Thank you to the Reviewers!

I have a confession to make: once I have a book published, I sort of forget about it. Not completely or irrevocably, but I move on to the next project. Often the next book is already a completed first draft, or close to getting there. My head is filled with ideas and since I started writing at a fairly mature age (read thirty or so) I have a lot of time to make up to get all my ideas written, edited, or published.
Today I browsed around on Goodreads to see which of my books I still have to add, and the status of the ones on my bookshelf where I need to write a review or ten.
Somewhere in this browsing, I came across reviews for STORM Vol I and Vol II which were a group project published last year. I was flabbergasted at the nice things people wrote about the stories in both volumes.
If you recall STORM is an anthology around a common theme, but any genre suitable for adults (excluding erotica) were allowed for the contributing authors.
Personally I have published two more books since STORM, but it was truly a wonderful experience to be reminded that there are other people who enjoy reading as much as I do. Discovering authors unknown to them and being surprised at the stories they wrote.

It also reminded me that books I read and review for other authors, will hopefully inspire them to write more books for me to enjoy.

A big thank you for each and every reader that takes the time to write a review, you make an author's day every time!

💜  💜   💜   💜   💜

Happy Birthday to Me...and a special offer to YOU!

When you sit and reflect back over the past year, as one often does and needs to do, I came realise that I have had a truly blessed year.
Sure I am technically a year older today, but I have a lot to be grateful for.
And to celebrate my birthday and all the good things in my life - and to support Read Tuesday coming soon - I have discounted three books from 1 to 15 December 2014.
Oh, and there are still free books too, so don't forget to browse around on my Smashwords page for them.

Keeper of the Dragon Sword - The Dragon Masters

Now $2.99
Discount coupon : QY36M

Géra's Gift - The Grandmasters

Now $0.99
Discount coupon: SF78R

STORM Volume I

Now $0.99
Discount coupon: GQ69M





So there you go - get one, get them all and have a special treat for your Christmas stocking from me!
Oh, and if you want more, why not visit the Read Tuesday website for hundreds more books to enjoy.

Invitation: Launching STORM

Interview: STORM Author Vanessa Wright

 
1. What inspired you to write your stories for the STORM anthology? 
Inspiration comes from many things, a word, an overheard piece of conversation, human pain and suffering, events in the news and even from a large, fat lady I call the Muse. For the Storm anthology however I relied on my own experiences with depression for Dandelions for Mother, while A Storm in a Teacup was inspired by flash fiction I wrote for a MASH competition, the characters just had to get another chance to be in the limelight.

2. Tell us what your stories are all about. 
Dandelions for Mother is basically about a ten year old girl who has lost her mother to cancer and is trying to cope with life as a orphan. It does not help that her father is also suffering from a form of depression and thinks she looks like her mother. The girl retreats into an imaginary world.

[Note from Linzé - I deleted some words here, as Vanessa gave the ending away, naughty thing!]

I did a complete 360 degree turnaround with A Storm in a Teacup which is a comedic, science fiction story about Oogithap and Ilgiprart who are sent to earth on a mission. They are Electrosquids of the Fungus Asteroid and the things they get up to are hilarious. You will have to read it to believe it.

3. What excited you about taking part in the STORM anthology? 
Getting to work with all my fellow authors and of course the exposure that one gains. The more books you have out there, the better the chances are that you will be recognised; a good friend taught me this valuable lesson.

4. What is your next project about and when can we expect it to be published? 
I am working towards a novel for NB Publishers’ novel of the year competition. Sadly, it will be in Afrikaans. The next big thing in English however is Something evil comes, a psychological crime thriller. I am planning on a release date in early November.

5. What is your biggest challenge in writing? 
Time, time, time. I never seem to have enough of it! I tried eating a gazillion Bar Ones as the advertisement claims that you would have a 25 hour day. It doesn’t work and all the extra kilo’s have been transformed into a flotation device around my middle.

6. How do you deal with this challenge? 
I don’t that’s why my family have to scrape me off the ceiling with a spatula every now and again.

7. What advice would you offer to other authors having to deal with this same challenge? 
Set up a routine and a timetable. Schedule writing for every day until it becomes a habit. Do as I say not as I do.

