Good Day Everyone, and today I have something completely different I want to share with you. I won't talk about it as Cheryl can explain it all a lot better than I can..so please read this and think about your life and how and what life whispers mean to you.

What is your life whispering to you? by Cheryl Shireman

I believe life whispers to you and provides direction. I call that life force God. You can call it whatever you want, but there is no escaping it. If we are open, and brave enough to say yes, life will take us in directions we never expected, and you will live a life beyond your wildest dreams.

Those whisperings often come in the form of a “crazy” idea or a nudge to move into a certain direction that seems odd or silly or daring. Then there is that moment when you think, Well, that’s weird. Where in the world did that come from?

And then there’s the second moment, when you have to make a choice. You can dismiss the crazy notion, and probably even come up with a dozen reasons why it’s a bad idea. You don’t have the time, the money, or the resources. Besides, who are you to do such a thing? What in the world were you thinking? So, you dismiss the idea. We always have that option – to say No.

But it comes back – that whisper. Sometimes again and again. But if we are practical, and safe, we can squash the notion until it is almost forgotten. Almost.

Such a notion came to me a couple of months ago. I began to think of an anthology composed of women writers. An anthology that would be published before the rapidly approaching holiday season. The title came to me almost immediately – Indie Chicks. It was a crazy notion. I was working with an editor who was editing my first two novels, and was also in the middle of writing a third novel. Working on three books seemed to be a pretty full plate. Adding a fourth was insane.

But the crazy notion kept coming back to me. It simply refused to be dismissed. So I sent out a “feeler” email to another writer, Michelle Muto. She loved the idea. I sent out another email to my writing buddy, J. Carson Black. She loved the idea, too, but couldn’t make the time commitment. She had just signed with Thomas & Mercer and was knee deep in writing. I took it as a sign. I didn’t have the time for the project either. Perhaps after the first of the year, when final edits were done on my own novels. I dismissed it, at least for the present time. I’d think about it again in another couple of months, when the timing made more sense.

A week later I surrendered, started developing a marketing plan for Indie Chicks, and began sending out emails to various indie writers – some I knew, but most were strangers. I contacted a little over thirty women. Every one of them responded with enthusiasm. Most said yes immediately, and those who could not, due to time commitments, wished us well and asked me to let them know when the book when the book was published so they could be part of promoting it.

One of the first writers I contacted was Heather Marie Adkins. Earlier this year, while I was browsing the internet, I came across an interview with Heather. The interviewer (oddly enough, Michelle Muto) asked Heather, When did you decide to become an indie author? Heather’s answer was:  About a month ago. My dad had been trying to talk me into self-publishing for some time, but I was hesitant. One night, I sat down and ran a Google search. I discovered Amanda Hocking, JA Konrath, Victorine Lieski; but it was Cheryl Shireman that convinced me. This is the field to be in. I was shocked (Astonished! Flabbergasted!). I had no idea that I had ever inspired anyone! To be honest, it was a bit humbling. And,okay, yes – it made me cry. So, of course, I had to invite Heather to be a part of the anthology. Heather not only said yes, but she also volunteered to format the project – a task I was dreading.

As Heather and I exchanged emails, I told her about how I had been similarly inspired to become an indie writer by Karen McQuestion. My husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas of 2010. Honestly, the present angered me. I didn’t want a Kindle. I wanted nothing to do with reading a book on an electronic device! I love books; the feel of them, the smell of them. But, very quickly, I started filling up that Kindle with novels.

One day, while looking for a new book on Amazon, I came across a title by Karen McQuestion. I learned that McQuestion had published her novels through Amazon straight to Kindle. Immediately, I began doing research on her and how to publish through Kindle. I had just completed a novel and was ready to submit it through traditional routes. Within 48 hours of first reading about McQuestion, I submitted my novel, Life Is But A Dream: On The Lake. Twenty four hours later, it was published as an eBook on Amazon. Within another couple of weeks it was available as a paperback and through Nook. Did I jump into this venture fearlessly? No! I was scared to death, and I almost talked myself out of it. Almost. The novel went on to sell over 10,000 copies within the first seven months of release.

