Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Keys to Being a Successful Author
Keys to Being a Successful Author
By S.E. Smith
I recently gave a presentation at the Romancing the
Capital Convention in Ottawa, Canada that helped to re-enforce what it takes to
be a successful author. The Keys to being a Successful Author are a little more
in-depth than what I’ll be posting in this blog, but they are the essential
foundation to being a successful writer. I’ve had many people ask me what I did
to be successful. Hard work, research, learning, some really great stories, and luck some more are
just a few things that helped me be where I am. Most authors would tell you
they are already doing this! But, it also takes a few additional strategies to
become successful. I’m not going to go into great detail, but I will share what
I told those who attended my workshop what I believe are the Keys to being a
Successful Author.
Stories Ideas are unique and should be! I'm not in the business to tell other people how to write their stories, just that if they do make sure they grab the readers attention. You want to make sure that you are writing in a genre that shows your passion for it. It will come through in your writing. You also need to make sure that your characters, good, bad, or ugly, fit the story and balance each other. Finally, if you are writing a series, start out simple. You do not have to build the entire world in the first book. Whatever rules you put in place need to make sense down the road. Build your worlds slowly, let them grow with your characters.
Write a great story that captures your audience's attention. You need to balance your scenes, descriptions, dialogue, and characters to do that. There is a fine line of giving too much or not enough. I recommend listening to your story being read back to you (you can use the speak command in the Tools if you are using Microsoft Word to do this). It will help you pick up flow issues, too much/not enough information, stilted dialogue, and more.
Use trusted Beta Readers to help you. They love to read and they do it very, very well. They will let you know if something doesn't make sense or if you have 'holes' in your story. The key is to trust them, listen to them, and appreciate their experience as a reader.
This is the business end of being a writer. You are the publishing company. Think smart, look at advertisements on TV, in the papers, in magazines, and think 'How can I do that?' You'll begin to immediately identify different companies branding. You need to think of branding yourself and your books! Also, remember that this is an ongoing experiment. Even the big companies don't have all the marketing answers. That is why they are constantly changing their ads.
Think long term when you start writing. Just like you hopefully don't plan to write one book, it will take time to build your reader base. Slow and steady, using organic growth, is the best way to build and retain your reader base. This is the group that falls in love with you, your characters, and your stories.
Use Social Media! Yes, in this day and age, this is the best way to get your books out their. Look at your own list of 'friends'. Now, multiply that list by having ten other people who 'Like' you. They like your books, your stories, your characters and they are talking about it to all their 'friends' who enjoy the same time of books. Slow and steady is a very good thing.
Remember, I didn't go over everything I presented, but just a few of the basics. Look at your set up as an author and compare it to what I have written on this few slides. If you ask me how I have become successful, here it is. Keeping it simple helps to keep it manageable. There are a lot of sub-categories for each of these and I went into more detail, but if you review your own structure you will see the foundation of what it takes to be a successful author. It takes a lot of hard work, research, learning, some really great stories, and just a bit of luck.
Part of my branding is in my book covers, in my name, how I do my business cards, even down to the colors I use.
About
S. E. Smith
S. E. Smith is a multi-listed New
York Times, USA TODAY and #1 International Amazon Bestselling
author who has always been a romantic and a dreamer. A prolific writer, she has
spent years writing, although it has usually been technical papers for college.
Now, she spends her days and weekends writing and her nights dreaming up new
stories. She enjoys camping and traveling when she is not out on a date with
her favorite romantic guy.
Look for Viper's Defiant Mate: Sarafin Warriors Book 2 coming the end of May 2015.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Do you Believe?
Science. Expanding our frontiers.
As both a scientist and a nerd, I firmly believe that science will solve most of our current problems.
But I also think, it creates unique ones as well.
Take Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). I can see the good in manipulating the code of plants and animals to make them more resistant to disease, to give us higher crop yields, to improve the nutritional value of the crop to eliminate disease in humans. Those are all good, admirable things.
However, scientists know that if one species has an advantage over another, the later species must find a way to adapt and sometimes steal that advantage by pilfering the genetic code. Think antibiotic resistant bacteria.
As both a reader and a writer, I love to explore mostly the down side of technology. And yet I also use technology and science to solve the problems too.
In my upcoming release, I take some pretty scary information on GMOs to create an apocalyptic scenario.
