This is just a little reminder that we’re posting over on Chasing Dreams Publishing now.
We’ve got some great posts – including author interviews with Jozi Flash 2018’s anthology contributors!
Go check it out! They’d love to hear from you!
Category: Authors
Writer’s Block or Boredom? How to add conflict to plot fillers.
Struggling with writer’s block? Can’t get past a certain point in your writing? Take a look at this post over on my website. It has some useful tips and tricks for overcoming writer’s block.
Double Cover Reveal – A Falling Friend, A Forsaken Friend – Sue Featherstone & Susan Pape
Two covers in one day? You guessed it!
Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to be part of this! There’s a giveaway at the end!
A Falling Friend
There are two sides to every friendship.
After spending her twenties sailing the globe, making love on fine white sand, and thinking only of today, Teri Meyer returns to Yorkshire – and back into the life of childhood friend Lee. Plus, there’s the new job, new man – or three – and the guaranteed lump sum of a bursary for her academic research piece on the way. Life is first-rate.
What could possibly go wrong?
Going out on a limb to get best friend Teri a job at the same university seemed like a great idea. But it doesn’t take long for Lee Harper to notice a pattern. Teri seems to attract trouble, or maybe she creates it, and Lee can see exactly where things are spiralling – downwards. But Teri’s not the sort to heed a warning, so Lee has no choice but to stand by and watch.
And besides, she has her own life to straighten out.
For fans of BRIDGET JONES, this ‘witty’ chick lit has been described as a ‘rollicking good read’ and is the first in the FRIENDS trilogy following the lives of two thirty-something women, who, despite their close friendship, don’t always see eye-to-eye.
The Cover
A Falling Friend is available to purchase on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads.
A Forsaken Friend
No-one said friendship was easy.
Things can’t get much worse for Teri Meyer. If losing her job at the university and the regular allowance from her dad’s factory isn’t bad enough, now her ex-best friend has gone and stolen her ex-husband! Well, to hell with them all. A few weeks in the countryside at her brother’s smallholding should do the trick – and the gorgeous and god-like neighbour might help.
But then there’s Declan, not to mention Duck’s Arse back in Yorkshire…
It’s not as if Lee Harper set out to fall in love with her best friend’s ex-husband. But, for once, her love life is looking up – except for all the elephants in the room, not to mention Mammy’s opinion on her dating a twice-divorced man. Perhaps things aren’t as rosy as she first thought. And now with one family crisis after another, Lee’s juggling more roles – and emotions – than she ever imagined.
Maybe sharing her life with a man wasn’t such a grand idea.
The FRIENDS trilogy continues in this heartwarming and hilarious hoot as two best friends navigate men, careers, family and rock bottom in this brilliant sequel to A FALLING FRIEND.
A Forsaken Friend is available to purchase on Amazon UK, and Amazon US.
About the Authors
Sue Featherstone and Susan Pape are both former newspaper journalists with extensive experience of working for national and regional papers and magazines, and in public relations.
More recently they have worked in higher education, teaching journalism – Sue at Sheffield Hallam and Susan at Leeds Trinity University.
The pair, who have been friends for 25 years, wrote two successful journalism text books together – Newspaper Journalism: A Practical Introduction and Feature Writing: A Practical Introduction (both published by Sage).
Their debut novel, A Falling Friend, published by Lakewater Press, has been followed by a second book, A Forsaken Friend, in their Friends trilogy.
Sue, who is married with two grown-up daughters, loves reading, writing and Nordic walking in the beautiful countryside near her Yorkshire home.
Susan is married and lives in a village near Leeds, and, when not writing, loves walking and cycling in the Yorkshire Dales. She is also a member of a local ukulele orchestra.
They blog about books at https://bookloversbooklist.com/
You can find both Sue and Susan on Twitter: @SueF_Writer and @wordfocus
Giveaway
One winner will receive an e-book of A Falling Friend and an e-ARC of A Forsaken Friend as well as wine voucher!
Go here to enter!
Positive-negative book reviews: What are they, and how do they help you?
As I delve into the world of book reviewing, I’ve been noticing a trend among authors to get rather despondent if reviewers give their books less than four stars on the rating scale.
As an author myself, I can completely relate to wanting everyone to absolutely love my books, but unfortunately it doesn’t work like that.
As an editor and reviewer, I can tell you right now that a positive-negative review is far better on the rating scale than a besotted and raving five star review will ever be (at least where other prospective readers are concerned).
First off, what is a positive-negative review?
This is a review that garners three or fewer stars on the rating scale, but; and this is important, still ends the review with positive feedback for the author.
When writing a positive-negative review – I really need to come up with a shorter name for that… PNr? That works. Now, where was I?
When writing a PNr, the reviewer will typically start with a list of “don’t likes” or, negatives. Some of these may be personal preferences, others will be technical such as editing mistakes. Whatever it is about the book that put the reader off, will be listed first.
To end the PNr, the reviewer will focus on aspects she did like. Whether it’s a relationship between characters, the humour in the writing, or even the style of writing, these are the characteristics that will balance the review from being negative, to being positive-negative.
A review that’s written in this format, is really helpful to both authors and readers, in spite of the sting that can come with the critiques and lower rating.
Why are positive-negative reviews good for authors?
A PNr gives a balanced perspective of a story that some critical readers will often overlook if reviews are too positive.
The Writing Cooperative states:
[Customers] will usually first note the number of total reviews — as a gauge of popularity — and then look at the average rating, and then possibly browse the content of the reviews. If they do, they normally read (more likely scan) one or two of them. And if they are like most people, they skip the positive ones and read a negative one first, before going back to a positive one (if they even do that).
A PNr; in this case, is really beneficial based on this trend, because if your rating is low, but the review ends on a positive note, readers are more likely to be willing to give your book a chance to let them decide for themselves.
Gigi Griffis posted the results of a really great survey on her blog, which states:
As for what we’re looking for in those reviews…mentions of typos and bad grammar are (by far) the thing most likely to put us off (self-published authors take note: hiring a copy editor is well worth it). A dragging middle (25%), unbelievable plot line (21%), ending people hated (21%), and unlikeable main character (20%) were also significant detractors. And 16% of respondents said they don’t want to buy a book with a cliffhanger ending.
A quick caveat: PNrs should not dip below three stars unless the book is literally a hot mess of poor grammar, atrocious spelling and terrible formatting that make it painful to read.
