New Authors Talk Shoppe discussion

Hi there,

My name's BMB Johnson. I'm the author of the Melody Jackson books (and eventually others). I've currently written nine or ten books, three of which have been (self) published. I've been writing pretty much forever, but have yet to make a success of it.

Hi. I'm A Nicky Hjort.
I'm an ob/ Gyn by day. By night I write thrillers across most genres. Lavish is my publisher. My first novella and three novels due to release in the next few months.

Great to connect with you all
-Nicky.

Hello everyone!
I'm Alex Apostol and I'm an indie author. I also run a literary website called FLOURISH & BLOG that will have its grand relaunch this January. We're for indie, by indie! And we're looking for indie authors to interview. Our articles are shared with over 10K people! If you're interested, please email me at [email protected]
THANKS!

Hi, thanks for the invite. I'm Dominik Kirtaime, author of Fantasy/Sci-Fi work "The Perennial Migration". A strong will to survive brings humans, nature and other species together. Hunted by a reptilian race, migration to another planet is their only option.

Hello! I'm Jen! I just released Grim Ambition, the first in a trilogy about a superhero teetering on the edge of becoming a villain, and its short story prequel, Grim Inception. I'm currently working on the second in the series, which is just entering the editing phase, and the third is in outline format. Very glad to meet you all!

Hi, writing friends, Thanks for the invitation to join a group with other writers. It's a pleasure to be here. I started writing in my late 50s while working nights as a cardiac RN in a large hospital. I have three books published in my Forbidden series and am working on the fourth. I love to cook as well, and have two cookbooks out in the marketplace. I write criminal romance and my cookbooks feature a bit of spice with a romantic story thread and shirtless hunky men. My family and poodles round out my life.

Hello, everyone! My name is Charlie Pitts. By day I'm an IT person working for a big bank that I won't mention. I've discovered kind of late in my life that I enjoy writing. A lot. Also have found that I dislike editing. A lot. I published my first book on Kindle, The Legend's Gate (Sci-fi). It's the first in a series. I've finished the second book and am currently editing it. I've also written a couple of other books, one of which is also completed but not yet edited.
I look forward to meeting people on here as well as hearing of their insights and adventures!

Hi ya'll, thanks for the invitation to join Author's Talk Shoppe, Belle Ami here. I'm a hybrid author who writes romance/suspense with three self-published books, 1 published with Soul Mate Publishing, 1 published with Hartwood Publishing & my next being edited & published by Hartwood Publishing. My most recent novel ESCAPE (Tip of the Spear #1) is up for a RONE AWARD & obviously, I'm over the moon. Voting starts on the 17th of April. I look forward to sharing thoughts & insights with all of you.

Dear Charlie above, you need to learn to love editing, it's the key to a great book & success.
Smiles!
Belle Ami

Hi, I'm Eugene Knight. I've just self-published my second book.
This group sounded interesting to check out.

Hi, thanks for the invite to join this group. My name is James Halat. I am an author of gay lit, and like the rest of us, looking for ways to get the word out. Looking forward to interacting with this group.

Hi, I'm Bob Zwilling, I self publish collections of what could best be described as cryptic epigrams.

Hi, all! Thanks for the invite. I write under the name G. Allen Cook. I've written a longish short story ("Wakefield"), and three collections ("Odd Men Out," "Christmas Eves," and a collection of original Irish folktales, "Beyont the Banjaxed" sic). I've also appeared in some anthologies. I love fantasy--especially when infused with humor--as well as horror. My wife and I are starting a small, independent publishing house, BANJAXED Publishing. Our first publication will be an anthology called "Chaos of Hard Clay." We've received some excellent submissions. Anyway! It would be great to get to know everyone here. I love meeting new folks, especially artists and writers. Give me a "Hello!" if you get the time. Till then, keep up the good work.

Hello, Group. My name is Chuck Waldron, author of four riveting mystery, thriller and suspense novels, adding a sequel to my latest. My life journey started as an Iowan, wound through Chicago, Toronto, Atlanta, and four years on a sailboat. Writing kept me mostly sane. Now I'm a Floridian, living on Florida’s fabled Treasure Coast with my wife, Suzanne. While keeping an eye out for hurricanes, alligators, and the occasional Burmese python, visitors will find me busy writing my next crime thriller.