As both a scientist and a nerd, I firmly believe that science will solve most of our current problems.
But I also think, it creates unique ones as well.
Take Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). I can see the good in manipulating the code of plants and animals to make them more resistant to disease, to give us higher crop yields, to improve the nutritional value of the crop to eliminate disease in humans. Those are all good, admirable things.
However, scientists know that if one species has an advantage over another, the later species must find a way to adapt and sometimes steal that advantage by pilfering the genetic code. Think antibiotic resistant bacteria.
As both a reader and a writer, I love to explore mostly the down side of technology. And yet I also use technology and science to solve the problems too.
In my upcoming release, I take some pretty scary information on GMOs to create an apocalyptic scenario.
Hadean: Threshold of Extinction
Our food isn’t killing us; it’s changing us—turning us into killers.
For decades scientists have used viruses and bacteria to insert rogue genetic code into our food. Now human DNA is mutating. Switches are being flipped. Some will commit suicide; others will become homicidal maniacs.
One family.
A mother in the custody battle of her life.
A college graduate whose experiment foreshadows a grisly future
A teen whose final exam won’t be in English but in survival
Separated by miles.
Desperate to reunite.
When all hell breaks loose, every block is a gauntlet.
In the end, isn't the job of good science fiction to question the status quo?
Monday, April 13, 2015
Interview with Vijaya Schartz (part 2)
How old were you when you finished your first novel? Is that novel published today?
I started a nonfiction book in my twenties but never finished it. Only after I settled down from my travels to write seriously for publication did I start and finish my first novel. Crusader was a labor of love. It took me two years to write it and two more years to polish it to publishable standards. Meanwhile, I was writing the second book, Checkmate. I was in my forties, and yes, that first novel was published eventually, after I wrote three more books and published the fourth book I wrote.
WHITE TIGER, my first novel published with Desert Breeze, Initially stood alone. When DBP offered to republish it after its first publisher closed down their doors and I had the rights back, I rewrote it. It became the first novel of a new series, the CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK.
Are you a full-out plotter? Are you a "let's see what happens" pantser? Or do you think you fall somewhere in between? Describe your process in coming up with and executing a story idea.
Like every fiction writer, I started as a pantser, following the whim of the characters, not knowing where the story would lead me. It's a very enjoyable process and a valid technique for literary fiction... but only if you have all the time in the world to go back and delete half the book then rewrite it, every time you realize you went in a wrong direction or wrote your characters into a corner. If I only have four to six months to write a novel, I cannot afford to go back and rewrite it fifteen times, like I did on my first book. I brainstorm to learn who my characters are, the main plot and the main twists, as well as how it will end. I also brainstorm about the setting, what is likely to happen in that environment, what the dangers are, what the political intrigues, the surrounding conflicts and the action might be. Then I write an outline of about fifteen pages, where each scene has a paragraph. During the writing process, my mind still explores other possibilities, and often I get better ideas and interesting details for the plot and the characters, so I modify my outline accordingly as I write. My main plot line, however, usually remains the same, although nothing is definite until the final draft goes to the editor.
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Is it dreams? Things you see on television or in movies. Books? People you meet?
The sources of my inspiration are many. Sometimes it's a dream, a fleeting idea crossing my mind as I talk with friends, watch a show or read a book. Sometimes a publisher will ask me to write a story in a multi-author series, like in the DBP novellas set on the Borealis space station (BLACK DRAGON - AKIRA'S CHOICE). I work well with specific constraints. Give me a world, a backdrop, and I'll come up with a story and characters that will fit it perfectly. Other times, it starts with a concept, a legend, or a "what if?"
The Chronicles of Kassouk series started with "What if a group of humans crashed on an unknown cold planet, lost their technology, then evolved again from scratch in their new environment. What would their society look like after a few hundred years?" Of course, this is super-simplified. If you read NOAH'S ARK, you'll realize the human ship in question was on a mission to seed a new planet with life, that its motley crew concealed many dangerous secrets on this one-way no-questions-ask voyage, and that their accidental crash was anything but an accident. Each book in the series is also a complete romantic story.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Music For the Sci-Fi Romance Fan
"Modern Folk Music At Its Most Hauntingly Beautiful"
If you need a soundtrack to your science fiction romance reads, check out the dulcet tunes of L.A band SCI-FI ROMANCE.