As Neal Wooten states in this article for Huffington Post:
If a book is well-written and well-edited, it should never get less than a three-star review. Just because you were not able to tell what the story was about from the book description, or if the story didn’t appeal to you as much as other books, is no reason to give a professional book a one or two-star review. That’s just petty. Stories are subjective, and just because it didn’t appeal to you doesn’t mean it won’t appeal to someone else. Explain in your review why you didn’t like the story. That’s what reviews are for.
Not only that, but PNrs often offer some really useful feedback, which, if you’re serious about improving as a writer, you may be able to implement in future projects. Obviously, take this with the DIWTTTSOM pinch of salt (Do I Want To Tell Their Story Or Mine?).
Why are positive-negative reviews good for readers?
As a reader with very limited time on my hands to read a book just for the sake of reading it, I love PNrs.
I will very seldom buy a book that only has positive, rave reviews. I’m a critical reader, and deliberately avoid the best-sellers list, seeking out indie authors and self-published books in an effort to support writers who are doing what I aim to do. In cases like this, I admit to assuming (wrongfully, I would hope), that if the smattering of reviews are all four stars or more, they’re written by friends and family who are supporting the author.
Unless those reviews are exceptionally well-written, I’m more likely to be wary of buying a book that only has positive feedback.
As a disclaimer, there are readers who claim to only read books with 4+ ratings on the bestsellers list. If there’s a lower review in there, they’ll bypass the book entirely. In my opinion, this is grossly unfair to new, or little known authors, as they’re the ones you’re skipping by judging books on these criteria. It’s also incredibly limiting to your ability to read widely, but that’s a rant for another day.
Why are positive-negative reviews good for reviewers?
As a reviewer, part of what you’re trying to cultivate (I may be wrong, here) is an ability to think critically about a story.
Rating books based on your personal opinion is all well and good, as long as you recognise that your review is subjective.
PNrs allow you to take a step back from your emotions, review both positive and negative features of the book for a reader who may not necessarily share all your opinions, and then give a rating that is still true to your preferences.
Not only does writing a review like this give you the advantage of considering all the options, but it also allows you to provide a far more satisfying five star review for the books that truly earn it.
As Wooten’s article states:
A five-star review should be for a book that has everything: good writing, good editing, and a story that makes you want to read it again and tell your friends about. Some people are too generous, which is generally not a bad trait to have in life. But I’ve looked at all the reviews of some reviewers to find that they’ve given a five-star review to all 30 books they’ve read. And while it’s very polite, it doesn’t serve the purpose for potential new readers. Seriously, nobody could be that lucky.
To summarise, reviewers generally really want to like every book they read. We don’t like criticising books for the sake of it; and if we do give a PNr, please acknowledge it for the advantages it carries, and the time it took to write.
For examples of some PNrs I wrote, take a look at this review, and this one.
As a reader, what sort of reviews make you sit up and take note of a book? I’d love to know your thoughts on PNrs: do you find them useful, or would you prefer rave reviews?
Cover Reveal & First Chapter – The Things We Need to Say by Rachel Burton
Once more joining up with Rachel’s Random Resources, I’m taking part in the cover reveal of The Things We Need to Say by Rachel Burton!
In addition to the cover, the first chapter has also been posted! Enjoy!
About the Book
Sometimes the things we never say are the most important.
Fran loves Will with all her heart. They had a whirlwind romance, a perfect marriage and a wonderful life. Until everything changed. Now Fran needs to find her way again and teaching a yoga retreat in Spain offers her just that. Leaving behind a broken marriage she has some very important decisions to make.
Will needs his wife, he needs her to open up to him if they’re to ever return to the ways things once were. But he may have damaged any possibility he had of mending their relationship and now Fran is in Spain and Will is alone.
As both Fran and Will begin to let go of a life that could have been, fate may just find a way of bringing them back together.
Perfect for fans of Katie Marsh, Amanda Prowse and Sheila O’Flanagan
The Cover
And now, the cover!
Wow! Can I please go to Spain?
The Things We Need to Say is available for pre-order on Amazon UK. It releases 11th May 2018.
About the Author
Rachel Burton has been making up stories since she first learned to talk. After many false starts she finally made one up that was worth writing down.
After graduating with a degree in Classics and another in English, she didn’t really know what to do when she grew up. She has worked as a waitress, a paralegal and a yoga teacher.
She has spent most of her life between Cambridge and London but now lives in Leeds with her boyfriend and three cats. The main loves of her life are The Beatles and very tall romantic heroes.
Her debut, The Many Colours of Us, was an Amazon Kindle bestseller. Her second novel, The Things We Need to Say, is released on 11 May 2018. She is currently working on her third novel in which the heroine follows the love of her life to live in a city in northern England. It has no autobiographical elements at all … maybe.
Find her on Twitter & Instagram as @bookish_yogi or search Facebook for Rachel Burton Author. She is always happy to talk books, writing, music, cats and how the weather in Yorkshire is rubbish. She is mostly dreaming of her next holiday….
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rachelburtonauthor/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/bookish_yogi
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/bookish_yogi/
And now, the first chapter of The Things We Need to Say!
DECEMBER 2004
It started at the party. His hands on my hips, my forehead against his shoulder. He asked me to dance but he didn’t know how. We stood together at the edge of the dance floor shaking with laughter at his two left feet. I don’t know how long we stood there. I don’t know if anybody noticed.
He’d waited for me, sitting with my friends, not sure if I’d turn up or not. I wasn’t in the habit of going to work Christmas parties; I only went in the end because he said he would be there, because he said he would wait for me. I arrived just as the main course was being served. I slipped into the seat next to him. His hand brushed against my thigh as I sat down. He held my gaze for longer than he should have done.
I fell in love with him that night as we stood on the dance floor laughing, my hands on his waist, feeling the muscles of his back, the warmth of his body, through his dress shirt, the press of him against my hip.
That was where it began. I sometimes wonder if that should have been where it ended.
But later that evening, as I got out of his car, and I said those words I should have kept to myself, we both knew there was no going back.
JULY 2016
Fran
She wakes up in the same position in which she fell asleep, her husband’s arms around her, their hands entwined on her stomach. Neither of them have slept that deeply for months. Fran remembers something: a hotel room on a Greek island, a feeling of hope, of new beginnings. She doesn’t allow the memory to linger. This is what they have now. They can be happy again if they allow themselves to be.