8. Please explain to my readers your writing process and how you manage your life to accommodate your writing. 
Writing for me, invariably happens in the early hours of the morning when everything is quiet and the pugs (all six of them) are snoring away. I am a pantser- no planning involved; I have a general idea of where I am going to and then the characters start living on their own and their decisions decide where the plot is moving off to next. Otherwise I apply ample butt to chair and bleed. I write, therefore I am sums it up nicely. I need to make time to write otherwise I might as well stop breathing. Dramatic? Sure, you’re talking to the ultimate drama queen.

You can find Vanessa's books here on Smashwords

Interview: STORM Author Natalie Rivener

1. What inspired you to write your stories for the STORM anthology?

Beyond and The Gravic Exacerbation are two stories I've used to discover a little more about a fantasy world I've been working on for over a decade. 

2. Tell us what your stories are all about.

Beyond is about a band of myhrr who have to overcome the impossible to save their people from extinction. Many have been sent before them, and none have returned. Dare they hope against hope that they might make it past the deadly Serpent Storm?

The Gravic Exacerbation - Jaten doesn't know why Mestrae Corvic is going on and on about greater castings being layered. Nothing seems to be going wrong...aside from the usual 'unforseen inconveniences' of the latest magical advances, like that tail he grew last week or the new lighting caused by Mestrae Yundra's shroud. Then again, his mestrae seems more worked up than usual. Maybe, just maybe there's something to old Corvic's rants after all. 

3. What excited you about taking part in the STORM anthology?

This is the first time I will be able to hold and smell a book that contains stories written by me. It's a life dream.

4. What is your next project about and when can we expect it to be published?

My next project is a fantasy, scifi and horror anthology called Flight of the Phoenix. If all goes well, it will be available by the end of September 2014.

5. What is your biggest challenge in writing?

Taking my dreams serious enough to keep writing. It's really easy to give into the world's opinion that writing isn't a real career.

6. How do you deal with this challenge?

I remind myself how absolutely awesome it felt to publish a short story on Smashwords and see my friends and family actually downloading it. And, then, I remember how fulfilling it is to use my gift and how no other high in the world can beat that.

7. What advice would you offer to other authors having to deal with this same challenge?

Don't let the world tell you that you can't make it work. If anything, remember that most people are insanely jealous of the fact that you are not afraid to live your dream.

8. Please explain to my readers your writing process and how you manage your life to accommodate your writing.

I can't really say that I have a standard writing process. Every time I write, I do it differently. 

I have a novel-length story I've been trying to write for a good 14 years and it's changed a lot. I guess, I started with a general concept of where I want to start and where I want to end up, but the middle has been a process of writing, tearing it all up and writing again.

When I started out, Beyond was a little piece of background to the story I mentioned above. The details came to me in a flood as I started writing.

The concept for The Gravic Exacerbation came to me in a rush one afternoon, but the first draft morphed and wobbled a lot. Then, I had to re-engineer most of it and change it far more than I had anticipated.

Who knows what will happen next time?

You can find all Natalie's books on Smashwords

Interview: STORM author Charmain Lines

1. What inspired you to write your stories for the STORM anthology?
Sadly I don’t have an interesting inspiration story to tell this time! The first three sentences literally popped up in my mind one evening (it might have been while I was brushing my teeth – something about that specific action regularly triggers thoughts/reminders/ideas). I went to one of my favourite coffee shops the next day and by the end of the afternoon had completed about a third of the story.

2. Tell us what your stories are all about.
“Once upon a storm” is a story in a story. The setting is an orphanage where one of the older girls read a bedtime story – about a little storm – to four younger children. As the bedtime story unfolds, we learn more about each of the children: Twinnie who pines for his lost half, the 20 cheetahs in Vince’s garden, Maggie’s wish for a picnic in a park, the mystery of the new girl and, of course, Lauren’s encounter with the woman who wears wings.

3. What excited you about taking part in the STORM anthology?
It was my first foray into short story-writing, and also my first writing project as part of a group.

