After thirty years, the mission has finally come to an end. What's in store now for space exploration? I for one hope it continues... Have a great weekend!
Picture from Boston.Com
My Books
Buy one of my books... Available above at Amazon. Also available at SmashWords, Barnes & Noble and iTunes
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Picture of the Week (#9) - Goodbye to the Space Shuttles
Today I am continuing my weekly series that shows my picture of the week. It's just something that struck a chord with me for whatever reason. This week it's a picture from the final space shuttle mission and the lift-off of Atlantis.
After thirty years, the mission has finally come to an end. What's in store now for space exploration? I for one hope it continues... Have a great weekend!
(Click picture for original size)
After thirty years, the mission has finally come to an end. What's in store now for space exploration? I for one hope it continues... Have a great weekend!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Melrose - First Blood (Progress #3)
The first post of the weekend is an update on how my writing of Melrose - First Blood is coming along.
The big news is that, as frequently happens, my book's name is changing. From now on, the book will be known as "New Blood (Melrose Book 1)". The next job will be to engage someone to design a cover for the book. It's always a fun process getting a book ready for release.
As I've said before, New Blood is something a little different from my usual genre of YA Fantasy. New Blood is aimed at older Young Adults - 16+. The book has adult themes and younger adult characters (22 -25 years of age). It's also set in contemporary times and touches on the paranormal. But, it's no vampire story (or if it is, then it's vampires like you've never seen them before!).
I'm currently 60,000 words into an 80,000 word novel and the book is winding up to it's major climax. Events have already risen to near fever pitch with exciting plot lines, and characters displaying all sorts of traits and trickery. My protagonist and antagonist are on the brink of getting together - something that will not end well I fear!
It's been a different experience writing a book based on places I know (as opposed to the land of fantasy in which I usually stay) and using characters that you may even meet on your next trip down the street (although there are certain characters I would hope you never meet - for your own sake).
Since I last wrote, Beau, the antagonist, has been rallying his allies and generally causing mayhem with all around him. Lucy, the protagonist, is upset at recent events and has somehow been thrown towards Beau. Lucy's friends have warned against it, and loyalties will no doubt be tested in the upcoming weeks. There are still mysterious bodies turning up and the police are narrowing in on a suspect. But those bodies were once living souls; souls that have now passed to another owner. Souls that are giving their new owners power. And we all know that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely...
I'm excited to finish this first Melrose novel and the intent is to have the draft manuscript complete in the next week or so. Then it will be a mad rush to get it edited and proofed, ready for a fall release. You'll have to watch out for opportunities to win early copies or invitations for reviewers. I definitely think this is my best novel yet...
Back to the plot... I'll give you more background next week. Until then, try a little of my fantasy stuff - buy a copy of Xannu - The Prophecy. It's only $0.99 for a full 125,000 word novel - that's a pretty good deal. It's available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Think Harry Potter meets The Chronicles of Narnia, during The Lord of the Rings!
The big news is that, as frequently happens, my book's name is changing. From now on, the book will be known as "New Blood (Melrose Book 1)". The next job will be to engage someone to design a cover for the book. It's always a fun process getting a book ready for release.
As I've said before, New Blood is something a little different from my usual genre of YA Fantasy. New Blood is aimed at older Young Adults - 16+. The book has adult themes and younger adult characters (22 -25 years of age). It's also set in contemporary times and touches on the paranormal. But, it's no vampire story (or if it is, then it's vampires like you've never seen them before!).
I'm currently 60,000 words into an 80,000 word novel and the book is winding up to it's major climax. Events have already risen to near fever pitch with exciting plot lines, and characters displaying all sorts of traits and trickery. My protagonist and antagonist are on the brink of getting together - something that will not end well I fear!
It's been a different experience writing a book based on places I know (as opposed to the land of fantasy in which I usually stay) and using characters that you may even meet on your next trip down the street (although there are certain characters I would hope you never meet - for your own sake).
Since I last wrote, Beau, the antagonist, has been rallying his allies and generally causing mayhem with all around him. Lucy, the protagonist, is upset at recent events and has somehow been thrown towards Beau. Lucy's friends have warned against it, and loyalties will no doubt be tested in the upcoming weeks. There are still mysterious bodies turning up and the police are narrowing in on a suspect. But those bodies were once living souls; souls that have now passed to another owner. Souls that are giving their new owners power. And we all know that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely...
I'm excited to finish this first Melrose novel and the intent is to have the draft manuscript complete in the next week or so. Then it will be a mad rush to get it edited and proofed, ready for a fall release. You'll have to watch out for opportunities to win early copies or invitations for reviewers. I definitely think this is my best novel yet...
Back to the plot... I'll give you more background next week. Until then, try a little of my fantasy stuff - buy a copy of Xannu - The Prophecy. It's only $0.99 for a full 125,000 word novel - that's a pretty good deal. It's available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Think Harry Potter meets The Chronicles of Narnia, during The Lord of the Rings!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Book Review: Hugh Hefner's Quick Guide To Sex
Your Friday Chuckle...
Hugh Hefner's Quick Guide To Sex: (Two) 2nd Edition
Now you know this would make a great book. Oh yes it would! Unfortunately I think it's going to be a very short read - Probably more of a picture book actually. Still, the 'Two Second Guide To Sex' may bring a smile to some women's lives (unfortunately not any that we know, Hef...).
