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Tuesday Takeover: Wow, That’s Terrible: Your First Novel by Terry Maggert

What do Swedish meatballs, crime, and an alcoholic charter boat captain have in common?

Nothing! And that’s the beauty of my first attempt at a novel. You never saw it coming.

Naturally, after about seventy pages of that train wreck, I came to my senses and filed it away in that hinterland where lost socks and dreams go to die. It was—let’s call it an attempt, and leave it at that. I didn’t know how to write a novel, and I certainly didn’t understand the arc of a story. In short, writing books, or other long form fiction? It’s a muscle. It’s a grotesque, caffeine-fueled, angst-addled abnormal muscle that gets stronger the more you use it. Add to that a healthy dollop of doubt, worry, and frustration that other people seem to cough novels out like hairballs, and you’ve summed up portions of the glamorous life of a writer.

About four years ago, I got serious and decided to write professionally. I received some excellent advice from a writer who was better dressed than me, and wrote down a Three Year Plan.

To my surprise, I’ve stuck to said plan, and it seems to be working. Now, there are other elements (don’t discount luck) and then there are the qualities within you that advance your writing in fits and starts. One such nudge is to realize that no matter what else is happening, you sit down and you write. I have five dogs, a giant nudist child, more cats than I can count and the ability to fall asleep in the middle of a nuclear war. With those details in mind, I make damned certain that, rain or shine or cat puke or migraine or hideously overcooked pasta—I write. It might only be a paragraph, but more often than not that small handful of lines will be stellar.

If you write, another thing to consider—and this is nothing short of magic—is to set a timer for twenty-five minutes, clear your head, and go. This tactic has allowed me to write 750,000 words of fiction in three years. Now, there are timers that cost eighty bucks and are shaped like adorable vegetables, but if I’m wasting eighty bucks on anything, it better involve a lobster the size of a dinosaur. I simply use the tools at hand (my phone), and in one to three sessions per day, I can write a minimum of two thousand words.

And these are good words, too, not the literary equivalent of “Terry was screaming at the football game on TV while writing” words. These are words and lines produced when you’re in that delicious state of flow, where there is so little hesitation in your hands that it seems like you’re channeling a second voice. That kind of words.

I’m a proud Indie. I publish my ninth novel on September 1^st, and it’s already sold more than my first three novels together. Did I get smarter? At my age, no. My next significant birthday will give me a discount at Denny’s and nothing more. No, my books got better because I was willing to take advice and write as much as possible, always pushing myself to grasp plot, structure, and character a little bit better with each page. You can and will see drastic improvement from one book to the next; it’s in our nature to defend that which we create. For me, that gets easier as my library gets larger. The proof is in the story. The results are in the work.

And coffee at midnight doesn’t hurt. I’m just sayin’.

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Bio:

Left-handed. Father of an apparent nudist. Husband to a half-Norwegian. Herder of cats and dogs. Lover of pie. I write books. I’ve had an unhealthy fascination with dragons since the age of– well, for a while. Native Floridian. Current Tennessean. Location subject to change based on insurrection, upheaval, or availability of coffee. Nine books and counting, with no end in sight. You’ve been warned.

Find out more about Terry and his books here.

Aug 2, 2016 | Posted by AuthorSarahNoffke in Tuesday Takeover | Comments Off

Tuesday Takeover: Free and Inexpensive Ways to Support Authors by Casey Bond

I was listening to the news one morning and heard the funniest story about J.K. Rowling. I love her Harry Potter series (as does my daughter). Rowling decided to put a chair up for auction, but not just any chair, the chair she sat in to write the first two Potter books. Before the auction took place, it was estimated that the chair would bring in $70,000.00. It brought in $394,000.00. Seriously. The newscaster was baffled. But me? I was all like… #smugface. Because J.K. Rowling is amazing and everyone should know it by now. Not only is her series inspiring people from all ages and walks of life to take up the pen, it’s fun and she’s kind and gracious (all the time).

This post isn’t about opening your wallet to buy a chair. It isn’t about chairs or Rowling at all, but about what the average person (who doesn’t have an extra four hundred grand sitting around) can do to support their favorite authors.

I’m by no means famous, but let me tell you what. My readers are amazing. And this post was inspired by them. So if you want to know how to encourage your favorite writers….read on.