4. What is your next project about and when can we expect it to be published?
My next novel is in Afrikaans and deals with three generations of the same family. When grandmother Stella dies, her sons and grandchildren discover a secret she’s been keeping from them for more than 30 years. This changes their perception of who she was and all she stood for, and forces them to examine all the other truths on which they had built their lives. My aim is to enter the manuscript into a local competition that closes on1 September 2014.

I’m also busy with a non-fiction book that tells the story of how a small Irish community succeeded in saving their local wetland (bog) from being mined for peat. We are planning to publish the book by the end of this year.

5. What is your biggest challenge in writing?
The time I spend I front of my laptop. I earn my living as a freelance corporate journalist/business writer, hence I pound away at my keyboard for most of the day. Sometimes I literally run out of words, and other times I can’t bear to be in front of the screen once my workday is over. Having said that, corporate writing has taught me incredibly useful lessons that I apply to my fiction writing.

6. How do you deal with this challenge?
By doing my fiction writing before my workday starts. Early in the morning, when it’s quiet and my mind is fresh, I can easily knock off a thousand words in an hour.

7. What advice would you offer to other authors having to deal with this same challenge?
Find the creative writing time that works for you and guard it jealously.

8. Please explain to my readers your writing process and how you manage your life to accommodate your writing.

I try to write between 05:30 and 06:30 every weekday morning. The routine helps me and by writing every day, my head stays with my story. Writing with other people has helped me a great deal in the past, ie, getting together for a few hours to write. When I can, I like to write in a coffee shop – the activity around me becomes white noise and the fact that someone else brings the refreshments to me keeps me pinned to my chair! I also find that sharing some of my writing with people whose opinions I trust can be a great motivator when I run out of steam. Constructive feedback at the right time is an energy boost for me.

You can find all Charmain's books on Smashwords

STORM Vol I and Vol II - the Pretoria Writers' Group Presents

This anthology has taken the world by STORM! As part of the pre-launch period you can now buy the two volumes at 50% of the normal price. The official launch will be 1 June 2014, after which the prices will be raised.

You can find out more about each Volume at the ANTHOLOGIES tab on top of this blog page, or click for Volume I or Volume II on Smashwords.

Reviews from our advance readers can be found on Goodreads (Volume I and Volume II). If you enjoyed our stories, as much as we did writing them, please take the time to leave us your review.

 Thank you for your support.

Cover Reveal: THE CUTTING HORIZON by Linzé Brandon

Consumed with guilt, Bryce had been drifting away from his wife of ten years. Until one evening when he was about to cheat on her, he came to realise that he was about to do would not resolve anything. Leaving the woman behind in the hotel, he races home in a thunderstorm.
Bryce could not have foreseen that not only was the storm about to force him to face up to his failures, but it would also bring into perspective that things in his marriage might not have been all that simple to start off with.
House bound by circumstances, the Sinclairs have to face the facts, and decide if their future would continue on the same path or separate ones?

This story is also available as part of the Storm Anthology Volume II 

Download/Buy
The Cutting Horizon

Interview: STORM Author Carmen Botman

1. What inspired you to write your stories for the STORM anthology?

The Icarus Curse was inspired by my genuine interest in how we as human beings are destroying our planet. The changing of the seasons is an actual tangible example that we’re all currently experiencing. I also watch a lot of Doomsday Preppers.

Dahlias and Daisies: I think the release of a notorious gangster not too long ago, and the escalating gang violence in certain communities is what led me to write this story. The story is not far-fetched and although completely fictional, I’m sure there would be people out there that would relate.

2. Tell us what your stories are all about.

The Icarus Curse is about Shiloh Reed, the protagonist in the story, who discovers, after the earth has been virtually destroyed, that she inadvertently holds the key to the restoration of the planet. The fate of humanity rests on her shoulders alone.

Dahlias and Daisies is a story about survival, both physical and emotional, about rising up against the odds and living the life you are meant to live, no matter where you’re from or what you’ve been through. Both my stories have strong, female protagonists in them. Girl power!

3. What excited you about taking part in the STORM anthology?

I have never belonged to a writing group before this. I had known for a long time that this is what I want to do with my life and having the support of the group, it just made the task a lot less daunting and seem much more ‘do-able.’ I thought the theme itself was fantastic and I am always up for a challenge. The fact that my name will be on an actual book as a contributing author is still unbelievable.