Based in Los Angeles, the band is singer-songwriter Vance Kotrla, as well as a group of collaborators including Jody Stark (cello), Kurt Bloom (drums), Mr. Mike (drums, art), Johnnie Kotrla (bass), and other wonderful people. The band’s debut album, …and surrender my body to the flames, was released in 2010, and followed up in 2012 by the concept album The Ghost of John Henry. Their most recent release is the EP October, based on classic horror movies and recorded on an old analogue cassette machine.
"Sci-Fi Romance plays folk music. When we’re loud, we’re good and damn loud. When we’re quiet, we’re trying to break your heart."
Sci-Fi Romance is one of my favorite bands. You have got to hear that gorgeous cello. So check them out and listen to them while you read your favorite sci-fi romance novels!
Friday, March 20, 2015
What Kind Of Sci-fi Reader Are You?
Many bookstores still shelve sci-fi and fantasy together, a practice that causes most Sci-Fi readers to fume and mutter while they scan the shelves for something new to read. Who can seriously believe that the works of Tolkien and Asimov have anything in common? At Dog-Eared Pages, one of the first things I did was to separate them. However, after three years of helping readers find new authors, I believe the science fiction section could be divided even further.
I could be wrong, although I rarely am. (Just don't ask my
hubby.) There have been no studies or experiments to back up my theory, but I
believe there are different reasons why people read the genre. While all sci-fi
lovers share the common expectation that the advancements and achievements in
technology are paramount and the science behind them needs to be accurate and
believable, I think there are two distinct types of readers. I call them
trekkies and warriors. I have successfully used this method, for the past seven
years, to help guide my customers in their search to find new books to enjoy.
Trekkies, of course, enjoy reading the series Star Trek.
They read to learn the philosophy of the future. I have found they also savor
Asimov's Foundation series, Herbert's Dune series, Orwell's 1984
and Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. It's not so much about
the advanced technology, but the more subtle and profound thoughts these books
force their readers to tackle. Trekkies love to read about the possible futures
of mankind, both good and bad. They relish the politics, belief systems and
schools of thought about the future.
Trekkies often ponder and anguish over which direction we are headed for now.
Warriors, are a completely different breed. They devour the Star
Wars series. They're usually drawn to authors such as Cherryh, Bova, Card,
and Clarke. Warriors read for adventure. Warriors want their battles complete
with lasers swords swashing and titanium helms buckling. They root for the good
guys and see themselves in the midst of the action. Above all, they crave a
great adventure story.
Before I released my newest novel, Pangaea, I had to
figure out its genre so people would know what type of book it was, and so
bookstores would know where to shelve it. Pangaea's blend of magic and science
mad this tougher than I thought it would be. With no wizards or dragons, it
wasn't high fantasy and fans of Tolkien and Butcher would be disappointed.
Although I was leaning toward a Trekkie type of sci-fi, I knew if I claimed it
as such, Ringworld fans would have my head.
After watching me pace and grumble for an hour or so, my
hubby asked, “Why not call it Utopian Fantasy?”
“Because that's not a real genre.” I answered, still
pounding my head against my desk in despair.
“But that's what Pangaea is: your fantasy of a
utopian society. Make a new genre.”
“Hmmm. That's true.” I typed the words on the cover and
liked what I saw. 'Utopian Fantasy'. My readers would at least have an inkling
of what Pangaea was about. And thus a new genre was born.
Are you a Trekkie or a Warrior? Or do you think there should
be a third category? A fourth? Do you believe my theory lacks substance and
should be shoved into the theory disposal unit? I'd be interested to hear your
thoughts. I'm still considering whether to break my sci-fi section down into
these two categories, and would love to hear from some hard-core sci-fi
readers.
After this, I realized Fantasy needed subcategories, too.
How many? Which ones? I'll be busy shelving and reshelving books forever. It's
all good.
Portions of this article were previously published in
Connotations Sci-fi Magazine.
Anna Questerly is the author of The Minstrel's Tale
and manager of Dog-Eared Pages bookstore in North Phoenix. Anna can be reached
at www.annaquesterly.com or www.dogearedpagesusedbooks.com or through Facebook as either Anna Questerly
or Dog-Eared Pages. Of course, if you're in Phoenix, please be sure to stop in. I'd love to meet you.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
New Release—Syn-En Pillar World
Admiral Beijing York and his cyborgs are losing the war. With the Founders conquering world after world, desperate measures are called for. Preparing to make the ultimate sacrifice, he and his wife, Nell Stafford, set out on a mission that could turn the tide of battle.