As I shared that story with Heather, another crazy notion whispered in my ear – Ask Karen McQuestion to write the foreword for Indie Chicks. Of course, I dismissed it. We had exchanged a couple of tweets on Twitter, but other than that, I had never corresponded with McQuestion. It was nonsense to think she would write the foreword. I was embarrassed to even ask her. Surely, she would think I was some sort of nut. But, the idea kept whispering to me and, with great trepidation, I emailed her. She said yes! Kindly, enthusiastically, and whole-heartedly, she said yes. Karen McQuestion had inspired me to try indie publishing. I had inspired Heather Adkins. And now the three of us were participating in Indie Chicks, that crazy whisper I had been unable to dismiss.

The book began to develop, and as it did, a theme began to form. This was to be a book full of personal stories from women. As women, one of our most powerful gifts is our ability to encourage one another. This book became our effort to encourage women across the world. Twenty-five women sharing stories that will make you laugh, inspire you, and maybe even make you cry. We began to dream that these stories would inspire other women to live the life they were meant to live.

From the beginning, I knew I wanted the proceeds of this charity to go to some sort of charity that would benefit other women. While we were in the process of compiling the anthology, the mother of one of the women was diagnosed with breast cancer. Almost immediately upon learning that, Michelle Muto sent me an email. Hey, in light of *****’s mother having an aggressive form of breast cancer, can I nominate The Susan G. Komen foundation for breast cancer? I mean, one of our own is affected here, and other than heart disease (which took my own mother’s life), I can’t think of anything more worthy than to honor our sister in words and what she’s going through. A daughter’s love knows no bounds for her mother. Trust me. I know it’s a charity that already gets attention on its own. But, that’s not the point, is it? The point is there are 25 ‘sisters’ sticking together and supporting each other for this anthology. I say we put the money where the heart is. We had our inspiration. All proceeds would go to the Susan G. Komen foundation for breast cancer research.

The stories started coming in. Some were light hearted and fun to read. But others were gut-wrenching and inspiring – stories of how women dealt with physical abuse, overwhelming grief, and a host of bad choices. It was clear; these women were not just sharing a story, but a piece of their heart. I felt as if I were no longer “organizing” this anthology, but just getting out of the way so that it could morph and evolve into its truest form.

Fast forward to just a few days before publication. Heather was almost done with the enormous task of formatting a book with twenty-five authors. We were very close to publishing and were on the homestretch. That’s when I received an email. An unlikely email from someone I didn’t really know. Beth Elisa Harris and I were involved in another indie project and Beth sent an email to all of the authors in that project, including me. She attached a journal to that email. For whatever reason, Beth had been inspired to share a journal she wrote a few years ago. She cautioned us to keep her confidence and not share the journal with anyone else. I tend toward privacy and don’t tend to trust easily. This is a HUGE step for me. I’ve only read it once since I wrote it. Intrigued, I opened the journal and began reading. It dealt with her diagnosis, a few years back, with breast cancer! Before I was even one third of the way through the journal, I felt I should ask Beth to include this journal in the Indie Chicks anthology. It was a crazy notion, especially when considering her words about privacy and trust. We didn’t even know each other, how could I ask her to go public with something so personal? I tried to dismiss the notion (are you noticing a pattern here?), but could not. I wrote the email, took a deep breath, and hit send. She answered immediately. Yes. Most definitely, yes.

Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories , with foreword by Karen McQuestion and afterword by Beth Elise Harris, is now available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon. The book includes personal stories from each of the women, as well as excerpts from our novels. And it began as a whisper. A whisper I did my best to ignore.

What whisper are you ignoring? What crazy notion haunts you? What dream merely awaits your response? I urge you, say Yes. Live the life you were meant to live. Say yes today.

Stories included in Indie Chicks:

Foreword by Karen McQuestion

Knight in Shining Armor by Shea MacLeod

Latchkey Kid by Heather Marie Adkins

Write or Die by Danielle Blanchard

The Phoenix and The Darkness by Lizzy Ford

Never Too Late by Linda Welch

Stepping Into the Light by Donna Fasano

One Fictionista’s Literary Bliss by Katherine Owen

I Burned My Bra For This? by Cheryl Shireman

Mrs. So Got It Wrong Agent by Prue Battten

Holes by Suzanne Tyrpak

Turning Medieval by Sarah Woodbury

A Kinky Adventure in Anglophilia by Anne R. Allen

Writing From a Flour Sack by Dani Amore

Just Me and James Dean by Cheryl Bradshaw

How a Big Yellow Truck Changed My Life by Christine DeMaio-Rice

From 200 Rejections to Amazon Top 200! by Sibel Hodge

Have You Ever Lost a Hat? by Barbara Silkstone

French Fancies! by Mel Comley

Life’s Little Gifts by Melissa Foster

Never Give Up On Your Dream by Christine Kersey

Self-taught Late Bloomer by Carol Davis Luce

Moving to The Middle East by Julia Crane

Paper, Pen, and Chocolate by Talia Jager

The Magic Within and The Little Book That Could by Michelle Muto

Write Out of Grief by Melissa Smith

Afterword by Beth Elisa Harris 


Indie Chicks is available for your Kindle on Amazon   and your Nook . You may also read it on your computer or most mobile devices by downloading a free reader from those sites. 


Stop by our Facebook  page 

Follow our Indie Chicks hash tag on Twitter!  #IndieChicksAnthology


Happy Reading!

  FaithXX

Good Day Friends,

Another week nearly over. How time flies, and again I’ve had a brilliant week, what with writing, gaining many new friends on Facebook, twitter and on here. Oh and of course I can’t complain about the sales of my books as it has been an exciting last few weeks all round. Thanks to you…

Are You Sitting in a False Comfort Zone?

What does ‘comfort’ mean to us as writers? And are we sitting in a comfort zone that is actually holding our creativity in check?
What might be your comfort zone? Is it a job, a certain trusted group of friends, a place where you live/work/play or ‘I’ll do that later, I’ve plenty of time to do so then,’ attitude. Or more simply put – ‘someday.’
Be honest now, how many times have you said, “Someday I’ll write a book. Someday I’ll move to the country. Someday I’ll start that diet/exercise.’

And as writers, we too have our own niche comfort zones. Years ago I was heard to say, “I’ll send my MS off to an agent when I’ve properly finished my draft. When I’ve finished and I’m happy I’ll send the MS off to this publisher/agent/editor… someday.”
Yet, someday never seems to come as we are all guilty at some time in our lives of hiding behind these barriers, which in effect protect us from things we are afraid of.

But we must face our fears if we wish to get past a barrier or two. Some fears we have to respect in order to maintain our own physical and emotional safety. We might have a huge fear that cannot be faced head on in one step and, looking at this fear, and barrier, we’ve constructed, it’s this fear that is instrumental in keeping us from moving forward and achieving what we want to do. We need to face this fear.  Maybe we should take small steps to overcome this – take it slowly and positively, but remember – don’t find yourself in that ultra-false comfort zone of perfection.

 Perfection does not exist. Perfection never finishes. If I wait and I work hard to find perfection, I‘ll never finish my novel, I will never have a blog or web site, etc., etc. So get out of that false comfort zone, now!
You’ve already read up on how to…edit your novel, format it for an eBook, send to a publisher, and write that blog post…so now is the time to use those small steps to take you to that goal and ultimately your reward.

A book that you’ve written and is now published and is being read by readers like you.

We all need to explore and to discover where are dreams will take us, so move out of that comfort zone and head towards your dreams. Go for it! I did. I’ve now published three novels in eBook and paperback, written a collection of short stories and I’ve another work in progress that will be published in a month or two. And I’m already thinking ahead for a trilogy. And you know what? I never have a dull moment and I’m loving it!

As ever, a huge thanks to those of you who take the care and trouble to read my humble blog posts. I love receiving all your comments and I do endeavor to reply asap. And of course it goes without saying, thank you to those who have bought and reviewed my books. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you rock!

Enjoy your days,

Faithx

My books can be found on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk as well as Barnes & Noble, Nook and Smashwords

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

Good day!

The last week – for me – has to have been one of the best so far. I was tremendously excited when Children of The Plantation reached 209 on Amazon.com best sellers list and for twenty-four hours it was in the number one position in ‘movers and shakers’. To have reached those ‘heady heights’ resulted in some tremendous sales on Amazon.com and I must thank each and every one of you who bought a copy of the eBook. The Assassins’ Village did very well too. Thank you!

Strangely enough though, sales were not so strong on Amazon.co.uk. Although sales have been pleasing they are nowhere near as buoyant as on Amazon.com. Perhaps the economy is scraping along rock bottom, or the UK market is not so aware of eBooks, I’m not sure. Even so with Children of The Plantation at only £1.14 (99c) I would have thought most people could afford it. I sense a mystery here that needs looking into!