Not available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and SmashWords for only $9.99
And from AZCentral.com: Crystal Harris, 24, was on Howard Stern's Sirius XM radio show on Tuesday and revealed that Hugh Hefner isn't exactly a tiger in bed.
It lasted "like two seconds. Then I was just over it," she says. "I was like, 'Ahhh.' I was over it. I just like, walked away. I'm not turned on by Hef, sorry."
Harris, who broke off her engagement to the 85-year-old Playboy founder just days before they were to wed in mid-June, told Howard they only made love once.
"He doesn't really take off his clothes," Harris says. "I've never seen Hef naked."
Nevertheless, she says, "I loved him."
Good luck with the world tour, Hugh...
Hugh Hefner's Quick Guide To Sex: (Two) 2nd Edition
Now you know this would make a great book. Oh yes it would! Unfortunately I think it's going to be a very short read - Probably more of a picture book actually. Still, the 'Two Second Guide To Sex' may bring a smile to some women's lives (unfortunately not any that we know, Hef...).
Not available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and SmashWords for only $9.99
It lasted "like two seconds. Then I was just over it," she says. "I was like, 'Ahhh.' I was over it. I just like, walked away. I'm not turned on by Hef, sorry."
Harris, who broke off her engagement to the 85-year-old Playboy founder just days before they were to wed in mid-June, told Howard they only made love once.
"He doesn't really take off his clothes," Harris says. "I've never seen Hef naked."
Nevertheless, she says, "I loved him."
Good luck with the world tour, Hugh...
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Book Review: Premeditated by Ryan Hunter
Disclaimer: I reviewed this book at a request from the author. I received nothing in return for the review and the comments are my opinions and mine alone.
PREMEDITATED By Ryan Hunter
Minimal Plot Spoilers… Murder is a nasty affair. Serial murders, far worse. The premise of this story is that seventeen year-old Jenna Adamson has been convicted of a murder she didn’t commit and so escapes from jail to put things right. To further complicate things, she actually confessed to the murder, knew all the intricate details and was serving time for it. But putting things right, as I say, is foremost in her mind. Somehow Jenna believes that by escaping from jail she can stop a whole series of murders from happening. And what is more she is going to involve her ex-boyfriend in her plan, against his will. What could possibly go wrong?
Tambri is a police detective determined to stop Jenna and return her to jail, if only she can track her down and capture her again. But Jenna proves very elusive and the only clues Tambri receives are the frequent letters that Jenna writes her, mostly describing the next murder that will occur. Of course, these letters only help to convince Tambri that Jenna is, in fact, the real murderer.
It becomes a race against time as Jenna tries to stop the pre-planned murders from happening and clear herself and her ex-boyfriend, Skyler, in the process. And did I mention earlier, what could possibly go wrong? Things do not go quite according to Jenna’s plan and a non-stop cat and mouse game begins with Tambri and the police, before the ultimate confrontation with the real killer.
The book moved along at a good pace and on the whole kept me engaged with the story. There were a few good plot twists, but generally the reader knows where it’s all headed after the first few chapters. The book was well constructed and the style, language, grammar and editing were better than most Indie Authors. My major critique of the book involves the back-story of the main characters Jenna, Skyler and Tambri. I never ever felt completely vested in the characters and cared 100% for how things turned out. As I say, the story was well written, but I was left trying to understand what exactly drove the characters to do the things they did. Of course things were sort of explained towards the end of the novel, but by then it was too late and only served to be more of an anticlimax.
In summary the book was a solid read and kept me interested enough to want to finish it. “Powerful, creepy, slightly disturbing”? Certainly it was slightly disturbing and a little creepy in places, but it did not strike me as a powerful book. If you’re looking to read something fairly light by a new Indie Author, give it a go. I look forward to reading the next book by Ryan Hunter and seeing how her writing matures.
PREMEDITATED By Ryan Hunter
Plotting murder began as a game until the first killing took place, bringing seventeen-year old Jenna Adamson to the realization that playing God isn’t a game at all.
Convicted of murder, Jenna escapes to stop the other murders, murders she claims were planned in a game of revenge. Unable to stop the killings alone, Jenna enlists the help of her ex-boyfriend, entrenching him in a conspiracy that could cost him his future.
As the two evade police and stumble into crime scenes, Jenna fears the day the identity of the real killer is unveiled. She knows the truth could steal away more than her freedom.
Premeditated has been described as "Powerful, creepy and slightly disturbing."
Minimal Plot Spoilers… Murder is a nasty affair. Serial murders, far worse. The premise of this story is that seventeen year-old Jenna Adamson has been convicted of a murder she didn’t commit and so escapes from jail to put things right. To further complicate things, she actually confessed to the murder, knew all the intricate details and was serving time for it. But putting things right, as I say, is foremost in her mind. Somehow Jenna believes that by escaping from jail she can stop a whole series of murders from happening. And what is more she is going to involve her ex-boyfriend in her plan, against his will. What could possibly go wrong?
Tambri is a police detective determined to stop Jenna and return her to jail, if only she can track her down and capture her again. But Jenna proves very elusive and the only clues Tambri receives are the frequent letters that Jenna writes her, mostly describing the next murder that will occur. Of course, these letters only help to convince Tambri that Jenna is, in fact, the real murderer.