Not writing is not an option. So, why fight it? The best part? I love to write. Editing, not so much. The worst part is marketing. I don't have the patience or the money. I know that sounds familiar. I am practicing patience and actually starting to enjoy some of it.

Is there life beyond writing? You bet. I travel and know that adds to my writing. On a very personal level, I'm committed to the people of Cuba. I'm preparing for my fifth humanitarian trip. The wonderful people of that Island are an inspiration. With little of the resources we have in this country, they make do with creativity, and a wonderful warmth. The food? The music? All outstanding.

But it's still all about the writing.

Oh, http://chuckwaldronauthor.com

The Cleansweep Conspiracy: A Matt Tremain Technothriller

Hello all, I write mysteries. I'm the CEO of Feedback Innovations, a company dedicated to helping writing become successful authors. I love dogs, am an avid skier and sailor, and of course, I read obsessively. I've 3 published novels, and a fourth one coming our this summer. I've written on non-fiction book about selling paperbacks. Thanks for asking me to join the group.

Great to meet another writer

Hello all, I write paranormal detective mysteries and just tried my hand at fiction with Dog Inspired lessons. I am self published. I am writing a sequel to the paranormal detective mystery and hope that I will be able to publish via the traditional route. I am looking forward to the group. Thanks for having me.

My author/editor friend, Trish Jackson, would like to join this group, but I can't find a way to invite her. Am I not seeing a link or a button I need to click? Trish is a Goodreads author.

Hi All!

I am an academic writer---my first two books were literary studies published by University Presses---but I wanted to try fiction. My first novel is "Crush" which is a wine thriller set in the Okanagan. I had a lot of fun writing it and can't wait to write more novels!

Best, Jennifer

Cynthia

The front page of the group has a join button anyone can click on.

Thank you so much, Robert. I must be blind tonight. I had a senior moment. :)

When looking at the screen and I miss a line of text that is right there in front of me, I call that horizontal blindness.

My name is John Martin. I'm an Australian writer of humorous mystery/crime capers. I have three novels published as an indie, one more soon and hopefully more to come. I enjoy the writing and the challenge of the marketing. I'm not where I want to be yet but I'm trending the right way.

Hello, thanks for the invite to New Authors Talk Shoppe. My name is Jo-Anne, but because of that pesky hyphen, I use JP. I'm the author of the Gift Legacy series. It's a contemporary fantasy set primarily on the coast of British Columbia. I write full time,and it's the best job I've ever had! Looking forward to connecting with other members. Cheers, JP (Jo-Anne) McLean

Hi, guys. I'm Angie and I write thriller/mysteries in the Dark Web series. Book #1, Buried Ladies Dark Web, #1 Buried Ladies published on Black Friday and Scars of the Past is due for release on May 30 (I'm still looking for Beta readers, if you're interested).

By day, I'm a marketing professor at George Washington University. I started writing as a teen, producing a sci fi series of short stories to critical acclaim (from teachers, peers, and family). I studied writing at the U. of Pittsburgh before getting my PhD in marketing from U of S. FL.

Great getting to know you all.

I'm starting a series of podcasts interviewing Indie authors and small press publishers. Email me at: [email protected] if you're interested.

Hi I`m Liam Leddy Glasgow based crime fiction novelist and short story writer www.liamleddy.com Thanks for the invite

Hello everyone! Thanks for having me ^_^ My name is Gaia B Amman and I indie published a series taking place in Italy (the Italian Saga):



...and a sci-fi romance:


I am looking forward to sharing experiences, support, and advice ^_^

Brenda Lee Compton This is a Link to my Goodreads profile.
This is for my book.
It was Published through Authorhouse and Launched in April 2016. So far I have only had 1 listed Goodreads giveaway. However I am planing to have a another one this fall...... for the Authors birthday..... This time it will include other Countries instead of just the US and Canada.
I am Planning on Hosting an Author's book signing event here in Knoxville Tennessee But that is contingent upon How many other Authors are willing to attend the event..... I have already been inquiring about press coverage.... If interested Message me..... Will post Full Event details when I have them..... Thinking either July or November... In the heart of the Arts/ Theater District.

