My Indie Experience (So Far...) by Elle Bright

copyright 2013, Elle Bright

I am a new, independently published author. My first book, FALL OF DARKNESS, was released in e-book format via Kindle Direct Publishing earlier this month. The paperback will be available in the near future on Amazon and Createspace, as well as other distributors. I am often asked why I chose independent publishing over traditional. Though I remain unsure whether it was the right decision for me, there were several reasons why I pursued the independent route.

First, I wanted complete control over my book. It’s my story and I wanted to tell it my way, without interference from a third party. I wanted to break the rules and take chances. Second, my other writing friends were doing it, with remarkable results. They made it sound so easy. Well, I’ve learned a thing or two since then. Third, honestly, I was terrified of rejection. I’d heard the horror stories regarding the pursuit of a traditional publisher and I wanted no part of it. I thought I could buffer myself against the pain of rejection, if I put my work out there for the right audience to find it. Little did I know, the greatest challenge would be actually getting people to read it.

So, what do I know now that I wish I’d known then? The answer is, a lot. First off, independent publishing sounds easy. Go ahead and write a book, load it up, and send it out to the waiting masses. Yeah, right. If only it worked that way.  Here in the real world, self publishing is a lot of work. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. As with exercise, if it’s not hard, you’re probably not doing it right.

First off, formatting is a beast. I still haven’t mastered the format for the digital copy of my first e-book. There’s a steep learning curve, but there’s also a wonderful support system in the online forums. I will conquer the e-book. Once you’ve managed the e-book format, you have to create a separate one for the physical copy. Gutters are my worst nightmare. Even if you follow the instructions given, you will probably go through several proofs before your book is print-ready. Sure, you can pay someone else to format it for you, but most of us who are just starting out don’t have the budget.

I really enjoyed creating my cover. I have a basic knowledge of Photoshop and already had a specific design in mind. What I didn’t enjoy was the constant revamping and tweaking that followed. A word of advice, just because it looks gorgeous on your screen, doesn’t mean it will look good everywhere else. Color and light vary from screen to screen and can appear totally different in print. Get a physical copy before you publish.

Editing is one of the challenges that most writers tend to underestimate. I know I did. I have read my book so many times that I’m sick of it. I have edited and edited the thing to death. Yet, when I handed it over to my reviewers, it was still far from perfect. I made another round of edits based on their feedback, but my copy editor friend still found several corrections. All too often, we put our work out there without giving it proper review. Polish your words until they shine, then get more eyes to look at them. Readers often lose patience with a poorly edited story.

Marketing is another major hurdle for independent authors. I assumed that if I wrote a good story, people would find it and buy it. Little did I know, marketing requires quite a bit of time and effort. I used to consider Facebook a guilty pleasure and a major waste of time, now I consider it the marketing time vortex. I can sit in front of my computer for hours, interacting with readers and other writers, all the while promoting my work. There are so many amazing people in the writing community. I have reaped many benefits from the virtual support system and the wealth of knowledge out there. My marketing plan is still in progress, but I have noticed one particularly useful tool. Bloggers.

Make friends with bloggers who follow your genre. Guest posts, reviews, and promos on multiple blogs help to spread your reach over a larger readership, granting more exposure. Provide your bloggers with advanced reader copies (ARC’s) in exchange for honest reviews. It’s a great way to get your name out there. Reviews sell books. The more objective reviews you have, the more desirable your book will appear. Personally, I selected people I didn’t know to read and review my ARC’s, because I feared my family and friends might struggle with remaining objective. I feel this lends more credibility to my reviews. Words can’t express how amazing it feels to hear back from a perfect stranger who loved your work. They have no reason to sugar-coat it, so their praise is all the more valuable.

The independent publishing route is not for everyone. There are those who have found success, but many have not. I’m anxious to see which direction my writing takes. Regardless, I am proud to have my work out there. I have held a book that I wrote in my hands. I’ve basked in the warmth of glowing reviews. For me, there is no greater reward. Best of luck and warm regards.

