Mini Book Reviews: October's Secret World

   So guess who reads a LOT of books and wishes to review them all? *raises hand*

   And guess who does NOT have time to do full-length reviews for a hundred and one books? Also me.

   Welcome to mini reviews, guys. You are welcome to expect weird mash-up titles for these posts xD.

   I've got three lovely books here for review today - and there's something for everyone! Contemporary, historical fiction, and fantasy. And I can gladly say that I enjoyed them all! I can't wait to tell you about them ... 

October 

by J. Grace Pennington

Wow ... okay, so I literally cannot wrap my head around this book. I've been trying ever since I read it, and my thoughts still won't come together in a orderly little patterns (though really, do they ever? xD). But I'll give this a try anyways ...

I've read Radialloy (from the Firmament series)  by Pennington, and remember enjoying that, so I was pretty excited to pick up October. But I had no idea how different this book would be from the Firmament series! October would have been a perfect summer read (wish I had waited to read it summer, actually - I think I would have loved reading it while laying in the trampoline!). I did NOT expect for it to end the way it did ... honestly, I can't say that much without spoilers, so I can't really explain why I docked a half star off of what would have probably been a four-star book. What I can say is that I don't think the ending was entirely right. I think it all could have been finished differently, and it felt just a tad rushed. But I have made it very known that I am the pickiest of the picky when it comes to endings, so it could be a 'me, not you' kind of thing ;). And because this book deals with a bit of a mature topic towards the end of the book, I would only recommend it to 15+. But otherwise, if you need a contemporary read this summer (or spring!), Pennington has a fresh voice and a beautiful story. Really loved this one <3.

* I received a free copy of this book but was not required to review it 

The Dressmaker's Secret 

by Kellyn Roth 

The author of this book reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in doing a review, and added that it was historical fiction, and she knew I'm not a huge fan of the genre. But I told her I'd give it a shot anyway and OH MY <3.

Gracious, I'm very glad that I didn't judge this pretty book by its genre! I was impressed by the story, and while it did feel a little like an indie-published book (not a bad thing, just worth mentioning), I still very much enjoyed it. The religion felt a little forced one or two times, but it flowed smoothly for most of the book, and the characters were lovely. I was captivated by the story, and - even though school was calling - I had such a hard time putting it down (let's just say that one or two responsibilities may have been shirked in the reading of this book xD)! And I'm told that this book is the first in a trilogy, so I'll definitely be checking out the rest. 

* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

The Tethered World

by Heather L.L. FitzGerald

Okay, gracious ... where do I start? I heard about this book when it first came out, but then it (sadly) disappeared off my radar - until the author herself graciously gifted me a copy after I beta read for her! And GRACIOUS, I should not have waited so long to read this thing.






First of all, let me just say that I've heard this book compared to Narnia, and I definitely think that's a good comparison. It reminded me just a bit of a really modern version of Narnia. It also kind of reminded me of an old (old) story that I wrote three or four years back for some friends of mine - except polished and beautiful and not embarrassing, haha ;D. But that was fun! I loved the characters so much, I really enjoyed being in Sadie's head. And I might have considered giving the book four stars, except I had a hard time getting into it, for some reason? But once the action started, I was in. And can we talk about the story's world for a moment? The Tethered World is one of the most creative fantasy worlds that I've seen in a long time, I LOVED how it was all underground (reminded me of Gregor The Overlander just a bit, and I adore that series), and yet not drab at all. And everything being said - I quite enjoyed this book, and I'm thrilled that it's a trilogy, because that means I get more! ;D I'm super stoked to start on The Flaming Sword.     

* I received a free copy of this book but was not required to review it 

 
  And there's that! I had such fun reading these three books - I hope that you guys check them out and enjoy them as much (or more!) than I did ;).

~ Savannah Grace

have you read any of these? what did you think?

which of them has you the most intrigued?

Ask The Author - APRIL EDTION

   In March, y'all were given the opportunity to ask a slew of indie and hybrid authors all of your burning questions. And now they are here to answer them. Who's ready?

    I had the best time putting this post together, you guys - these authors are some of the sweetest writers out there, and I learned so much through doing this with them. You guys asked some awesome questions! And just it case you've forgotten, here are the five incredible authors here with us today...