Brenda wrote: "Brenda Lee Compton This is a Link to my Goodreads profile.
This is for my book.
It was Pu..." I do not recommend extending giveaways to other countries. The shipping for me was $25 per book and it did add up quickly. Also, Amazon reviews are now separated by country (as in, the reviews on Amazon.it will not merge with Amazon.com and readers from Italy cannot post on Amazon.com, even if it is the same edition of the book). So, not worth it :(

Gaia wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Brenda Lee Compton This is a Link to my Goodreads profile.
This is for my ..."
As Authorhouse is Self Publishing Company and expect over $6,000 for each "FOCUS" IE... Library Focus, Media Focus etc.....
My home-based business/ Company 'A Mother's Touch Home Care and Design Company' Does most of the "Footwork" Contact Publishing companies, Book Stores, Distribution companies GLOBALLY!!!! I Have Many Many followers on Facebook from Pakistan, India, Paris, Dubai, etc.... Some are in the book business... some are fans... I would include other countries for that reason BUT only have a small number of books to giveaway.

Hi & thanks for the invite. I'm R.M. Gauthier and have 4 novellas, 1 novel published and I'm releasing my latest novel on May 1. Exciting times. I love writing, editing and believe it or not marketing. I just wish I had more time to do it all... LOL

I am MM Justine, the author of the Traitor's Trilogy, in the thriller genre. The first two books have been published and the third and last instalment is due to launch in the Fall 2017. I am excited about this thread and look forwards to sharing, and hearing your experiences on this inspiring journey. Thank you for inviting me.

Website: http://www.mmjustine.com/book/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mmjustine/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mmjustineAuthor

Hello, all. My name is Kenneth W. Cain. I'm the author of a handful of novels and many short stories. My latest dark fiction collection is Embers: A Collection of Dark Fiction.

Good evening. Named Ronnie Shantz/Robinson, I'm the author of a three story booklet available at LULU.com entitled SHORT STORY which is also available at my website, ELECTRONTEN.COM. I've written over a hundred screenplays, three albums, five sitcoms, a dozen plays and 100 lyric sheets.

Hi, thanks for asking me to join! I love talking shop; it's one of my favorite things. My name is Vania and I have one book published right now. It's self-published. I've written a 6 novella series I'm going to split and publish in paperback and Kindle when I get them back from my editor. (They are 150,000+ in total, so it's slow going for her.) I also just finished editing an old NaNo project so it's ready to be published. I'm letting it breathe so I can reread it and make sure it all makes sense. That book turned into a series and I'm 46,000 words into the second book. I hope to finish it by the end of May. What I would love to do is get into a nice 4-month publishing schedule but we'll see. Oh, right. I write contemporary romance. Nice meeting everyone!

Hi, Thank you for inviting me. My name is Susanne Leist and I'm the author of The Dead Game. It's a paranormal suspense with murder, mystery and romance. It has vampires and human vampires in a small town on the coast of Florida. It is the first book in a series. I am currently writing book two.

Hello, I'm Shiree McCarver and I Independently write Interracial Romances of all genres. Currently I have authored 17 books.

In a search for the versatile coupling, I couldn't find as a reader I started writing my own romances. I'm best known for being the first to write IR Romances featuring Asian men and Black women as romantic leads. Several reoccurring subject matter can be recognized in my books, such as the relationships within popular music culture and thought provoking subject matter such as depression, bipolar disorders, and even a transgender Asian male.

My 'Musicians in Love’ series features Asian musicians from classical conductor to visual-kei. I do like to create a world where lightheartedness and love can be found in sometimes darker intricate three dimensional characters.

By using popular themes such as music, sexuality, family structure and sometimes violence, I have approached a wide scale of subjects in a multi-layered way. I write to involve the reader in a way that they find themselves in thought provoking and often part of debatable subject matters.

With a conceptual approach, I focuse on the idea of ‘interracial romantic coupling’ and more specifically on the relationship where anyone can do anything at any given moment in the name of love. The fact that they are from different cultures aren’t often prevalent to the lead characters' story or their motivation. Being of a different race is who they are, not all there is to them.

I am also known for writhing the first IR Elizabethan Romance featuring a Black Woman and White Male leading character.

My goal as a writer is to continue violating the normal bigoted and accepted principles in the writing world and develop wonderfully original Interracial stories.