It becomes a race against time as Jenna tries to stop the pre-planned murders from happening and clear herself and her ex-boyfriend, Skyler, in the process. And did I mention earlier, what could possibly go wrong? Things do not go quite according to Jenna’s plan and a non-stop cat and mouse game begins with Tambri and the police, before the ultimate confrontation with the real killer.
The book moved along at a good pace and on the whole kept me engaged with the story. There were a few good plot twists, but generally the reader knows where it’s all headed after the first few chapters. The book was well constructed and the style, language, grammar and editing were better than most Indie Authors. My major critique of the book involves the back-story of the main characters Jenna, Skyler and Tambri. I never ever felt completely vested in the characters and cared 100% for how things turned out. As I say, the story was well written, but I was left trying to understand what exactly drove the characters to do the things they did. Of course things were sort of explained towards the end of the novel, but by then it was too late and only served to be more of an anticlimax.
In summary the book was a solid read and kept me interested enough to want to finish it. “Powerful, creepy, slightly disturbing”? Certainly it was slightly disturbing and a little creepy in places, but it did not strike me as a powerful book. If you’re looking to read something fairly light by a new Indie Author, give it a go. I look forward to reading the next book by Ryan Hunter and seeing how her writing matures.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Last Few Days @ $0.99: How To Write & Self-Publish Your First Novel
Yep, that's it folks...
Since its launch in early June, I have been selling this excellent and popular ebook for just $0.99. As from Monday, the book's price will increase to $2.99. Of course this is still a great deal, but at only $0.99 it's truly a steal.
So, head over to Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Smashwords and pick up your copy today.
CONTENTS
1. Don't Start the Story at the Beginning
2. Become a Successful Writer in 2,000 Hours
3. Poems and Short Stories
4. Creating a Good Plot
5. How Long Should a First Novel Be?
6. Writing in the First Person
7. Writing in the Third Person
8. Dialog Versus Narrative – Show Versus Tell
9. Writing Your First Novel: Words & Routine
10. Conflict and Its Importance
11. Plot Pace
12. Creating Believable and Well Rounded Characters
13. Writing Dialog – Or ‘He Said, She Said’
14. Creating a Page Turner
15. Letting the Book 'Cook'
16. Self-Editing Your Novel
17. The Process of Pre-Reads
18. Creating a World of Fantasy
19. How to Write & Self-Publish a Novel: The End-To-End Process Checklist
20. Creating a Writing Environment without Interruptions
21. Reading to Write
22. Encouraging All Would Be Authors
23. The Self-Publishing Process - The COMPLETE A-Z Instructions
24. Marketing Your Novel - The Relevance of Social Media, ARCs and Book Bloggers
For more information, read my blog book page HERE.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
70,000 Visitors Must All Be Wrong
It’s been a hectic few months since I started this blog and yesterday (or the day before) I went through the 70,000 visitors number. I was amazed. I am also very pleased. It’s been a tough few months building blog traffic but the effort has been rewarded. I’m on track for a total of 25,000 visitors this month, and it must be time to up my game and see if I can somehow get it to explode. I’m thinking new marketing tactics are necessary.
So, all you people out there that have successful blogs, what do you do to generate web traffic? Do you have a favorite technique? I’d love to know. Drop me a line.
I know a lot of the success is due to constantly creating good content and from time to time I have been blessed with articles that people keep wanting to come back to. My two most popular blog posts; Dummies Guide To Publishing an ebook on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and Don't Start a Story at the Beginning have generated over 4,500 and 3,000 hits respectively. That’s 10% of my blog hits with two posts!
As summer draws on and I start to wind down on my book writing for the year (2 major releases to come in the next few months), I’m going to spend more time on marketing. I’ll be interested to see how it pans out. And of course, like all things I try, I’ll keep you in the loop. Have a great day.
So, all you people out there that have successful blogs, what do you do to generate web traffic? Do you have a favorite technique? I’d love to know. Drop me a line.
I know a lot of the success is due to constantly creating good content and from time to time I have been blessed with articles that people keep wanting to come back to. My two most popular blog posts; Dummies Guide To Publishing an ebook on Amazon and Barnes & Noble and Don't Start a Story at the Beginning have generated over 4,500 and 3,000 hits respectively. That’s 10% of my blog hits with two posts!
As summer draws on and I start to wind down on my book writing for the year (2 major releases to come in the next few months), I’m going to spend more time on marketing. I’ll be interested to see how it pans out. And of course, like all things I try, I’ll keep you in the loop. Have a great day.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Xannu - The Prophecy : Currently Trending
A couple of recent marketing articles have helped push the first in my YA Fantasy series, Xannu - The Prophecy, up the charts on the Amazon Kindle. Don't lose out, get your copy today. Be in on the beginning of what is going to be a wonderful five book epic fantasy series. And remember, the first book is only $0.99 - Four hundred pages of non-stop action. You seriously can't go wrong at that price.
Xannu - The Prophecy
Xannu - The Prophecy
Book 1 of 'The Southern Lands' saga
For fans of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and The Narnia Chronicles, the first installment in a thrilling epic fantasy series…
Would you wake up in a hot sweat if you lived your night’s dreams as a soldier battling un-earthly creatures, witnessing powerful magic and fighting to save your own life on a daily basis?