The hot, humid weather has broken in the night and she listens to the sound of summer rain on the roof. Will moves gently against her, pulling her closer. She feels his breath against her neck and the sensation of hot liquid in her stomach, a combination of desire and need. This is their second chance – she can’t let it pass her by.
‘I love you,’ Will says sleepily.
‘I love you too,’ she replies. It feels good to be saying it to each other again. She’s never stopped loving him; she just forgot how to tell him for a while.
‘Do you want me to go and make coffee?’ Will asks, nuzzling her neck.
‘Not just yet,’ she replies, turning around to look at him. His brown eyes are dark, impenetrable pools. His hair is pushed back off his face. Sometimes she forgets how much all of this has affected him too. Sometimes she forgets everything except her own pain. She feels his warmth against her, his strength. She feels as though the gulf that had been threatening to open up between them for the last year is slowly closing. She realises they have so much life ahead of them. So much time to learn to be happy again.
‘I thought I’d lost you,’ Will says quietly, reaching up to stroke her face. ‘I thought you’d gone, but recently I feel as though you’ve come back to me.’
She smiles softly. ‘I thought I’d lost you too,’ she says. ‘This last year has been …’ She doesn’t finish. She can’t finish.
She watches as a shadow of anguish crosses his face, as his brow furrows, as his jaw tightens. She recognises that look, recognises the pain he is trying to hide. She hears the shudder of his breath. His eyes flick away for a moment; he pauses for a fraction too long.
‘No,’ he says. ‘You never lost me. I’ll always be here.’
She kisses him gently then, and feels his hand drift down the bones of her spine.
Later, showered and dressed, they finally appear in the kitchen; Will’s younger brother, Jamie, is already sitting at the table drinking coffee. Will and Fran are hardly able to stop touching each other.
Jamie smiles at them, raising an eyebrow. ‘You’re up late,’ he says. Fran feels herself blushing, her stomach flipping over, and turns away towards the toaster.
‘Thanks for last night,’ Jamie goes on. ‘I needed that.’ Recently separated from his wife, living apart from his children, Jamie is lonely. Last night wasn’t the first Saturday night he’d spent with them. Fran knows Will has been throwing himself into cheering his brother up. She doesn’t mind. Jamie makes Will smile and it’s good to see him smile again.
As Will and Jamie start talking about the cricket, she feels her husband’s hand on her thigh, the warm, solid sensation of him right there next to her. They have been given a second chance, and they have grabbed it with both hands. She isn’t naive enough to think everything is going to go back to the way it used to be, but she knows that they can move on; they can talk and heal together. They can take another chance on living, find a new kind of normal.
Will stretches, draining his coffee cup. ‘This weather isn’t going to let up is it?’ he says looking out of the window where the rain is rattling against the frames like beads in a jar. ‘I’m going to have to cancel the cricket.’ As captain of the village team it is up to him to reschedule this afternoon’s match. Fran is quietly delighted that the weather means she doesn’t have to spend her last afternoon with her husband before she goes away watching him play cricket. Will gets up and walks into his study, shutting the door behind him.
‘How are you feeling about tomorrow?’ Jamie asks.
‘Nervous,’ Fran replies. ‘It’s the first time I’ve been on a plane on my own, which is pathetic at my age, I know.’
‘It’s OK to be nervous.’
‘It’s the first time Will and I have been apart since …’ She trails off. Jamie knows what she’s talking about. ‘I’m worried about him too.’
Jamie smiles. ‘I’ll look after him,’ he says.
After a moment Jamie gets up and follows Will into his study. He doesn’t knock; he just opens the door and walks in. As Fran starts to clear the breakfast dishes she hears raised voices but can’t quite make out what they are saying. She rolls her eyes to herself. As an only child she has long since given up on understanding Will and Jamie’s relationship: best friends one minute, bickering the next. She just hopes Jamie doesn’t stay too long – she wants her husband to herself for the day.
Will
It rains all day, the sky grey and waterlogged and heavy with cloud. After Jamie leaves, Will pulls Fran towards him, his hands at the back of her head where her skull meets her neck, where her hair is cut so short.
‘No cricket,’ he says. ‘I’m all yours.’
She smiles, standing on tiptoe to kiss him.
‘Can we just watch a film or something?’ she says. ‘I’m tired and I have to pack for Spain later.’ His stomach drops at the thought of her going away. He wishes he’d never encouraged her to do it.
‘I’d forgotten about Spain,’ he says.
‘No you hadn’t. It’s the only thing we’ve talked about for ages.’
Will had watched Fran spend the last few weeks flipping back and forth between excitement and terror at the thought of going to Spain on her own. He knew she was strong enough to do it; he knew she was stronger than anyone realised. But he also knew that she wondered if she was ready. When she first mentioned Spain to him he had seen it as a perfect opportunity to help her begin to put herself back together again after what had been the worst year of both their lives. He tried to believe that everything life threw at him was an opportunity.
Fran had been teaching at a studio in central Cambridge for six years and had been asked to teach for a week on a retreat in Spain. Will had always supported her teaching, always tried to put her career on a level par with his own and had done everything he could to help her find the strength to go back to work in January. None of it had felt as though it was enough. None of it would make up for the last year, the things he had said, the things he had done. Suddenly he is terrified about being on his own. Neither of them have been alone for months.
‘What do you want to watch?’ he asks, squatting down in front of the TV.
‘Can we watch Some Like it Hot?’ Fran replies.
Will rolls his eyes. He must have seen it a hundred times, but puts it in the DVD player anyway and goes to settle himself on the sofa. ‘Come here,’ he says, and she sits with him, leaning back against his chest.
‘Are you OK about Spain?’ he asks quietly.
‘I think so,’ she says. ‘I’m nervous, but I’m excited as well.’
‘Elizabeth will be there with you, won’t she?’
‘Yes, and Constance. In fact, I already know most of the other people who are going. I’ll be fine.’ She pauses. ‘Are you going to be OK?’ she asks quietly.
‘I’m going to miss you,’ he says, lying back on the sofa, wrapping his arms around her. He doesn’t know how to answer the question. He wants to tell her everything but knows that now is not the right time.
‘I’m going to miss you too,’ she replies.
He kisses the top of her head as she presses ‘play’ on the remote control. He watches her as she watches her favourite film, her lips moving along with the characters – she still knows every word by heart. They used to spend rainy Sundays like this when they were younger, when life seemed easier.
