ABC ... EASY AS ... 123, THE LETTER 'C' with Guest Host, MELANIE FOUNTAIN, PUBLISHER

Hi everyone.

Today is 'C' day. The word of the day is 'Characters'.

char ac ter
noun
plural noun: characters

1. the mental moral qualities distinctive to an individual
    synonyms: personality, nature, disposition, temperament, temper, 
    mentality, makeup

2. a person in a novel, play, or movie
    synonyms: persona, role, part

Recently, my publisher, Melanie Fountain, of Fountain Blue Publishing, ran an article for her authors about the importance of characters to the story. I didn't believe I could present a post to you that would outdo her words. I asked Melanie to guest host today and share her article with all of you.

Welcome, Melanie.

Melanie Fountain:

Whether you are a plotter (spend hours refining the outline for your novel) or a pantser (sit down and write your novel by the seat of your pants), your characters believability and relatability make all the difference.

I use visualization for my character development. I imagine that I am at a gathering, party, lunch, etc., with one, some, or all of my characters. I pay attention to how each one behaves, talks, and interacts with the others. No two of my friends or family members use the same word choices or phrases. No two have the same beliefs or views. No two have the same body language, so why would my characters? Each person has their own ‘voice’.

There are many components that go into giving each character their individual voice and I would like give you a helpful list that you can use to help you define a characters voice.

Male or Female

Education level

Age

Outgoing or Shy

Snarky or Sweet

Naïve or Street Smart

Manipulative or Giving

Inflection (regional accent)

Idioms (one might say; “He passed away.” and another may say, “He kicked the bucket.”

Divulge your character to your reader in a natural way. Let your reader learn about your character’s quirks and personality in a similar way that you learn about people you meet. We learn about people in bits and pieces through dialog, interaction, and observation. If you spend three pages of your novel giving your reader every detail about your character, your reader will get board and the introduction will feel awkward and forced.

Your character needs to have a goal, a quest, a dilemma, a question that he or she must answer. The reader needs to be drawn into your character’s journey. The reader must feel for your character, either routing for them or hating them and wanting to witness their demise. Without creating an emotional attachment between your character and your reader, why would the reader read on?

Character development is not a simple process and is always subject to change as your book develops. Create characters who are believable and who your reader must know more about.

Below is an excerpt of an article written by C.S. Lakin. This article explains through examples how important character voice is in your novel.

**Narrative Must Be Shaped by Voice**

Think about writing a scene in the POV of a six-year-old girl who is a spoiled, rich only child. Let’s say the scene takes place at the dinner table, and while she is eating, her parents get in an argument about money, and the father says she will not be allowed to take ballet anymore, and then smacks her precious puppy when it tries to get a piece of meat from off the table.

That narrative must sound like a six-year-old rich spoiled girl’s voice. She is going to notice, react, and think her age. She isn’t going to comment on the details of her parents’ argument. She’s going to be confused and upset as to why she can’t take ballet, and she’s going to be mad and scared when her father hits her dog. She will not use an adult vocabulary or think obtusely, abstractly, or using metaphor. The reader should feel and wholly believe she is experiencing and reacting to all that happens in the scene (and there should be a good reason to use her as a POV character too).

All too often I find, in the novels I edit and critique, scenes in a character’s POV that does not have the appropriate voice. Children sound like adults. Old women sound like young men. So much goes into voice: education, background, past pain, fears, likes and dislikes, opinions, personality traits, ethnicity, and so on. Just like dialog. In fact, if you can think of voice as just an extension of dialog—as the POV character speaking through the entire narrative of the scene—it may help you to get a handle on voice.

**Getting into Character**

One thing that helps me with voice is to pretend I’m the character. I try to immerse myself so much into the role as I’m writing the scene that I am that character. This is what actors do—they get into character. Some actors say that when they’re shooting a movie, they stay in character all the time—even when they leave the set and go home for the night.

Which makes me think of a funny bit on one of the CDs for The Lord of the Rings, that showed director Peter Jackson’s amazement when he heard actor Brad Dourif (Wormtongue) speak in an American Southern drawl, thinking the actor was just joking around (he wasn’t; that was his “real” voice). In the films, Dourif’s character has a kind of rich British accent. Clearly, Dourif stayed “in character” while not filming, which no doubt helped him do such a terrific job in creating the voice of Wormtongue. And here, too, I’m not just talking about his accent. That voice went deep into character, shown through his inflection, mannerisms, facial expressions, and tone. All this relates to voice.

**Voice is all about characters—not about you!**

There, I said it. It’s so simple, really. Every character in your novel has his or her own voice, whether a child, a man or woman, a dog, or a robot. Every POV character in your novel has a unique voice—both internally, in the way they think, as well as in their audible speech.

**Voice Isn’t Just Speech**

In addition, any character that speaks out loud (not a POV character) has a voice as well. I don’t mean literally here—for of course they have a voice if they can speak (and if they use sign language, that’s speech too). But what we’re talking about pertains to the manner, style, and presentation of that speech. With these characters, their voice comes out only in the words they actually say and how they’re said—since the writer is not going into their heads.