Instead they are captured by the Meek, a race of tremendous power and ability, willing to join their cause. Is this new ally an answered prayer or a deal with the Devil?
Monday, March 16, 2015
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR VIJAYA SCHARTZ
Why do you write?
I cannot imagine not writing. Writing is my drug, and I'm definitely addicted. Even if I read the thousands of books in my kindle, it would not fill the void of writing deprivation. I've been writing all my life. At an early age (five or six) I wrote poems, then I wrote in my diary and enjoyed crafting long letters. I also kept journals of my vacations. It gave me an outlet for my frustrations as a teenager. At the time I discovered mystery novels and thought of writing one, but life quickly became too exciting and hectic, as I left my home in France to travel the world and spend time in exotic lands like India. Still, I kept journals. When I finally settled down in Arizona, I started writing the stories running amok in my head. I believe a true writer cannot live without writing. It's a crucial necessity. When I write I forget the time, I forget to eat or sleep or bathe. My cat has an internal clock and jumps on the keyboard to remind me that I'm late for her favorite tuna treat, or it's dark out, and time to go to bed.
Do you work any reality from your own life into your novels? If so, do you change it to make it more or less dramatic? How and why?
They say, write about what you know. I often raid my memory banks to enhance a scene. My travels provide exotic settings for the backdrop of my stories. I recall strong emotions of love, loss or frustration to flesh out my characters. I believe the more a writer has experienced, the more depth he/she can give to fictitious characters. Occasionally, I feature someone I used to know as a character in a novel, but it takes some distance in space and time to look at people objectively. I also make sure I change names, places, and circumstances. If it's a hero, I enhance that person's good qualities, if it's a villain, I push his/her vices and weaknesses to the extreme.
I cannot imagine not writing. Writing is my drug, and I'm definitely addicted. Even if I read the thousands of books in my kindle, it would not fill the void of writing deprivation. I've been writing all my life. At an early age (five or six) I wrote poems, then I wrote in my diary and enjoyed crafting long letters. I also kept journals of my vacations. It gave me an outlet for my frustrations as a teenager. At the time I discovered mystery novels and thought of writing one, but life quickly became too exciting and hectic, as I left my home in France to travel the world and spend time in exotic lands like India. Still, I kept journals. When I finally settled down in Arizona, I started writing the stories running amok in my head. I believe a true writer cannot live without writing. It's a crucial necessity. When I write I forget the time, I forget to eat or sleep or bathe. My cat has an internal clock and jumps on the keyboard to remind me that I'm late for her favorite tuna treat, or it's dark out, and time to go to bed.
Do you work any reality from your own life into your novels? If so, do you change it to make it more or less dramatic? How and why?
They say, write about what you know. I often raid my memory banks to enhance a scene. My travels provide exotic settings for the backdrop of my stories. I recall strong emotions of love, loss or frustration to flesh out my characters. I believe the more a writer has experienced, the more depth he/she can give to fictitious characters. Occasionally, I feature someone I used to know as a character in a novel, but it takes some distance in space and time to look at people objectively. I also make sure I change names, places, and circumstances. If it's a hero, I enhance that person's good qualities, if it's a villain, I push his/her vices and weaknesses to the extreme.
How did you choose the genre you write in? Or did it choose you? Tell us why you love writing in whatever genre you consider your favorite.
I write in many genres, because I write the books I would want to read. In my youth I loved reading Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert (Dune), so my favorite genre is science fiction, but being from Europe, I also love romance and medieval times. I managed to blend all three in WHITE TIGER and in the subsequent novels of the CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK series, where a human medieval society struggles for freedom against galactic races of advanced aliens. Of course, this human society evolved in slightly different ways, away from Earth, that's why they keep large felines as pets and train them for battle... White Tiger is my heroine's warrior name as she learned to fight with tigers. The felines in this series make for stunning covers, thanks to the talented DBP cover artist Jenifer Ranieri.
Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
AMAZON - B&N - SMASHWORDS - ARE
Friday, March 13, 2015
Is it Sci-Fi or Magic?
