tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28403879238642032802024-03-07T00:32:23.803-08:00Flight of FantasyEpic tales of a fantasy world and some assorted thoughts on writing, reading and life Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-48441533845847844412022-05-26T05:23:00.002-07:002022-05-26T05:23:21.329-07:00Back to Ethiopia: Queen of Ophir <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7IC2aHy0WOL1MpWyHDCtW7GnB79AArTRSmlg60Y53FQrHmzRBexUk-Hv1FwfO00euk8lUrprHGNk9ZNFqB1umOrVNriiTJwFJGn-kH6_qL9q-TepzaUsfD1iNw2exch1jXciJKBbS3bfFavYHiTomrYrM7_7lSXuHRVcZOqsiRIndNFClSKoLPbxj/s400/cover-website.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7IC2aHy0WOL1MpWyHDCtW7GnB79AArTRSmlg60Y53FQrHmzRBexUk-Hv1FwfO00euk8lUrprHGNk9ZNFqB1umOrVNriiTJwFJGn-kH6_qL9q-TepzaUsfD1iNw2exch1jXciJKBbS3bfFavYHiTomrYrM7_7lSXuHRVcZOqsiRIndNFClSKoLPbxj/s320/cover-website.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Who can resist an epic tale about the collapse of an empire? Certainly not me. Ever since I touched on the Judeo-Christian relations in Ethiopia in <i>Land of the Lost Tribe</i>, I knew I would go back to that magical land and era one day. Finally, it happens with the release of Queen of Ophir, now available on Amazon in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2DT6GSR/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">Kindle and paperback</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In late antiquity, Aksum used to be the mightiest political force in the Horn of Africa. Like all great empires, it eventually fell into decline. Then it experienced a sudden, violent ravaging, much like the Visigoth sacking of Rome, but a lot less well documented. Ethiopian Jewish legends tell that Aksum's nemesis was none other than Judith, a Bet Israel warrior queen who practically razed Aksum to the ground in one swift stroke.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was a story I had to write, albeit without claims to historical accuracy.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">From the blurb:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">For centuries, descendants of Israelite tribes have peacefully existed in their isolated holdfasts in the Ethiopian Highlands. But when a poisonous arrow kills her beloved father, King Gideon, the young Queen Judith declares war. There are only two possible outcomes for her people: victory or destruction.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">To aid her cause, Judith promises to marry Sahama, an ambitious exiled prince. Can she trust this handsome but dangerous stranger? Or should she listen to the more prudent advice of her foreign military counselor?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">A rich tapestry of court intrigue, adventure, alliances, and betrayals serves as a backdrop to this alternative history tale."</span></span><br /><p></p>Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-90911511947691103322021-10-12T04:58:00.004-07:002021-10-12T04:58:28.237-07:00The Farmer's Fancy: New Regency/Austenverse Romance<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnwBA8ogxOa7FAaG13RIEoQiRK3k1bYqY6U8lqdstBisEqNVIhiz1Xr2G18lKkulj4NaDEre8fslg4ykuFjf1kZtkGkl0ZryQLoZxyEd15X-hNL_tHW54CpxJO9Sfiu_GrGJPzxiwrDw/s1600/The+Farmer%2527s+Fancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnwBA8ogxOa7FAaG13RIEoQiRK3k1bYqY6U8lqdstBisEqNVIhiz1Xr2G18lKkulj4NaDEre8fslg4ykuFjf1kZtkGkl0ZryQLoZxyEd15X-hNL_tHW54CpxJO9Sfiu_GrGJPzxiwrDw/w478-h269/The+Farmer%2527s+Fancy.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.75em; overflow-wrap: break-word;">What do you do when the world turns unrecognizable, work takes over your life, and the future seems uncertain? That’s right – you keep writing.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.75em; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Farmers-Fancy-Hannah-Ross-ebook/dp/B09J3WCVG8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" style="background-color: transparent; box-shadow: currentcolor 0px 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #007acc; text-decoration-line: none;">The Farmer’s Fancy</a>, my new Regency era/Jane Austen-verse novel, is a step aside from intricate fantasy, dark dystopian fiction, and gritty historical tales. Quite simply, it is a sweet and comforting read for people who love to immerse themselves in Jane Austen’s world.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.75em; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Harriet Smith rejects Robert Martin’s proposal because her grand friend, Emma Woodhouse, convinces her that a mere humble farmer is not good enough for her. Disappointed and mortified, Robert resolves to forget about Harriet forever. Little does he know that destiny will soon bring them together again.</em></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.75em; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Now available at a special release price of only $0.99 on Kindle.</p>Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-53165836697309727732020-12-15T05:34:00.003-08:002020-12-16T05:17:39.062-08:00Across the Miles: New Poetry Book by Annie Douglass Lima<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I am breaking this unprecedented blog hiatus by announcing the very exciting launch of Across the Miles, a new poetry book by the very talented author Annie Douglass Lima. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhJjqauC-KlSnBZ4pua_9KA-ZD9RAvqa27kLG1zG46qh6R_2R4y8lgqGfQxlCdNSxTc4sCgZuj25gdavVt6vZDsJS1hi77tfZhc3WSu6Jo-sDOaiaTBghmTSfTxANBjDqXfjr11QtHIU/s2048/Across+the+Miles+cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhJjqauC-KlSnBZ4pua_9KA-ZD9RAvqa27kLG1zG46qh6R_2R4y8lgqGfQxlCdNSxTc4sCgZuj25gdavVt6vZDsJS1hi77tfZhc3WSu6Jo-sDOaiaTBghmTSfTxANBjDqXfjr11QtHIU/s320/Across+the+Miles+cover.jpeg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Watch a violinist spin stars and snowflakes into existence and
wake dragons. Step into a bookstore full of dusty treasures, and wander through
a graveyard for poems that died before their birth. Join a solitary star
treading the measures of its stately dance above a rainbow like a stream of
dripping jewels. Then mourn with the alien who crash-landed on Earth and can’t
get home - but be careful to avoid the deadly shadow creatures slinking through
the darkness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PS4BBSF/?fbclid=IwAR00DG0QAJHouMuK7UFEOMkoqIP97bKn63ZdqHTH8Qjdd2GUFELe5dpglw4">Grab your copy of this volume of poetry now</a></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt;"> and embark on an unforgettable journey across the miles!</span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">These poems touch on themes such as travel, friendship, nature,
God, music, fantasy, music, animal encounters, and school. Some whimsical, some
serious, they include specific, lesser-known varieties of poetry such as
pantoum, rondeau, triolet, roundel, and villanelle. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Read on to sample two of
the poems in <i>Across the Miles</i>!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9pt 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Monopoly (a Pantoum)</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">A pantoum consists of
four-line stanzas in which the second and fourth lines of one stanza become the
first and third lines of the next stanza. It works well to describe noisy
places or repetitive thoughts or conversations.</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Monopoly’s
such a fun game.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“So now
how much more do I owe you?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Did you
pay as much as you claim?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9pt 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“The rules are right here,
let me show you.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“So now
how much more do I owe you?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“You’re
not getting Boardwalk from me!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“The
rules are right here, let me show you.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9pt 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“It’s ‘Get out of Jail for
Free’.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“You’re
not getting Boardwalk from me!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Will all
you guys please be more quiet?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“It’s
‘Get out of Jail for Free’.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9pt 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“You landed on mine, don’t
deny it.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Will all
you guys please be more quiet?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“I can’t
hear a word that you say.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“You
landed on mine, don’t deny it.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9pt 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Just pass me the dice,
then I’ll play.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“I can’t
hear a word that you say.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Are
Reading and Short Line for sale?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Just
pass me the dice, then I’ll play.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9pt 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“So how do I get out of
jail?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Are
Reading and Short Line for sale?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“She owes
you nine hundred for rent.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“So how
do I get out of jail?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9pt 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“You know how much money
I’ve spent?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“She owes
you nine hundred for rent.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Aha,
he’s advancing my way now!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“You know
how much money I’ve spent?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9pt 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“You landed on Baltic, so
pay now.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Aha,
he’s advancing my way now.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Did she
roll a three or a four?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“You
landed on Baltic, so pay now.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9pt 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“I don’t want to play
anymore.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Did she
roll a three or a four?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“You owe
me two hundred and twenty.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“I don’t
want to play anymore.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 9pt 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Don’t buy more hotels –
you’ve got plenty!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“You owe
me two hundred and twenty.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Did you
pay as much as you claim?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Don’t
buy more hotels – you’ve got plenty!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“Monopoly’s
such a fun game.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9pt; text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9pt; text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Flu</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 9pt; text-indent: -0.1pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">For best
effect, read this poem aloud with a stuffy nose and hoarse voice.</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I’ve
decided I hate the flu – I really do!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The
soreness and aching,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">the
temp’rature taking<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">which