- Elle Bright

Born and raised in Utah, Elle has since moved around with her husband's military career. She currently lives in San Diego, CA with her husband, three children, and their part human border collie.

She received her BSN from Grand Canyon University in Arizona. As a practicing Registered Nurse, she specializes in Pediatrics, Neonatal Intensive Care, and Emergency Medicine. When not working, writing, or parenting, she enjoys reading, running, singing, dancing, traveling, shopping, photography, Zumba, and digital scrapbooking. She is a proud member of the Romance Writers of America.

http://ellebright.webs.com/

http://ellebrightwrites.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elle-Bright-Author/399211590194895?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/Elle_Bright

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18139273-fall-of-darkness

Buy Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Darkness-The-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00DSGY8B0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374004376&sr=8-1&keywords=fall+of+darkness

https://www.createspace.com/4307595

Four Reasons Why Reading Is My Best Summer Escape, by Dora Machada

Okay, folks! Today's the day to help rocket our talented author friend Dora Machado to the top of the charts! If you were considering buying The Curse Giver, come over and click on the left sidebar here to get your eBook version. It has just gone on sale for $3.99!

Four Reasons Why Reading Is My Best Summer Escape

By

Dora Machado

1) Reading is stress free: There are no traffic hassles, rigid schedules, cars packed to the brim, siblings breathing each other’s air in the back seat, kids asking "Are we there yet?", long lines, crowded attractions, heat waves, summer storms, lost tourists, packed hotels, stagnant pools and stale all-you-can eat buffets. You also get to avoid the long check-in lines at the congested airports, the intrusive security screens, the late planes, the sullen flight attendants and the psycho pilots. It’s just you and your book.

2) Reading is safe: You don’t need helmets, kneepads, safety glasses, spare paddles, lifejackets, lifelines, first-aid kits, mole skin, tetanus shots, oxygen tanks, water purification tablets, safety harnesses, emergency beacons, medivac insurance, shark repellent or bear spray. Seriously, I’ve owned, worn or used all of these at some point in my vacations. In hindsight, I don't know what the heck I was thinking. Your risks of contracting the Norovirus, the Hantavirus or the SARS Coronavirus are dramatically reduced when you stay home. Same goes for Malaria, Yellow Fever and Dengue. The way I see it, I don't need a GPS to locate my favorite reading corner. My cats double as wildlife without the need for a high-end Swarovski scope. And I’m a lot less likely to activate my SPOT (personal satellite emergency tracker) while parked on the couch.

3) Reading is exciting: Experience adrenaline’s thrill without suffering the consequences for your actions. It’s like distance trekking in Spain without the blisters or Colorado mountain biking minus the Rockies’ steep hills. Expeditions, explorations, adventure, intrigue, mystery, hardship, elation, failure, redemption, lust, love, high-stake gambles: You get to live through it all without losing your camera, sunglasses, wallet or ATM card. Yep, I’ve lost of all those. To top it all, you get to dangle at the cliffhanger without breaking any bones or dramatically increasing your chances for developing some serious osteoarthritis down the line.

4) Best of all, reading is the greatest bargain around: A bunch of great books are free on Kindle and Nook. Libraries also offer great variety at no cost. You can get a great read for $0.99. The Curse Giver, my latest novel, is out on e-book, and all of the Stonewiser novels are on sale this summer. Digital or print, a book is the season’s most fashionable accessory. Compared with overpriced airline fares, luggage fees, unpredictable gas prices, seedy hotel rooms and unexpected hospitality taxes, reading is the best deal out there and by far my favorite summer escape.

***

 Click on the image to buy the book at Amazon.com!

Dora Machado is the award winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, available from Twilight Times Books July 2013. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She lives in Florida with her husband and three very opinionated cats. To learn more about Dora Machado and her novels, visit her website at www.doramachado.com or contact her at Dora@doramachado.com.  

Subscribe to her blog at http://www.doramachado.com/blog/ sign up for her at newsletter at http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php, Facebook and Twitter.

For a free excerpt of The Curse Giver, visit  http://twilighttimesbooks.com/TheCurseGiver_ch1.html.