English schoolboy Terry West does. Frequently. After digging up some rune coins near a roman road, he has been living in another world inhabited by warlocks, seductresses, priests and prophecy. There Terry is a soldier, Teern Truthbringer, who has been tasked with finding the Xannu - 'he who will lead the people into deliverance.'
If only it wasn’t real; but it is. Very real. When it all began it was even enjoyable, but now Terry’s life is getting very complicated. Somehow he involved his best friend Joe and although it had seemed a good idea at the time, the consequences had been dire. Then there is Susan, the leggy sister of klutzy school-friend Brian. Why does she keep sending him messages?
Terry is struggling to balance the two lives he leads and every day he is losing his grip on reality just a little bit more. He’s been forced to kill enemies; his companion, the magical woman Maria, is scaring him half to death with her abilities; and his parents are on his back about his school work.
How will he balance the two lives he leads, solve two sets of problems, and understand the lessons he receives from both? Only time will tell. But time is something Terry doesn't have too much of, as everything is unfolding in ways he could never have imagined!
“Listen to the teachings of a wise man. You may not understand all he says but you will surely have nourishment for the future. Be positive and plan for success. Failure to plan is to plan for failure. Worry not at what came before but only prepare yourselves for that which is ahead.” (Pika’Al 10:1-5, The Scriptures of Al’Zaneed)
How To Write & Self-Publish Your First Novel - Writing For Success
Still Selling!You want to write a book? You know some of the pieces but you have some questions? How do I write dialog? How long should my book be? There are so many things to think about.
How To Write & Self-Publish Your First Novel will help you become a better and more established author. Check it out on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. It could be the best $0.99 you've ever spent!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Indie Spotlight: Paul Dorset & Xannu - The Prophecy
An author interview was featured yesterday in Indie Spotlight. I have reproduced the article below. The original can be found HERE. Many thanks to Indie Spotlight for the shout out.
Paul Dorset – Xannu: The Prophecy
Title: Xannu – The Prophecy
Paul Dorset – Xannu: The Prophecy
Title: Xannu – The ProphecyAuthor: Paul Dorset
ISBN: ASIN: B004OR1W6Q
Page count: 378
Genre: YA Fantasy
Price: $0.99
Author Bio:
Paul Dorset was born in Poole, Dorset in England in 1960 but has been living in America since 1995. He has been writing for many years and some of his early works were published in ‘teen advice’ columns. He has also had many technical articles published, mostly in the field of Computing.
Paul currently lives in the Pacific Northwest but has traveled extensively and worked many times with teens and youth groups. It is this background combined with a vivid imagination that has enabled him to weave a tapestry of magic into complete novels. His first epic fantasy series, aimed at young adults, is entitled ‘The Southern Lands’. However, the storyline is more than exciting enough to keep adults turning pages as the story unfolds.
Paul is currently working on several other projects and hopes to release a couple of new books later in 2011. For up to date information on his projects, please read his blog which is linked below.
Tell us about your book:
“Listen to the teachings of a wise man. You may not understand all he says but you will surely have nourishment for the future. Be positive and plan for success. Failure to plan is to plan for failure. Worry not at what came before but only prepare yourselves for that which is ahead.” (Pika’Al 10:1-5, The Scriptures of Al’Zaneed)
Living out a mundane school life is not the norm for 12 year old Terry West. After digging up some rune coins near an old roman road two years ago, he has been living another life. This parallel existence in another world, is very different from his home. There he is Teern Truthbringer, an 18 year old soldier, who is tasked with finding the Xannu – ‘he who will lead the people into deliverance.’
Journeying far and wide to fulfill his destiny, Teern will meet many others. Some who will help him and some who will want him dead. Visiting strange lands, battling un-earthly creatures and witnessing powerful magic are all in a day’s work.
But remaining an integral part of his circle of friends back home leads to many dilemmas. How will he balance the two lives he leads, solve two sets of problems, and understand the lessons he receives from both? Only time will tell. But time is something Terry doesn’t have too much of, as everything is unfolding in ways he could never have imagined!
How long did it take to write the book?
Originally written over a three month period, the book has been revisited several times and re-edited to make it tighter, faster and more compelling.
What inspired you to write the book?
I originally wrote this book after a long period of traveling and working abroad. It was something that had been building inside me for several years. I finally had a break between two work contracts and seized the opportunity to write. The words poured out!
Talk about the writing process. Did you have a writing routine? Did you do any research, and if so, what did that involve?
I like to plan a lot. I start with the basic plot and then start to augment it, carefully taking notes. After the plot has sat with me a while, I start to map out the chapters and the overall ebb and flow of the book. As I start to write it, I write more detailed notes about upcoming chapters and jot down new ideas that come while I’m writing. I do varied research around all type of topics to add as much realism as I can to the world of fantasy. I also dig out pictures to represent my characters and places so that I have constants to refer to.
What do you hope your readers come away with after reading your book?
I want to leave the reader with a desire to read more. To learn and to understand more about the fantastic world I am building. Also by the end of the series I want the reader to question things around them that they have been led to believe are true. Imagination can be a very strong motivator.