Ideas that cost NOTHING:

Tell them that you enjoyed the book! Message them or post a message on their social media accounts telling them how much you liked it! It’s so encouraging and uplifting.
Tell your friends about their work. Word of mouth is HUGE.
Blast social media. If you read xxxxxx book, post about it without spoilers.
Take a pic of the book on your e-reader and post it on your page.
Tag them when someone asks what you’re reading, if you happen to be reading their work.
Send an e-mail! J
Randomly check in with them to see what they’re writing.
Join their fan groups!
Check their pages for new releases.
Have fun! I haven’t met an author yet who hates getting encouragement, who hates a kind word. We love that you love our stories and characters as much as we do. We love talking to people who get it, who consider the characters we write to be real and important. We LOVE it. We fangirl, too. And believe it or not, we fangirl over fans! Authors love to hear from fans.

Ideas that might cost you a little:

Buy their e-book or paperback,
Send a card,
Show up at a book signing with homemade merch that showcases their work (books drawn on a tote/notebook/shirt, photo book with their book covers included in it, canvas with characters drawn on it, etc!). Authors will sign ANYTHING (within reason) so not only do you get to make cool stuff, you get their signature on it! And it’s cool. So…

I hope you enjoyed the ideas. I’m blessed to have such amazing readers and hope to see you all at an event this year! Thanks to everyone who stopped by my tables at Roanoke Author Invasion and UTOPiA con! If you’re attending Carolina Book Fest or Rebels & Readers, please stop by and see me!

bond

Award-winning author Casey L. Bond lives in Milton, West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. When she’s not busy being a domestic goddess and chasing her baby girls, she loves to write young adult and new adult fiction.

You can find more information about Bond’s books via the following links:

Website ~ Newsletter ~ Facebook ~ Twitter & Instagram: @authorcaseybond

Available or Soon-To-Be Released Books:

Winter Shadows

Pariah, Book 1 in The New Covenant Series

Paradox, Book 2, The New Covenant Series

Devil Creek

Shady Bay

Reap, Book 1 in The Harvest Saga

Resist, Book 2 in The Harvest Saga

Reclaim, Book 3 in The Harvest Saga

Sin (Serial Series)

Light in the Darkness (YA Anthology)

Fractured Glass (Novel Anthology)

Crazy Love

Water Witch

Dark Bishop (Serial Series)

Jul 19, 2016 | Posted by AuthorSarahNoffke in Tuesday Takeover | Comments Off

Tuesday Takeover: TOP 10 OBSTACLES FOR AN AUTHOR by Rissa Blakeley

10. Writing a long-winded social media post, posting it, then realizing how many errors there are. You quickly try to edit it, but someone has already commented! You yell curse words you never knew would come out of your mouth. Then reality sinks in… They have read your error-filled post! Will they judge your books based on it? -head desk-

9. Finding a topic for a blog takeover. It’s always wonderful when someone extends an offer for a blog takeover, but the moment you accept, your mind starts spinning. What do I write? (Google, you are offering me zero help on this)… Will their readers enjoy it? (Scrolls through the blog hoping to get a hint at what their readers would like)… Is the topic overdone? (Sees the dead horse lurking)… Is the topic too sensitive or controversial? (No. Yes. Wait… No, but if I… YES!)…

8. Daily attire. Black yoga pants, t-shirt or tank top, hoodie. Good news! I’m always ready for the gym! But these are my retired gym clothes. I wear nicer stuff to the Mr. and Mrs. Olympia display at my local Buff Daddy Gym. Then a friend calls. “Hey, let’s do lunch.” You stare down at your clothing. Is that a coffee stain? Do I want to put on nicer clothes? So you ask, “Where do you want to go?” They respond with, “Where would you like to go?” I can’t even decide on real pants and you want me to decide on a restaurant?

7. The search history. I fully expect the NSA to show up any day now. Guns, knives, explosives, ways to kill someone… There are many more, but I have to keep a low profile. Is that someone pounding on my front door?