The Story Behind THE CURSE GIVER by Dora Machado

Hi, folks. 

As I mentioned Friday, we are going to feature several articles by the very talented Dora Machado, whose new Twilight Times Book, The Curse Giver, is being released today. Here's the second piece. 

If the story intrigues you, we encourage you to download it on Wednesday, the 17th, as part of our support for Ms. Machado! 

Please help me welcome her back to Murderby4 today! Welcome, back Dora!

Aaron Lazar

www.lazarbooks.com

The Story Behind The Curse Giver

By

Dora Machado

The Curse Giver was an accident, a professional indiscretion, if you will, conceived during one of my little escapades, and born out of unchecked passion. Yep, I might as well come clean. Even the most disciplined writer can be unfaithful to her projects, and no matter how thoroughly taken one is with one's current novel, the danger for a tangent is always there when venturing into the world of research.

So there I was, researching one book, working hard to finalize the Stonewiser series, when I came across this insidious concept that kept disrupting my train of thought.

Now, to understand the story behind The Curse Giver, you must understand me and my writing habits. I'm not easily distracted. When I'm writing a novel, my brain goes into hyper mode. I'm disciplined, motivated and focused to the point of obsession, which is why The Curse Giver was such a surprise to me.

The subject of curses has always fascinated me, not only because curses are such a vital part of magic and fantasy, but also because they are so prevalent to the human experience. To be honest, I had always been intrigued by the subject, but didn't delve into it, until one very late night—or was it very early morning?—when the wind rattled my window as a coastal storm blew in from the sea.

The clay tablets that popped up on my screen dated from 600 BC and were part of the library of Nineveh, also known as the library of Ashurbanipal, the oldest surviving library of cuneiform tablets. This is the same collection that gave us the famous Gilgamesh epic. Visually, the tablets weren't much to look at, chicken scratches on clay. But the translated words had an impact on me.

"May all these [gods] curse him with a curse that cannot be relieved, terrible and merciless, as long as he lives, may they let his name, his seed, be carried off from the land, may they put his flesh in a dog’s mouth.”

I know, hardly an inspiration for most. Me? I immediately thought of the man who had been thus cursed, of the pain and hardship such curse would bring upon him and his people, of the character that eventually became Bren, Lord of Laonia in The Curse Giver.

From there on, the curses flowed before my eyes, mysterious ones from ancient civilizations in Egypt, India and the Far East; thin lead tablets dating from the Greco-Roman world, judicial prayers, secret invocations, warnings and love spells that streamed into my consciousness. I knew I should get back to my original research, and yet I was smitten with the subject.

There were curses quoted from the Bible, medieval curses, real and forgeries, Viking, Celtic, Germanic, Visigoth, Mayan, Incan, Hopi, you name it. There were ancient curses but also modern curses, some associated with Santeria, voodoo and the 21 Divisions, religions that are common in the Dominican Republic where I grew up.

Who would cast these curses and why? What kind of creature could be capable of such powers? What would motivate a person to curse another one? As I explored these questions, a character profile began to emerge in my mind, someone whose understanding of good and evil was very different from my own.

Sorting through the research, I could see that some curses had practical applications to make sure people did what they were told. They served as alternate forms of law enforcement in lawless societies. Some were obviously malicious. They were meant to frighten and intimidate. Some were more like venting or wishful thinking. It turns out that mankind has been casting curses since the beginning of time and will probably continue for as long as we have the imagination and faith to do so.

A new question formed in my mind. Once cursed, what could a person do to defend himself? A third character emerged from this question, Lusielle, a common remedy mixer, a healer of hearts and bodies, someone who didn't realize the scope of her own power until it began to transform her life.

Eventually, I wrestled myself out of the trance. I had a book to write and a series to complete. I had deadlines. But my little detour had made an impact. The concepts were at work in my subconscious, coalescing into a new novel, fashioning these powerful characters who demanded their own story. My encounter with curses had been but a slight detour from my research plan, a tiny deviation, an indiscretion to my schedule, but the seed had been planted and The Curse Giver thrived, even if I didn't know it yet.

