Decluttering my office...but that was the excuse

My to-read bookshelf, with my writing reference books top right :)

I have never been the most organised person on the planet. In fact my mother would probably roll her eyes if I claimed that I was. My home office had been organised, sort of, until the day I decided to reorganise the furniture.
For that habit I have to blame my mother since she habitually moved the furniture around when I was still living at home. It would seem that I inherited that vice (virtue?) from her. And yes, I do do that, even at my office at work, to the amusement, and dare I say entertainment, of my colleagues.
Since the move, a few months back, I have been feeling more than a touch claustrophobic in my office at home. Time to get it back to order, I told myself.
I have started, and still have a long way to go to truly claim a modicum of organisation, but I have done the one thing that I needed to do: organised my to-read books.
I confess to being a book addict - paperback and ebook. While I had all these books, I had them packed away in my stationary cabinet - again to get some order. This left me with a problem: finding something to read.
Stored right at the bottom, four stacks deep, it was simply impossible (read lazy) to find anything to read, unless I unpacked everything. So I made the time and did exactly that.
Now I can see all the paperbacks (and my collection of hardbacks) at one glance, and finding a book to read, became an exercise of reaching out, making a cup of coffee and putting my feet up.
Good thing my kindle is simply a question of a button push or two, otherwise I would have been in real trouble!

Look out for my posts on one of my favourite genres: the murder mystery, coming soon :)

Wishing you a happy reading week!

Infographic Thursday: Why Self-Publish

Source: www.visual.ly

There is a bit more to it than this, but the infographic does sum it up fairly well :)

Happily Ever After Romance Blog Tour

If romance is your game, book your spot to promote your book in September! Only 8 spots available. Drop me an email, SEPTEMBER ROMANCE in the subject line, at blog.tour.info(at)gmail.com and get more exposure - pun intended ;)

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Infographic Thursday: Your coffee personality

Source www.visual.ly

How long does it take to choose a book title?

How long does it take to choose a book title?

You might rightly wonder why I asked this question. As I had mentioned in a previous post, I had already written book 4 in the Nations of Peace Series, when I got the idea to write Michael's Mystery.

This story's title has been the only one of all that I have written published or not, that baffled me. In fact, I was planning on asking beta readers to help me figure out a title, because for some reason I couldn't get it right.

It went from Exquisite Pleasure to the Future Master, to Adrian's story (dull, huh?) to being Untitled.

Then it struck me this morning at work, while I was thinking about my tasks for the day. An Aha! moment indeed.

When I wrote it down (otherwise I would surely have forgotten) it just made perfect sense. It encompasses the fundamental issue in the whole story.

No, it is not a new 50 Shades (shudders) of anything. It will simply be titled: Waiting for Adrian, the first book of the sub-series The Future Masters.

And the most baffling thing of all - it took me three years to get to this point. Funny how the mind works, but it is the only option so far that not only makes sense, but feels right for the story.

Now I am so excited that I can barely wait to finish Michael's Mystery, so that I can dig into Adrian's story.

I sincerely hope that you have not encountered this problem, but if you had, please me tell how you overcame it so that it doesn't take me another 3 years if it happens again.

Infographic Thursday: Proofreading vs Editing

Source: www.visual.ly

Guest Post on Incantation Paradox by Annamaria Bazzi

Linzé: What inspired you to write the Incantation Paradox?

Annamaria: It was an unusual morning when I slipped out of bed from the wrong side. The innocent act set the stage for the entire day—wacky. The fog lingering in the peripherals of my vision set freaky tone to the day. I looked in the mirror and giggled as acts of mischief crowded my mind.

With my mug of latte I sat before my laptop and sent an email to a good friend. ‘I don’t know why,’ I typed, ‘this morning when I looked in the mirror I saw my young self.’ No I was not crazy, was actually chuckling as I wrote the email because my friend usually takes everything very literally.

His response triggered thoughts of Freaky Friday, the Walt Disney movie starting Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, and other movies where the protagonist ended up in a young body or an older one like Big with Tom Hanks. The world seemed to enjoy such tales—I did too.

