I mentioned before that I was working on a piece with wolf shifters, and because my friends want to read it I've been forcing myself to stay on task, which is surprisingly difficult. I had decided to do the book because I had some ideas, and I was asked by a few people to do my own spin on the wolf craze. I just can't find the right freaking music to use to zone out while I write it...
The Cat & the Crow was easy work because of a playlist that only had three songs. That might've driven my husband slowly insane, since he can hear what I'm listening to from his desk, I put the volume on my headset so high. But, it let me get into the story again in an instant, and the overall feeling that Tarro held through most of the book was set by one song in particular. (Gaelic storm - the storm. For any who were curious.) The song itself inspired the scene where he's standing in the rain and staring at the sky when I happened across it. So, in many ways music is necessary for me to write.
One broken headset and a depleted collection of mp3's and CD's later, I am stuck haha. Not for long, I never am, thankfully. Already have another headset, fear not. But the lack of theme song is making it very hard to decide what direction I want the end of the book to take, and... well anyone that has read my stuff knows I try to do a lot in each book. It could go anywhere. I give myself various plot threads and a mix of music, coffee, and insomnia show me the best way to braid all of those interesting threads into one fun story.
I have, however, found plenty to inspire a lot of the folklore and belief system for them. I kind of backed myself into a corner in my previous books by describing the "Kyathe" people, or "People of the Wolf" as having a very rich background in storytelling. It means I have to apply myself.
I'll be uploading the prologue from it on Goodreads, since a few people have expressed a mild interest in it and I'm nearly satisfied with the beginning. The ending is a different story, but rest assured, I will find a way and kick its ass. Then, I'm off to hunt appropriate steampunk werewolf homoerotic music. You know, after typing that I realize why maybe I'm having some trouble haha
Happy hunting and a huge thank you to everyone who has expressed an opinion about any of my work. :)
S. <3
For anyone who's actually curious, this was my playlist for the last book;
Gaelic Storm - The Storm
Parov Stelar - The Snake
Parov Stelar (again!) - Booty Swing
(last one's quite awesome, just saying.)
Friday, February 1, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
In Loving Memory
In mid October last year, while playing World of Warcraft of all things, I was surprised to meet someone who instantly took my heart. Singing on the vent, laughing with the lot of us, proud to run with idiots like we are. I had been laughing and making fun of Playing with Tigers, because as I've said before, I'm all for insulting myself (that way, nobody else has the chance.). A few days later, she came online again, and I hate to admit that I had been waiting for her, because it makes me feel like a bad friend to everyone else that I was so eager to get to know her better, but I had been hooked from the first twenty minutes of conversation, and I've developed the knack for spotting a good relationship coming.
She bought and read the book. For anyone who hasn't, that's a lot of work. It reads as if someone is clubbing you in the face, it's far too long and sort of bland in my opinion. And she encouraged me to keep going. She had met me two days prior, and she already felt the need to tell me not to give up on my writing. She asked what project I had in the works, and as many of you can likely guess, that would've been The Cat & the Crow. At the time I was very unsure of whether I should do much of anything with it, and I was hesitant to discuss it, but she got it out of me. And she loved the idea of it. I am thankful that I have two friends other than this young woman who are excellent support when I am writing, but I was speechless to have someone who came out of nowhere and read the book (and of course it had to be THAT book too right?), and could tell me so quickly that she could see a lot of me in it. That I had potential, and that with every book I wrote I could only stand to get better.
We didn't see her for a week after that, and when she did come online again, she sounded different. When we asked she explained that something had bitten her, but that she wasn't extremely concerned, since she was given antibiotics for it, and it was no worse than the brown recluse bite she had dealt with a few years prior. Honestly, I would just move after that first bite. Spiders *shudder* We had a fun night and by the time she left she was laughing as well, although exhausted. The very last time I spoke to her, she was preparing to go in for surgery, because the bite had caused a MRSR/staph infection, and since it was her chest that was bitten, it needed to be tended to.