Where can we go to buy your book?
Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Any other links or info you’d like to share?Author Blog: http://pauldorset.blogspot.com
Excerpt from book:
At first she didn’t think anything of the rustling in the trees, the excited squawk of the birds, or the silence that followed. She looked up too late and froze, face to face with a huge cat-like animal. Its mouth was hanging open, revealing two huge canine teeth protruding downwards, drool slowly dripping from its mouth. She did not dare move, and the large orange and black striped creature stood and stared at her, its great pink tongue flicking back and forth across its hungry mouth. It came to a complete stop not four paces from a mortified Maria and squatted down onto its haunches. Maria swallowed loudly, and a small drip of berry juice escaped from the corner of her mouth. She didn’t dare lick her lips and the drip slowly made its way down her face, finally coming to a stop on her chin. She swallowed again and stared at the great beast, easily as big as her, and probably weighing two or three times her own weight. She had never seen a B’Wot before, but had heard all about them. They were said to live in the great forests and mountains, solitary creatures that could kill a fully-grown man as easily as a boy snapping a twig. B’Wots had often been blamed for mysterious deaths in the small foothills of the forests and mountains, and no one had lived to tell the tale of capturing or killing one.
The B’Wot gracefully got back up and sauntered over to Maria, finally resting with its face inches away from hers. She tried to stay completely motionless and the foul stench that came from the creature’s mouth washed over her. She tried not to even breathe. Its large green eyes stared into hers, not blinking or moving, but trying to make out exactly what or who she was. Finally, its tongue flicked at her face and licked the blue drip of berry juice from her chin. Then the B’Wot sat at her feet and started to purr. An enormous purr that almost vibrated the very ground on which she stood.
Maria breathed out again and looked down at the B’Wot. It still did not move, except to rub its head against her legs, purring loudly. She ventured a hand and touched the top of the creature’s head, gently stroking the soft fur that covered it. Its eyes searched her out, but still it made no move. Finally Maria started to relax and absently-mindedly stroked the creature some more. She continued to do this for a further few minutes until she felt confident that the beast was not going to attack her.
“You had me worried for a few moments there,” she said without thinking. The B’Wot raised its head and looked up at her. It opened its mouth and made a kind of guttural sound at her. Looking confused, the creature tried again.
“Maria,” it seemed to say. She couldn’t believe what she thought she heard and laughed to herself.
“Animals don’t talk,” she said out loud. “I must be going crazy too!”
“Maria,” the creature said again, much clearer this time. Maria abruptly stopped stroking the creature and looked down.
“Did you just say my name?” she asked, chuckling because she felt stupid about talking to an animal.
“Maria Pengollen.” It was very clear this time, as if the creature was finding a voice that had not been used for many years. Maria looked astounded at the creature, hardly believing what she was hearing. “I am called Amber Fleetfoot,” it continued. Maria scrunched up her face in confusion. This time she had seen. The B’Wot hadn’t actually said those things. It had spoken, in its way, but Maria had understood what was said. It was as if her mind translated for her.
“Amber Fleetfoot,” she replied, without thinking. Again the B’Wot purred loudly and rubbed up against her. “Well, Amber Fleetfoot,” she continued, “what are we to do?” It was a rhetorical question, for she didn’t really expect an answer from an animal.
“I am here to guide and protect you,” the B’Wot answered. “The creatures of the forest sent word you needed help. I have come to give you that help. I cannot stay long, but it will be time enough for what we have to do.”
Maria sat in silence, reflecting on what was happening about her. No one had ever warned her about this. Of course she had been able to talk to the Prassos, but to understand a B’Wot was another matter completely. She had so many questions, so many things to ask. She didn’t know where to start.
“We will have time along the way,” Amber Fleetfoot said, as if reading her mind. “Come, let us depart.” The B’Wot got to its feet and nudged at Maria. She reached out and took her branch and pulled herself up.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Picture of the Week (#8) - Women's World Cup
Today I am continuing my weekly series that shows my picture of the week. It's just something that struck a chord with me for whatever reason. This week it's a picture from the Women's World Cup.
Unfortunately team USA were beaten by Japan, but it was a great game watched by millions of people all over the world. This picture features the amazing USA goalkeeper, Hope Solo... Have a great weekend!
(Click picture for original size)
Unfortunately team USA were beaten by Japan, but it was a great game watched by millions of people all over the world. This picture features the amazing USA goalkeeper, Hope Solo... Have a great weekend!
Picture from Boston.Com
Thursday, July 21, 2011
What's Your Daily Writing Routine?
It’s been a few weeks now since I started back working a ‘day job’ as well as trying to continue writing and marketing my books. Things have had to change! I thought I’d write a little today about what my day looks like, in the vague hope that maybe it will help or inspire others.
First off, I’m a morning person and not a night owl. I have to say this up front because it influences just how I do things. When I was younger (in my twenties) I used to be a night owl. But not anymore. I don’t know what happened or when it happened, but I’ve changed. I am definitely at my most creative when I first get up in the mornings.