 ***

Dora Machado is the award-winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, available from Twilight Times Books, July 2013. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She lives in Florida with her husband and three very opinionated cats. To learn more about Dora Machado and her novels, visit her website at www.doramachado.com or contact her at Dora@doramachado.com. 

You can subscribe to her blog at http://www.doramachado.com/blog/, sign up for her newsletter at http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter. For a free excerpt of The Curse Giver, go to  http://twilighttimesbooks.com/TheCurseGiver_ch1.html.

How Fantasy Meets Reality and Reality Enhances Fantasy, by Dora Machado

Hi, folks. 

I hope this finds you all well! As part of a book blast coming up next week, we are going to feature several articles by the very talented Dora Machado, whose new Twilight Times Book, The Curse Giver, is being released on July 15th. We'd love to encourage you to download it on Wednesday, the 17th, as part of our support for Ms. Machado.  

Please help me welcome her back to Murderby4 today! Welcome, Dora!

- Aaron Lazar

www.lazarbooks.com

How Fantasy Meets Reality and Reality Enhances Fantasy, by Dora Machado

copyright 2013, Dora Machado

           

Fantasy is a subversive genre, requiring the mind to bend and the imagination to flex. I love the genre's creative freedom, the opportunity to rethink, redesign and reinterpret the human experience in fresh and diverse settings, and the mysteries that magic brings to the human equation. But above all, I love realism in fantasy—the idea that even the most powerful magic is grounded to our sense of self, fueled by the choices we make, and rooted in the people we are. To me, a dose of gritty realism authenticates a story, validates my characters, and makes my worlds "real."

This is exactly what I've tried to do in my books, and my latest novel, The Curse Giver from Twilight Times Books, is no exception. The Curse Giver is about an innocent healer named Lusielle, who is betrayed and condemned to die for a crime she didn't commit. When she's about to be executed, Lusielle is rescued from the pyre by an embittered lord, doomed by a mysterious curse. You might think that Bren, Lord of Laonia, is Lusielle's savior, but he isn't. On the contrary, Bren is pledged to kill Lusielle himself, because her murder is his people's only chance at salvation. Stalked by intrigue and confounded by forbidden passion, predator and prey must band together to defeat not only the vile curse obliterating their lives, but also the curse giver who has already conjured their ends.

                                   

I know what you're thinking: How can a classic fantasy like The Curse Giver bring a sense of realism to the reader?

           

I can think of many ways, but I'll limit my discussion here to three very specific ways in which reality enhances a fantasy story.

First, the quickest and most effective way of establishing a link between fantasy and reality is by connecting the story's main themes to humanity's enduring themes. The Curse Giver, for example, is inspired by our ancient, deeply rooted belief in the power of curses. You can find curses in every culture on earth. It's one of those concepts that transcends background and ethnicity and binds us to our common original ancestors. It's primordial to the human experience.

           

The curse that inspired me to write The Curse Giver was a tangible object, ancient words inscribed on clay tablets dating back to 600 BC, a desperate attempt at protection, a warning and a promise of punishment. Curses are familiar to all of us and whether we believe in them or not, they are an intriguing part of our history, an irresistible taunt, a "real" mystery that none of us can resist. I think that realism filters up through the story from the inspiration source. We can anchor our fantasy worlds to reality by connecting them to our history and beliefs.

           

In more concrete ways, reality betters fantasy when it comes through pure and simple in the details. Settings provide great opportunities for realism. For example, The Curse Giver's river-centered world is inspired by the great American waterways: the Colorado River, which I have rafted often; the Mississippi River, which I've had the opportunity to explore; and the Amazon River, which has always intrigued me. Setting and landscapes offer some great opportunities for realism in fantasy and so does geography, especially when the details are vivid, concrete and deeply woven into the heart of the story.

           

But ultimately, real characters make real worlds. Realism achieves its maximum expression through the human experience as characters tackle the story. For example, in The Curse Giver, Bren, the Lord of Laonia, is a warrior. To be real, the concrete details associated with his trade have to be right. Research is fundamental. I relied on medieval primary sources to make Bren real. From his weapons to his fighting moves, to how he thinks to how he acts—

everything about him has to be consistent and make sense, even if he exists in a fantasy world.