tries to make me a believer that I’ve only got a fever<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">of 99.2<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">but I’m
pretty sure that thermometer’s a liar<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">’cause it
feels way higher<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">and I
think I may slowly be going insane<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">’cause my
cough’s such a pain<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">with its
racking and its hacking<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">while all
of the drugs that I take are in vain<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">and my
head and my chest<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">are both
tight and congest-<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">ed, and
I’m faced with issues<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">like
running out of tissues<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">(’cause
my drippy nose never stops)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">and
having to bring cough drops<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">everywhere
I go<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">and my
eyes getting runny<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> –
and NO! It’s not funny!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">’cause I
don’t like being in pain and congested and woozy<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; text-indent: -13.6pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And
inconvenienced and fevered and fluzy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Want to enjoy nearly a
hundred more poems like this? <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PS4BBSF/?fbclid=IwAR00DG0QAJHouMuK7UFEOMkoqIP97bKn63ZdqHTH8Qjdd2GUFELe5dpglw4">Click here</a></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> to download your copy
of <i>Across the Miles</i> for just $2.99 (that's only about three
cents per poem!). Or gift a paperback copy to a poetry-loving friend or family
member for Christmas!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">About the Poet:</span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tIMxkCi7MyMi3EskqaqtxkYWqsUiT6wABMNvnckLxarDmaMVhb3vw_Byr3qed4RngK0gqtvJVDBSZXkFAVYSJaEJE9MW5RD7VvtqhEpO3H2hRjALOl8jrZRbnfKRx4H_p7Va4TKWcBk/s2048/Annie+Douglass+Lima.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tIMxkCi7MyMi3EskqaqtxkYWqsUiT6wABMNvnckLxarDmaMVhb3vw_Byr3qed4RngK0gqtvJVDBSZXkFAVYSJaEJE9MW5RD7VvtqhEpO3H2hRjALOl8jrZRbnfKRx4H_p7Va4TKWcBk/s320/Annie+Douglass+Lima.jpg" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Annie Douglass Lima considers herself fortunate to have traveled
in twenty different countries and lived in four of them. A fifth-grade teacher
in her “other” life, she loves reading to her students and sparking their
imaginations. Her books include science fiction, fantasy, YA action and
adventure novels, a puppet script, poetry, Bible verse coloring and activity
books, and a fantasy-themed cookbook. When she isn’t teaching or writing, Annie
can often be found sipping spiced chai or pomegranate green tea in exotic
locations, some of which exist in this world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Connect with Annie:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #0070c0;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com/&source=gmail&ust=1608125132919000&usg=AFQjCNEh3RzHelEn25JbzO2uHivQdklvHg" href="http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Blog</span></a><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #0070c0;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor&source=gmail&ust=1608125132919000&usg=AFQjCNEBBEorZYSD8F4YZ3NRrs_kK42R8g" href="https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor" style="color: blue;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Facebook</span></a><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/intent/follow?screen_name%3Dprinceofalasia&source=gmail&ust=1608125132919000&usg=AFQjCNH4S1-NvQdkrQNSoN_IXGad-jVZIA" href="https://twitter.com/intent/follow?screen_name=princeofalasia" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4955329.Annie_Douglass_Lima&source=gmail&ust=1608125132919000&usg=AFQjCNFvc_sYfUo0K8gEMQq5W0j29JIeuQ" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4955329.Annie_Douglass_Lima" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/Annie-Douglass-Lima/e/B0051XD0SU&source=gmail&ust=1608125132919000&usg=AFQjCNGFEu949mTsabFOiFJnFmcjM4vwHA" href="https://www.amazon.com/Annie-Douglass-Lima/e/B0051XD0SU" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">Amazon Author Page</a><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn&source=gmail&ust=1608125132919000&usg=AFQjCNHjZlDqGNPQcYFzAOhj0MJsJkZikw" href="http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.pinterest.com/AnnieDougLima/&source=gmail&ust=1608125132919000&usg=AFQjCNH3sT4p_SupmzuZMdY-1QpOP6N_tw" href="https://www.pinterest.com/AnnieDougLima/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/letters-from-annie-douglass-lima-6275229&source=gmail&ust=1608125132919000&usg=AFQjCNGeSUKzio81TGnnuz3GwKge4xLEnQ" href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/letters-from-annie-douglass-lima-6275229" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">Bloglovin</a><u> </u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bookbub.com/authors/annie-douglass-lima&source=gmail&ust=1608125132919000&usg=AFQjCNG6fxDJ5xhnGQVt3HUKP5dHrRtTxg" href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/annie-douglass-lima" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">Bookbub</a></p></div>Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-42668052864647367472020-09-24T02:32:00.007-07:002020-09-24T02:32:59.792-07:00A review of The Duchess, by Danielle Steel: indie authors can do better than this<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmHKM7amqzT0znYKbrYSSTgxjUgCLrRUq0On35fmiNzwJyrZlBfcVtFGWOPMCUD9VV_9uGw8Dbi4CvYaI8XaCyL7LJaYAr3tsY8tdL_Jn6qD7NqfMWLZ_5xEphC_5Bs2m4KuNDmo3Sqc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmHKM7amqzT0znYKbrYSSTgxjUgCLrRUq0On35fmiNzwJyrZlBfcVtFGWOPMCUD9VV_9uGw8Dbi4CvYaI8XaCyL7LJaYAr3tsY8tdL_Jn6qD7NqfMWLZ_5xEphC_5Bs2m4KuNDmo3Sqc/" width="157" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">I rarely bother to write negative reviews, because typically I won't stick with a bad book. But this... This is just beyond anything. The ridiculous contrived plot, sloppy editing, and endless exposition are everything indie authors are often warned against.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">This is not some obscure indie author, though. This is Danielle Steel, a prolific bestselling novelist with an extensive readership and a major publisher behind her. I haven't read other books by this author, but if they are anything like this one, I have to wonder how they are able to captivate and sustain a fan base. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Warning: spoilers ahead! </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Let's start with the plot. Angelique Latham's father gives her 25,000 pounds before he dies. The interest of this sum, in Regency era England, would be enough to support Miss Latham in the rank of a gentlewoman for her entire life. A capital of 10,000 pounds was considered a respectable independent fortune - remember Mr. Elton in Jane Austen's Emma? "He did not throw himself away - he gained a woman of ten thousand pounds, or thereabouts". </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">It makes absolutely zero sense for her to be making a living as a nanny - but her next move, opening a brothel in Paris without any moral scruples, is even more implausible in the absence of some cataclysmic event (such as losing her fortune and being left destitute). </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The characters are cardboard cartoons. The love interest is a boring afterthought that pops up in the last section of the book. There are ridiculous errors, like repeatedly stating "the estate was entailed TO him", rather than "ON him". And the writing?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">"Her name was Ambre, and she had worn a very elegant dress to the meeting, which showed that she knew how to dress well" (What an astounding conclusion!)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">"She spent a huge amount on their clothes and her own. But the house had become extremely profitable" (Why the contradiction?)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">"Related to kings in two countries, and daughter of a duke, banished by her brother, she was reduced to working as a domestic, and at the mercy of anyone who would hire her"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">This goes on and on. Rambling sentences. Misplaced commas. Faulty logical sequences.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Guys, I'm an editor working directly with authors, and I would never, ever disgrace myself by releasing a book to a client in this state. It just boggles my mind that a MAJOR PUBLISHER with a serious budget has THIS quality of editing. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">But you know what? As an indie author, I'm also glad. If this is the level traditional publishing settles for these days, we can do better.</span>Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-62624764016741399622020-08-29T12:00:00.000-07:002020-08-29T12:00:30.937-07:00The Berserkers: Frozen World 5 is out!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5nmwHqu95XznfD-li556DXPj717WZZWCJojoy_jZo7dFMK88o6py5IGcJI7TiwOrkTk2wOA8U4YVqchC4CiPhwGgGSiqxsidQ1HYd-5ExXfMrf2Ljn5oRnq5jCAU-U4dWbsVnprMppc/s1080/A+GENETICALLY+MODIFIED+RACE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5nmwHqu95XznfD-li556DXPj717WZZWCJojoy_jZo7dFMK88o6py5IGcJI7TiwOrkTk2wOA8U4YVqchC4CiPhwGgGSiqxsidQ1HYd-5ExXfMrf2Ljn5oRnq5jCAU-U4dWbsVnprMppc/s640/A+GENETICALLY+MODIFIED+RACE.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="text-align: center;">I've been qu</span><span style="font-family: times; text-align: center;">iet lately, but guess what I have been working on? That's right - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GM7LMSG/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i12" target="_blank">The Berserkers</a>, book 5 in the Frozen World series, is out now, featuring genetic engineering, giant reptiles, and villains you'll love to hate. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white;">A society of ruthless genetically modified people seeking to recreate a Viking-like culture.</span></i></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">A formidable leader looking for the perfect bride to found a new, supreme race. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">And a girl who has the misfortune to catch his eye thanks to her unique genetic combination."</span></i></span><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;">Does this sound like the beginning of a romance novel? Hahaha, this could be if anyone else were the author!</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;">I am humbled and incredulous when I step back and observe the journey I've undergone with Frozen World, which started over two years ago and was supposed to be a standalone novel. </span></span>I hope both new readers and existing fans of the series enjoy this latest installment. I was going to say <em>final</em> - but I am hesitant to use that word, because following feedback from early readers, I tend to think I will need to add another volume to really and truly wrap the series up.</div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;">And guess what else? To celebrate this new addition to my bookshelf, I'm making <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079GX94SP" target="_blank">The Last Outpost</a>, the first volume in the series, free until September 2, so people who are new to the series take this chance to jump in. Grab your copy today!</span></span></div>Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-74919939043395044892020-07-14T07:57:00.000-07:002020-07-14T07:57:34.206-07:00An Altered World<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.75em;">