With POV characters, voice embodies more than spoken words or direct thoughts in their heads. The narrative should as well. When you craft a scene in a character’s POV, every line in that scene has to feel as though it is being processed, chewed, and spit out by that character. Everything that happens in that scene is witnessed, experienced, felt, and reacted to by that character. And so, even the narrative must have “voice.”

**Voice Isn’t Just How Someone Sounds**

So as you richly develop all the characters in your novel—and we’ve looked at many ways in many posts on how to do this with both your protagonist and your secondary characters—be sure to spend a good amount of time on voice. Not just thinking about how the character sounds when she talks out loud but how who she is shapes and determines her mind-set—what and how she thinks about things.

In order to construct a strong novel, those character pillars must be made of unique, believable characters. By spending time giving those characters a rich past and a core need, greatest fear, a lie they believe, you will have characters that jump off the page. But . . . if you do not give them the appropriate voice, those pillars will crumble.

As I mentioned in the example above of the six-year-old girl—if you, the author, intrude in the scene by narrating or showing a character thinking in a style that does not fit who she is, the reader will notice. Yes, it’s a challenge to write every word in every scene in POV, but that’s required with either a first-, second-, or third-person POV. And this is one of the biggest flaws I see in novels.

**What about an Omniscient POV?**

If you are going to use an omniscient voice to tell the story, you can slip in and out of voices as you portray the different characters, and in addition, you have the narrator’s omniscient storytelling voice over all (which must be developed in the same way as any other character’s voice). Not many writers can pull off an omniscient voice well, and the downside and challenge to using such a voice is its tendency to distance the reader and tell the story rather than show it. And as most of us have been taught, readers these days don’t want to be told stories; they want to see them happening before their eyes, through the eyes of the POV characters.

So think of voice as each character’s voice: unique and specific for each one. The writing style of a scene will be influenced and shaped by that voice.

Visit C.S. Lakin at http://www.livewritethrive.com/

And visit me at www.fountainbluepublishing.com/

Keep writing and stay creative!

Melanie Fountain
Editor in Chief/Owner
Fountain Blue Publishing
info@fountainbluepulishing.com

Thank-you, Melanie for hosting today. I hope you all benefited as much as I have from this informative post.

Keep on keeping on writing!

Visit me on my Facebook Author Page HERE.

BROWNWOOD BOOK CLUB END OF THE YEAR PARTY

Hello everyone. This post is to announce THE book party of the year ... the Brownwood Book Club End of the Year Party.

Lots of prizes, fun, and games.

This party is a three day event running from December 11th, starting at 10:00 pm to December 14th, ending at 9:00 p.m.

Everyone is invited from readers, to authors, street teamers, bloggers and anyone else who likes to hang out online and chat. Meet authors, make new online friends.

I'll be hosting on Friday, December 12th, from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm PST, or that's 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Central time.  I'll be giving away free e-book copies of Winter's Captive, Book 1 of the Georgia Series.

Come and meet the authors, other readers, and make new online friends.  See you there. Here's the link:

Here's the  LINK to my Facebook author page. Follow the post  to the party.  See you all there.

ABC ... EASY AS ... 123, THE LETTER 'B'

Today, we look at the letter 'B'. The word of the day is BACK STORY.

Definition:

BACK STORY
Noun
* alternative spelling of backstory

1. background information provided, often in narrative form, to give help in understanding something, as the behaviour of a character

2. history to describe events leading up to the present

Back story is something I've always had trouble handling. It's something that requires finesse. And finesse comes with writing experience and in my case, from the advice of a good editor.

Story writing today is part of the fast-foods McDonalds era we live in. How often do we take the time to go into a restaurant and enjoy the dining experience? Most of us rush about in our busy lives and buy fast foods on the way home or take ten minutes to gulp down our food at fast-food restaurants before rushing to our next destination.

Readers today have a short attention span and want into the action quickly. If not, they get bored, skip pages, and maybe give up on the story all together. The problem with this is that they don't have time to get to know the characters, to relate to them and feel connected. So if the characters are plunged straight away into a suspenseful conflict, the reader may not care. The writer wants readers to get invested in the character's life and dilemma and really care about what happens to them. Disconnect is a bad thing for a writer.

In my opinion, this is an even larger problem when writing a series, which I am. If the reader has read earlier books in the series, they already know the main character. They have an invested interest in the character's life and care what's going to happen to them next, like an old friend. But someone who hasn't read previous books need some back story and it is the writer's job to make sure the book can stand alone for a new reader. The problem here lies wherein the writer has to add enough back story to interest the new reader but not be repetitive as to bore the established reader.

My third book, A Missing Thread, Book 3 of the Georgia Series jumps right into the action with Chapter 1. My problem here is that anyone who knows Georgia Charles-Dixon well, will jump into the action right along with her, but a new reader hasn't had time to care about her. I need to add back story. How do I do that?

