C.L. Schneider's Blog: Heading Down the Yellow Brick Road

I'm so excited to share with you the cover of Slash & Burn, the 4th installment in the Nite Fire Series! The cover is a little different from the first three books but, since this one's a game-changer for Dahila and the gang, it's fitting. Check out the blurb below...

Surviving her ordeal on Drimera was only the beginning. Forced to pick up the remains of her life and move on, Dahlia returns to her vigilante ways: hunting monsters by the cover of darkness. Backed by a new team, she vows to keep the streets safe while training to harness the eye’s abilities. But the city has become a time bomb, and every day the clock ticks faster—as the creatures pour in and the blight spreads. Dahlia worries she will never be enough to stop the impending destruction. How can she be the answer to saving them all?

Already stretched thin, Dahlia shies away from investigating the Sentinel’s latest murder spree. But the victims’ identities confound her. And the fragile thread tying the postmortem mutilations to Ella Chandler is impossible to ignore. Compelled to unravel the truth, what she uncovers only deepens the mystery. Who engineered the sinister plot? Why does everything lead back to that first case—the one that brought Dahlia out of the shadows and into the light?

Time is running out. Change is coming, and the worlds will never be the same.

If you haven't read the first three books, there's still time to catch up. You can find the first book here Flash Point And all three are now available on Audible.

Stay tuned for a pre-order link in January 2021.

Immerse yourself in the time-spanning epic tale of Ian Troy in a whole new way! Magic-Price is now on Audible! It has been a fun and exciting journey working with my talented narrator, Daniel Storm, and I couldn't be more pleased with the finished product.

In the beginning, though, I was hesitant. I wanted to offer my stories in all formats, but I was far from an expert. I had no idea what would make a good audiobook. I'd only listened to a handful in my life. When I started getting more and more inquiries from readers, asking when The Crown of Stones would be available on audio, I knew it was time to learn the process. I liked the idea of transporting someone to the world of Mirra'kelan in a whole new way. I wanted to see Ian's story brought to life. I knew I needed an experienced narrator with professional equipment. But I wasn't sure what to expect.

I had questions.
• What qualities should I look for in a narrator?
• Would I find someone who could do justice to my characters?
• How much should I expect it cost me?
• How much input should I expect to have?
• What type of time commitment does it require?
• Would it be worth the time and investment? Would anyone buy it?

It was easier not to find out, so I stayed in my comfort zone and procrastinated a while longer. I might still be there, if it wasn't for a narrator reaching out to me. He stumbled upon The Crown of Stones, liked the story, and approached me about doing the narration. His interest was the push I needed to dive in. Now, months later, Magic-Price is out on audio, and Daniel and I are ready to embark on the journey again with Magic-Scars.

What did I learn along the way?
• I didn't need to be an expert.
• One of the most important qualities to look for in a narrator is their interest and passion for the project. Finding someone you can work with, who is committed to bringing your vision to life is key.
• Can't afford to pay upfront? There are many quality narrators who participate in the royalty share program with ACX. If you don't feel ACX is right for you, there are other options out there to explore.
• Yes, it's an old saying, but it's true: you get out what you put in. Provide your narrator with the time and the tools they need from the start to not only know, but embody, your characters. Voice clips and detailed character profiles can go a long way.
• This is a team effort. Your narrator works with you, not for you.
• Be involved with the process. Speak up. But don't ask for the impossible.
• Keep a dialogue going with your narrator. Review and edit each chapter as you go. If an important word is being mispronounced, don't get ten chapters in without finding out.
• Don't rush. Yes, it will take time of your busy day. But you both want a product you can be proud of. Commit to making one worthy of a listener's money and their time.
• Listen to the finished product. It's your last chance to catch little things you missed along the way and review requested edits. Most importantly, reviewing larger pieces of the story at one time (versus chapter by chapter), provides more continuity and a chance to experience the audiobook as a listener would.