 

Which Writer Will Make It? The Writers’ Litmus Test.

I’ve been a published author since, ‘The Crossing’, my first novel, was published in 2009. Since then and more recently I’ve met and corresponded with dozens of unpublished writers. Each writer has their own hope and dream about writing, and I’ve spent many an hour commiserating over tales of rejection, sparse sales, sharing good news, and hearing more plots than MI6, FBI or Mossad ever have.

 Listening to all these hopefuls, I’ve discovered something significant. I couldn’t in a thousand years tell you who will eventually succeed. But I can tell you in about five minutes which writers are certain to fail.
The guaranteed failures carry their amateur attitudes and beliefs like a second skin or bad perfume. There is an ever pervading cloud of Eau de Tragedy emanating from their bodies and wafting into the noses of readers, publishers and editors who might otherwise be interested in the writer’s work.
If you even suspect you’re wearing this scent, you need to lose it, now. And you can do this by taking The Writers’ Litmus test.

 How often do you hear the word ‘but’?

I’m patient, and I believe a good listener and I’m interested in seeing writers succeed. I get many emails sent to me from aspiring writers telling me of their dreams and aspirations, and sometimes, a hopeful writer will ask my advice. And this is when I usually get fidgety as very often, the budding writer’s immediate response to my suggestion starts off with, “But I can’t do that because …”

Aagh! At this point, I want to bang their head against a wall. I don’t necessarily think that my advice will turn this writer into an overnight success, or get their manuscript looked at. Neither is it because so far they are ignoring me. The problem with these ‘But people’… is that they have already decided that they know everything they need to know about writing. They may be talking to me with any manner of idea, possibly hoping to network, or because they think their work is brilliant and they want me to agree. This will not get them published, be it traditional or eBook publishing.

‘But’ is probably the worst excuse you can make for your writing while hoping to succeed.

There’s no point in saying, ‘But I want my book published by…la di da’, when you know it isn’t possible as that publisher doesn’t publish that genre. Or if your manuscript is returned because your plot is hackneyed and your characters are thin, “But I planned it to be that way . . .” is not the right answer. If your editor, beta or proof readers tell you that you need to give the story a real ending, “But I want to leave the reader in suspense . . .” is going to get you nowhere except a lost opportunity. Editors don’t clean up the spelling and the grammar, it’s down to you. If it’s suggested you get cracking on a second book do so…unless you’re a celebrity, one book will not make your fortune.

Remember, no one has to buy your book; there are many more thousands out there. If it isn’t selling anywhere, write something different.

You cannot make excuses for your writing and hope to succeed. Don’t think you know all the answers, that you’ve done all your homework. The best thing is to listen to the information being given. Real life is not school, where you have a test and you receive an ‘A’ for knowing the answers. Remember, if you assume that the words flowing from your fingertips were dictated to you by God, only you and God are ever going to get to read them.

And remember also, no perfume – not even Eau de Tragedy – sticks forever if you wash it off. Don’t make those excuses, listen to those who have succeeded and take their advice. If you are told to revise, do so, you can leave your tragic past and failures behind. I truly hope this article doesn’t sound patronising in any way, as I am passionate in what I believe in. There are some fantastic people out there who are extremely experienced and a lot of their advice is free.

You can sell your work –so go out and do it! What do you think?

Thank you for reading this latest blog post and thank you for taking the trouble to buy and read my books – I’m not the best writer in the World, not the most successful, but  I am listening to you out there and learning from what you tell me. Have a great week everyone.

Faithx

A HUGE Thanks! Good morning everyone!

I am over the moon! and this is one of the few places I can reach you all...Yesterday and today my latest novel, Children of The Plantation is the recommended eBook on E Reader News today. And because of this many of you went out and bought a copy (and all my other books too)!

As a result: Children of The Plantation is now NUMBER 2 on Amazon US Movers and Shakers! Ahead of Stephen King and David Bagliacci! It is also hovering in the top 200 of Bestsellers!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! To everyone who bought a copy and to those who are in the process of doing so - you are amazing and you all rock!

A Writer Can Beat the Publishing Odds

Good day!

I want to write a short piece about writing and publishing, be it traditional publishing or e Books – the choice is yours.