Halfway through the film he realises that Fran is crying – fat, salty tears running down her cheeks.
‘Fran?’ he asks quietly, pressing pause on the remote.
Fran doesn’t reply, she just turns around and he takes her in his arms. He feels her body against his. She clings to him as though her life depends on it and he holds her close as she cries and cries. He can’t remember the last time he saw her cry like this. They had both done their grieving in private over the last year but to Will it feels as though Fran has been holding all this in for months, shutting herself down. He’s relieved that she finally seems ready to let go.
‘I want my old life back,’ she sobs. ‘I want to be happy again.’
‘So do I,’ Will whispers. ‘And we will, in time. I promise.’
‘I wish we’d never bought this house – we had so much hope.’
‘Shhh …’ Will says softly, stroking her hair as she weeps against him.
Cover Reveal – The Best Boomerville Hotel by Caroline James
Another cover reveal? Heck yeah!
Teaming up with Rachel’s Random Resources, I’m taking part in the cover reveal of The Best Boomerville Hotel by Caroline James!
The book is the first to be launched in the Ruby Fiction imprint by Choc-Lit, so this is super-exciting!
About the Book
Jo Docherty and Hattie Contaldo have a vision – a holiday retreat in the heart of the Lake District exclusively for guests of ‘a certain age’ wishing to stimulate both mind and body with new creative experiences. One hotel refurbishment later and the Best Boomerville Hotel is open for business!
Perhaps not surprisingly Boomerville attracts more than its fair share of eccentric clientele: there’s fun loving Sir Henry Mulberry and his brother Hugo; Lucinda Brown, an impoverished artist with more ego than talent; Andy Mack, a charming Porsche-driving James Bond lookalike, as well as Kate Simmons, a woman who made her fortune from an internet dating agency but still hasn’t found ‘the One’ herself.
With such an array of colourful individuals there’s bound to be laughs aplenty, but could there be tears and heartbreak too and will the residents get more than they bargained for at Boomerville?
The Cover
And now, the cover!
I love this cover. It’s so typically British, and for some reason, I’m reminded of some old cartoon bumper editions I had when I was a child. I’m so looking forward to reading this!
The Best Boomerville Hotel is available to purchase on Amazon UK, Kobo, iBooks, and iTunes.
About the Author
Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that features in her novels. She is based in the UK but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever she can. A public speaker, consultant and food writer, Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association and writes articles and short stories and contributes to many publications.
Her debut novel, Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me is set in North West England, at the time of a famous gypsy horse fair. The book went straight to number three on Amazon and was E-book of the Week in The Sun.
So, You Think You’re A Celebrity…Chef? was runner up the Winchester Writers festival for best TV Drama and takes a light-hearted look at the world of celebrity chefs as they battle it out for fame and fortune. Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean & Me was runner up at The Write Stuff, LBF, 2015 and is an Amazon best-seller and top recommended read by Thomson Holidays. Jungle Rock, a romcom novella set in Australia, revolves around a TV game show.
In her spare time, Caroline can be found trekking up a mountain or relaxing with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.
You can connect with her on Facebook, her Website, or send her a Tweet.
Stay tuned for my review of The Best Boomerville Hotel, which will take place during the blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources on the 14th March!
Wordsmiths – January 2018 – Bethany A. Jennings
Wordsmiths is a monthly post that interviews new and established authors, links to their media and published work, and best of all: excerpts!
January’s post is a little bit late because of the holidays (oh my gosh, can you believe we’re in 2018 already?!) Today I’m chatting to Bethany A. Jennings, author of the short stories, Threadbare and Dragon Lyric.
Let’s get started!
Hi Bethany,
Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview!
To start with, paint me a picture of your favourite writing space. What’s in it, what colours do you surround yourself with, and what would you change about it?
My favourite writing spot is my living room couch, followed closely by my bed (pecking out something intense on my phone after midnight, usually!), and I haven’t customized either of those spaces for writing, so I’ll describe my third favorite place—my desk. It sits in the family dining room, where the walls are a warm cream color and covered with maps and my children’s abstract paintings. I have fantasy art by Julia Busko around and on the desk itself, a stack of books, a rock salt lamp, and a very messy basket full of paperwork and odds and ends. If I could change anything about it, I’d have that desk inside a quiet room with purple walls (and a comfy chair instead of a folding chair!), but for now I make it work with what I have.
About You:
1. What is the first book that introduced you to the fantasy genre?
That’s hard to say because my mom read me SO many books growing up! It was my father, however, who introduced me to The Chronicles of Narnia, and read the whole series to me. While I doubt it was my very first foray into the fantasy genre, it was a memorable one! Another series that shaped my taste for fantasy early on was The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander.
2. Are you friends with other authors? How do they help you become a better writer?
I have several writer friends who are very close and dear to me. They inspire me with their ambition, broaden my taste with genres or book elements I might not normally read or consider, give me feedback on my writing, and cheer me on so I can push through discouragement and make progress.
3. If you could choose any language to write in, would you still choose English?
I don’t think I know enough about other languages to decide fairly! I probably would still write in English, though.
4. What would you give up in order to become a better writer?
Spending money. Hahaha. In all seriousness, though, investing in an author coach has been one of the best things for my career! My coach (Janeen Ippolito) has revolutionized the way I see my writing, pursue it, and market it. Another important investment has been going to an annual writing conference.
5. You’re a Christian fantasy writer, a combination that is sometimes viewed as a contradiction of beliefs. How does Christianity impact your fantasy stories, and how do you personally reconcile magic with belief?
Ooh, that’s a meaty question! My faith in Christ is foundational to my life, and although it may not be visible in all my stories, the underlying worldview always flows from that. I often work deep symbols into my stories, using my fantasy worlds as a metaphor for reality, mostly because that’s how my brain works—I create fantasy so I can understand and process the real world from new angles. When it comes to magic, I’ve approached it from a few different directions: in some stories it’s just science we don’t understand yet, and in some it’s a supernatural gift. Often it is both.
6. What is your favourite punctuation mark, or the one you inadvertently find yourself using the most?
The em dash! My precioussss…
7. If you had to list story elements in order of importance to you as a writer; from most to least, where would you place the following: plot, character, setting, conflict, resolution?
Character, resolution, conflict, plot, setting.
