Faith Mortimer-author of crime, suspense, romance & action
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Dire Straits Economy or Money From Nothing ~ How to Place your value on Your Writing

28/11/2011

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_ Dire Straits Economy or Money From Nothing ~ How to Place your value on Your Writing

How many of your friends/relatives think your writing is just an unpaid self-indulgent hobby? Well maybe this blog post will help change their minds…even your mother! I can tell you that your creativity actually creates new money and, we writers already know we stand upon solid ground.

When I write, I do my own soul some good by providing what I have written for others to read, I’m entertaining some people some of the time, and of course that goes for you too. Sometimes we do much more, e.g. maybe by offering encouragement and support that helps a reader how to change the direction of his life, or pull back from a disastrous episode, or encouragement in taking chances that will make his life and the lives of those around him better.  Now you might think the casual observer will say, ‘well as you’re not a John Locke, Stephen King or JK Rowling so what? Who cares what you say? You’re not in their league.’

And this is simply not so.

If you are a writer—even if you are the worst, least successful writer in the world and are just doing this in your spare time because you enjoy it—you are a positive force in the economy.  “Ha! I don’t believe you!” I hear you say – just see…

Let’s say you’re the most horrible useless writer, ever! And what’s more you’re never going to improve. Well, you’re still doing some good things actually… You’ve bought notebook and pens, maybe a computer. You need software; you’ve added more paper, printer, and ink cartridges. Somewhere out there, a small portion of the economy thanks you for your input. Thank you.

Now, let’s see when you send out your appalling manuscript to a place that accepts submissions without needing an agent. You are involved in helping to create and maintain a few jobs. Slush pile readers and junior editors will get paid because you and thousands of others like you who wrote awful manuscripts that someone had to evaluate. Thank you.

So even the worst writers are doing something valuable for someone else!

Supposing you’re a fair writer? You’ve written a passable title that someone, in the commercial publishing universe, wants to buy. You’ve now created money out of thin air for yourself. You didn’t take anything from anyone else to create this income and no one had to lose so you could win. You invented money for yourself by inventing a product someone wanted. And this brand-new money invention doesn’t stop with you. Oh no. You’ve also just exponentially increased your contributions to the world. First off, you are a writer who has created a paying job for one agent. As more writers need agents, more agents will be able to find more work. You also have caused the creation or continuation of many other jobs which include junior editors, senior editors, copyeditors, publisher, bookbinder, typesetter, book marketer, to bookseller to bookstore owner. Wow! Then there’s an artist for the cover and you are now responsible for the existence of a piece of art stemming from the advent of your story. Reviewers exist because of you. Then there’s an item for corporations, and an ad revenue source for media advertising. Thank you.

 Supposing your book is really good and you do well. You’ll receive more of that magic money you made out of nothing but thoughts whirling around in your head. You will begin providing work for advertising companies and promotions. Your sales are adding to the GNP and with the profit your publisher makes from you, will enable them to publish other writers.

And what if you self-publish?

You’re skipping the agent, the publishing house, the slush readers, junior editors and senior editors and simply put your book out there and of course yourself with it. You’re still a huge good force in the world. You’re creating out of your thoughts, and every time you get paid for it, you have created money that did not exist before. By creating something new with value, the economy expands by the exact value of that thing you’ve created. If you add up that money you’ll know exactly how much it is.

Part of this money goes directly to you – delicious! Part goes to the online shops featuring your work, (you’re helping them stay in business and present the work of other writers too). Part goes to anyone you employed e.g. editor, proof-reader or the cover designer. If you use an online publishing company to create hard copies of your work, every time someone buys one of those, you’ve taken a step towards keeping jobs for people e.g. who plant trees, mill them, make paper, bindings, print your cover, make the glue that keeps the cover on the book and finally packages the book to send to your new reader. Thank you.

And by doing all that, it is a good thing. I can go on as there’s still more… What if your good book sells in foreign countries? Ah! We’re now including jobs for translators, more editors, agents, typesetters, bookbinders, bookseller and distributors. You’re now a benefit to the international economy, various national economies, and in a way you’re an envoy for your own country depending on what you wrote. Thank you.

Now let’s think BIG!

