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Guest Post: Don’t Wait. Create. by Garen Glazier

10/29/2015

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​Growing up, going to school, I was content. There are many reasons that contributed to this overall feeling of happiness, but one of them is surely the enforced writing time that came through class assignments and culminated in my senior year with AP English and the amazing Mr. Arkle (whom I credit with teaching me the fundamentals of writing well).

Then I went to college and majored in business, a good, practical degree. I wrote less and less. When I did it was for dry and boring accounting or marketing assignments for which I produced dry and boring writing. I wasn't unhappy, but I felt aimless. I lacked purpose. After school I got a job at an advertising agency and quit writing altogether. I was miserable. I decided to go back to school, but this time I went to get my degree in art history. I wrote all the time then about things that really interested me and were challenging and made me think. I loved it. I thought I loved art, and I did and still do, but the real love, always, was for the writing.

Then I had a baby. I stopped writing again. I slipped into undiagnosed postpartum depression or anxiety, I'm not sure. Whatever it was it sucked to feel that way especially with a precious new baby that needed me at my best. I hadn't written a word for six months when suddenly, after a particularly bad day, I opened my laptop and poured my heart and soul onto the screen. It was a turning point. I didn't instantly feel better, but I did improve significantly over the next several weeks until I finally felt like myself.

I wish I could say I learned my lesson then, but I didn't. I stopped writing again until another crisis involving my abrupt departure from a teaching job left me broken and directionless. I knew something had to change, I just wasn't sure what it was. I started to do a lot of thinking and reading about happiness and careers. I made lists, took personality tests, researched different options, and thought long and hard about what gave me a sense of accomplishment, what excited me, what made me feel like my best self, what made me feel like I was contributing, like the world was full of opportunities.

It came down to writing. So I started doing it on the regular. That was over two years ago now, and I haven't looked back.

The fact is being creative saved me from the black hole of meaninglessness that seemed all-consuming at times. For me, the creative act of writing equals happiness. It just took me a while to figure that out.

There is a quote I absolutely love from George Bernard Shaw. He said:

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."

Finding yourself implies there is some fully formed you already out there in the metaphysical ether that you only need to locate in order to be fully self-actualized. Finding yourself is passive. Finding yourself is hoping that someone else will do the hard work for you and then you can swoop in and take advantage of it like finding buried treasure or a leprechaun's pot of gold. Finding means hoping, wishing, waiting.

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But what happens when your waiting doesn't yield results. You get bored. You do things to fill the void, consuming other people's creativity, with the hope of siphoning off some. The longer you wait, the more bitter you become, and eventually, if it continues on too long you stop waiting to find yourself and you start searching for things that will confirm what you already believe to be true: the world sucks, life is a sham, and successful, happy people are either lying or delusional. It becomes your mission to take them down (see Internet trolls for examples of just this sort of pathetic creature).

Dr. Seuss in his near-perfect book Oh, The Places You'll Go has a whole two-page spread devoted to waiters. And after his rhyming list of people waiting for their lives to happen he implores his reader to take action with a fervent: "NO! That's not for you!"

And he's right. Waiting's not for you.

Don't wait. Create.

You might think you're not creative. You are.

Creativity has many meanings and complex associations. But to be creative you don't need to be an artist, a writer, a dancer, a musician, or an actor, although all those things are wonderfully creative. You don't need to be in the arts or even interested in them necessarily. In its most basic form creating is taking things and combining them so that they become something new.

An artist does this with paint and canvas.
A writer does this with words.
A cook does this meat, vegetables, and spices.
A coder does this with ones and zeroes.
An athlete does this with their body.
A scientist does this with chemicals.
An accountant does this with numbers.
A therapist does this with feelings.
A teacher does this with information.

You get the idea.

To be happy, to have purpose, you must create. What should you create? Some of you know already. That is a gift. Some of you might not. In that case, my suggestion to you is to live life. Do lots of things. Pause and reflect on the way you feel. Which things make you forget about time passing? Which things fill you with a sense of purpose, with a sense of gratitude for your talents and abilities? Do more of those things.

But don't wait.

The world needs your creativity.