The adventure began and I wrote an entire novel in first person to better express the protagonist’s feelings, but when I was done second thoughts crept in my mind. I wanted to get to know Eric, the antagonist, much better. I wanted to know what made him do the things he did?

Now it became a bit more difficult to show all of Dolores’s emotions and internal struggles, but I believe Eric has added a new and mysterious side to the novel.

The next adventure began as I got to know Eric while rewriting the novel in third person limited. It also gave me an opportunity to get to know Jason better and actually let him fall in love with the woman inside Mona’s body.

When the adventure ended and Incantation Paradox became a published reality, like any writer, I turned to the next project to keep me busy.

Linzé: So there you have it. Early morning thoughts that turned into a novel. Writers do get ideas in normal situations too ;) You can find more info about the Incantation Paradox on 

Amazon / smashwords / B&N. Enjoy!

Author Bio

Although born in the United States, Annamaria Bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the states, she promised herself she would speak without an accent. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish.

Annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.

You can visit Annamaria at:

blog http://annamariabazzi.com

website http://www.annamariasbooks.com
facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Author.annamariabazzi
email annamariascorner@yahoo.com
twitter https://twitter.com/AMBazzi
goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6890526.Annamaria_Bazzi
Check in on Kendíka’s facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kendika.burkeshire

Feeling disconnected from my story: Is this normal?

Being a writer can sometimes be an odd experience. Case in point: my third novel, Michael's Mystery.

It wasn't planned to be the third novel, in fact I had already written the third novel (untitled thus far) when I came up with the idea for Michael's Mystery.

Aside from publishing STORM, and a few other short stories, I have not done with Michael's Mystery that I had done on the first two, or even the now new number four, five and six. Yes, they are already drafted, and only await the heavy hand of editing before publication.

I didn't sit down and write the story of Michael and Andesine beginning to end, I stopped and did other projects in between. And now it is coming back to bite me.

As a pantser, I don't plan my stories in detail, my "planning" attention goes into my characters and their environment.

Keeping that in mind, I had to go back and reread what I have already written to pick up the trail of my story. Now that is normal practice for me, except that this time I ran into a wall. The internal editor wall.

The more I read, the more I wanted to sit down and fix the plot gaps, the grammatical errors and streamlining it with book 2 and book 4. Being consistent is after all very important in a series.

I have no idea if this ever happened to anyone else, but this is a first for me.

Is the story done and ready for editing? No.

I estimate that it needs about 15k words more. The word count is not that important, but it definitely needs the battle scene that has been threatening for a chapter or two and of course the ending needs to be done too. And knowing my characters, they won't be able to keep their hands off each other either, so a scene with an intimate encounter might also happen somewhere.

What do I do now? Write? Procrastinate? Edit?

For the short term, ie. Camp NaNoWriMo, I am working on another project to keep going on my target.

I have not decided yet on the course of action come August, but the deadline for publication of Michael's Mystery (a novel of the Grandmasters) is coming closer at a rapid rate.

And so I keep plotting ...

Infographic Thursday: Make your day better

Source: www.visual.ly

Release Day: Deadly Betrayal by Kristine Cayne

An Afghan woman’s rights activist with a dark secret.

Azita Seraj, doctor and women’s rights activist in Afghanistan, is horrified to learn that her late husband’s brother, Khalid Mullazai, is giving his eleven-year-old niece to a militant warlord. Desperate to save the girl, she reaches out to the only hope she has: an American soldier she treated several years earlier for a near-fatal gunshot wound. A wound he received in an ambush she’d unwittingly initiated. Can she enlist his aid and still keep secret her betrayal?

An American soldier searching for answers.

Kaden Christiansen never forgot the beautiful Afghan doctor who saved his life, and when he receives her cry for help, he doesn’t hesitate. He relishes the opportunity to see Azita again, and being in-country will give him a chance to hunt down the person responsible for the ambush that left one of his men dead.

A deadly conspiracy that threatens them both...

Pursued by Mullazai and the warlord’s fighters as they travel across the country disguised and posing as a married couple, Kaden and Azita begin to fall for their own act and for each other. But Kaden senses that Azita is holding back. Is the reason their cultural differences, or something darker?