My friend Ferran died on January second of 2013. Her lungs failed on her, and she was too weak for a transplant, or I would've given her one of mine. I'm not lying, I asked. I was told that she wouldn't survive the procedure, and no doctors were willing to try. My thoughts are currently on her and her boyfriend John, because when I asked if she had someone, the way she spoke of him made me truly believe that she had found her happily ever after. I've never heard someone speak of their partner with such sincere affection, and in many ways it effected my work, and I hate to say it, even me. I've been happily married for a few years now, but she made me remember just how lucky I am to have him in my life. And I am very sorry that I didn't get my chance to get to know her better before she went, because she was one of the very few that I could tell in an instant, was someone spectacular.
I write gay novels, most people would make fun of me for that. She was working in a pharmaceutical company that made chemo therapy materials and worked with charities to ensure everyone got their treatment when they needed it regardless of ability to pay, and she encouraged me.
I thought I would pass on the thoughts that she and I had on one of our literally six hour discussions. That there's only so much time in your life, and you only get to live it once. So enjoy it, do what you like, and hold your head high when you do it. When you start to do well, others will hate you for it and many times they won't even realize that they do. Because it can be hard to be friends with someone who's happy when you're stressed. Life can kick you in the ass, but most people try to brush it off. The key is, to kick it right back. To never show the people who try to put you down that they're succeeding, and to keep moving in the direction that you want to travel.
I only knew Ferran for a little over 3 months of my life. But she was amazing, and I wanted to share that.
Here's hoping she's singing an off tune operatic version of Metallica somewhere right now.
(I will not use her full name on the blog I use to write novels such as I do, out of respect for the shock that it may bring to her church group. I don't care to bring them any more shocks right now.)
I loved this woman, and trust me, if you had known her, you would've as well.
She bought and read the book. For anyone who hasn't, that's a lot of work. It reads as if someone is clubbing you in the face, it's far too long and sort of bland in my opinion. And she encouraged me to keep going. She had met me two days prior, and she already felt the need to tell me not to give up on my writing. She asked what project I had in the works, and as many of you can likely guess, that would've been The Cat & the Crow. At the time I was very unsure of whether I should do much of anything with it, and I was hesitant to discuss it, but she got it out of me. And she loved the idea of it. I am thankful that I have two friends other than this young woman who are excellent support when I am writing, but I was speechless to have someone who came out of nowhere and read the book (and of course it had to be THAT book too right?), and could tell me so quickly that she could see a lot of me in it. That I had potential, and that with every book I wrote I could only stand to get better.
We didn't see her for a week after that, and when she did come online again, she sounded different. When we asked she explained that something had bitten her, but that she wasn't extremely concerned, since she was given antibiotics for it, and it was no worse than the brown recluse bite she had dealt with a few years prior. Honestly, I would just move after that first bite. Spiders *shudder* We had a fun night and by the time she left she was laughing as well, although exhausted. The very last time I spoke to her, she was preparing to go in for surgery, because the bite had caused a MRSR/staph infection, and since it was her chest that was bitten, it needed to be tended to.
My friend Ferran died on January second of 2013. Her lungs failed on her, and she was too weak for a transplant, or I would've given her one of mine. I'm not lying, I asked. I was told that she wouldn't survive the procedure, and no doctors were willing to try. My thoughts are currently on her and her boyfriend John, because when I asked if she had someone, the way she spoke of him made me truly believe that she had found her happily ever after. I've never heard someone speak of their partner with such sincere affection, and in many ways it effected my work, and I hate to say it, even me. I've been happily married for a few years now, but she made me remember just how lucky I am to have him in my life. And I am very sorry that I didn't get my chance to get to know her better before she went, because she was one of the very few that I could tell in an instant, was someone spectacular.
I write gay novels, most people would make fun of me for that. She was working in a pharmaceutical company that made chemo therapy materials and worked with charities to ensure everyone got their treatment when they needed it regardless of ability to pay, and she encouraged me.