How about selling your story rights to a motion picture company. You’re now also providing work for everyone who is involved. The list seems endless from the people who scout filming locations, set designers, prop creators, screenwriters, camera grips, best boys, producers, directors, movie distributors to your local theatre. This is before you include the actors and actresses portraying your characters and speaking your words and get paid because of you. I can go on…those selling popcorn and tickets. Artists designing movie posters and advertising agencies creating promotional campaigns. If you’re another JK Rowling, subsidiary rights will also come into play, creating more jobs. Think of that enormous market! Action figures, toy sets based on your characters require artists to design them, companies to produce them, outlets to sell them. Ditto branded T-shirts, coffee mugs, bumper stickers, and posters. All from the beginnings of your penmanship. Thank you.

Now you’re a captain of industry, with your very own publishing empire. You’re creating the wealth of nations from the products of your mind and spreading this wealth out around the world. But you don’t have to be JK Rowling…Even if now you’re just working on your first novel in your bedroom, you’re doing something good. You are creating something that didn’t exist before, and I think that’s wonderful because of what it does for you and by your support of the economy. Thank you.

So, when next someone tries to tell you that you’re wasting your time playing at being a writer, point out to them you can sleep well at night knowing that people all over the country, or maybe the world, are feeding their families and paying their bills in part because you had the guts to send your work out, and by doing so, create money and jobs that would not have existed without you.

What do you think?

Thanks for reading this latest blog post. Have a great week ahead.

Faithx


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Facebook Fan Page Turkey Trot

23/11/2011

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_  FACEBOOK FAN PAGE TURKEY TROT

So you’ve heard of a blog hop? Well this is the first ever Fan Page Turkey Trot. You will get to discover some great new fan pages to like and win some prizes as well. Each fan page has to do with books and reading, and is linked to the other fan pages, so you will trot your way through Facebook stopping each time you find the turkey.

When you start your trot you will be directed to a fan page. Take a look around, see what interests you. Then go to the photo albums and click through until you spot the turkey. Once you find the turkey, you’ll know what to do next. Don’t worry if you get lost, you can come back here and get this link http://vmaarten.blogspot.com/2011/11/hop-tours-express.html which lists all the fan pages .

*Some pages will give you an instant code for a free download of a book while others will direct you to enter into a drawing. I sincerely hope you like what I'm offering and enjoy your free read. Please send all your friends on the Turkey Trot. all I ask is you please like then page ~ Thank You.

Start here on Reading Kindle

Happy Trotting!

 


Why not try a new author and read something different over this holiday period? There's some excellent 'finds' here. Just click on the books ~ Enjoy!
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My 5 Best Reasons for Buying a Kindle eReader for Christmas.

19/11/2011

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_My 5 Best Reasons for Buying a Kindle eReader for Christmas.

I'm a confirmed readaholic and over the years I must have funded a public library! I’ve always bought paperbacks and very few hardbacks as due to the sheer number of books I own I simply couldn’t afford to. Now these days my pennies go towards mostly Kindle eBooks.

 I made the switch just after last Christmas when my darling ‘hubbie’ bought me my first Kindle e-Reader for my birthday which is on December 28th. I’ve never regretted this and here's why you should consider putting the Kindle on your Christmas list.

(1) Number of books you can carry on your Kindle

I often read more than one book at once. I might have a thriller I started in bed last night, and want to finish during my lunch break. Then there’s that business book I’ve heard about on the Internet or TV that will boost my writing career. With my Kindle I can carry up to 1400 books and other e-Readers are similar. I can put them into different folders for different categories (like a library) and archive them when I’ve read them. I also have the option to reread them whenever I like. We enjoy our holidays and I can download as many books as I want without taking up valuable luggage space and weight – my Kindle is the equivalent size and weight of 1 paperback! AND I can read in direct sunlight on a Kindle, as it’s e-ink!

(2) The beauty of browsing

Sampling is a fabulous feature of e-Readers. As soon as I discover a new book, whether it's through twitter, magazine article, blog or podcast, I can download a sample to look at later. This sample is roughly 10-15% of the book on my Kindle and I can read that for free. I liken it to browsing in a bookstore but I can do it from my Kindle immediately. If I like the book I can buy it with one-click. If I don't like it, I can delete it. I can roam the Kindle store for samples in my free time and I will often download a dozen or more of those I like the look of. The sample will tell me whether or not the book is for me.