The differences between science-fiction and outright magic is open for discussion. According to TV Tropes (one of the BEST resources for writers), blending the two becomes something called Sci-Fi Fantasy:
"Robots and wizards, spaceships and dragons, lasers and fireballs. Mix these ingredients in your cyber-witch's boiling pot of dark matter, and you've got yourself Science Fantasy.
Science Fiction and Fantasy stories can be difficult to tell apart under normal circumstances, as all but the very hardest sci-fi introduces some hypothetical technology that one has to take on faith, like FTL Travel or Humanoid Aliens. And at the other end of the scale, even High Fantasy works have consistency requirements like Magic A Is Magic A, which can blur the line into Sufficiently Analyzed Magic.
Science Fantasy works, on the other hand, take traditional Fantasy and Science Fiction tropes and throw them in a blender, purposely creating a setting that has the feel of both. Expect to see a lot of classic Fantasy tropes (e.g. warriors with swords, dragons, wizards, castles, and elves) and a lot of standard Science Fiction tropes (e.g. spaceships, aliens, lasers, scientists, robots, and Time Travel)."
Since Time Travel fits neatly into this trope, grab a copy of my Time Travel Romance Kiss Me, I'm Irish just in time for St. Patrick's Day. It will be .99 (reg. $2.99) Saturday through Tuesday the 17th.
BOOK ONE in the TENNESSEE WALTZ SERIES.
Emily Musgrave is heading a direction she never wanted to go in Regency England--namely a convent to turn her from her waywardness. But it's more loneliness than rebellion that motivates her to escape her certain fate.
Liam Jackson is going nowhere fast in modern-day Tennessee. Playing his Dobro in seedy bars and backward dives along with his fiddling sister, Tinker, is doing nothing for his music career--and even less for the dark places in his soul.
Pixie mischief can not only change time-lines, it can change hearts. Because sometimes a girl just needs a little magic in her life.
Emily Musgrave is heading a direction she never wanted to go in Regency England--namely a convent to turn her from her waywardness. But it's more loneliness than rebellion that motivates her to escape her certain fate.
Liam Jackson is going nowhere fast in modern-day Tennessee. Playing his Dobro in seedy bars and backward dives along with his fiddling sister, Tinker, is doing nothing for his music career--and even less for the dark places in his soul.
Pixie mischief can not only change time-lines, it can change hearts. Because sometimes a girl just needs a little magic in her life.
So, decide whether Kiss Me, I'm Irish is sci-fi, magic, or sci-fi fantasy as you tip your hat to St Patrick this year.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
DO YOU BELIEVE IN LEPRECHAUNS?
A few years ago my parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Since the gift for 60 is a diamond, I found a glass diamond-shaped paperweight and gave it to them as a gag gift.
The paperweight inspired me to write my short St Patrick's day romance LUCKY'S LEPRECHAUN.
A Holiday in Council Falls Short Story
7,000 Words
Only 99 Cents!
Lucky no longer believes in wishes, hope or dreams. Cheated by his bookkeeper and his ex-girlfriend, he's resigned himself to losing everything.
Twenty-five years ago curiosity about a small human trapped Diamond, a leprechaun, inside a crystal paperweight. Now she has one day left to grant Lucky his final wish or perish.
Can a chance meeting between a little boy and a leprechaun result in love?
Sadly, my father passed away earlier this month, so my parents won't be able to celebrate 63 years of marriage, but their love will live on.
A Holiday in Council Falls Short Story
7,000 Words
Only 99 Cents!
Lucky no longer believes in wishes, hope or dreams. Cheated by his bookkeeper and his ex-girlfriend, he's resigned himself to losing everything.
Twenty-five years ago curiosity about a small human trapped Diamond, a leprechaun, inside a crystal paperweight. Now she has one day left to grant Lucky his final wish or perish.
Can a chance meeting between a little boy and a leprechaun result in love?
R.I.P. Dad.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
The Problem with Goals
I have come to accept that I'm a bit lazy. I set writing goals for myself then kinda let them slid because there's other things I'd like to do. If I'm ever going to switch from my day job as a chemist to a full-time writer, I'm going to need to discipline myself and set some goals.
I love my Syn-En series, but I understand that right now, it's not going to pay my bills. Still I have some die-hard fans who keep after me to write the next book.
And for them, I spent the last 7 days writing nearly 200 pages to finish the book and get it to the editor.