But the problem is, I leave for my job at 7am! The challenge has been how do I get in my writing before I leave for work? Every day I now get up at 5am and set immediately to writing. Last thing the previous night I set the coffee ready to come on at 4:45am and I prepare my lunch for my day at work. As I stumble out of bed at 5am at least I know there is hot coffee waiting for me. I rub my eyes until they are roughly in focus, pour my coffee and go sit at my PC. Then I pull up my word processor and open my manuscript. My target is at least 1700 words in 75 minutes. That’s what it's all about. I need to write at an average speed of 22 to 24 words a minute to finish. Then as soon as I’m done it’s time to get showered, have breakfast, and head off for work. In between mouthfuls of breakfast I try to catch up on the overnight emails, set my Facebook status and generally perform ‘maintenance.’
My day at work affords me no real opportunities to spend further time on my book marketing activities, except for the occasional Twitter reply or conversation. So I have to wait until I get home again to continue my efforts. Evenings usually have their own challenges, but I try and get a blog post written or perform some marketing activity. I also try and catch up with emails and general correspondence. Finally I make sure my novel plot points are up to date and make any minor changes I need. The important point here is that I don’t want to have to prepare anything the following morning. I just want to be able to get up and write.
Writing is now a seven day a week activity. Thankfully, I’ll soon be done with my novel and I’ll be able to turn my attention to editing another novel that’s been ‘cooking’ for a while. Life is non-stop for an Indie author. Oh well, back to work. But it’s not such a bad life; 12,000 words a week towards a novel is pretty good for someone who also works a 50 hour a week job!
What's your writing routine?
First off, I’m a morning person and not a night owl. I have to say this up front because it influences just how I do things. When I was younger (in my twenties) I used to be a night owl. But not anymore. I don’t know what happened or when it happened, but I’ve changed. I am definitely at my most creative when I first get up in the mornings.
But the problem is, I leave for my job at 7am! The challenge has been how do I get in my writing before I leave for work? Every day I now get up at 5am and set immediately to writing. Last thing the previous night I set the coffee ready to come on at 4:45am and I prepare my lunch for my day at work. As I stumble out of bed at 5am at least I know there is hot coffee waiting for me. I rub my eyes until they are roughly in focus, pour my coffee and go sit at my PC. Then I pull up my word processor and open my manuscript. My target is at least 1700 words in 75 minutes. That’s what it's all about. I need to write at an average speed of 22 to 24 words a minute to finish. Then as soon as I’m done it’s time to get showered, have breakfast, and head off for work. In between mouthfuls of breakfast I try to catch up on the overnight emails, set my Facebook status and generally perform ‘maintenance.’
My day at work affords me no real opportunities to spend further time on my book marketing activities, except for the occasional Twitter reply or conversation. So I have to wait until I get home again to continue my efforts. Evenings usually have their own challenges, but I try and get a blog post written or perform some marketing activity. I also try and catch up with emails and general correspondence. Finally I make sure my novel plot points are up to date and make any minor changes I need. The important point here is that I don’t want to have to prepare anything the following morning. I just want to be able to get up and write.
Writing is now a seven day a week activity. Thankfully, I’ll soon be done with my novel and I’ll be able to turn my attention to editing another novel that’s been ‘cooking’ for a while. Life is non-stop for an Indie author. Oh well, back to work. But it’s not such a bad life; 12,000 words a week towards a novel is pretty good for someone who also works a 50 hour a week job!
What's your writing routine?
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Another Special Offer: The 10 Hour Project Manager
Published as a paperback by Lulu - only $11.95 $10.16 $8.64
(Use code JULY305 during checkout)
(Use code JULY305 during checkout)
"Clear, concise and valuable Project Management advice for the price of a beer (Two if you want the paperback)!"
Who is this book for? Most likely you are someone who has been managing projects for a few years, in a variety of different situations. Maybe you're a consultant that wanders from project to project, or an employee that gets passed from pillar to post depending on the hot topic of the month. Either way, you're not fresh out of school and you've seen a scary thing or two happen during project implementations. What you're really looking for are some words of wisdom, or maybe a guide you can refer to as necessary, that will enable you to manage your projects more efficiently and cut down your work weeks to something more sustainable. You would ideally like to spend some quality time somewhere outside the confines of your office.
The objective of this book is to enable the reader to successfully manage most every project you will ever be given in less than ten hours a week. That’s only two hours a day! Okay, when you've stopped laughing read on. This is actually the premise of the book. I have managed successful projects in many companies, in many countries, in many cultures and in many situations. Nearly without fail I have only paid very close attention to the management of that project for about ten hours a week, over the majority of the project lifecycle. In some cases, it was even less!
What will I learn from it? This book is about the meta-rules associated with running a project. It’s about the management skills that will not only help you decide what you need to pay close attention to but also what you can safely de-prioritize. This will allow you to focus on the relevant and important items in a project. Every project is a little different, but the meta-rules are the same. By the end of this book you should have all the tools necessary to be able to successfully manage most projects in only ten hours a week (during the majority of the lifecycle). Just think what you will be able to do with all that spare time. Maybe you'll even be able to start that little money-earning side project you've always intended to get underway!
Read more about it HERE.
What people are saying:
"This book is filled with genuine, practical insights from an expert in the field of project management. The author describes a project management approach that you can apply to any type of project, whether you are a new or seasoned project manager. Read this book if you desire to be a project manager who adds value to your team and organization."