(3) I’m a voracious reader and I can hide my addiction

I must confess I have many books on my bookshelves and Kindle that I’ve not yet read. I consider it a treat to wander through a bookstore, browsing my favourite authors’ books. Usually I want to buy at least half a dozen at a time and although I consider reading an enrichment of the mind, I know my hubbie might always not agree with me. With my Kindle I can download whenever and whatever takes my fancy, and he doesn’t need to know!

 (4) Price


Going back to my addiction issue, lots of books can mean lots of spending money. But Kindle books are often cheaper than the print version, especially looking at the deals and independent books. Checking through the Amazon rankings, number of star ratings and reviews I’ve found some gems for less than the price of a coffee! And don’t forget the thousands of classics and other books for free! I’ve finally read more Austen, Homer and Dickens than during my school exams – and probably enjoyed them more. I can do this from the comfort of my home, sitting in front of a cosy log fire, cat snuggled down in my lap, hot chocolate to hand…heaven.

 (5) Saving valuable space in my home

I can’t afford a library the size of Oxford University, my living space is at a premium and print books end up overflowing from bookshelves. There are some books I want to keep forever but some can easily be taken to the charity store. With eBooks, the space issue is solved. I can still browse my cloud library from my device but I can also live in my house without falling over piles of books!

At the end of the day, the packaging doesn't matter but the content does. I can lose myself in a good book easily and experience the fictional world or the ideas it communicates. What do you think? Are you an eBook convert or a die-hard physical book lover?

Have you bought your eBook yet or are you waiting for your birthday or Christmas? My Kindle has developed a sticky button and Amazon has very kindle agreed to replace my Kindle free of charge. I didn’t have the nerve to ask whether they were sending me the same one or an upgrade. My fingers are crossed!

Thank you for reading my latest blog post and please forgive me if I list my own eBooks here – (they are available in paperback too for the unconverted!)

Faithx

All books are available on AMAZON.COM   and AMAZON.CO.UK


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Alisha Paige, Erotic Writer ~Featured Author

16/11/2011

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_  Faith's Featured Writer: Erotic Writer, Alisha Paige/Ruby Vines

 Good Day!

I’m delighted to restart my very popular ‘featured writer’ on my blog. Over the course of the previous few months I’ve met and interviewed some truly amazing and talented people. Today’s guest is Alisha Paige whose writing is a great example of erotica. So without further ado…

Alisha Paige/Ruby Vines;

Thank you so much for having me, Faith! I'm a little jealous since you live in the UK. I really want to visit one day! I think that's why I write, so I can travel to faraway places. So far I've had my books set in the Colorado mountains, at the bottom of The Grand Canyon, in war-time Europe during WWII, Tuscany, Salem, London (three times), Africa, Montego Bay, Alaska, Palm Springs and even Hades.

As a child and a teen, books were a form of escape for me. I have three brothers so when we weren't playing tag-team wrestling, I grabbed a book, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and climbed in my tree in the front yard. Even my tree had a name. Evol, which sounds like Evil but is really Love spelled backwards. I had a wild imagination as a kid. I used to plant time capsules in my yard for other kids to find years later. Mostly it was just a shoebox with a Barbie doll, coins, diaries and anything else I figured a kid might be interested in seeing in say. Oh fifty years or so. My parents still live in that house even thirty years later so I'm sure the Barbie dolls are long gone by now. I also carved holes into Evol and placed coins inside so I wouldn't have to run indoors when the ice cream man came by. I was a goofy kid but my imagination fuelled my dreams.   

My first book, Deadly R&R, was written 15 years ago, right after the birth of my first daughter but I shoved it in a drawer never to see the light of day. (That book was just released this year after extensive edits. Thank goodness for my editor, Cathy McElhaney! She is a Godsend! )

After college, I decided I wanted to write fiction more than I wanted to write freelance articles for newspapers and magazines so after the birth of my second daughter in 2004; I really went to work on my second book.  After three years of writing and submitting, my first paranormal book, Canyon Wolf Bride was published by The Wild Rose Press in 2007. Soon after, my second book, The Wooden Nickel was released by Wings Press, a historical romance set during WWII and The Great Depression. More books followed at The Wild Rose Press and then New Concepts Publishing picked me up for three paranormal novels in their Brood Series. Nocturnally Vexed, my Jack-the-Ripper tale set in London was released in 2008 and then Voodoo Moon set in Montego Bay and Uncaged set in Africa and London were released shortly thereafter.  

