Monthly Archives: June 2013

Blakely’s Friday Interviews with Ifedayo Akintomide

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Please give a warm welcome to Ifedayo Akintomide, author of Without a Voice.

Church thangs (1)

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
My name is Akintomide Ifedayo Adigwe. I am a Nigerian and thirty three years old. Been writing for over ten years now and I guess this comes as a result of the urge to scribble. I love telling stories and I have been telling them long before I even picked up a pen to write. I am working on my first science fiction novel entitled Amnesiacs and I am currently promoting my book Without a Voice which is based on the human trafficking scourge ravaging the world today. It is told from the perspectives of two sixteen year old girls.

What genre is your book? Do you write in other genres as well?
I think crime thriller would about cover it. Though there is a hint of drama in there too. I have written books of fantasy too. A trilogy called Konga which is loosely based on the myths and legends of western Africa which is where I am from.

Who or what inspires you? Has a dream every inspired any of your stories?
I think God and the holy spirit are my biggest inspirations. Truth be told I can’t think of anything else that could be giving me the inspiration. Some of my ideas are … let’s just say extra creative. lol
A vision has inspired one of my books. The name of the book is The Divide. A crime political thriller based on the events happening in my country Nigeria.

Do you have an agent and/or publisher or are you self-published? If self-published, do you use a professional editor? If traditionally published, who is your publisher?
I am self-published but I do use editing services.

Do you use test readers? If so, how many?
I most definitely use test readers. Three or four on average.

What advice do you have for writer’s just starting out?
Keep doing what you are doing. It’s a hard business but with diligence and patience you will make your mark. Never let anyone ever tell you it’s impossible. A wise man once said the impossible is simply the untried.

Do you set writing goals and if so, what are they?
No I don’t. Don’t like to put too much pressure on myself. Churning a book out is pressure enough.

Do you outline your stories or just go with the flow?
I used to go with the flow. But now with the last three books I have written the whole idea from start to finish which simply drops into my head. Not sure how that works exactly but that’s the way it is for me now.

What does your writing space look like?
Cluttered! Filled with odds and ends.

Do you have any writing rituals or interesting writing quirks?
Besides loud music in my ears I don’t think I have any quirks or rituals.

What are your three favorite books including the authors?
Harry Potter series – JK Rowlings – Superbly written
The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown – well crafted and a very intelligent read
Mr Murder – Dean Koontz – his scare factor is off the chain

Who is your favorite author and why?
Don’t really have a favorite author. I enjoy a whole bunch of books by different authors.

What project are you currently working on?
My first science fiction novel entitled Amnesiacs.

Is being an author your dream job? If so, how long have you been chasing the dream? If not, what would be your dream job?
Being an author has always been my dream job. And I have been chasing my passion for over ten years now.

What book are you currently reading?
Making the Most of Opportunity by Bishop David Abioye

Please be sure to like Ifedayo’s page on Facebook, and check out all the books he has for sale on Smashwords and Lulu!

Click below to buy Without a Voice.

Cover for 'Without a Voice'

Push Through or Walk Away?

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walking a clear pathI consider myself to be self-reflective. I try to look past what I’m doing to why I’m doing it or why I’m reacting. I also like to explore what motivates a particular response or even how I can behave differently.

The hardest part for me is when I continuously hit up against the same stimulus with the same response even though I am working hard to move past it.  It’s the most frustrating when I feel like I have grown only to find my emotions stirred up again in the same way as before.

In the past, I have held this belief that I can move past any issue if I’m willing to dig to the core of me. Because of this I sometimes take on more of the responsibility when an issue comes up than may be warranted (according to my husband).

Now I realized that sometimes the best thing, the healthiest thing, is to move away from the stimulus. I don’t mean from a ‘hiding’ standpoint but from acknowledging that the situation isn’t healthy and it’s time to move on. I had previously held the position that moving through the issue was always the best way to go but now I’m not so sure that’s always the right course of action. Reactions aren’t always just the mirror of our past but maybe a way of protecting us in the present.

Anytime I have a reaction that I don’t like, I tend to assume that I need to do something to change the circumstance or myself. Maybe all I need to do is remove myself from the situation. Unfortunately, it’s not always so black and white and easily discernible.

If you’ve read my novels, then you can probably see where Jane gets her introspection. I played with this concept of trying to evolve past the current situation. Sometimes we must, even in the case of family and friends, extract ourselves from the situations that don’t support us and our wellbeing. You will see Jane evolve in this manner throughout the arc of the trilogy.