None of those are earth shattering revelations. None of them will guarantee you a smooth experience, a top quality audiobook, or a single sale. Being involved with production and finding someone you can work with, however, will make for a much more positive experience. I enjoyed the process so much, I've already selected someone to narrate the Nite Fire Series. I can't wait to get started!

*Purchase Magic-Price on audio, listen to a sample, listen free with a free trial of Audible, or read free on Kindle Unlimited.

I win-you win! To celebrate my first published novel winning a bronze medal in the Reader’s Favorite International Book Awards, Magic-Price, the 1st book in The Crown of Stones Trilogy, will be FREE on Kindle—for the first time ever! I’ll be heading to Miami for the awards ceremony this upcoming weekend. Monday starts the free promotion, so consider it the After Party😊


Magic-Price will be free on Kindle starting Monday, 11/20, for three days only. Don’t miss it! http://mybook.to/COS1


But that’s not all!

My latest release, Flash Point was awarded the silver for urban fantasy. In celebration, and for Black Friday Week, Flash Point will be on Kindle Countdown for ONLY .99 from 11/20-11/25, for Amazon US and UK. Book #2 will be coming out in early 2018, so it’s a good time to dive into the series! http://mybook.to/NF1

Already own the books? Gift them for the upcoming holidays to the fantasy readers on your list!

For more information on my work, to read excerpts, join my Street team or subscribe to my newsletter, please visit my website. http://www.clschneiderauthor.com/

I can't believe another year has gone by! Tomorrow (7/1) is Indie Pride Day, and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of it. It's not easy being an indie author, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Tomorrow, 7/1, is a great opportunity for indie authors to take pride in all their hard work by showing off their books and the faces behind them.

In celebration, all my titles are on Kindle Countdown for ONLY .99 from today until 7/7. Load up your Kindle for summer reading with fantasy, action, and supernatural mystery with all 4 of my books for less than $4.00!



For epic fantasy lovers...
Immerse yourself in a dark tale of magic and war, and snag the entire Crown of Stones Trilogy for $2.97! http://mybook.to/COStrilogy
Check out the books & reviews here:
Magic-Price
Magic-Scars
Magic-Borne

For those who prefer dragons, shifters, and an urban fantasy mystery, start the Nite Fire Series for only .99! http://mybook.to/Nite
To see what readers thought:
Flash Point

Keep an eye out for the #IndiePrideDay on social media. You might just find your next favorite author! And be sure to join us for the Facebook Celebration http://bit.ly/2u6Df1CIndiePD

As always, thanks for your support!
Happy reading!

It’s almost here! I’m in the final stretch before publishing my next book, which means I’m living on coffee, no sleep, and lots of nervous energy. I’m particularly excited, because after finishing The Crown of Stone Trilogy, I wanted to do something different. And this series is it!

Nite Fire is a fast-paced urban fantasy featuring female protagonist, Dahlia Nite, a shapeshifting creature-hunter from a parallel world—ruled by dragons. If you enjoy such shows as Supernatural, X-Files, Lost Girl, and Jessica Jones, keep an eye out for the upcoming release of Flash Point, Book #1 in the Nite Fire Series. The cover reveal will be coming soon. My artist is finishing up a few details, and I can't wait to share it with you. For now, you can read two early excerpts on my website and check out the blurb below!

Nite Fire: Flash Point

Slated for execution, shapeshifting assassin, Dahlia Nite, flees her world to hide in the human realm. As payment for the shelter they unknowingly provide, Dahlia dedicates herself to protecting humans from what truly lives in the shadows. Moving from town to town, she hunts the creatures that threaten an unsuspecting human race; burying the truth that could destroy them all.

But the shadows are shifting. The lies are adding up. And when Sentinel City is threatened by a series of bizarre brutal murders, light is shed on what should never be seen. The secrets that have kept humanity in the dark for centuries are in danger of being exposed.

Wrestling with a lifetime of her own deceptions, Dahlia investigates the killings while simultaneously working to conceal their circumstances. But with each new murder, the little bit of peace she has found in this world begins to crumble. Each new clue leads her to the one place she thought to never go again. Home.
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*Nite Fire: Flash Point will release in paperback the end of February, with the Kindle version to follow.

