Blog Giveaway - Free eBook Covers! Happening Now!

To get your FREE Exclusive eBook Cover please go to the tab at the top of this blog. All the information and details are there.

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FREE eBook Covers

This post is a day late was meant to have posted an update and information about what's been happening. I have been kept fairly busy with multi tasking my way through a lot of things.


The FREE eBook Covers will be up on this site this coming Saturday 29th March. It is up to you which cover you want and full details of how to get an exclusive cover will be on the tab, which is at the top of this blog, all the information you will need is there.

So keep 'em peeled

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eBook Cover Update

Free ecovers will be available in the next week. These will only be once off and available on a first come first served basis. These will be exclusive. No one else will have the same covers, so the cover chosen by an author is exclusive to that author.

More details in the next few days.


My next novel is coming along nicely albeit slowly. I am winding my way through mountains of research. This is taking a lot more of my time than I have been with writing. I have been drawing up character bios and information notes regarding the places for the story. I have already discovered loopholes with a few characters, which needs sorting out.

Next update over the weekend.

Finding Time - My Next Book Update

As an author I write randomly. I have no set time to write. But the hours seem to whittle away when I get stuck in with writing my books, yet I see a lot of authors/writers who seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on social network sites. Some never seem to be off it for one moment. I am not sure how they can get any work done at all.

Social media, can be a good marketing tool and also where you can meet fellow authors and like minded people. It's great to get ideas or when inspiration is needed, but to spend such a lengthy time on it, it is a wonder how anything is done.

I only go to social sites when I need too, or when I am taking a break and want to catch up on my fellow authors friends etc. Thing is I do not know how those I have seen on some sites get any writing done! I had seen a picture a few days ago about and I quote 'The Bermuda Triangle for Writers' mentioning 'Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter' and not to get caught up in it.

We all know those social sites are good for marketing, promotion and gaining new connections. Yes see it as a business tool, to build your audience. But having said that, there should be some cut off point. Allocate say whatever time to be there and then leave, get back to your work. So just saying, I don't know how other authors/writers do it.

I came across this article. I know it spells out about bad self promotion,  but the topic is about spending too much time on social sites.

 http://goodereader.com/blog/commentary/indie-authors-are-spending-too-much-time-on-social-self-promotion

I probably spend something like a half an hour on media sites, sometimes I can get caught in research for my book and other fact finding missions for my books. I am not saying that social media is a bad thing. It is great where you can connect with fellow creatives as being a writer can be such a solo endeavour, connecting with others really brings the community together and that is one of the best things about it. Spending time is good but in the right measurements, to keep you there can in effect be more valuable than spending a lot more time than necessary and losing time that could have been spent to write that book, story or article you have been meaning too.




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My next book news update

                     I have a mass of research to do for my next book. Never have I had quite such a collection of stuff before. Thing is I am enjoying it despite the amount of work I have to undertake for this book. I am thrilled with the story so far. Yet I have no working title, no name for the main character ( thought I had one and realised it was unsuitable ...for the second time! )

                     I've already reached 20k words but still have way lots more to do. It is nowhere near finished!  Hedging bets it might be somewhere later this year or early next year. I promised myself I would not set a publication date for this book. I don't want to rush it.

                     I love the story but yet have no idea where the story is taking me too. Presently I have at least four companion notebooks for the book filled with notes, ideas, research and other possibilities.  This is and has been so far a tougher challenge for myself and I am loving every minute of it. .

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The Free eBook Covers will be available later this month.

Characters - On your eBook cover or not!

Having been immersed in design for an eBook cover for a fellow author, something popped into my mind, whether to put a face/person on the cover of the book! I thought of the novel, which I am currently writing, whether it is prudent to add such to the prospective cover.

I know it is up to the author themselves as to whether this is a good or bad thing. I could roll out the pros and cons of putting people or faces on the cover.
Let's say you go ahead and do just that. Blazing across the cover of your book is some hunky/fantasy/meaningful/handsome man or a sexy/beautiful/ethereal lady. What does that say to you? Does it give you an idea of what these people are like? Have you thought for one moment, that in doing so, that this could/maybe hinder prospects of getting your book turned into a movie? Why? Because the character/s have a face already, It is not in the readers 'minds eye'/ imagination... Hollywood likes to play around with characters, to find the 'one' that suits. It can also put the reader off, if he/she doesn't like the look of your character on the cover.