Add it to your Goodreads TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17801275-deadly-betrayal

Catch up on the award-winning DEADLY VICES series before the launch of book three, DEADLY BETRAYAL on July 21st!

DEADLY OBSESSION - 4.4 stars on 107 reviews

Nic Lamoureux's perfect movie star life is shattered by a stalker who threatens any woman close to him. When he meets photographer Lauren James, the attraction is instant--and mutual. She's exactly the sort of woman he craves, but the stalker makes deadly clear Lauren is the competition. And the competition must be eliminated.

DEADLY ADDICTION - 4.8 stars on 39 reviews

When Rémi Whitedeer and Alyssa Morgan uncover a drug-fueled scheme on the Blackriver Reserve—a scheme involving a biker gang from Alyssa’s past and a militant sovereigntist group led by Rémi’s cousin—Rémi must choose between loyalty to family and tribe or his growing love for Alyssa. Will Rémi and Alyssa have to leave everything behind—even their identities—for the chance at a future together?

Infographic Thursday: A Blogging Strategy

Source: www.visual.ly

International Authors' Day Blog Hop

Thank you to Debdatta of  http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in who is hosting this blog tour to celebrate International Authors' Day.

A short while ago I asked for articles about being a writer, but it seems that my fellow South African authors are very shy when it comes to sharing their stories.
From experience, and having some great friends outside my home country, I decided that we all could benefit from a compilation of our stories.

You may submit a maximum of 2 articles, between 1500 to 2000 words each, on YOUR experiences, or YOUR advice on writing or being a writer. This is not a project on general advice, it has to be from a personal perspective. First person POV is recommended. Only English language submissions will be considered.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:
1.    Time Management
2.   What made you decide to write/publish
3.   What to write - fiction or non-fiction
4.   Which genre is best
5.   Sex or no sex
6.   Collaboration projects - multi author and/or anthologies
7.   The positives/negatives of alpha and beta readers
8.   What you expect from a reviewer
9.   Book blog tours
10.  Choosing an editor
11.  Book cover design
12.  Author Branding
13.  Marketing
14.  Social media
15.  Ebook or print?
16.  Children’s books
17.  YA and NA books
etc.

Please submit your articles/stories to blog.tour.info@gmail.com as a .doc, .rtf or .txt file.

Deadline for submissions: 30 September 2014, 12pm, South African time (GMT+2)

We are looking for around 45-50 essays to publish in ebook format to distribute for free via Smashwords and Amazon. It will be uploaded to Goodreads, and you will be tagged, if you have a profile.

If your article(s) are selected, your author bio, book links, social media links, and blog / website details will be requested for inclusion in the publication.

Please ensure your work is edited before submission.

We reserve the right not to select every submission for publication.

The project is open to any and all published authors.

So here is your chance to share your story, and inspire many others to gather their courage to face their fears, and take that final step into the world of being a published writer.

Infographic Thursday: Hooow tooo beee Moore CREATIVE!

This is one long, long, long infographic :) Creativity is something that many people take for granted, simply because it is the way we are, but it does not have to be only that way.
Anyone can be creative, and it is not even that difficult.
Okay, shutting big mouth here, because the creative writing process is different for everyone. I am sure artists will agree that the argument holds true for them too.
I often get the weirdest ideas at the oddest moments, and 'what if' is the one phrase my brain seems to love above all others. Don't get me wrong, some of my brainwaves do not deserve to be mentioned, while others are explored in some or other story that I am concocting at the time.
Once in a while, the idea sticks and grows to become a short story or a novel.  Sometimes it even ends up worth reading.
May your creative endeavours give you hours of pleasure, and satisfy that deep dark need to ... write!


The infographic can be found on www.visual.ly

Invitation: Share your experiences and advice with others

The South African market is small and a challenge at the best of times. If you are a published author (indie or not) what advice, anecdotes and tales would you like to share with other writers? Drop us a line if you are interested - details in the graphic 

Help build your audience by taking part in this project, aptly named FEARLESS, because our journey may not easy, but neither could we give in to the fear that prevents us from fulfilling our dreams.