The best example I can think of to illustrate the challenge happened when I worked in “corporate America.” I had a job and a half to get done in the traditional 40 hour week and as much as I tried and struggled, I couldn’t handle the stress of all the work not getting done that kept getting heaped on my plate. I had to rush from one thing to another never fully feeling satisfied with the outcome. Being away from the situation, I can now easily see that the job was an awful fit for me and the struggles I put myself through were simply me trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Back then though, I truly thought I should be able to change something within myself to make it work.

Fortunately, I now get to chase the dream of a published author (thanks to my wonderful husband) and that is far more satisfying. There are still times I run up against myself and other people’s personalities but at least I’m working for myself now and setting my own schedule.

Life continues to astound and amaze me and I am fascinated to continually learn more about the facets of myself and others.

How do you handle something you would like to change about yourself? Do you spend the time trying to figure out what motivates you?

Thanks for reading and please share your comments.

Warm hugs,

Blakely

Please feel free to friend me on Facebook.
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Blakely’s Friday Interview with Johnny Lavish

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Please give a warm welcome to Johnny Lavish, author of Please Share My Wife with Me? The Wife Swapping Diary of George and Melissa.

Facebook 2Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
I am an author from the Northeast of England who has been married for 21 years and I promoting my book, Please Share My Wife with Me? The Wife Swapping Diary of George and Melissa. The book is about a middle-aged fictional couple that is faced with a decision and the impact of that decision on their relationship.
What genre is your book?  Do you write in other genres as well?
Genre is erotic romance. Currently, I am working on a long-term project that is based on a life event and I would classify it as non-fiction.
Do you have an agent and/or publisher or are you self-published?  If self-published, do you use a professional editor?  If traditionally published, who is your publisher?
I am self-published and I do not use a professional editor.
What advice do you have for writer’s just starting out?
Everyone who writes wants to be the next Dreiser, Williams, or Steinbeck. For the vast majority who write, being an author might provide a bit of extra income but it will not be enough to be a full-time job The reality is writing today is as much as marketing, promotion and building a following as it is about writing. This means you need to believe in your work and love writing in order for it to be enjoyable. It also means self-publishing authors start at a disadvantage and need to build a following. Even if you write a masterpiece without a following then no one will read it. My advice is before you release your book take the time to build a following and begin promoting yourself. Otherwise you may be disappointed when you publish your book.
What are your three favorite books including the authors?
a. Sister Carrie – Theodore Dreiser
b. Noah’s Ark The Secret Underground – Marie Madeleine Fourcade
c. Night – Elie Weisel
Who is your favorite author and why?
My favorite author is Dreiser. The reason why I like Dreiser I find his writing to be realistic and his characters to be life-like. He has the ability to draw the reader into the story and then bring it to life.
Is there a message in your book(s) that you want readers to grasp?
Even though my book is what I term erotic romance, it is more than an erotic tale, it is about choices, making choices, and the impact those choices have. For example Melissa does a few things that would upset most husbands and probably end a marriage. This puts George in a situation where he is faced with the choice does he end the marriage or not. Likewise Melissa is confronted with choices too. For her, a choice she faces is deciding between her husband and a lover of hers. Ultimately those choices influence the relationship and the direction it goes. I believe, the second part that I am writing now takes this idea of choices even further and shows some of the long-term impact of them.
Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
I see a bit of myself in George.
Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
Melissa continues to be a challenging character to write. She tends to be a bit impulsive, focused on the moment, and tries to hide her feelings. As a character she is probably the least like me and I feel makes her a challenging character for me since she is one of the main characters.
Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
I enjoy writing George since he is probably closest character that is like me.
Do you base your characters on people you know?
No, I do not base my characters on people I know. Instead I base my characters on personal characteristics that I observe and use those characteristics to build a character.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I have a full time job. If I am not working or writing, I am enjoying photography, travelling, or doing some more reading.
Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes?
There has been a few that have changed my life.
While Six Million Died – Arthur D. Morse
This book changed me because it showed there were at least two realities. One reality was what the politicians where telling the press and the second reality, what was happening that was not being reported. The second reality showed me that you cannot accept everything at “face-value,” and you need to question everything. It is too easy to accept something without questioning it and after reading this book, I became more skeptical about what I read.

Please be sure to friend Johnny Lavish on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!