I thought I would pass on the thoughts that she and I had on one of our literally six hour discussions. That there's only so much time in your life, and you only get to live it once. So enjoy it, do what you like, and hold your head high when you do it. When you start to do well, others will hate you for it and many times they won't even realize that they do. Because it can be hard to be friends with someone who's happy when you're stressed. Life can kick you in the ass, but most people try to brush it off. The key is, to kick it right back. To never show the people who try to put you down that they're succeeding, and to keep moving in the direction that you want to travel.
I only knew Ferran for a little over 3 months of my life. But she was amazing, and I wanted to share that.
Here's hoping she's singing an off tune operatic version of Metallica somewhere right now.
(I will not use her full name on the blog I use to write novels such as I do, out of respect for the shock that it may bring to her church group. I don't care to bring them any more shocks right now.)
I loved this woman, and trust me, if you had known her, you would've as well.
Ferran R. A.
8/11/91 - 1/2/13
Friday, January 4, 2013
Techno, fresh coffee, suger rush... Work time >:)
So, whilst discussing predicament bondage involving full suspension and piercing fetishes with my longest standing and closest friend (this was done over coffee, naturally.) it occurred to me that I have too many projects going and need to put everything in order.
But first, don't forget that Swordmaster Dasan has a code that is still active to get a free copy at Smashwords.
Enter this;
KP29S
at checkout and it will give you the book at 100% off.
Now for anyone who's curious -
What I'm working on right now in order of what I deem important -
- Playing with Tigers is getting a reboot. The original release stars VARIOUS atrocities that I would've been more likely to notice before publishing if I hadn't been reading it so often at the time that I felt I could tell the story from memory alone. Some scenes are acceptable enough to have a mere edit, others are getting scrapped and redone completely. The story itself will not change, only the manner in which I tell it. The sequel will be attacked once this one is complete as well, because it's boring by comparison and that can't happen. I was considering just unpublishing it, but 2/3 reviews were that they reaaaallly liked it. I don't understand why, I don't anymore. It's my dark secret and even though I keep slamming the closet door on that skeleton, the lure of making it acceptable as a past work is too great. So, it begrudgingly stays as I work on the plot for the third and fix the original two to my liking.
- Swordmaster Dasan 2 & 3 are being polished and covers are being worked on for all three. Option to buy each individually or as a bundle is what I'm thinking, but as always, I'll put a code up on my blog and twitter to get it for free at smashwords when it's released.
- Wolves of Kureshna - New series involving the Kyathe people from my little world. They've been mentioned in passing a few times, as Kyathe or 'People of the Wolf.' Wolf shifters, very fun. Still working out the deities that they hail from, which led to a hilarious discussion about 'building wolves' that was aided by a dizzying number of alcoholic beverages. The first will have the spice, the second the sweet, the third is not going to be discussed because it surpasses the level of kink from the first Swordmaster Dasan and I'm still debating whether I'll publish it at all lol
- Elpis Society - this one has been written as a draft twice already, once as a m/m paranormal romance, and once as a regular old paranormal thriller. Still deciding what to do with it exactly, but it should be loads of fun. Admittedly, more loads of fun if it's a m/m ro... It was a bad joke, give me time. I'll do better.
and finally -
I have been asked if I am planning a second book for The Cat & the Crow. On this, I am undecided. Could I? Yes, I very easily could. Ryosho is arguably smart enough to shut her mouth until she is freed from her situation in the story. I never mentioned how Nerin found all of that information on him and Tarro never asked, but there are plenty of people in the book that I intended to have still be alive and well that he wouldn't expect to see. In fact, in my mind, Nerin has already met a few of them. The question is, should I write a sequel? I've developed the bad habit of making sequels for everything and look up there, just look! That's... *counts* seven. 7 books that I'm working on. 8 if we count the Elpis society, which I didn't because I'm still working on those other seven. I will consider it for awhile and keep anyone that reads posted, because I like Tarro. But first, I need to get back to my other seven things to do haha
S. <3
But first, don't forget that Swordmaster Dasan has a code that is still active to get a free copy at Smashwords.
Enter this;
KP29S
at checkout and it will give you the book at 100% off.