Lately, I have found myself putting things off: a visit to the bank, the doctor, the post office… “I don’t have to do it today. There’s time. Maybe in a week or two…”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.75em;">
Then I caught myself: why? What is going to happen in a week or two? Will the coronavirus go away? Will it be safer to go out and about?</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.75em;">
Not likely. The you-know-what has hit the fan and is now flying in all directions. I’m afraid the world as we used to know it is no more.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.75em;">
A few days ago, we had a huge local demonstration of small business owners—restaurant owners, tour guides, dance instructors—who were all hit hard by COVID and now demand that the government give them a financial boost to keep their businesses afloat.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.75em;">
I understand their plight, I really do. I know what it’s like to be financially desperate. However, I believe that no amount of handouts will enable businesses to operate if they don’t adapt to the new situation (Zoom lessons, takeout instead of sit-down meals, etc). And it often sounds like that: people don’t want to adapt. They want things to go back to normal, refusing to admit that normal has flown out of the window.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.75em;">
Even if we are lucky and the coronavirus disappears (which doesn’t seem likely), the impact of the past months has already hurled the world into a deep recession with a wide ripple effect. To get through it, we must be resilient, resourceful, and flexible.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.75em;">
In the meantime, there’s writing, yarn, gardening, coffee, and any reasonable and effective means of de-stressing. Oh, and good stories. I'm always up for a good story. Dystopian is fine; just don't let it feature a pandemic.</div>
Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-8156125111220650632020-06-15T06:44:00.000-07:002020-06-15T06:44:39.176-07:00Some Great Self-Editing Tips <div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Proofreading vs. Line Editing vs. Developmental Editing ..." height="258" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2332/5117/articles/proofreading_image_2048x2048.jpg?v=1544628675" width="400" /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This week, Joanna Penn brings us <a href="https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2020/06/15/self-edit-your-novel/" target="_blank">a great interview</a> with writer and editor Kris Spisak, and it's just packed with invaluable tips on bringing your novel writing up to the next level. I know I link to quite a lot of Joanna's stuff, but she just brings in so much high-quality content that's too good not to highlight. Plus, as someone who is both an author and an editor, I had a particular interest in this post.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">When you're talking about editing, I like to look at it in terms of three different levels. You have your </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-weight: 700;">macro edit where you're really looking at your entire story structure.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> Does your entire plots make sense? Does your story begin in the correct place? Does it end in the right place? Are your characters fleshed out as much as they need to be?"</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></i>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Of course, we all deviate from these rules a bit. For example, I find myself almost incapable of doing a first big read-through while leaving punctuation and sentence structure alone. Authors who have worked with me know I'm obsessed with grammar, commas, and overused words, and get so distracted by any typo I see that I <i>must</i> fix it at once. But this doesn't mean I'm missing the big picture. When I see something that doesn't work at the core level, I suggest that the author does some revisions (or, in case I'm working on my own novel, I go and do some rewrites myself).</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Joanna and Kris also speak in detail about the importance of having more pairs of eyes on your work. It is absolutely invaluable. I remember when I worked on my first draft of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XW2QV7D/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1" target="_blank">Wild Children</a>, I sent it to my priceless friend and alpha reader, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19724255.Anna_Mantovani" target="_blank">Anna Mantovani</a>. She said she is missing a detailed and fleshed-out villain in the novel - which propelled me to create the character of Alexander Dahl and, later, his daughter Priscilla, who became a core character of the two sequels. None of that would have been possible without an insightful reader who gave me her honest opinion.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And also this:</span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;">"</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">So many times people think, ‘Oh, it's a talented writer. He was born that way, she was born that way,' but here's the big secret. No one is born an amazing writer. Everybody has to learn. Everybody has to practice. Everybody has to put in that time."</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></i>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Certainly, writing is a form of art. But it's also a craft. Nothing is just born out of thin air; every talented and successful person, in every field, has had to put in the work. Without it, without growth and improvement, there's stagnation. I hope it never happens to me. I love learning, and I love working with authors who are ready to learn and improve as well.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Just make sure you don't miss <a href="https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2020/06/15/self-edit-your-novel/" target="_blank">this fantastic interview</a>. It might well be the best thing you've read this year.</span></span>Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-43240342649277831392020-05-25T03:28:00.001-07:002020-05-25T03:28:58.128-07:00How much should you work?<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="How to work less and get more done - MarketWatch" height="223" src="https://ei.marketwatch.com/Multimedia/2017/01/09/Photos/ZQ/MW-FD366_na_wor_20170109173158_ZQ.jpg?uuid=6ef018c2-d6bb-11e6-acdb-001cc448aede" width="400" /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Recently, I had the chance to stumble upon <a href="https://www.salon.com/2017/12/17/how-hustling-only-makes-you-tired-not-rich_partner/amp?fbclid=IwAR2Ud7ZsKgyjR_cAJmsGfoZrrhYfxl-PxSfc-kxL46NTX10Xjxe-cI_RG2I" target="_blank">this great article</a>, which confirmed something I have been thinking for quite a while. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"We are not here to work to work to work to die.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<div data-valid-location="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.9em;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We aren’t.</span></i></div>
<div data-valid-location="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.9em;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div data-valid-location="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.9em;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There was a stage in building my business where I hustled and built connections with publications that had large followings and an audience so that when my work went viral, said audience followed me which now leads to revenue with cultural influencer jobs, clients, public speaking opportunities etc. etc. however, I truly believe that I chose to struggle unnecessarily for a few years of that.</span></i></div>
<div data-valid-location="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.9em;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div data-valid-location="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.9em;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I chose that because I grew up wired to believe that good people couldn’t have lots of money, and that artists had to starve and work a second job."</span></i></div>
<div data-valid-location="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.9em;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div data-valid-location="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.9em;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I actually found this article while Googling "tired of hustling"... and for good reason, it seems. I think this lady is insanely lucky, and things certainly don't work this way for everyone, but there is still a lot of truth in what she says. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--color-text);"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I work as a freelance editor, proofreader, and copywriter, besides authoring and publishing my own books. When I first started freelancing, I was unfamiliar with the platforms, didn’t know anybody, had no experience, and had to hunt and hustle for every project. Thankfully, I am not in that place anymore, and usually have more incoming work than I can reasonably commit to, so I have to be choosy and know when and how to say no. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It isn’t always easy when a client asks specifically for you and you value that professional relationship, but I do have one principle to guide me: I chose to freelance and work from home, rather than opt for more traditional employment, because I wanted the freedom and flexibility to be with my children. I wanted to be there to teach them, take care of them when they are sick or need me for other reasons, and to have a flexible schedule that would enable me to set work aside for a while and just go out to enjoy the sunshine on a nice day.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The problem is, when you are an independent entrepreneur, you don’t have set hours. You don’t just punch a card and you’re done for the day. There are always new projects to check out, books to work on, clients to communicate with, emails to send, research to do… And it’s quite easy to get caught in all that, so that you get annoyed with life for getting in the way of work – which is not very reasonable.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">My top tips for maintaining a healthy balance are as follows:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Know and accept you will never be able to do it all</span> or to please everyone. There will always be projects and clients you miss – but the good news is, life is dynamic, and there will also be new ones.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Be realistic.</span> How many hours a day can you reasonably commit to? Without overworking and compromising the quality of your work? Without snapping at your children? Without pulling half- or all-nighters?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Be your own boss</span>, but as if you were the boss of someone else. I mean it this way: if you were employing someone, and that someone had no time for lunch break or recreation or adequate sleep hours, would you consider yourself a very good employer? Would you expect high productivity and quality work from a harassed, overwhelmed employee? You see my point. Treat your body and mind with kindness and respect, and you will enjoy a routine that is both more peaceful and more productive.</span></div>
Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-70596321101273242652020-04-22T15:30:00.001-07:002020-04-22T15:30:46.376-07:00Can editors be affordable? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdtQBfhC6tsleJXKsnBfaUAbUvAVDs5WjRrVf1GxYWGSn3A3NOqt2UMkXwS_5DJTCCg7iu6-7UHwM9vhP_0bAtyTciVrKkdB35tHZbIsRSt3sCTVtCPblzM-e7b8zuWrO1dK_PArgOiM/s1600/new-health-budget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="479" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdtQBfhC6tsleJXKsnBfaUAbUvAVDs5WjRrVf1GxYWGSn3A3NOqt2UMkXwS_5DJTCCg7iu6-7UHwM9vhP_0bAtyTciVrKkdB35tHZbIsRSt3sCTVtCPblzM-e7b8zuWrO1dK_PArgOiM/s320/new-health-budget.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
"How are indie authors supposed to be able to afford editors?" - this is a question I have encountered numerous times on social media lately, sometimes accompanied by "I have a budget of 300$ for this. Is it enough?" And someone somewhere in the comments usually suggests, "there are plenty of affordable editors out there".<br />
<br />
As both an indie author on a budget and an editor doing my best to offer my clients quality service and fair prices, I understand both sides of the equation, and I will look at them both here. First, let's try to do some math and figure out whether editors are overpriced and what a reasonable fee would be.<br />
<br />
While editing, I put in close to one hour per 2,000 words, on average. Does that sound too long? Consider that this includes corrections, comments and suggestions for the author, and often revision. How long would it take you to revise your own book? An editor would likely spend more time on it because they would see more stuff that needs to be addressed.<br />
<br />
So that comes up to 50 hours of work per a 100,000-word novel.<br />
<br />
How much would you say an editor should earn per hour?<br />
<br />
If I charge a 1,000$ for the editing of a 100K book, I earn roughly 20$ per hour. It is modest but something I can live upon. Many people, however, expect to have their epic novel edited for 500$, or worse. That would mean the editor earns 10$ per hour or less.<br />
<br />
You won't find someone experienced for 10$ an hour, because people who charge so little don't tend to stay in the field. They are unable to support themselves and their families. They quit in burnout and frustration and go flipping burgers, because it's more financially rewarding.<br />
<br />
So that's the editor's side of the story.<br />
<br />
Authors, on the other hand, are often told, "Save up for self-publishing. Don't even think of releasing a book before you have a 2,000$ budget for editing, cover design, and marketing."<br />
<br />
The sad truth, however, is that many self-published books will never make enough to pay off a 2000$ launch budget. Even if they are well-written, well-edited, and have a great cover. Many wonderful books just don't make it, and it's really hard to predict which ones will.<br />
<br />
For an author who is struggling financially, pouring that much money into a single project can be devastating. They can literally discover they had taken food out of their children's mouths for nothing. I understand perfectly well that authors aren't simply being cheap. People are struggling to put food on the table.<br />
<br />
Sometimes you get lucky and can find an editor who's really good but just starting out, and they'll work on your book for 500$. Or maybe you happen to be a brilliant cover designer and can arrange for an exchange of favors with an author-editor who needs cover design. But otherwise, yeah, when you say that you can't afford an editor, I hear you. I couldn't have afforded me if I had to pay myself to work on my own books.<br />
<br />
There are no easy answers to this conundrum, that's for sure.<br />
<br />
So what I suggest might sound harsh, but if you can't afford an editor, you can't. Revise the heck out of your book, invest in programs like ProWritingAid, and arrange for swap reads with other authors. Try your best and save up what you make from this book for editing the next one. It is not an ideal solution, but it's better and fairer than trying to find someone who will work for 5$ an hour.Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-53885074075612772832020-04-07T11:59:00.000-07:002020-04-07T11:59:42.773-07:00Covid-19 and the future of the indie book industry Well, it happened. The world has, quite simply, done a backflip on us. What is going on right now could very well belong in a dystopian novel - whole countries on lockdown, health care systems collapsing, stocks plummeting, countless people losing their jobs.<br />
<br />
Indie writers, editors, and other people who work from home have been lucky in many ways. We have never been tied to an office, so we didn't have to worry about it closing, or about social distancing at work. We can work from our laptop anywhere.<br />
<br />
Of course, this doesn't mean we haven't been affected by what is happening in the world. Social media is full of posts and memes by writers who lament that they aren't as productive as they thought they would be - and that's even without children suddenly being home 24/7. Even for home educating families, it's quite an adjustment. It means no visits to Grandma, no help from anyone outside the house, no play dates. Each nuclear family is isolated and, as we are deprived of our usual means of recreation and social connection, it's no wonder our productivity has taken a nosedive.<br />
<br />
Another question is how the book industry in general, and indie authors in particular, are going to be affected by the inevitable economic shifts that we'll be stuck with long after the acute stage of the crisis is over. Now, the following is just my opinion, so you are welcome to take it or leave it.<br />
<br />
One immediate factor is that while people are at home so much more, they have more time to read. So apparently that's good news for us. But authors have been reporting a significant reduction in sales, and that's understandable when you think about it. While people are losing either their jobs or their financial security, their disposable income - real or perceived - takes a cut. People will naturally buy less things they don't need, and this includes books. I can tell you that I, personally, think twice nowadays before spending 2.99$ on an ebook. It's sad but true.<br />
<br />
Another aspect is that authors who have relied on face-to-face meetings with readers, book fairs, etc - for example authors of illustrated children's books, who still receive a large part of their income from selling paperbacks - have suffered due to cancelled book fairs and book tours. Those authors have undoubtedly taken a harder hit than those of us who are used to making most of our sales from ebooks.<br />
<br />
So are we going to be hit by the upcoming recession as well? Probably, but humankind has survived a lot worse - and storytelling, in some shape or form, has always been around. So I believe that there will always be a market for a good story. I look forward to exchange of ideas within the #WritingCommunity as we all pitch in towards helping each other get through this unexpected crisis wave.Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-15520858232894083532020-03-12T02:07:00.001-07:002020-03-12T02:07:08.860-07:00The Bloodthirst Gene: Frozen World 4, New Generation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2VgP11AC-c8vprifrDW8tb5oboTYcVNfo2eA91xxOgnZZ-vkGED6kPvlkcezI_oC8jb3m6Qkge-rKJoXFcK-3CD1uPLsBOI_wonxV-7oHyrMkQKe0sW9pflyxn55mLP9di8rWp09p4w/s1600/Violence+is+a+necessary+trait+for+human+survival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2VgP11AC-c8vprifrDW8tb5oboTYcVNfo2eA91xxOgnZZ-vkGED6kPvlkcezI_oC8jb3m6Qkge-rKJoXFcK-3CD1uPLsBOI_wonxV-7oHyrMkQKe0sW9pflyxn55mLP9di8rWp09p4w/s400/Violence+is+a+necessary+trait+for+human+survival.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
What better way to get through the coronavirus craze than by releasing another postapocalyptic sci-fi novel?<br />
<br />
The Bloodthirst Gene, now available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085S518W3" target="_blank">Kindle</a> and in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085RNM36C" target="_blank">print</a>, is volume 4 in my Antarctic sci-fi Frozen World saga. It's a New Generation novel and has enough background so that even readers who hadn't caught up with books 1-3 in the series yet can dive straight in. A good fit for lovers of indigenous culture, genetic-involving apocalyptic scenarios, and giant prehistoric winged reptiles.<br />
<br />
<i>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Could the genetic makeup of humankind be altered in a way that eradicates violence, aggression and warlike tendencies, eliminating armed conflict and creating a utopian society?</span></i><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It sounds almost too good to be true. And perhaps it is, because messing with genetics can get risky."</span></i><br />
And get this: for the past two books, I've been trying to wrap the series up, but I just can't, as there are too many ideas swirling in my head. So yes, there will be a Frozen World 5 book, though I can't say exactly when that will be just yet.Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-67237484779283092092020-02-18T03:14:00.001-08:002020-02-18T03:14:30.022-08:00Why I'm happy I stopped querying<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for freedom" height="170" src="https://content-static.upwork.com/blog/uploads/sites/3/2018/05/07135953/Why-Creativity-Doesn%E2%80%99t-Need-Freedom-feature.png" width="400" /></div>
<br />
I used to send out queries to literary agents every month. Then I <a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/search?q=gave+up+querying" target="_blank">gave up</a>.<br />
<br />
That's it in a nutshell, but of course, it's a longer and more complicated story. I have had about 250 rejection emails, cumulatively, over several projects. There probably isn't a single agent in each project's genre that I haven't queried. I have had some limited interest but no takers.<br />
<br />
As I wrote in my b<a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/2018/12/why-i-gave-up-querying.html" target="_blank">log post of 2018</a>,<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">I know it sounds very unfashionable, with all the positive upbeat advice out there: "Never give up! You never know when it happens for you! The next query might just be the one!"</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br style="background-color: white; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">Well, folks, I do give up. Mind, I don't give up writing, publishing, making it as an author or earning money through my books. I give up the uphill task of researching agents, sending queries, waiting (or giving up on waiting) for feedback, and receiving another form rejection </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">or, at best, an "I like your style, but it won't sell" type of message.</span></i></span><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2840387923864203280" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I had two choices... No, make it three: keep querying and hope to land a book deal one day; become discouraged and give up writing; or keep working on writing and getting my books out there myself. I chose the last one.<br />
<br />
Upon thinking, I realized that the indie publishing model is my preferred modus operandi anyway. I wasn't seeking approval stamps or literary recognition. I like having total control of my own work. I like how quickly an indie book can be produced and hit the market (because you bypass all the stages when you're negotiating with someone else for approval).<br />
<br />
Over a year after I had sent out my last query, I can definitely say I'm happy with my decision. Time is a very precious resource for me, and I freed up a large chunk of it once I decided to focus solely on the indie author path. Now I can concentrate on writing the next book, and the next one, and on finding my audience. I have started making some money from my books, and it flows directly to me, and much more quickly, too, than if it had had to pass through more hands.<br />
<br />