"If you are looking to do a great job as a PM and still have a life, get this book. It is written by a very practical project manager for individuals who would like to be more effective and practical in their role as PM. How do I know this? I worked with him for several years on long term international projects with large multinational team. This book accurately reflects what he preached and practiced on the projects and hence my recommendation. I did not decide to write this recommendation as a favor to the author but as a favor to individuals, who can use a really practical guide to managing project and have a life. This author with his approach made it possible for all the team members to have a real work-life balance even on the road. Under him, our team excelled in every area imaginable on a project. I am glad that he decided to put his thoughts into writing so others can benefit from his approach. This would also be a great book for someone starting out as a Project Manager, as well."
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Melrose - First Blood (Progress #2)
My first blog post of the week is an update on how my writing of Melrose - First Blood is coming along.
As you probably already know, I'm writing something a little different from my usual genre with this book. Melrose is aimed at older Young Adults - 16+. It has adult themes and younger adult characters (22 -25 years of age). It's also set in contemporary times and touches on the paranormal. But, it's no vampire story (or if it is, then it's vampires like you've never seen them before!).
I'm currently 45,000 words into an 80,000 word novel and the book gets more and more intense every week! Things have already risen to near fever pitch with exciting plot lines, and characters displaying all sorts of traits and trickery. My protagonist and antagonist will surely soon be thrust together in ways that will not end well I fear! It's been a different experience writing a book based on places I know (as opposed to the land of fantasy in which I usually stay) and using characters that you may even meet on your next trip down the street (although there are certain characters I would hope you never meet - for your own sake).
So, last week I promised a little background and it's only fair that I give you some. My leading antagonist is a twenty-three year-old man named Beau Tempest (And as one character says when she hears his name: "It sounds like something out of a romance novel. Something my mother would read." - But oh how wrong she would be!). He's a nasty piece of work and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Oh, and what he wants is the sweet twenty-two year-old protagonist, tall blonde Lucy Weatherington. But Lucy is playing a little hard to get. She's been warned about Beau's ways with the women and doesn't want to become just a notch on his bedpost. Speaking of which... No one seems to know just what happened to any of Beau's previous girlfriends. Hmm. Even I would be a little worried if I knew that.
I'm excited to finish this first Melrose novel and the intent is to have the draft manuscript complete by the beginning of August. Then it will be a mad rush to get it edited and proofed, ready for a fall release. You'll have to watch out for opportunities to win early copies or invitations for reviewers. I definitely think this is my best novel yet...
Back to the plot... I'll give you more background next week. Until then, try a little of my fantasy stuff - buy a copy of Xannu - The Prophecy. It's only $0.99 for a full 125,000 word novel - that's a pretty good deal. It's available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Think Harry Potter meets The Chronicles of Narnia, during The Lord of the Rings!
As you probably already know, I'm writing something a little different from my usual genre with this book. Melrose is aimed at older Young Adults - 16+. It has adult themes and younger adult characters (22 -25 years of age). It's also set in contemporary times and touches on the paranormal. But, it's no vampire story (or if it is, then it's vampires like you've never seen them before!).
I'm currently 45,000 words into an 80,000 word novel and the book gets more and more intense every week! Things have already risen to near fever pitch with exciting plot lines, and characters displaying all sorts of traits and trickery. My protagonist and antagonist will surely soon be thrust together in ways that will not end well I fear! It's been a different experience writing a book based on places I know (as opposed to the land of fantasy in which I usually stay) and using characters that you may even meet on your next trip down the street (although there are certain characters I would hope you never meet - for your own sake).
So, last week I promised a little background and it's only fair that I give you some. My leading antagonist is a twenty-three year-old man named Beau Tempest (And as one character says when she hears his name: "It sounds like something out of a romance novel. Something my mother would read." - But oh how wrong she would be!). He's a nasty piece of work and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Oh, and what he wants is the sweet twenty-two year-old protagonist, tall blonde Lucy Weatherington. But Lucy is playing a little hard to get. She's been warned about Beau's ways with the women and doesn't want to become just a notch on his bedpost. Speaking of which... No one seems to know just what happened to any of Beau's previous girlfriends. Hmm. Even I would be a little worried if I knew that.
I'm excited to finish this first Melrose novel and the intent is to have the draft manuscript complete by the beginning of August. Then it will be a mad rush to get it edited and proofed, ready for a fall release. You'll have to watch out for opportunities to win early copies or invitations for reviewers. I definitely think this is my best novel yet...
Back to the plot... I'll give you more background next week. Until then, try a little of my fantasy stuff - buy a copy of Xannu - The Prophecy. It's only $0.99 for a full 125,000 word novel - that's a pretty good deal. It's available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Think Harry Potter meets The Chronicles of Narnia, during The Lord of the Rings!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Author Paul Dorset’s “How to build a brand on Twitter for FREE!”
@RebeccaLacko on Twitter reprinted one of my blog articles in her blog the other day with a nice introduction (Many thanks, Rebecca). The original article can be found HERE, but following is what she wrote:
I have a feeling I would like Paul Dorset, were we to meet. Well organized, typo-free, and to the point, Dorset writes prolifically, and not just books. His blog Utterances of an Overcrowded Mind offers concise, valuable posts about the craft of writing, yet for all his laser-focus, the banner image for his headline is a complete departure: a darling child, likely his daughter, next to a Christmas tree. Whimsical, warm, and poignant–and nothing at all to do with his niche. Works for me.