Now for anyone who's curious -
What I'm working on right now in order of what I deem important -
- Playing with Tigers is getting a reboot. The original release stars VARIOUS atrocities that I would've been more likely to notice before publishing if I hadn't been reading it so often at the time that I felt I could tell the story from memory alone. Some scenes are acceptable enough to have a mere edit, others are getting scrapped and redone completely. The story itself will not change, only the manner in which I tell it. The sequel will be attacked once this one is complete as well, because it's boring by comparison and that can't happen. I was considering just unpublishing it, but 2/3 reviews were that they reaaaallly liked it. I don't understand why, I don't anymore. It's my dark secret and even though I keep slamming the closet door on that skeleton, the lure of making it acceptable as a past work is too great. So, it begrudgingly stays as I work on the plot for the third and fix the original two to my liking.
- Swordmaster Dasan 2 & 3 are being polished and covers are being worked on for all three. Option to buy each individually or as a bundle is what I'm thinking, but as always, I'll put a code up on my blog and twitter to get it for free at smashwords when it's released.
- Wolves of Kureshna - New series involving the Kyathe people from my little world. They've been mentioned in passing a few times, as Kyathe or 'People of the Wolf.' Wolf shifters, very fun. Still working out the deities that they hail from, which led to a hilarious discussion about 'building wolves' that was aided by a dizzying number of alcoholic beverages. The first will have the spice, the second the sweet, the third is not going to be discussed because it surpasses the level of kink from the first Swordmaster Dasan and I'm still debating whether I'll publish it at all lol
- Elpis Society - this one has been written as a draft twice already, once as a m/m paranormal romance, and once as a regular old paranormal thriller. Still deciding what to do with it exactly, but it should be loads of fun. Admittedly, more loads of fun if it's a m/m ro... It was a bad joke, give me time. I'll do better.
and finally -
I have been asked if I am planning a second book for The Cat & the Crow. On this, I am undecided. Could I? Yes, I very easily could. Ryosho is arguably smart enough to shut her mouth until she is freed from her situation in the story. I never mentioned how Nerin found all of that information on him and Tarro never asked, but there are plenty of people in the book that I intended to have still be alive and well that he wouldn't expect to see. In fact, in my mind, Nerin has already met a few of them. The question is, should I write a sequel? I've developed the bad habit of making sequels for everything and look up there, just look! That's... *counts* seven. 7 books that I'm working on. 8 if we count the Elpis society, which I didn't because I'm still working on those other seven. I will consider it for awhile and keep anyone that reads posted, because I like Tarro. But first, I need to get back to my other seven things to do haha
S. <3
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Promo for Swordmaster Dasan
I'm happy to say that the edits on the second and third book are underway, which means that the trilogy should be published in completion with new covers by February! YES! *fistpump*
Also, coincidence - Was given a scanner for Christmas, so I doodled this at breakfast and have a story to go with it for the holiday season. Well, sort of haha. The story doesn't involve a traditional Christmas, I had to work out a different holiday for them obviously, and therefore there's no wrapped gifts in the story, but *shrug*
Also it occurs to me now that I'm looking at it that they're both skinny as hell... I haven't drawn in years, and this was a doodle done with an eight year old's art supplies haha.
I have a few um *cough* dirtier *cough* sketches I may finish... Rather awkward to draw with people moving through the room constantly. Accursed Holiday visitors and their hyperactivity, I'm sure you understand.
Anyway, second book's nearly complete with the editing process, third is waiting for me to skim through it. So, here's a code for Swordmaster Dasan the original, available at Smashwords! FREE COPIES!!! Tell your fantasy/gay erotica/bondage loving friends!
Enter this;
KP29S
at checkout and it will give you the book at 100% off.
Enjoy and have a great New Year everyone :)
Please contact me at Goodreads.com or here if you have any opinions. (you'd be surprised how few people apparently have opinions on the internet.)
S. <3
Also, coincidence - Was given a scanner for Christmas, so I doodled this at breakfast and have a story to go with it for the holiday season. Well, sort of haha. The story doesn't involve a traditional Christmas, I had to work out a different holiday for them obviously, and therefore there's no wrapped gifts in the story, but *shrug*
Also it occurs to me now that I'm looking at it that they're both skinny as hell... I haven't drawn in years, and this was a doodle done with an eight year old's art supplies haha.
