Bon jour Peepsickles!

Today I have the talented writer, Kay Greene as my guest. she is here to tell us about things we should know about - writer and reader alike ;Tags, Categories & Why You Should Use Them! Take it away Kay!

Thanks Faith and thank you for hosting me here today.  I’m going to be helpful and explain what tags and categories are and why you should be using them on your blogs. Any blogs, all blogs, for the LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY AND GOOD IN THE WORLD USE THEM!

*pant pant*

You see, tags and categories do you and your readers a valuable service. Ever been to a blog that had all kinds of useful information that you wanted to read up on, as well as tons of other content that you really just didn’t have the time for? Adding categories to your blog posts (and then adding a category widget to the sidebar) makes it a lot easier for readers to find exactly what they’re looking for On Your Blog.

For example over at Sarah a.k.a. Legion I use categories to highlight each character, so that fans of a particular character can just click on the relevant category and get all of their posts together. Here, I don’t use many categories – which makes the blog a Lot harder to search through in order to find posts on a particular topic. You’d have to scroll through all of the pages scanning titles and content and most people just aren’t that dedicated.

Tags on the other hand, aren’t as much for your readers as they are for You. Tags are metadata that help search engine spiders find and correctly archive your site for query – but they’re also useful in your dashboard in order to help you find specific topics within categories. You should use the most relevant tags for each post, but try not to use too many or a spider might consider the tags worthless and your post spam.

How to decide what is a category or tag worthy is up to you. It helps if you have a concrete grasp on what your blog is about as I did when constructing Sarah a.k.a. Legion, I knew from day 1 that it would feature serial fiction from various different characters over time – so having categories for each character was an obvious choice. Blargle Splect on the other hand was my sandbox where I threw a bunch of blather and saw what stuck – so it only had a handful or general, nonspecific, less useful categories at first. I’ve since changed that.

It’s better to start using categories early on, then have to go back and add them later. It’s still possible to go back in and add categories later, it’s just a little bit more of a pain in the ass that way, same with tags. So use them early, use them as well as you are able, and your readers and search engine ratings will thank you!

Y. K. Greene

Thanks Kay and thanks everyone for dropping by - have a great day! x

Bon jour Peepsickles!

I'm continuing with my current theme of interviewing other authors and getting them to spill the beans on how they write...today I'm really pleased to have my good friend Mira Kolar Brown on my blog. She has some interesting things to say...thank you Mira!

OFF PAGE

I write Simon Grant Mysteries series 

Originally, I was planning to write only three books

-      Hiding the Elephant

-      Lock Up Your Daughters

and the forthcoming For the Love of Honey.

But just as book three, For the Love of Honey, started approaching its publication date, I had this brilliant new idea for yet another sequel. I don’t know all the details yet, I haven’t even got the title, but I do know why it needs to be written and why everything that will be happening in the story needs to happen.

How I know that? Why I know that?

These questions brought me to another question: What happens to fictional characters when they’re off page? How well do I need to know my characters to keep them going from one story to another?

Rather well, seems to be the obvious answer. Well enough to make the readers care whether the Main Character lives or dies. Well enough to make the readers care for those that the MC cares about and dislike MC’s pet hates enough to immerse themselves into the next storyline. And therein hides the trap. Once the word ‘care’ comes into play, that’s it. When it happened to me, I was hooked. From that moment on my MC blossomed into Simon Grant, a person in his own right, someone I just had to know everything about if for no other reason than to keep him on side. I really can’t have my characters rebelling against me all over the page, can I? Knowing Simon rather well wasn’t good enough any longer. I had to know him intimately to move on.

By now, readers know that he’s calm on the surface and passionate underneath, occasionally quick tempered, a keen observer who doesn’t get involved unless he needs to, an amateur carver of wooden miniatures, alongside many of his other poignant traits.