Over the last couple of months I’ve heard a lot of moans and complaints; of how difficult getting noticed as a serious writer in this big wide world is. And can I or you beat the odds that would appear to be stacking against us. Well yes, you CAN beat the odds.  Do you know what the odds are of getting a book published professionally nowadays? I’ve read everywhere from one in 9000 to one in 20,000 to one in 300,000!

They’re high. Not quite win-the-lottery odds, (which is like one grain from a bucket of sand) but high. You think you’re lucky enough to beat them? I do. Think about this.

You are the product of 100% survivors. Since the dawn of time, every single one of your ancestors survived meteors, Ice Ages, floods ,droughts, plagues, fires, earthquakes, , wars, genocide, homicide, witch-burnings, Inquisitions, jihads, and in the last thirty years many, many dubious governmental policies, to bring forth at least one offspring that was fit to reproduce. Think about that 100%.

100% of your ancestors were winners playing at a brutal global table with odds considerably higher than it takes to win that lottery jackpot, just to be breathing in the first place. Can you imagine how they lived, procreated and survived? Amazing odds were stacked against them.

And they had you. Those two tiny cells that got together to make you are full of winning genes. Spectacular, magnificent genes that came together at odds of anywhere between 40,000,000 and 100,000,000 to one (any of those other sperm nor eggs would not have resulted in you). The baby that resulted from that conception then survived a risky nine months just to be born, and however many years following that moment arrived here as you. The odds of your being YOU, and being alive to read these words at this moment are so astronomical you might as well be counting stars in the heavens to figure them.

And yet here you are, having beaten all the odds to get here. You want to write, you want to sell what you write, and you’re getting a certain amount of nonsense from people telling you that you can’t do it, that the odds are too high, that it’s too hard.

For heaven’s sake! You’re HERE, breathing, kicking, with a dream and a vision and a hunger, having passed through millennia of dangers and suffering and struggle just to get here. If you want to beat puny publishing odds: You Will Find a Way.

You just have to believe and then act.

NEVER has the time been so ripe, so perfect to get out there and do what you want to do. Forget the pathetic moaners and groaners – your destiny is in your hands and you CAN do it.

So write that book, edit it well, decide on how you’re going to publish it (the choices are numerous), and follow your dream. It’s your dream –it’s up to you – but when you get there – Ah!  It is oh so sweet. Good luck to you all.

Thank you for reading and following my blog posts. Your support means a lot to me – and that’s no false thanks. Also thank you for buying and reading my books, the odds are high but I’m getting there!

Faithx

Authors Mastermind: Featuring Tarek Refaat from Egypt.

Good evening and I am delighted to welcome today’s edition of Authors’ Mastermind and my delightful guest author. Could you please state your name and occupation?
Tarek Refaat

Thank you Tarek, I am so pleased you are here. And would you now please answer the following questions on your chosen subject. You have a maximum number of 250 words on each question. If you do not know the answer, say pass and we’ll move on to another question. The total number of passes will be counted and deducted against your final score.
Are you ready? Good then I’ll begin.

1.       How do you describe yourself; as a writer and as a person?
Tarek Refaat, well describing myself is quite a tricky question but here it goes. I am a traveller who’s on a quest to learn more about people. To observe and to learn.  As a writer I like to venture into different worlds and discover different colors and emotions.

2.       Do you do anything that would tell us you lead an interesting or indeed a crazy life?
Well I can say yes, I work in the field of information technology, which is a crazy and very rapid moving field, yet I love history and I love to write which is a world that takes me into serenity, so this mixture just makes my world more interesting. I combine between speed and an endless world of dreams, thoughts and emotions.

3.       Briefly, describe your journey into writing your first book and what or who inspired you.
‘Ruptured’ has quite a story...A year ago I read and heard about the trial of a criminal condemned with rape, and it was the first time a woman steps forward and brings her assailant to justice. He was sentenced, but I kept an eye out for how people talked and reacted to the matter. And a few months later I wanted to write something that would be evolved around a rape story but I wanted a different angle, I didn’t want the regular “How to get the devilish culprit” but I wanted to venture into a more human aspect. “How do people deal with the victim afterwards?” And a I found myself one day on my way to work picturing Farida. The heroine in ‘Ruptured’. And so it began

4.       Are you working on anything right now?
Not at the moment but I do have another finished story.

5.        Do you ever struggle with parts of the book you’re working/writing on?
Sometimes I do, but because my writing is mostly based on seeing or visualising something, I just write it on the spot. Sometimes I find conflicts or contradictions and then it’s where the problems usually begin, but normally not much

5b. What is your next book about, and where do you get your ideas from?
My next book is about the story of four women who lead four different lives that are friends and you tend to see the relationships and the emotions they go through each in her own life.

