Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Ghostly Writes 2017

    IT'S LIVE!!!!

Ghostly Writes Anthology 2017











Book Blurb

ENTER IF YOU DARE. A new Ghostly Writes Anthology for 2017, gives you sixteen authors from around the world with ghostly stories and poems for you to read. Each short story will take you to a new place, be it the future, present or past.

Plaisted Publishing House is happy to present this book to you - our readers. Please note that all stories are written in the English of the country the Author resides in.

Amazon Link

Kobo
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/ghostly-writes-anthology-2017 - Kobo says it isn’t available in UK…

Google Play

Author Links











Ghostly Writes is a group of Indie Authors from around the world who get together to produce an ebook for Halloween. You can find them at www.facebook.com/ghostlywritesanthology





Saturday, October 21, 2017

Writing Workshop 2017


Hi ya'll!! Today was a very exciting day. I was fortunate enough to attend the writing workshop at the Clarksburg Harrison Public Library today. It featured five West Virginia authors who shared their advice and tips in the genre they write in. Needless to say it was very informative and helpful to the attending writers. It was also a lot of fun!!! The featured authors were Michael Knost, Carter Taylor Seaton, Eliot Parker, Diana Pischner Walker, and Kirk Judd. I will be sharing what Eliot Parker shared with us on today's blog. I will be doing a post for each author. Hope you enjoy what I learned and it can help you out. Now onto the best part of today. 😉





Creating Villains That Readers "Love To Hate"

(Eliot Parker, Author from West Virginia)

The most compelling and terrifying villains in Literature are the ones that appear the most human and the most appealing. These are the guys that the reader might secretly find himself cheering for. Everyone has been taken advantage of.

Some examples are:
Annie Wilkes from Misery and Iago from Othello

The reader can't help but like these villains, at least a little. That's because the writer stepped into the shadows in order to better understand the motivation of these characters. Try to see the best in your villains.There should be a part of you (and the reader) who thinks he can be redeemed.
Very few villains consider themselves "bad guys"
Remember that every character has a mother
Give them flaws, soft spots, etc.

They need to have weaknesses.Make them responsible for the problems your protagonist faces..

Avoid making the villain a corporation, disease, war.
Make them at least as smart, strong, and/or capable as the protagonist.
If they remain hidden, create proxies that the protagonist must overcome.
Give your villain the same attention you give your protagonist.

Friday, October 13, 2017

NaNoWriMo Prep 2017

     Hi ya'll!! Today I would like to tell you all about my week prepping for NaNoWriMo this coming November.It has been an incredible journey so far (and it's just beginning!!!)
As you have probably already read in a past post, I joined in on Camp NaNoWriMo for the first time this year, and it was a blast!!!! I was able to surpass my word count goal.
Now I am preparing for the big leagues of NaNoWriMo! I am super excited to be giving it a shot. It brings me joy to be working against the clock. (Yeah, I know I'm a little weird...)
Thanks to the help of a very awesome Facebook group called Happy Writing I am getting this novel all planned out. If you would like to join the group send a request. I'll add the link at the end of this post. It is a fun group. #HappyWriting
I started off with the basics, ie. Title, genre, synopsis, etc. Then moved on to my plot thoughts. After that came the characters. This weekend I will be working on world building.
This novel is already becoming something special for me. I love being able to create stories that others can enjoy. And with the help of NaNoWriMo I am hoping that I can learn to stick to deadlines more.
I can't wait to see where this NaNo prep takes me and the story next. Until next time Happy Writing and have fun with NaNoWriMo if you're participating!!!! Later Days!!!!


https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=416925415306646

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Rachel Brimble Interview

Hi ya'll!! Today on the blog we are happy to be welcoming the amazing author Rachel Brimble for an interview.