After having a discussion with a fellow author about what #IndiePrideDay is all about, I realized how passionate I am about the subject, and decided I needed to share my thoughts about today, and what it means to me on a personal level.

As you scroll through social media today you’ll see a lot of #IndiePrideDay & #IndieBooksBeSeen posts. You’ll see pictures of authors with their books, blog posts, events, giveaways, and sales promos. A fair amount of them will be asking you to “buy my book”. We all do it. It’s part of the business. But how many of us woke up this morning and thought: Yes! #IndiePrideDay is here, time to become an overnight sensation!”

Okay, maybe a few.

Yes, we all want sales. Yes, we might see a nice boost today—we can only hope. With a trending #, our names and books will be in front of many faces that haven’t seen them before. If we’re lucky we can spark someone’s interest and be given the honor of having our words take them away into a world of our creation. That’s my goal; every day with every book. The more books I sell, the more emotions I can tug and adventures I can spark. So, sales are great. But that’s not what #IndiePrideDay is to me.

I have been writing my entire life. It took me a long time (way too long) to gather the courage to self-publish Magic-Price. Even when I finally crawled out of my comfort zone and hit that ‘publish’ button, I was convinced that other authors would be my competition. I thought I would plunge into the vast icy waters and there I would swim in circles: a tiny, lonely little fish in a giant sea of sharks. Then I discovered #IndieBooksBeSeen. I had no idea other authors could be so welcoming, supportive, and just plain helpful. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this wasn’t simply a group of individuals, it was a community. Being a part of something so positive changed my perceptions of authors, of self-publishing, and promoting.

In the spirit of #IndieBooksBeSeen, I try to make a difference where I can. I’m far from an expert. But I strive to pass on what I’ve learned, what I’ve done right, and what I’ve done wrong. I want this community to grow, because we truly are stronger together.

So, what do I think is at the heart of #IndiePrideDay? It isn’t sales. It’s not about ‘what’s in it for me.’ It’s not about saying we’re better than traditionally published authors—not in the least. It’s about community, positivity, and inspiration.

My hope for today is that someone out there might be like I was. They might be on the fence about publishing and nervous about sharing their writing with the world. They might be unsure how they will fit into the indie world. If that person is out there, I hope they see all of us crazy authors posting our pics and showing how proud we are of ourselves and each other, and they take the leap. They hit that ‘publish’ button, or vow to finish their novel, or decide to share their words with someone else for the first time. I hope they jump in with both feet—because the water isn’t as cold as you think.

This post appeared in my website back in March. For some reason, it never made it here. But it has now :)
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As writers, we create our characters. We care for them. They’re a part of us. They’re bits and pieces of people we know, of people we pass on the street. We come to understand them as well as we know ourselves. Our characters carry our stories into the hearts and minds of our readers. Yet, if we don’t torture them, we aren’t doing our job.

There are many ways to cause distress in a character’s life. It isn’t all about bamboo under the fingernails (although it can be). It’s about knowing what your characters want more than anything and keeping it from them as long as possible. It’s understanding his/her deepest fears and regrets, dreams and wishes, nightmares, and toying with them. Obstacles, delays, separations, adversity, mistakes, emotional pain, physical suffering, loss, shame; the list goes on. What a writer uses to ruffle feathers, and keep their character(s) from their goals, will vary depending on outside influences, such as other characters, setting, and the storyline itself.

By pushing our characters to the edge it helps us discover who they are, what they’re made of, and what they can become. At that point, writing them becomes easier. We don’t have to ponder their reply in dialogue. It flows out because we already know how they’ll respond. But ease of writing isn’t the only reason to put stress on your characters.