           

The same is true about my heroine, Lusielle. By trade, she is a remedy mixer, an ancient occupation to the human experience. I spent a lot of time researching medieval medicine, herbalism and the use of ingredients for healing in human history. Lusielle's potions and ingredients—the concrete elements of her practice—make her more real to the reader, more credible and therefore more compelling as a character.

           

Realism is important even when tackling the villainous and the mysterious. The curse giver stalking Bren and Lusielle wields some potent magic. But is magic really the defining element that makes the curse giver powerful? Evil as the curse giver is, as the story develops, the reader has to ask the hard questions: What's this creature's real nature? What is her motivation? What is the "real" source of her power?

I won't spoil the story's twists just to make a point, but trust me: Fantasy explores some very "real" themes, such as the tenuous boundaries between love and hate, virtue and vice, magic and belief, justice and revenge. These questions, which are at the heart of any good and complex plot, also contribute to realism in fantasy.

           

But beyond the details, what makes these characters real is their willingness to make choices, fail, cope, learn, adapt and change; to establish emotional connections and engage in each other's quests; to suffer loss, grief and love, just like we do in the real world.  Magic is a powerful element in fantasy. No doubt about it. And yet ultimately, what matters most is the strength within. Because in the end, realism in fantasy is all about connecting with the powerful reality of our own humanity.

*** 

Dora Machado is the award-winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, available from Twilight Times Books, July 2013. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She lives in Florida with her husband and three very opinionated cats. To learn more about Dora Machado and her novels, visit her website at www.doramachado.com or contact her at Dora@doramachado.com. For a free excerpt of The Curse Giver, visit  http://twilighttimesbooks.com/TheCurseGiver_ch1.html.

 

Subscribe to her blog at http://www.doramachado.com/blog/, sign up for her at newsletter at http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php,

Facebook and Twitter.

Write Yourself a Bad Review, by KM Weiland

Hi, folks!

Please help me welcome the acclaimed KM Weiland to Murderby4. In addition to mentoring authors and producing a number of books (see below), she's also written a delightful article that I am absolutely positive our authors will enjoy!

Best wishes to all, 

--Aaron 

www.lazarbooks.com

 

Write Yourself a Bad Review

copyright 2013, KM Weiland

We all hate the critic in our heads. You know the one—talks with a nasal British accent, uses words like “deluded numbskull” and “insufferable incompetent,” and never fails to announce that your latest story is tripe. This critic of ours never seems to have a good word to say and is always running us down. So, naturally, we try to block him out as much as possible. But what if we were to actually give him permission to speak every now and then? What if his grumblings and mumblings had something of benefit to offer us?

Think about it. We’re used to gritting out teeth, shutting out the soul-battering harangues of our infernal internal editor, and writing the best stories we can. Then we send our poor shivering darlings out into the world to face something even worse than our inner critics (cue thunder and scary music duhn-duhn-duh-DUH)—the outer critics of critique partners, agents, editors, and, perhaps worst of all, readers.

How much better would it have been had we listened to our inner critic’s helpful, if admittedly snarky, advice before we submitted ourselves to the censure of the writing world at large? One of the best and easiest ways to harness the inner critic’s laser-like perception of your writing’s weak points is to write yourself a bad review. Why would you want submit yourself to that kind of depressing degradation? Quite simply, because as painful as it may be, acknowledging your faults is the best way to overcome them.

So sit yourself down at your computer, pretend you’ve just read your story for the first time, put on your best nasally British accent, and start writing your review from the perspective of someone who noticed your story’s every single flaw.