6.       How would you define your writing working day? Give us some indication of where you work, and the length of time you spend on your project.
My writing day used to be going very early to the office way ahead of working hours, fix my cup of tea and begin to write instantly a dedication of 15-25 minutes a day, which I can get anywhere between 3-5 pages a day. And my projects so far take somewhere between 1 to 2 months. Ruptured took 1 month.

7.       Tell us about characterisation. How do you develop your characters? Do you feel they are important in the overall picture? Do you ever base them on real people?
My characters are usually people I see in my visualisations because I see the events taking place in my mind, I can see the characters, hear them and even see them move.
My characters are the body of my story, without them or without proper construction of their personalities I believe my story or any story wouldn’t be as interesting.

Sometimes they are based on real people or a mixture of characteristics from different people. But usually I work on making my characters very close to people you meet, because what I find important in my stories, that when you do actually read about a specific character to which you can relate it makes the story more personal, and gives you a real feel of involvement, you become more attached to the story.

8.       What about the editing and redrafting process? When do you do this?
Well am not very good with the editing part because if I try to edit my stories, I will usually end up basically dissecting the story into something I do not like, so basically I just re-read the story and make sure there are no inconsistencies and let the editor do the editing

9.       How have you overcome any trials and tribulations of rejection?
Well, I always believe that life is about a set of constant trials, some will work out, others won’t, it’s all about keeping it up and not losing the faith. I’ve come to terms that I do have a skill, am not the best nor the worst in what I do. I just need to learn and take critique and criticism positively and even those who are negative towards what I do, I attempt to take anything from what they say that might seem useful and use it to my advantage, we never advance and become better unless we learn from our mistakes.

10.   If you were not writing, what would be your choice of employment?
Well writing is not my employment, writing is my joy , so I am currently doing what I like as an IT business development executive, but I do one day dream of having maybe my own column in a newspaper or so.

Thank you. Your score on your chosen subject is 10

Now for the General Knowledge section.

1. Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?
Mainly a set of history and mythology books

2. Name your five favourite authors.
Paul Brickhill , Tom Clancy (Ed’s note -1 – should have named 5 authors).

3. Who, out of your five favourite people would you like to invite to dinner at your house. You will be doing the catering. What is your ideal menu, you would provide? (You must be able to cook this!)
If I would be able to invite , I’d invite Sir Douglas Bader a world war 2 British veteran ace, and I’d invite him over for a typical Egyptian dinner, of (Molokheya [ a type of green leaves soup] , A vine leaves dish, and my special recipe chicken! (Ed’s note – 1, needed 5 prople).

4. Do any authors inspire you? If so, which ones?
I believe Tom Clancy would be my inspiration

5. What things in your life would you love to do that you haven’t yet achieved. Your answer should NOT be ‘become a rich and famous author’. If you fall back on this answer, then 3 marks will be deducted from your overall score.
My greatest aim is to be able to help others through my writing perhaps successfully inspiring people into getting out whatever talent they have. I love to help others and believe very much in people’s potential. And also my dream is to tour as much historic sites of my favourite eras as possible, I dream of reliving these eternal moments of history by just being right in those spots where they took place.

6. Describe your ideal day; working and leisure (only clean answers please).
My work day usually starts at 7 to 7:30 am, but now due to the current situation in the country it starts a bit more on regular working hours, work till 5 pm, go back home , help in cooking, play with my daughter and watch some of my favourite TV shows ( mostly crime shows [CSI , Criminal minds , Bones etc..] or my favourite History Channel shows, then head to bed at a max of 12:30 to 1 am.

7. What has been the most memorable thing that has happened to you in a, your writing career and b, in your private life (again, only cleans answers will be accepted).
My memorable moment in my writing career was the first day I saw my book on a shelf in a bookstore here in Cairo as well my first literary reviews by Bernard Schaeffer and Sandra Schwaider. My most memorable moment in my private life the day I knew my wife was that person I was looking for!

8. Are you a disciplined person in everyday life? How would/does this reflect in your writing?

Am a disciplined person in my overall attitude towards life, I like to set things I  know are right and stick to them , I like to respect others personalities and characters and learn as much as possible from people and from life. This has helped me greatly in being able to dedicate more of my time to writing.