Which leads me to my problem, I know I can write fast, but I don't want to have to mainline caffeine for every book. I want to write at a slow and steady pace, treating it like a job that it will one day be.
But I'm not quite certain how to do that.
I have an attitude toward goal setting. It's kinda like housework, you finish and you have to do it again.
I've been blessed with creativity and scads of ideas for books. Books that I want to write, but that isn't getting my butt in the chair and my fingers on the keyboard. I'm not exactly a slacker. I did write 8 books last year. But this year I want to write 10-12 works (including 3 short stories).
I can't withold things, because I can learn to do without what I don't have.
I've tried treating myself to something but that doesn't work well because sometimes I'll decide the thing just isn't worth having.
What I need is motivation.
The problem is I don't know where to find it so that I keep to a writing schedule. My only motivation is to write a book better than the last, to learn something new, and do my best.
None of those things go toward word count.
I would like to say that if I kept to a schedule for 3 months it would become a habit. I've proven time and again that isn't so.
So I'm asking for advice. What do you to get your bottom in the chair and write?
I love my Syn-En series, but I understand that right now, it's not going to pay my bills. Still I have some die-hard fans who keep after me to write the next book.
And for them, I spent the last 7 days writing nearly 200 pages to finish the book and get it to the editor.
But I'm not quite certain how to do that.
I have an attitude toward goal setting. It's kinda like housework, you finish and you have to do it again.
I've been blessed with creativity and scads of ideas for books. Books that I want to write, but that isn't getting my butt in the chair and my fingers on the keyboard. I'm not exactly a slacker. I did write 8 books last year. But this year I want to write 10-12 works (including 3 short stories).
I can't withold things, because I can learn to do without what I don't have.
I've tried treating myself to something but that doesn't work well because sometimes I'll decide the thing just isn't worth having.
What I need is motivation.
The problem is I don't know where to find it so that I keep to a writing schedule. My only motivation is to write a book better than the last, to learn something new, and do my best.
None of those things go toward word count.
I would like to say that if I kept to a schedule for 3 months it would become a habit. I've proven time and again that isn't so.
So I'm asking for advice. What do you to get your bottom in the chair and write?
Monday, February 16, 2015
My Felines are not Furries - by Vijaya Schartz
It came to my attention that because of the gorgeous covers with feline heads for the Chronicles of Kassouk sci-fi romance series, some readers assumed my characters were either shape shifters, or partly human, intelligent beasts, known in the sci-fi communities as furries. Not so. Talking lions who walk on two legs and behave as people are not my style. I pride myself in writing believable stories. Besides, I write romance, and all my romantic characters are human, sometimes with a little alien blood, but always human-looking and compatible.
As it happens, Desert Breeze, who publishes the series, doesn't use people front and center on their covers, not even for romance. These covers were designed by the talented Jenifer Ranieri, an award-winning book cover designer whose work has been recognized in many places.
So, what is it about the cat covers?
I do love cats, obviously. I have a few of my own. And large felines are an integral part of the world of Kassouk, but they are secondary characters. Especially when writing romance, I prefer to deal with human emotions and human bodies. I sometimes have a few human-like compatible species as well. But if the hero and heroine are going to be romantically involved, and be happy ever after and start a family, they better be physically compatible.
The animals depicted on the award-winning covers are actual felines featured in the story. In this series, my human protagonists are warriors who take the name of a cat as their warrior name. Often they also have a matching feline as a pet or as a fighting companion.
For instance in Book Two, Red Leopard is the warrior name of Terek, a human warrior of Kassouk. His companion and loyal friend is a fighting leopard named Rascal. White Tiger is the nickname of the heroine in Book One, because she learned to fight among white tigers and uses their fighting technique. Blue Lioness is the warrior name of the heroine in Book Four, and her lioness companion is Hellion. In Black Jaguar the warrior of the same name owns a jaguar named Diablo. In Noah's Ark, because it's the prequel and the large felines have not yet proliferated on that planet, the cats are just big farm cats, rat hunters brought by the settlers. In this novel, the hero, Kostas, makes a friend of a fat yellow cat with long hair he names Viking.
But the felines are not just for the beauty of the covers. They take part in the story, as animals. Rascal, in Red Leopard, is especially brave, and even won an award as the best animal character in a book for 2010.