On the other hand, I’ve stealthily learned that he doesn’t watch much TV. He enjoys riding, swimming, sailing and skiing but only when he gets a chance to do any of it himself. He’s not a good spectator. He knows that he should go to the gym more often, and he’ll get to address that in the Book 4. (Actually, I think that I’ve just found my working title for it: Book 4. As simple as that. It roils off the tongue rather well, doesn’t it?) On surface, he’s good with people, he can charm birds out of trees, but he’s got very few close personal friends, all of them carefully chosen. He likes to read but not murder mysteries or any other form of crime fiction, something that I find rather rude. Another thing that upsets me about him is that he’s not a foodie. Given chance, he’d live on sandwiches. Also, he’s quite clean, neat and tidy. I like clean. But neat and tidy?! Please?! Where has that come from? Mostly because of his parents’ high political profile, Simon is not political. He’s pragmatic, dealing with the world as it is, not as it should be. But, he’s a romantic. And how!

All those qualities will continue to seep through, meld with the already known ones, and make each new book that much more personal and revealing.

Anyway, why does all that matter?

To me, it’s like a well-stocked cupboard at my disposal, full of exquisite ingredients required for production of a sophisticated, unique and intricate product, a.k.a. a genuine human being.

That’s the only way that I can think of to make sure that I won’t let him down and consequently, let myself down. Thank you for dropping by,

Faith and Mira

Bon jour Peepsickles!

Today I have the pleasure of the company of novelist, Tracey Alley, on my blog. Tracey is an amazing person - not just for her writing ability. She was born in Australia and has lived abroad for part of her life. One little known fact that I only discovered recently was that her grandfather owned a circus! So if you'd like to try an example of her musings...then read on. Thanks!

Ever since I pressed 'publish' on my first truly ready novel I've been asked this question numerous times.  And, do you know what?  I'm still not sure of the answer.  Obviously I can speak only for myself and let you know things that other writers have said.  It seems, however, almost universally agreed upon that the majority of writers are born that way.


I honestly cannot remember a time in my life when I didn't want to write or tell stories.  They were just 'there' in my head.  Call them imaginary friends or future characters but there are some 'people' I feel I've known all my life.  Some of them have made it to paper, some are waiting their turn but all of them are in my head.


It's kind of funny that a writer's mind could easily be mistaken for a mental illness.  I hear voices - that is to say I hear characters talking in my head.  I know them as intimately as I know my own husband.  I could tell you exactly what they looked like, what their family background was like, their hopes, fears and dreams - but none of them are 'real' until I finally pin them to paper.


Likewise I see 'visions' - that is that certain scenes play out in my head, I can see different characters interacting.  I see their triumphs, their despair, I see their friendships and lovers.  I see it all in my head and it doesn't go away until, again, I finally pin it to paper.


I'm sure by now you see what I mean when I say a writer's mind could be easily confused with the mentally ill.  And maybe, in a way, it is an illness.  I'll admit that there are times when it almost feels like a fever - if I don't write down the things I see and hear it will just nag at me until I do.  I'm like an addict - I can't stop.  Not that I'd actually wish for things to be any different.  I love writing.  I love being a writer and now, I love it even more because people are reading the things I write.


So I guess at the end of the day, the answer to the question of whether writer's are born or made is probably that they're born that way.  I've read many interviews etc where other authors have spoken of their need to write, their characters taking over.  All things I've said and felt myself.  So, if you're out there and you feel a story inside you - let it out.  You'll never get any peace until you do ;)


Cheers,
Trace

Tracey's books can be found on Amazon.com and on Amazon.co.uk

I would like to thank Phyllis Burton for nominating me for this award.   I do try to keep my blogs as varied as possible, and the ones I have written have been great fun.  I find it is a super way to get to know other people who have a similar love for reading and writing. Phyllis is a dedicated author and has recently achieved success with her novels; much deserved!  You can look at her website here: http://burtonblogs.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/phyllis-burton/ 

Now for this nomination, I have to tell you 7 things about myself and then nominate other bloggers/authors to do the same. All they need to do is to link back to me, choose their nominees and answer 7 things about themselves and post links to their nominees…simple?!

MY LIFE IN SEVEN FACTS

Trolling back through the years, I realise I’ve had an amazing life.  Since the age of five I’ve been fortunate in visiting many countries and spent six of my tender years living in Malaya and Singapore. 