About Threadbare:
8. Threadbare is the first short story you published. How did publishing it change your writing process?
There is a thematic depth to Threadbare which, after publishing it, forever “spoiled” me—it made me realize I craved that depth, and I couldn’t honestly share a story with the world unless I knew there was a meaning and a purpose behind it, as I knew I had with Threadbare. So now a major part of my writing process is understanding the WHY behind a story, the reasons I’m writing it, and the purpose I have in sharing it with others. I value stories that are meant as pure entertainment, for sure, but as an author I feel compelled to ensure there is a piece of sincere truth from my heart in everything I publish.
9. The story is clearly part of a much bigger world. It opens with Bess fighting a battle with magic, but very quickly it’s revealed that she’s one of a few who use magic in a world similar to ours. Do you have plans to write more stories, or even a novel, based in this world?
Yes, I do hope to write more stories! I would love to write a series of them, each focusing on a specific member of Bess’s team, but the thought of writing a full-length novel has occurred to me too.
10. Threadbare is a lovely story of courage and hope. What inspired the idea of magic seen as threads?
Threadbare was born from a long personal struggle I endured with a “gift” of my own. I had to set aside a major project for a time (I didn’t know for how long, at the time), which was brutal. Doing so made me realize that the project and my goals for it had become unhealthily integral to my identity—without them, I didn’t even know who I was. While working through the pain of that struggle, unraveling layers and layers of faulty thought processes and loss and grief, I began to think of my trouble as “tangles” entrapping me. Every time I unraveled one tangle, it seemed, I’d find a worse one beneath. One day I had the thought, “What if there was a character who had literal tangles entrapping her?” And so Threadbare was born. Writing it was very cathartic, and became a part of my healing.
11. The cover for Threadbare is gorgeous. Who designed it, did you have any input on the creative process and how much of the design matches your original vision for it?
It matches my original vision almost perfectly! I made some mock-up covers of my own to serve as a rough idea, and then hired LoriAnn Weldon of Magpie Designs, Ltd. She took my ideas and recreated them as the beautiful cover Threadbare has now! I especially love what she did with the title text.
About Dragon Lyric:
12. Dragon Lyric was quite possibly one of the most unique short stories about dragons that I’ve ever read. What inspired it, and how long did it take you to write?
I actually typed up the first few pages one late night in 2014, and I was so disturbed by the darkness of the story that I tucked it into a folder in my computer, unfinished, and left it there for several years. In 2017, I was older and more prepared to handle the material, and showed it to some friends—who begged me to finish it. So it actually took me several years to complete. But the actual work of writing it only took a few days or weeks, combined; it’s just that the writing sessions were very far apart! As to what inspired it initially…I’m not actually sure! It was one of those “flash of lightning” inspirations. My running theory is that I felt “devoured” by my responsibilities at the time (I had just found out I was pregnant with my fourth child) and my subconscious created a cruel dragon out of the overwhelm I was feeling.
13. Like Threadbare, this story seems destined for more. Do you plan to write more about Theryn and her world?
This should probably be a secret, but…yes. 😉 I have actually already written a partial draft of a sequel! We shall see if it ever sees the light of day…
14. What did you edit out of this book?
Not much! It was very tightly written. However, I did rework the ending several times to hit all the emotional notes that I wanted.
15. Theryn is not a typical heroine of a romantic fantasy. Nor is Roth the typical hero. Reading the blurb, it seems the story may be destined for a happily ever after, but the ending was quite delightfully unexpected. Without giving too much away, why did you choose to go that route? Were you just trying to avoid clichés or is there a message you hope readers will take away from it?
I definitely hoped for readers to take away a message, or at least for the story to spark thought. Speaking as a Christian, I know that in the church there is often pressure for an abused wife to stay with her husband—despite the danger to her physical, mental, and spiritual health—and that grieves me. There are some situations where I believe taking Theryn’s course of action is necessary, and I wanted to show that in how I ended the story.
About Your Future:
16. What does literary success look like to you?
Being agented, with my novels published through a major publishing house and (let me dream big here!) developing fandoms of their own. J I would also like to continue self-publishing shorter works—so ultimately I’d like to be a hybrid author. But traditional publishing has always been my goal and will probably continue to be my “barometer” of success unless something drastic changes.
17. Do you think that as your readership grows, you may fall into the trap of changing your stories to give people what they want, or do you plan to avoid that?
I don’t think I would fall into that trap easily, because I have very strong feelings about what I feel called to write and pretty good self-awareness about what works for me. So I plan to avoid that!
18. If you could have a discussion with your future self, what would you remind her of that you think you’ll want to be important to you for your whole life?
You write for Christ your King—seek Him first, trust Him with your journey, and remember that being close with Him is a greater joy than any earthly success can give you.
19. If a significant person in your life were to give you one piece of advice about your plans for the future, who would it be, and what would you want to hear from them?
I would love to hear from any number of successful authors how they pursued their vision for a project through the difficulty of making it marketable and appealing to a broad swath of readers. And how to keep a balanced perspective on their own craft and calling.
20. Social media plays a big role in modern society. I know you have your own Facebook group, and you’re on Twitter. What would you most like to see developing from the platforms you use in the near future?
I would love to see my Twitter platform gain more prospective readers and continue to encourage authors through my hashtag game, #WIPjoy. And I would love to see my author Facebook group grow, and for members to be bold and share their thoughts about my books (or just their lives!) in it. I’d love for it to be a space of mutual enjoyment and nerdy fun.
Excerpt from Threadbare
A long sleep does nothing to help my magic. I wake, still exhausted, with a knot in my middle that rivals the one I saw in my hands the night before. The tiny windows of the safe house bedroom cast sunlight down on the concrete floor. The door is closed. It’s quiet— an oppressive kind of silence that beats on my ears, reminding me how alone I am. I sit on the edge of my bed, stiff and sore, wondering if the others have gone to the store or chased down another Drifter, leaving me here alone.
Useless.
Magic drifts around me, faint but appealing— a sensation that feels more like a taunt than an invitation right now. Its faint pressure tugs at me, prickling on my skin, begging me to interact with it.
Fighting the ache in my bones, I reach out and catch a wave. The mass reappears in my hands.
Trembling and gritting my teeth, I try again and again to disentangle it, but I can free only one tiny, glittering strand. I bury my face in the tingling threads, crushing them in my hands, and cry until my heart feels like it will tear in two.