4. What is your next project about and when can we expect it to be published?

I am working on a YA fantasy/adventure series called The Ternion Series. Book one, The Kindling, is complete and at present I am still deciding how to go about getting it ‘out there,’ in the great big world. It is a full-length novel and I am about two-thirds of the way with the second book. So, watch this space.

5. What is your biggest challenge in writing?

My biggest challenge is my strange mixture of overconfidence and self-doubt – simultaneously. I’m sure many other writers feel this way as well. I get an idea and think it’s absolutely brilliant; that it will take the world by storm (excuse the pun) and then halfway through or at the end, I’ll look at it and wonder what the heck I was thinking! And then I have flashes of my manuscript being rejected and retreat until another brilliant idea hits me and I start the process all over again.

6. How do you deal with this challenge?

I’m still working on it. Basically I pep talk myself into manuscript submissions and tell myself upfront that they’ll probably say no, so that when it happens I don’t feel too bad about it. But I just read an article by Jeff Goins recently about this exact thing – apparently I’m doing it all wrong! Lol. So, let’s just say it’s (I’m) still a work in progress.

7. What advice would you offer to other authors having to deal with this same challenge?

Just go for it. Develop a thick skin. Trust me, feeling totally confused about your status as an author or even getting rejected by publishing houses is MUCH better than not even trying at all. You will seriously regret not trying, so if this is what you really want to do, then suck it up and do it.

8. Please explain to my readers your writing process and how you manage your life to accommodate your writing.

All stories start with an idea. If I have the basis for a story, I ask myself ‘what if’ questions about the characters and the scenes in my head. I always try and plot something out in the beginning, even if it’s only an outline, and then I completely disregard these as the story unfolds. I generally allow the characters to take me where they need to go. I work full-time, so I spend at least 9-10 hours out of the house every day. I do the cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing, etc. as well. My husband is currently working and studying, so there are many balls to keep in the air, but lo and behold, I manage. See my blog post about this very question. 

You can find all Carmen's books on Smashwords

Cover Reveal: STORM Volume II by the Pretoria Writers' Group

► STORM Volume II: Contemporary fiction, South African fiction is available at Smashwords a reduced price until 31 May 2014.

Cover Reveal: STORM Volume I by the Pretoria Writers' Group

► STORM Volume I: Fantasy, Science Fiction and Dystopia is available on Smashwords at a reduced price until 31 May 2014

Interview: STORM Author Richard T Wheeler

1. What inspired you to write your stories for the STORM anthology?

I had a recurring nightmare of sharks with human eyes living in rain-filled construction ditches that were trying to eat me. (It was in fact the ditches that tried to eat me, the sharks were quite friendly once I got to know them. They were however, notorious cheats at cards) So instead of seeking an urgent psychological evaluation, I diligently wrote the concept down as a story seed for a novel. Perfectly normal behaviour for a writer.

When I met up with the Pretoria Writers Group, I heard that there was a potential space for me to publish a short story with them. Problem was, I had only until the end of the month to complete the story. I jumped at the opportunity and hashed out a rough, wildly confusing dreamscape in a week. The process of squeezing sense out of it took quite a lot longer, considering that the source material involved great white ditch dwellers.

2. Tell us what your story is all about.

Conventional wisdom states that the leopard cannot change his spots, that a villain will always be a villain. But if heroes can be corrupted, surely villains can be redeemed? What can change the nature of a man? How did he end up being a villain in the first place? Is there really such a thing as villains?

So here’s the story: Can a wrathful, perverted, murdering, soliciting, financial enslaver find redemption?

Note from Linzé: Richard's story title is A Girl Called Storm

3. What excited you about taking part in the STORM anthology?

The challenge. I’ve not dabbled in the short format at all. (Probably due to the truly dreadful short stories that I was subjected to during the course of my English degree.) I wanted to see if I can do it. I wanted to see if I was able to work on a short timeframe in an unfamiliar format and still have some success.