I could start the narrative earlier before the crisis, to describe the character and get the reader invested in her. However, they may get bored, along with the old reader who already knows her story up to this point. So I'm not going there.

I could and have in the past, put flashbacks in the middle of the action to describe her history, The problem here is that the story can become choppy and it stops the action. I risk ruining the build-up to the crisis. (My editor, Ron Bagliere, taught me this tidbit)

Another method, is to put the back story into dialogue, not narrative. This is showing not telling. And if the dialogue is part of the current story line, it's not going back into the past and can serve its purpose of allowing the reader to connect to the character. It has to be subtle and fit into the conversation. Don't info-dump (which could possible be our 'I' word in future ABC blogs LOL).

A prologue can work, but it definitely takes finesse. I did some research myself by putting the question out to my readers what they thought of prologues. Most didn't like them. By the time they got into the body of the story, they had forgotten what the prologue was all about, especially if there was forgotten information they needed and they had to go back to the prologue and search it out. The most common complaint was prologues that were too long. With that in mind, I do believe prologues can have a place in certain story lines, but only if they are short and to the point. I would never write a prologue that was more than three pages. Let it serve its purpose, leave the reader intrigued and move onto the action in Chapter 1. Now that's just my opinion.

*

There you have it, four ways of working in the back story. Only you can decide which method is best for your story. And I do believe that every story is different. What I might do in one of the Georgia Series books may not work in another one. Herein lies the challenge. What will I do with the problem I'm facing with back story in A Missing Thread, Book 3 of the Georgia Series?

Let's look at each option. First, starting the narrative earlier is out. I like my first chapter which delves right into the action.

Option 2, using flashbacks is out to me as well. It will make the story choppy and ruin the build up to the crisis.

Option 3, putting the back story into dialogue is also out because my character is alone in a car with no one to talk to.

That leaves me Option 4, using a prologue. This appeals to me as the best solution for this particular dilemma and the direction I am heading in. However, it will be short, to the point, and hopefully intrigue the reader to move on to the action of Chapter 1.

For all you writers out there, good luck with your back story and keep on keeping on writing. 

Click HERE to visit me on my Facebook page.

ABC ... EASY AS ...123 ... WRITING A TO Z AS EASY AS SINGING ABC

Recognize the lyrics? A 1970 Michael Jackson hit, song title, ABC.

A few years ago I was going to find words that pertained to the journey of writing, starting with the letter A through Z. I began this project but soon abandoned it. Reason? I didn't feel knowledgeable enough or creative enough to carry it off.

That was then, this is now.

I've decided to revise this project and today I'm starting once again with the letter A. I was prompted to restart this quest when staring at the name of my blog site, Aspirations of a Novelist.

Who knows how long it will take us to get to the end. These posts won't be consecutive unless I have nothing else to say LOL. I'm very excited to share with you what I've learned along the way, and am still learning. I hope you find this project helpful, inspiring, and entertaining.

First I want to say that I don't believe there is a set way to write a novel. This will come up later with one of our alphabet words. There are certain basics we should all follow, but in the end it is up to you to find your own style, routine, and method of pulling a novel together. What I hope to offer you is an understanding of some writing terms and how my journey evolved along the way. The trick is to find yours and perhaps my journey will help you with that.

Therefore, my A to Zs of Novel Writing will not include a set method or format to writing a novel, but will outline more the tools and steps necessary to actually sit down and write a book. Let's get started.

'A' is for Action

Definition:

ACTION [ak-shun]
noun

1. the process or state of acting or of being active.
2. something done or performed; act; deed.
3. an act that one consciously wills and that may be characterized by mental activity.
4. actions, habitual or usual acts; conduct.
5. energetic activity: a man of action.

WRITING A NOVEL TAKES ACTION

Thinking about it, wanting to do it, and dreaming about being a published author wont get it done. However, thinking about characters, plot, location, conflict and resolution is a definite start. Number 3 above is very important. Mental activity is just as important as the physical act of pounding your story into the computer or hand-writing the story. 

My husband has come to recognize my facial expressions when I'm sitting quiet and silent. "You're writing aren't you?" he'll ask. A lot of planning and detailing happens in my head long before I physically put it into my computer.

KINDS OF ACTION

Okay, so you're tired of working on storyline, developing protagonists and antagonists (hey, here's another 'A' word and a necessary one to the plot). You're muse has dried up and you need a break. There are lots of other things you can do which add to the process of creating a novel.

One is research. Some writer's hate this process. I love researching and embrace it enthusiastically.But for those who find research a tedious proposition, read another author's book that covers the subject. You can enjoy the read as well as cash in on their expertise. (But don't plagiarize LOL.) Interview someone who knows the subject, or works in the field you are describing. Interviews can be informative and fun, and you can make new acquaintances and acquire potential readers.

Another course of action is to read other writer's blogs, a great source of information with links to marketing and querying sites for writers. Once your book is complete, you will need to start pitching your book to agents and publishers if that's your chosen course of action. Or if you are self-publishing, that all-important task of marketing will begin. You might as well get started early. Believe me, it will make the process flow more smoothly.

