Fountain of Youth

I’m back with another poem. If you’re a parent of teenaged girls or you’ve ever been a teenaged girl, you may relate to this one.

Fountain of Youth

You are silent
Believing I could never understand your life
I am mother, a cold and ancient stone goddess
You are too young to realize that the passing
Years are nothing to the universe
I am still fifteen and thrilled with my power to make him swell
He is sixteen and tastes of tobacco and risk
This is yesterday, a lifetime passed, the present moment
I am eighteen, and thirty-three and seventy-two all at once
Each age eternal, my memories
Spill and
Overflow, the perfect
Fountain of youth

 

Storm Warning

Poetry will always be my first love. I love the spareness of it, how each word has to fit just so. For me, a poem starts with a great splash of ideas on the page, then I go back and chop, chop, chop until the core of the idea is revealed.

Over the years, poetry has taken a back seat to my other writing but I found a box of my old stuff this past week when I was cleaning out my storage room and lo and behold there were all my old poems and short stories! I thought I had lost them forever in the midst of my multiple moves over the past few years.

Hmmm….I need to get back into writing poetry. It helps me sort out my feelings. Kind of like a journal but something you can share with others.

Here is one of my favourites.

Storm Warning

Gathering rain clouds remind me of
Hurricane eyes flashing lightning and
Jealous soul thunder
I smell the ozone of your anger
Taste friction in the wind
Tightairpressuresqueezingmoleculescollide
Rain drops acid heartache
I grab my umbrella and run
Avoiding the downpour

 

 

 

Author Interview with Jonathan Gould

Wow, you never know who you’re going to meet on the Internet! Thanks to the power of Twitter (can you tell I am a rabid fan?), I have connected with today”s author, Jonathan Gould. who hails from Australia. If you’re looking for something along the lines of The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, then Jonathan’s book is a must read!

Hello and welcome to Writing to Save My Soul.

Buy Doodling here

What is your book about?

Doodling is an absurd comic fantasy about a man who falls off the world
(because it’s moving too fast). He finds himself marooned in the middle of an
asteroid field where he meets a number of peculiar people. But just when it
seems he’s found a nice home at last, he gets thrown into a most unexpected
adventure in which the very survival of the asteroid field is at stake.

I like to describe it as Douglas Adams meets Lewis Carroll (with just a dash of
Gulliver’s Travels).

What was your biggest challenge in getting your book written and out for the
world to see? How did you overcome that?

My biggest challenge is always finding the time to get my writing done.
Doodling was written in dribs and drabs over more than ten years. The good
thing about this was it meant I’ve had a lot of time to come back to it and
refine both the storyline and the writing so by the time I got around to
publishing it I think it’s in really tight shape.

As far as getting it out, I’d been shopping it around to publishers (in Australia)
for years without success. They seemed to really like it but none was prepared
to take a punt. I think they were a bit scared away because it’s a story that’s
hard to pin down into one genre, and it also has appeal across a broad range of
reading ages (which I think is a good thing but which publishers don’t seem to
be so keen on it).

I eventually decided to self-publish it as an ebook late last year and I’m
really glad I did. While sales are still slow, I’m starting to get feedback
from readers and it’s wonderfully positive and encouraging

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

From Douglas Adams (one of my main inspirations) – Writers should not be in the
business of reinforcing stereotypes. I always think of this as I write and
check myself when I feel like I’m resorting to cliché and stereotype.

The quote is from a wonderful book called Last Chance to See – do check it out.

Who, or what, inspires you?

Lots of things. My friends and family. Things I read or watch (on TV or
movies). Current events. I try to always keep an open mind and think about how
I can turn the things I hear/read/watch/experience into stories

Have you ever read a book that made you think ‘wow’? If so, what book was it
and why did it have such an effect on you?

I’m constantly amazed by what other writers are able to achieve. There are two
that come to mind (if I’m allowed to mention more than one):

The Lord of the Rings – I know it’s a bit obvious – but as a kid it expanded my
idea of the scope that was possible within a novel

The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy – for showing how effectively you could
use humor mixed with great ideas and characters in a written form.

If you were going to mentor a new writer through the publishing process,
what pitfalls would you warn them against?

Be aware of the realities of how difficult it is to be successful as a writer,
whether legacy or self-published. Make sure your book is in the best possible
state it can be – get feedback, listen to the opinions of others and learn. And
then get networking – because your book isn’t going to sell itself, no matter
how great it is.

What kind of promotion have you tried? What do you find to be the most
effective?

