Stepping Out of My Wheelhouse

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Charles Yallowitz
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So I’m stepping out of my comfort zone later this week.  I’ve decided to tackle the paranormal thriller that I hope to release in early 2016.

Why so long?  Because I have no idea what I’m doing.  All I have is a basic idea and now the characters, but this one is a little scarier to get into than my previous challenges.  All of those had some connection to what I had already done.  This one seems to be entirely on its own.  Minimal action since I’m going for atmosphere and mystery.  Shorter in chapter and size from what I’m thinking.  Then again, I don’t know what I’m thinking or how to piece this together just yet.

To be honest, this story has cropped up in my mind several times over the last two years.  I think it’s time I gave it life, but now I see how slippery it is.  Focusing on it makes things a lot more real than the dream it was before.  So doubt and second-guessing is showing up in my mind.  Is present tense good for this?  Can I contain my natural instinct to go big?  How does a chapter in this story differ in structure from the ones I usually do?  All of this and I still plan on writing the story.  My hope is to get the outline done tonight before I go to bed.

So, what do other authors do when they step into a new genre?  Is there always a flicker of doubt whenever you try something new?

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A Traditional Book Review: Echoes of Narcissus in the Gardens of Delight by Jo Robinson #bookreview #MondayBlogs

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Charles Yallowitz

Marie A Bailey's avatarMarie at 1 Write Way

I’m still chugging along with a free online poetry course so here, again, is a traditional book review.  And, again, why wait?  I’ve posted this review on Amazon and Goodreads, but why not share the review through my blog now instead of waiting for my Muse (i.e., Time) to strike a different kind of book review within me?  I say, drum up some interest (and hopefully $$) for the author now!  So, here we go …

***

 narc12349n1t-2

Jo Robinson’s novel is a fascinating study of a psychological disorder, Malignant Narcissistic Personality Disorder, in the framework of a novel. Donna is the wife of Marco, a man used to getting his own way and being in total control. Marco has never physically harmed Donna, but he has emotionally abused and neglected her. Robinson neatly lays out the domestic abuse that is the foundation of Donna’s marriage to Marco…

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The Brother’s Keep by @TessaStockton Pre-Order NOW! #BrotherPromo #books #YA

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Charles Yallowitz
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Week of Editing Madness: Because Tackling 1 Project is Too Sane

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Charles Yallowitz

Last week did not go as planned.  Errands kept cropping up and then my son had an asthma attack on Wednesday.  He had to come home and simply wouldn’t understand the phrase ‘You can barely breath, so stop running around!’.  He’s good now and we got an inhaler for them to keep at school.  Came with an aerochamber that he claimed as a toy and took some negotiation to accept that it stays with the nurse.  I think the worst part of this event was that he was bawling when they brought him into the nurse’s office. He didn’t want to leave his friends or miss gym.  Had to calm him down a bit before walking out and a lot of silliness was needed on my part to get him to laugh as we went to the car.  Anyway with this adventure, I still have 60 pages to edit on Merchant of Nevra Coil.  Family gathering today means I might not finish until Tuesday.

And that’s not all I want to tackle.  My wife has been reading the older books to find typos and she has some stuff for Prodigy of Rainbow Tower.  These are just small things that I and a few others missed.  Figure it doesn’t hurt to get it checked again and this gets her in a better mindset for reading the other books.  I also need to edit Ichabod Brooks & the City of Beasts.  That should take a day.  So that’s 3 editing projects in a week and I’m still considering tackling the start of Charms of the Feykin.  Unless this new idea takes over.

The new idea is not a fantasy book and probably won’t be released until early 2016 because I need time for this.  I spent last night designing characters and a basic outline that’s already getting junked.  Not even comfortable talking about this one in public.  All I’ll say is that it’s kind of a paranormal thriller, which means my love of action scenes may have to be curbed.  It’s another experiment and will hopefully go smoother than my attempt at a gory horror with Catalysts.  Part of me wants to write it NOW, but I think it would work better as a break between writing Charms of the Feykin and the summer editing run.  Gives me more time to review the idea too.

My head is still spinning and I’m not really sure how I’m still walking.  Feels like so much kept battering me and my son’s issues really made it hard to sleep.  It sucks that I have to keep him inside when it’s crisp because that’s what sets it off.  He wants to run around and do random stuff like talking to a scarecrow that my dad put to keep the birds off the grass seeds.  FYI- The robins practically shake their butts at the thing.  Hopefully this week goes smoother and I can get these projects done.  Still torn between Windemere and the new thing.  Maybe take today to do more outlining and thinking to get the new one flushed out.  It’s going to be maddening at the family gathering (a christening) with nobody to bounce ideas off of.