With so many changes in the publishing world, I decided to indie pub four novels this year. My first indie book was The Hour Glass Witch and then my bestseller, Circle City: Lord of the Wolfen ~ Book I, Deadly R&R (my first romantic thriller by my pen name, Ruby Vines) and Tusk (my first children's novel by my pen name, Wolfgang Pie.)

The indie ride has been a wild one and more fun than you can imagine. A lot of work but a lot of fun. I've also met so many fantastic authors along the way. I'm going to ride this wave as long as I can. ;) I'll soon re-release The Wooden Nickel before the end of the year and am in the process of acquiring all the rights back to my backlist so I can indie pub all those books as well.

 

When I'm not writing, I'm spending time with my very handsome husband who works as a foreman, erecting tall buildings and with my three beautiful children who keep me laughing and inspired every day of my life.  

My favorite things are rainstorms, candlelight, winter fires, dark chocolate, red wine, purring cats and the sound of my children's laughter. (Ed’s note; my kind of woman as I LOVE all these things she mentioned, has she read my mind?!)

  Amazon.co.uk

Website: http://www.alishapaige.com (All my books are available worldwide at Amazon and Barnes and Noble)

Blog: http://alishapaige.blogspot.com  

Blog for Children's Books: http://wolfgangpie.blogspot.com

 

 


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We All Have Choices - except "The Glorious Dead"

12/11/2011

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_  We All Have Choices – except “The Glorious Dead”

Good Day!

It’s about that time again when I really have to write a new blog post. And I’ve sat here and thought…and thought. What can I say that hasn’t all been said before?
I’ve interviewed some excellent authors, likewise reviewed some great and not so great books, and left posts about them that I hope are entertaining for my readers. Then again I covered all aspects of writing and the process of it, touched on some of my pet hates and dislikes about writing, and written – what I’ve thought - about some interesting topics (see blog posts): ‘Best time to be a writer – ever!’, ‘Blogging – What’s it all About?’,  ‘Hurricane Ivan’, Managing my Expectations when Running up That Hill’, ‘Readers Beware! Your Favourite Author may not be what you think!’ are just a few of my favourites- and yours too judging by the mail I’ve received.

So what to write? Well I’ve read quite a few blog posts myself over the last few weeks and I’ve come to the conclusion that unless the blogger works really hard finding something fresh, a substantial number of bloggers are all covering the same topics, albeit maybe from a different angle. There are some truly good bloggers in the marketplace and some that are not…their blogs being purely for advertising their and others books or whatever they’re selling. Please don’t get me wrong. I too am guilty of getting excited when my novel, ‘so and so’ hits a new all-time high on Amazon, or I receive a fabulous new review or email from a real live fan! I’d love for you all to go out and buy THAT book! But I have to be sensible – and we all have choices.

And I’m finally coming to what I really want to say this week. Remember those that give their lives to wars no longer have a choice. November 11th is Armistice Day; a day which commemorates “The Glorious Dead”. Words which were chosen by that remarkable writer, Rudyard Kipling - thought-provoking, haunting and humbling words which make us remember the sacrifice of those who have laid down their lives so that we may have the freedoms which we enjoy today.

I simply say,

The Evil that men do lives after them; The Good is oft interred with their bones.

Touch memories where you will, without sacrifice there is always pain.

Thank you for reading my blog post

Faithx

PS I’m in the process of changing the cover for ‘The Assassins’ Village’ – I do hope you like the new one as shown here.

 


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Caring About Those Readers

9/11/2011

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Caring about those Readers.

Now here’s a strange thing. It has recently struck me that the modern conversation around writing has moved away from words and instead has gone towards numbers. Reading other sources I hear and see this often during my working week. Logging onto Facebook or reading various blog posts, I repeatedly see writers asking each other money matters. They are concerned with how much they can make self-publishing, what is the best price for their eBook, how many sales they’ve had and their ranking and royalty percentages on sites such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords. And I have to ask myself this question. Why during this time with its amazing opportunities, when writers could be sharing words with their readers, writers actually seem more interested in their customers.

It might surprise some of you to realise that there is a difference! There are paying customers who might never open your eBook, especially if they’ve only paid a paltry sum for it. On the other hand there may be readers who receive your book after borrowing it from a friend, through a library, or from a temporary free giveaway.