I’m trapped. I can’t manipulate the waves anymore. I can’t continue my training. I couldn’t withstand the current, couldn’t hold my own threads steady.
I’m worthless.
The rattle of the doorknob and the creak of hinges are dim details on the edge of my awareness. Then Marshall sinks onto the squeaky mattress beside me, wrapping a wiry arm around my shoulders.
I turn and weep into the soft folds of my mentor’s flannel shirt, taking in the scent of pine dryer sheets and Cajun seasoning.
“I’m so sorry! I’ve put the whole team in danger. I’m no good for you all. I shouldn’t have tried to train with you. Why did I think I was ready for battle?”
He rubs gentle circles on my back until my agony fades to desolate sniffles on his sleeve.
“It’s a great loss, Bess,” he murmurs finally, “and there’s no shame in being sad about it.”
I smudge away my tears. “No, I’ll untangle it. I’m sure I can.”
“It’s pretty bad.” He’s quiet for a long moment. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but I’ve never heard of such a severe tangle unraveling.”
He falls silent, leaving me to piece it all together.
Everything in me fights back against the suggestion he’s planting. “I won’t let you cut my threads.”
He lets out a quiet sigh. “But either way, you’ll be free.”
“Free to do what? To be helpless and useless?” I push away from him, my throat constricting. “You leveled up to a blade when your threads were severed, but most people revert to Threadbare and their magic never comes back.”
“And they’ve gone on to live quiet, normal lives away from this conflict.” His voice is measured, cautious.
I picture living as a Threadbare: plugging away at a meaningless job, blind to the magical forces eroding my confidence and motivation, surrounded by others who are sapped of their strength and peace by enemies no one can see.
I tremble. “I don’t want that! I’m not a super magic warrior with extra special powers, like you are. This is all I have.” My voice breaks. “I have to untangle it.”
“Bess…” He tries to lay a hand on my arm, but I edge away. “I didn’t have special powers either. When my threads were severed, no one could’ve predicted I’d advance to a blade instead of losing my magic.”
“Like I said, you’re you.” I slide back against the wall and pull my knees up under my chin, fresh tears rolling down my face. “I’m nobody. I never belonged here to begin with. I’m nowhere near as gifted as the rest of you.”
Hardened ferocity comes into his face, and he stands, shaking a single finger at me. “Whatever you do, kid, I don’t ever want to hear you say you don’t belong here. I wanted to train you. You’ve apologized to me again and again for failing, but all I see is a girl who always gets back up.” He rests a hand on my shoulder for the briefest moment, then walks out, shutting the door behind him.
I sit on the bed, huddled against the wall, until the shadows lengthen and the sinking red sunbeams pierce my eyes. Anna raps on the door and calls me to dinner, but I ignore her. Over and over, I draw out my hideous mass of strands and tug and pull at the endless loops.
By the time darkness fills the room, the glowing ball has threads trailing out of it in all directions. It’s an improvement. At least it’s something. I picture Marshall summoning his blade and slicing my tender strands apart, and anxiety grips me. No; I will fix this, even if it takes years.
***
Threadbare is on sale on Amazon now!
Bethany’s short story, Dragon Lyric, can be found here.
Thanks so much for taking the time to spend with us today, and we look forward to what’s still to come!
Bethany A. Jennings is a science-fiction and fantasy author, a sandwich aficionado, and a chronic night owl. She is endlessly passionate about the power of speculative fiction to shape hearts and cultures and unveil hidden realities. Though worlds and stories are always dancing in her head, she is often found wrangling her younglings, running Twitter events, editing, and doing graphic design. Born in SoCal, Bethany now lives in southern New Hampshire with her husband, four kids, zero pets, and a large and growing collection of imaginary friends.
You can connect to her on her Facebook page, follow her on Twitter or Instagram, or reach her on her website.
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If you are a wordsmith (whether you’ve been published, self-published, or are in the process of publishing), and you’d like to be featured on our blog, please let me know in the comments, or by sending an email to chasingdreamspublishing(at)gmail(dot)com
Cover Reveal – The Magic of Stars by Jackie Ladbury
I’m so thrilled to once again be teaming up with Rachel’s Random Resources, to take part in the cover reveal of The Magic of Stars by Jackie Ladbury!
I love cover reveals, because it truly feels like the goal of getting a book published has finally been achieved when that cover is finalised and set free to wow readers. It gives me warm fuzzy feelings all over.
About the Book
Sapphire Montrose always felt like a loser in the struggle of life, but when she becomes the airline manager of a run-down airline she starts to believe she is a winner – until she unwittingly propositions her new boss and all her hard work is undone.
In a moment of recklessness air stewardess, Sapphire Montrose throws caution and her dress to the wind by propositioning a handsome stranger in a hotel in Florence, only to find herself waking up alone and embarrassed in her hotel room.
Unfortunately for Sapphire, it turns out that her new boss, Marco Cavarelli, is the man she failed to seduce and she is now fighting for her job and her self-respect when he tells her there is no place in his revamped airline for an alcoholic woman with lascivious tendencies. To make matters worse she is increasingly attracted to him and he seems to be giving out the same vibes. Or is he simply testing her? One wrong move could be the end of her career. But what if he really is offering love – and is he worth the risk?
The Cover
And now without any further ado: the cover!
Isn’t it gorgeous? I love the mystical feel of the shadowed building offset against the romantic fantasy of the starlit sky.
The Magic of Stars is available to purchase on Amazon UK.
About the Author
Jackie Ladbury was desperate to become a journalist when she left school but was ousted within minutes on the day of the exam at her local rag because she’d forgotten to bring a pen.
Short and sharp lesson learned.
Her budding writing career was not on hold for long, though, as Jackie found herself scribbling love stories of pilots and ‘hosties’ while she flew in aeroplanes of various shapes and sizes as a flight attendant herself.
Fast forward a good few years and, after being short-listed in a couple of prestigious romantic writing competitions, Jackie decided it was time to discard her stilettos, say goodbye to the skies and concentrate on writing romantic novels, where the only given is a guaranteed ‘happy ever after.’
You can connect with her on Facebook, her Website, on The Write Romantics or send her a Tweet.
Stay tuned for my review of the Magic of Stars, which will take place during the blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources on the 4th Feb!
