Friday, April 22, 2016

Seven Writing Links and Seismic Crimes Release Day!

Fridays represent the end of the week for me, a time when I can sit back and reflect on my writing progress of the last seven days.  But for Chrys Fey, today means so much more.  It's the release day for her first novel, Seismic Crimes.

So after you're finished with the writing links, be sure to check out the blurb for Seismic Crimes. 

Enjoy!

ChemistKen


An Update on a Pre-order Experiment

How to Save Money and Do Online Book Publicity Yourself

Creating Promotional Copy That Works: Book Descriptions

Making a Case for Novellas: Short is the New Black

Subtext: Creating Layered Characters

Creating Easy Branded Images for Your Blog and Social Media

12 Common Writing Errors Even Bestselling Authors Make


Seismic Crimes

BLURB: An Internal Affairs Investigator was murdered and his brother, Donovan Goldwyn, was framed. Now Donovan is desperate to prove his innocence. And the one person who can do that is the woman who saved him from a deadly hurricane—Beth Kennedy. From the moment their fates intertwined, passion consumed him. He wants her in his arms. More, he wants her by his side in his darkest moments.

Beth Kennedy may not know everything about Donovan, but she can’t deny what she feels for him. It’s her love for him that pushes her to do whatever she has to do to help him get justice, including putting herself in a criminal’s crosshairs.

When a tip reveals the killer's location, they travel to California, but then an earthquake of catastrophic proportions separates them. As aftershocks roll the land, Beth and Donovan have to endure dangerous conditions while trying to find their way back to one another. Will they reunite and find the killer, or will they lose everything?

DIGITAL LINKS:
ALSO AVAILABLE IN PRINT!

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

A Writer's Choice: The Red Pill or the Blue Pill?

Ten years ago, I hated writing. Then I discovered how much fun it was to write fiction and I was hooked. Of course, writing was much more fun back when I had no clue what I was doing. Today, I’m wiser about writing, and sometimes (usually while I’m beating my head against the keyboard) I ask myself: If I had known what I was getting into back then, would I have chosen the Red Pill or the Blue Pill?

I tell myself I would have taken the Red Pill and dove head first into writing with the same passion I have now. But after days like yesterday, after brutally beating a chapter into submission and hating every minute of it, I think about the Blue Pill. There’s still so much more for me to learn, so much more for me to do before I’ll be ready to publish my first book that it wears me down. And then I get to start the whole process over again with another book.

Knowing what you know now, would you still have chosen the Red Pill?  How often do you fantasize about the Blue Pill?

P.S.  If it sounds as though I'm suffering from writing fatigue today, you're correct.  I'll feel better tomorrow.  I always do.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 121

Oh well, another week without a Wednesday post.  What can I say?  I was working hard on my story and didn't want to stop.  I know you understand, but I still feel a little guilty.

Have a fun weekend and enjoy the writing links!

ChemistKen


Top 10 Ways To Write A Self-Rejecting Query To A Blogger, Agent, Or Publisher

The Anatomy of a BookBub Blurb & Ebook Description Copy Tips

Want to Evoke Emotions in Readers?

Attract And Engage Readers With Image Marketing  Man, I wish I had time to do this kind of stuff.  It sounds like fun, especially when I hit a snag in my manuscript.

Take Two: When to Start a Sequel

Believe It Or Not: How Not To Write Action

How to Use MailChimp and Bookfunnel to Grow Your Author Mailing List

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

The Insecure Writer and Doing the Math



Today is April's contribution to Alex Cavanaugh's Insecure Writers Support Group.



Why am I an Insecure Writer this month? 

Because I've done the math, and it ain't looking good for me as a writer.

You've all heard me complain about being a slow writer before, so I won't dwell on it overmuch.  It's who I am and their's no point in whining about it.  As long as I'm having fun, that's all that matters.

Even so, I was determined to push my writing to the max this year.  No more arriving at crit group meetings with nothing to submit.  No week-long hiatuses with nothing to show for it but a few revised paragraphs.   Just keep writing, I told myself, and I'll eventually reach "The End."  And for the most part I've been pleased with the results.  My story is taking shape, I've managed to bring something to both of my crit groups every month (well, almost), and the number of completed pages is growing.

But then I did the math.

To give all the writers in my groups a chance to be read, both of my crit groups generally limit submissions to  8-10 pages.  One of the groups gets the first shot at critting my submissions; the second group sees them later, after I've made revisions based on the first group's comments.  What this means, however, is that I'm progressing toward "The End" at the tepid pace of 10 pages a month, which means it will take me 25 months to complete a 250 page story.  Arg!!  My progress no longer seems quite so satisfying.

But it's still progress, and for that I'm thankful.

Are you satisfied with your writing pace?

ChemistKen



Friday, April 1, 2016

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 119

Congratulations to those of you partaking in the annual A to Z blogging challenge. Once again, I declined to participate -- not because it didn't sound like fun -- but because I couldn't justify spending that much time on blog posts when I still haven't finished my first book. However, my goal is to finish it by next April, so I plan to join the challenge next year. Heck, I've already chosen my theme. Wish me luck!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the links.