I love being able to have a chance to earn some money after my hard work, and today’s readers have a wide array of choices and price ranges. With this thin connecting line, we as writers can meet our readers inside our stories. We should be excited about telling our stories, instead of being obsessed on numbers, the market, and the money. And when some of these people leave the self-publishing market because of ‘poor sales’, I ask myself how many of these are actually writers?

Without being discouraging, ask yourself your reason for writing. A writer is something you are. It is not something reliant on today’s market, the economy, or even the publishing environment. If the indie era faded, (as it well might as all booms inevitably do), are you still going to be a writer?

Do you care more about the numbers, or those beautiful words? Are you still going to remain true to your readers?

Thank you for reading this latest blog post of mine and as ever a huge thank you to all my book readers!

Faithx

Connect with Faith on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, blog, website or all Amazon pages.

Faith’s books include: The Crossing (paperback & eBook), The Assassins’ Village (paperback & eBook), Children of The Plantation (paperback & eBook), Echoes of Life and Love (eBook), 7 The Bamboo Mirror.


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Guest Author Vivienne Tuffnell

6/11/2011

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Interview with Isobel..

It's my pleasure to start having regular guest writers on my blog once again. Today I'm delighted to have writer Vivienne Tuffnell as my guest and she's meeting Isobel in "Away With The Fairies".
 
As a writer, I meet some extraordinary people in the course of my work and I get to write their stories for them. Of all the people who have appeared in my books, Isobel Trelawny, whom you may know from Away With The Fairies, has appeared in more tales than anyone else. She's played best supporting actress in several but she's the star of Away With The Fairies and today she's agreed to sit down with me and have a bit of a chat. We've got the coffee, but instead of Isobel's favourite biscuits, (chocolate Hob-Nobs), I've only been able to find some ginger snaps.
 
Viv: I hope the biscuits aren't too much of a let down.
Isobel (laughing; she does this quite a bit). That's OK, I'm cool with ginger biccies.
Viv: I'm glad to hear that! Anyway, thank you for taking the time to talk with me today.
Isobel: It's a pleasure. Gets me a bit of space in my day, to be honest.

Viv: I gather that can be quite a problem, yes?
Isobel: Well, I know your family is grown up now, but I'm sure you remember how much hard work small children are. Miranda, my oldest, is alarmingly bright and I have to be up to the mark all the time. Luke's much more laid-back about life. And simply finding the mental space to day dream rather than doing things all the time is really hard. I'm often so knackered by the time the kids are in bed, I really don't have the energy to paint, or even think.
Viv: You weren't sure you'd be able to have kids, as I recall?
Isobel: True, which makes me feel guilty about whinging about them when I do. I had a series of miscarriages when Mickey and I first got married. There wasn't an explanation; there was nothing wrong, as far as the quacks could see. I just kept losing them early on. Then some years later, I woke up one morning not only knowing I was pregnant but also being fairly sure this one would go to term.

Viv: Your parents died when you were pregnant with Luke. How did that affect you?
Isobel (laughing again) You know damn well how it affected me! OK, well, I was shocked and then I was angry. I'd not had a good relationship with them, to be honest. I felt (and I had good evidence about this) that they neither of them approved of me and my life choices very much. I was just at the point in my life when I felt it might be possible for them to start approving of me when they killed themselves. I don't think anyone really knows how they truly feel about their parents till they're gone. I certainly didn't. I didn't know how ill they both had been. I'd kept them at arms' length for years, avoiding anything that might bring out any emotional reaction. And when they were gone, suddenly, like that, I couldn't process it. I was heavily pregnant and people kept telling me to relax and not get upset and so on. Oh and “Think of the baby!” So it was a while later before I could start to even think about it all. By then, you see, people assume you've done your grieving and you're tickety-boo. But I wasn't. Far from it. I was pretty much at breaking point and yet, I simply didn't know it. It was killing that deer with the car that was the tipping point that meant I couldn't go on pretending any longer.
Viv: I know. Since the events of Away With The Fairies, you've had some more tough things to deal with, so it does seem a long, and ongoing process.
Isobel: I think what's gone on since then has been long overdue. I've got a streak of wildness that I thought I had under control but it seems not. I've always soared from extremes to extremes but never quite as devastatingly as this.

