Keeping up with Demand #amwriting

So, you might have noticed I all but disappeared off the blog circuit. Hmm. No? Here’s what I’ve been up to since the middle of December when my last blog went out, for those of you who are interested . . .

Writing, writing, writing, interrupted for holidays, writing, writing, writing. Obviously though, no blog writing.

Right now, “Immune” the sequel to “Priceless” (and the one that I’ve been focusing on) is off to the editors. For the moment, the release date is March 2013 (early if all continues to go well). Then, it’s off to book #3, #4, #5 etc . . . .The plan is to have at least 4 more books out by the end of 2013.

For now, what this means is that my blog may suffer a little, and for that I apologize. I will do my best to keep up at least here and there, and for sure, I will have announcements when new releases, cover art etc are coming down the pike. But, for now, to keep my readers happy, I’m focusing on my writing. You know, the kind that turns into books . ;-)

W!N a copy of Priceless, a sexy Urban fantasy Mystery

For anyone who hasn't yet picked up "Priceless" there is a contest running over at FREEBOOKSY where you can enter to win 1 of 10 kindle copies. Get over there while the getting is good, there is a time limit on how long you have to enter.

And if you are reading this, there is a good chance you already have qualified (which makes entering the contest even easier!)

Okay, that's it for today. I'm off to get some writing done now. I promise to write a full on blog post in the near future. ;p

The last batch of Funny #amwriting tips . . . Promise

Okay, this is it. The last batch. All good, all funny. Enjoy. Stolen from http://psychoprogs.com

67. Strangely enough, it is impossible to construct a sentence that illustrates the meaning of the word 'irony.'

68. Consult a writing manual to assure that your English is correct.

69. It has been suggested that some words are absolute, not relative. This is very true.

70. Be careful when forming words into a sentence-all orderings are not correct.

71. Many words can ostensibly be deleted.

72. In your quest for clarity, stop at nothing.

73. Complete mastery of the English language comes with conscientious study, notwithstanding around in bars. Moreover the next page. Inasmuch detail as possible.

74. Sporting analogies won't even get you to first base.

75. If you must quote, quote from one of the all-time greats (Cedric.P. Snodworthy, 1964).

76. In the absence of a dictionary, stick to words of one syllabus.

77. Steer clear of word-making-up-ism.

78. Readers will not stand for any intolerance.

79. If there's one thing you must avoid it's over-simplification.

80. Double entendres will get you in the end.

81. Vagueness is the root of miscommunication, in a sense.

82. Don't bother with those "increase-your-word-power" books that cost an absorbent amount of
money.

83. Self-contradiction is confusing, and yet strangely enlightening.

84. Surrealism without purpose is like fish.

85. Ignorance: good writers don't even know the meaning of the word.

86. The spoken word can look strange when written down, I'm afraid.

87. Stimpy the Squirrel says "Don't treat the reader like a little child."

88. Intimidatory writing is for wimps.

89. Learn one new maths word every day, and you'll soon find your vocabulary growing exponentially.

90. My old high school English teacher put it perfectly when she said: "Quoting is lazy. Express
things in your own words."

91. She also said: "Don't use that trick of paraphrasing...... [other people's words]...... inside a quote."

92. A lack of compassion in a writer is unforgivable.

93. On a scale of 0 to 10, internal consistency is very important.

94. Thankfully, by the year 2016 rash predictions will be a thing of the past.

95. There is no place for overemphasis, whatsoever.

96. Leave out the David Hockney rhyming slang.

97. Bad writers are hopefully ashamed of themselves.

98. Eschew the highfalutin.

99. Sometimes you publish a sentence and then, on reflection, feel that you shouldn't ought to have been and gone and written it quite that way.

100. Practice humility until you feel that you're really good at it.

33 more LOL Funny #amwriting Tips

In case you didn't get enough with the last batch . . . again, stolen from http://psychoprogs.com :0)


34. Take care with pluri.

35. If you can't think of the exact word that you need, look it up in one of those dictionary-type things.

36. Colons: try to do without them.

37. Nouns should never be verbed.

38. Do you really think people are impressed by rhetorical questions?

39. Pick a font, and stick with it.

40. Sufficient clarity is necessary, but not necessarily sufficient.

41. Less is more. This means that a short, cryptic statement is often preferable to an accurate, but drawn out, explanation that lacks punch and loses the reader.