Click below to buy Please Share My Wife with Me.

Social Media Etiquette

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Hand holding a Social Media 3d SphereI would like to start by thanking all the wonderful authors and readers I have had a chance to meet online. I have never met a better, more supportive group of friends. Thanks for reposting my links, friending me, offering me advice, and generally being a really positive force in the process of being an author. Another thanks goes out to those on Twitter that take the time to tweet for me, rather than just retweeting. I’m starting to learn more about how to do that for you and plan to do more of it when I have the time.

My online friends have offered me incredible advice like “advertise less on FB and share more about yourself” to “keeping something you want retweeted at the top of your Twitter page.” Their support has inspired me to write this blog to offer my own advice.

First off and a pet peeve of mine, do not post your promotions on someone else’s Facebook wall. That’s what your wall is for. If you would like to post something on their wall other than, “thanks for the friendship,” then ask first. I find it incredibly rude and presumptuous when people do that and I quickly delete their posts.

Do not tag people into a picture that they are not in just so they will see your post or put out a mass direct message. These are gross misuses of what FB features are meant for and just ends up pissing off your friends. I was tagged in a post with several pictures of pot roast, (which looked incredibly unappetizing to me) and I don’t eat mammal. I can’t imagine what she hoped to accomplish by tagging me and about 100 other people. Many expressed their displeasure in comments.

Please consider not using your FB wall to express your dissatisfaction with life, family, friends, other authors or the publishing industry. This especially goes to other authors who are trying to create a following and a forum. I sometimes consider unfriending those who seem to be so negative all the time. I know everyone has bad days and I do as well. Just consider what you are putting out there and if you are inspiring people to want to read what you have to say.

On twitter, it’s great to be thanked for retweeting but even better for you to return the favor. Retweeting says thank you to me. Also, consider leaving what you’d like retweeted at the top of your page, as I mentioned above, so we don’t have to scan down several pages to find something to retweet for you. A huge thanks to all of you who do so. It really reduces the time I spend on social media.

Here are some other biggies: DO NOT spend money purchasing reviews, DO NOT beg people to buy your books and DO NOT assume because I write erotica, I want to talk about sex with you (FB is not a dating site). I have recently seen some advertisements for reviews for $9.95 and it made me cringe. Ask your close friends and family (only those who have actually read your books) if they will post a review for you but other than that, be honest and don’t buy false reviews. I have gotten DMs saying, “please, you must buy my books so I sell at least 100…”

Lastly and you might have seen this conversation on my FB page, it’s very bad etiquette (Thx FB friends for chiming in) to ask your readers and fans to post reviews for you. I think we should all let our stories rise or fall on their merit. Publicize and promote as much as you can, but do so honestly.

Well that’s all my suggestions. Do you have any social media etiquette to add? Please share your thoughts with us.

Warm hugs,

Blakely

Please feel free to friend me on Facebook.
And follow the My Body Trilogy Facebook page.
Find me Twitter & Pinterest.

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Blakely’s Friday Interview with Tyler Roberts

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Please give a warm welcome to Tyler Roberts, author of Truth’s Blood.

downloadTell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
I grew up in the farm country of eastern Washington. I’m semi-retired with two grown sons, a wife of 33 years and Burly, our very large English Mastiff. We manage a small orchard, keep chickens, grow grapes, berries a very large organic garden. My passion though is beekeeping.

What genre is your book? Do you write in other genres as well?
It fits the dystopian genre best, though action adventure would be a close second. Truth’s Blood is my first book, so I have not written in other genres but my oldest son would like me to write a memoir. I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. I think I would have to skip writing about a few years in there.

Who or what inspires you?
The time we are living in inspires me. I love history and I’m fascinated by the fact we as a nation are repeating it. Even more fascinating is how humans seem incapable of learning from history.

Do you have an agent and/or publisher or are you self-published? If self-published, do you use a professional editor? If traditionally published, who is your publisher?
I’m self-published and I did pay for an editor. I chuckle a bit when I say this but editing is the one great drawback to writing.

What advice do you have for writer’s just starting out?
Just write. It’s a skill that must be honed and developed like any other skill, so just write, regardless of how good or bad you think it might be. Your internal critic can review it later.

What project are you currently working on?
The sequel to Truths Blood.

What has been your best moment as a writer?
I think the best moment was the realization I could actually do this, write a story, publish it and actually receive good reviews. I’m still amazed by it.