We all want good days. We want to wake up with a smile and have it still be there when it’s time to go to bed. No surprise car repairs, no traffic jams, no spilled coffee, angry customers, or computer problems. Stress is unhealthy. We want our lives to be full of green lights and sunny weather. But if our characters had one good day after another, if they skipped blissfully along, happy as can be, their stories would soon get boring. Stress causes tension.
Tension improves a plot and keeps a reader turning the pages. It helps readers identify with the situations and people they’re reading about, no matter how fantastical a world the author created.

In my trilogy, The Crown of Stones, I drag my protagonist, Ian Troy, through the ringer, both emotionally and physically. In Magic-Price (book 1) Ian, already suffering from a good deal of self-inflicted inner turmoil, endures a nasty spell inflicted on him by an unknown enemy. This spell wreaks havoc on Ian emotionally and physically, meting out a psychological torture that leads him to some very dark places. But Ian isn’t the only character I pick on throughout the trilogy. I’m an equal opportunity torturer!

The following two excerpts from Magic-Price are brief windows into Ian’s slow downward spiral.

****
Excerpt 1:

I could still the hammer smashing into my fingers. I could hear the solid snap of bones breaking.

Fragments were ripping up through my skin and I wanted to knead at the pain. I wanted to rug at the chains; they’d been digging into my neck all day.

They weren’t, of course. But my mind said otherwise. My dream world was leaking into my waking one so drastically now. I could scarcely tell the difference. It was hard to accept that last night, when the Arullan girl was beneath me on the soft grass, she hadn’t been there at all. Not when I could feel her on my skin. Smell her on my clothes. Hear her screams.

The loss of her always felt moments old. It burrowed in, repeatedly, tightening my chest, sinking into my gut, forcing me to constantly remind myself that she wasn’t real.

None of it is. Why can’t I remember that?
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Excerpt 2:

I drew in a sharp breath. Surreal images and sounds assaulted me. Random illusions surfaced, piling in, one on top of the other.

Her cries, the beatings, Draken’s proud face; I recalled it all vividly.

How she felt under me, alive and warm—next to me, bloody and screaming.

Frantically, I whispered, “Not real, not real, not real,” struggling to convince myself that I hadn’t been at the mercy of Draken’s men. I hadn’t been in the girl’s arms.

Dreams. They’re just dreams.

But the conjured nightmares only pushed deeper, blending and overlapping. Repeating. Penetrating. Until pain and nausea doubled me over and whatever was in my stomach came violently up onto the ground. Thankfully, it wasn’t much.

Breathless, shivering despite the warm sun, I wiped my mouth on my sleeve. I looked down at my trembling hands and expected them to be red with blood. They were brown with dirt. Idiot, I scolded myself. It’s not real.

****

Putting your characters through hell peels back the layers. Conflict (whether internal or external) exposes their flaws and their limits, and makes them feel real. A character that has bad days, just like we do, is far easier for a reader to identify with and become emotionally invested in. Once they’ve come alive in someone’s imagination, then you can shove as much bamboo under their fingernails as you want.

Last weekend I attended the Ultimate Comic Book Trade Show & Expo HV at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY. The event was organized by iHeart Media with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Highland Public Library, who held a similar, smaller event last summer. Expectations were high for the Expo, and it didn’t disappoint. Though Saturday drew a smaller crowd, Sunday was a steady flow of eager gamers, collectors, readers, and cosplay participants. The fellow authors, illustrators, and vendors I met were a pleasure. My immediate neighbors made for great conversation and a lot of laughs. I was glad to reconnect with familiar faces from past local events, including the wonderful Paul Abrams, and make new acquaintances such as Sam J. Jones, Mr. Flash Gordon himself. (Yes, Flash, I promise to let you know when the movie version of Crown of Stones comes out. Just keep signing autograph with that pen I gave you!)

The atmosphere of excitement and fun was infectious. Whether it was squeeing over David Tennant and Billie Piper with a like-minded Dr. Who fan, snagging Darth Vader for a picture, getting book recommendations, or ogling the inventive costumes and incredible artwork; it was great interacting with a room full of sci-fi and fantasy fans like myself. But the highlight was having the opportunity speak with so many current and potential readers.

