Butterfly on a Broomstick
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Thursday, May 30, 2019
DREAMS
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Friday, May 24, 2019
TOGETHER WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL
I’m certain all have you have
heard the phrase “Together we stand,
divided we fall” before.
How profound is that? I found
it a few months ago while I struggled to market my books without a budget to
speak off. It made me think. Yes, there are many groups on the internet to
which you can belong where you can post your books. You can pay for advertising
on Google, Amazon, Facebook and Instagram. There are other platforms and people
promising you the earth, but is it working?
I thought I was alone when I
saw several posts in the Facebook group of the Romance Novelist Association
(RNA) and The Writing Gals, where authors were ready to give up. Sales have
dropped, and it felt for many as if it wasn’t worth it. Yes, I admit, I felt the
same.
I had to do a lot of
soul-searching. Why am I writing? For the money? For fame? We had a hectic few
months and I felt I couldn’t justify the expense of paying for editors and
cover designers anymore. Not if I have to look at the income versus expenses.
Was it worth it?
My conclusion was, yes. It is
worth it because I’m not writing to get rich. I write because I have to. I write
because I need to. I write because I love it. I just need to work smarter. And
for me, smarter means not working alone.
That had been the turning
point for me.
It also made me realise that I
can make changes and I can help others. That is when indie authors of Southern
Africa group were born. The purpose of the group is to learn from each other
and help each other promote our books. Our aim is to find our readers, here in
South Africa and abroad. It is difficult if you only publish online. The South African reader public is still traditional and
prefer to still hold a book in their hands. I’m the same—or I had been.
Travelling with a case of books is ridiculous so now I read online. Still, there
is a book or two I prefer to hold in my hand. Mine, specifically.
Most of our authors met
through the Romance Writers Organisation of South Africa (ROSA). This group does
not want to take authors away from ROSA. We urged new members to join ROSA if they
hadn’t done so. ROSA is aimed
In the group, we have
established authors who had published through big and smaller publishing
houses. We have experienced self-publishing authors. We have debut authors and
authors who had published a book or two through a traditional publisher and are
now self-publishing their next book. Considering we have such a fast range of
experience in the group, it is therefore understandable that the more
experienced authors would give advice to the newbies.
Did it work that way? No. And
there are reasons for that. I find it fascinating that the newbies are the ones
who didn’t mind trying new things where the more established authors are
following their trusted methods. That’s great and it is understandable because
they had already built up a following the new authors need. They are there to
tell the newbies no, don’t waste your money on that, or I found that work for
me or that didn’t. That’s what we need. Exchanging ideas and information. I think the more experienced authors find the enthusiasm of the newer authors inspiring.
There are still many things we
need to figure out but each week we learn and we grow. It is amazing that there
are others in the same boat who go through the same struggles I do and if I
have questions, they will give advice.
We share information and we
network. We promote each other’s new releases and celebrate each other’s
successes and commiserate when things don’t go that well. We are learning as
we go along, exchanging ideas and trying to find new ways of doing things.
There are obstacles. Our
biggest obstacles are to find our readers. For indie authors to get their books
into a bookshop is difficult. None of us has the money to pay for distributors.
Indie bookshops are few. We rely on the few indie bookshops willing to take us,
book fairs and markets and there are a few of those in which we can take part.
I can already see us arranging
our own book fairs. We couldn’t wait for others. We need to take
action ourselves. And we can’t do it alone. Come, join us, support us, and help
us grow.
If you want to find out more
about us, you can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Our website should run soon.
https://francinebeaton.blogspot.com/
#francinebeaton
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@FrancineBeatonAuthor @dorothyewelsauthor @rita. kruger.9469 @LeennaNaidoo @GeorgiaLynHunter @vidawriter @anntonyauthor @elaine. dodge.98 @LinzeBrandon @GaeilleVanderspekAuthor @joannejosephauthor @kathy. bosmanauthor @charlene. namdhari @Bailie Hantam @Nadine Raal
@A.K. MacBride @Harper Dell
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Guest Interview on the Inbetweener Blog:
I had a lovely interview with fellow author and blogger, Leenna Naidoo
https://leennanaidoo.wordpress.com /2019/05/17/interview-with-francine-beaton-romance-writer/?fbclid=IwAR2PzhRAn6mNXQzVOQkql4Hsi0h5e0kigLH5bccNB0mwtx7gDLZdfwN -_o0
https://leennanaidoo.