What challenges have you faced in your writing career?
I never believed in myself. My senior year in high school I humored a sweet old English teacher who asked me to take a test and write short story. A few weeks later she returned with two scholarship offers. I was seventeen and couldn’t take it seriously. Simply could not imagine myself as a writer, but the seed had been planted. That seed lay dormant for years until I retired and began to write a story just for myself simply because I enjoyed writing. Never told anyone about it. Finally one Christmas when my oldest son was home the matter came up and he really twisted my arm about polishing it up to publish. A year later the book was published.

Is there a message in your book(s) that you want readers to grasp?
Definitely. My approach to the book was to take the lessons of history and apply them to current times in the United States to write a fictional story. Everything in the book is backed with history from across the ages – Rome, Germany, Argentina, Britain, Russia, etc.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
Oh ya. Cliffson would be me.

Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
Yes, it would be Monk. He’s an amalgamation of a number of people I have known and having all those folks to draw upon made it a real joy to develop the character.

What do you do to stay sane as a writer?
Are writers sane? We certainly are a different breed.

Do you read your reviews and if so, how do you cope with a bad one?
I read them with the attitude I can learn from them. As for the bad ones, well as any author knows, you are not going to please everyone.

I have found the writer’s community to be very supportive and welcoming.  Please share writers that you recommend:

Marsha Roberts and Michael Murphy

Please be sure to check out Tyler Roberts Blog  and click below to buy Truth’s Blood.

An Ode to My Husband

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the-kiss-1904Okay, it’s not really a lyrical poem but I love the title. I feel so lucky to have my husband and want to let him know. He is working hard for us so I can write my novels, blogs, edit, and do social media without having to work at the same time. Our dream is to make enough money from our books so we both get to stay home and write to our hearts content.

I miss him when he is gone all day and the weekend is barely enough time to get my fill of him. The other day I said to him, “Every day I feel so exceedingly lucky that you are my best friend and partner in life,” and he said, “I feel exactly the same way about you.” How sweet is that?

We have been together eighteen years now and it just keeps getting better. It certainly hasn’t always been perfect and we’ve had to go through some growing pains together. Any long-term relationship must evolve or it dies, in my not so humble opinion. Fortunately for us, we seem to grow closer and closer together as time passes.

Why do I think my husband is so wonderful besides making it possible for me to be a full-time writer? Well in all honesty he is the best kisser and lover I have ever had. He still finds me sexy and attractive after all this time. He has loved me thinner than I am now and also heavier. There is no other person in the world I’d rather spend my time with and he showers me daily with affection. We kiss and hug goodbye in the morning and snuggle on the couch in the evening. He spoons me to sleep at night and we often share our dreams in the morning with my head on his chest.

Our daughter says we are like teenagers together, still very much in love. Not that long ago, she told us that a friend of ours and mother to her friend asked if we are really as happy as we seem. The mother assumed we acted one way around other people and another behind closed doors. My daughter said, “Nope, they’re always like that. They fight on the rare occasion but what you see is what you get.”

Some people have assumed that I have been through the experiences that I’ve written about in the My Body Trilogy. Sorry to let you down but it’s entirely fiction. Although I didn’t meet my husband until I was twenty-eight years old, I never had a Luke or Marcello in my life. I just have an overgrown, overactive, twisted imagination. 😉 Fortunately my husband loves how my mind works. He is the one who pushed me to try to get published again and is my greatest and most supportive fan.

Love is an important factor in relationship but don’t underestimate “like”. I not only love my husband dearly but I like him so much. He is the coolest person I know other than the kids.

Thank you, love, for being there for me and making our lives so yummy and juicy. I’m the luckiest woman I know.

Warm hugs,

Blakely

Please feel free to friend me on Facebook.
And follow the My Body Trilogy Facebook page.
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Blakely’s Friday Interview with Lynne Stringer