Garen is a lifelong resident of Seattle. She married her Russia-born-America-raised high school sweetheart, and they have a four year old and a new little one born in February. She has a master's degree in art history from the University of Washington and is a freelance writer and author. On the Verge, her first novel, is an urban fantasy about art, demons, and the power of stories. It’s currently available on Amazon. Learn more about her and read her blog, where this post originally appeared, at garenglazier.com. Or follow her on Twitter: @GarenGlazier
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Even Deeper Into Rewrites

10/29/2015

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Now I’m on the fourth draft of my new thriller, Tell On You.  I want to take back all the positive things I said about rewriting in the post I did about the third draft.

This hurrrts!!

I thought the third draft was ready to pitch to agents until I heard from the last of my beta readers, the awesome young adult fantasy writer, Sidney Nesti.  During our years together in a critique group, Sidney proved to be my sharpest critic, so I was thrilled (gulp!) when she offered to review Tell On You and give me her feedback.

So now I’m in the midst of surgery here.

I’ve been resequencing the opening chapters, writing new chapters, scrapping existing chapters. There’s blood all over the place.  Fellow writers, is there anything harder than killing our darlings?  Anything that demands more courage?

Sorry to whine.  

All I can hope for are two things.  That this latest rewrite puts the shine on the diamond.  And that starting the next novel won’t feel so hard after this.

I feel better.  Thanks for listening.

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Book Review: Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

10/22/2015

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Okay, raise your hands if you think this book would be published today if it weren’t by the author of To Kill A Mockingbird.

Didn’t think so, either.

The best thing about this very earnest novel are tantalizing glimpses of the masterpiece Lee would go on to write, at the behest of her editor. The most engaging parts of Watchman are its flashbacks and memories of Scout’s childhood.

The worst thing about the book is the strong probability that Lee didn’t and wouldn’t want it published at all (evidence being that she’d scarcely have waited until she was old and infirm to finally do so).  Believe me, someone could comb my hard drive and find way worse stuff to publish when I’m past the point of objecting. But Watchman really doesn’t measure up to what Lee has given us.

In case you slept through all the press this summer, the novel centers on Scout Finch’s return to Maycomb, AL as a young woman living in New York.  Set during the civil rights era, Watchman, which feels more like a novella than a novel, both in length and scope, depicts her outrage and disillusionment with the prejudice she encounters there, especially from her father, Atticus, whom she (and we) idolized.  I found the story readable, but frankly rather bleak and sophomoric.  However, Atticus wasn’t ruined for me.  Flawed, human…yet I still liked him.

But this novel could have used more of Truman Capote, for my taste.

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Guest Post: Six Ideas to generate book reviews by JC Gatlin

10/15/2015

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​Sometimes I feel more excited about the reviews on my books than the checks from Amazon. To an extent, I’m sure every author feels the same way. However, it can be tough getting readers to write one. Personally, it looks like my numbers for ‘Prey of Desire’ are one review in twenty sales.

So if you’re like me and looking for a way to increase reviews, here are a few tips I’ve found that work:

1. Trade Reviews with fellow writers

You probably personally know quite a few writers from local critique groups, writing conferences, book fairs and social media. See who would be willing to trade reviews. It’s a time investment, but will be a good way to start building some numbers. However — and I can’t stress this enough – don’t trade 5 stars for 5 stars. You must still provide honest, thoughtful reviews.

2. Join Review Groups in GoodReads

GoodReads has several review groups. You’ll find readers looking for a free copy in trade for an honest review. You’ll also find round robin groups that will provide four people to read and review your book while you read and review four other books. There’s also a great benefit in networking with other authors.

3. Jump on the Blog Tour circuit

Blog tours are great way to get reviews, especially from bloggers that are specific to your genre. Through this tour, a set number of book review bloggers will read and post reviews on their website (and generally Amazon & Good Reads). There are blog tour services that will organize everything for you, but they generally cost between $100 to $500, depending on the company. However, you can contact book review blogs on your own and submit your book to them at no cost.

4. Participate in Facebook Groups

Run a search on Facebook for “book groups” and you’ll find an entire author/reader network out there. Like GoodReads, there are groups that exchange reads & reviews. There are also book clubs and book marketing clubs. You’ll even come across the occasional post from someone saying, “Hey… I just finished the book I was reading. Anyone got any suggestions?”