So what are the goals?

  1. Finish editing Merchant of Nevra Coil.  Should only take a day or two.
  2. Add edits to Prodigy of Rainbow Tower.  All grammatical and spelling, so no story changes.
  3. Edit Ichabod Brooks & the City of Beasts.  Should only take a day.
  4. Work on the NEW IDEA!  Aim for an outline and character list.
  5. Choose cover for #3 and send cover reveal info to volunteers.  STILL TAKING VOLUNTEERS!
  6. Cooking and biking.  Duh.
  7. Finish this outline that I’ve found next to the TV.  Honestly, I still need a series title for Sin’s adventures.
  8. Make an updated book idea list even though it will probably be changed within a few months.
  9. Possibly write the prologue for Charms of the Feykin. If not this week then next week after a day with the kid being home.  He has the dentist on Monday, so he couldn’t go to school
  10. Think up a few posts for June.

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The Far End of Happy by Kathryn Craft–and a chance to win a great book

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Charles Yallowitz

Ionia Froment's avatarreadful things blog

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for a link to the Rafflecopter giveaway of a Landmark fiction prize pack, for your chance to win

ABOUT THE FAR END OF HAPPY:

The Far End of Happy is a powerful new novel based on author Kathryn Craft’s personal experience with a stand-off involving her husband.  Here Craft delivers “real, raw emotion” (Library Journal) exploring a marriage unraveled by mental illness; and one man’s spiral towards a violent conclusion that tests the courage, love, and hope of the three women he leaves behind.

When the emotionally troubled Jeff engages police in a deadly stand-off, his wife, mother-in-law, and mother struggle to understand why the man they love has turned his back on the life they have given him, the one they all believe is still worth living.

“Framing the novel within a 12-hour period keeps the pages turning…

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Volunteers & Final Votes: Ichabod Brooks & the City of Beasts

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Charles Yallowitz
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Quick post to get the final ball rolling on three points:

  1. I’m looking for volunteers to be part of a Cover Reveal on May 15th.  This is for Ichabod Brooks & the City of Beasts, which will be going live on June 1st.  I have 12 days to choose the cover from the final 3.  That brings us to item 2:
  2. Please vote in the final poll.  This is different than the last because all 3 covers are in their final stages.  The previous one was more for feedback and to get a good idea of where people were heading.  I have my favorite, but I’m curious to see what people say.  I’ll be closing the poll around Tuesday and then send the cover reveal info to volunteers that night.  CLICK ON THE LINK!

http://99designs.com/book-cover-design/vote-kv5c4o

3.  How’s the new blurb look?

In a time of heroes, a man will take any job to provide for his family.

Ichabod Brooks has earned a reputation for doing the jobs that most men and women fear to challenge. It is this reputation that has brought him to the charred remains of a small village. The ruins have become a source of strange monsters that terrorize the countryside and repeatedly elude the local guards and hunters. The few brave souls who have entered the creatures’ lair have yet to come out alive or dead.

Only a fool would take this job, but that generous upfront payment is too much for Ichabod to resist. After all, a man and his family have to eat.

(Thanks in advance.)

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A Trio of Old Poems: Three Different Flavors of Mood

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Charles Yallowitz

(Just going through an old file and grabbing 3 poems that caught my attention today.  Last one is a fun revisit from February 2013.  Enjoy.)

Golf Ball Prize

Golf Ball Prize

Here We Are Again

Our position has not changed
We are back to where we were
Stress barking at our heels
Evolving into terror
That we are forever trapped
A year of working hard
Dashed by misfortune and despair
One holding to a basic job
The other back at home
All hopes and goals are paused
As the newest pieces crumbling
Revealing the tattered tapestry
That we fought so hard to mend

Orbs of Light and Color

Vivid blues to tempt our heart
Deepest browns to calm our soul
Brilliant greens to enchant our mind
Noble gray to ensnare our sight
Soft hazel to warm our spirit
Rarest amber to grab our curiosity
Our eyes are key to taking hold
Growing deeper with each year
Wisdom shines behind their hues
Purest orbs that twinkle in elation
Or weep when sadness hits
They will see it all until they close
And take their final blink

Bholed Owr Greightness

We R Soupereor
Two all uhthr crechurs
Owr brayns R whyse
And hellp us kreate
We bilt a wurld
Abuhv the uhntamd whyld
Pruving owr soupereorite
Owr citees wil nevr fal
Bkaws we bilt two last
Owr wurks wil b remembrd
Aftr we R gon
The beests nv us
For tha wil nevr rech
The levls that we threyev