I have a few um *cough* dirtier *cough* sketches I may finish... Rather awkward to draw with people moving through the room constantly. Accursed Holiday visitors and their hyperactivity, I'm sure you understand.
Anyway, second book's nearly complete with the editing process, third is waiting for me to skim through it. So, here's a code for Swordmaster Dasan the original, available at Smashwords! FREE COPIES!!! Tell your fantasy/gay erotica/bondage loving friends!
Enter this;
KP29S
at checkout and it will give you the book at 100% off.
Enjoy and have a great New Year everyone :)
Please contact me at Goodreads.com or here if you have any opinions. (you'd be surprised how few people apparently have opinions on the internet.)
S. <3
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
2013 To-do list. 1) Lirn two spel
Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to everyone, along with best wishes for the upcoming New Year. Last year, my goal (because I don't do resolutions. I finally like me, so I'm keeping it the way it is haha) was to get the guts to publish at least one book. I did that with Playing with Tigers in May, then again with Swordmaster Dasan in June, shortly followed by the sequels for both. At some point I wrote the Cat & the Crow, I don't even know when... That one sort of was unplanned. It just happened, as if I watched it write itself. Stress makes me productive, and it has been a very efficient year!
Goals for last year were to write and actually publish at least one novel, knocked that one out. Did not gain the ability to turn people's arms into snakes as I had planned, so bummer there. Next year! I made a few friends and had some fun, so altogether good year. Aside from the many inspirations for the Cat & the Crow, it was pretty successful.
So, here goes - 2013 goals.
1) Fix Playing with Tigers and the sequel. They read like someone is clubbing the reader in the face with their e-reader -> that's no good <- going to fix that one lol.
2) Actually do something with my deviant art account. The husband has gifted me with a scanner, so I have no excuses now. The gift of obligation, yay! I have mountains of sketches that could be scanned, enough that I could've illustrated most of the books I've written. So, I should do something with that, even if I fully intend to keep H. C. Fang as my cover artist because that woman kicks the ass off of every other person I have ever approached for a cover in professionalism and accountability. Including myself, actually... I procrastinate on my so called 'art' it's terrible.
3) Finish both series I started, publish the next. Wolves of Kureshna, starring a shifter community in the same fantasy setting from my other (currently available) stuff.
4) Move out of the Erotica/Romance genre and on to the paranormal/sci-fi/horror things that I love so much. I do still plan to write all of the other stories on the side, but will likely not be making as many once I get the E.S. stories going.
5) Learn to shoot lasers from my eyes, and grow another six inches so I can stare people down. (subject to reality, more on this later.)
6) Begrudgingly start playing with my friends online again (subject to coffee intake vs. sleep patterns) All are welcome, we're picking a game soon and may start streaming, will mention that if I get the feeling that anyone cares. Probably not.
And, I think that's it. Here's hoping everyone had a terrific Holiday! Cheers.
~S. Kaeli Hart
Goals for last year were to write and actually publish at least one novel, knocked that one out. Did not gain the ability to turn people's arms into snakes as I had planned, so bummer there. Next year! I made a few friends and had some fun, so altogether good year. Aside from the many inspirations for the Cat & the Crow, it was pretty successful.
So, here goes - 2013 goals.
1) Fix Playing with Tigers and the sequel. They read like someone is clubbing the reader in the face with their e-reader -> that's no good <- going to fix that one lol.
2) Actually do something with my deviant art account. The husband has gifted me with a scanner, so I have no excuses now. The gift of obligation, yay! I have mountains of sketches that could be scanned, enough that I could've illustrated most of the books I've written. So, I should do something with that, even if I fully intend to keep H. C. Fang as my cover artist because that woman kicks the ass off of every other person I have ever approached for a cover in professionalism and accountability. Including myself, actually... I procrastinate on my so called 'art' it's terrible.