I am the eldest of three daughters and my family live in the south of England in Hampshire and Surrey.  My father gave up hoping for a son after my youngest sister was born!   After I left school, I studied and qualified as a State Registered Nurse and enjoyed working for a few years in the Guildford hospitals until I married and had my two children; a boy and a girl.  

I realised I had a great love for the theatre and the arts, and I started up a dramatic society in Cranleigh, Surrey with a few other members. Over the next few years we put on many plays and shows, some of which I was fortunate to star in! When I moved villages I joined a bigger group in Bramley, Surrey and again spent three years in various colourful productions. Nowadays, I love in Cyprus for part of the year and I’ve been fortunate to be part of the cast in Shakespeare plays which we perform in the ancient amphitheatre of Curium just outside Limassol. I’ve also discovered a passion for musical shows and I’m a member of a Limassol group; Premier,  and we’ve had some recent fun this week with our own production of ‘One Day More’ which has been a complete sell-out complete with standing ovations!

As a child I used to write stories for my sisters – and make them sit down and listen to them! As I grew older, my short stories became much longer until they resembled novellas. In the early 2000s, I started writing my first full-length novel – The Crossing. In 2001, my husband and I decided to buy a sailing yacht and see some of the world. We ventured down the French and Portuguese coasts to the Canary Islands and then down to the Cape Verde islands off Africa before hopping across The Atlantic Ocean. We spent many happy years cruising up and down the Caribbean island chain and went as far north as New York in the States and as far south as Venezuela. When we tired of these tropical islands we sailed Altarial back to the Mediterranean and spent a few years cruising as far as Turkey. During this time I spent many hours writing on board at the same time as I studied for an Open University science degree. A perfect life!

The Crossing was published in 2009 with a London publisher. I have to be honest and say that the publisher didn’t come up to expectation with regard to supporting and marketing my book and in 2011 I decided to go it alone and self-publish. Since then I haven’t looked back. I recently rewrote, edited and added a lot more copy to The Crossing and have renamed it and turned it into two novels; The Seeds of Time (Book 1 of The Crossing) and Harvest (Book 2 of The Crossing). These books genre are hard to determine as they cover action, adventure, romance, mystery and World War Two.

In 2012, I embarked on writing crime novels~ murder mysteries of suspension and thrillers! So far, in the Diana Rivers series (which are all stand-alone books), I have received some splendid accolades for, The Assassins’ Village, Children of the Plantation, The Surgeon’s Blade and Camera Action…Murder! The Assassins’ Village was voted #1 book on Harper Collins site Authonomy and became a bestseller on Amazon and The Surgeon’s Blade sold over 50,000 copies in 2012 after becoming #1 in suspense and voted in the top #3 in the Sunday Mail!

My current work comprises of two novels. A Very French Affair is my first foray into romance and I'm delighted to say has just been released this week! And I’m near the end of writing my fifth Diana Rivers murder mystery, Evil Returns to the Village (yes set in Cyprus again due to popular demand!). This novel should be published April/May.

My daughter has written a beautiful children’s book and I’m trying to persuade her to publish it as she shows great promise as a writer. My son is something big in advertising, and although I understand some of what he does a lot is still a mystery to this computer dinosaur! Last year my daughter made me a grandmother with a beautiful little boy; today he celebrated his first birthday.   Life is indeed fulfilling and exciting:  what more could I ask for?

These facts about me, some of which I hope you feel will be of interest to you, are just a small part of my life:  there have been many wonderful moments, but too numerous to mention.

My nominations are:

Mira Kolar-Brown  http://mirabooks.wordpress.com/

Seb Kirby http://noveltakenomore.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-i-write.html 

Sibel Hodge http://www.sibelhodge.com/my-blog/don-t-let-life-get-you-down

Tim Ellis http://timellis.weebly.com/index.html

Catrina Taylor http://xarrok.com/

Tracey Alley http://traceyalley.weebly.com/index.html

Kay Greene http://blarglesplect.com/2013/02/14/as-a-reader-or-a-writer-does-genre-sometimes-confuse-you/

Faith on Amazon.co.uk

Bon jour Peepsickles!

And I’m super-excited today as my latest novel, ‘A Very French Affair’ has just been published on all Amazon sites! Yippee!