That's it for 'A', see you at 'B'.

KEEP ON KEEPING ON WRITING!

VISIT ME AT MY FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE. CLICK HERE!

GUEST POST ON LILAC REVIEWS

Good morning. I must say these words have special meaning for me today. I've been down for the past few days with a flu bug and today is the first day I feel relatively human. 

Recently, I was asked by Felita Daniels to write a blog post for Lilac Reviews. I was thrilled to do so and a little apprehensive as this is my first guest posting. It actually was a lot of fun to do and I enjoyed the process. My subject was 'Understanding and Choosing a Point of View'.

If you are unfamiliar with the site, it is well worth checking out for their guest blogs, book reviews, and so much more. I thank Felita for inviting me.

Here is the link to Lilac Reviews. 

 Link: Lilac Reviews.

Enjoy my post and if you are an author, I hope you find it helpful. Cheers.

Facebook Author Page:      https://www.facebook.com/june.bourgo/settings?tab=public&section=web_address

Web Site:   https://www.junebourgoauthor.com/

Blog Site:   http://losingcinderella.blogspot.ca/

Twitter:      @jvbug

Amazon:    

http://www.amazon.com/Winters-Captive-Georgia-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00NWRRONO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414364265&sr=8-1&keywords=winter%27s+captive

Keep on Keeping on Writing

BE PREPARED FOR A 'THUNDERCLAP'

Hi all,

Happy Thursday.

Today, I created a Thunderclap for Winter's Captive. For those who have never heard of Thunderclap, it's a site where you set up a project for anything you would like to request support for. In my case, my newest released book, Winter's Captive.

My project is set for two weeks, beginning today, and ends on November 6th. I need 100 votes by November 6th. Every time someone votes for my book, more people are added to my social reach. If I get my 100 votes on time, Thunderclap will shoot my book, Winter's Captive, and it's description and links to possibly hundreds of thousands of people in social media. 

If you wish to support my campaign, please click on the link below. You can sign on to Thunderclap through your Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr sign-on to vote for me. You can also share the link on your platforms. 

I promise if you create a Thunderlcap project and notify me, I will return the favour.

I thank you all for your support, so far I have reached 16% of my goal, and this is only Day 1.

So let's get together and create a thunderstorm for Winter's Captive.

Keep on keeping on Thunderclapping. 

Click HERE

WATERCOLOUR THOUGHTS

Good Morning everyone.

Today, I'm departing from talking about me and marketing my newly released, Winter's Captive (subtle? LOL) to present a different kind of project and a unique author/artist, Dennis Bourgo.

I'm excited to present his debut art book, Watercolour Thoughts, Musings in Word and Paint, Book 1.

Watercolour Thoughts presents a reflection of personal musings and a gallery of watercolours representing the distinct landscape of British Columbia and the artist's love of nature and the natural beauty of his home province.

This is the first book in an art series that showcases the artist's eclectic painting styles.

Visit the artists Facebook page HERE

Available on Amazon HERE

I'm sure some of you have noted the shared last name. Dennis Bourgo is my husband. A dedicated artist, who has been painting since the age of five, when the family doctor sent him to art school for six years, I'm very proud to see this book finally published, so that others can experience the depth and beauty of his talent.

To all the writers out there, keep on keeping on writing and to all the painters, keep on keeping on painting. 

BOOK TRAILER FOR WINTER'S CAPTIVE

I'm so excited to release the new BOOK TRAILER for WINTER'S CAPTIVE, Book 1 of the Georgia Series.

Hope you all enjoy it.

Visit me at: https://www.facebook.com/june.bourgo

WINTER'S CAPTIVE EXCERPT

Happy Friday, everyone.

Here we are on the eve of our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend and I believe it's a holiday weekend in the States as well. I thought I would leave you with an excerpt of Winter's Captive to introduce the story to you, just in case anyone is looking for a good read over the holiday.

***

     Bobby and Gary were yelling at each other, probably about me. I knew it would be Gary who would come. And if he caught me, I wouldn’t make it back with him.

     Pounding feet sounded behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, almost tripping, but saw no one. My lungs gasped for air. Gary gained ground, the sounds of his obscenities getting closer. Get off the trail, now. My eyes searched for a place to hide. The pathway rose up a small incline. I flew over the top and down the other side, where the path veered off to the right. To the left, an old game trail barely visible meandered through the trees.

     I slowed and glanced around me. The near darkness provided deep shadows in the trees. A tangle of fallen trees and branches on my left looked like a good spot to hide in. Branches scratched my face and caught in my hair as I pulled myself over the decaying trunks. I tumbled face first into a hollow under a log, filling my mouth with dirt and leaves. The smell of musty, rotting debris turned my stomach.

***

Winter's Captive is available in paperback and e-book format. Here the links:

Amazon

Smashwords

Fountain Blue Publishing

Wishing everyone a great holiday weekend!

WINTER'S CAPTIVE, Book 1 of the Gerogia Series - NOW RELEASED!