Cover Reveal – Song of Leira – Gillian Bronte Adams
I’m so pleased to be taking part in Gillian Bronte Adams’ cover reveal for Song of Leira, Book Three of the Songkeeper Chronicles!
The book releases June 5th, 2018 and is available for preorder here.
And here is the gorgeous cover (excuse me while I swoon):
THE SONG BIDS HER RISE TO BATTLE
Reeling from her disastrous foray into the Pit, Birdie, the young Songkeeper, retreats into the mountains. But in the war-torn north, kneeling on bloodstained battlefields to sing the souls of the dying to rest, her resolve to accept her calling is strengthened. Such evil cannot go unchallenged.
Torn between oaths to protect the Underground runners and to rescue his friend from the slave camps, Ky Huntyr enlists Birdie’s aid. Their mission to free the captives unravels the horrifying thread connecting the legendary spring, Artair’s sword, and the slave camps. But the Takhran’s schemes are already in motion. Powerful singers have arisen to lead his army—singers who can shake the earth and master the sea—and monsters rampage across the land.
As Leira falters on the verge of defeat, the Song bids her rise to battle, and the Songkeeper must answer.
Books 1 and 2 in the Songkeeper Chronicles can be found on the author’s website.
I’m definitely adding this to my TBR pile.
Wordsmiths – December 2017 – John Cordial
I’m so excited because today I’m introducing a new feature – Wordsmiths– a monthly post that interviews new and established authors, links to their media and published work, and best of all: excerpts!
Today, we get to chat to John Cordial, author of the Glass Fate series, which you may have heard me raving about here. He also gives an excerpt from Tybalt Perdition, which you don’t want to miss!
So let’s jump straight in!
Hi John,
Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview!
I’d like to start with a little something different today. If you had to give readers a photo of everything important in your life at this moment, what would be in the shot?
Hello! My laptop and cat, right now. I’ve got a tablet and phone too, but that’s about it. I live spartan.
About You:
- What is the first book that made you cry?
The first I remember was the Fires of Merlin by T.A. Barron. No spoilers or anything, but not everyone makes it to the end. Also just a few weeks later, I read Sandman: The Kindly Ones and that hit pretty hard. I’m sure books before this made me cry, I’m… easy with my emotions, but those are the ones that really wrecked me for days.
- Are you friends with other authors? How do they help you become a better writer?
Oh yes, quite a few on Twitter. I’ve learned so much from them, through conversations, beta-reading, blog posts, and just random support when I needed it pretty badly.
- Tell me about the first time you realised that language has power?
I don’t remember exactly when, I was young and reading the Boxcar children series and was just totally enthralled. Five or six, I think, it was the first series I really liked. Took me a few years to realize the full scope of my linguistic love liaison, though.
- What would you give up in order to become a better writer?
Uhm, quite a bit. I’m pretty much dead set on being the best and everything else will have to hold a bit.
- How did your childhood (or misspent youth) prepare you for being a writer?
I read a lot. Not much else I did, besides playing with action figures and stuff. Everyone else just liked to play war or whatever, but I built some pretty complex story-lines. Spiderman betraying GI Joe and all that jazz. Why yes, I was a weird kid, why do you ask?
- What is your favourite punctuation mark, or the one you inadvertently find yourself using the most?
Ellipses. My characters love them in dialogue, and they sound natural, people pause for just a second or two and trail off for the right sentence or word a lot. I edit them out a lot of the time.
- If you had to list story elements in order of importance to you as a writer; from most to least, where would you place the following: plot, character, setting, conflict, resolution?
Character, conflict, plot, resolution, and setting. Character’s drive the story, conflict keeps readers invested, but the plot does have to be decent, people like good resolution, and setting is there. I don’t do much with setting or description, just what I need to… probably a little less, really, but I hope my wit and characters make up for that.
About Crane. Wife: A Cyberpunk Tale:
- Crane.Wife is the first novella you published. How did publishing it change your writing process?
Hmm, so far that’s a little hard to say. Not so much, besides I’m getting more comfortable as an author… I still smile pretty hard when I think about being an author now. We’ll see as I edit a full project, I guess. That’s where the real magic weaves into my stories.
- The story opens with Kadence; an injured soldier, dealing drugs to make a few extra bucks, but it quickly becomes clear that he’s not a bad guy. What is it about this situation that reflects in your own life experience?
Nothing really all that personal, the scene is more about situations. Kadence is on the edge of broke and physically broken, but he wants to give his wife the world. The pills they give him are worth real money and they give him a lot, which is partially social commentary too. We have a similar issues today, I was just displaying some reality…
People do what it takes, especially if they’re out of options. Even good people. It’s the symptom of a depressed society and if pills are free and can feed your family, the pill trade will boom. Especially with them pushing excessive pills on people just to keep them quiet, which is rarer, but alluded to in the story too.
- The novella is full of emotional ups and downs. What was the hardest scene for you to write?
Spoilers, but I was wrecked for days afterward. Still have trouble rereading it.
- The names you used for the characters are quite unusual. How did you select them, and do they have any special significance to you?
Again, spoilers, but a few of them do add something to the story. I can say Amias and Opie are both male names for lady characters, I like to do that. Also Kadence is more a lady’s name and just pretty. I like pretty names.
About Tybalt Perdition:
- This novella is Book 0 in the Glass Fate I would almost say it’s set up as the prologue of what’s to come in the rest of the series. Why did you decide to publish it first?
Because it is a prologue. Stuff you learn in chapter one affects the last book and jazz like that. I might not be a planner, but I got a trick or two in store.
- Do you want each book to stand on its own, regardless of which one a reader picks up; or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Glass Fate won’t really stand alone, especially in later books. Sorry, you’ll just have to start at the beginning, friends. My cyberpunk stories will. Clearly you should read them all though and everything I write.
- What did you edit out of this book?
A snack scene, Caldyr takes a package of Fig Halleys to bed with her for some quality brooding before bed. Also some jokes about chili dogs and a much longer opening that includes Caldyr going to war against some people. (That last bit is coming later.)
- The Glass Fate series carries a lot of mythology in it. Where did you go for your research, and will you share an interesting fact that you left out of the books with us?
All over. Most of it is just from reading when I was younger. Some is online research. Just read a lot and make your own judgement calls for how deep you want to go. I’d recommend at least two or three sources though, if the original isn’t available/in dead language.