Most of you know me primarily as a crime writer, (as well as adventure, mystery and suspense). Now I’ve added romance to my list of genre! Of course almost all of my books do cross genre, (typically ‘The Seeds of Time’ and ‘Harvest’) so you’ll find a little of almost everything in them except erotica!

‘A Very French Affair’, is set on the beautiful south coast of France . I love this part of the Mediterranean and I was fortunate enough to spend many idyllic weeks sailing along this stretch of coast in the early part of 2005 and 2006. I have many fond memories of the area, the wonderful food and of course the delicious wines!

The novel begins briefly in the present and within one chapter the reader is whisked back to 1989. This period is the main time frame of the story until the last chapter when things come full circle. The story will appeal to anyone (male and female) who like a good tale with liberal sprinklings of old-fashioned romance and a bitter-sweet ending. I believe the characters are real, each with their own set of personal habits, hang-ups and worries – as in true life.

I’ve included a short book description here to whet your appetite:

A VERY FRENCH AFFAIR

Take two very different cultures, separated by a narrow strip of water. Can love bridge the divide?

When Margaret discovers her fiancé is cheating on her, she leaves England in search of a new life and a new dream. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Margaret is determined to put romance out of her life and avoid forming personal ties. On the beautiful south coast of France, Margaret lands herself with a plum job and is happy to forget her worthless old flame. Things are looking up, until a series of events draw her into meeting handsome Frenchman Jean-Paul. Despite her reservations, Margaret begins to let down her guard with inevitable consequence.

Margaret falls deeply in love, but struggles with her conscious after discovering Jean-Paul is married. Despite his declaration of a loveless marriage, should Margaret continue with her new affair? Her old life haunts and scares her…Should she choose a secure, safe life, immersed in her work, or one filled with passion and excitement with the sexy Frenchman? In her darkest hours, can she trust him with her heart?... Has she found a safe haven?

Or is she poised on the brink of the abyss…

I’ll be delighted if you download a copy…and even more to receive your feedback. Thank you so much for dropping by – and as ever, a HUGE thank you for your wonderful support and loyalty.

Happy reading!

Faithx

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.de

Amazon.fr

Amazon.it

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com. br

Amazon.es

Bon Jour Peepsickles!

Today I'm delighted to feature a great friend of mine of crime writer, Tim Ellis to say a few words about...books and more books. Actually Tim doesn't just write about crime. He is also prolific in historical fiction, horror and fantasy. A man of many talents! Take it away Tim!

So, here's the thing. I've been a bit remiss lately. I haven't published a blog since way back when. In fact, I think the Rolling Stones were in the charts with Angie, the last time I wrote a blog! Don'tcha just love that song? I used to have a girlfriend called Angie. I wonder what happened to her! Anyway, I've published three books since my last blog. "THREE BOOKS!" I hear you howl at the moon.  Yeah, I know. Scary, isn't it? So, which three books are these? You had to go and ask didn't you?

The start of a new Private Investigator series set in St, Augustine, Florida. Did you know that St Augustine is the most haunted place in America. The next in the Quigg series (Quigg 5): The Terror at Grisly Park - a police procedural. As well as leaning towards the paranormal, Quigg is up to his old tricks again. And as if that weren't enough to get your laughing gear round, I've put together another poetry book called Summer of my Soul. I know, call me a mad impetuous fool.



What's next? You're asking all the right questions today, Toady. I've cobbled together a non-fiction book called 'The Writer's A - Z of Body Language', which does what it says on the tin. it's out NOW, and then I'm straight on to Parish & Richards 9: 'The House of Mourning'. You're probably wondering what's going to happen to the characters. Well, here's a few clues.

Remember the money (£50,000) that Erin Donnelly transferred into the Kowalski's bank account? Yeah well, if you recall, it belonged to a Columbian drug cartel run by a most unsavoury character called Holgar de Moreno (or some such), and he wants his money back. The trouble is, Jerry's using it to finance her law degree. Also, remember the box of files relating to the Epsilon experiment? Well, do you think Xena and Stick are going to tell Parish about them? And let's not forget that Parish has still got to get that briefcase from the railway lost property storage warehouse. What do you think is in that briefcase? And do you think he's ever going to find out the truth? Then, of course, there's Richards and her search for a decent guy - are there any left? We've also got Charlie Baxter, Jerry, and the squatters on a case, Xena and Stick investigating something, and Parish & Richards up to their eyballs in serial killers. Yeah, I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into this one. 