6. Time. It’s both friend and foe. Oh, look at the time. I have plenty of time. Just a few more minutes. Hey, look at tha- OH, MY GOD! I’M RUNNING OUT OF TIME! Promo. I have to get my manuscript out. Promo. Edits, promo, edits, promo, edits. Promo. I need a cover. Promo. Formatting! Promo. Order swag. Promo. Get ARCs out. Promo. Remind those who took ARCs to review after publishing! Promo. GAH! Publish. Promo. Blog tour! Promo. A signing event? Promo! Is it nap time yet?

5. Distraction. What was this post about again?

4. When you come clean and tell people you have published a book, the questions start rolling in. “Oh? What’s your book about?” Well, you know, it’s a story of two people. Okay, like, maybe a half-dozen people. Okay, more like a small community who meet on this epic journey and this thing that happens is just heartbreaking. But, you see, they… Oh, f*ck it.

3. Writing tools.
– A specific red pen that makes you feel like you can cut your printed manuscript up for the better.
– Highlighters in a variety of colors for timeline, editing, overused words, and to draw pretty flowers on the page.
– Lined paper? -snort- Quad in a spiral-bound book with one pocket, please. Oh, and the cover has to be plastic. No, not red. Black, thank you. No, wait. This is a three-subject book. I need only one-subject because all the rest are one-subject.
– The stacks of Post-It notes (Fun fact: the company has actually liked one of my tweets before) in several shapes, sizes, and colors. Because you never know when you’ll need a Post-it note almost the size of your wall.
– Laptop/desktop/phone/tablet decides to stop working and you begin praying that your work is saved somewhere else.
– A multitude of flash drives and external drives. It’s like playing a game to see which drive holds what. The winner is usually a lost one.
– Pens. You pick up a blue pen and no words flow. You pick up a purple pen and no words flow. You pick up a red pen… EDITING ONLY. You pick up a black pen and angels begin singing. Then you scream, “MUST…HAVE…ALL…THE…BLACK…PENS.”

2. Coffee. You make your first cup. -sip- Oh yes, thank you for this gift of coffee. I can now produce many words. You make your second cup of coffee. -sip- Then you realize you won’t have enough coffee for the day. You look down at your clothes…dingy, baggy yoga pants, coffee-stained t-shirt. You decide to leave a cryptic post on Facebook about what your favorite coffee drink is from Starbucks in the hopes someone drops one off to you.

1. ANXIETY.

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BIO:

Rissa Blakeley is the author of the paranormal series, Corvidae Guard, and the post-apocalypse saga, Shattered Lives, which features a paranormal twist. Her short story, A Little Taste of Naughty, was part of the best-selling anthology, Just Desserts.

As a native New Yorker, Rissa is now a Georgia transplant, who is completely addicted to black coffee, La Croix and obsessively listens to songs on repeat. Her days are full of characters screaming for more scenes, cats living up to their Harry Potter namesakes, a lazy dog, a teenage daughter bringing Emo back, and a Viking husband, who finds her puns less than funny. When Rissa isn’t writing, she can be found procrastinating on social media.

LINKS:

Website ~ Newsletter ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads ~ Email

Jul 12, 2016 | Posted by AuthorSarahNoffke in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Tuesday Takeover: Writing a book is just like having a baby by Sarah Negovetich

I’ve just released my third book, and I have to tell you, every release is a bit different, but the first one is the doozy that will make you or break you. I was ruminating back on that first release when I realized just how much it had in common with having my first baby. Here’s what I’m talking about.

Information Overload

New Baby: You read every book in the library and spent countless hours combing internet articles that are one half comforting and the other half terrifying. When you manage to pull yourself away from the computer, you gorge yourself on episode of A Baby Story on TLC.

New Book: In preparation for your new bundle of joy, you read everything you can about the craft. Do you want to publish your book with a trusted professional or are you the more DIY, hands on kind of author? There are dream stories about people who sell their first book for millions and then there are those who labor for years before they birth words into the world. You take it all in: books, podcasts, conferences, webinars. And in the end you still have no idea what’s going on.

Unsolicited Advice

New Baby: Everyone who has ever had a baby, knows someone who has a baby, or has thought about having a baby will provide you with all the random advice you never wanted to know. Perfect strangers will begin talking about the most intimate parts of your body as if you were a side-show at a discount carnival.