42. Sarcasm-yes, I bet that will go down really well.

43. The problem of ambiguity cannot be underestimated.

44. Never appear cynical, unless you're sure you can get away with it.

45. Many writer's punctuate incorrectly.

46. Colloquialisms are for barmpots.

47. There is a lot to be said for brevity.

48. To qualify is to weaken, in most cases.

49. Many readers assume that a word will not assume two meanings in the same sentence.

50. Be spontaneous at regular intervals.

51. The era of the euphemism is sadly no longer with us.

52. Want to be funny? Just add some exclamation marks!!!

53. Want to appear whimsical? Simply append a smiley :)

54. Some writers introduce a large number, N, of unnecessary symbols.

55. Restrict your hyphen-usage.

56. Choosing the correct phrase is important compared to most things.

57. Some early drafts of this document had had clumsy juxtapositions.

58. Try not to leave a word dangling on its own

59. line.

60. The number of arbitrary constants per page should not exceed .13.

61. Use mathematical jargon if it is absolutely necessary.

62. And avoid math symbols unless ? a good reason.

63. Poor writing effects the impact of your work.

64. And the dictionary on your shelf was not put there just for affect.

65. If there's a word on the tip of your tongue that you can't quite pin down, use a cinnamon.

66. If somebody were to give me a pound for every irrelevant statement I've ever read, then I would
be very surprised.

33 Pee your Pants Funny #amwriting Tips

I didn't come up with these on my own, I stole them from http://psychoprogs.com :0) But they were totally worth the theft . . .and I will be giving you some more later in the week . . .

1. Every sentence should make sense in isolation. Like that one.

2. Excessive hyperbole is literally the kiss of death.

3. ASBMAETP: Acronyms Should Be Memorable And Easy To Pronounce, and SATAN: Select Acronyms That Are Non-offensive.

4. Finish your point on an up-beat note, unless you can't think of one.

5. Don't patronise the reader-he or she might well be intelligent enough to spot it.

6. A writer needs three qualities: creativity, originality, clarity and a good short term memory.

7. Choose your words carefully and incitefully.

8. Avoid unnecessary examples; e.g. this one.

9. Don't use commas, to separate text unnecessarily.

10. It can be shown that you shouldn't miss out too many details.

11. Similes are about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

12. Avoid ugly abr'v'ns.

13. Spellcheckers are not perfect; they can kiss my errs.

14. Somebody once said that all quotes should be accurately attributed.

15. Americanisms suck.

16. Capitalising for emphasis is UGLY and DISTRACTING.

17. Underlining is also a big no-no.

18. Mixed metaphors can kill two birds without a paddle.

19. Before using a cliché, run it up the flagpole and see if anybody salutes.

20. There is one cheap gimmick that should be avoided at all costs..............suspense.

21. State your opinions forcefully-this is perhaps the key to successful writing.

22. Never reveal your sources (Alistair Watson, 1993).

23. Pile on lots of subtlety.

24. Sure signs of lazy writing are incomplete lists, etc.

25. Introduce meaningless jargon on a strict need-to-know basis.

26. The word "gullible" possesses magic powers and hence it should be used with care.

27. The importance of comprehensive cross-referencing will be covered elsewhere.

28. Resist the temptation to roll up the trouser-legs of convention, cast off the shoes and socks of good taste, and dip your toes refreshingly into the cool, flowing waters of fanciful analogy.

29. Don't mess with Mr. Anthropomorphism.

30. Understatement is a mindblowingly effective weapon.

31. Injecting enthusiasm probably won't do any harm.

32. It is nice to be important, but it is more important to avoid using the word 'nice'.

33. Appropriate metaphors are worth their weight in gold.

Rampaging cows, gardens and . . .life?

My veggie garden is one of the few domestic things that I do well, and enjoy. Between my day job and my writing, I don’t have a lot of time for any extra’s. But I make time for our veggie garden because what it produces not only fills our bellies with healthy, tasty food; it gives me a sense of accomplishment. Starting the seeds way back in early March, sometimes even late February, I tend to them, watering and keeping the weeds under control.

