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Saturday, January 31, 2015

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Sue Parritt Shares a Day in Her Life @OdysseyBooks #SannahAndThePilgrim #AmWriting #SciFi #Dystopian

10:00 AM Posted by Quality Reads UK , , , No comments
A day in the life of Sue Parritt

The day begins around 7.15 when my husband, an early riser, brings me a cup of tea in bed and slips back in beside me. I savour each sip; this first cup somehow superior to all those that follow, ponder between brief conversation yesterday’s paragraphs awaiting attention. Out of bed no later than 7.45, lingering, daydreaming or staring into space isn’t an option for this well-organised writer. Breakfast a brief affair: muesli, toast, and another cup of tea. Next item on the agenda is the morning walk along the cliff top. I walk at a reasonable pace for half an hour, one day one direction, next day other direction. Where tangled trees give way to coastal shrubs or grassy banks the view is magnificent and ever-changing. Mirror-smooth or white-capped, I never tire of Port Philip Bay. Then it’s back home to domestic deeds or a quick trip to the shops, cursing long queues in the bank and post office, toddlers running riot in the supermarket, the spiralling cost of household necessities. Like the late Elisabeth Jolley, I can’t settle to writing until these chores have been completed.

Mid-morning I begin the key business of the day, the pursuing of a long-held dream, reward for long years supplying others’needs. In order to focus my mind, particularly if writing a first draft, I return to the previous day’s work, rereading and editing obvious errors. Major edits are generally postponed for the second and subsequent drafts but as a reminder I insert directions such as ‘extend para’ or ‘rewrite whole chapter’ into the text in upper case. When ideas pertinent to a different part of the narrative surface, I scribble them on paper, adding them later to a file of notes on the computer. A cataloguer in my former life, I am meticulous about organising my files in an easily retrievable form. Atypically, my desk is often a mess with pieces of paper scattered around, and by the end of the day, numerous empty teacups, plates and here I confess to a bad habit, crumbs caught in the keyboard!

Writing is a lonely business and occasionally a phone call or knock at the door can be a welcome intrusion (as any writer will attest) when staring at a problem paragraph threatens to cause meltdown or migraine. However, the longer I spend writing, the more I resent intrusions and am considering having a studio built in the garden (no phones, no temptation to run and answer the door) in order to achieve the desired peace and quiet.

Around five or six, depending on whether I’m on a roll or literally stuck for words, I save my document to a USB despite the fact I have a Seagate backup plus drive and venture into the kitchen to prepare the evening meal. Sometimes, in an attempt to ignore my secondary role, I set the oven timer for an hour or so and settle back down in front of the computer. Oh, for a string of servants to perform those boring but essential domestic tasks!

Sue Parritt author pic

About the Author:
Sue Parritt is an Australian writer, originally from England. Her poetry and short stories have been published in magazines and anthologies in Australia, Britain and the USA. After graduating BA University of Queensland 1982 (majors: English Literature, Drama and French), Sue worked in university libraries until taking early retirement in 2008 to pursue her long-held dream of becoming a professional writer.  Since then she has written Sannah and the Pilgrim, numerous short stories and poems andFeed Thy Enemy, a feature film script set in Naples in 1944 and 1974 and based on a true story (Sue is currently seeking a producer). She recently completed a second novel Safety Zone and is now writing a sequel to Sannah and the Pilgrim  the working title is Pia and the Skyman.



Sannah and the Pilgrim by Sure Parritt


General Information - Sannah and the Pilgrim by Sue Parritt
ISBN: 978-1-922200-14-3
Genre: Speculative Fiction / Sci-fi / Dystopian
Release Date: 26 April 2014 (Paperback and ebook)
Publisher: Odyssey Books (http://www.odysseybooks.com.au/)

Description:

When Sannah the Storyteller, a descendant of environmental refugees from drowned Pacific islands, finds a White stranger on her domestep, she presumes he’s a political prisoner on the run seeking safe passage to egalitarian Aotearoa. However, Kaire’s unusual appearance, bizarre behaviour, and insistence he’s a pilgrim suggest otherwise.

Appalled by apartheid Australia, Kaire uses his White privileges to procure vital information for Sannah and her group of activists regarding new desert prisons that are to be built to house all political prisoners. The group plans sabotage but needs help, and Kaire is a willing accomplice. But when Sannah turns Truthteller and threatens to reveal the country’s true history, even Kaire’s White privilege and advanced technology cannot save Sannah and her daughter from retribution.

About Sannah and the Pilgrim:

Sannah and the Pilgrim is a tale of courage, defiance and deceit that asks the reader, ‘Would you risk death by telling the truth about your country, or would you play it safe and spend your life as a storyteller?’

Are you concerned about our governments’ (both past and present) failure to act on climate change and the detention and inhumane treatment of refugees? I am, so I have drawn on contemporary conservative attitudes to present a dystopian view of a future Australia in my speculative fiction novel Sannah and the Pilgrim. Read it and discover what could happen to our‘lucky’ country.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

The Right Way and the Wrong Way to Promote Your Book Online by @DPDenman #WriteTip #AmWriting

The Right Way and the Wrong Way to Promote Your Book Online

There is a marketing tradition created by master salesmen that says if you want to sell a product you need to make sure everyone knows it exists and you need to be aggressive in your promotion. Think Tony Robbins.