Moreover, the support that I received from the Pretoria Writers Group was overwhelming. I
finally felt that I had met some kindred spirits, and by making this effort, I will make a favourable impression on them.

4. What is your next project about and when can we expect it to be published?

I am currently mid-draft on a novel concerning an insomniac dropout who needs to deal with ghosts who possess him to fulfil their unfinished business whenever he sleeps. It’s set in Pretoria and has a full complement of corrupt vigilante cops, love at first sight and copious amounts of Oppikoppi. As for the publishing date, I’ve recently discovered that I’m terrible at writing and have pushed back the release date to Soon™ or perhaps to When It’s Not Terrible™.

AtoZ Blog Challenge: S is for STORM

A storm? It is the theme for our writers' group's upcoming short story anthology. Instead of blabbering about it, yet again, this post is a teaser for the interviews of my fellow authors in the project.

Mark those days on your calender, because there is a storm coming, and nothing will be the same again!

3 May - Interview Richard T Wheeler
4 May - Cover reveal STORM Volume I
5 May - Cover reveal STORM Volume II
6 May - Interview Carmen Botman 
11 to 24 May - Blog tour (host blogs promoted)
4 June - Interview Charmain Lines
7 June - Interview Natalie Rivener
10 June - Interview Vanessa Wright

Both Volumes will be published on Smashwords in ebook formats suitable for all e-readers and mobile devices.

AtoZ Challenge: I is for INTERVIEW

Interviews of my fellow writers are coming up in May and June as part of our launch of the STORM anthology. They are Carmen Botman, Richard T Wheeler, Charmain Lines, Natalie Rivener, and Vanessa Wright.

If you like to ask a question I will ask each of them to answer in return - add it to the comments please. Hint: you can be as creative as you like, we are an out-of-the-box kind of group ☻

AtoZ Blog Challenge: G is for GUEST Post

All the guru's tell you that guest posting on other people's blogs is a good idea to grow your exposure - build your audience (if I may use the buzz words). While I like for other people to have a good word or two on my blog, I am rather hesitant to spread my words all over other people's blogs.

Am I shy? No, quite the opposite. The reason has to do with the masses upon masses of information in cyberspace. Why keep on repeating the same stuff over and over, and many times it is not even re-packaged to be better?

But when I am offered such an opportunity, I would rather share a lesson learned. Some lessons come at a high price. Where I as an indie author can save another or aspiring author, time, money or prevent a mistake due to ignorance, it is time and words well spent.

See my latest lesson learned and backup plans for STORM, a project of the Pretoria Writers' Group coming in June.

If you would like to be a guest on my blog, I have a theme of TIME MANAGEMENT this year. Please contact my by leaving a comment here, on a message on Twitter (please use #LinzeB in the tweet) or Facebook.

I would love to have your perception, tips and tales on this very important topic in any person's life.

Requesting Hosts for Blog Tour of STORM anthology

The Pretoria Writers' Group is requesting hosts for a blog tour of the STORM anthology.
It is an anthology to be published in two volumes (I for fantasy/scifi/dystopia and II for contemporary stories) intended for an adult audience (no erotica).

The tour will be from 11 to 24 May 2014.

If you are interested please email your preference for hosting to blog.tour.info@gmail.com

Notes:
1. This is NOT my personal email and only messages with STORM HOST in the subject line will be attended to.
2. Please indicate which Volume of STORM you would like to host (or both)
3. Please indicate if you would like to review (either or both) of the Volumes (a limited number of ARCs in PDF will be provided before the tour commences)
4. Please indicate if you would like to interview any of the authors on your blog (please provide the name(s) of the author and your questions in the email)
5. The authors are: Linzé Brandon, Vanessa von Mollendorf, Natalie Myburgh, Carmen Botman, Charmain Lines and Richard Wheeler.
6. The covers, buy links to both volumes, short excerpts of the stories in the relevant anthology (I = 6, II = 4) and the Smashwords author profile links for all the authors will be provided by 7 May 2014.

If you have any questions please include them in the email - thank you.

There is a STORM coming, and nothing will be the same

Both volumes will also be available as ebooks.

Not a South African resident?

Don't despair, launch week will have loads of ebook

special deals!

♥