Hope Ann

H.L. Burke

Abigayle Claire 

Heather L.L. FitzGerald 

Jenelle Schmidt 

   Much sure to give them some love in their social media! These ladies are lovely <3. Now...who wants to hear their wonderful words of wisdom? *raises both hands* Let's dig right in ;).   

Submitted by Faith of The Writer’s Song: If you could go back and change anything you've written, would you do it?

Heidi (H. L.): I never look back, dahling. It distracts from the now.

Hope: Eh, yes. Sometimes. I actually have done that with some projects because I improved in writing after it was published. But that’s part of learning and I’ve a feeling I’m going to keep improving for years and won’t ever know all there is to know, so I have to write and publish and do my best now, regardless of where I’ll be in ten or twenty years.

Heather: I remember other authors stating that no matter how much I edited my first book, there would be things I would eventually want to change. I *really* hoped that wouldn’t be the case but, alas, I do see an evolution in my writing from book 1 to book 3 and the perfectionist in me wants to go back and tweak that first book. At some point I may, when I have time. But like Hope said, as writers we are always learning, growing, and improving so all we can strive for is to do our best at the moment. “Walk in the light you have” as they say.

Abigayle: Only if I had to! I’d fix actual errors and maybe do some polishing to make a series more cohesive … otherwise if the public’s not complaining, I’ll remain confident that it’s how it’s supposed to be.

Jenelle: There is a part of me that would jump at the chance to re-edit King’s Warrior. There is a huge amount of improving and learning that happened to my writing between it and Minstrel’s Call (the last book in the same series), and I would love to be able to bring that first book up to the same standard as the rest of the series. But then, I have readers who absolutely love King’s Warrior, and I think they would cry if I changed anything about it. So, I leave it alone.

Submitted by Evangeline of An Odd Blog: Are you able to pick a favorite book that you've written?

Heidi (H. L.): It changes all the time. Whatever I’m working on is usually the shiniest. Others have points I love but they all kind of merge together in my brain. Spellsmith & Carver has a special place because of the characters, though.

Hope: Generally the last one I’ve written. XD My favorite work is currently unpublished because it needs more work that I’ve time for at the moment.

Heather: I’d have to say my last book, The Genesis Tree. It was a huge “write by faith, not by plot” experience (though I am definitely a pantser anyway). In the heat of writing, I swore off trilogies as it was so crazy-hard to tie up all the loose ends from two other books. It was a stressful deadline, but when I finally made it to the “the end” it was like stepping off an exciting yet terrifying roller coaster. It was very satisfying to see how it ended up and the process definitely drew me closer to the Lord. I took risks with that book that I’m proud of!

Abigayle: I love all my children equally xD But I relate to having a more intense love/hate relationship with the story I’m working on at the time.

Jenelle: That is a very hard question to answer. All of them. Probably my favorite is always going to be whatever I’ve just published, because my writing continues to improve and grow, and so my latest work is usually also the best thing I’ve ever written.

Submitted by Ivie of Ivie Writes: What platform did you use to self-publish and what are some things to be expected from that?

H. L.: I’ve used both KDP and Draft2Digital for different projects. Honestly, it’s a little too complex to detail in short form, but everything you could ever need to know about this subject is available on blogs and youtube videos. So I guess my answer is, it’s pretty straight forward, but educate yourself otherwise you might run up against little hiccups you could’ve avoided. Google is your friend in self-publishing.

Hope: I used KDP and Createspace for self-publishing. KDP is pretty simple and easy to use. Createspace isn’t hard either, but you do need to keep in mind there will be some variation with the cover. Basically, don’t have anything too close to the edge of your cover, and try not to have any hard lines on the binding - a wrap around cover is much easier to make look right.

Abigayle: I used Createspace for Martin Hospitality which has an easy “publish to Kindle option” through KDP at the end. Overall it has a very friendly layout with clear instructions and requirements. With Andora’s Folly, I did it in reverse, beginning with Kindle Direct Publishing which is so easy!