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Cover Reveal: Seconds Before Sunrise By Shannon A. Thompson

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Charles Yallowitz

Seconds Before Sunrise

Message from the Author:

The Timely Death Trilogy began as one teenager’s nightmare and morphed into a real-life dream of authorship. The entire trilogy re-releases with new covers and new interiors this summer and fall by Clean Teen Publishing. I hope you’ll check out this dark vs. light trilogy (mainly because the “dark” side is the good side…maybe), and I especially hope you’ll consider becoming a Member of the Dark! Each time there is a special event, you can participate and win prizes—like spotlights on my website, books, and more. Simply email me at shannonathompson@aol.com, and I’ll send a badge over to you. We might even have coffee together.

Thank you for reading about this dark journey,

~SAT

YouTube Video Reveal:

Cover Reveal YouTube Episode of Coffee & Cats!

Synopsis:

Seconds Before Sunrise (book 2 of The Timely Death Trilogy)

Two nightmares. One memory.

“Chaos within destiny. It was the definition of our love.”

Eric has weeks before his final battle when he’s in an accident. Forced to face his human side, he knows he can’t survive if he fights alone. But he doesn’t want to surrender, even if he becomes the sacrifice for war.

Jessica’s memory isn’t the only thing she’s lost. Her desire to find her parents is gone and so is her confidence. But when fate leaves nightmares behind, she decides to find the boy she sees in them, even if it risks her sanity.

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Never say never: get Occasional Soulmates for free next weekend

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Charles Yallowitz

Kevin Brennan's avatarWHAT THE HELL

3D cover

I know, I know. I said I’d never do it. Early in my self-publishing experiment, I declared (at least I think I did) that I’d never give my books away as a promotion. The very idea repelled me. I gagged at the notion that people would grab the thing by the hundreds for free but they wouldn’t pay the 99 cents I usually ask in a promo. Yet, it seems to be the case that self-publishing ebooks is almost dependent on the freebie.

What changed my mind, you ask? Well, for one thing, sales of Occasional Soulmates have been (sob sob) disappointing. My experience this time around has driven home the fact that you have to market constantly, you have to spend quite a bit of money, and you have to obsess over the selling of a book to give it any kind of life on the charts. Possibly I…

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Motivation of the Indie Author

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Charles Yallowitz
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An interesting question was asked about indie authors and motivation.  Without a boss of any kind, we make our own deadlines that are about as flexible as an overcooked noodle. It gets even harder when the person is a full-time author.  So how does one stay on track as a solitary organism operation?  Cloning?  Train mice to do your bidding?  Extra wives/husbands?  Removing all feasible distractions from TV to ceiling fans to any length of string?  Let’s see some ideas.

  1. A blog can help by making public goals that are either weekly or monthly.  This creates a sense of accountability since you, hopefully, have people reading your blog.  They will know if you slack off or aren’t writing at all.  I would call this the ‘forging of guilt and shame’ path.  At least you try to avoid those two things.
  2. Make a personal deadline for things.  This is easy.  Just because you don’t have anybody screaming at you to quickly finish a job, doesn’t mean you remove deadlines entirely from your life.  They can be at any scale.  Maybe you want to write a chapter by the end of the week.  Perhaps one a day.  Just outline for a weekend.  It’s all up to you and everything is on your head in the end.
  3. Claim an out of the house spot and get into a habit of going there at the same time on the same day.  Starbucks, library, or anywhere that you can get work done.  Pick a place and then train yourself to continue going there.  This takes a lot of dedication and can get you odd looks.  Yet the result is you carve out an area that draws out your inspiration and motivation.
  4. Always put some time aside for family and friends.  This will prevent them from actively getting in your way when you want to write.  No arguments of you being anti-social or people never seeing you.  If you must go these connections for any length of time then you better not be in the house.  Also explain where you’re going before somebody puts a missing person report out on you.
  5. Try not to look at what other authors are doing in terms of marketing, sales, and rankings.  You might see this as motivating yourself and that will be the case at times.  The danger here is that you might try to push yourself too quickly and rush the next release.  If not that then you’ll jump into a marketing venue that simply doesn’t work for you or any number of mistakes that will take time to fix.
  6. Sleep.  If you push yourself for too long then naps may ensue.  At the very least, you will find your energy drain within an hour.  So even if you’re motivated, you can barely move toward your notebooks or laptop.
  7. Look at the progress you’ve made to help push forward.  Find those silver linings and bold victories to keep yourself going.
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