To have someone confess they hadn’t picked up a book in a long time and after a short conversation leave with one of mine—or admit they weren’t ‘into’ fantasy but decide to give The Crown of Stones a try—is an amazing feeling. I couldn’t ask for anything better than to be the reason someone might return to reading after a long absence or to possibly inspire someone to broaden their reading horizons.

I also met quite a few aspiring writers. One of my favorite moments was when a boy of about 15 came up to my table. He was nervous and shy and barely made eye contact. But he had the courage to ask if I could give him any advice on being a writer. He left with a smile on his face and my card in his hand. And he wasn’t the only one. While this certainly wasn’t my first encounter with aspiring writers, it was the most I’d spoken to at any one event. It was heartening to see such a large number of budding authors, and I hope to hear from many of them in the future.

I was recently asked by a fellow author if in-person events like this one were worth it. I can safely say a lot of preparation went into the event. I spent time and money. I was exhausted both days. My feet hurt. I ate way too much junk food. But my answer was a resounding yes. I would do it every weekend if I could. Even if sales hadn’t met expectations, I would still consider the event a success in terms of the encounters I had and the people I met. Readers make my world go round. Being immersed in such a positive environment with them is worth more than a few blisters.

I recently attended an event where I spent the better part of a day with local authors. There were some who were doing a great job of ‘working the room’. They were clearly at ease with making appearances and discussing their work. They were having fun. Others, looked like they wanted to crawl in a hole. Their discomfort was obvious. Their conversations were either stiff and brief, or nervous and overly verbose. I felt their pain.

As authors, a good number of us are far more comfortable letting our written words speak for us rather than our voice. Whether it be marketing and promoting or speaking engagements, the idea of opening up and selling ourselves in public can be a nerve-racking experience. If you’re new to the scene, it can be overwhelming and downright scary.

If you’ve read some of my posts before, you know I’m somewhat of a self-proclaimed hermit. I could spend hours (okay, maybe days) becoming one with my office chair as I lose myself in imaginary worlds. When I published my first novel, the idea of leaving my ‘cave’ to market and promote my work was daunting to say the least. Talking about the book that had existed only inside my head for years was bad enough. Talking about me was a whole other animal—and in person, no less.

My first author appearance was a little over a year ago at a “Meet the Author” event at a local library. In the weeks leading up it I fretted over every detail; what I would say, what I would wear, how not to ramble when someone asked a question I wasn’t prepared for. Talking too fast would be as disastrous as talking too slow. I don’t have the loudest of voice, but I was pretty sure I shouldn’t shout at them. I imagined every possible question and how I would answer it. I imagined myself drawing a complete blank and, as a fellow author recently put it, ‘forget me’. I drove my friends crazy. I forced my youngest son to sit and listen to me practice the talk I would give. He was bored inside a minute. I attributed it to his age and tried not to take it personally. But in the back of my mind I thought: of course he’s bored. I’m a new author with nothing to say. Who wants to hear about me?

The big night finally arrived. I managed to get my super-prepared self to the library without hyperventilating or passing out, which was a plus. I arrived early and waited for the room to fill up. Five minutes after start time I realized that wasn’t going to happen. The only people that had come out to ‘meet me’ were my friends and my husband. Their support meant the world to me, but I had been hoping for a few new faces. Not that I’d been expecting a legion of rabid fans—or even one. For one thing, my book had only been out a couple of months and on the library shelves half that. But the talk I had planned centered on my writing journey and what led me to self-publishing. I was hoping for at least one aspiring author in the crowd. Even so, I sucked it up and gave my spiel.

My friends listened raptly and asked questions. The library staff drifted in and out to listen. A man who had been browsing the shelves wandered over and sat down. It was a small, intimate crowd, and I took it as an opportunity to practice what I knew would be a regular occurrence moving forward. I was still nervous. I forgot some things I’d wanted to say and said some things I hadn’t planned on. I scrambled, and winged it and somehow managed to sound coherent and put together. I shared how I went from having a dream to having a book. I talked about my writing process. I read. I was just me, talking.