Jenelle: I’ve used Createspace, KDP, Smashwords, and Lightning Source (Ingram Spark) for my books. By far, Createspace and KDP are my favorites, as they are the easiest and cheapest (free is good) to use (though Createspace often makes me want to tear my hair out when it finds non-existent issues with my covers and yells unfounded warnings at me about them). One thing that I would recommend when self-publishing is to take a good, long look at the traditionally published books on your shelf and see what things are standard from book to book. There are a lot of things that are very flexible, but there are a few mistakes when it comes to publishing and formatting that will make your book look less “professional” and make it harder for readers to take you seriously. A big one would be “left aligning” your text instead of “justifying” it.

Submitted by LHE: What are some tips for ending a novel?

H. L.: When you get to the end: stop. I tend to mostly know what I want the end to be when I start. The middles are the confusing parts. I’m like “two people must fight the dark lord, and in the end they triumph and have CUPCAKES!” The exact how of the “dark lord defeating and baking cupcakes while on a secret dark lord defeating mission” are a little messier. I do like endings that in some way reflect the beginning, often by the character finding themselves in the same place but it looks different because of the changes that have happened, but that’s more a matter of personal preference than craft advice.

Heather: Like Heidi, I have an idea (even as a pantser) of what I want the end result to be. I think it helps to have a vision or goal to write towards. And my middles are messy as well, probably since I don’t outline or plot. I don’t personally like to end on a cliffhanger, but I believe it’s healthy to leave some questions unanswered or some possibilities looming. But the big questions should have closure or resolution, in my opinion.

Abigayle: I have less of an idea of how my stories are going to end. But I know when they’re over because that comes once I’ve tied everything in a neat little bow. Usually I end by  reiterating my theme and kind of fading away from happy characters … that doesn’t mean you have to resolve everything, though, especially if it’s a series, but readers with answered questions are happy readers.

Jenelle: Make sure that all of your threads have been concluded! Say, for example, you are telling a quest story in which a main theme is the coming-of-age of your MC, make sure that the MC has actually grown or learned something by the end of the story… don’t just wrap up the quest and leave your MC unchanged by it! Or if you have multiple characters go off in multiple directions, make sure you bring each of those threads to a conclusion in some way… now, in a series, you can be a bit more flexible about when and where those arcs get concluded, but make sure they all eventually get tied up. That doesn’t mean you have to wrap it all up in a neat little bow and everyone ends happily… but there should be a certain amount of closure for the majority of the threads so that you do not frustrate your readers.

Anonymous submission: Have you ever worked on two different writing projects at once? Do you have any advice, as well as pros/cons as to whether or not it should be attempted?

H. L.: I do this rarely. I might be doing the final proofing/edit of a book while I write the first draft of something else, and if I’m writing a novel and get a great idea for a short story, I’ll take a break and dash out the short story before I lose the inspiration, but I love getting things done more than I love beginning things. As to whether or not it should be attempted, that depends totally on your personality type. I know successful writers who are working on multiple things at a time because they need to skip back and forth to stay fresh and keep their interest. Me, I tend to be passionately in love with one project at a time, but also have a really hard time going backwards so if I leave a project for any length of time, it’s hard to get excited about going back to finish it. That’s why I usually force my way through rough patches even if something shinier is beckoning on the horizon. I don’t want to cheat on my work in progress.

So if you have a hard time completing things, then don’t skip around. If finishing things isn’t so much of an issue for you, then do what you feel like you need to do to write the stories you need to write.

Hope: I tend to work on two or three projects at a time. I’ll have a main project that I work on every day. I try to work on the others each day too, but don’t spend as much time on them. Generally I will be writing on one project and editing on another. Sometimes I’ll be planning a third. Being able to switch between the writing and editing helps me feel like I’m doing something even when I’m editing for awhile and I just like working on lots of things. It may take longer to get a project done though, so…

Heather: I think that depends on how you’re wired. I know authors that work on multiple projects but I’m not one of them. Like Heidi said, I might stop one thing to work on another when inspiration strikes, but I don’t flip-flop between different projects regularly. I tend to “live” in the world of my stories, mentally, and I suppose I can’t teleport myself to various places and function well!

Abigayle: I agree that it depends on how you function. I get projects published faster when I do one at a time, but I also burn out. So I’ve done it both ways. When doing multiple projects, though, I always do different stages to again avoid burnout. (Draft one, edit the other, etc.) And let’s be honest, I’m always Pinteresting 10 gazillion other stories. Definitely don’t be afraid to briefly switch gears when inspiration strikes.