9. Do you keep a dart-board handy with rejection letters from Publishing House editors’ photographs pinned to it? If so, what is your highest score?

Unfortunately I haven’t had these much rejections but usually yes I do keep the rejections and read them thoroughly every now and then to know what I might have missed and what do I need to work on and improve!

11.   What are your five desert island books?
Reach for the sky & Fly for your life (Ed’s note – 1 needed 5 books here).

Tie-breaker question. Tell us the most outrageous/embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you. What were the consequences? A bonus of 5 extra points will be awarded to the best answer from contenders to the Authors Mastermind Crown.

Well. How to put that? I was about 11, I had cut my recently stitched injured leg because I wanted to play soccer and I shouldn’t have in order not to put pressure on the wound and keep it from re-opening but I did play! So I went home and I lied about it to my dad. For some reason he sensed I was lying and gave me a good spanking and caught me off guard while undressing, and actually threw me out of the house, and instead of going to my grandmother who lived in the floor right above us in the building I ran to my mom whom I knew she was at my school half dressed (mainly from the top!). Lucky for me there weren’t much of people on the street and I was so fast I don’t think anyone would notice me except the few guard soldiers who were around!

Thank you. Your time is now up. You managed to complete all questions with no passes. Your overall score is 17 – a very good score. We shall see how you do against the other contenders.

Well done and thank you.

 Tarek Refaat’s novel, ‘Ruptured’ is available on Amazon US http://amzn.to/pv661Y

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/pF7mv4

Good Day.

What a busy couple of weeks! Wednesday 28th September saw the official launch of, Children of the Plantation and by popular demand it shot up to lofty heights on Amazon.com and especially Amazon.co.uk. So a huge THANKS to everyone who supported me by spreading the word and to those who had enough confidence in my writing to download a copy. Thank you – I couldn’t have done it without you, no way!

We’ve just returned from a long weekend away with a group of friends. We stayed in a hotel in North Cyprus and had a great time. I’m a hasher and if you don’t know what that is I can tell you. Hashers can be found all over the world. Basically we all love to run or walk over some hard terrain following trails of coloured flour. The trails are pre-laid by a ‘hare’ and he or she does their best to make the run as interesting and tricky as possible with lots of false trails and check backs. At the end of our run we gather together in a circle have a few drinks and do some daft things – each ‘hash’ having their own favourites. Look us up on the ‘net if you’re interested under ‘hashing’. You might join a group yourself!

Now for something totally different. I’d like to share something that I think is rather special with you this week. I truly can’t remember where I found it on the internet but the message really got to me. I believe it was written by a father before he passed away. This is a beautiful piece with some lovely pointers towards a rich and fulfilled life – please read and share with your own good friends.

A FATHER'S RULES FOR FINDING FULFILLMENT

    Be courteous, be punctual, always say please and thank you, and be sure to hold your knife and fork properly. Others take their cue on how to treat you from your manners.

    Be kind, considerate and compassionate when others are in trouble, even if you have problems of your own. Others will admire your selflessness and will help you in due course.

    Show moral courage. Do what is right, even if that makes you unpopular. I always thought it important to be able to look at myself in the shaving mirror every morning and not feel guilt or remorse. I depart this world with a pretty clear conscience.

    Show humility. Stand your ground but pause to reflect on what the other side are saying, and back off when you know you are wrong. Never worry about losing face. That only happens when you are pig-headed.

    Learn from your mistakes. You will make plenty so use them as a learning tool. If you keep making the same mistake or run into a problem, you’re doing something wrong.

    Avoid disparaging someone to a third party; it is only you who will look bad. If you have a problem with someone, tell them face to face.

    Hold fire! If someone crosses you, don’t react immediately. Once you say something it can never be taken back, and most people deserve a second chance.

    Have fun. If this involves taking risks, so be it. If you get caught, hold your hands up.

    Give to charity and help those who are less fortunate than yourselves: it’s easy and so rewarding.

    Always look on the upside! The glass is half full, never half empty. Every adversity has a silver lining if you seek it out.

    Make it your instinct always to say ‘yes’. Look for reasons to do something, not reasons to say no. Your friends will cherish you for that.

    Be canny: you will get more of what you want if you can give someone more of what they desire. Compromise can be king.