3) Finish both series I started, publish the next. Wolves of Kureshna, starring a shifter community in the same fantasy setting from my other (currently available) stuff.
4) Move out of the Erotica/Romance genre and on to the paranormal/sci-fi/horror things that I love so much. I do still plan to write all of the other stories on the side, but will likely not be making as many once I get the E.S. stories going.
5) Learn to shoot lasers from my eyes, and grow another six inches so I can stare people down. (subject to reality, more on this later.)
6) Begrudgingly start playing with my friends online again (subject to coffee intake vs. sleep patterns) All are welcome, we're picking a game soon and may start streaming, will mention that if I get the feeling that anyone cares. Probably not.
And, I think that's it. Here's hoping everyone had a terrific Holiday! Cheers.
~S. Kaeli Hart
Monday, December 17, 2012
Quarterly Work Rant - Also, werewolves.
I have to take a brief moment to bitch here (one of my many talents.) about the many people I know who call themselves writers. Not online, no. They actually write. They're fine. No, I'm referring to the many many people I know who say that they are a writer, until they are asked for their work in a friendly, "Hey, I love reading" sort of fashion.
I do write. Often enough that I have forgotten to fucking eat before. My husband has had to get out of bed, come down to our office and remind me that I only have four hours left before I have to be awake on multiple occasions. And I debate if I could get any more useful stuff in before bed because this is what I like to do. It's my passion, and I know, I'm not great at it. But it's what I strive to be and do. It is my opinion, that in order to call yourself a writer, you need to write. I don't use the "I'm a writer" tagline, and I've written four novels and ten short stories in the last five months. Two of which were not even painful to read. Sort of. Point is, I could. But I refuse to, because I don't feel that my work is high enough quality yet to insult actual novelists by trying to lasso myself in with them. I am getting sick of people who haven't written in the last two years, and never did anything with it, trying to impress others with their skill that they don't practice. I did ballet when I was far younger, but I don't go around prattling about how I am a ballerina. (if I ever do, shoot me until I cease to be alive, and then a few times just to ensure that my soul has gotten the point as well, because I've clearly lost my mind.)
My point is that in order to get better at something, you need to do it. Some people are born with the talent that means they will have a bestseller on their first try. Then there's the majority of the writing world, where people such as myself type keyboards into nonexistence. This is my fourth one this year, I beat the poor things to death. I said, I'm not great at writing. But you know what? I'm improving. Quickly. Every book that I write trumps the last, every short story and writing exercise that I play around with gets more fluid and entertaining. Because I put in the time.
I have a friend who tried to explain to someone else that "Well, writers are very eccentric." His basis for this when questioned was that he was a writer. I've known this man for awhile. He is not a writer. He wants to be, but doesn't want to put in any time to become a success, and can't take criticism at all. Much like a child, when you politely point out that something is so much as phrased poorly, he will quit that project, declare it too difficult, and return to ice cream and video games. The truly sad part? His work could've been fucking great. So many ideas, so much creativity and a great sense of humor, he could easily be a chart topper. Just not tomorrow, and apparently that's not good enough.
A writer writes every day. I didn't agree with that phrase when I first heard it, but it makes sense. I had given up on my writing for receiving some scathing criticism a few years back. I wasn't sure that it was what I wanted to do. The funny part is that the person who insinuated that I would need to try harder for a few more years before I could impress them; they were right. I just sent a copy of my recent novel to her, and I was given praise.
It's something that every writer does when they're starting out, trying to convince whoever is reading their work that they like it. To find out if you're getting to be a good writer, all you need to do is put your work out there, and people will let you know. No disclaimers or excuses. One way, or the other, they will tell you, even if you don't expect it. And the good news? You can always improve if you don't like what you see.
I think that everyone should write. It's a good skill to have, and furthermore,I find it extremely relaxing. Granted, anyone that knows me personally can understand better why the thought of relaxation has me throwing myself at the keyboard like a whore on a rich man.
But here's the thing - You are not a writer unless you are:
1) WRITING. You would be surprised how many people miss this critical step. Not "I've written in the last decade." More like, "I wrote a few paragraphs this month." Yes, even that would suffice. Because eventually, that piece would be completed.