• Have fun with it. Since you have to face your faults, you might as well do it with aplomb. Turn up the snob level, write hyperbolically, and just generally give yourself permission to make this onerous assignment as snarky and witty as possible.
• Be instinctive. Your inner story sense knows more about what’s wrong with your writing than your conscious brain does. In your first pass over the story, don’t think too hard about what you’re writing. If something bugs you—even if you’re not quite sure why—write it down.
• Be specific. Once you’ve got your instinctive list of problems out of the way, go back and flesh them out. Where you wrote “weak plot,” dig a little deeper to identify why it’s weak. The more specific you are, the better your chances of understanding how to fix the problem.
• Be thorough. Review the entire plot. Analyze every character. Skim through the manuscript, page by page, to make certain you’re remembering everything that’s wrong with the story. This is where your ruthless side needs to take the lead. Don’t let yourself get away with so much as a single weak chapter ending.
• Analyze objectively. Once you’ve finished your snarky, snobby, nitpicking review, go back over it with an objective eye. Make certain everything you’ve written down really is a problem—and not just an overreaction from that part of you that wants to believe nothing you write is any good. Depending on how hard you usually are on yourself and how objective you are about your failings, you may want to take a couple days to recover before looking over the list.
• Create a plan of action. Finally, and most importantly, decide what you’re going to do to fix all these problems. If your critic’s disparagements were legion, try dividing them into categories: plot, characters, pacing, etc. Then make a chronological list if everything that needs fixing—and what you can do to improve them.

Writing a bad review can be rough business. But don’t let it dampen your self-esteem. Use it as a building block to face your writing weaknesses and rise above your mistakes. Then, after you’ve finished your rewrite, give a try to writing the “perfect” review.
——————————————————————

K.M. Weiland is the author of the historical western A Man Called Outlaw and the medieval epic Behold the Dawn. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, her book Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success, and her instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.

About these ads

Character Editing by Dave McDonald

 Meet Dave McDonald. He writes suspense. Give a read to his journey. You Murderers might see something that reminds you of your journey.

________________________________________________________________________

I have written ten books with the intent of having a shared theme of common people forced to confront major social issues.  The social issues are my motivation for writing.

I wrote SAM’S FOLLY because I felt there wasn’t enough being done in the world to minimize the number of children being abused, and often kidnapped and killed, by pedophiles.

The last thing I wanted to do was to write another cop story.  I wanted my protagonist to be unique; a character who evolves from the darkness into the light.  A character who initially the reader dislikes but cheers for, and eventually loves.

One idea gave birth to another, one chapter begat another, and months later, I had written a story.  But stories don’t become books until the editing surgeon can no longer detect discrepancies.  And although I never thought I’d be able to say this, I’ve grown to love editing.
          

After reviewing the first draft of SAM’S FOLLY, I found my protagonist, Sam Johnson, to be anything but a common or likeable person.  I had created a psychopath.  I didn’t want a DEXTER for my leading man. I wanted a man with a heart.  But my story was centered upon Sam Johnson being a retired ex-contract killer. So my plight was how to create a killer-for-hire who wasn’t a psychopath; a killer that readers would hopefully think of as a hero.

I needed knowledge, a character baseline.

The first thing I did was good ol’ research.   I read a book written by a psychiatrist that defined both sociopaths and psychopaths.  These people have many problems, but their one major flaw is they don’t have a conscience.  An added scary side note is four out of every one hundred people are either sociopaths or psychopaths.  So we all know a few; an enhancement for dead-bolts sales.

Having general ideas about who I wanted versus didn’t want as my main character, it was time to get to specifics.

Lists are normally a good thing.  I listed the character traits of a psychopath and across from that grouping I listed the traits of the character I wanted Sam Johnson to be.  Now all I had to do was create a character that killed people for money and yet knew the difference between right and wrong.  Instead of ‘the Tin Man finds his heart’, my premise would be Luca Brasi (the family’s assassin in the GODFATHER) finds a conscience, a difficult task.

After weeks of floundering, my critique partner solved my conundrum.  He gave me a conscience-blocker Sam could utilize before each murder.  It was a simple and yet powerful tool ironically laden with remorse that was a catalyst for instantaneous action; thoughtless killing.

Then I rewrote the entire book, seeding the story with releases of stored emotions by Sam Johnson along the way; traits to give the reader glimpses of light in Sam’s darkness.