5. Ask for help from email and/or blog followers

If you’re serious about your writing career, you should have a website and blog that’s collecting followers and email addresses. Send the word out that you’re trying to get to X number of reviews and need their help. Offer to provide your book for free for an honest review. You’ll get some takers.

6. Search Reviewer profiles for similar books on Amazon

When you look at reviews for similar books to yours, pay attention to the actual reviewer. Some reviewers leave contact information such as a website and/or email address in their profile. Just click on the reviewer profile to find it. Then, email the reviewer and tell him you read his review for “X” book and ask if he would mind reading and reviewing your book as well.

This can be a long and laborious effort, and you can search hundreds of profiles before finding even one reviewer who provides this info. But it can be worth the effort. There is software that can do the research for you. Author Marketing Group (AMC) provides an online software that can be used with a monthly subscription and Book Review Targeter is a software that you can purchase and download.

Author Bio
 
Coming from a large family with five brothers, JC Gatlin grew up in Grapevine, Texas, a small town outside of Dallas. In 1999 he moved to Tampa, Florida, where he now resides. JC’s fishing trips help him breathe authenticity into his stories, which feature the rich landscapes of Texas and Florida as backdrops.
 
He has written a monthly column in New Tampa Style magazine and penned several mystery-suspense stories. His first, The Designated Survivor, was published in 2013. JC invites you to visit his mystery writing blog at jcgatlin.com.
 
Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/JC-Gatlin/e/B00ENPSDU2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJcGatlin
Shelfari at: http://www.shelfari.com/jcgatlin
GoodReads at: http://www.goodreads.com/JC_Gatlin
Book Trailer at: https://youtu.be/mCKFIdWlZUE
​
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Book Review: X by Sue Grafton

10/15/2015

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“The more I see of the world, the more I understand that justice isn’t cut-and-dried.  There are more compromises than you’d imagine, and rightly so.  Law and order, punishment and fair play, are all on a continuum where there are far more gray stretches than there are black and white.  I’m making my peace with that.”

- Kinsey Milhone, in Sue Grafton’s X

One of my most favorite writers, Sue Grafton has written that the fictional private detective is a lone crusader for justice.  And nobody does it better than Kinsey.  For years, I’ve savored each volume in Grafton’s abecedarian series, eagerly anticipating the next as soon as I’ve turned the last page.  Now, with only two volumes left to complete the alphabet, I’m yearning (there’s a nominee for the next title) for more letters.

In X Grafton deftly interweaves three subplots, keeping Kinsey in high gear.  As always, Kinsey’s voice is a perfect pitch of curmudgeonly humor, crisp insight and loyalty to those she esteems.  Will she work without compensation for a just cause?  You bet, even when it puts her at risk, as it does here.  Protecting the interests of her landlord against the neighbors from hell, tracking down some nasty unfinished business left by a deceased colleague and doing stakeout on a classy lady who scammed her, Kinsey travels the California highways with her wits and her overnight bag in tow.  You won’t want to miss a moment.

Those familiar with Grafton’s series (and, if you’re not, what are you waiting for?) will recognize that the title of this latest volume is unique.  Until now, the formula has been A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, and so on through W is for Wasted.  This time, it’s plain X – the unknown.  But just to show us she could have come up with one, Grafton sprinkles a few “X” words throughout her first chapter.  

In my view, X is for X-traordinary.  Read it and see.

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Author Spotlight: Liam Sweeny

10/10/2015

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Liam Sweeny has worn many hats in his life. In addition to being a writer for ten years, he has been an artist, musician, grassroots campaign staffer and spent four years in disaster response, both in leadership and in the field.
 
It was in the field in New Orleans that Sweeny got his start as a writer. Hurricane Katrina, and his role in the relief effort, fueled his early writing, where he began in sci-fi/fantasy before transitioning into crime, mystery and noir.
 
As a crime writer, Sweeny’s work has appeared in many publications, such as Thuglit, All Due Respect, Near to the Knuckle, Shotgun Honey and others.


You can find out more at www.liamsweeny.com 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/liamsweeny
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LiamSweeny

Liam is on tour with his recent release, Welcome Back, Jack! Learn more about the book below.