2) Able to accept/tolerate criticism and opinions about your work without running for the nearest razor to slash your wrists. Because when you publish, there will be negative feedback. Count on it. Nobody gets only perfect scores. The Bible doesn't even get a unanimous thumbs up,you're hoping to trump that one if you expect a perfect 5 star rating from everyone. I'll believe it when I see it.
3) Showing your work to someone else. Published, unpublished, in an email, posted online or in a forum, on a napkin with grease stains, written in the sky by one of those old-timey skywriters. Something. It's a scary thing to do when you're just starting out, and it makes or breaks the desire to write for many people. But, it is a necessary thing to do to improve. If you wanted to be a cook, but nobody ever tasted your food, could you trust that it would be the best flavor that it possibly could be? Probably not. Opinions are terrifying and sadly, necessary.
Rant done -> MOVING ON.
Next book is going to be wolf shifters from the same little fantasy land that the rest came from, should be fun. Have an idea for a short series. The Wolves of Kureshna. I may be moving on to another genre after that one, but I'm undecided. We'll see how they do. My most amazing cover artist ever, has already started to do some thinking on how she wants to do the cover for the first, so hi5 and thumbs up for that, yaaaay!
Again, that's H. C. Fang -> http://bloodyvampire18.deviantart.com/
This is the only cover artist that I have ever enjoyed working with, I highly recommend her to anyone looking for an affordable and timely cover for their work.
Until next time.
S. <3
I do write. Often enough that I have forgotten to fucking eat before. My husband has had to get out of bed, come down to our office and remind me that I only have four hours left before I have to be awake on multiple occasions. And I debate if I could get any more useful stuff in before bed because this is what I like to do. It's my passion, and I know, I'm not great at it. But it's what I strive to be and do. It is my opinion, that in order to call yourself a writer, you need to write. I don't use the "I'm a writer" tagline, and I've written four novels and ten short stories in the last five months. Two of which were not even painful to read. Sort of. Point is, I could. But I refuse to, because I don't feel that my work is high enough quality yet to insult actual novelists by trying to lasso myself in with them. I am getting sick of people who haven't written in the last two years, and never did anything with it, trying to impress others with their skill that they don't practice. I did ballet when I was far younger, but I don't go around prattling about how I am a ballerina. (if I ever do, shoot me until I cease to be alive, and then a few times just to ensure that my soul has gotten the point as well, because I've clearly lost my mind.)
My point is that in order to get better at something, you need to do it. Some people are born with the talent that means they will have a bestseller on their first try. Then there's the majority of the writing world, where people such as myself type keyboards into nonexistence. This is my fourth one this year, I beat the poor things to death. I said, I'm not great at writing. But you know what? I'm improving. Quickly. Every book that I write trumps the last, every short story and writing exercise that I play around with gets more fluid and entertaining. Because I put in the time.
I have a friend who tried to explain to someone else that "Well, writers are very eccentric." His basis for this when questioned was that he was a writer. I've known this man for awhile. He is not a writer. He wants to be, but doesn't want to put in any time to become a success, and can't take criticism at all. Much like a child, when you politely point out that something is so much as phrased poorly, he will quit that project, declare it too difficult, and return to ice cream and video games. The truly sad part? His work could've been fucking great. So many ideas, so much creativity and a great sense of humor, he could easily be a chart topper. Just not tomorrow, and apparently that's not good enough.
A writer writes every day. I didn't agree with that phrase when I first heard it, but it makes sense. I had given up on my writing for receiving some scathing criticism a few years back. I wasn't sure that it was what I wanted to do. The funny part is that the person who insinuated that I would need to try harder for a few more years before I could impress them; they were right. I just sent a copy of my recent novel to her, and I was given praise.
It's something that every writer does when they're starting out, trying to convince whoever is reading their work that they like it. To find out if you're getting to be a good writer, all you need to do is put your work out there, and people will let you know. No disclaimers or excuses. One way, or the other, they will tell you, even if you don't expect it. And the good news? You can always improve if you don't like what you see.
