Author's Blog

The Day Has Arrived!

pleasantsuprise

 

It’s finally happened!

My thriller, The Sussex Deal is ready.

 

After much writing and much more writing and then tons of editing and re-editing, and then doing research on marketing etc., my book has finally made it to the eBook publishing stage.

book_icon4I’m excited, and although I know it takes time to promote the book and generate sales, the road to getting here and now travelling the path to publishing it, I’ve come to realize that it’s the whole process that I’m obsessed with. Every step has brought its fair share of challenges to overcome, but I’ve enjoyed it every step of the way.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my days where I thought, why am I doing this or why did I have to re-write this twelve times before I got it right.  In the end, my drive to succeed and my enormous love of the craft is what makes it all worthwhile.

My first love lies in writing fantasy, so writing a contemporary thriller was a whole new experience for me.  The language was the biggest challenge to overcome. I found myself often slipping back into writing in the style of my fantasy novels. The thriller genre did give me a taste of something new. The one thing it did have in common with my fantasy genre is that I felt passionate about all my characters. I think it’s this passion that forces me to tell their story regardless of the genre.

The Sussex Deal was initially to become my first “chapter story”—a story for my readers where I put out one chapter at a time—but we decided to use it as my first step into eBook publishing.

monitor_1Now, the task begins to market the book. Will it be a success? Time will tell. For me, the euphoria comes in writing the book and bringing it to its completion. I hope to give my readers that same euphoria when reading it. I’m already working on my next book and loving it.small_star

Alandra CL

The Nitty-Gritty About . . .

The Latest

1. The Nitty-Gritty About Reduplication – By Mark Nichol – Daily Writing Tips – http://goo.gl/2EvVb

2. Bad Publishing Contract Clauses – Part 1 – By Writer Beware – http://goo.gl/BtP4y

3. The forever recession (and the coming revolution) – By Seth Godin – http://goo.gl/wftvT

4. How to Find Your Writing Voice – By Heater Home – Procrastinating Writers – http://goo.gl/8O8xU

5. Universal Story and the Mythic Journey – By Plot Whisperer – http://goo.gl/ZFmz5

6. Survey: Have You Ever Read a Self-Published Book? – By Nathan Bransford – http://goo.gl/EOqt5 – As usual, another beautiful and inspirational painting!

7. EazyWallz – Amazing Personalized Wallpaper Murals for Boring Walls – By E-Junkie.info – http://goo.gl/H1fIj

8. Vote for Your Favorite House 2011 Solar Decathlon – By Bridgette Meinhold – inhabitat – http://goo.gl/pLL4K

9. China Set to Launch Its Own Space Station; Mission: Unknown By David Axe – Wired – http://goo.gl/26KGk

10. How to Get Rid of a Skunk Without Losing Your Dignity – By Ashley Watson – Wise Bread – http://goo.gl/KrPJZ

 

Post

How many good habits do you practice when writing? Read about “Health and Writing”  at http://alandracl.com/blog/2011/09/30/health-and-writing/

 

Quote of the Day

“My task…is, by the power of the written word to make you hear, to make you feel – it is, before all, to make you see. That – and no more – and it is everything.” – Joseph Conrad

 

 Book Release

Mercury Rises by Author Robert Kroese

 

The Waiting Game . . .

The Latest

The Waiting Game – By Trent –  the simple dollar  –  http://goo.gl/yTgUS  – He is so…..right about .

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Using Contradictions to Develop Character – By Nathan Bransford – http://goo.gl/JMKoq

Twitter, Travel, and the Power of the Engaged Employee – By Rob Markey – Harvard Business Review – http://goo.gl/mqpBc

The Freelance Writer’s Interview Checklist – By Susan Johnston – The Urban Muse – http://goo.gl/1PlSN

Trouble at Aspen Mountain Press – By Victoria Strauss – Writer Beware – http://goo.gl/CCGg8

Sweet and Salty Snacks You Can Make at Home – By Mikey Rox – WiseBread – http://goo.gl/0gcQe – Sound like delicious snacks!

The Parable of the Little Book of Stories – By Joel Frielander – The Book Designer – http://goo.gl/fxB1N

A B C D . . . Of Inspiration. Very Simple & Very Effective! – By E-Junkie.Info – http://goo.gl/cFRjD

Bad vs. Badly – By Mark Nichol – Daily Writing Tips – http://goo.gl/lgjfA

How to Master the One Trait That Makes You Unstoppable – By Sonia Simone – Copyblogger – http://goo.gl/mtPlH

Quote of the Day

“The greatest rules of dramatic writing are conflict, conflict, conflict.” – James Frey

 

Writing Contest

Writing Contest: Sharp Writ Book Awards – By Smart Book Lovers  – Deadline Oct. 15, 2011 – http://www.book-awards.org

 

 

 

 

Frugal Ways to Celebrate Fall . . .

 

 The Latest

1.  31 Frugal Ways to Celebrate Fall By Camilla Cheung – Wise Bread – http://goo.gl/ZTHFN – Simple and relaxing ideas – nice!

2. Dueling Russia: Myth, Veracity, and Literature – By Nick Morgan – http://goo.gl/hm86I

3. Maybe he means it – By Seth Godin – http://goo.gl/c6XiD -I wholeheartedly agree!

4. Plot Help for Weary Writers – By Plot Whisperer – http://goo.gl/aEGz8

5. Improve Your Emails: Why It’s Worth It – By Grace Myers – Fuel Your Writing – http://goo.gl/yiuSm

6. Keep the Fire Alive: Three Remarkable Comeback Stories – By Marelisa – Abundance Blog – http://goo.gl/Jq6yh – My admiration to these protagonists!

7. Sting Tells How He Writes Song Lyrics – By Elizabeth Day – The Guardian/The Observer – http://goo.gl/jlGnT

8. The Art of Irresistible Copywriting – By Robert Bruce – copyblogger – http://goo.gl/kncY2 – Love the  ‘every sentence’ rule!

9. What is a writer’s MVP? – By Joel Frielander – http://goo.gl/fVyJ6 – Like the idea of thinking small, makes sense!

Zooglers – Google Employees in Zurich Have the World’s Coolest Re-Purposed Office – By Tafline Laylin – inhabitat – http://goo.gl/HXoE9 – What an awesome working atmosphere!

Quote of the Day

“If you have other things in your life — family, friends, good productive day work — these can interact with your writing and the sum will be all the richer.” – David Brin

 Writing Contest

Poem Writing Contest – Patricia Bibby Award – Tebot Bach – Deadline: Oct. 31, 2011- http://goo.gl/SO3AE

 Book Release

 

 

Fantasy – Cast In Ruin (Chronicles of Elantra Book 7)  – By Author Michelle Sagara