Some authors adopt that attitude without realizing you can’t use that method to sell books. Maybe juicers and spot removers but not fiction.

Most authors know better than to go to people who follow them on social media and pitch their book. Some still haven’t gotten the message. You don’t approach friends on Facebook or followers on Twitter with private messages asking them to read your latest story. It’s the equivalent of walking up to a stranger on the street and shoving a pamphlet in their face. It makes an incredibly bad impression and most people will just throw it in the trash without giving it any real consideration.

Successful authors don’t promote their books. They promote their brand and there is a big difference. When people learn who you are and what you do, curiosity will lead them that last step to looking at your books. In other words, authors need to act more like politicians than car salesmen. Meet some people. Shake some hands. Get involved in a few discussions. If people like the interactions and comments, they will want to know more. Then you can lead them to your website and tell them about your books. That’s also why behavior online is so important. If readers (and other authors, who are also readers) are offended by what you post or turned off by your attitude, that moment of curiosity will never happen and you’ve lost a sale.

nakedTruth

Buried lies never die.

Liam has a new career, a new condo, a newfound sense of control and none of it is quite right. Shadows drift behind the bright sparkle of his life; things he's determined to ignore until a shocking revelation makes it impossible. With the help of Justin and a new friend, Liam must face the life he's buried.

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - Contemporary Gay Romance
Rating – R
More details about the author
Connect with DP Denman through Facebook & Twitter

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

#ReviewShare #BookReview #Mystery - Steps Into Darkness (Shakertown Adventure) by @BenSWoodard

Steps Into Darkness (Shakertown Adventure #2)Steps Into Darkness by Ben Woodard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The book started off slow for me but I recommend that you stick with it. As the mystery develops, the plot becomes tighter and you breeze by the pages as quickly as you can. One of the downfalls of teen mysteries is that sometimes authors are unable to create natural dialogue or settings. This book wasn’t like that.

I enjoyed the story, the editing was close to perfect and the cover was perfect for the title. Simple, to the point and it automatically evoked “mystery” in a reader’s mind. The character interactions were important to me because it was this way that I connected most with the plot and overall story.

For parents or schools looking at setting up book clubs for younger folk, this is a book that must be included. A truly, marvelous read.

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads UK Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my book review. This book review is based on my thoughts, opinion and understanding of the book. This book review does not reflect the opinion of other book club members.


View all my reviews

Friday, October 10, 2014

Seven Things You Don’t Know About "Moxie’s Problems" by Hank Quense @hanque99 #Fantasy #SciFi

8:00 AM Posted by Quality Reads UK , , , 1 comment
Seven things you don’t know about Moxie’s Problems

The original Moxie story was a short story that I couldn't sell. I loved Moxie’s character and I was determined to put her into her own novel.

I was half-way through Moxie’s Problems when I put it on the side to write a series of non-fiction books called Self-publishing Guides. I did that because I got angry at all the misinformation floating around the internet on self-publishing.

I was able to return to the Moxie novel fairly easily because I always develop a series of mind-maps for my novels before I start to write the first draft. I had maps for the major characters, the plots and subplots and a third which is a graphical synopsis. These mind-maps allowed me to get back into the novel very quickly.

Some of the adventures in the novel, especially for King Artie were originally short stories I wrote a long time ago, but were never published. The Dogs of War and the Isolde adventure are two such short stores. The initial football game between the Knights and the Saxons was a short story I sold four or five times.

Originally, the novel was set in a fantasy land and Moxie was a dwarf. Her three knightly companions were a dwarf, an elf and a human. The fantasy setting conflicted with my plan to use Camelot as a backdrop so I had to change it.

The Camelot background bothered me for a while. The problem was my story bashed against the traditional Camelot legends and not in a small way. My Camelot was radically different and I felt it would annoy reads who hoped for a retelling of the traditional legends. My solution to this problem came with a sprinkling of scifi dust. Once I realized my Camelot took place in a parallel universe, I had my justification and it even encouraged me to develop more non-traditional aspects of Camelot.

One character I really enjoyed writing about was Tristan. In the story he is Camelot’s Bard and the world’s worst poet. I wrote a number of doggerel poems for him. I also made him a schizophrenic. His warrior self and his poet self are in a constant battle for supremacy of his mind. His poet self wants to soothe enemies with words, while his warrior self wants to attack audiences with his sword.

Moxie's Problem

Do you enjoy untypical coming-of-age stories? Well, you won’t find one more untypical that Moxie’s Problem. Moxie is an obnoxious, teen-age princess who has never been outsider her father’s castle. Until now. The real world is quite different and she struggles to come to grips with reality. The story take space against a backdrop of Camelot. But it isn’t the Camelot of legends. It’s Camelot in a parallel universe. So, all bets are off!

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – Fantasy, Sci-fi
Rating – G
More details about the author
Connect with Hank Quense through Facebook & Twitter

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