Tyr! He’s my favorite god and he led the Aesir, the Norse gods, before he lost a hand to his own pet Fenrir. Shows up later, but in the original idea he had Safkhet’s place. He’s the bee’s knees.
About Your Future:
- What does literary success look like to you?
When they start paying me in gold bars instead of cash… do they do that? No, lol. Uhm, I seriously think just for me it’s having money to go where I want and to be respected for my writing. I want to travel and write more, so that’s success to me.
- Do you think that as your readership grows, you may fall into the trap of changing your story to give people what they want, or do you plan to avoid that?
No, I’m pretty independent and I make my own choices, part of the reason for my indie-ness. Also I’m a weirdo and not all that into the whole traditional scene. People will get what I give them and it’s probably going to have candy, strong ladies, and crime. No other promises.
- If you could have a discussion with your future self, what would you remind him of that you think you’ll want to be important to you for your whole life?
I tweeted when I got five followers. That. I’m not famous yet, by a long shot, but I always want to remember where I started and the hands that pulled me up from nothing.
- If a significant person in your life were to give you one piece of advice about your plans for the future, what would you want to hear from them?
Can I ask for a review? Just if I did good on the stories, nothing really specific I’d ask her.
- Social media plays a big role in modern society. What would you most like to see developing from the platforms you use in the near future?
Smell-o-tweet? Nah, trolling on that would be… horrific. Jesus H. Crackers, that’d be terrible. Uhm, can I take a mulligan? I don’t know what I’d like to see really…
Oops, nope, edit button on Twitter. I’m a terrible typist.
Excerpt from Tybalt Perdition – Glass Fate Book 0
The Court Clerk, Athena today, sat behind a counter. Safkhet, an Egyptian goddess and an old war buddy, leaned against a pillar nearby. Both wore sunglasses, to protect against the odd glare from a jewel or shiny bit of metal.
Judging by the bored faces the goddesses were discussing their respective menfolk.
“Katana were just one weapon,” Athena snapped.
Or maybe not.
“Knights could absolutely take down samurai,” Safkhet insisted. “They’re not even in the same weight class. Don’t be silly.”
Athena chuckled. “Silly. Right. Coming from someone in leopard print shoes, that’s cute. But, seriously, samurai had the advantage with speed and skill with the bow. Armor don’t mean much to a sharpshooter.”
“Afternoon, ladies,” Reynardine interrupted.
“Not interested,” they said in unison, barely glancing his way.
“That is low. Have I ever ever hit on both of you at the same time? In this courthouse? On a Tuesday?”
“We’d have to check the records, General.” Athena smiled wearily. “But yes, a few times. You here to pay your weekly fines?”
“Fair enough then. And no, I avoided any rule breaking or tomfoolery since last week. I’m a walking no fun zone.”
“Avoided getting caught, at least.” Safkhet pushed him and the touch lingered a second longer than either cared for.
‘Specially today. Reynardine shook his head and smiled at Athena.
“Did you need something else, General?” Athena asked. She called her laptop from thin air and started it up.
“You ladies got everything I could ever need,” Reynardine said and tossed out a trademark wink hidden by the heavy protective eyewear. “But, yeah, I do. I’m quitting and I need some forms, I think. Probably a tax or some kind of fee, eh? Governments always love their fees.”
A cricket couldn’t cut the all consuming silence. Reynardine expected the planet exploding would’ve been like the brush of silk against velvet.
Without a word, Safkhet slapped him hard enough to launch his glasses into a far wall. The world vibrated with agony.
Athena’s lips moved, but no sound cut through the pain. Safkhet responded sharply, and was gone in a puff of smoke.
Reynardine rubbed the stinging cheek. Noise took it’s own sweet time returning to the shiny world. “Wow, Sarsaparilla’s not happy with me.”
Athena shook her head and—probably—rolled her eyes behind the sunglasses. “She hates that nickname and she really isn’t a fan of friends getting suicidal, either. You’re not the brightest fox.”
Reynardine didn’t consider himself a slouch, but he took the bait. “How so?”
The goddess called his smashed glasses from the floor. A hard click of power and she forced them backwards through time until they were whole once more. “You do know you’ll be mortal right?”
“I was going for a Myth, again.” Reynardine laughed. “I’m something of a fan of not dying.”
Athena flinched and shook her head. “What you wanted doesn’t matter. We don’t make you a Myth, we just pull out the god’s blood and drop you on Earth.”
Reynardine stepped back as if Athena got slap-happy too. “Como se va?”
“We just take out the ichor, we can’t make you a Myth. Isengrim will kill you, if any of your other enemies aren’t quicker.” She pushed the sunglasses into Reynardine’s limp hand.
He looked around, good eye scanning the world for a bit of hope to latch onto. “But what do I do?”
“‘Do’? Nothing. Once you’re a mortal, we can’t help you. I don’t think anyone can. Even I can’t see a way out of your tangled ass web.”
“What if I pull a trick or something? Do a little tap dance? For old times sake?”
Athena’s focus fluttered to her paperwork, then her computer, and finally settled on the Fox himself. “It’s gotta be legit, Reynardine. Not just for old times sake, you’ve really got to impress some people—gods would be best. If it really becomes a Myth, a proper story to tell, then one of us can give it life and gift you with Mythhood. Although I don’t know why you’d prefer that to godhood.”
The Fox didn’t feel like drowning the moment in details and Athena would never understand the appeal of a simpler life. She just wasn’t built that way. “I’m pretty certain that the other gods do not like me, very much, at all.”
“Reynardine, I’m one of your closest friends. You led well, better than well, you saved the cause. Me personally, twice. Almost everyone I know considers you a great general, you’re a really clever guy. But some days I’d shiv you myself, if I could get away with it. As a person, you’re… abrasive, at best.”
“No, I’m a fox,” Reynardine mumbled, eye lost in thought. “Just a dumb fox.”
***
Tybalt Perdition is on sale on Amazon now!
John’s Cyberpunk novella, Crane.Wife can be found here.
Thanks so much for taking the time to spend with us today, and we look forward to what’s still to come!
Thanks for having me!
John Cordial lives in California with a cranky cat. He writes dark, weird tales of all types. Follow him on Twitter, or connect with him on his blog.
If you are a wordsmith (whether you’ve been published, self-published, or are in the process of publishing), and you’d like to be featured on our blog, please let me know in the comments, or by sending an email to chasingdreamspublishing(at)gmail(dot)com
Chasing Dreams Publishing 