I have had my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B07HK7YFDF/ref=dp_st_1632470349" target="_blank">Wild Children</a> series placed with a small publishing house, and while I loved working with my publisher and really appreciated the thorough, professional attitude, I realized that I have a lot more fun (and am much more motivated) as a solo venture. I'm pleased to be an indie - or, as some say, an author-entrepreneur, and am excited about all the possibilities this opens before me.<br />
<br />
As for 2020: onward and upward!</div>
Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-74322267943514162832020-01-25T22:42:00.000-08:002020-01-25T22:42:41.967-08:00Writing through plotter block <div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for writer's block" height="307" src="https://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/writers-block.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<br />
Everyone knows what writer's block is; and although I have repeatedly stated that I don't really believe in it, and that I'm ALWAYS ready to write once I've gotten a couple of little people off my back, 2019 has challenged this statement somewhat.<br />
<br />
It was a busy year. I have edited over a million words (in the course of my work as a fiction editor), or about the equivalent of a dozen full-length novels - a novel a month. Thankful as I was for not being out of work a single day that year, there were moments when I wish I could slow down.<br />
<br />
It is no wonder, then, that working on the fourth book in my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JDKWYS6?ref_=series_rw_dp_labf" target="_blank">Frozen World</a> sci-fi series, my own book often got whatever dregs and scraps I was able to piece together at the end of a day. Even beginning to write, though I got the premise and title more or less figured out as soon as I finished the latest book in the series, was a stretch.<br />
<br />
I have been a plotter for a very long time - from about the moment when I realized that having an outline may well make the difference between finishing a novel in a reasonable time and muddling for years through a series of plot holes big as the moon's craters. So, of course, my credo became, "I'm not even starting before I know how I will finish!"<br />
<br />
The problem is, in this case waiting to have the perfect worked-out plot resulted in me sitting before that plot outline, staring at it evening after evening, closing it in frustration, and ending up writing nothing at all.<br />
<br />
At all. For a very long time.<br />
<br />
I knew how the story would begin. I knew more or less where it was heading. But some parts were blank.<br />
<br />
And eventually, I threw in the towel and just started writing.<br />
<br />
It was the best decision I could have made. It alleviated my frustration and helped keep my creative juices flowing. It helped me focus. It enhanced my productivity - by challenging myself to produce 1,000 words a day, rain or shine, I was forced to figuratively take a sledgehammer and hack away at the plot block wall until it crumbled, because the show had to go on. So far I have written 35,000 words of this new book and hope to finish the first draft in February.<br />
<br />
My takeaway? Don't get hung up on a system, even if it's a good system and has served you well. If it's hindering you from actually writing, make a U-turn and try something new.<br />
<br />
Write. Take time off, but also write. It gets easier once you're in the habit of productivity, I promise.Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-90316842626497935382019-12-05T20:37:00.001-08:002019-12-05T20:37:25.628-08:002019 Recap<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for 2020" height="225" src="http://img.bizportal.co.il/giflib/news/rsPhoto/sz_214/rsz_615_346_iStock-1145233099_2020_241119.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<br />
As the end of the year is approaching, it's time for another recap. Compared to <a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/2018/10/2018-somewhat-early-recap.html" target="_blank">2018</a>, it was a less intense year in terms of books: I only released two, compared to four last year.<br />
<br />
I opened 2019 with the release of <a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/2019/01/dragon-diplomacy-birth-of-book.html" target="_blank">Dragon Diplomacy</a>, my first Middle Grade fantasy novel, which I did not predict to bring me many sales, and so it did indeed happen - but I'm still glad I wrote and published it, because it was a labor of love co-written with my two eldest daughters, and I immensely enjoyed working on it.<br />
<br />
Then I shifted my focus back on working on the Frozen World series, and released <a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-breath-of-earth-is-here.html" target="_blank">The Breath of Earth</a>, the third book of the sci-fi saga, in September. I am now working on book four of the series, which will be titled <i>The Bloodthirst Gene</i>, and while I don't have an estimated release date yet, it will definitely be sometime in 2020.<br />
<br />
It was also a year of professional growth for me as an editor, with having such an inflow of work that I actually had to turn down several manuscripts - I haven't had to advertise actively for almost a year now, a vote of confidence from my clients which I appreciate beyond what words can express.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I also did quite a bit of self-education on novel serialization and <a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/2019/06/reaching-new-readers-in-asian-market.html" target="_blank">expanding into the Asian market</a>, which has been an ongoing learning curve, and on which I hope to be able to provide an update soon.<br />
<br />
2020 is going to be another busy year with more writing, and probably two books coming out, more exploration of new markets, and more growth. I daresay it will be pretty exciting!Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-38164598849630821612019-11-27T13:51:00.000-08:002020-01-26T23:29:33.853-08:00Some slice of life writing challenges <div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="236" src="https://confessionsofafrazzledmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/cropped-Mom-mom-mom-e1497128909327.png" width="400" /></div>
<br />
The latest post on Joanna Penn's excellent blog features Andrea Pearson, who offers some <a href="https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2019/11/25/writing-with-a-family-productivity-andrea-pearson/" target="_blank">essential advice on time management for authors who are also the mothers of young children</a>.<br />
<br />
... And who happen to have the privilege of a cleaning lady, an assistant, budget to outsource things like editing and layout, and a fantastically supportive husband who is totally on board with their writing business and actually lends a hand with some aspects of its management.<br />
<br />
Now welcome back to the reality of a frazzled author mom on a shoestring budget, who doesn't have a peaceful moment in a day and whose husband believes that if today is the 27th of the month and she has a deadline on the 29th, rearranging the pantry is still WAY more important than anything writing-related.<br />
<br />
Please understand that my snark here is not directed at Ms Pearson, who does sound like a fantastically organized and competent author. She has three children and homeschools, so any help she can get is definitely warranted and I can imagine she is not spoiled with an excess of free time either! Many authors with fewer commitments struggle with time management. In fact, as Ms Pearson rightly says, being busy forces us to make good use of our time.<br />
<br />
But here's the thing. Many authors are struggling so hard to keep their heads above water that they wouldn't even have the time or energy to give an interview like Ms Pearson's. I was one of them. Like a miser lovingly clutching his coins, I would snatch every available moment to write - on a pad while being stuck in traffic, on my phone while lending myself as a pillow to a child who was struggling to fall asleep. I was literally clawing out those moments out of an overworked, unappreciated existence.<br />
<br />
Getting my own laptop was a game changer. I used to write on the family desktop PC located in the middle of the living room, which meant I was always in the eye of the tornado. It would also often crash and my work would be unsaved.<br />
<br />
Often, I knew that the baby wouldn't nap for long, and I needed to choose between a shower and writing. A snack and writing. Answering a call from a friend who was going through a hard time and writing.<br />
<br />
And I chose writing.<br />
<br />
I was that perpetually hungry, crazy-haired, lonely individual who resented her bladder for stealing a few moments that could be spent in front of the screen typing. Does that sound nuts? It is. I was nuts.<br />
<br />
It's just that I wanted to make it really, really, REALLY bad.<br />
<br />
And I am making it, because I still make the same choices every day. I'm more efficient in a lot of things, but my work doesn't just happen unless I put my foot down and say "Now everything waits while I meet that deadline".<br />
<br />
What about support from your spouse or extended family?<br />
<br />
A couple of years ago, an author told me concerning family support: "A clean house, cooked dinners, and the full-time paycheck I made didn't matter. What mattered to them was that not every single moment of my day was focused on them and serving their needs".<br />
<br />
She was not alone. And if you are going through the same thing, neither are you. This isn't because so many spouses and children are big meanies trying to sabotage the author who happens to be their mom/dad/wife/husband. It's just that many people genuinely don't get it. And children are, by nature, selfish - you have to teach them otherwise.<br />
<br />
If you are surrounded by an environment that all seems to conspire against your writing dream, you have to stand up and assert that dream. Take up spare moments and hoard them until you have an hour. Take those words, one by one, and put them together until you have a novel.<br />
<br />
Things do get easier. You manage to carve out your writing corner. People learn not to drop in on you unexpectedly. Your children learn to respect your boundaries. You become more efficient at what you do and are able to do more in the same amount of time.<br />
<br />
You rise, baby. And then you laugh in life's face, and say, "Ha! I made it despite everything!"<br />
<br />
You can do it. I can do it. All it takes is getting up, each day, with the determination of following your dream.Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-22826290825842267872019-11-17T04:17:00.002-08:002019-11-17T04:17:39.656-08:00The Downside of Discipline, or why I allowed myself to loaf for a bit <div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Feet up in Paradise - Time to Relax (XXXL) : Stock Photo" height="276" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/feet-up-in-paradise-time-to-relax-picture-id155373062?s=2048x2048" width="400" /></div>
<br />
Those who have been reading my blog for a while know that my biggest point of writing advice is: Consistency! Consistency! Consistency! <a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/2017/03/consistency-writers-highest-virtue.html" target="_blank">Write 1000 words a day</a>, every day. I don't believe in writer's block. My "writer's block" consists of a kid or three blocking my way to my laptop because they want to watch cartoons on it.<br />
<br />
I do know, however, that there is such a thing as <a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/2017/06/writers-burnout-how-it-came-to-get-me.html" target="_blank">burnout</a>. I was quite alarmed, once, at my sudden intense aversion to books and daydreaming of never having to write a single darn thing again. Was this me? Me, the one who has identified as a writer and storyteller since the age of six?<br />
<br />
