Tuesday 16 July 2013

Smashwords 2013 Summer/Winter Promotion

Hello dear readers!

Are you interested in reading Rebirth, but haven't got a copy yet?

Well, do I have some great news for you!

Rebirth is FREE from today until July 26th as part of Smashwords's 2013 Summer/Winter Promotion!

It's a site wide promotion, so make sure you check out the other great books that are available! 

Type in the coupon code SW100 at checkout to get your free copy!

And don't forget to please review, tell your friends, share it around!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/287087

Monday 8 July 2013

Leading up to

Hello all!

Next week will be the six month anniversary since I released Rebirth. And, I must say, what a ride!
Being an Indie author (some say self published, but I prefer indie. Tomato, Tomatoe, in my mind) is definitely an interesting part of this journey. When you do everything on your own you have to wear many different hats, and some of those hats take time to adjust to get a good fit, but I feel like I'm in a groove.
I'm constantly trying to learn and evolve, not only from my mistakes but from watching others, and I'm working on filling the holes of things that I don't know.

When I started I never ever thought I would be doing this all on my own. During college, I had forgone the idea of choosing my own cover and other simple, little things that a first time author would never get to do with a large company. There was a time when writing courses really pounded the idea that you need an agent or else into young writer's minds, and if you couldn't do that you were essentially screwed. Self publishing meant that you weren't good enough, that for whatever reason no one would touch you, and if you did end up putting your work out yourself you could kiss the idea of ever finding an agent goodbye.

But then. something changed.
I don't know exactly what it was, or who. So I won't try to say that I do. All I know is that something happened, and there was a shift. Self published authors became recognized and noteworthy, enough to develop a name change to indie. And now that a bit of the shame has been removed big things are happening, and books like WOOL  are paving the way for new and exciting things in the world of publishing. Authors will have more control.

Why did I decide to go indie? I've talked a bit about what happened with me, the name change, the shift over. The Rebirth, if you will. I decided to give this way a try because I could connect with my own work and the way it was being put out into the world in a different way. And while I have to rely on myself, I have no one to disappoint and no one or nothing to be disappointed by.
It's just me, and only me, and somehow that makes sense right now.
May I try something else? Maybe. I'm not a one trick pony. I do have other stories, The Afflicted is just where my focus is at this present moment. What's important to me is producing the best product I can and being able to connect with my readers.


So, enough of me, I have some news! I'm planning a free promotion leading up to July 20, the six month anniversary. I haven't figured it all out yet, but I will post more when I have more information.
Keep checking back, it's your chance to pick up a copy of Rebirth for absolutely free!!


Friday 5 July 2013

Writer's Block

I will openly admit that since my Mother died a little over a year ago, I have gone through periods of writer's block that have been worse then any I have ever suffered.
I think they have been so brutal because writing has been where I have turned when things have got crazy in my life. When I couldn't deal with the world I would escape into my own, and after my Mother died the last place I wanted to be was in the regular world. But, I would put a blank screen or, more often, a blank page in front of me and nothing would want to come out. An idea would pop into my mind and quickly fizzle out, and I would be left with nothing other than frustration.

As most writer's have, I've read a lot about writer's block. What causes it, how to beat it, and how to never get it again. There isn't really a consensus on any of those subjects because it's different for everyone. And I've tried many things, and this current bout I decided to try to write through it. It doesn't matter if it sucks, just keep writing and see if it lifts.
For the most part, it's worked. I've been working on fresh material and doing more self editing of Book 2. I've been able to self edit during writer's block, its the fresh material I've had difficulty with.

So, dear readers, I put out a question to you.....what do you do for writer's block? Do you have any tips or tricks that you'd like to share with the world, because I'd love to hear them!


And, as I have said before, thank you to all of those who came to check out my blog, and who keep coming back. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be coming up to 2500 page views! I am so excited!

Tuesday 2 July 2013

WINNERS!

The winners of the rafflecopter giveaway are:

 April Parmelee

Tori Whitaker

Donna Clerkin

Please contact me to collect your prize! Thanks again to everyone who entered, come back soon for more contests!