Most of the seeds take some time to get going, but by May we start to eat out of the garden. Radishes, peas, beans and sometimes even some early lettuce is the start of our summer garden fresh eating.

My husband has cows. Young, naughty, “teenage” cows. More on this later.

With the garden in full swing last week, I was excited. We had family coming and the veggies were ready to be eaten. Corn, carrots, raspberries, strawberries, boysenberries and onions; green and jalapeño peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes were on the cusp of perfection.

Did I mention that my husband has cows?

The DAY before our guests arrived, I got up early, fed and watered the livestock and stumbled back towards the house in a half awake daze. So it’s perfectly understandable that my initial reaction to my decimated garden was one of complete and utter shock. It looked as though a tornado had ripped through, stealing all my veggies and tearing everything up.

The cows had broken into my garden overnight and stripped it bare. Not only had they eaten everything to the quick, they had actually climbed into my waist high raised beds leaving their footprints as evidence to their heinous crimes. Bent signs and a ripped fence with a tuft of black fur on it was all they’d left behind. Not a single, edible piece of anything was left for us. The little buggers had even cleaned out my compost pile which had some volunteer veggies in it.

Once I’d woken my husband up (nicely of course, after all, it was his cows) and he’d patched up the hole, I threw in the towel as far as my garden went. For the next week and a half while the company visited, I didn’t touch my garden. No water, no weed picking. After all, it was completely ripped apart, eaten, trampled and empty of anything left. It was done and so was I.

Then last night, I decided to take a peek in the garden, why I don’t know.

One string of cucumbers had survived, the corn that had been bent, broken and stripped of all its leaves where it wasn’t pulled out, was making an attempt to grow.  I grabbed my hose, watered and pulled weeds, astounded at what I was finding. Everything was still fighting to live.

What has this got to do with anything besides cows and gardens?

Well, just this. No matter how many times the “cows” trample our “gardens” as long as we are still fighting to grow, to feed that which is important to us, there is no such thing as a loss. I may not get all the veggies I’d hoped for, but next year will be better. I’ll build a better fence, and learn from the mistakes of this year. Which will make next year’s garden only bigger; with nicer veggies, and more to share with others.

It’s the same with life, writing, art or whatever it is that seems to be a struggle for us. As long as when the “cows” come in and trample all our precious seeds and starts we buckle down, learn the lesson we needed to learn and continue on, next year will be better.

And if not, I only have one other solution.

Eat the cows.

Writers Wet Behind the Ears

Eeek. Beginning writers, I still feel like I’m there a lot of days. So I'm going to do my best to share with you the things I’ve learned from the mistakes that I made in the very beginning. This is in no particular order, number 1 is not more important than number 5.

1. Don’t think that your family can actually help you edit or beta read your work. They will lie through their teeth about how good it is because they love you. Trust me on this one. They don’t want to hurt your feelings, so they will do their best to sugar coat everything they say.

2. Plot your books! I have heard so many times people say things like “Oh, I don’t plot, the characters just take me where they take me.” Here’s the thing. I was like that, I had twenty five novels started, not one of them finished. Because when I got to the middle and I had no plot to work from, I got stuck and started a new idea. Sound familiar? So start plotting, even if it’s only a beginning, middle and end, that will give you a path to follow.

3. Please don’t think you are artist enough to do your own cover art (this is for Indie authors) You aren’t. And that’s okay, your talent is writing, focus on that. A cover can literally make or break your book, and yes, I did learn this the very hard way. Once I got my cover done right, my sales jumped to a degree I could have only hoped for.

4. Along with number 3. If you are self publishing, allow others to work for you. Hire people to do the jobs that you don’t know, or can’t do.  If you think that you can do it all, and do it well, you’re fooling yourself.

5. Don’t whine and complain that you can’t afford an editor. You cannot afford NOT to have an editor. They are essential to your success as an author, they will teach you things about your writing that you never knew. Like using the word “palatable” in every single chapter. Or using adverbs like Clearly, heavily, scarily, pushily. They will help you grow and they will help you make sure your ms is polished so that readers don’t want to throw it across the room because “Ooops” you forgot about the plot thread.