But the felines are not just for the beauty of the covers. They take part in the story, as animals. Rascal, in Red Leopard, is especially brave, and even won an award as the best animal character in a book for 2010.
HAPPY READING!
Vijaya Schartz
http://www.vijayaschartz.com AMAZON - B&N - ARe - SMASHWORDS - KOBO - ITUNES
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Science Fiction Romance: Making It Work
Science Fiction Romance: Making It Work
By S. E. Smith
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Opening February 17th is Ristéard's Unwilling Empress: Lords of Kassis Book 4. This action packed adventure will take you to the stars and make you want to be there. Why, because the wonderful thing about writing Science Fiction Romance is that anything goes. SFR is no longer just for the technical geek, it is for men and women who love stories filled with action/adventure, suspense, and more.
I have always had a fascination with the stars. It seemed natural that I would gravitate to writing them. For any story to work, it must contain one key element. That elements is: It must be believable no matter how unbelievable it might appear to be in real life. There are other factors that go into writing a story, but I'm going to concentrate on this one because without it, the story just won't work.
In all my stories, I make my characters real. You feel what they feel, live what they are going through, and fall in love with them as they overcome all the challenges they face. I don't write about wimpy women or men who are afraid to learn and feel. I definitely don't write about heroes/heroines being TSTL (too stupid to live). I write about men and women who have feelings. They laugh, they cry, and they love. Characters that could be you, a member of your family, or the guy/gal next door. They are not perfect and don't want to be.
They are also in situations you can see happening in real life and react accordingly. If they fall down, they get hurt. If they feel pain, it is okay for them to cry. And if life gets a little overwhelming, it is okay to throw the mother of all temper tantrums. Because in the end, they get up, brush themselves off and do what needs to be done. Sound familiar? It should, because you, me, and everyone else has had days like that. They just may not have been on a spaceship or another planet. The thing is, it is real and a real reaction, so you believe in it.
For a story to draw readers in, they need to be able to relate to the characters and the story. When you can relate, you can believe. That is what makes a story pop. I can make you believe in blue men, lizards that love, or that there are species out there that can shift into a dragon and have a symbiot as a part of who they are. I can make you cry for an overgrown frog named Frogget who would give his life to protect the human girl he calls a friend, and I can make you see the wonders of a circus as if for the first time. Because I make them real.
So, don't be afraid to pick up a Science Fiction Romance book and live the action/adventure, suspense, humor, tears, and love. Enter a world that takes you away and makes you feel like you are there so that the next time you look up at the stars, you see them just a tiny bit different and wonder... could it be true?
About S. E. Smith
S. E. Smith is a New
York Times, USA TODAY and #1 International Amazon Bestselling
author who has always been a romantic and a dreamer. A prolific writer, she spent years writing, although it has usually been technical papers for college.
Now, she spends her days and weekends writing and her nights dreaming up new
stories. She enjoys camping and traveling when she is not out on a date
with her favorite romantic guy.
You can also take a
look at additional books and sign up for my newsletter at http://sesmithfl.com to hear about my latest releases or
keep in touch using the following links:
Website: http://sesmithfl.com
Newsletter: http://sesmithfl.com/?s=newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/se.smith.5
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sesmithfl
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sesmithfl/
Additional
Books by S. E. Smith
Paranormal and
Science Fiction short stories and novellas
For the Love of Tia (Dragon
Lords of Valdier Book 4.1)
A Dragonlings’ Easter (Dragonlings
of Valdier Book 1.1)
A Dragonlings’ Haunted Halloween (Dragonlings of Valdier Book 1.2)
A Warrior’s Heart (Marastin Dow
Warriors Book 1.1) ***FREE on Amazon, Smashwords,
BN, iBooks, and other sites.