I currently live and works in Huntsville and I love interacting with friends and readers on Facebook! Thank you for the invite, I look forward to learning more about our craft and making new friends.

Shiree
shireemccarver.net

Hi thanks for the invite. I'm Sara thomson, author of Anna's Home Front, a historical fiction novel set in WWII. Currently working on book two in the series.

Hey! I'm T.

I'm a cowgirl and a writer of Dark Romance, and mainly known for my two series, 21st Century Sirens and Young Atlanteans as well as my standalone, Diablo.

Ask me anything?

Best T

Hi I am Aidan
Did a life story self publish. It is really all unbelievable and so I had to write it to kind of let myself know it really did all happen.
Two Sons Too Many

I am facing the cold hard fact that I absolutely hate marketing my books so I am joining this group for help. I don't have a Facebook account. I don't Tweet nor do I want to, ever. I did use a paid Tweeting service and was pleased. I sold some books but when the Tweets stopped, so did the sales. I do have a website. When I meet people, I don't tell them about my books because I feel pushy and narcissistic if I do. I held a book signing but cancelled it from a snowstorm, held it again and only three people showed up, a few emailed me they were upset I cancelled the prior date. I'm a marketing disaster. I really just want to write. Whatever happened to the book agent? Do people get these anymore? I tried scouting for one and gave up too soon probably too. Sigh.

My books are Birdbrain and Phat's Chance for Buddha in Houston. Birdbrain has developed a bit of its own life but Phat's still needs reviews/readers. Thank you.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Hi. I'm Stacey and I have one book and several stories out in the world. I would love to be a part of this group, so I signed up, but I'm just like Virginia wrote above: a marketing disaster, basically. I have no idea how people find the time to do everything they need to do to keep their product in the public eye. JD Saligner would have been a complete and utter failure in this world, I might add, as reclusive as he was. Just sayin'. Anyway, hello to you all.

My name is Veronika. I am the author of Mother at Seven and currently working on my second book. I, too, am having great difficulty getting my book into the hands of readers. Those that have read it seem to truly enjoy it, but as it is a memoir, it is very difficult to find readers.
My assistant has a database of 150+ bloggers that she has worked with and out of all of those, I picked up probably 5 reviewers interested. The rest mentioned that they don't read non-fiction.
We've tried other forms of marketing and promotions to no avail. I joined this group for help and conversation with those who are struggling with the same issues I am. I've considered hiring a larger firm of sorts to assist with things, but the expense is one I don't necessarily have.
I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you and hearing your ideas. Those I've heard thus far I'm looking into right now. Thank you for what you've already shared.

My name is Lalitha, I have started writing my books since I am 8yrs old, now I am 10yrs. I have published the following KID books on Amazon and my 3rd book will be published by end of this May. I am super excited.

Kids Books : The Mysterious Mysteries - The Haunted House (Book 1 of 2 : Short Stories for Ages 7-10)
Book ID : B01DJB7VW6
US: http://amzn.to/1ZAIL66

Kids Books : The Mysterious Mysteries - The Power of Prophecy (Book 2 of 2 : Short Stories for Ages 7-10)
Book Id : B0191DQIT8
US : http://amzn.to/2aMQJrp

Thanks for the invite to this group! I'm Lesley Kelly, and I've written two contemporary crime books. 'A Fine House in Trinity' was long-listed for the McIlvanney Award 2016 (for the best Scottish crime novel), and my new book 'The Health of Strangers' will be published in June 2017. Both books are published by Sandstone Press. Looking forward to connecting with people here.

Hello everyone! My name is Michael Marcondes. Glad to join the group to share and get new information and tips! I am a 2 EBook author - so far. I used to have a publisher, but since it turned out they weren't a real standard-type publisher I quit after 14 months or so and went to self-publishing. They did near nothing for me and took weeks to respond to email questions and, they posted charges in emails for any marketing they did for you. I have many boxes of paperbacks in my cellar at this point and have done 2 Goodreads paperback giveaways so far and 1 just recently on Amazon with EBooks. Amazingly Goodreads had 100x more entrants! I have 3 books partially written, two are 1st draft and I'm about 6-7 chapters into those. Just about to publish my author website. I'm on Facebook and Twitter.