Viv: Now, your husband Mickey is a clergyman. Looking at you, you seem a long way from any clergy wife of popular but horribly dated sterotypes. (Isobel has henna'd hair, wears ripped and paint smeared jeans, and a rather wonderful amber necklace that matches her eyes. She talks very fast and with a lot of hand gestures; she's a comfortable person to be around but she's not prim and certainly not proper) How much impact does his job have on you?
Isobel: Too much, sometimes. The doorbell and the phone never stop bloody ringing. Oh don't get me wrong, generally, the vast majority of folks aren't a problem, but once in a while, I get people making a big deal of the fact that I don't do anything in church. I don't get involved in groups or lead anything. The fact that I turn up at all is a miracle some times. My best friend Chloe is a very rare sight in any church, and her husband and Mickey trained together.
Viv: I've met Chloe too. Given what she went through at college, I'm not surprised.
Isobel: I feel mildly guilty at times about that. The events of her final year at the vicar factory which ended with her breaking her leg every which way but Sunday were partly down to me. My wild, rebellious streak got out of hand and poor Chloe was the one who got hurt badly. I don't think she's ever blamed me, but I do sometimes blame myself.
Viv: I'm sorry to hear it. I know the story and I think whatever you and Chloe had done, it would have ended badly. Possibly worse. Now, you were able to buy a small place in the country where you could paint. I'm having trouble with my writing and I'd love to spend some time at your cottage. Is it really so spooky as you said?
Isobel: It can be scary, which might be me understating it rather a lot. But it rather depends what baggage you go with. My friend Antony spent some time there a while ago. But apart from stopping his mobile phone working, nothing happened that time. More recently, he stayed, and some deep issues he'd not been able to deal with began to surface. It's one of those places that has a foot in both realms. In the ordinary, everyday world, it's a slightly run down, rather picturesque hideaway. But it's also a place that stands on the edge of the other world, the world of beings that we seldom interact with, and that can be tough to deal with.
Viv: You're talking about the fairies now?
Isobel: (grinning now) I suppose I am!

Viv: You're a pretty pragmatic sort of person from what I know of you, and you're not at all one of these New Age believe-anything women. So, far as I can see, you're not the most likely candidate for getting caught up with the whole concept of fairies. Can you tell me what they're like?
Isobel: I can tell you what they're not. They're not anything like what you see in modern depictions of fairies. There's no glitter or pretty-pretty faces. None of the sparkly magic and so on you see in both kids' books and the New Age ones you referred to. They're.....well, primeval is the only word I can think of. Earthy. They're not what you think and they're not what you expect. I'm not even convinced I understand them myself.
Viv: OK, and that brings me to a hard question. How does any of what you experienced in the cottage square with your faith?
Isobel: That IS a hard question. I'm not sure how to answer it. Churchianity tries to give nice neat answers to life's tough questions and it gets cross and burns people at the stake for refusing to accept those neat answers as all that there is. I don't believe we can know all the answers, but that we have to keep asking the questions anyway, even after we think we know the answers. Certain branches of Churchianity would tell me that my parents are burning in hell for committing suicide, that by that one act after two good, caring lives they damned themselves forever. And yet, I came to see that their deaths were possibly the most noble things they'd ever done.
Viv: Churchianity? I like that term!
Isobel: So do I. The thing is, God is not bound by human rules and that sadly is what many churches have sought to do: bind God by their rules. That's like trying to cage the air, and make it obey your rules. Anyway, enough God-talk.
(She's looking a bit uncomfortable about this, so I think it's time to move the conversation to something else.)

Viv: OK, so tell me about your painting, your art?
Isobel: That's tough. Hmm. Let me think. OK, I don't have your way with words, but I think I paint my stories. You write yours, but I have to paint them. I paint the things I see and I feel inside my head, and I try to use that to tell the greater narrative of life. I can only paint a tiny section of it and hope that it adds to the greater picture somewhere.
Viv: I certainly feel you succeed with it, as much as any of us can. Anyway, can you sum up for us your experiences?
Isobel: You do go for asking the tough questions! I'll try. Hmmm. Perhaps it's best to say that there are more things that we don't know that that we do, and to be open-minded about the world and not get bogged down with dogmatic answers to life's big questions. Oh and love your family with all your strength. That's something too easy to forget, that the love you share with family and friends is not an automatic right that'll be there forever. People die and they don't always give you any warning of it. So tell those you love that you love them. I never got a chance to tell my mum and dad I loved them until they were gone. Don't make my mistake.
Viv: Thank you very much indeed, Isobel. I'd like to wish you luck with your continued exploration of the world through your art.
Isobel: It's a pleasure. Now, do you think we can sneak off for a glass of wine somewhere? I'm parched!
Viv: Sure, but you're buying!
 