    Always accept a party invitation. You may not want to go, but they want you there. Show them courtesy and respect.

    Never ever let a friend down. I would bury bodies for my friends, if they asked me to . . . which is why I have chosen them carefully.

    Always tip for good service. It shows respect. But never reward poor service. Poor service is insulting.

    Always treat those you meet as your social equal, whether they are above or below your station in life. For those above you, show due deference, but don’t be a sycophant.

    Always respect age, as age equals wisdom.

    Be prepared to put the interests of your sibling first.

    Be proud of who you are and where you come from, but open your mind to other cultures and languages.

    When you begin to travel (as I hope you will), you’ll learn that your place in the world is both vital and insignificant. Don’t get too big for your breeches.

    Be ambitious, but not nakedly so. Be prepared to back your assertions with craftsmanship and hard work.

    Live every day to its full: do something that makes you smile or laugh, and avoid procrastination.

    Give of your best at school. Some teachers forget that pupils need incentives. So if your teacher doesn’t give you one, devise your own.

    Always pay the most you can afford. Never skimp on hotels, clothing, shoes, make-up or jewellery. But always look for a deal. You get what you pay for.

    Never give up! My two little soldiers have no dad, but you are brave, big-hearted, fit and strong. You are also loved by an immensely kind and supportive team of family and friends. You make your own good fortune, my children, so battle on.

    Never feel sorry for yourself, or at least don’t do it for long. Crying doesn’t make things better.

    Look after your body and it will look after you.

    Learn a language, or at least try. Never engage a person abroad in conversation without first greeting them in their own language; by all means ask if they speak English!

    And finally, cherish your mother, and take very good care of her.

I love you both with all my heart.

Daddy x

Beautiful, yes? What do you think?

What Does an Author do All Day?

Good Day!

Well autumn has definitely kicked in, even here in sunny Cyprus we’re experiencing cool evenings and it’s time to throw an extra cover on the bed at night. For me, the summer seemed to rush through. We had our usual hot weather beginning in June and we’ll most likely have perfect temperatures right up until Christmas. But what have I achieved during that time?

I think I’ve achieved quite a lot.

April heralded in the arrival of my second novel, The Assassins’ Village, in June I wrote a short story, The Bamboo Mirror. July produced my short story collection, Echoes of Life & Love to which I added extra content in September, and the latest, Children of The Plantation, was newly released on September 28th.

So apart from thinking, planning, plotting, writing, editing and more editing and then the publication the rest of my time is spent in marketing. Oh and I have a husband, family and hundreds of friends to spend ‘quality’ time with. Phew.

What staggers me most is not the writing –that’s the easy part – no, it’s the marketing.

I’m sure lots of readers think it’s easy to write a book, do a spot of editing and then publish it – especially as it is so easy nowadays with the advent of Amazon and its ‘self-publishing’ arm. Uh-uh.

The hardest part and the longest part is the marketing. And I firmly believe it’s not the book you’re marketing, but you. You, yourself, the writer and author.

Over the few years I’ve been writing (which is my choosing and I dearly love what I do), I’ve come to understand that my biggest fans or followers are those that I get to meet or correspond with. I’ve built up a steady following on Facebook and Twitter and have some great rapport with friends on there – all good stuff. And then there are the paperbacks.

I regularly attend fairs, fetes, shows and give talks to local societies. Meeting people and making friends, opens your eyes to all manner of things. I was recently exhibiting at a large show and sold many paperbacks. Some were bought by old friends/customers and some to newcomers. It was truly fabulous to get talking to these people and hear the real feedback they gave me.

Unknown to me a lady on the next stall was observing how I dealt with visitors old and new. She said that she’d never really appreciated just what benefit meeting your public, your followers and friends did for your product.

Well let me tell you it is 100% benefit. People love to meet you, interact with you. And for me it’s a big deal. I enjoy listening to what they have to say and the advantages far outweigh the time I spend doing so. Good PR is vital. These people can make or break you. They deserve your time, after all they may have bought one or more of your books and don’t forget they too might have friends that love to read.

So the next time somebody takes the time to write to you, or leave a written review somewhere, telephones or bumps into you at a fair, never forget YOU are on show 100% of the time – be nice to them, it pays.

Good reading and thank you everyone, who has bought one of my books, written a review or simply sent me a nice message – I appreciate it!

Faithx