I think that everyone should write. It's a good skill to have, and furthermore,I find it extremely relaxing. Granted, anyone that knows me personally can understand better why the thought of relaxation has me throwing myself at the keyboard like a whore on a rich man.
But here's the thing - You are not a writer unless you are:
1) WRITING. You would be surprised how many people miss this critical step. Not "I've written in the last decade." More like, "I wrote a few paragraphs this month." Yes, even that would suffice. Because eventually, that piece would be completed.
2) Able to accept/tolerate criticism and opinions about your work without running for the nearest razor to slash your wrists. Because when you publish, there will be negative feedback. Count on it. Nobody gets only perfect scores. The Bible doesn't even get a unanimous thumbs up,you're hoping to trump that one if you expect a perfect 5 star rating from everyone. I'll believe it when I see it.
3) Showing your work to someone else. Published, unpublished, in an email, posted online or in a forum, on a napkin with grease stains, written in the sky by one of those old-timey skywriters. Something. It's a scary thing to do when you're just starting out, and it makes or breaks the desire to write for many people. But, it is a necessary thing to do to improve. If you wanted to be a cook, but nobody ever tasted your food, could you trust that it would be the best flavor that it possibly could be? Probably not. Opinions are terrifying and sadly, necessary.
Rant done -> MOVING ON.
Next book is going to be wolf shifters from the same little fantasy land that the rest came from, should be fun. Have an idea for a short series. The Wolves of Kureshna. I may be moving on to another genre after that one, but I'm undecided. We'll see how they do. My most amazing cover artist ever, has already started to do some thinking on how she wants to do the cover for the first, so hi5 and thumbs up for that, yaaaay!
Again, that's H. C. Fang -> http://bloodyvampire18.deviantart.com/
This is the only cover artist that I have ever enjoyed working with, I highly recommend her to anyone looking for an affordable and timely cover for their work.
Until next time.
S. <3
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Happy Holidays indeed
I'm happy to say that the new book is up and ready for enjoyment.
I want to take a moment to let anyone looking for a great artist know where to find one, lol
Not only affordable, H. C. Fang was the first artist I had worked with who understood what I wanted and put effort into perfecting it. I asked for the cover by mid December, and she had it finished by ten last night! An artist who can meet and beat a deadline, very rare, and as you have seen already if you're here, she does amazing work.
Find her here: http://bloodyvampire18.deviantart.com/
Please, if you enjoyed the book, let me know. In a review, in a message either here or at goodreads, by burning my house down and sewing the ashes with salt... Whatever your style, I won't judge. I just prefer to know if my work is enjoyable and I can use all of the feedback that I can get to bring all of you a better product in the future. :)
Free copies until the 10th only at smashwords. If you take a free copy, please at least take the time to rate it, even if it's that you hate the book and wish I would up and die, I would truly love to hear from you :)
MA98Z <- put that in at checkout. It will still ask for a card, but it will be 100% off. :)
All for now, goodnight world. *internet hi5*
~ S. 'Kaeli' Hart
I want to take a moment to let anyone looking for a great artist know where to find one, lol
Not only affordable, H. C. Fang was the first artist I had worked with who understood what I wanted and put effort into perfecting it. I asked for the cover by mid December, and she had it finished by ten last night! An artist who can meet and beat a deadline, very rare, and as you have seen already if you're here, she does amazing work.
Find her here: http://bloodyvampire18.deviantart.com/
Please, if you enjoyed the book, let me know. In a review, in a message either here or at goodreads, by burning my house down and sewing the ashes with salt... Whatever your style, I won't judge. I just prefer to know if my work is enjoyable and I can use all of the feedback that I can get to bring all of you a better product in the future. :)
Free copies until the 10th only at smashwords. If you take a free copy, please at least take the time to rate it, even if it's that you hate the book and wish I would up and die, I would truly love to hear from you :)
MA98Z <- put that in at checkout. It will still ask for a card, but it will be 100% off. :)
All for now, goodnight world. *internet hi5*
~ S. 'Kaeli' Hart
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