Amazon US
http://www.amazon.com/Away-With-The-Fairies-ebook/dp/B005RDS02A/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1318763160&sr=1-2
 
Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Away-With-The-Fairies-ebook/dp/B005RDS02A/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318763071&sr=1-3
 
Lulu paperback (will be on both Amazon sites in time)
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/away-with-the-fairies/17985792
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The With Love Project

2/11/2011

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Good Day!

And as my last blog post, today I'm alerting you to yet another admirable cause that has been running for some time. I do hope you can find the time to read these extracts and maybe check out the literature on Amazon - it is for a fantastic cause. Although I myself have yet to contribute to these splendid works I sincerely hope to in the next round. Thank you and I send you my own 'With Love'...

The With Love Project was born from a great need to help those who suffer globally. It started because of the events in Japan early this year. March 11th 2011, was a day of great devastation for a country half a world away from many involved, but that didn’t deter the desire to help.  Some of us had family swept into the situation, others lost loved ones in the devastation, none of us could stand sitting still and doing nothing. Finally, a voice in the crowd spoke up and With Love was born.

In a whirl wind two week period, the incredible dedication and open hearts of all involved, created a charity anthology. Seventeen stories were collected, formatted and pulled together for a single book. A picture was donated by a generous photographer and the cover was designed by The Writing Network. With everything in hand, Ethics Trading took all of the parts and pulled together a fantastic collaboration, then released With Love, by Indie Authors United.

Even as this book was created and released in two weeks, it wasn’t enough. Many wanted to do more, and so, after careful conversation, a new approach was taken. A new set of concise guidelines were created along with the themes for each subsequent volume. Since then, two more charity anthologies have been created: The Dawn of Indie Romance and now After Dark. Both books continue to benefit the same charity as the original, Doctors Without Borders. This charity was selected with the creation of the first anthology because of their far reaching services. The organization provides aide where it’s needed most, not just in times of crisis but daily and globally. This is how we’re able to help, someone, somewhere, every day.

To date the incredible series has given life saving vaccines to those in need. It is the endeavor of this ongoing project to continue to provide for those who require services around the world.