I give myself more slack now. Well, perhaps "slack" is not the right term. I work as a fiction editor, so basically, my whole life revolves around books. Every month, I edit the equivalent of two full-length novels. I read no less than 50 pages of fiction, sometimes written so poorly it makes my eyes water, every day just for work. Is it any wonder that when night rolls around I often feel so run down I can't bring myself to read anything but crochet patterns?<br />
<br />
In <a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/2017/12/recapping-2017-or-how-on-earth-do-you.html" target="_blank">2017</a> and <a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/2018/10/2018-somewhat-early-recap.html" target="_blank">2018</a>, I released four books per year. In 2019, I released two, and my output is not about to increase in 2020 if the volume of work I perform each month remains the same. I enjoy what I do, but I just had to come to terms with the fact that it takes up, in addition to time, some of the "writing space" in my brain.<br />
<br />
So I just had to let my brain lie fallow for a while. Remember the concept of the Sabbatical year? Not working the land and just leaving it to soak up the rain and dew and letting the worms work their magic? A year might be a bit excessive, but after the release of The Breath of Earth in September I stepped back and allowed myself to slip into hibernation mode. Read for fun, no review copies. Watch inspirational videos (Antarctic scenery. Who doesn't love to watch whales frolic and call it research?). Just sort of vegetate until writing started to be fun again, rather than a lifetime penance.<br />
<br />
Now that the mojo is back, it's time for some discipline again. Time to tell myself, No, you won't just 'check your email for a moment'. You won't get up to get yourself another piece of chocolate, you glutton. You'll keep at it until your 1000 words are added to the daily word count, you lazy slug.Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-44728850286055142962019-10-28T11:42:00.002-07:002019-10-28T11:46:29.654-07:00Walking on eggshells: diversity in literature<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="Image result for diversity" height="266" src="https://www.bandt.com.au/information/uploads/2018/11/Diverse-team-1260x840.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here is another <a href="https://litreactor.com/columns/13-reasons-why-your-novel-sucks-at-diversity?fbclid=IwAR1JanEPU38-TUzZ9tVaGmj_xh16UGySzk7_3aaBxxbyK1CWwCnfN5T0Lkc" target="_blank">article</a> that serves as a perfect example of how diversity in literature is becoming a scattering of sharp eggshells authors find extremely hard to walk on, because whatever you do (or don't do), there will be people wielding a large magnifying glass, scrutinizing your work and tsk-tsk-ing about your shortcomings. And the shortcomings are there, believe me. Because whether you underplay or emphasize race, whether you include many minority characters or not enough, someone out there will complain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And even if you have the perfect nonwhite, non-standard main character and do it all perfectly, it's a shame you had written this at all, because #ownvoices, you know?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A disclaimer: I hate racism and bigotry. I hate those things with a passion and whenever I encounter them, my blood pressure rises, my heart starts racing, and I normally won't walk away without taking a stand. You want some background? Hitler nearly wiped out my family. Being Jewish, I belong to one of the most ethnically diverse peoples in the world, with a Jewish diaspora having existed in almost every country from Finland to Ethiopia (and yes, they are all MY people! Jews from Yemen and Jews from Ukraine. People who speak Yiddish, Arabic, Amharic. People who make gefilte fish and people who make couscous. Isn't that awesome?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I find the very beginning of this article - "adding diversity to your writing is a difficult task" - a bit problematic. I can honestly tell you I have never gone through a manuscript saying, "hmm, is this diverse enough? Have I included enough minority characters?" - nor do I think it would be reasonable. My books don't generally focus on race. Neither do, or should, most books. I do have characters of various ethnicity, but it has always been a part of who I was, not a "let's include this character and that character because DIVERSITY!" thing. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;">And how about, <i>"</i></span><span style="color: #261e1a;"><i>Also, don’t dehumanize us. A common example is equating skin tone to food. Avoid this insensitive technique as it’s a grave reminder of our history as slave labor involving commodities like coffee, cacao, sugar, et cetera. We are not products to be consumed, so do not treat us as such."</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Really?! What about peaches-and-cream skin? Honey-colored hair? I could go on but you get the idea. Once, I recall reading about a farm worker's freckles described as "a smattering of golden wheat grains". Does this allude to social oppression?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is true, however, that description of characters' looks shouldn't boil down to redundant cliches. I have learned some important lessons in this during my work as an editor of translated Chinese novels. In books written by Chinese authors where all the characters are Chinese, nobody has "silky black hair and almond-shaped eyes" (you could as well describe someone as 'the dude with two ears and one nose'). Characters are described as having heavy brow ridges, high cheekbones, light or heavy build, thin or puffy lips, and so on. And the occasional European or American foreigner? He doesn't get any description beyond "the middle-aged Caucasian man". </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;">My own novel, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077YXSH6L/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i6" target="_blank">Land of the Lost Tribe</a>, takes place in Ethiopia. You can bet I didn't describe any character as "dark-skinned" or "with kinky hair" (beyond the encounter with different-looking foreigners)</span><span style="color: #1c1e21;">. I had to get a lot more creative!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As usual with diversity posts, I feel I could go on and on. But you know what? I won't. Just go ahead and write that story. A darn good story with awesomesaucy characters and spot-on brilliant descriptions. Write what fires up your imagination and don't worry about anything else, because you can't please everyone anyway.</span></span>Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-12615948897093641022019-10-14T21:31:00.002-07:002019-10-14T21:31:58.432-07:00Marketing a book series: initial insights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50fWbuCJbGDL9u-cIqnnSHqAQNsdNa4l1GHxbmphcfLWFJWFLFEYNPm9ie6rwbstE7xubO3GKcug5csDX_wQtxbs_Fb1QNRGIwIkrVgz1KCGpO8OWeqLJOahB3lq_XOVG0QaYR3K3F18/s1600/Frozen+World.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50fWbuCJbGDL9u-cIqnnSHqAQNsdNa4l1GHxbmphcfLWFJWFLFEYNPm9ie6rwbstE7xubO3GKcug5csDX_wQtxbs_Fb1QNRGIwIkrVgz1KCGpO8OWeqLJOahB3lq_XOVG0QaYR3K3F18/s400/Frozen+World.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
It has been a month since the release of <i>The Breath of Earth</i>, the third book in my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JDKWYS6?ref_=dbs_r_series&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">Frozen World</a> Antarctic sci-fi saga, and though I am not a metadata whiz like many of my fellow indie authors, I can share two observations:<br />
<br />
1. The amount of sales and KU page reads for the whole series has definitely jump-started.<br />
<br />
2. I see the most dramatic increase in the sales of book 2.<br />
<br />
Part of it is no doubt thanks to reader-funneling after a free book promo for book 1 (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079GX94SP?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks" target="_blank">The Last Outpost</a>) which I ran on the release of book 3. However, even taking this into account, <i>the read-through from book 1 to book 2 has definitely increased with the release of book 3, even though book 3 hasn't made any substantial waves yet.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Which brings me to the following conclusion, which might or might not be accurate:<br />
<br />
<i>Readers are more eager to keep reading when they see an actual ongoing series, not just a book and a sequel.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Psychologically, I know this is definitely true for me as a reader. When I read the first book in a series and like it, I'm more motivated to keep going with the next books in the series if I see I have <i>a lot </i>to look forward to, and the more the better. Therefore, you could argue that the very existence of book 3 is prompting me to buy/read book 2, even though it will be a while before I get to book 3 yet.<br />
<br />
All this tallies with the advice to indie authors to not even bother doing much marketing for a series until at least three books are out.<br />
<br />
Bottom line: keep writing and getting those books out there! The books in a series work as a team, promoting each other and making it easier for you to make sales.<br />
<br />
Also check out this excellent article, <a href="https://insights.bookbub.com/how-to-launch-and-promote-a-new-book-thats-part-of-a-series/" target="_blank">How to Launch and Promote a New Book That's Part of a Series</a>Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-68782476719010466002019-10-02T03:21:00.003-07:002019-10-02T03:21:43.573-07:00Author interview on Paul's Fantasy Writings<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="400" src="https://i1.wp.com/paulsfantasywritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hannah-Rosss-advice.png?fit=840%2C840&ssl=1" width="400" /></div>
<br />
In perfect timing with my latest release, I've been granted the honor of an interview on Paul's Fantasy Writings. <a href="https://paulsfantasywritings.com/interview-with-author-hannah-ross/" target="_blank">Pop over and check it out</a>:<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: #303030;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: underline;">The Breath of Earth</span></em><span style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: underline;"> (the third instalment in </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: underline;">The Frozen World</span></em><span style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: underline;"> series) is your most recent book. What would you like readers to gain or learn from the story?</span></strong><br /><strong style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: underline;">What is your next book called and when will it be released?</span></strong></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: #303030;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></span></strong></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #303030; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The entire <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Frozen World</em> series is in the sub-genre of what can be defined as environmental science fiction. It tells about a near-utopian society of the Anai, an isolated tribe living in a warm microclimate pocket in Antarctica. The themes, or rather the universal questions of these stories, revolve around humankind and its relations with nature. Namely, can people coexist with nature without despoiling it? Can the desire to do right and preserve the world we live in overcome greed and power struggles? What are some things one is never justified in doing, not even in the name of survival?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #303030; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.5em;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am currently outlining the next book in the <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Frozen World</em> series. It will be titled <em style="box-sizing: inherit;">The Bloodthirst Gene</em>, and it will explore the question of whether violence is a necessary trait for human survival. It will also, of course, include elements from the previous books in the series: an Antarctic setting, a dystopian world, and an oasis of harmony between man and nature.</span></div>
Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-45387140431743130732019-09-06T02:38:00.002-07:002019-09-06T02:38:26.487-07:00The Breath of Earth is here!It has been longer than I planned, but <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XG6WKGM" target="_blank">The Breath of Earth</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1089100558" target="_blank">the third book</a> in my Frozen World Antarctic sci-fi series, is finally here!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoftlVa39V9XCz03mWrsBweigOPj7bbCmaMJs6r4tn1u1rbnRAEtPf6ZDbkOjQZgvTimarsdb7xhXBd22QjPKvu9OydN43-1OWSoXGvFbx7OrcJo1t7zZJCo4jVWKAfiFuwmxTCMfxi84/s1600/The+Breath+of+Earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1003" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoftlVa39V9XCz03mWrsBweigOPj7bbCmaMJs6r4tn1u1rbnRAEtPf6ZDbkOjQZgvTimarsdb7xhXBd22QjPKvu9OydN43-1OWSoXGvFbx7OrcJo1t7zZJCo4jVWKAfiFuwmxTCMfxi84/s400/The+Breath+of+Earth.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Like all of my books, it's a living example showing that once you want something badly enough, the impossible becomes possible. I have four children aged 10 to 1 at home and a husband who works from home and who, let's face it, thinks taking the time to write is never justified if it clashes with housework - which is kind of always, because I don't think I'll ever reach a point in this life where I have no housework piled up. Furthermore, last January I had taken on an editing job to help pay the bills. If anyone can legitimately say that they have no time to write, it would probably be me. I have no set hours, no private work space, no budget for any extras, and zero support from my family.<br />
<br />
What I do have is a brimming well of stories within me, a laptop, and a virtual cheerleading community of indie authors and amazing readers that keeps egging me on. Oh, and an overpowering, burning desire to make money from what I love and do best - writing fiction.<br />
<br />
<i>The Last Outpost</i>, the first book in the Frozen World series, was a pivotal point in my writing career in the sense that it was the first book I didn't try to pitch to agents and publishers before going the self pub route. I didn't want a publishing deal even theoretically. What I did want was to have that book out in the world as soon as possible, working on my behalf and, hopefully, earning money. I also wanted a full measure of control over my story and how it would see the light of day. I knew I would make mistakes, I was prepared to do that and bounce back and keep learning.<br />
<br />
While I had some ideas about a sequel to <i>The Last Outpost</i> when I released it, I was also prepared for the possibility of the book remaining a standalone. I knew I was tired of writing and publishing books nobody would buy. I no longer bought into the starving underappreciated artist trope. Just like a storyteller of old wouldn't be spinning their tales if nobody came to take a seat next to them beside the fire, I wouldn't keep writing things nobody else was interested in. But I got some very positive reviews for The Last Outpost and, for the first time ever, a trickle of sales that didn't fizzle out after the first few days.<br />
<br />
Encouraged, I did two things:<br />
<br />
1. Wrote a freebie short prequel, The Frozen Shore, and offered it for free on Smashwords to funnel readers to The Las Outpost. I don't have exact numbers, but I'm pretty sure I gained a few new readers that way.<br />
<br />
2. Went full steam ahead with writing the sequel, The Ice Fortress, which took a few months. Once it was released, I was glad to see that the conversion rate from the readers of the first book was pretty good. It means that many readers have enjoyed the first book enough to buy the second, which is thrilling.<br />
<br />
I have been holding off on paid promotion until I would have at least three books in the series, but even so, I have had daily sales with the first two Frozen World books - without advertising and initially, with no reviews to speak of. I do have a social media presence (this blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and lately Instagram), but it is relatively modest.<br />
<br />
My marketing plan for the near future includes making the first book of the series free for a few days, some AMS ads, and most importantly, working on the next book in the Frozen World saga.<br />
<br />
So is there more to come? You betcha! I am currently working on an outline and getting pretty excited. Give me a few late-nighters, and it should be well under way.Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-81992206037029143332019-08-09T04:18:00.000-07:002019-08-09T04:18:01.797-07:00Little Victories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyBZCF64bH59i3x6GVSFd2NAWj_tuxPiXfUkS_80jwhEsP0QtiuWR3ySXUj_KPvbouzIFPWCNzfb6l2l50ZrmA-_iUAB-ew-H6QgSS894nwNtfYdjSqgdh9FUvu3r57LIsNdViYvm7rY/s1600/Frozen+World.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="820" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyBZCF64bH59i3x6GVSFd2NAWj_tuxPiXfUkS_80jwhEsP0QtiuWR3ySXUj_KPvbouzIFPWCNzfb6l2l50ZrmA-_iUAB-ew-H6QgSS894nwNtfYdjSqgdh9FUvu3r57LIsNdViYvm7rY/s400/Frozen+World.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This week, I wrote those two glorious words - The End - at the bottom of the first draft of The Breath of Earth, the third book in my Frozen World series. Yes, it's a first draft, and yes, it's a hot mess, and yes, it will probably (OK, certainly) require a whole lot of editing, but I still got this novel out of me, and I'm taking full advantage of this opportunity to celebrate. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I don't remember ever working so hard to finish a first draft. Most of it was due to sheer exhaustion. I would spend the day taking care of the house and the kids and working on editing projects for the company I work with, and then, finally, the house would be quiet and I'd carve out some time for writing, and I'd sit down to my laptop and write a few paragraphs, and then my eyelids would droop and I'd wake up half an hour later, slumped forward with a crick in my neck. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Or I would write in the living room, surrounded by my kids, who are always busy making sure my life wouldn't be boring. I'd type on, with the sounds of "Mom, mom, mom, mom!!" in my ears, and eventually I would stare at the screen and realize I've written total nonsense. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Please don't think I've been intentionally neglecting my family. I'm an extremely efficient writer intent on making the most of the minuscule amount of time I have, and can churn out a 1,000 words in half an hour. Usually I split this into two 15-minute daily writing sessions. My kids can survive without having my undivided attention for 15 minutes. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm not telling you all this to complain, but rather to reaffirm the efforts of anyone who is struggling. If you really want to, you can do it! It may be slower and harder, and building a backlist will take longer, but you will have that book in your hand eventually, and then another and another. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Having very limited time, I've been focusing entirely on Frozen World during the past months, because it's my best-received series, and the only one for which I have mostly organic reviews. I have some thoughts about subsequent books, too - four and beyond - with plans for a POV shift and new characters. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm also tweaking the first book's cover and changing the second book's cover entirely to create consistent branding for the series. But that's a subject for another post. </div>
Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-19361621840885469762019-07-27T23:25:00.000-07:002019-07-27T23:25:05.442-07:00Mental health for writers <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTFnModnTYMKzfZTM_4wVaC_CvX2cR5bqKij6tmMpnWS5Cqj954HAtK5O_HQ6i8tFxyIpjr_83VHNvACNnGB_DqkDW6AKkBxUzFtSJVcRpBBRobTzaAtNfaEjZ77cDs93o0k1zlHttBo/s1600/DSC_0108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTFnModnTYMKzfZTM_4wVaC_CvX2cR5bqKij6tmMpnWS5Cqj954HAtK5O_HQ6i8tFxyIpjr_83VHNvACNnGB_DqkDW6AKkBxUzFtSJVcRpBBRobTzaAtNfaEjZ77cDs93o0k1zlHttBo/s320/DSC_0108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
It has taken me years to acknowledge that I do indeed suffer from legitimate emotional/mental issues and do need help to cope from time to time. During my first session with my therapist, when I mentioned that I'm a writer, she smiled and said, "Well, you know, depression and anxiety are something like professional diseases."<br />
<br />
Indeed, depression and anxiety do seem to be something like an athlete's foot for writers. The same acute receptivity that makes us good at transmitting shades of emotion into words makes us extra sensitive to existential fears, insecurities and mood swings. Throw in the loneliness of the writer's work, the long-term uncertainty and struggle, and oftentimes the financial instability, and you've got the makings of General Anxiety Disorder.<br />
<br />
Obviously, mental health issues are something anyone might struggle with, but I do believe writers had better pay attention to themselves because sometimes those things are elusive. Are you suffering from writer's block or are you simply too anxious to think straight? Is your home extra messy because of your irregular work hours or because of depression?<br />
<br />
What made me more open about this was the loss of a dear friend to suicide caused by depression. I would never have believed it of her, such a sunny person overflowing with life. Apparently she was struggling by herself and few people knew about it. So please, please don't suffer in silence.<br />
<br />
1. Acknowledge there is a problem. Don't try to push through, holding it all together at any cost. You don't deserve this, and neither do your loved ones.<br />
<br />
2. Be kind to yourself. Get enough sleep, eat well, exercise, keep a healthy posture while you work. Avoid unhealthy habits such as overeating and smoking.<br />
<br />
3. Writing is an excellent therapy, and I certainly have found that putting words down helps me feel grounded even during the toughest of times, but keeping one's hands busy is therapeutic in a whole different way. I garden, bake, and crochet. Many of my writer friends are also painters, crafters, bakers, etc. Try it - you might just discover a new hobby you love.<br />
<br />
4. Don't be alone. Find your tribe, whether in real life or online. Whatever you are going through, chances are many people are in the same boat as you, and things are easier to deal with together.Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-10932420610292034832019-06-20T12:31:00.002-07:002019-06-20T12:31:34.535-07:00Making it as an author: diversify your strategies <div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for author" height="266" src="https://rachellegardner.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/writing-img-Author-School-website.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<br />
Making it as an author (however you define "making it") can be a twisting, steep path, and if you ask established authors to tell their success stories, their breakthroughs, you'll likely hear very different tales as to what finally got the snowball rolling for each of them. One thing all the stories are almost guaranteed to have in common, however, is persistence - nobody has succeeded by quitting yet, as far as I know!<br />
<br />
This doesn't mean, however, that you should just keep going on doing the same old thing, the same old way. That would be like banging into the wall again and again, insisting that there MUST be a door. That's probably true - but the door might be a few steps away, and you need to make those steps to find it!<br />