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Welcome Back, Jack
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
 
When Jack was six years old, his parents were brutally slain by a serial killer. The police later found drifter Clyde Colsen driving a stolen car, his clothes soaked in blood. He was tried, convicted and executed. Jack grew up knowing that they got the guy.
 
Now, Jack, a decorated homicide detective in New Rhodes, arrives at the third crime scene of the “South End Killer” murders and finds his name. He will soon find out something else: Thirty years ago, they got the wrong guy. And now the right guy’s come back to pay Jack and New Rhodes his bloody respects.
 
As Jack struggles to stay on the case, his cat-and-mouse with the killer makes him wonder if he’s the cat or the mouse. His family, and everyone in his life is fair game. As the killer escalates and threatens the entire city, Jack has a question he must answer in his desperation; can he stop the monster without becoming one?

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Guest Post: Shame Can’t Exist When We Share Our Stories

10/8/2015

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​I know, I’m already getting all Brene Brown on you. That’s alright, isn’t it? I’ve certainly been called worse. 

For as long as I’ve been alive, I’ve been my worst enemy. Yes, even when the man I loved tried to kill me on numerous occasions, I was so hard on myself I thought I deserved whatever poison he felt like tossing at me. Day after day, sometimes in never ending, torturous minutes, I shamed myself into believing something I’d done made his behavior logical (on some level) and mine reprehensible (on every level).

Until I remembered even my darkest places were never the color of midnight. My soul was golden and reflected magic onto others, seeing the best in them without ever questioning their decisions. 

Why couldn’t I do the same for myself?

That’s when I found trauma therapy, a therapist into Brene Brown’s work, and a truck-load of reading that would ultimately save my life.

Here’s what I learned:

I’m one of the lucky ones who likes to share my faults, because those who try to hide them away inside end up carrying baggage far too heavy for one person to manage. They’re ashamed, they blame, invisible wounds weep internally. 

Regrets? I have them, but where have they gotten me? 

Mistakes? Far too many to remember or try to recall.

What I do have, though, is a voice to share imperfect moments so someone else might not find themselves on the basement of a house like the one where I crashed into concrete walls a few hours before I escaped. 

I have a desire to help other people overcome demons who suck lungs bone dry.

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What I learned from writing about the house on Sunset (and three years of trauma therapy and lots of reading) is by sharing what is most embarrassing and uncomfortable, you don’t have to carry it any longer. No more lung sucking either. I learned trying to ignore ghosts of my past made them more likely to haunt me.

Bit by bit, ashes of a shattered life strewn across my kitchen’s linoleum floor were released of their semi-permanent placement simply because I chose to shake out the area rugs and throw open the curtains.

I said goodbye to shame and perfection, and I accepted my abuse story for exactly what it was:

A time in my life when my heart got me into a deadly relationship even though I’d always been the girl who said, “If I man ever hit me he would be lucky to walk out of my house alive.” 

Why then, would this one scenario where I said I’d never do something have to be so different than all of the other times in my life I was proven wrong? Why did it have to have such a strong hold on my brain and emotions?

Simply put, it didn’t (and doesn’t). 

Writing the scariest, darkest, most embarrassing parts of your heart might seem like a backwards way of healing. Digging up the memories you’ve tried to suppress and save yourself from could seem insane. On the contrary, it’s been the most liberating, rewarding and rehabilitating experience of my life.

I don’t have to be perfect anymore.

I can just be.

That’s what writing gives to me.

Lindsay Fischer graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education, English. An avid reader and learner, Lindsay took her passion for words into a classroom before starting a writing career. Life pulled her from the classroom, providing an opportunity to use her voice against domestic violence, blogging under the pseudonym, Sarafina Bianco, since 2009.
You can find her words at survivorswillbeheard.com and speak directly to her when she hosts #domesticviolencechat on Twitter. Lindsay hopes to be an advocate for women, men and children who still live inside the nightmare of their abuse. She currently lives with her husband and three dogs, including Watson, in St. Louis, Missouri.
 
Links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/survivorswillbeheard
Twitter: @LinsFischer
Author Site: survivorswillbeheard.com
Instagram: @lindsaycapo
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1QPucX0
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1N9cHDu
 
 
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New Beginnings, 8: Lowcountry Seasons

10/1/2015

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Perhaps I should call this “New-ish Beginnings.”  We are approaching the six-month anniversary of our move to the South Carolina Lowcountry.  And the subject I’m reflecting on today is the unfolding of the seasons down here.