It was at about the halfway mark when a funny thing happened: I started to relax. The scary idea of sharing the crazy stuff that went on in my head with a room full of people became less scary. What’s more, I kind of liked it. It stopped mattering if I forgot some things or rambled off topic once or twice. People were laughing and enjoying themselves. And so was I.

I forged new ground for my author self that night at the library. Each appearance and event that followed was met with a bit less trepidation and a bit more excitement. I began to look forward to chatting with potential readers, book lovers, fellow writers, and whoever happened to come my way. I realized in-person marketing and promoting was not the mysterious and intimidating necessary evil I believed it to be. I’d unmasked the monster. How? By being myself.

It’s understandable as new authors to be worried about how our books will be received. We’re concerned with our persona. Who wants to come across as naïve and inexperienced? Writing and publishing a book is no easy feat. It takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to claim the title of author. But the truth of the matter is: if we’re new, we are inexperienced.

We can combat the naivety by preparing. We can ask for advice and learn by watching others. Present ourselves in a neat and professional manner. But a noob in new clothes is still a noob, and that’s okay—as long as you own it. Work your inexperience, don’t let it cow you. New shouldn’t be a stigma. It’s a brand we should wear proudly. We’re not wet behind the ears. We’re refreshing.

I’m a character driven person. Whether I’m reading a book, watching a movie or a TV show, I can forgive a lot in a story if I latch onto at least one character. It’s how I write. It’s what I look for in my entertainment, and what I look forward to. I want to be so drawn in that I stop thinking about whether they’re good or bad, major or minor, or what impact they may have on the story as a whole. I want to be enthralled by their thoughts and decisions, and immersed in the consequences that befall them. I want to be affected. I want to be made to care.

In writing The Crown of Stones, I set out to create characters that I, as a reader, would care about. The story itself was born from the development of my protagonist, Ian Troy. He started out as no more than a sketch, an empty frame. The details filled in as his flaws emerged and evolved. As they did, the obstacles I could throw in his way became clear. He became real, colorful. Ian's response to these obstacles helped form the plot. His choices and decisions refined it. What drove it, though, was his mistakes.

I enjoy superheroes as much as the next person. I like white knights who ride into save the day. But perfection limits a character. If all they do is save the day, over and over, what’s the point? I’m more interested in what crucible the knight had to go through to earn his title. How did the hero become super in the first place? What makes them want to be valiant and brave—what scares the hell out of them. For me, the allure is not in their ability to do right. They’re heroes; they’re going to do right eventually. The allure is in what they do wrong (intentional or otherwise). People do wrong all the time. They make the wrong choices. It’s what makes us real. It can help make your character real, too.

That doesn’t mean a protagonist should go around making mistakes for no good reason. Neither do you want him/her, or anyone else in your story, constantly bumbling their way into success. To create a believable character with depth, you need to understand their motives. Simply put: you need to get to know them. Define their likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, their wildest dreams and deepest fears, their biggest accomplishments and their most fatal flaws. What’s their favorite food? Do they walk with confidence or insecurity? Do they prefer rain or sun, silk or leather, whiskey or wine? How would they react to losing something precious? To what lengths would they go to get it back?

Knowing where your character will draw the line or what they like to eat for breakfast, though, isn’t enough. It’s the ‘whys’ that are the most important. Why are they reacting this way? What situation led them to this moment, this action or decision? Create a backstory for the answers. Create a side story if you have to. None of it has to ever show up on the pages. The point is to know them inside or out. They will still find a way to surprise you, but it will make the writing of them that much easier.

Unforgettable characters can help spruce up an average plot. They can add much needed color to an otherwise plain world. They can etch in a reader’s mind and make a good story great. Still, no matter how you real you make your characters, not everyone will feel a connection. If they don’t, and your story is character-driven, they might walk away feeling like something was missing. But when they do, when someone ‘gets’ your character(s) the way you intend, every second of work you put into creating them will be well worth it.