Come on, you have always wanted to!

Blog Tour: Bootie and the Beast by Falguni Kothari

 

Fairytales don't end with True Love's Kiss, they begin with one...

Diya Mathur (aka Beauty), celebrated supermodel and Party Princess of India, is adored by everyone. She works hard, plays hard, and has the biggest shoe fetish on the planet. But after she purchases one baby bootie, Diya's reputation is in ruins. There's only one place to escape the rumours - Texas, under the protection of her lifelong friend, and secret love, Krish Menon (aka the Beast).

Financial whizz-kid, CFO and entrepreneur, Krish is a brooding workaholic with a charisma that still brings Beauty Mathur to her knees. He has no idea, of course! They've shared a bond since childhood - a special friendship that thrives on sparring, teasing and goading - but with Diya back in his life and under his roof, Krish's latent desire for her explodes. And when he finally admits to the secret that has never allowed him to commit to any woman - especially Diya - everything changes. Krish might finally realise how much he wants his Beauty. But he won't get her until Diya has tamed her Beast.

Author Bio and Books Links

Falguni Kothari is a non-traditional homemaker who accidentally tripped on a misplaced soccer ball and fell down the writer’s rabbit hole. Having no more experience with the whole writing/publishing shebang than being a voracious reader and movie buff, it more than surprised her that she could, in fact, write a full-length novel.

Now, several manuscripts down, when she is not trying to find a way out of her many domestic duties or cajoling her Latin dance coach to compose a rumba on Bollywood music, she is found embroiled in some or other scandal—sorry, creating stories—on her ever-faithful laptop.

She’s authored Bootie and the Beast, It’s Your Move, Wordfreak! and Scrabbulous Impressions, a short story. She rumbas across a whole smorgasbord of Social Media daily and loves to connect with most living things.

Website: www.falgunikothari.com

Twitter: @F2tweet https://twitter.com/F2tweet

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/falgunikothari.author

Blog: http://falgunikothari.blogspot.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/falgunikothari

Google+ : https://plus.google.com/+FalguniKothari

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/falgunikothari/

Book links for Bootie and the Beast:

Amazon UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bootie-Beast-Indian-Author-Collection-ebook/dp/B00KM0ZQ4S/ref=pd_rhf_eebr_p_t_1_RZEY

Amazon India:

http://www.amazon.in/Bootie-Beast-Falguni-Kothari/dp/9351065065/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398098298&sr=1-2

Mills and Boon:

http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/bootie-and-the-beast

Infographic Thursday: Oops, not again!

Infographic from www.visual.ly

I have recently read an article about famous writers, alive and dead, who chose to write their novels by hand. While I write my books on my computer, I still enjoy the weight of my heavy Waterman fountain pen when writing in my journal.
I claim no perfection in my writing, but I feel that I make fewer errors when writing by hand. Am I going to start writing my novels or short stories by hand? Hell, no! If I did I will never finish anything, simply because of the time it will take to do that, and then transcribing it to computer for it to be published.
I suppose like most people, non-writers included, I have come to rely on word processors to fix my mistakes even as I make them.
But computers don't know what we want to write, it uses an algorithm to correct words to be the closest match to the wrong word we typed. Or the rules of good grammar that is programmed into its code.
So it really is up to us to check what we are writing, and understand that the words we are using are the ones we intended to be there. Then again it helps if you know a good editor.
Do you still struggle with these annoying little mistakes as I sometimes do despite all the words I have written and published?

I couldn't resist sharing. . . :)

Normally I don't put any of my book links on my home page, unless there is a launch or some special going on, but this one I couldn't resist sharing. It just looks that good :)

Infographic Thursday: The DNA of a Good Book

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of blogs out there to give advice on writing, structuring, characterisation, plotting and scene setting in a novel. Advice abounds on use of short sentences, proper syntax and grammar, to say nothing of every writer's pet peeve, correct punctuation.
As a writer with some experience, I am still perfecting my craft (turning it into art?) and have compiled an extensive list of references of my go-to blogs for advice on writing. You can never know too much, in my opinion.
As many a writer, traditionally or indie published will tell you, that writing a good book is simply the start. But this is an incredibly important start. Without that good book, well written, edited and proof read, the rest will only be a waste of time. And the rest is just as important to get it to my audience - my readers.