On Friday, October 3rd, my book was released through Fountain Blue Publishing of Los Angeles. I held my first ever Release Party, and it was a success. Lots of people came and prizes were handed out. It was a little exhausting, moving back and forth between additional added posts to make sure I didn't miss any comments left by my guests. But I enjoyed the process immensely.

I'd like to thank all my guests for coming. I hope I didn't miss acknowledging anyone.  Know that I will reciprocate-just ask.

A little about the second release of Winter's Captive. My new editor and I had an extensive chat about Book 1, once he provided me with a Creative Edit Report. Because the story for all books in the series takes place in part in the north western area of British Columbia, which is Tahltan Indigenous Lands, we chose to change the character of Kaela, the angel to Kaela the native spirit, and her indeginous name Nonnock. It made sense since their is more native spirituality in Chasing Georgia, Book 2, to be released soon.

I added about 10,000 more words to the story, which includes more angst for Georgia at the cabin and more history of the Tahltan people.

I'm very excited at the re-release of this book and hope you all enjoy the new book.

Here are the links for purchasing in paperback or e-book format:

Amazon.com 

Amazon.ca

Smashwords

Fountain Blue Publishing

To all my writer friends, never give up the dream, keep on keeping on writing.

ONLINE WINE AND CHEESE BOOK RELEASE PARTY

Hi Everyone,

The date to remember is Friday, October 3rd, 2014, 4:00 pm PST/7:00 pm EST. Join my online Wine and Cheese Release Party Event on Facebook to celebrate my book release.

Fun, chatting, prizes, and any questions you'd like to ask me are in store for those of you who would like to join me and my friends and fellow authors. Follow the link below and be sure to click JOIN.

See you all there.

Click HERE for the link to my FB Author Page, find the post for the above event and click on the photo. 

***E-BOOK AVAILABLE FOR PRESALES***

UPDATE - I am so please and excited to announce that Winter's Captive is now available for presales on Amazon.com and on Smashwords at a reduced price for a limited time only. Follow the links below to preorder now. 

I believe my release date will be October 3rd. I will update you all as soon as my Publisher confirms it. 

Sample:

     Crack! The axe hit a knot and slipped off the wood, knocking me off balance and hitting the side of my ankle. “Ow ...” I yelled and fell to the ground. “Oh, shit ... that hurts. I rocked back and forth in pain as blood poured from the gash. Pulling myself up, I hobbled into the cabin and grabbed a towel and the first aid kit. I applied pressure to the wound. With not much flesh in that area, the gash was open to the bone and ran about five inches long. My worst fear had just become reality.

I would really appreciate it if you could leave an 'honest' review after reading the book on the site you purchase it from. 

Thank you to everyone who have helped me on my writing journey. It could never happen without my team of supporters and my readers.  

Links:               Amazon.com 

                         Smashwords

Visit me at:      Facebook Author Page

To all my writer friends - Keep on keeping on writing

EXCITED! WINTER'S CAPTIVE IS AVAILABLE FOR PRESALE

Hi everyone!  Winter's Captive, Book 1 of the Georgia Series is now available for a limited time only at a reduced presale price on my publisher's web site. 

Release date is soon. I will repost when I have the exact date. 

If you enjoy suspense, adventure, and women's empowerment stories, this one is for you. Georgia Charles is a survivor and a heroine. And the world needs heroes. 

Here's a sample preview:

     I slowed and glanced around me.  The near darkness provided deep shadows in the trees.  A tangle of fallen trees and branches on my left looked like a good spot to hide in.   Branches scratched my face and caught in my hair as I pulled myself over the decaying trunks.  I tumbled face first into a hollow under a log, filling my mouth with dirt and leaves.   The smell of musty, rotting debris turned my stomach.

    Gary charged over the top of the incline and came to a dead stop.  Damn.  I hoped he would miss the game trail and keep going. 

To order an autographed presale copy visit my publisher, Fountain Blue Publishing HERE.

To my fellow writer's, I did it, so can you!

Keeping on keeping on writing!

... NEW RELEASE UPDATES

The publication date is getting closer for my revised Winter's Captive, Book 1 of the Georgia Series.

I expect an announcement within the next two weeks and that availability will be October, just in time to order for those Christmas gifts.

My new cover reveal is days away. The e-book will be released at the same time as the pre-sale of autographed paperbacks at a special discounted price. I will post when available so no one will miss the opportunity to take advantage of this and get their own copies and those for those special friends and family members at Christmas.

It's been a lot of hard work and my editors, Ronald Bagliere and Linda Ortola were wonderful to work with on the rewrite of this story. I am so grateful to Melanie Fountain, Owner/Editor-In-Chief of Fountain Blue Publishing for picking up my novel. Melanie and Kim Barton, Business Manager have been so supportive and knowledgeable.

