Celebrating Independent Authors
This is the video trailer for Jennifer Chase’s book, Dark Mind. This is the third book in the Emily Stone series. Vigilante detective Emily Stone follows the clues of a missing child’s case to Kauai, as a serial killer stalks the island.
Dark Mind is available on Amazon.com. You can learn more about award-winning author and criminologist Jennifer Chase on her website.
It has been less than a year since I got serious about getting my writing ‘out there’. I thought I would share my experiences thus far. I have made some mistakes, but I’ve done some things right, too. Prior to embracing the web, I spent a lot of time accumulating stories on my computer and submitting to literary magazines that three people read. Then, I wised up. I self-published my novel, ‘Joe Café’, and started a few blogs. I joined Facebook and Twitter. I joined a few groups on Linkedin. I learned a lot of things. Some of them the hard way. Most of them by paying attention.
I played in punk bands when I was younger, so I came into this Indie writing thing with some prior experience in ‘the independent arts’. I knew that it was important to make contacts…not people you can ‘leverage’…friends. I knew that it was important to find like-minded people and work together towards a common goal. I knew that it was important to promote your friends’ work before your own. I knew that community was the most important thing.
Ressa Empbra says of her writing, “I have to have coffee, peace, quiet, and my MacBook. It sounds weird but I lay my head back in my leather-chair, close my eyes and let the words flow from my mind, down my arms, out of my fingertips, and onto my keyboard. It’s like having a movie playing inside my head and I don’t know what will happen until it does. Some writers make a story-board, outlines, stuff like that, and I’m sure it works well for them. But, I can’t work that way, not when I haven’t ‘seen’ what will happen next.”
She says her characters feel like they truly are a part of her from the beginning, so she gives them free reign to do as they please. “They do get into trouble from time to time,” she adds.
Ressa has some health issues which, along with medications, scramble and wipe out her memory, so her biggest writing challenge is in remembering small details. She deals with this by making lots of notes. I do that as well, but then I forget where I put the notes. Continue reading “Meet the Author: Ressa Empbra”
Can it be possible for someone who has never taken a writing class, or had a dream of publishing a book to actually produce a polished novel without any formal guidance? I found the answer is ”yes”, although I’m not sure I would recommend it to everyone. I am just lucky enough to have a cadre of creative friends who were willing to give or barter their services because of their belief in me. Let me tell you the story of Magic Bridge.
Almost every weekend, we head up a dirt road to a tiny little town in the mountains outside of Phoenix, Arizona. Very few know of Crown King, but we like to call it the best-kept secret in Arizona. Potential stories abound in our hamlet, and some producer is missing a great opportunity for a reality show. Continue reading “Kismet by Thomasina Burke”