The Newevember Virtual Tour!

Over the next few weeks, Newvember will be on tour in the virtual world. Thanks to some pretty wonderful bloggers, readers everywhere will get to learn more about my writing habits and why this novel is so great. 

Below, you'll find the detailed schedule, so please be sure to stop by the various blogs, say hello, comment if you'd like, and enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win one of three pretty amazing prizes ($25 Amazon gift card, Newvember notebook, or a Newvember book bag). 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks to everyone in advance for your support and encouragement!

Virtual Tour Schedule: 

November 8: Official Tour Launch – JenniferBogart 

November 10: Book & author Intro – PriyaPrithviraj 

November 12: Guest Post – Someday When I’m Famous 

November 14: NaNo Q & A – PriyaPrithviraj

November 16: Guest Post – Mommies Drink 

November 18: Book excerpt and review – Storiesof Chantel DaCosta: 

November 20: Book Excerpt – To Read, Readand Reviewed…  

November 22: NaNo Follow-up & guest post – Priya Prithviraj 

November 24: Book Review – L.J. Ivers 

November 26: Guest post – Heather GraceStewart

November 28: TBA  – Priya Prithviraj 

November 30: Closing blog – Jennifer Bogart 

1 dare, 30 days, 30 new things... The dare was simple, but it turned into a life-altering journey. This is inspirational thinking in disguise.

When Willow decides to take the stairs, instead of the elevator, she runs into Sawyer, who knocks her off her feet, and something in her psyche shifts. She is propelled into the adventure that is her own life. Filled with twists and turns that can only come from losing her inhibitions, she makes risky decisions, bares her soul, and discovers the chaotic emotions that lurk beneath the surface. Each new event becomes a catalyst in the development of Willow’s relationships with her friends, co-workers, siblings, and love interests.

Willow's life will never be the same after Newvember.

(Originally published in 2011 as Remember Newvember this revised version contains new and expanded scenes.)

Newvember Links:

Indiegogo link for print books: http://igg.me/at/newvember

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27384349-newvember  

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/newvember 

Universal Amazon Link: getBook.at/Newvember

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017939DVC?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Amazon CAN: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B017939DVC?*Version*=1&*entries*=0  

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B017939DVC?*Version*=1&*entries*=0  

Oh - those writerly feelings!

I love writers... their quirks and imaginations, their spirit and determination, and their love for something that most definitely is not going to make them rich quick, but might enrich the lives of others.

On a daily basis I get to chat with them, edit their work, review their masterpieces, and delve into the inner workings of their minds. And even though writers rarely write themselves into their stories (unless they're crafting memoirs), they do give away hints about their personalities, values, and the things they hold dear.

The one thing that makes me sad is when I come across good writers who worry people won't like their stories. I'm not talking about the occasional, "oh, that old story - that was nothing" brush-off. I'm talking about writers with real skills for story-telling who don't believe they have something worth sharing, when they really, truly do.

Writers are a special breed of people. They create worlds with words. They give birth to entire cities of characters, raise them, and nurture them before setting them free. And they weave more than their hearts and souls into their work - if you look hard enough you can find the entire person lurking between the lines, even though it's unintentional.

All they ask for in return for their hard work is that readers buy their books and enjoy them. Often these books sell for less than a cup of coffee. The only thing that thrills writers more than hearing someone appreciated their books is reading about it in a review. Some books take years to write and can usually be read over the course of a few days... an honest review takes about fifteen minutes to create and post online to any number of websites.

Please be kind to those of us with writerly feelings... we need all the support we can get.

You asked; I answered.

Over the past six weeks, I’ve done a number of book signings. From trade shows to bookstores, it’s been a fun and exciting time. Along the way, I’ve been asked a few questions, so I thought I’d answer them here.

Question: As an independently published writer, how do you get your books in Chapters?

Short Answer: I picked up the phone and asked.

Long Answer: Each Chapters store operates differently. They all have the ability to stock books on consignment, but how they distribute those SKUs and handle author appearances is up to them. Polite phone calls, brief emails, and making a personal connection with the Events Manager all worked in my favour.

Question:  How long does it take to write a book?

Short Answer: About a month and a half.

Long Answer: It might only take 45 days to write a book, but it takes about a year (and sometimes more) to reach publication. The editing process is what slows things down. I rely heavily on beta readers, my editor, and other writers for feedback.

Question: How long have you been writing?

Short Answer: Since I was old enough to pick up a pencil and loose leaf.