The Spring Thriller 2013

Welcome to the Spring Thriller 2013 - a collection of blogs, books and authors specialising in writing novels about murder, mysteries, espionage and terrorism, which contain those crucial elements of character, tension, suspense, adventure, pace, action, realism and plot. You are invited to join in the 'Thriller Writers' adventure by visiting and supporting the websites of authors involved in the tour and who are dedicated to turning out some of the best thrillers available today.

Each author named at the bottom of the page has been asked the same quesions but the answers will all obviously be different. If you click on a name you can see how that author dealt with the same question.

Without further ado, let's begin with the questions from the Thriller Writer.

To Faith Mortimer:

Q. How long have you been writing and what life skills do you bring to your work?


A. I’ve been doing some sort of writing for as long as I can remember. When I was quite young I played around with writing plays, poetry and short stories. I always longed to write a full length book though. This ambition was fulfilled when I completed my first book in 2007. Since then I’ve written another seven books. Looking back over the years, I’ve used many aspects of my life and incorporated them into my stories. They say ‘write about what you know’ after all!

Q. Do you research content for your work and if so where from?
A. Absolutely yes! Once I get an idea for a novel I check things using the library or the internet and confirm what is in my head. Friends and people you meet are a great source when it comes to adding character and colour to a story and I borrow traits and mix them up to create my ‘book people’. At the end of the day, the work needs to flow as a good read. I enjoy the research because I like reading nonfiction as well as good fiction.

Q. Tell us about one of your previous publications.


A. ‘The Assassins’ Village’ is the first Diana Rivers novel and precedes ‘Children of the Plantation’, ‘The Surgeon’s Blade’ and ‘Camera Action…Murder!’ ‘The Assassins’ Village’ is a murder mystery introducing my female sleuth character, Diana Rivers, a writer of mystery novels who is always getting into trouble. She’s about forty, feisty, often found in places where she shouldn’t be and speaks her mind! The Diana Rivers books all stand alone in their stories but carry some of the same characters. We have her long suffering but sensible husband, Steve, an ex-flame senior detective, Adam, two Cypriot policemen – one an absolute creep and the other quite human and normal. Dishonest rogues, old friends from when Diana was on the stage…and so on… ‘The Assassins’ Village’ presents the reader with two bodies and suggests there might be a serial killer at large – but why – what is the motive – and who living in the mountain village of Agios Mamas is behind it? I really enjoyed writing the book and the subsequent ones.

Q. What are you currently writing?


A. I’m about to release something completely different for me – a bitter-sweet romance – ‘A Very French Affair’.  I wanted to try another genre apart from Murder Mystery Suspense and Action and Adventure as shown in my other two novels, ‘The Seeds of Time’ and ‘Harvest’ (parts 1 and 2 of The Crossing.) It was a challenge and a fun thing to do and judging from my beta readers who’ve read it I CAN write romance! The book should be out mid-to-late February.

My current work in progress is the fifth Diana Rivers murder mystery. As yet the title is undecided but will probably be, ‘Evil Returns to the Village’ as it features Diana’s village in Cyprus once again. My followers and fans of the Diana Rivers books have repeatedly requested I write another mystery set in Cyprus and this is it!

I’m almost finished the novel in its first write and it should be published in April or May. Do keep a watch on Facebook or my website for news.


Q. What is so special to you about the ‘thriller/mystery/suspense’ genre?


A. In the realms of fiction, it is my favourite genre to read. As a writer, I write about what I know and I add this knowledge to my books. I don’t know a lot about police procedural but I do know about people’s characters and this is why my novels are more of the general ‘whodunit’ classic crime stories than clever police’ forensic stuff. I stick to what I’m happy with.