In the spirit of giving, below is an excerpt from Visible Signs by Lisa Vooght

Sweet weepin' Jaysus.  The phrase slunk into his mind from the dark crevices of memory, his grandmother's voice as she salved the cigarette burns on his arm with bacon fat and the willow switch welts on his back with cool plasters.  She cried, she prayed, she tried to heal him but she could not, or would not, protect him from the vicious rages of her only son, his father.  They never spoke about it, never drew the poison to the surface, and so their lives swelled and festered until they ruptured.  His grandmother had statues like this, silently standing about in her room, arms outstretched bidding humanity to take shelter.  But they had never, even in his fevered imagination, brought forth blood.
                He turned it over and over in his hands, looking for a catch, a button, an indentation that would allow him to find the secret of the thing.  This has got to be worth a helluva lot to someone.  His heart fluttered.  Tabloids would pay a mint for something like this.  If people would pay for a piece of toast burnt with the silhouette of Elvis, or a piece of gum chewed and spat out by Britney Spears, what would they pay for a so-called genuine miracle?  He would no longer be Little Sal, son of Big Sal the boozer, but Paul Peregrino, bazillionaire.  A parade of desires marched before his eyes;  a brand-new sports car, unending fountains of liquor, vapid women with scanty clothing, all fueled by tracks of meth and coke that stretched to the horizon.  Yes, life would be good.  He realized that his hands were clenched in fists of desire, sending needles of pain through him, as though they were wrapped with barbed wire.
                Barbed wire. His father, twining it between Paul's fingers, binding it about his palms, withering him with red-eyed silence.  I'll teach you to steal from me, you little scumbag.  He hadn't taken it, would never have dared to touch a dime of his father's, but the money was gone and whether it had been lost, spent, or never even existed made no difference.  You paid for others' mistakes, and then you passed it on;  that's what Paul had learned at his father's knee.
                As he watched, jagged red lines arose on his palms, beaded with fine red droplets. Nausea gripped him.  He hadn't smashed any glass, nor handled anything that would have broken his skin.  I am losing my friggin' mind.  It isn't really there. I just need a fix. Taking a last look around, he awkwardly climbed back out the window, dropped to the porch roof, and from there to the litter-strewn alley.  The darkness punctuated by streetlights and neon signs comforted him.  It was good to be back among the shadows, with a future fortune riding comfortably in his pocket.
                He heard Reggie, his wife, moving about in the kitchen as he let himself in to their tiny apartment.  He'd only called her by her full name Regina once, on the day they were married;  “Reggie” made her beauty less intimidating to him.  But she had always called him Paul, believing that “Little Sal” was beneath him, perhaps in hope that the name would carry some intrinsic protective quality.  Make him a better man.  It hadn't.  Boiling rage would overwhelm him, lashing out through his fists and his feet, driving her into the far corners of the room.  And always, always, she would forgive him, making him feel even worse.  
                “Reggie!” he called, hearing the excitement in his own voice. “C'mere, got something to show ya.”
                “Half a sec, I'm making some cocoa.”  The sound of a spoon on china, then her light footsteps.  “I thought it would help you sleep tonight;  last night you tossed and kicked like a mule.”  He looked up from fingering the statuette in his pocket.  
                Staggering backward, his mouth dropped open in mute horror. Regina stood in the doorway, one eye swollen shut, the socket like an artist's palette of primary colors.  Her arms, proffering  a steaming mug, were covered with livid bruises, cuts as myriad and as tightly woven as a textile, and thick scars like caterpillars under the skin.  Her face turned from cheerful to bewildered.
                “Paul, what is it? What's wrong with you?”
                His mouth was so thick with pasty saliva and bile that his tongue wouldn't move.  I didn't do it, I didn't do it, I haven't laid a hand on her in days, someone's broken in and done this to her, they must have been looking for me, and I'll hunt them down one by one and set them on fire for this.  The smell of his own fear and anger was choking him.  
                “Who did this to you?  You need a hospital, I'll call someone, and then I'll go after them...”, He was blubbering now, and Reggie only stared at him, her initial puzzlement turning to fear with a dash of her own horror.
                “Paul, what are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with me!  No one's been here, I'm fine, it's OK, you're having some sort of vision problems, you don't feel well, I can see that, here let me...”  and she reached for him.
                For an instant her face was smooth, beautiful, familiar, but then it reverted to its former state and he felt his mind struggling to keep its balance.  One thing he knew;  he had to get out, away from this thing, and regain control somehow.  He slipped past her, noiselessly, warily, and yanked open the linen closet door.  Keeping his drug stash and bankroll in an empty tampon box had been a stroke of genius;  Ultra Protection! indeed. No guy would think to look there.  He pocketed it, and crept past her again, watching her carefully.  Empty-handed now, she stretched out her arms for him.  He fled.
                Although it was still hours before dawn, the street was rustling with the feral noises of its inhabitants.  Paul slipped half of a pill from his supple between his dry mouth, wincing at the bitter taste that flooded his mouth.  No way in hell could he swallow it;  he'd just have to wait for it to dissolve.  But the very act of placing the tiny miracle on his tongue calmed him.  He slowed his footsteps, willing the drug to work its magic and sweep the nightmares away.  Craving a cigarette, he searched around, feeling instead the forgotten figure buried in his clothing.  His first impulse was to throw it away, but somehow he just couldn't do it.  Superstition.  Just superstition.  It's a hunk of plastic. Wouldn't be worth nuthin' if it didn't do a magic trick.  He pulled it out and looked it over.  The blood had worn off, probably on his clothes, and now it looked just like any other piece of crap sitting on countless shelves all over the world.  Still, it would bear some looking into.  His eyes fell on a pimply youth sitting on a stoop, smoking and frantically tapping on some electronic gadget.


 

You can find the With Love Charity Anthology Series at all major ebook retailers.

Amazon:

Paranormal Anthology - After Dark, With Love 

Not your typical Romance Anthology - Dawn of Indie Romance, With Love

Chocolate Box Variety Anthology - With Love, by Indie Writers United

 

Smashwords:

Paranormal Anthology – After Dark, With Love

Not your typical Romance Anthology – Dawn of Indie Romance, With Love

Chocolate Box Variety Anthology – With Love, by Indie Writers United

 


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