For those of you who have read the book, you may want to another go-round. I've added 10,000 additional words, more angst for Georgia and adventures, as well as developing the spirituality aspect to the story. The decision was made to change the angel encounter to a native spirit, given the geography and the raven. It brings the story that much closer to Chasing Georgia, Book 2 of the Georgia Series, in creative edits with my editors at the moment.

I am really excited to see this story become a series and hope my readers will enjoy.

To my writer friends, Keep on Keeping on Writing. Talk soon.

Visit me on the Facebook Author page and chat. www.facebook.com/june.bourgo

WELCOME TO THE WRITING PROCESS BLOG TOUR

In July I was invited by Gerry Wilson to participate in a Writing Process Blog Tour. I did write my post once. However, something happened to the formatting and I had to scratch it. What with editing commitments and grandkid visits, I've finally been able to redo this post. Before I begin, I want to thank Gerry Wilson for inviting me. Click this is LINK to her blog site, the writerly life, where you can check out her blog tour and accomplishments. Be sure to check out the three author's she's featured on her tour.

On to the Blog Tour.

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

I recently finished my rewrites and edits for Winter's Captive, Book 1 of the Georgia Series. It was an emotional and strange revisit to my first book which had been previously published by another publisher. When Fountain Blue Publishing picked up this book and the yet unpublished Chasing Georgia, Book 2 of the Georgia Series, I knew Book 1 would have to go through a new editing process. It was a little scary but working with my editors, Ron and Linda Bagliere, I found his insights and support encouraging. I have added 10,000 new words to the book, added more angst in Georgia's struggle to survive in the wilderness, and changed the angel visits she experiences to that of a native spirit. Overall, I feel the book is more cohesive with Book 2 and Book 3 which I'm in the process of writing now. The new Winter's Captive is going to final galley proof and a release date should be out soon.

WHY DO I WRITE WHAT I DO?

I started Winter's Captive as a way to share with women the lessons I learned from an abusive first marriage. What I first thought was  a woman's story for women, turned out to be a suspense/thriller/adventure with a touch of paranormal/fantasy that men can enjoy as well. I, also, believed the story which was a form of a healing for me would be a one up book. Georgia Charles took on a life of her own and it was no longer about me but her story. Book 2 and Book 3 continue her journey to self and her struggles to reach empowerment and happiness in a modern-day world.

HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS WORK?

Now that is an interesting question. Books 1 and 2 did not follow a writing format or outline. I always know basically the beginning, the middle and the end, but wrote where the muse took me.  If I felt something belonged in the book, I researched the idea if needed and wrote that chapter. One day I might right the last chapter, the next day a chapter I perceived to be in the middle, etc.  Book 3 is a completely different format. Again, I know the beginning, the middle and what I believe will be the end. However, I started at Chapter 1 this time and have followed through from Chapter 2 to 8, in order of the chapters. Wow! This is new to me. I don't know why the writing process is so different for this book than the other two, but I decided not to examine it, but go with the flow. So far, it's working.

I try to write every day, sometimes for hours, sometimes for a few minutes. If the muse isn't there, I do research or marketing, or write my blog :). I'm not one for conformity. I hate routines and schedules so I write in the same manner. Maybe, I could be more disciplined and produce more work if I were but I'm okay with what I feel works for me. I used to call myself a closet non-conformist, but I guess I'm out now.

MOVING ON WITH THE TOUR

I have asked three author's to join the tour and I thank them for participating. Here's a little info about each of them with their links.  Be sure to check out their sites.

LAUREN BOEHM-LYNCH

Lauren Boehm Lynch is a retired nurse. She has left the city life for the country, and now lives on The Broken Road Farm with her husband Tim and their many animals.

Lauren also writes a column called The Farmer’s Wife and also has a website about their lives on the farm. www.laurenboehmlynch.com

The farm keeps them busy, and her love of writing flourishes there. Living on a farm and having numerous animals and grandchildren always provides a new adventure and stories to tell!

You can follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorLaurenBoehmLynch

HEATHER B. MOON

Heather B. Moon was born in Royton, Lancashire and worked as a primary school teacher in the Oldham and Rochdale area. She and her husband acquired their own school and she was happy to go into any class and teach any subject.

One of her favourite times of the day was reading the ‘home-time’ story to her class of excited kids.

She now spends her time travelling around Europe in her motor home, scuba diving in exotic places, and walking the south west coast path near her home in Cornwall.

Heather is married with two adult children and two beautiful grandchildren, Louie and Amelie.

Click HERE to check out her web site at Fountain Blue Publishing and her own site HERE.

RUSSELL WARNBERG

Russell Warnberg, teacher, writer, artist and woodworker grew up in Minnesota.  After joining the Navy, has spent most of his life in Maine. Having earned a degree from the University of Minnesota and Masters Degree from the University of Maine, he taught history and English in both public and private schools for many years.

Click HERE to check out his writing accomplishments and site information.

To all my fellow writers, keep on keeping on writing!

'LITTLE BOOK OF DOGS' - NOW RELEASED!

Brae Lynne's 'Little Book of Dogs' is now LIVE!