I’m a real novice as far as promotion goes. My basic strategy is to get my book
out to as many readers as I can through giveaways, blog events and just casual
networking. The more people read my story, the more chance I have. My other
main focus at the moment is getting reviews. Word of mouth is the key and readers
are more likely to take a recommendation from someone who isn’t the writer of
the book.

In terms of how effective this is? Ask me in a year – or two – or five…

Tell us a random fact about yourself.

My main character, Neville is based on me, except he’s slightly taller and
better looking.

Sorry – that wasn’t about me, it was about Neville. But he’s way more
interesting than I am.

You can connect with Jonathan here:

Twitter: jonno_go
Blog http://daglit.blogspot.com
Book links:
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004KSQVCO
Smashwords – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/41101

Stress and my Health

I had my physical earlier this month–my lube, oil and filter as I call it. Everything was great (blood pressure low, heart rate good etc.) until the issue of my weight came up. Seems I’ve put on almost 30 lbs since my last physical two years ago. Not good. It didn’t take the doctor’s scales to tell me I was overweight, all I had to do was look at my recent photos– or my lack of recent photos since I was avoiding the camera. Until I hit my 40′s I had been in good shape. Not skinny anymore since I have inherited the huge chest that both my grandmothers had, but I was curvy. Now I am definitely apple-shaped, which I know is risky.

My weight gain has been particularly hard to accept because I was a skinny kid. When I got married I weighed 107 lbs for goodness sake! Being thin was a huge part of my identity so trying to accept the new me has been very hard to do. I have been consciously avoiding visiting any friends from my past because I do not look anything like I did back in high school. This weight gain has totally filled me with shame.

I made a list of everything that has happened to me during the past 2 years as a way of figuring out what the hell happened to me. Once I had it all down on paper, I could see the tremendous effect stress has had on my body:

-middle daughter (aka Kay) left for college August 2009

-broke my left foot in November 2009

-lost my job 4 days later

-moved to a new house 2 weeks after that

-my youngest daughter (aka Elle) moved in with her father and step-mother July 2010

-I moved in with my beau August 2010 (changed cities)

-I started college September 2010

It’s clear to me that stress makes me gain weight. I know I have not been taking care of myself and have been eating crap all this time. I struggled financially being an unemployed single parent trying to make some extra money freelancing and eating too much as a way of relieving the stress. I know I was seriously depressed during that time but dealt with it on my own because I don’t like the side effects associated with antidepressants. I thought the weight would magically fall off me when I was back in school and happy but that didn’t happen.

Life is a little more calm now but I have had a very hard time adjusting to an empty nest. I miss my youngest daughter so much. Motherhood is a very big part of my identity and I still feel lost because she isn’t around very often. Add the stress of fitting into my beau’s home and trying to get along with doing things a different way and the stress of going back to school full-time, it’s no wonder I gained weight!

Now that I have this realization, I can work on the solution: self-care.  I have to make time to see friends, see my kids on a regular basis and think about what I’m eating and why. I’m not trying to diet per se but I am trying to do what’s best for me.

I hope it works.

 

 

Author Interview with Glenn Skinner

Glenn Skinner is one of the terrific #pubwrite people I have met through Twitter. And
although we haven’t met personally (yet), he has always been a kind soul ready
to pour me a virtual drink and give encouragement.

Welcome to Writing to Save My Soul. What is your book
about?

Buy The Keya Quests here

My current novel, The Keya Quests: The Battle for Shivenridge is the second book
in my Keya Quests series. Let me quickly step back for background. Centuries
ago on a small island off the coast of Maine, elven priests from a parallel
world forged a sword of great power. Twenty years ago a warlord in their world
found the sword and waged a war not only to control their world, but ours as
well. In a last stand, both elf & man led by a young fairy queen waged a
final battle. During the battle, the queen was struck down and killed. In that moment the warlord let down his guard. A young soldier defeated him and gained possession of the sword. He left their world returning to ours ordering the portal sealed behind him. He vowed to find a way to destroy the sword.

Flash forward to modern day. A new warlord has risen to power in the land of the elves. He has learned of a young elven woman with a way to not only open the portal, but find the warrior who possesses the sword. He orders his armies to descend upon the shire of Shivenridge to find this girl, but unknown to him, she has been raised since birth to be a great warrior. She devises a plan of her own, to open the portal, find the great warrior, and convince him to return to free the people of Shivenridge. That woman is Keya Taylos.