New Book: Be prepared for Aunt Elanor who hasn’t read a book released in the last three decades to tell you exactly how to write a good book. You will graciously ignore that her last birthday card contained no less than five grammar errors. Even though you didn’t know a single author before you started writing, now that you’re doing it, everyone you know is going to write a novel…some day…you know, when they have the time.

New Obsession

New Baby: This little angel will consume all your waking and sleeping thoughts. Before hand you’ll wax poetic to the lady at the super market about the little flutter kicks tickling your belly and share baby name thoughts with your waiter. People will avoid riding in elevators with you, so they don’t have to hear about your nursery colors one more time. Only other expecting moms will share your joy obsession.

New Book: Your project is all you ever want to talk about. It finds a way into every conversation you have. Your spouse knows more about the intimate details in your head than is advisable. Other writers will gladly join you in your obsession. Plus, there are plenty of online chatrooms and Twitter #wordsprints to keep you happily engaged. Non-writer friends don’t fully understand what you’re doing. You may find that some can’t take it and slowly drift away. Your best friends still don’t get it, but will quietly listen to you talk about your writer’s block for the fifth time this week.

Loss of Sleep

New Baby: Even before the baby gets here, you’ll lose sleep thinking, dreaming and worrying about your precious arrival. Not to mention the frequent trips to the bathroom . After the baby arrives, forget it. You’re up every few hours for diapers and feedings. And if your angel is sleeping, you’re probably up starting at him to make sure he’s still breathing.

New Book: As a new writer, time is precious. If inspiration hits at 4am, who are you to deny the muse. The deeper you go and the closer you come to publication, the worse it gets. You spend most of your daytime hours wondering around in a plot hole induced faze muttering about second act reversals and character motivation. Personal hygiene will become less important the longer your first draft takes to write. Some people close to you may stage an intervention by taking away your computer and insisting you shower and go outside.

Resource Drain

New Baby: First there’s the doctor’s bill which hits you on the side of the head when you’re least expecting it. And that’s before the baby is even born. Then you have all the gear you’ll need like a crib, car seat, five-in-one super magic sleep, bounce, rocker (it had great reviews). After the baby comes you’ll have more doctor bills and it will be time to get all the supplies you really need, like industrial strength rubber gloves and a giant bottle of Dreft. Your time also seems to disappear, and close friends will assume you have fallen down a hole lined with burp clothes and pacifiers.

New Book: In addition to all the time you’ll dedicate to the perfection of the world’s best manuscript (you have the stained t-shirt to prove it), you may find that writing a book puts a strain on other valuable resources. Conferences aren’t free and a writer can never own too many leather bound journals that you’ll never actually use because they are way too nice for notes. Cute products proclaiming your new “writer” status will quickly replace food in your basic needs list (though to be clear, chocolate and coffee are non-negotiable). You may also find that other relationships may suffer, but don’t let that get you down. You’ll always have your characters to love you.

Can you handle it?

At the end of the day, writing a novel is not for the weak at heart or the lover of sleep. But once you hold your book in your hand for the first time and gaze onto its shiny bound cover, you’ll quickly forget all the pain and torture. You’ll watch your little book grow into the marketplace and maybe shed a tear for your first review. When that happens, you know you’re ready for book two.

SarahN

Sarah’s Bio:

Sarah Negovetich knows you don’t know how to pronounce her name and she’s okay with that.

Her first love is Young Adult novels, because at seventeen the world is your oyster. Only oysters are slimy and more than a little salty; it’s accurate if not exactly motivational. We should come up with a better cliché.

Sarah divides her time between writing YA books that her husband won’t read and working with amazing authors as an agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency. Her life’s goal is to be only a mildly embarrassing mom when her kids hit their teens.

You can learn more about Sarah and her books at www.SarahNegovetich.com or follow her antics on Twitter @SarahNego.

Rite of Redemption Blurb:

Rebecca escaped the PIT, found a family among the Freemen…and watched too many loved ones die. All she wants is the Cardinal to leave her in peace, but he’s made it clear that’s never going to happen.

When the Cardinal attacks other Freemen villages, she finally understands that no one is safe from his wrath. As the only one who’s stood up to the evil that is the Cardinal, it’s up to her to convince the others that they can’t hide forever. It’s time to fight.

The Machine predicted Rebecca would become the Cardinal’s enemy. It may have gotten that one right.