          






Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. Since 2013, she has had seven books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and an eighth coming in Jan 2018. She also has four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical Press.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.
She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!
Links:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Facebook Street Team - Rachel's Readers
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Brimble/e/B007829ZRM/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1490948101&sr=8-1
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1806411.Rachel_Brimble




                





There's safety in solitude…isn't there? 
Single dad and best-selling thriller writer Ethan James has no problem being Templeton Cove's most famous recluse…until a surprise visit from the past plunges him into a real-life crime drama just as feisty nurse Leah Dixon barges her way into his world. 
Ethan's first priority is to protect his daughter. His second priority is to keep Leah out of this dark web—and that means out of his bed. Except Leah isn't going anywhere; she's afraid little Daisy is in danger. Ethan couldn't live with himself if anything happened to Leah…but pushing her away may be even harder!


Buy links:
Amazon UK:
Barnes & Noble:
Kobo:



 Cassandra's Writing World: What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

Rachel Brimble: Ooh, that’s a tough one! I really love anything by AJ Nuest and Kelly Moran and I am constantly wishing for their big ‘breakthrough’ moment. I recommend your visitors look up these great romance authors – it’s only a matter of time before they’re riding high. Trust me!

CWW: What’s the best way to market your books?

RB: I wish I knew *sigh* Promotion is tough and made worse by having little to no marketing support from publishers as authors did years ago. I am yet to discover ‘the secret’ even if it exists. Word of mouth is definitely the best way to sell books, but I also utilize social media, blog appearances and online release parties.

CWW: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

RB: I research very little for my contemporary work – mainly concentrating on a hero or heroine’s occupation if I’m not familiar with it. I usually choose settings I know well. I live in one of the most beautiful parts of England where I have Bath nearby in one direction and the Cotswolds in the other. I am yet to exhaust places within my driving distance 
It’s another story for my historical work. That’s takes a LOT of research. Until now, I have only written Victorian so I have learned a lot over the last six years, but my next project is Edwardian so I literally started my research from scratch. It’s one of the best aspects of the job!

CWW: How many hours a day do you write?


RB: I am lucky enough to be able to work full-time around my family and parents so I work 8.30am to 5.30pm (with two dog walks in between) Monday to Friday and then grab whatever hours I can at the weekend. Strictly speaking, I shouldn’t be working at all at the weekend but I’m finding I am more and more now my daughters are getting older.

CWW: How do you select the names of your characters?

RB: By luck! I often start books with character sketches and as I get to know the characters, their names come to me naturally. For my historical books, I scroll through popular names of the time and come up with them that way. I’m yet to change a name halfway through a book, but I know authors often do!

CWW: What is your favorite childhood book?

RB: The Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton – I was addicted to these books and they were the reason I wanted to become an author. I loved the relationship dynamics and the mysteries. So much fun!

CWW: How long on average does it take you to write a book?

RB: From research through to the final draft, it usually takes me 5-6 months.

CWW: What books have most influenced your life?

RB: Not so much books, but authors have influenced my work and work ethic – I especially admire Nora Roberts, Diana Gabaldon and Jill Shalvis. They are prolific and write fantastic stories that give their readers familiarity, yet something new each time. I hope I do the same…

 CWW: How do you develop your plots and characters?

RB: I usually start out with a germ of an idea and then scroll the internet for pics of my characters – I then write character sketches which usually confirms their goals, motivations and conflicts. I then write a 3-4 page synopsis, followed by a brief chapter plan. The first draft is written from start to finish without looking back. The hard work comes with the following drafts! I am most definitely a plotter 

CWW: What are your future project(s)?
RB: I am currently working on revisions for an Edwardian romance as well as writing the final draft of a new contemporary, which I hope will be the first in an ongoing series.
As for releases, I have a new romantic suspense, If I Want You, releasing November 8th from The Wild Rose Press and book eight in my Harlequin Templeton Cove series, A Stranger In The Cove, releases January 1st 2018.
Do you have any advice for someone trying to get published?
Write, write, write! Writing is a craft that, I believe, anyone can learn. You need to be committed to a project and see if through to the end. Once it’s as good as you can make it, submit to agents and editors – if you are too afraid to put your work out there, you won’t be published unless you’re prepared to go the self-published route. Also, read. A LOT. And different genres because you never know when something will strike a chord with you and maybe even send you in an unanticipated direction. Have fun!

Thank you for sharing with us Rachel!!!! And until next time happy reading and writing!!!!