A non-fiction book about Brae's favourite dog breeds, this interactive book is available as an e-book and a paperback. This release is the first book for this young author who has recently turned ten years old.

She intends on donating a portion of her sales to an animal shelter in her home town and I'm asking you all to support this young writer and her cause.

Here are the links to her book:

US Kindle

US Paperback

Canada Kindle

Canada Paperback

Smashwords E-Book - all formats

Barnes & Noble

Visit her facebook page HERE

A LITTLE BOOK FROM A YOUNG AUTHOR...

I'm so excited to let you all know that my nine-year-old granddaughter has written her first book. She chose a few of her favourite dog breeds and wrote about each one, including her own family dog, and a few of friends. 

I'm not surprised that she put in the time to pull this 'Little Book of Dogs' together. This is a child who read all seven Harry Potter books by the end of Grade 2. Two months ago, she asked me if I would help her to publish her book. I decided the best route would be to self-publish it. She is donating a portion of the sale proceeds to a dog shelter in her hometown. 

I began the process of designing and editing her book, but ran into problems with the formatting part of it for uploading. My friend, fellow author, and my book cover designer, Patti Roberts of Paradox Book Cover Designs, donated a cover to the book. 

As I have begun working with my editor on rewrites for Book 1 of the Georgia Series, my time is becoming limited. Patti offered to format and upload Brae's book for me at a discounted price. She is a very creative designer and an awesome lady, who wishes to support a young, first-time author. She, also, wishes to support Brae because she's donating a portion of sales to the care of animals. I can't sing my praises of this woman enough.

I will let you all know when the book is live. Here is the book:

Meanwhile, if a nine-year-old can do it, keep on keeping the dream and keep on keeping on writing.

Visit Brae Lynne's Facebook page and 'like' and leave a picture of your dog. Click HERE.

CONTINUING THE DREAM

I'm so pleased and excited to announce that Fountain Blue Publishing of California has picked up Winter's Captive, Book 1 and Chasing Georgia, Book 2 of The Georgia Series.

Winter's Captive will be republished with a new cover and will be followed by Chasing Georgia.

So who are Fountain Blue Publishing? 

At Fountain Blue Publishing, we do not accept every book that is submitted. We are not a vanity press, we are a publishing company that strives to provide excellent customer service to our authors. We take the time and the care to work with our authors through the process of publishing their best book possible.

You can read more about this publisher and what they offer HERE on their website.

I look forward to working with Melanie, Kim, and all the staff at Fountain Blue. I will let you all know when these books will be released once I have a publishing schedule.

For all of you unpublished authors out there, and those who are stumbling, never give up on your dream and remember to keep on keeping on writing.

Visit me on FACEBOOK.

CELEBRATION GIVE-A-WAY!

A short post to share my excitement at just surpassing the 10,000th visit to my blog site. The support of readers and well-wishers has been amazing and it's been quite a journey for me. When I started this site my hopes and wishes were to become a published novelist. I have reached that goal, but I still have aspirations to gain through my writing. 

To celebrate, I am giving away a copy of "Winter's Captive". If you wish to enter the contest, which is open until Monday, April 21, Noon, please click HERE. This will take you to my Facebook author page where you can private email me. Don't forget to like my page. 

Many thanks to all my readers and supporters, which means so much. Baby, it's just the beginning.

And I will...keep on keeping on writing!

THE SMART TOOL FOR THE SMART AUTHOR ...

A short post today to pass on some consumer information on a product I believe is a great tool for authors.

Do you jot down notes on pieces of paper in your purse, or in a notebook you carry with you when out and about? Do you prefer to hand write your stories, rather than use a computer? Do you wake up at night with a great idea and wish you had a pen and paper on your bedside table to write it down before you forget.

Then, this product is for you.

I've been meaning to bring this to the attention of fellow writers for awhile. However, my overworked creative mind kept forgetting. This tool for writers is revolutionary.

The product is called the LIVESCRIBE SMARTPEN. The pen contains a chip that saves the text you hand write. You can download the text into your word program and your story is transcribed instantly. That sudden flash of genius you woke up with when jolted awake? Keep the pen on your bedside table and you can use the audio chip in the pen to record your musings. In the morning, transcribe your audio into your computer file and save.

It's so simple and it works. There may be other products in the marketplace. However, this particular one has a great reputation and I've heard good things about it.

Here's the link to Amazon, listing a number of different models and prices. Click HERE.

Just wanted to pass this on to my fellow writers out there. So for those who think it will help them with their writing endeavours, get yourself one and remember ... keep on keeping on writing!

Don't forget to visit me on my Facebook author page and leave a comment. Click HERE.

Website:  Click HERE.

Changes...

As you can see, I have a new banner at the top of my blog site. I now have a new cover for Winter's Captive, Book 1 of the Georgia Series. And a new cover for Chasing Georgia, Book 2 of the Georgia Series.

