powers, search for new allies, and find the courage to continue her fight to stay alive.

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What is your favourite way to spend a rainy day?

I love to spend rainy days curled up in a chair by the window with my laptop, a cup of hot tea, and nothing better to do than create a new chapter, dream up a new adventure, or even craft a new world. Rainy days are my most creative days.

What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Find the courage to write. Make some time write at least 3 days a week. Don’t set unrealistic goals, writing one well-crafted paragraph is better than 10 mediocre pages that you’ll have to rewrite later. Don’t make excuses for why you can’t write, just do it!

How do you react to a bad review?

I won’t lie it can be hard to take when a reviewer criticizes the work that you have slaved over for more than a year. But, I try to read every review with an eye for improvement. I have found that reading even the most offensive review can sometimes provide some advice to me on making improvements for the next book. So, I grit my teeth, take a deep breath, and try to learn from it.

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Author Spotlight…R B Harkess

Let’s meet this week’s spotlighted author…R B Harkess

An exiled Bristolian currently living just outside London, Robert got back into writing three years ago. Since then he has had his first YA novel (Aphrodite’s Dawn) published by Proxima, and has had a half dozen short stories published in various e-zines and anthologies.

He blogs at http://www.rbharkess.com

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Garret’s world is six floors tall by five hundred people wide, and he despairs of ever being happy. When a voice in his head offers the 14-year old an escape from his boring life, he has no idea how apparently being offered everything he could want or need might change him. With his best friend Pitr in tow Garret seizes the opportunity, and their universe is thrown into confusion when they are told they are on an asteroid-sized sleeper-ship. The asteroid’s computer has been damaged, and cannot control the engines to deliver them to their new home. Garret is asked to take a message to the other end of the world. He has to travel through an ancient subway system and is captured by forest dwellers in a giant park. He finds a new friend, Alyssa, running from an arranged marriage and leads them across the parklands.

 

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What is your favorite way to spend a rainy day?

Somewhere like a summerhouse or a conservatory; somewhere I can open a window and listen. Even better if there’s thunder. Then sit in a nice comfy chair and dive into a really tempestuous fantasy with dramatic scenery and extravagant conflict. Something like ‘Before they Were Hung’ by Joe Abercrombie

 How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?

I bounced up and down in my chair until I heard it make an alarming clunk, trying not to explode because there was nobody in the house for me to tell. I ended up phoning my Mum, then went out for a luscious meal with me wife in the evening

 What are you working on at the moment – do you have any other books in the works?

I have one novel wandering the ether looking for a home (might even have found one) and I’m deep into editing a third novel. Both Young Adult urban fantasy/steampunk mashups.

 If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world.. which would it be?

That’s actually a difficult one, because unless you are part of the story, the world of most books is probably pretty much ass humdrum as our own. There are usually far more underdogs than there are heroes or privileged classes. Easy to pick if you can also get to decide who you are. So I think it would probably have to be Narnia, but in a good time not a bad one. Or maybe living somewhere in the The Culture, from the brain of Ian. M. Banks

If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play the lead role and why?

Joe Abercrombie: He’s younger than me, better looking than me, sells more books than me. And he can dance. In fact, skip the movie, can I just BE Joe Abercrombie? Please?

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

www.aphroditesdawn.com

Amazon.com

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Guest Post…Literary Agents: Bane or Boon?

I just got an email from a friend of mine who’s also an author. She’s been on the hunt for a literary agent for several months now and was bemoaning the fact it’s been a long time since she sent off a packet to a NY agent. I didn’t have the heart to tell her not to hold her breath. She’s a good writer. That’s not the problem. The problem is an industry where common courtesy to authors–theoretically the lifesblood supporting agents and publishers–has gone the way of the dodo bird. All you have to do is pull up guidelines from any literary agent to see what I mean. There’s a long list of don’ts. I started in this business like most everyone else. I tried to find an agent. That was a little over three years ago. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t bother anymore. Would I like someone who could open NY doors? Sure I would. But I also know when to trim my losses.

At the top of the don’ts list is “don’t call us”. Some are honest enough to tell you if you haven’t heard from them in six weeks (or six months) it means they’re not interested. I do understand they’re innundated with material and probably understaffed since indie publishers and self published authors have taken a percentage of the publishing dollar, but still, the current modus operandi places the author in a serious “one down” position.

I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I honestly have no idea why one story of mine is accepted and another that I saw as equally well-written, isn’t. Some of it is akin to chasing a moving target. I try to read webzines and magazines and anthology guidelines before I submit to make sure my material is a good fit. Sometimes an editor agrees with me, sometimes not. I’ve  been told that having ten short stories accepted in a little over two years is a great track record. Maybe. But what about the ten or fifteen other stories. The ones I either never heard back on, or where I got nice, polite rejection letters? That is one thing I’ll say for the webzines and magazines I’ve submitted to: they send me very nice rejection letters with invitations to send them more stories. That is way more than I’ve ever gotten from a literary agent.

Generally, my responses from literary agents come in the form of “Dear Author”. I took months of my time to write something and hours of my time to make sure I sent the agent exactly what they wanted and I either get nothing back, or a “Dear Author” form letter. Occasionally, for those agents still insisting on snail mail, that “Dear Author ” letter comes on half a sheet of paper. Guess those rejected authors aren’t worth the quarter penny a full sheet of paper would cost. Or, maybe those agents are being environmentally conscientious. Though, it seems if that were the case, they’d go to web-based submissions. Okay, I’ll trim the sarcasm.

Literary agents have become such rigid gatekeepers that an entire new cottage industry has sprung up. For a fee, they’ll share the secret of how to get an agent to ask for your manuscript. What’s that old saying about a fool and their money???

Kristine Catherine Rusch, a well known and respected SF/F author, says she thinks the industry is running scared. Maybe so. But still, a little dash of courtesy would go a long ways. I don’t mind rejections. I’m still new to this business and know I have lots to learn. But there must be a better way than ignoring authors or treating them as an inconvenience. If a magazine can send me a couple of sentences with something constructive about my writing, why can’t a literary agent do the same? SF/F magazines get just as many subs as agents–maybe more.

This seems like it could be a mutually beneficial relationship. Older authors, who became established before the indie rush, didn’t have any problems finding agents. Under the “new” model, agents seem to be working themselves into anachronisms. When I mentioned something about this to the small press that publishes my novels, one of the principals looked at me, raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why would you even want an agent? It’s just one more person to give money to.”

Does anyone besides me have feelings about this?

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Today’s guest post is from author Ann Gimpel and originally featured on her own blog 25th April, 2012.

If you’d like to see more of Ann’s blogging or find out more about her books, visit http://anngimpel.blogspot.co.uk/