Jenelle: I am almost always working on multiple projects at once. However, I am never at the same stage in any of those projects. For example: last year, when I sent Minstrel’s Call off to the editor, I pulled out Turrim Archive and started drafting the next book in that series. I finished the rough draft of that book about the same time I got my notes back from my editor, so then I turned and focused on editing Minstrel’s Call. When I sent that to the proofreader, I wrote and edited my submission for Mythical Doorways. Now I am in the thick of drafting a new book, and I have tons of ideas fluttering around in the back of my mind for various other stories that have been waiting in the wings for a long time. Sometimes I will put down drafting to work on brainstorming or world-building or plotting out those other stories… but I won’t start drafting any of them until my current rough draft is complete.

Submitted by GJE: What is your number one inspiration for characters?

H. L.: Most of them sort of just grow out of a spark of “I want a character whose primary focus is that he likes to do things with his hands” or “I want a character who is having a crisis of faith due to this particular plot point …” There are a few of my characters who are my husband, though. I like writing tall, snarky guys who seem really serious and grim but have a major mischievous streak. They’re sexy. Usually I just start writing a character and they present themselves.

Heather: Inspiration can come from anywhere! People I know, people I meet or pass on the street. Sometimes characters just show up in my brain or they suddenly flow from my fingertips as I write and find there’s a need for a particular type of person that I hadn’t expected!

Abigayle: Honestly I think most of mine come from a setting now that you ask. Whether it’s a foggy moor in England or a futuristic city where buildings are a reflective grey, multiple faces and personalities just seem to fit. Characters have to fit the mood of the setting and build a story that maintains the themes and feeling I want. Sometimes they really do write themselves, regardless of filling out charts beforehand.

Jenelle: Most of my characters spring to life of their own accord. I rarely ever plan out who a character will be beforehand. I tend to “meet” them as I write. Sometimes I will have a general idea of a character I want to take on an adventure, but invariably I end up learning that they are nothing like I planned for them to be…

Submitted by Christine of Musing Of An Elf: What made you choose between indie or traditional publishing? What would you say are the pros and cons between the two?

H. L.: Impatience. I say I never seriously tried to publish traditionally, but that is “adverb” true meaning that the “seriously” is important. When I was 17 or 18, I sent out a lot of queries and sample chapters and whatnot, but I wasn’t ready for publishing yet by any stretch. The one thing it did teach me, though, is that it is a slow process. Even though I never got a bite, researching and learning to craft query letters, then waiting for a response … insert ain’t nobody got time for that meme.

After I figured out that I could do it on my own, it was always just “well, I could spend six months querying on the chance that someone MIGHT want to look at this, or I could just self-publish it and have it out in three months on my own …”

Though I am technically a hybrid now. I do submit certain projects to a small press, mainly because having them take care of certain aspects (editing, pre-marketing, marketing) does take some time off my hands which I can use to write even more.

Hope: I started self-publishing so I could grow my platform and get a following. You get higher royalties per book while self-publishing. You also get to control everything yourself. Which is the main pro and con. Because the independence is very nice. It’s also a lot of work. I do hope to be traditionally published at some point too, but I will probably self-publishes a majority of my work. 

Heather: I’m with a small press but they work hard for their authors and have taught me so much! Being traditionally published provided excellent editors to polish my work, a host of proofreaders, and many blog hop/launch opportunities I wouldn’t have found on my own. I know a lot of successful indie authors and admire their tenacity to get it all handled themselves. I personally need the help and the hand holding!

Abigayle: I wrote an entire blog post about this here.In short, it was never really a question for me. I wanted to do everything myself the first time and I don’t regret doing that. Now I’d love to get something traditionally published because it’s got more accolades and accomplishment associated with it and might help me reach more people.

Jenelle: Simple. I realized that I had a limited amount of time on my hands, and decided I could either spend my writing time crafting letters and perfecting various-lengthed synopses to send to agents and publishers who may or may not ever write me back, or I could spend it writing new stories. Writing new stories won without contest.