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Meet my Guest: Harper Dell
Today, meet my guest, Harper Dell and celebrate with her, her newest release, Touch Me.
Tell
us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a writer by trade and by heart. I have written
everything from technical research papers to daily soap opera but my passion is
for romantic fiction. Thus far I have written four holiday romance novellas -
my Love Bites - and the first two in my contemporary family romance series. Trust Me follows Brianna and Cole's love
story, while Touch Me focuses on
youngest Sister Skye Hanson, her gay husband Jaimie and her deepening relationship
with Zach as she comes into her own. Both books feature a central love story
with lots of family drama in between.
What
is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book which has just released is Touch Me: Book 2 in
the Hanson family series. As a series, I guess the whole thing was inspired by
the fact that I come from a big family myself and know the ins and outs of
sibling drama . For Skye's love story, I've often seen couples together where
the husband is clearly gay and wondered why they are together. I decided to
tackle this tricky subject as Skye, married to gay hubby Jaimie, realizes she
needs something more. She has to navigate her way out of a comfortable marriage
while still keeping her best friend (Jaimie) and being brave enough to confront
her own sexuality with Zach. Is her husband Jaimie ready to do the same? Is
Skye still a virgin? Does Zach need her as much as she needs him? How will she
handle a family bombshell her sister Hannah is about to drop on her? You'll
have to read the book to find out ;) (And all this in between planning sister
Brie’s engagement party, getting a promotion, and coming to the rescue of a
forgotten diva.)
Why
did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?
I guess I am a romantic at heart. I remember reading
my mother's Mills and Boons as a teenager and even submitting a synopsis to
them written by hand. I'm the last person you'll find watching a horror movie
and I'm a sucker for grand gestures, not to mention the small things like
making your partner a cup of tea or just listening when they talk. There were
also some practical considerations in my decision - romance is really popular
(though also competitive) and being shorter books I would be able to write
quicker and give my readers what they want.
What
kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before
beginning this book?
This is one of the reasons I decided not to write
historical romance :) Seriously though , I tend to research as I go along and as
questions arise. My main focus with this series is researching the area the
characters live in, where they explore (given that it's set in the United
States) and also their chosen careers. In this case , since Skye is a Head
Writer on a soap opera, I had the inside track, having written on soap opera
myself. I did, however, approach my ex Head Writer boss to check on a couple of
things for accuracy.
How
do you select the names of your characters?
Given that they are love stories I think of the
couple's names together and if they have a nice rhythm. Later in the book I
sometimes realize they don't have surnames :) and have to come up with one. I
tend to choose names that sound romantic but I guess that's a subjective thing.
How
do you like to collect and organise your ideas?
Not very well. I do a basic chapter by chapter outline
(which is usually a sentence or two per chapter). I'm working on doing better
outlines so I can write the next books faster.
How
long did it take you to write this book?
This one took a year as I had a major life move in
between and it was a tricky subject with several emotional journeys - not just
the hero and heroine. I plan to write and release at least two more books in
the series this year now that I am more settled, to maintain moment.
What's
next for you as a writer?
The rest of the Hanson family series. There are five
siblings, plus mom, Jaimie and a couple of other surprises. I'm also working on
a shorter series set in a ballet company for quick release when it's ready.
Author
Bio
Romance author, Harper Dell, writes heartwarming, sexy
romantic fiction. Strong plots, high on emotion, combine with love, romance,
family ties and, of course, dollops of steamy sex. Along with fiction, Harper
writes and edits for daily soap opera and television drama.
You can follow Harper here:
#harperdell #guest #blogger #francinebeaton #romance #touchme #amazon #newrelease #southernafricanindieauthorsgroup #saiag #romancebook
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