Without introducing too many spoilers, the second book picks up where the first book ended with Keya, our heroine, returning with the great warrior to free the people of Shivenridge. Only Keya returns with a new reality, for destiny has revealed that all that
she knew, and held dear to be true were but illusions, three lost souls have been re-united and their lives changed forever. With this new knowledge, Keya struggles to overcome her fears and doubts while trying to free the people of Shivenridge. There is a curse that must be broken and a book that holds the key. Betrayal and fear abound, will she be able to complete her task or will the price of freedom prove to be too high? These are the tales of her journeys, her quests…

What was your biggest challenge in getting your book written and out for the world to see? How did you overcome that?

Writing was the easy part, the endless hours of editing, re-editing and when I was sure it was right, to re-edit again was brutal. I wanted to cut my wrists and end my misery. I knew I was unable to find and fix everything in my writing so I used as many options as I could find. I used online auto critiquing software, beta readers, and finally a proof editor. Each step brought me closer to where I needed to be. The editing phase actually took longer than the writing.The publishing part was easy, this being my second book, I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to know about publishing. Right from the beginning I knew I would self-publish. My hectic life leads little time for a traditional approach. I made that decision early on and do not regret it. I knew what I wanted done, where, and who was
going to do it, months before the manuscript was ready. I used the same publisher as my first book, and working closely together, we published 4 weeks ahead of my target date, this included the creation of two maps and an illustration designed for me by the publisher. This included the paperback, hardback, kindle and nook versions as well as a pdf ebook edition.

It was the knowledge I learned from the first book and the pre-planning, not to mention the understanding and great cooperation of my publisher (Thank you, Outskirts Press)
who bent their normal process and rules to accommodate my needs.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Honesty, the best advice and I can’t tout it enough is to just write. If it’s inside of you then write it, don’t think about it, over think it, reason it, just write. When it’s no longer fun then stop, you’re only cheating yourself and your work. If afterwards, you don’t like it then edit or delete, but let it out, writing is one of the few remaining pure and simple acts of enjoyment in this world. Don’t hold it in, embrace it.

Who, or what, inspires you?

Fireflies and things that bump in the night are my inspiration. A quick twinkle of light against a dark sky, or that faint noise that you just can’t identify releases the imagination.
It stirs the emotion or maybe brings out the fear that reminds one, they are alive. It takes you to a world of fantasy and mystery momentarily freeing you from the grey of everyday life. It’s that feeling that drives my writing, to bring color to the grey.

Have you ever read a book that made you think ‘wow’? If so, what book was it and why did it have such an effect on you?

Asking this question to a fantasy writer, I would be surprised if you have not guessed my response: The Lord of the Rings. It is an amazing piece of fiction. Tolkien not only created
this great middle world, he created an array of believable characters and settings right down to creating actual languages for the races. I was blown away by the attention to detail and a story so well written, that it is brought everything to life.

If you were going to mentor a new writer through the publishing process, what pitfalls would you warn them against?

Being a self published author, I can only speak from that perspective but first and foremost, I would recommend a new writer sit down and think about what they really want and why they are writing. Is it career driven or just for love. They need to decide on how they want to publish and then do their homework. If traditional is their desire, then research agents, and publishers, target those who are in your genre. Take the time to learn how to draft a query and take any rejections with stride. There is something positive to take back from everything no matter how negative they appear.

If self publishing, take your time and decide where you want to market your book. Are you publishing for just family and friends, or potentially to see your work in book store? Once
you’ve decided, explore all your options and read the fine print! If you are going to do it all yourself, don’t be afraid to seek out second opinions and assistance where needed. Copy edit, no matter how good you think it is, get a second, third and fourth set of eyes to look at it. Your public will crucify you if you don’t. It is not the place to cut corners or breeze over. Spend time with the cover, it will be the make or break purchase decision of many readers.
It has to catch them and draw them in. It should grab and hold them, yet not mislead.

Lastly I say it again, read the fine print!! Before you sign an agreement, purchase a service, commit to an agent or publisher, make sure you read and understand every detail. Know
what you are gaining and giving up. Make sure it is in line with your goals.

What kind of promotion have you tried? What do you find to be the most effective?

I’ve tried many things: press releases, website, blog (http://lostbowyer.wordpress.com),
interviews, Twitter (@keyaquests), Facebook, Goodreads, giveaways, contests,
word of mouth advertising and plain old groveling. I honestly have to say the
two most effective to date have been word of mouth and giveaways. The word of
mouth is a slow continuous process and is ever ongoing. The giveaways bring an
immediate attention, but proportionately a small yield for the instant attention, but worthwhile never the less.