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Lynne1-editedPlease give a warm welcome to Lynne Stringer, author of The Heir.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
My name is Lynne Stringer and I live in Australia with my family. I’ve been interested in writing for most of my life. My father’s a writer, although he favours non-fiction books and I gravitate more towards fiction. I have worked as a journalist for a small magazine, which I also edited for seven years. However, I have always loved making up stories, so it was only a matter of time before I turned my attention to novels. My first novel, The Heir, is out on 1st June. It’s the first book in the Verindon trilogy.
What genre is your book? Do you write in other genres as well?
The Heir is a young adult, science fiction romance. I would be open to writing in just about any genre if I had the inspiration for a story, but I do like both sci-fi and romance. I think anything I wrote would have to have a love story in it somewhere.
Do you have an agent and/or publisher or are you self-published? If self-published, do you use a professional editor? If traditionally published, who is your publisher?
I don’t have an agent, although I did try to get one. Getting an agent is definitely harder than getting published! My publisher, Wombat Books, is a traditional publisher, which I’m happy with, especially since it meant that my book received much needed attention before it was published. It went through six different editors before we were happy with the end result. I would recommend editing for every author. There are always things you miss when looking at your own work, and if you’re self-publishing you’re not going to have a publisher to do if for you. Having your book professionally edited is a must. I’ve seen too many books with an appalling number of mistakes in them simply because they haven’t had a proper edit.
Do you outline your stories or just go with the flow?
I tend to go with the flow. I find that my stories sometimes alter once the characters start speaking, so it seems pointless to map something out when I might have to change it anyway.
What project are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on the sequel to The Heir. The Crown should be released either at the end of this year or the beginning of the next.
Is being an author your dream job? If so, how long have you been chasing the dream? If not, what would be your dream job?
Yes, it is my dream job. My hope is that I will make enough money to live off it (unlikely, I know!). I can’t think of anything better than being paid to make up stories. I’ve always done it for fun, it would be wonderful to earn a living that way.
How much time a day do you spend on social media?
A lot. I live in Australia, but part of my book is set in America, so I have been trying to reach out to that audience through social media. I am active on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Pinterest.
Is there a message in your book(s) that you want readers to grasp?
I’m trying to drive home the message that we should not judge people by standards like success and wealth. In the story, Sarah, my protagonist, is ostracised at the school she attends because she’s not wealthy or from a successful family. However, she is definitely a person worth knowing. Basing our view of people on such shallow standards is not a good idea, although it’s an easy trap to fall into.

Please be sure to friend Lynne Stringer on Facebook, Twitter and check out her Pinterest and Goodreads!

Click below to buy The Heir.

Fuzzy Wassy was a Bear

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So please tell me, am I the only person who has issues with the overuse of the word was? All the books I have read on writing say to use an action verb wherever possible and yet when I read— most novels are a was and were-athon. It really drives me mad when there is more than one was in a sentence or where the active verb is so apparent. For instance: “She was standing in a pool of water as I approached” can simply become, “As I approached, I discovered her standing in a pool of water.”

I have no issues with it in dialogue because that’s how we really speak but in description I often feel it is just plain lazy. I’m the first to admit, there are times where it’s unavoidable, especially in first-person narrative during reflection.

Could it be that the passive voice, which has been touted as being inferior, is a notion out of the past and really doesn’t apply anymore? If so, I say we change the propaganda and move right along. However, if the active voice is really better writing, then shouldn’t we, as writers, focus on writing with action verbs more often?

Stephen King does a lovely little rant about the passive voice and was-ing in his great book on writing called, On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft. He believes that the passive voice is weak storytelling. He gives a few great examples and I’ll share one with you where he referenced The Elements of Style, another must have book for any writer. Stephen writes: “And remember: The writer threw the rope, not The rope was thrown by the writer.” He begs, “Please oh please?” afterwards which I found very humorous.

So why am I even ranting about this? Very glad you asked! I personally feel that the standards of writing are important and raising our craft to the highest level we can is a goal we should all aspire to. I hope my writing gets better each time I write a new novel and that I stay open to learning new things. Being able to tell a great story is only part of the puzzle, the other half is conveying it in such a way that the reader can get lost in it.

Because I know there is always more than one side to any issue, I will share a book that broke all grammatical rules and I highly enjoyed it. My Friend Leonard is a memoir by James Frey who used none of what you normally find when reading a story and somehow it worked. Check it out so you can see what I mean.

Lastly, I want to mention adverbs and how abhorrent most writing books find them. Again, I have heard it called lazy writing, thanks Mr. King and Elmore Leonard. The latter believes that adverbs should generally be avoided and one should never use the word suddenly. I have to disagree because in their proper places, I find them to be lovely additions that emphasize a thought, convey a heightened circumstance or modify a weaker action verb. There, I’ve said it.

Please share with us your thoughts and ideas about best writing practices. I’d love to hear from you.

Warm hugs,

Blakely

Please feel free to friend me on Facebook.
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