ChemistKen


15 Instagram Book Marketing Ideas from Publishers -- I don't use Instagram, but some of you might find this interesting.

The Cycle of Action-Reaction in Novel Scenes

Your Biggest Book Marketing or Platform Building Roadblocks – And How to Overcome Them

My Super-Easy Formula for Writing a Blurb

Six Ways You Are Ruining Your Book Marketing Campaign

What's the Problem? The Four Classic Conflict Types

The Myth of the Average Reader

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Endless Cover Reveal

This week I'm spotlighting the cover for Misha Gerrick's new book, Endless, which will be released on April 30th.  If you like the cover, why don't you head on over to Misha's website and let her know.


About the Book

First, do no harm.” Blake Ryan swore that oath to become a doctor. Ironic, given that he spent most of his thousand year life sucking souls out of other immortals.

Things are different now. Using regular shots of morphine to keep his inner monster at bay, Ryan has led a quiet life since the Second World War. His thrills now come from saving lives, not taking them.

Until a plane crash brings Aleria into his hospital. Her life is vibrant. Crack to predators like him. She’s the exact sort of person they would hunt, and thanks to a severe case of amnesia, she’s all but defenseless.

Leaving Aleria vulnerable isn’t an option, but protecting her means unleashing his own inner monster. Which is a problem, because his inner monster wants her dead most of all.





About the Author

Misha Gerrick lives near Cape Town, South Africa, and can usually be found staring at her surroundings while figuring out her next book.

If you’d like to see what Misha’s up to at the moment, you can find her on these social networks:



Excerpt

This had to be what dying felt like. Floating outside my body, waiting for that final link to my life to be severed, only vaguely aware of indescribable pain. More screams than I could count rose up around me. Hundreds of footsteps beat against tiles. I couldn’t open my eyes if I wanted to. Not when it was easier to listen and wait. People shouted for a doctor or an IV, or a thousand other things that made no sense. I listened to all the chaos, trying to untangle it in my thoughts.

Soon, I could go. The peace around me was so relaxing, completely out of place in the clamor I heard. I wanted it. To rest forever in that peace. Why not? There was a very good reason, but I couldn’t call it to mind.

A numb buzz shot through my body and shattered my serenity.

It happened again. Only this time was more of a sharp pulse. The third time jolted like lightning. The fourth…Hell. Suddenly, the screams were coming from me. My heart’s relentless thundering added to my torment.

Pain.

Everywhere.

My chest burned like fire. It hurt to breathe. Cold air drove down my throat and into my lungs, amplifying the inferno in my chest. My skin felt scorched. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t right.

I had to see. I had to understand why pain dominated my existence like this. My eyes were fused shut. My breaths grew shallow, trying to draw air when there was none. I tried to clench my teeth. I bit hard plastic. A pipe. Cold air suddenly forced back into my lungs, out of time with my own breathing. This was wrong. It wasn’t safe. I had to see. The best I got was a little fluttering of my lashes.

A high-pitched beep shot through my head. It repeated again and again. I wanted to reach over and slam my fist into its source. My arm wouldn’t lift. Something kept it trapped. A scream rose up from the depths of my soul, but the pipe jammed inside my throat stifled the sound. I only managed a whimper, trying my best not to gag. More air blasted into my lungs against my will. What was going on? I was trapped in my own body, but why?

I needed to move. I had to move. Now. Before… Even… Even though… Panic gripped me. The beeps increased at a frenetic pace. I needed to move. To be gone. Didn’t matter where. Just not here. Not defenseless. Not trapped.

The air sucked out of my lungs. I gasped, choking on nothing, strangled by invisible fingers. I tried to convulse my body. To twist myself free of what’s holding me.

Nothing.

The air rushed back in a cold flood. Seconds later it left, only to return in the same amount of time.

There was a rhythm to the air. In… out... in… out… The breaths were slow—sleep-like. I concentrated on this rhythm, striving to clear my head. If I wanted out, I needed to think. Calmly. Clearly. Eventually, those irritating beeps slowed. I tried to focus past the sound.

Voices buzzed about me, adding to my need to see, to do something to protect myself. No one seemed to pay attention to me. Good. I could use that to my advantage.

I centered my every thought on moving my little finger. It finally jerked, but collided against something solid. So the thing trapping my arm was physical and too heavy for me to lift. It was better to be trapped than paralyzed. With luck I could escape my restraints. I tried my other hand, but it was cemented stuck as well. Right leg. Left leg. Damn it! Both trapped. I had to move!

No.

No, I needed to stay calm. I tried to make larger movements, biting the pipe in my mouth against the urge to scream in pain. There was no wiggle room.

Fearing that I might be blindfolded, I focused on blinking. It worked. My eyes opened and the blur faded, revealing ceiling tiles. Why would there be tiles? Where was the canvas of hospital tents? The distant sounds of bombs dropping? The power of their explosions rushing through my blood?

No. That wasn’t right. I wasn’t there.

Where was I, then?