I follow Paul on Twitter (@jcx27), where he appears as a Twitter junkie, posting roughly 50-60 tweets–about writing–PER DAY. Is he feverishly tweeting the hours away on his iPhone, to the consternation of the little girl in the picture? Before any of us forcefully disarm his Twitter app, he posted about his method on his blog, to help writers build their own brand in the Twitterverse. The following are excerpts from Dorset’s post:
1. Where do I get my material from?
If you’re like most people, there is only so much relevant content you can make up for yourself on a daily basis. This means you’re going to need to get more material from somewhere else. But where? The Internet of course. I use Google alerts. Go to http://google.com/alerts and try setting some up. Use the Alert information that is emailed to you for writing Tweets. Another place is your favorite RSS feeds. You probably read this stuff already so use it and re-tweet it.
2. How often should I tweet?
There are millions and millions of Twitter users on the Internet. Unless you have millions of followers, the chances that a lot of people will see all your tweets and click on links are very small. But don’t be despondent, this can work to your advantage as well.
I have over 50,000 followers on Twitter. What do you think the chances of everyone reading and actioning any single tweet I make are? Actually, the number is very small. Twitter is a bit like a fire hose, you spray water everywhere; it’s not a direct pressure jet of water that is directed specifically at something. What does it mean? Well, actually it means that if I tweet one thing at 8am and then a very similar thing at 9am, there’s a good chance that the tweet will be seen by different people. But, if I only have 10 followers, then they will all most likely see both of my tweets. So, follower numbers are important as a ratio to tweet frequency too.
As a general ratio, for every 10,000 followers you have you can tweet the same thing one time per day. So in my case, I can safely send the same tweet out 5 times a day without worry that people will notice I’m spamming them. But you have to intersperse your tweets with other tweets so that anyone looking through your timeline doesn’t see the repeated pattern. A reasonable timeline that anyone looking back through will be about 20 tweets or so. This means that if I am to repeat a tweet 5 times a day, and I need to create 20 tweets between each repeat, then I should be tweeting about 100 times a day! Now that’s a lot more than I currently tweet. In fact I guess I send out around 50-60 tweets a day. This means I shouldn’t repeat the same tweet more than twice a day.
But the question still remains, how often should I tweet? The simple answer is that the more followers you have and the more you want to build a brand, the more you should tweet – up to a limit of about 6 tweets an hour (above that and it will be impossible to follow you). Tweeting 50 times a day (for me) is a lot of tweeting so I have automated much of the process.
3. How can I automate my Tweets?
There are two tools I want to introduce: Twitterfeed and Twaitter. They differ slightly and they both serve different purposes.
Twitterfeed
In the first step I wrote about building alerts and having them delivered as emails. Well, now it’s time to change those emails to RSS feeds so that you make better use of them. If you go to http://google.com/alerts and edit one of your alerts, you can select ‘Feed’ in the edit box. Save this and then you should see a little RSS button next to the alert. By right-clicking on the RSS feed you can copy its feed address. Do this! Next, go to Twitterfeed.com and set up an account there if you don’t already have one. Create a new feed and then follow the prompts, pasting in the RSS feed address when appropriate (use the advanced settings to determine how often to update Twitter – every 30 mins or so). Then finish off the process and you are now automatically posting new alerts into your Twitter feed (you may need to wait up to an hour for the first feed to kick in). So, onto automating your own Tweets.
Twaitter
Twaitter is a free product that allows you to schedule your own tweets (up to 10 an hour) on a single or recurring basis. The process is very easy so I’m not going to go into details.
Put all your best blog posts on Twaitter. When you’ve built up 30 or 50 blog posts, I’m sure you’ll have a handful of favorites that you’d like others to read again. Post the links in Twaitter and schedule them (recurring). (Note: Link your blog to Twitterfeed to post all freshly published posts. Keep in mind, if you have a WordPress blog like me, there is a built-in tool which does this automatically, after each new post. -RL)
With the combination on Google Alerts, Twitterfeed and Twaitter, you can have most of your tweeting automated and your branding well underway.
If you’ve followed along and actioned all the steps so far, you should now be sending 30+ automated tweets every day to your Twitter feed. Now all you need to do is a little gardening!
With the increased flow of tweets you’re going to get more replies from people. Be prepared to answer them! You’re also going to have to carefully monitor the traffic that’s flowing to your blog. This is the only way to understand which of your tweets are working and which are not. Hopefully you have analytics on your blog and you can see just how many hits you are getting. What time of day do you not get any visitors? When do you get peak traffic? Rearrange tweets to try and smooth things out a little.
Oh, and use exciting headlines for your tweets. There’s a lot more chance of people clicking on them that way. Words like ‘FREE’, ‘advice’, ‘help’, ‘dummies’, etc. will all drive traffic to you. Put yourself in the head of the reader. Which headline would make them want to click your tweet? If I had called this series ‘Building brands on Twitter‘ it wouldn’t have had as much reader power as ‘How to build a brand on Twitter for FREE!‘
It’s not an overnight process. Get the ball rolling, and refine your process to suit your material and unique audience. Do you currently automate? Do you have any advice culled from your experience?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)