So how did I do?  Readers are the final judges.  I believe one of the 5-star comments about SAM’S FOLLY encapsulates my efforts.

It's hard to write a review without giving away the story. To sum it up, I found myself in an emotional tug of war. I wanted to hate Sam at the same time I was drawn to him. The author, Dave McDonald did an excellent job building a memorable character, defining him, and then stripping away his layers one at a time. In spite of my busy schedule, I managed to read it in two nights because it was simply that difficult to put down.
I do not hesitate recommending this book!

So if you find yourself in need of a character overhaul, research, lists of character traits, the use of emotional tools, and great critique partners are my suggestions for character editing.

Dave McDonald, a romanticist at heart, writes suspense thrillers.

Dave's Amazon page

 

   

 

Writers and Readers, I Need Your Help!

copyright 2013, Aaron Paul Lazar

Hi, folks.

I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend if you live in the good ole' USA, and that you are enjoying life regardless if you live elsewhere. I know we have followers from all over the globe here on Murderby4, and we welcome you all with open arms.

I'm in a bit of a quandry. Can you help?

I'm writing something new. Something brand new for me. And I'm not sure that I'm settled on my approach.

You know my usual genre is mystery, suspense, sometimes tinged with a bit of time travel or mild paranormal activities. Right?

Well, this summer I decided to try something completely new. It's probably going to end up in the romantic suspense genre, but it's really just a story about love and life, about betrayal and discovery, about loss and how one can survive in spite of terrible odds.

The new book is called The Seacrest, and it takes place in Cape Cod, Mass., in a fictional town by the sea not unlike Brewster, Mass, one of my family's favorite vacation spots.

Here's the deal. I decided from the get-go to write this book with two intertwining storylines. Same characters, just seventeen years apart. Alternating chapters, I go from summer 1997 to summer 2013, slowly revealing the story of young love between Finn and Sassy; and fast forwarding to the current day, where Finn is reeling from the double loss of his wife, Cora, and estranged brother, Jax.

My head is spinning a bit from not writing a serial story.

Sure, I've written flashback scenes plenty of times.

I just haven't done it for every other chapter for the whole danged book.

I know this is a common approach in contemporary and classic fiction, but I wonder how you, the reader, and you, the writer, feel about it.

Does it confuse you? Do you have to stop and say, "Wait, what year are we in?", or are you okay with this jumping back and forth in time?

I'd love your thoughts on the issue. It's not too late for me to change it all and just start the story in part 1 (1997) and then move forward to part 2 (2013).

Thoughts? Ideas?

Meanwhile, I'll keep going.

Would you like a sneak peak at the rough draft? I'll be doing a cover reveal in the months to come - I'm pretty excited about this one!

Here's chapter one, of my newest venture, The Seacrest. 

- Aaron 

www.lazarbooks.com

-->

Chapter 1

July 2, 2013

Life can change in the blink of an eye, and this blink came when a cop car cruised up the white shell driveway toward The Seacrest on a hot Saturday in July.

I’ll never forget the moment. You know how folks remember where they were when John Lennon died? Or when President Kennedy was assassinated? It was like that, every detail engrained in my brain forever.

A fresh breeze laden with the scent of the sea rustled the blue hydrangeas growing along the driveway. I’d soaked through my dark green tee shirt, having just weed-wacked around the edges of the pasture. I was about to hammer back the fence board where Libby’s favorite mare had kicked it loose, because of said weed-wacker.

She’d yelled at me for that one, rightly so, and the sting of her words still sounded in my head. How stupid can you be, Finn? What’s wrong with you?

I held the hammer loosely in one hand, watching the car circling the long drive toward me.

What now?

Libby’s father, my employer, held great power on Cape Cod. Rudolph Vanderhorn sat on so many boards I’d lost count. His father’s fish canning company made a fortune back in the eighties, and he and his daughter had enjoyed the proceeds of that enterprise ever since.

It could be a visit from the local authorities. They stopped by every few days to discuss town matters with my boss. But the blue light was flashing, which didn’t look like a casual visit.