So here is today's info graphic on what makes a good book. What are the most important elements for you to make a book a favourite worthy to be read time and again?

Click the info graphic to see more details. Source www.visual.ly

Invitation: Launching STORM

Infographic Thursday: What are Infographics?

Last week I introduced a new series for Thursdays: infographics. This week I share an infographic, about infographics. As you will learn (as I did) over the next few weeks, an infographic can be a handy tool to graphically convey a message. The trick is to do it in such a way that the message is concise and yet presented in such a way that it draws the attention of the intended audience.
At first glance they look easy to compile, but I have learned that it will take a little more study, some computer skills and more research for me to be able to design my own.
If you are interested in doing your own infographic, look around for a template that would closely resemble what you wish to use and then work from there.
On the other hand, you can also find professionals that can help you to custom design the infographic that is just perfect for your unique message.

You find this infographic on www.visual.ly

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

Infographic Thursday: Blogging for the Blogger

 

 

Don't you sometimes wish that there was just one more hour in the day? Heck, one more hour in the week could work too!

With work and writing and life's endeavours, where do you find the time to keep up a regular blog in all that?

The answer lies in passion. Ha, not the kind that sets bed sheets on fire (well, not here anyway), but the kind that makes you excited about something, an issue, a charity or a social concern.

My passion is writing, but I can get excited about most things you can place under the creativity umbrella.

Do you need to blog everyday? Twice a week? Once a month?

The are no hard and fast rules, but the generally accepted timeframe is twice a week. But if that is not possible, pick a schedule that will suit you, that your readers like, and stick to it.

 

I keep a calendar, but when the challenge of a book launch and a long awaited art competition cross my path, so does my good planning slip out of the back door.

And here I have a time management theme for 2014. 

Guilty of not taking own advice, your honour!

 

Here are a few tips to help you out, but feel free to add from your own experience what has worked for you, and what didn't.

 

Source for the Infographic

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.

Author Blog Hop

1) What am I working on?
Having just, as in recent days, published our writers' group's anthology, STORM (Volume I and Volume II), I have to check out the projects that I have scheduled myself to complete this year. I made a list to keep myself accountable. The first one is to do my editing on the third book in my Third Gender Series, and then get it to a professional editor to make it perfect. The story is called Obsession and I hope to have it ready for publication by July this year.
The second project is to finish my third novel, titled Michael's Mystery. I estimate it to be about 70% complete, so there is still a lot of work to be done.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I write in whatever genre my story needs to be written, so it is hard to pin it down. However, Obsession can be considered sci-fi romance and Michael's Mystery is a fantasy romance novel. So, yeah, I am a romantic at heart and will try to get my happily-ever-afters, in whatever genre happens to be on the cards.
I doubt if there is really a unique plot out there, so I cannot claim to be the next big thing in writing. I tell stories. Stories of people who want to find love, or not. Characters who get into situations where they have to make difficult choices, sometimes big sacrifices, and to my mind we as people often have to do the same. Maybe not using magic fireballs, or dragon swords, but the choices may be just as difficult.

3) Why do I write what I do?
I write what I read. I love paranormal/fantasy romance and I also read a lot of erotic romance books. As you can probably guess by now, I am a sucker for romance!
While I also read historical romances, love murder mysteries and have been known to read extreme sci-fi, I do not write in these genres. Why not, you may ask? I have no idea. I just don't I suppose :)

4) How does my writing process work?
This is the simple answer - I apply butt to chair and I write. Planning in any detail doesn't work for me, ie I am a pantser. That doesn't mean that I don't do any research, on the contrary. I have tried it both ways - planning and pantsing - and decided to stick to the way I am doing it now. As a project manager in the military industry by day, I write in the evenings. And I try to do it for two hours uninterrupted every day. I try to do more on weekends, but it is not always possible - I do have a life after all :)

Thank you, Nomanono for tagging me in this blog hop :)