Q. How do you spend your leisure time?


A. I enjoy reading and spending time with family and friends. For sport, I hash (sort of orienteering and following a trail like hare and hounds), running, swimming, skiing, diving, visiting new countries. Red wine and good food!

Q. What is the most thrilling thing that has ever happened to you?


A. Spending four weeks under canvas with my daughter in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana in Africa! Skiing down the Swiss Alps, raising my children, driving my first car, getting married, white-water canoeing down the Zambezi River, and becoming a Grandmother last year! – silly stuff like that.

Q. Can you provide links to your work?


A. Of course, here they are.
Faith Mortimer’s blog and website
Faith Mortimer’s Amazon pages US and UK
Faith Mortimer’s Facebook Page

To see how our other authors responded, click on an author’s name below.

1. Charles G Irion 2. Mark Rubenstein 3. Joseph Badal 4. Jeannie Walker 5. Jennifer Chase 6. Kenneth Hoss 7. Faith Mortimer 8. James J Murray 9 Paul Anthony 10 Mira Brown

Thanks, Seb for a brief view into your own writing life. Very illuminating!

Thanks for stopping by everyone. Good reading!
Faithx

Bon jour Peepsickles!

Today I have the pleasure of letting you read a splendid article from an author of whom I admire a great deal. Sibel Hodge is an amazing lady in many ways, not least of all her ability to write about all manner of subjects from comedy to life to delicious food. Today she's giving us all a pep lesson which I'm sure we'll benefit from. Enjoy! 
Faithx
I give you Sibel...

We all have days where nothing is going right, or moments in our life that drag us down. The important thing is how we deal with the stresses and upheavals that living in the modern world places upon us. So if you have that sinking feeling, just remember that today’s bad news could be tomorrow’s opportunity. Repeating positive motivational quotes and mantras help me get through the the rough times. Here are some of mine...

Life is full of should haves. You can’t change the past, but the power to do anything is here, now.

Make the most of all your opportunities today. You never know which one will pay off.

It'll be OK in the end. If it's not OK, then it's not the end.

Laughter is a great stress management tool. Devote time to laugh throughout your day.

Success is just a state of mind. If you believe you can do something then you can ... but maybe not always the way you first thought.

Your potential is from infinity to beyond.

Don’t try to fail by failing to try.

Live for today, dream of tomorrow, learn from yesterday.

You are unique, so use your unique talent to your advantage.

Everything You touch is a success.

The meditations above, plus many more, are included in my new book Healing Meditations for Surviving Grief and Loss

It’s an inevitable part of life that at some point we will all experience loss and grief. Loss doesn’t just mean the death of a loved one. It can also include any kind of major change, death of a cherished dream, divorce or the end of a relationship, loss of freedom, job loss, loss of income, rejection, chronic illness or disease, infertility, miscarriage, death of a pet, as well as many other tragedies. Every change in our lives is really a death of some kind (something has ended), and can create a state of grief and loss. 

There’s no right or wrong way to grieve, and the road to recovery is unique to each person. Healing Meditations for Surviving Grief and Loss explores how we can honour our loss and grief and move forward through hope, recovery, and healing. The meditations are designed to create positive and healthy changes in our lives, aid us on our journey to recovery, comfort us, inspire us, and give us hope of a brighter future. They can help to rebuild our self-confidence and help us learn to love ourselves and our lives again. 

The Aim of this Book is to Help:

• Identify how you can express your feelings of anger, guilt, sadness, fear, pain, and anxiety 
• Motivate you to can carry on living after suffering from loss 
• Help you reflect on your loss in positive and healthy ways
• Dedicate time to the grief process and its expression
• Explore positive ways of coping with your loss 
• Let you know that you’re not alone

Healing Meditations for Grief and Loss is available from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Smashwords.

So don't let life get you down. The power to pick yourself up and deal with life is controlled by your own positive thoughts.

I'd love to hear some of your mantras!

Peace and Love

Sibel xx

Bon jour Peepsickles!

I don’t know about you, but occasionally I find this one of the hardest things to do. Imagine – you’ve spent the last few months or perhaps a year writing that new novel and you’ve finally written, ‘the end.’ But is it?