A shudder went through me, and I turned cold. Something bad had happened. I sensed it.

The front door opened, and Rudy watched them approach, hands on his hips and white hair blowing in the sea breeze.

Libby stopped hosing down her big white mare, who thankfully hadn’t hurt herself in the crazy fit she’d thrown earlier. Dark hair blew around the girl’s face and she stared with open curiosity at the cruiser.

Time froze.

The patrol car drove past the front porch with the impressive columns and portico, past the six-car garage, along the driveway to the barn, and rolled to a stop ten feet from me.

Police Chief Kramer and Deputy Addison Lowell got out and ambled toward me, their eyes somber.

I dropped the hammer. It thudded to the grass at my feet.

“Finn?” Kramer said. “I’m afraid we have bad news.”

There was nothing worse than hearing that bad news was about to be delivered. My brain went wild, imagining the worst scenarios. But somehow I didn’t quite picture what he was about to tell me, which frankly, was unimaginable.

“There’s been an accident,” Kramer said.

Lowell kicked the dirt on the edge of the path. “Car went over the cliffs,” he added, not looking at me.

I looked from Kramer to Lowell. “For God’s sake, guys.”

Kramer pulled out a piece of paper. “Sorry. I regret to inform you that your wife, Cora Mae McGee, and your brother, Jaxson Robert McGee, have been killed in a vehicular accident.”

Deputy Lowell added. “We’re real sorry, Finn. They went off at the Newbridge cliffs.”

“Into the ocean,” Kramer added. “Dead on impact.”

I stared at them, numbness creeping up my spine. “What?”

“Er, look, we’re real sorry to have to bring you this news.” Lowell did look remorseful, and he offered a hand when I lost my balance and grabbed for the fence.

Libby and her father appeared in seconds, but in the dreamlike state of denial and shock I caught only brief snatches of their words, as if the wind had grabbed them away and teased me with them.

“What happened?”

“Bad accident.”

“She died?”

“Who was with her?”

And so on.

Libby took my arm and guided me into the big house, where I stood woodenly against the refrigerator while Frizti bustled her big, ample self about the kitchen making tea and pushing fresh blueberry muffins at the officers.

Someone guided me into a chair. I sat, numb. Silent. The voices warbled around me.

Cora is dead.

It wasn’t real. Couldn’t be real.

Jax is dead.

I hadn’t seen my brother in ten years.

Ten years since I’d even talked to him. I sometimes drove by the blueberry farm, thinking of my old life. But I never stopped.

Ten years since my parents died in that fire. Since I lost my little sister Eva. Ten years since my family burned because of that cigarette smoldering in the couch.

Ten freaking years.

I didn’t even know what Jax looked like anymore. Had he lost hair? Gained weight? Turned prematurely gray like our father did at age thirty?

Ten years.

A shudder passed through me, making a great gulping sound sputter from my throat. I think I started to hyperventilate.

I locked eyes with Libby, whose mouth was moving. I couldn’t hear her.

Cora is dead.

Jax is dead.

I lay my head on my arms, convulsing silently.

One thought roamed around the edges of the shouts of denial and disbelief. One thought refused to go away, in spite of the enormity of what was happening to me.

        What the hell was Jax doing with Cora?

Writer Groupie Welcomes Aaron Lazar!

Tomorrow my good pal, and your favorite Mb4 co-host, Aaron Lazar will be with me on the radio show, Writer Groupie. I hope you will make plans to join us at 5:30 PM Central Daylight Time.

Aaron will be discussing his latest book, Don't Let the Wind Catch You. It is the sequel to his very popular Gus LeGarde book, Tremolo: cry of the loon. And personally, one of my favorites. I am very excited to have Aaron on the show, and look forward to learning about this book.

You can catch us live at the time and address above, and please call in! We love callers on Writer Groupie.

If you cannot make the show live, there will be an archive of the show here on the widget for WG in the sidebar soon afterwards.

Either way, I hope you will catch this episode, and be sure to leave our Aaron a comment in the comments below letting him know what you think.

Click here for the podcast!