In the conclusion to the Acceptance series, enemies become allies and old friends emerge, but in the end, sacrifice may be the price of freedom.

Book Links:

Rite of Redemption Amazon order link: https://www.amazon.com/Rite-Redemption-Acceptance-Book-3-ebook/dp/B01F50EZ3C

Rite of Redemption Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30166592-rite-of-redemption

Rite of Rejection link (free from Jun 2nd to 6th): https://www.amazon.com/Rite-Rejection-Acceptance-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00P26DB08

Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NDJiNzM3Y2E1YzRlMDgzY2E2ZDg0Y2E3YWFjOTM4OjY=/?

Rafflecopter HTML:

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My social media links:

Website: www.SarahNegovetich.com

Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/sarahnegovetich

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahDNegovetich/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/SarahNego

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahnego/

Jun 28, 2016 | Posted by AuthorSarahNoffke in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Tuesday Takeover: To Genre Hop or to Not Genre Hop, that is the Question by M. A. Phipps

I’ve wanted to be an author for as long as I can remember. I think that’s the case with most writers—it’s something we feel we were born to do and stories have been rushing through our heads pretty much from the day we entered this world. Throughout my twenty-eight years on this planet, I’ve had more story ideas in my brain that I can even keep track of, all in a variety of different genres. Once again, I’d say that’s probably the case with most fiction writers. Hence why so many of us carry journals wherever we go!

With that said, you can imagine my surprise when I learned that some publishers don’t actually like when authors stray from one particular genre. Granted, I’ve recently heard this is beginning to change, and as a side note, there is nothing wrong with writers who do stick to one particular genre. You’ve found your niche, and that’s great! I just personally think I’d feel stifled sticking with only one genre my entire life.

So, why is it that the publishing industry feels that way? I’ve researched the topic a fair bit, and it seems like the argument for niche writing boil down to two major points:

Branding & marketing: it’s much easier to build a brand (and stick with it) if you aren’t jumping from genre to genre. The branding for a science fiction novel would be completely different than the branding for a contemporary romance. If you tried to market them the same way, one or both would probably flop.
Building an audience: although there are many readers out there who will happily follow their favorite author’s career and read whatever they publish regardless of what it is, most readers have specific genres they prefer. If you capture an audience with a YA dystopian novel and then decide to write a steamy erotica, chances are you will not attract the same audience, and the followers you have gained will not pick up that book. You’d have to start over from scratch and build up from the bottom all over again.

Learning this was particularly jarring for me. My debut series is YA dystopian, and the thought of only ever writing in that one genre makes me break out in hives. Now don’t get me wrong, I love dystopian. I LOVE dystopian (obviously, I wrote a trilogy of it!) but my creativity would be seriously dampened, and realistically, I don’t think I could come up with a lifetime’s worth of original ideas for it. On the other hand, considering how hard it is to build up any sort of following as an indie author, the thought of starting over from scratch or having to create a pen name just to write something different also gives me severe anxiety. So, what is a girl to do?

Well, do not despair fellow writers. For although you may be in for a much harder and longer road, there are also advantages to genre hopping. Not only are you following your creativity and inspiration (and let’s be honest, your best work always comes when you’re most inspired), but you are showing your versatility to not only the world but to yourself. You will learn more, and above all, over time, you will reach out to a wider audience. Now I know that seems to contradict what I said before, but hear me out. The audience for a YA dystopian may not pick up your sexy erotica, but you now have TWO audiences who potentially love your books! They might not all be rushing out to buy both, but you do have double the people who are listening to what you say and who may in turn become fans of your future works. As they say, there is always a silver lining.

Okay, so sure—being a genre hopper will require a bit more time and dedication, but in the long run, it could also be so much more rewarding. Follow your inspiration. Treat each new genre you tackle as a sort of palette cleanser and learn what you can from it. Widen your horizons, and in turn, you just may end up doing the same for your readers.

M.A.Phipps

Author Bio

M. A. PHIPPS is an American author who currently resides in the picturesque English West Country with her husband, daughter, and their Jack Russell, Milo. A lover of the written word, it has always been her dream to become a published author, and it is her hope to expand into multiple genres of fiction. When she isn’t writing, you can find her counting down the days until the new season of Game of Thrones.