I am in a transition at the moment. It is with some sadness that my publisher and I have parted and I now have the rights back for Winter's Captive. Asteroid Publishing gave me the opportunity as a first time author to be published and for that, I will be forever grateful. They taught me a lot the past two years about writing, publishing, and marketing. They are headed in a new direction that I have decided is not for me. I have the utmost respect for Asteroid and wish them every success with their future endeavours.

So where am I headed? As mentioned in a previous post, new decisions need to be made. To self-publish or seek a new publisher? Currently, a publisher is considering Chasing Georgia, Book 2 and we are in the process of talks and edits. They are aware that I have my rights back to Book 1 and as I write this post, it is under consideration as to whether or not they will pick it up along with Book 2. Should they decide not to republish Winter's Captive, I will then self-publish it and move forward with Book 2.

Winter's Captive e-book has come down as of today and shortly, the paperback version will be down as well. I do have copies with the old cover and those are still available for purchase through myself or Asteroid Publishing for a limited time period or until existing stock has been sold.

Meanwhile, check out my new covers. They were done by Paradox Book Cover Designs. Patti Roberts is an author in her own right and a wonderful cover designer. I had so much fun working with her on the new designs. She is absolutely awesome and works so quickly. She pays attention to detail and captured the ideas from my samples I sent her. And believe me, my samples cannot compare to the final product she produced. The covers are amazing and way beyond my expectations. If you need a cover here is the LINK to contact her. She also has some premade covers on display on her site for purchase.

I will keep you up-to-date as to when Winter's Captive will be back up and when Chasing Georgia will be published. Closing out my post today with my two new covers which I just love.

Meanwhile keep on keeping on writing.

ANTICIPATION

Half-way through February and I'm filled with great anticipation. For WHAT you ask? Is there a plural for WHAT?

I have great expectations for this year in so many aspects of my life and the lives of those around me.

First on the list is the selling of our home. With a deal on the table, we are just waiting for the buyers to sell their home. I guess this one is a hurry up and wait scenario, as the only control we have over this is to develop and exercise our skill of patience. So I keep myself busy by cleaning out and discarding unneeded and unnecessary items; clothing, books, etc. It's surprising what you accumulate over time isn't it? When I first moved into this home, I had ample storage space, with lots to spare once settled. Now? Huh. Cupboards are full, things stored under the bed, and a shed full of ...you get the picture. 

It feels good to start a clearing out process. Well...for me anyway. I'm not a hoarder and downsizing is easy for me. My husband? I wouldn't call him a hoarder but he definitely puts a value on something that may have a future use. My motto is if you aren't using it now...get rid of it. He knows I'm ruthless and also knows since we are planning to live in a 37.5 foot fifth wheel for a while, it all goes. No high monthly storage rates in our future. So he's leaving it to me and trusting my instincts. Of course there are things we would  keep, like sentimental family items, pictures, childhood items, and so on. But with ample storage under the fifth wheel, we should be able to store all we are keeping. Keep in mind, we do not intend on travelling with the fifth wheel. The cost would be too much. We are moving to Vancouver Island to be closer to family and will find a park on the ocean to settle down at. If at any time, we decide to move into a regular home or apartment, it will be fun to shop for new furniture.

Moving on (pun intended), there's my writing life. My sequel, Chasing Georgia, Book 2 in the Georgia Series is complete, edited, with rewrites and edits finished. Decision time is near. Should I self-publish or seek a publisher? My current publisher, who is near and dear to my heart, has moved to e-book publishing only. I'm not sure that's the direction I wish to move to. I have a lot of readers who prefer paperbacks. I'm working on all of my options and will keep you up-to-date when I decide. As to what is next? When I wrote the first book, Winter's Captive, my vision did not include a sequel. I envisioned it as a one up. At the end of writing the manuscript, a sequel gelled in my mind. Now completed, we have, Chasing Georgia. Is there a Book 3? My mind is working overtime on that, another decision to be made.

My writer friends are working  on their books and I anticipate great things for them all this year. These ladies have been a part of my writing life since I first started. We critiqued and supported each other through our journey to publishing. I consider them friends.

 H.H. Laura, USA published, Larkspur, and is working on Book 2 and 3. Click HERE.

Patricia Puddle, Australia wrote children's books and now is writing paranormal YA/Adult books, click HERE.


Irene Kueh, USA writes children's books, click HERE.

Jayde Scott, England writes paranormal, and other genres, click HERE.

Chrissy Peebles, USA writes paranormal/fantasy, and is our poster child as a self-published e-book author, moving into paperbacks, she has a very successful writing career, click HERE. 


And click HERE for mine for "Winter's Captive", 

 Today, our arctic front broke and the temperature rose to 5c...Yay! Dennis and I drove to Leighwood Lake and hiked Kelly Lake Road under a big blue sky, bright sun, birds singing, snow melting, and dry, bare roads. It was so warm, I took off my winter jacket. When we returned, we sat in our fifth wheel and had coffee, deciding where things would be placed on board our future home.

Perhaps my anticipation was precipitated by the promise of spring.

If you feel so inclined, visit my Facebook page  HERE and "like"me,

Meanwhile, keep on keeping on writing!