6. If you are going the traditional route and are going to query editors and agents, LEARN THE RULES OF THE QUERY. The fastest way to get booted out of an agent’s potential list is to not pay attention to the details. Do your research, and then have your query read by a few people before sending it off. I went the traditional route prior to self publishing, I landed an agent, in this, please trust me.

Okay, those are six points that I think every green, new, wet behind the ears author needs to take into account. Not that they are all the mistakes I made *clears throat* , but some of the bigger ones I tried on for size at least once. LOL.

"Dark Isle" Cover Unveil, AKA #SexyIrishMen

Just promise me one thing ladies, drool AWAY from the computer. ;p This is the cover for me new book, Dark Isle, the sequel to Dark Waters which is just over there. ----->

It's in the middle of edits so *Fingers crossed* I will have it available to all of you by the end of June. And then, oh baby, wait till you see the cover for Dark Fae, the final book in the Celtic Legacy series!

Thanks to all of you for your support, reviews (the LIFE BLOOD of an author) and your general pestering that keeps me on track. My READERS ROCK!

Breaking Out of your Genre



One of the best things about being an author is that you get to create worlds, people, places, and scenarios that wouldn’t otherwise exist. It doesn’t matter if you write literary fiction, horror, romance, fantasy, YA or any sub genre of these; the fact remains that you are the creator of stories.

But what happens when you decide to try a new genre, to tell a new style of story? What if you love to write in the YA world, but then want to take a stab at writing horror?

Breaking out of a genre that you have placed yourself in can be exciting, terrifying, liberating and more important than all of those, a HUGE learning curve.

For me, I’ve always written somewhere in the fantasy genre. Urban, epic, dabbled in horror. But lately, my muse has been feeding me other stories, ones that I’m excited to try. *Gulp* Contemporary romance is not something I EVER thought I’d be interested in writing, and yet, I have three plots penned, and am pumped to get started in this new genre. Already, I am learning what to do, and what not to do. So if your muse is doing like mine, and spinning new tales in new genres for you, then read on!

1.       First and foremost, only switch genres if your muse/creativity is taking you that way. The ONLY reason I’m looking at writing a contemporary romance is because my muse is almost SCREAMING at me. The stories won’t leave my head, so I know that I have to write them. Don’t force yourself to switch genres. If it isn’t for you, then it isn’t for you and that’s okay. ***

2.       Now, you’ve written something no one saw coming. Brace yourself, not ALL of your fans will go for the new book. Some will follow for sure, but many readers will only read an author’s work if it stays within the readers expectations. A perfect example of this is my two series. My zombie-ish series has a great following and good rankings on Amazon. However, my second series, The Celtic Legacy which is more urban fantasy and less horror, has not seen the numbers that my horror series has. My horror fans just don’t go for the fantasy. I have to promote these two books separately. Once caveat to this is that if your write romance (of any style) you have the best chance of bringing your readers with you to a new genre. Studies have shown that romance readers are amongst the most loyal and will follow a favorite author just about anywhere.

3.       If you don’t currently read much in the new genre you want to dabble in, take some time, read a few bestsellers before diving into the deep end. The best way to irritate new readers is for them to see that you don’t understand the genre, and you aren’t meeting their expectations. This of course does not mean you can’t put your own twist on things, but you need to remember that most genres have a formula. Learn it, THEN twist it to your own uses.

4.       Be prepared to start marketing from scratch. Even if you have a MASSIVE fan base, you need to treat the new genre as if you are a debut author. You will be reaching a new group of readers who have otherwise never heard of you. So start your marketing early, and promote that new book to the masses!

Of course, there are some very lovely perks that come with crossing into a new genre. You WILL find new fans that will scope out your other works. You will learn a ton about your writing style, and you will ultimately become a better writer for stretching yourself. For those reasons alone, I’m looking forward to breaking into a new genre.

***I would encourage you to try a genre that isn’t your usual fare. Not necessarily to publish, but to train those writing muscles.  It’s a good exercise and one that I think all authors should use from time to time. You might just surprise yourself. ;p

Marketing your E-Book

I had the distinct pleasure to write an article for the #amwriting community blog and the post is up today.

It's all about marketing your e-book, how to do it, a few how not to's; there's even a chart to help you get going on your marketing plan.

Check it out! Marketing Your E-Book and leave a comment. I'd love to have some feedback on how you market and what you find works.