Surprisingly, Twitter while it is my best networking source, is the least effective for sales or
promotions.

I don’t believe any one source of promotion is the answer, you need an entire package. it is a combination of all available resources that makes your promotion effective. 

Tell us a random fact about yourself.

I used to carve English-style longbows at the local renfair.

Author Interview with Jennifer Zwaniga

Today, I kick off my series of author interviews with my good friend, Jennifer Zwaniga, who has published four Young Adult novels on Amazon in both e-book and print format.

I met Jennifer about six years ago at a continuing education class on how to write a novel and we immediately hit if off.  We continue to meet each month in our writing group–without Jennifer’s gentle but firm nagging, I never would have finished my book!

Welcome to Writing to Save My Soul. What is your book about?

Buy Someone Else’s Life here

Someone Else’s Life is about Keri, a teenage girl who is struggling with her identity and with her strained relationship with her mom. When Keri’s mother has a mental breakdown, Keri is sent to spend a summer at her grandmother’s plantation home in South Carolina. From the moment she arrives, strange things begin to happen and Keri soon learns that her family is keeping a dark secret from her. Determined to uncover the truth, Keri begins putting the pieces together and realizes that the mysteries of the past have more to do with her than anyone in the family could have known. It is a journey of self-discovery, mending old relationships and (naturally) discovering new love.

What was your biggest challenge in getting your book written and out for the world to see? How did you overcome that?

Getting my book written wasn’t such a big problem. Getting it out for the world to see was the bigger challenge for me, since I tend to shy away from the spotlight. When I made the decision to publish, it meant that I would be responsible for getting the word out there and doing my own marketing. The problem is I’m a terrible self-promoter. That’s a big challenge to overcome. In the end I just realized that there was little point in publishing my book if I wasn’t prepared to be proud of my accomplishments and announce it to the world, regardless of what their opinions may be. I had to stop worrying about what other people think and just do what I needed to do. It was a decision more than anything.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Allow yourself to write crap. Knowing that it’s okay to get the story down without worrying that every last detail is perfect in your first draft takes a lot of pressure off of the writing process. Fine tuning and perfecting your story is what the editing process is all about.

Who, or what, inspires you?

The people in my writing group regularly inspire me. I find having that support group invaluable. They give me a reason to keep writing when I don’t feel like writing and they give me encouragement when I’m having doubts and bad days. They are like a my lifeline. I don’t know if I would still be writing today if it were not for them.

Have you ever read a book that made you think ‘wow’? If so, what book was it and why did it have such an effect on you?

It’s so hard to narrow it down to one book. Authors Kristin Hannah and Jodi Picoult make me think ‘wow’ after just about every book of theirs I read. Picoult’s book deal with the most interesting, unique and controversial subjects that you can’t help but be somewhat in awe after reading. Both authors have a way of making you care deeply for their characters. I don’t even know how many times I cried while reading Kristin Hannah’s latest book ‘Night Road’. When an author can stir up that kind of emotion in me, it makes me think ‘wow’.

If you were going to mentor a new writer through the publishing process, what pitfalls would you warn them against?

Aside from the more obvious things like it being a considerable amount of effort doing all the writing, editing, formatting, publishing and promoting yourself  I would warn new authors to be realistic in your expectations. Just because you’ve published your book and it’s out there, doesn’t mean that you are going to instantly have huge sales and make big bucks. You might also be a little surprised and disappointed by the lack of support you get from the people (friends and family) that you most expect to be your biggest supporters.

What kind of promotion have you tried? What do you find to be the most effective?

Honestly, I’m just in the early stages of promotion. One of the first things I did was email and Facebook my friends and family to let them know. I opened a Twitter account where I am starting to network with some other writers (you can follow me @JZwaniga) and I started a blog: http://jenniferzwaniga.wordpress.com. At this point, I’m still waiting to see what will be the most effective.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.

I was an extra in a movie once. Guilty as Sin, starring Rebecca De Mornay and Don Johnson.

Karma Time!

As an indie author I have to do it all: write, edit and promote my work. In an attempt to get the word out about my book, I have been fortunate enough to have been interviewed by some terrific people over the past few weeks.

I truly appreciate everyone who has allowed me a bit of space on their blog to tell the world about Cage of Bone. I have now added a new page to Writing to Save My Soul that lists all the interviews in one spot.

As a payback for all of this kindness, I will begin posting other indie author interviews here. If you are a self-published author looking for a little promotion, contact me and I will send you my list of interview questions.

Karma time!