I’d lived all my life in the Northeast before we moved here and knew the pattern of those four seasons like I know the last digits of my Social Security Number.  Now it’s all new and each season fills me with curiosity about what lies ahead.

We arrived here in early April, which was akin to a glorious June in the Northeast.  Warm, lengthening days, bright sunshine, low humidity and the thrill of swimming in an outdoor pool and acquiring an early tan.  I’d show up for Pickleball in the morning wearing a sweatshirt, which quickly came off.  We actually missed the beginning of spring, which is February-March, and reportedly includes mass quantities of pollen.  That experience awaits us.

Summer here in SC lived up to its reputation – hot, hot, hot and oh so humid.  Mornings typically felt like stepping out into a hot compress.  Pickleball produced copious perspiration – we’re talking about looking like I was doused with a firehose.  Some days the pool temperature nudged up above 90 degrees and the water was only bearable if I laid in the sun and baked until I couldn’t bear it.  But I learned that rainfall quickly cooled down the pool.  And, boy, is there ever rainfall down here in the summer!  Thunderstorms that continued for an hour were routine.  

When the sky looked like rain was immanent, nothing happened.  When it was clear, storms would erupt without warning.  Our air conditioning is supremely effective (much more so than our unit in NJ was).  I did my outdoor activities early and retreated indoors during the sultry afternoons.  Honestly, it wasn’t so bad.  If that’s the price of missing northern winters, I’m more than happy to pay it.

So now, by the calendar, it’s fall.  Sunset comes later here, because we’re further west than NJ, but the dawns are later, too.  Most days still feel like summer.  We’ve only had our windows open once.  But we’re getting the occasional preview of coming attractions in the form of mornings when I need that sweatshirt for my bike ride.  I’m watching for signs of foliage turning, and can’t say I’ve seen any yet.  We’ve visited this area in November, so I know I can expect days that are nippy and days that are summery – often in the course of the same day.  It’s all about layering down here.

How will winter unfold?  Will there be frosty mornings?  Will I take off the sweatshirt during Pickleball?  Lay out in the sun?  Stay tuned.  But it’s wonderful not to be sure what to expect, for a change.

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Author Spotlight: (and Giveaway) Alexander Nader

10/1/2015

1 Comment

 
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I'm a writer. I know these "about" things are usually written in 3rd person, but I have this thing about hating people that talk about themselves in 3rd person. So I'm going to talk about me. I am a married father of three. My wife and kids are awesome and I love them. I've got a couple day jobs. When I'm not working at those, I work on my writing. I've completed a handful of novels ranging in quality from "awful" to "not too bad." One day I aspire to be a full time writer or at least only have one job plus writing. That would be a dream come true. Until dreams come true, I'm going to keep jotting my thoughts down around this here internets and see if something catches on. If you like what you see, you can find more at my website AlexanderNader.com, or follow me on Twitter at @AlexNaderWrites.


Learn more about Alexander's recent release below.

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Burdin's End
Genre: Urban Fantasy
 
Ty Burdin, the retired demon hunter who just can’t stay retired. 

In the final installment of the Beasts of Burdin trilogy Ty has found himself roped into working for the Agency, a top secret organization with the sole purpose of eliminating all demon activity, yet again. Demon hunting is a full time job, but luckily 

Ty has managed to work his way down to a ‘consulting’ position in the Agency after a few disagreements and a couple dead superiors. 
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Ty’s part-time position becomes far more hands on as the demon activity in his region cranks up to eleven. Demons are crawling out of peoples’ minds and into the real world at an alarming rate and it’s up to Ty, once again, to step in and save the day. First step: get over last night’s hangover.

Enter the author's giveaway - good luck!

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    Author

    Freda Hansburg is a psychologist and co-author of two 
    self-help books, PeopleSmart - which h​as sold more than 75,000 copies and has been translated into ten languages - and 
    Working PeopleSmart, 
    as well as numerous professional publications.  Her first novel Shrink Rapt, 
    is a psychological thriller with a dash of romance. She lives in the South Carolina Low Country.

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