Hi everyone! My name is Jennifer and I've been a bookworm all my life.
Since last year, I've had two books published in a series of the Contemporary YA and NA genres respectively: Calmer Girls and Calmer Secrets. They can appeal to lovers of women's fiction as well.
I am currently working on a third novel, though this time it is one of speculative fiction.
Calmer Girls e-book is currently on sale for 99¢ US, and I am looking for more readers and reviews.

(GROUP RULES: Six mystery novels and four nonfiction books published.)

Hi Lary Crews here. I've been a published writer since 1985. First three mystery novels for Bantam Books - Kill Cue, Extreme Close-Up and Option To Die - sold a quarter-million copies in 1989.

They were republished by iUniverse in 2000. (Don't mess with them. They stink.) The books will be republished by Petersen Press in Reno NV this summer. My third, fourth and fifth novels did poorly thanks to a Florida publisher who was out to lunch.

I also sold and wrote just over 1,000 nonfiction articles for magazines, like Tampa Bay Business, Florida Trend and Florida Business Journal and . (I was also the editor of the latter.)

Starting in 1993, I was America's first online fiction instructor, working for America Online for fifteen years. When I quit, AOL notified me that I had taught 4,125 students in 26 states how to write their first novels. I taught them thru private chat rooms, email and an extensive Writing The Novel textbook.

Two of my students are still actively writing books. Check out author Jeff Messick and Sheyna Galyan, as k what they thought of me.

Now, I have a book available on Amazon:

Novel Secrets: How to Write a GOOD Self-Published Novel is a practical, step-by-step manual on how to craft your novel. Available in paperback and Kindle
Check it out here: http://smarturl.it/novsec

In addition, I have a free blog which contains material from my textbook. It's here: http://novel-secrets.blogspot.com/

Anything I can do to help other writers, I will.

PS: Forgot about my nonfiction books: 10 Secrets Novelists Need To Know, Strolling Magic, Background Actors Sourcebook and Quietly I Reply.

PPS: Yes, I was in the 2011 movie INSIDIOUS as the "whistling ghost dad" with star Patrick Wilson. It made a hundred-million dollars at the box office. My scene is on YouTube. https://youtu.be/ZDaT0fstWVs

Hi, my name is Glenda Horsfall and I have had two novels and a short in an anthology published.

I write contemporary romance with a 'lot of heat' - or at least I have up until now. I've not written anything for the last 2 years due to family illness (nursed and lost 3 family members in the last 12 months), but things are now settling down on the home front and my writing is calling to me. I am in the process of plotting my latest novel and am aiming to submit to a well known series romance publisher - wish me luck - and if not successful aim to have a go at self publishing.

I have 6 novels published and I must speak about outlining too soon.
Probably from high school or college, some writers got the idea you have to create an extensive outline in order to write a novel.

That is not true.

If you are motivated to create something unique and interesting, a novel that will seize the attention of your readers and reviewers, outlining, can really screw up your book. Some authors take months to do their extensive outline, planning, analyzing and restructuring the story before it’s even written. Not a good idea.

Writing fiction is creation, not homework.



When you do an extensive outline and create character biographies for every single character before you start writing the novel, you are extracting the creativity from your book.

As Margaret Atwood wrote in The Paris Review, “When I’m writing a novel, what comes first is an image, scene, or voice. The structure or design is worked out in the course of the writing. I couldn’t write the other way round, with structure first. It would be too much like paint-by-numbers.”

Write without advance planning and you create.

The best writing will come to you, as you are creating it when you are discovering what happens. Listening to the characters you’ve created supports your plot.
Outlining everything ahead of time leaves no room for you to discover what the book is about. Paraphrasing Margaret Atwood, it replaces the creativity of your writing with “write by numbers.”

Outlines written before you begin can cause you to eliminate much better ideas as they come along. Out-lines water down creativity because you don’t consider alternatives as often. If you write to the outline you created weeks or months before, you will write only what you had decided you were going to write before you had even begun the book. That has a chilling effect on what could otherwise happen.

Start writing wherever you want to, whether it’s beginning, middle or the end. Write until you arrive at the point where you have no idea what comes next. Then, keep writing and discover what the next sentence is. Push on to the next one. Keep finding words, which turn into sentences, and each one will lead you to the next. The less you know before you start, the more you stand to uncover as you write. That is creativity.