<br />
Stepping back and taking a break for a while might be necessary for your mental health. <a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/2017/06/writers-burnout-how-it-came-to-get-me.html" target="_blank">I had once reached a point</a> when my fingers would shake and my heart would race whenever I sat down to check my email, and when I attempted to write, my eyes would just roll back in my head and I'd doze off (even if it was midmorning). I had been running on an empty battery for too long and I was exhausted. It took some good sober reassessment (and plenty of paperbacks and yarn) to help me recover.<br />
<br />
Next, ask yourself some questions:<br />
<br />
1. <b>Have I chosen the right genre?</b> Of course, when it comes to book genres, there is no right or wrong, but some genres are more niche than others. I don't suggest that you write something which does not inspire you, because that won't work, but maybe you have a way to tweak your writing to match a more popular genre.<br />
<br />
For example, when I began promoting my Viking era novel, <i>The Greenlanders</i>, I discovered that had I included more romance in the plot, I could have gotten into the historical romance category, which has more voracious readers than just historical fiction.<br />
<br />
2. <b>Have I delivered the best product I possibly can?</b> I realize this is a tricky one, because the perfect is the enemy of the good. There's literally no end to the amount of money you can pour into a book, including editing, cover design, formatting, and marketing. So set a reasonable budget and work within it.<br />
<br />
You can also publish on no budget at all, despite what some literary snobs would have you believe. It will just take more time because you'll likely have to swap services with other people and/or do a lot yourself. I know of an author who doesn't even read their first draft - it just goes straight to the editor, but that's an exception. Most of us don't have enough money to pay an editor for taking care of a messy early draft.<br />
<br />
3. <b>Have I chosen the right publishing strategy?</b> If you have been querying, consider the responses you got so far. If you only get form rejections, it might be time to tweak your query letter. If you get feedback along the lines of "I like it, but this will never sell" consider that traditional publishing is a conservative world, and also that many rejected authors have gone on to succeed as indies.<br />
<br />
If you are an indie, consider whether you are locked onto ways and means that don't work, or don't work as well as you'd like. Do you try and try to get a BookBub ad, and get frustrated when you fail? Do you expend a lot of energy on blog tours that don't really help you get sales? Do you leave your books in KDP Select by default because <a href="https://hannahrossfantasy.blogspot.com/2019/06/reaching-new-readers-in-asian-market.html" target="_blank">exploring the possibilities of wide distribution</a> seems daunting, or because it's easier than logging in and opting to check out of the program?<br />
<br />
4. <b>Am I still enjoying this? </b>Writers are very often introverted people, which doesn't work to our advantage when it comes to marketing and PR, but there must still be <i>some</i> solid kernel of enjoyment left in this whole thing, or you won't be able to go on.<br />
<br />
It must still be, at the core, about the writing, telling your story, creating your world. So make mental space for that. Read some really good books, put on some inspiring music. Exercise your creativity in other ways - plant a garden, cook, do crafts. Take walks. Connect with nature. Throw expectations out of the window - if someone is telling you it's no use if you don't manage to bang out two full-length novels each year, tell them to get lost. Guard that inner core of joy and creativity in your writing, because that's your biggest long-term asset.Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-85888866755149878262019-06-03T05:27:00.001-07:002019-06-03T05:27:07.257-07:00Reaching new readers in the Asian market <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for readers" height="165" src="https://images.newrepublic.com/3b5f4fa15f912f5ab4084f381441148c1d85b0c4.jpeg?w=1200&q=65&dpi=2.625&fm=pjpg&h=496" width="400" /></div>
<br />
Have you ever asked yourself, "How on earth will I reach readers with so many indie authors out there?"<br />
<br />
It's true that the indie book market is so vast that trying to stand out seems almost impossible, with literally millions of titles being published each year. You might find yourself getting desperate, envying those folks who had jumped on the bandwagon earlier, when competition was less aggressive and Amazon's algorithms were easier to game.<br />
<br />
Here's the good news, though: there might be a lot more authors to compete with these days, but there are also more readers - and not all of them on Amazon.<br />
<br />
At the beginning of the indie author boom, it was obvious that the target audience is English speaking and Western, primarily in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and, to a lesser extent, Europe.<br />
<br />
These days, however, many countries in Asia and the Far East are going through a rapid process of globalization, technological advancement, and economical development. They are avid consumers of online content, primarily on mobile, and many of them speak and read English fluently. This means the pie is growing apace - there's a whole new market of potential readers for us. Hurray!<br />
<br />
There are now over 800 million Internet users in China and over 500 million in India. You can bet some of these people, like everywhere in the world, can appreciate a good story. Can you imagine how fantastic it would be to reach even a fraction of them and have your books before such a huge fresh audience?<br />
<br />
A popular reading medium is book serialization through platforms on which users pay a small fee to unlock subsequent chapters or the whole novel. The system is made sustainable thanks to sheer numbers of users, and popular authors can find a very nice income stream there. If this reminds you of Amazon's Kindle Unlimited, it's because there's definitely some similarity - but the beauty of it is that this is an audience largely unreached by Amazon.<br />
<br />
I first became aware of this market through my collaboration with Nyoibo Studio, an imprint of Jianlai Global - an international digital publisher based in China and, more recently, the US. They have started out by bringing translated Chinese novels (usually extra long ones) to an English-speaking audience, which I thought was pretty exciting.<br />
<br />
So when I heard of their new project of signing up novels originally written in English, I decided to enroll at once. I had a few books which I had sitting in Kindle Unlimited for a couple of years, without any significant benefit. I had decided to pull them out of KDP Select and go wide. And what could be wider than a whole new market?<br />
<br />
Here's what made this a very easy decision for me:<br />
<br />
1. There is zero risk. That's the most important thing for me - there is literally nothing to lose and everything to gain. The authors do not pay any fees to enroll and are not required to give up any book rights. You remain free to publish your work elsewhere, and your only limitation is the inability to partake in the KDP Select program (but, as I said, I had already decided to go wide anyway).<br />
<br />
2. The absolute straightforwardness and transparency of the process. Authors who choose to enroll sign a clear, no-nonsense contract that covers their share of the royalties, payment thresholds, any legal liabilities, copyright issues, etc. The company takes book rights very seriously and will never distribute any content without the author's permission.<br />
<br />
3. My inner knowledge of how the company works - I knew that it is honest, legitimate, and makes money off readers, not authors (so you won't have to dodge all sorts of offers of author services, promotion packages, etc).<br />
<br />
4. The possibility of being translated into Chinese if your book is especially popular. For me, this is really the cherry on top. I'd love to reach such an enormous audience in its native language.<br />
<br />
The English language novel project is launching now, and I am sharing this knowledge with you because I genuinely want to see my fellow indie authors succeed. Nothing will make me happier than getting a message from some of you a little down the road, saying "Hey, I signed up for that project you mentioned and have tapped into a new crowd of overseas fans."<br />
<br />
To read more about the project and find out if your work is eligible for participation, <a href="https://www.jianlaiglobal.com/agents" target="_blank">visit Jianlai Global's website here</a>, or contact me directly. I would be happy to chat and answer any questions you might have.Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2840387923864203280.post-69375587695512344012019-05-21T03:51:00.000-07:002019-05-21T03:51:04.924-07:00Of Mad Queens, plot arcs, and audience expectations<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for game of thrones" height="293" src="https://cnet3.cbsistatic.com/img/t9-I7hEGJWyEOEDUmkrOq7hx_h4=/2019/05/13/7e85e8cd-c694-4ae6-9a99-a5270ec15471/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-5-daenerys-damanged-1.jpg" width="400" /><br />
Disclaimer: this post is less about writing and more about pandering to my obsession with Game of Thrones.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
This week, after eight heart-rending, nail-biting, roller-coasting seasons, we saw the ugliest barbed iron chair in the world go the way of scrap metal by one dragon's wrath - not before Daenerys Targaryen, First of Her Name, The Unburned, etc, was stabbed to death by her lover right in front of the throne she had always fought for but never got to sit on.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A lot of people expressed their disappointment with the way the show handled Daenerys's arc, but to me it made perfect sense. Daenerys wanted that throne so badly, and was ready to do so much to occupy it, that it kind of seemed to me it would never happen (because it's George Martin, you know). She was probably the most epic character in the series; moreover, she was a Targaryen, and that line isn't known for their mental stability. It is only fitting that her end should be tragic, culminating in the loss of friends, sanity, goals and, ultimately, life.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It is also very fitting, in my opinion, that the one who thwarted the madness of the Dragon Queen should be no other than Jon Snow, a.k.a Aegon Targaryen, the ultimate embodiment of A Song of Ice (Lyanna) and Fire (Rhaegar). </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Was Dany's descent into madness rushed? Uncharacteristic? Crudely handled? In my opinion, the seed had been planted a long time ago. The lovely queen was never averse to spilling a few gallons of blood for the supposed greater good, and again, she is a volatile Targaryen. A few provocations, the hint of disloyalty from those close to her, a threat to her claim to the throne, and things naturally go downhill really fast. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Perhaps most importantly, however, this plot twist follows the principle of Killing Your Darlings. Everyone loved Daenerys (except those people who hated her). Everyone admired her (even those who hated her). Her death leaves us shocked, indignant, bereaved. That's the genius of both the books and the show. There are no promises. No guarantees. No character is safe. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm off, my friends. I'm going with Jon Snow and Tormund into the vast wilderness beyond the Wall (which apparently had been rebuilt in record time). I hope Tyrion joins us soon. If you ask me, he has paid his debts to humanity ten times over.</div>
</div>
Hannah Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734404043381742834noreply@blogger.com0