Long Answer: As a teenager I wrote wonderful works full of angst and heartache. As an adult, I needed a job to pay the bills so I worked first as a proposal/technical writer and then as a copy writer. Four years ago, I started writing fiction again and it has become something of an addiction.

Question: How many books have you written?

Short Answer: Three.

Long Answer: Actually, I’ve written several books. Most of them are tucked away in a box, stored on a floppy disk, or have been used to start backyard fires. They make excellent fuel for roasting marshmallows and hanging out with my boys. At this time, only five books are worth sharing. Three are published (Remember Newvember, Reflections, Money, and Masks & Madness), one is with Beta Readers (Liminal Lights), and one is at the beginnings of the editing phase (Shadow Shifts). Currently, I’m writing the third book in the Liminal Trilogy (Seminal Souls) and doing some research for a sequel to "Money, Masks & Madness".

Question: Are your books about you.

Short Answer: No.

Long Answer: Honestly, I think every writer puts a bit of herself into each book she writes. A little piece of my soul is threaded through the text, linking the words back to the essence of me. The stories might not be about my life, but there are elements of my personality, character, morals, and beliefs embedded in them. 

Book Review: Towers of Dusk - The First Year by Charles Larch

What would you do if the promised apocalypse didn’t occur and the world was left void of societal norms? Charles Larch paints a vivid picture of all that can happen when most of humanity disappears from the planet. Alien strangers predict the destruction of planet Earth, offering to remove its inhabitants to a safer environment. The few who are left behind, either by choice or accident, know that the world didn’t end, and yet they are forced to rebuild it.

The book starts slowly, introducing characters struggling to survive in a world that is being reclaimed by nature. Power plants stop working, water treatment plants are no longer tended and nuclear power sources are left to self-destruct. Yet, in a world that is disintegrating, a small number of people band together to create their own civilization. Instead of falling into chaos, each one brings his or her unique abilities and skills to help each other survive and thrive in this chaotic atmosphere.

The focus of this book is more on the crumbling world and less on character development – although we do see characters become stronger as their circumstances force them into either embrace their new world or give up on it completely. While I would have liked to see more character interaction, the book’s focus made me think about how much we rely on technology, community and having modern conveniences at our fingertips. From fires to floods and from rodents to released zoo animals, Larch showcases exactly what could happen if the world’s population suddenly disappeared leaving the infrastructure we have in place to come to its natural conclusion.

The writing is clean and compelling – it drew me forward, forcing me to read to the end. The pace is good, although there are times when the narrative jumps a bit so it felt as though I missed something, even though there were no words to miss. Overall, it’s an easy read and great for anyone who enjoys a bit of post-apocalyptic drama.  

Charles Larch is the nom to plume for the author of Towersof Dust – The First Year and Euneria – The Complete Tales.

It’s lucky 2013 and yeah, I have some work to do. Instead of making New Year’s resolutions I’m thinking I’m just going to set a few concrete goals for the coming year, do my best to meet deadlines and allow myself the freedom to dream big.

First, I need to write more. I’m not talking about books; currently, I have two to edit, one to complete and a fourth in the works. There’s more to writing than novels. I consider myself to be a long-distance writer, but I’m thinking there’s much to learn from delving into shorter pieces such as blog posts, short stories, flash fiction and maybe even poetry (although this is probably the biggest challenge of all for me).

Second, I need to figure out the whole marketing thing. I might even pick up a book or two, attend some webinars and get myself a bit of education. I know how to use Facebook, but twitter eludes me. I know book bloggers are very important to Indy writers, but approaching established blogs is much like sending out query letters. Of course, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

Third, while on the topic of asking, I need to send out more queries, not just in Canada, but in the United States as well. Being independent is a lot of work, and I’ll admit I’m not so great at the marketing, selling and promotion part of it. Even with a traditional publisher, a writer has to make efforts to sell their work, but some of the pressure of constant promoting might be alleviated – might.

And fourth, I need to focus. It’s too easy to get caught up in what others are doing. I enjoy interacting with other writers and artists on Facebook. Blogs are intriguing, articles are inviting. Knowing what’s going on in the world of writing is essential, but there are times when hours pass by and suddenly I have spent the day trolling the internet in search of who knows what instead of working on my own stuff.

Last of all, I need to remember that I’m kind of good at this writing stuff. It’s okay to be proud of my accomplishments and show off my work. There might be days when I want to toss the entire lot in the bin, but I’ve had enough feedback to know my work isn’t half bad. With each new book, blog and bit of writing I complete I learn something new, both about myself and my writing.

So, in short, 2013 is going to be a good year for me. I feel the tingling in my fingers and excitement in my heart. Watch out world, here I come.