So let's say you don't put an image of your character on the cover. The readers will use their imagination to 'dream up' what your characters look like. They can then relate to the characters and probably feel immersed in the book. Books are like mysteries in side the cover. You can either give away the idea of the character from your mind, or you can leave it the reader, it is up to you.

Just think about it before you decide

Happy writing!


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...so what's been happening?! ...

So I have been lagging behind on updating this blog. Well, that is as a result of doing too many things or multitasking, something suffers somewhere from lack of attending too and it seems this blog got just that.

Ok that said and out of the way, just some updates on what's happening. Firstly the eagerly awaited Free eBook Covers. I have some completed but have a few more to work on. I am not going to post half when I want to be able to give a wider choice of covers. So I will posted the complete set once I have finished the last one.

On a note about Guest Blogging, pleaae contact me before posting anything in the Guest Column. Posts must be kept to the literary or creative industry. If you would like to write for this blog and gain a wider audience, please message me or leave your email and I will be in touch.

I will be adding to various pages on this blog over the next few days.

Work is still continuing on my next novel. I am loving the story so far. Still have a long ways to go with it. Not even sure of possible publication date yet as I am nowhere near that yet. So will have to keep you in suspense for a while longer!


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“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of.''- Joss Whedon

Free eBooks - Frowned Upon!?

Free eBooks what's your opinion? Good idea/Bad idea?

I have decided today to discuss something that has been long in my mind to write, albeit I have never got around to writing about it.

Free eBooks!.

Right...

As author of five free ebooks, (which I do for a reason which I will explain later here), I feel so much in the minority. Why do you ask? Well as an author I feel so much down the scale you would not believe. I figured that such a thing is frowned up from the community. I never felt on a par with anyone else  who has books that cost a sum to purchase. In fact I will go as far as saying that, I feel like I am out of' the club!'

Yes you heard right. That's how I feel. I know this will largely change when I start to charge for my books but until then its the rocky road of freebies I tread.

I feel at times guilty for giving my work away for free, but I am happy to do so presently. I feel,  at time, I have to fight my way through the mass of material out there to get even a squeal from someone about one of my books. Yes, I find it a struggle. I feel alone in this community at the best of times. I write hoping someone somewhere will read what I have written and enjoy it. That is such a thrill for me!

Ok granted I am not the best writer in the world. I do not have a plethora of awards or a single award even. I am not academically taught in wordology/creative writing etc. I learn from being observant, listening, reading etc. I am learning as I go along. For me giving my work away is a way for me to reach readers and authors, to build a base, a platform if you will, to start from and to continually work on it.

Though it is a struggle at the best of times, just to be heard, to be amongst those that have books on Amazon/Kindle etc. They garner more respect and afforded more things that they can do because of just not giving their book away completely free, for whatever length of time. Let me just state this for the record, I am not jealous nor am I looking for a pity party, I am only concerned that free ebooks are not looked at the same way as books you can purchase, and that said authors of those books, whether it is one or many free books they give away, that they deserve to be respected every bit as much and afforded same or similar opportunities as those who get paid for their work, At the end of the day we all in the same slog and slave over our typewriters, note pad and pen, or laptop etc...we all try to carve out some niche in this literary world and want to be remembered by at least some people at the end of the day.

Ok one part you might think about is quality etc. Well I have read some cracking books that are free. I have no doubt that amongst the myriad of books out there that there will be some which sorely need tending too. But may I also add that you will find flaws almost everywhere. People will like, people will dislike, no matter how good or bad you are as a writer. You have to find your own audience, your own, shall we say, group of fans!


In saying all that and in conclusion, I am thankful that I do love what I do and enjoy every minute of it and hope to at some stage, have my books in hard copies and for purchase. I love how this is all progress, how we learn and change etc. Just remember we are one community and one spirit all aiming for that same ideal.

Have fun  with your work and never give up even when you are faced with the odds. Keep on.

Right time for me to be outta here. Next post soon including news of goodies, reviews etc coming soon to this little blog :)