Rescuing Mattie (Lords of Kassis:
Book 3.1)
Science
Fiction/Paranormal Novels
Tink’s Neverland (Cosmo’s Gateway: Book 1)
Hannah’s Warrior (Cosmos’ Gateway: Book 2)
Tansy’s Titan (Cosmos’ Gateway: Book 3)
Cosmos’ Promise (Cosmos’ Gateway: Book 4)
Ha’ven’s Song (Curizan Warrior: Book 1)
Abducting Abby (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 1)
Capturing Cara (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 2)
Tracking Trisha (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 3)
Ambushing Ariel (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 4)
Cornering Carmen (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 5)
Paul’s Pursuit (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 6)
Twin
Dragons (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 7)
River’s Run (Lords of Kassis: Book 1)
Star’s Storm (Lords of Kassis: Book 2)
Jo’s Journey (Lords of Kassis: Book 3)
Ristéard’s Unwilling Empress (Lords of Kassis: Book 4)
Touch of Frost (Magic, New Mexico Book 1)
Choosing Riley (Sarafin Warriors: Book 1)
Hunter’s Claim (The Alliance: Book 1)
Razor’s Traitorous Heart (The Alliance: Book 2)
Gracie’s Touch (Zion Warriors: Book 1)
Krac’s Firebrand (Zion Warriors: Book 2)
Paranormal and Time Travel Novels
Indiana Wild (Spirit Pass: Book 1)
Lily’s Cowboys (Heaven Sent: Book 1)
Touching Rune (Heaven Sent: Book 2)
Excerpts of S. E.
Smith Books
If you would like to read more S.
E. Smith stories, she recommends Abducting
Abby, the first in her Dragon Lords of Valdier Series
Or if you prefer a Paranormal or Time Travel with a twist,
you can check out Lily’s
Cowboys or Indiana
Wild...
Friday, January 23, 2015
The Downside of Sci-fi
Happy Friday, my Sci-fi friends!
I love reading and watching science fiction. The dreams and
ambitions of humanity continue to amaze me with each new book I devour. I want to
live in Star Trek world, exploring
new frontiers. I want to have transporters, replicators, and holodecks. I want
“Earl Grey, hot.”
The technology we have today, from smartphones, smartcars,
and smarthouses is only beginning. Had I never read Orwell’s 1984, I could remain almost blissfully
unaware or indifferent to Big Brother (and little brothers) collecting data on every aspect of my
life. I could leave my location services turned on and fearlessly use Apple
Pay.
But I can’t. Orwell ruined me.
Soon 3D printers will be as common as microwaves in our
homes. We’ll be able to print out doodads and thingamajigs, and even dinner. Yes,
3D printed food is coming. How cool will it be to make intricate desserts, fancy
hors d’oeuvres, and homemade ravioli at the touch of a button?
Because of Harry Harrison and Richard Fleischer, I’ll never
know.
Extruded food.
From tubes.
Who do they think they’re kidding?
I’ve seen Soylent
Green.
For those of you still brave enough to peek into possible
futures, I invite you to read my new Utopian Fantasy, Pangaea, written as A.J. Questerly. Available for sale 1/24/2015 (By the way, the Kindle version is on sale for 99 cents January 24th and 25th so grab it this weekend!)
If you’d like to connect, I’ll be on Twitter
(@AnnaQuesterly), Facebook (Anna Questerly Author), and my website/blog www.annaquesterly.com.I'd love to give you a complimentary ebook of one of my short stories, email me at annaquesterly@gmail.com and request
to be added to my monthly newsletter, and I'll send it right out. Let me know in your email if you’d prefer
me to send The Book People or The Scribe’s Dilemma as your free gift.
(By signing up for my newsletter, you’ll receive early
notice of new releases, sales, giveaways, author interviews and all kinds of
fun stuff. I don’t spam and only send out newsletters twice a month. You can also
rest assured, I will NEVER share your information.)
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Meeting up with Old Friends
You see, in this series we follow the main couple though all the adventures and toss in a little romance with the secondary characters to boot, so that's good. But I want my hero and heroine to be happy.
Which makes for a pretty boring book:(
Because books are all about the conflict and how that strife is the forge in which are characters are shaped and grow.
Oh boy have I tortured my characters. My human female Nell has become less human, and my cyborg Admiral has become more.
But now, it's war.
And you know what they say, all's fair in love and war.
But I don't want to hurt Bei or Nell. Partly because some of my fans will kill me, but also because they've earned their happily ever after. So I find myself sitting down and saying, no, don't do that. That's mean. Leave them alone. Ah, man. That's just not right.
But that makes a story. One that people will want to read. One that people will cheer and root for the characters to triumph over.
I'll admit it was an unexpected problem to encounter. But I too must overcome my fear of conflict. Especially as we have 3 more books to go before I can truly give them their HEA. Now I just have to find that happy distance so their conflict isn't the kind that is annoying.
Wish me luck!
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