Hardly. Before you can publish that book one of the most important things you have to consider is how to compose good copy for that essential blurb which goes on the back of a paperback or the inside flap of a hardcover book.

This blurb is a teaser for the whole plot and essence of your novel. Writing this blurb is no easy exercise because there is skill in how much plot you give the reader at the same time as ensuring they buy the book.

Looking at the majority of fiction blurbs you will find they are round about 150 words or so long.

What do I do?

They say copying is the highest form of flattery, and although I don’t advocate you find the top seller of the day and copy their blurb word for word, I do recommend you sit down and study what some of your favourite authors have written. I first look at the length of the blurb and then study the flow of the piece. Voice and style is important and because I’ve read the book beforehand I know how it compares with the actual story.

Have you received any reviews from magazines or newspapers?

Occasionally you may be fortunate to have your novel/manuscript reviewed by a major publication before the book has actually been released to the public. The blurb is the perfect place to mention this. If your book has been well-received then you’d be silly not to say so from the beginning and this can be a definite unique selling point (USP).

Make sure your blurb is the right length

We’ve all been told from time to time that less is best, and this is a perfect time to use that adage. Your blurb is a short teaser for your novel. No one wants to read a six-page synopsis, but you have to learn how to do this. The best way I’ve found is to write a long blurb, and then to edit this by cutting out superfluous words. Remember how your prune your roses in the autumn? Think the same. Your blurb must be as concise as possible. Also ensure you write with an active voice.

Can you start with a Question?

This has been a favourite way to begin a blurb for some time now. It’s been shown that many readers are fascinated to read a fiction blurb which places them inside the story. It doesn’t matter how you do it; either by placing a question which leads into the plot, or the whole of the blurb may be one long question. It’s fun too.

What should I mention in the blurb?

How often does the blurb not cover the whole story? I would say unless the novel is very short or boring then this is the usual case. Your novel usually goes far beyond the scope of the blurb. Use your first exciting adventure as the start to your blurb. Your readers can only be thrilled when they discover that your blurb is only the beginning of a wonderful adventure.

Finally, I should say that writing a fiction novel blurb doesn’t have to be difficult, but it is important and should be taken seriously.  After all, this is your readers' first look at your novel and it should entice the reader to buy it!

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy reading everyone!

Faithx

The Seeds of Time (blurb)

How will Englishman Richard Barker come to terms with his grief after suffering a devastating loss? Will either of the two beautiful women in his life, quiet and smouldering American, Sorrel or the tempestuous and wilful, Miranda be the catalyst towards inner peace and perhaps love?

While Richard is battling with his bitter despair, he enters into the dark, often surreal world of his dead father's past life during the Second World War. It is Sorrel's Grandfather, an American Air Force pilot, who contacts Richard with some intriguing news which helps Richard to his senses.

Richard lives in a world that is sometimes as tragic as ‘A Farewell to Arms’ and as sensuous as ‘The English Patient’. His story and that of his father are crafted from the ruins of war and the indestructibility of love. The action is non-stop, the locations are intriguing and the characters are appealing. There is tension, romance and harrowing escapes all woven within a story that captures the imagination and keeps the reader guessing until the very end.

Camera Action…Murder!

Why does suspense seem to find Diana Rivers when she least expects it?

An invitation to take part in a film-shoot seemed too exciting an opportunity to miss. Life had been quiet for the last year or so & Diana looked forward to renewing old friendships and meeting a handful of well-known film stars.

The only possible fly in the ointment was the venue. Years before, Diana had suffered a terrifying experience in England - an encounter which she thought she'd resolved. Reassuring her partner, Steve that all was well & that terrifying episode was behind them, she went ahead & confirmed their acceptance.
Little did she know that the filming was only a minor part of the show about to be enacted.
Once again, Diana is drawn into events which threaten to spiral out of control. When a beautiful young actress is accidentally killed, Diana's reaction is to consider sinister thoughts. Was it an accident or ...MURDER?
A second body leaves everyone reeling & this time there is no doubt. A callous & vicious murderer or murderers are at large. Diana is fast embroiled in discovering the hard facts, not knowing that she is placing herself in great danger. Watch out Diana! You could be next...

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