Submitted by Musicgirl121: What keeps you writing on the hard days when writing is literally the last thing you want to do?

HL: Habit. Unless I actually need a break. Breaks are good. Everyone needs one once in a while. Sickness deserves a break. Just finished a big project deserves a break. Family holidays, sick children, visiting relatives … if you make writing a “law” that you have to do it no matter what, you lose some of the joy. Not even real jobs expect that of you. They get sick days and vacation days (the good ones, anyway), so writers get the same.

But if it’s just a “meh, I don’t feel like it. I’d rather eat popcorn and re-watch episodes of Psych or Game Theory,” then having a doable goal helps. If you tell yourself, “If you do this many words, you can have a cookie/watch more youtube” then you have an end goal. It’s not about “finishing a book” it’s about “writing a thousand words” (My personal daily goal, but if you are starting make it 200, 500, whatever you need. My personal suggestion is “how much you can write in an hour without distractions but with occasional breaks to avoid eye strain and drink water/wine/chocolate milk.”). Books are written a page at a time.

Hope: Sheer willpower and determination. I know I’m in a slump, and I know I’ll get back on a high again eventually. But I want to have work done when I reach that point, so I force myself to work anyway.

Heather: Deadlines! I work soooo much better with a deadline. Right now I do not have one and my writing is hit or miss from day to day. But I don’t beat myself up about it. There are different seasons for things. As long as I can write several days a week, I’m satisfied. The social media marketing side is one of the biggest reasons I can’t just work on my own little project whenever I want. That side of the business is HARD for me and I’m still learning. Heidi is the MASTER and I only wish I had pinky-finger’s worth of her energy and zeal!

Abigayle: Guilt?? Because on really hard days I often don’t write. Sometimes I have to think about something or just give myself a tiny break. Eventually I make myself get back to it (deadlines and willpower as mentioned) and force myself to write through a tough place so I can look forward to writing next time. Sometimes that means I “cheat” and say something like *insert inspirational speech* so I can just move on. Make it through even if it’s just barely so that you can finish that first draft! Or as Disney would say, “Keep moving forward!”

Jenelle: If writing is the last thing I want to do, I don’t do it. When that becomes my problem, then it means I am teetering on the edge of burnout, and I need a break. As Heidi said, “Breaks are good.” But if I’m just being lazy or feeling ho-hum about writing, then a few things can get me back into the mode. One is spending some time brainstorming with my husband. He is great at spotting plot holes or bringing up new ideas. Another is talking to my dad or sister, who are both super encouraging and always want to know when the next story is coming. Another trick I learned last year is Word Wars - writing against the clock and seeing how many words I can write in just five to ten minutes. Mixing it up is also good! Sometimes I go for a walk, or act out the scene I’m trying to write, or turn on some music, whatever gets the creative juices flowing again!

Submitted by Gray Marie of Writing Is Life: What is one thing you've learned from publishing?

H. L.: I’m a lot tougher, shrewder, and more cynical than I thought I was. Maybe it’s God. I stepped out and the floor was there, but also, I’ve never faced a situation where I had to take a swing where the weapon or tool didn’t jump into my hand. This is what I’m meant to do. I’m a champion, and as Shawn Spencer says, “I won’t apologize for that.”

Also, believe in yourself. It’s not arrogance if it’s your purpose. Never expect others to advocate for you. That’s not their job. If you want this, you have to grab it with both hands and own it. It has to matter to YOU. If it matters to you, it doesn’t matter if it matters to anyone else.

Be the sparkly writer princess you’re meant to be (or prince … do princes sparkle?).

Hope: Keep going and never give up. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for things. Help. Reviews. For someone to buy your book. Not that you want to be pushy, and you don’t ask if someone has said no. But you need to ask. If you’re publishing a book, don’t just send an email saying you’ve published it. Say you’ve published it then ask them to buy it.

Heather: Regardless of how you get published (indie or traditionally) you still have a lot of work to do in order to sell any books. Things don’t take off on their own once the book launches. You always have to sell yourself and you can’t do that without a love for your craft and your stories. It isn’t for the faint of heart (or the thin of skin, once the reviews roll in!).

Abigayle: It’s possible with enough dedication and prayer. I self-published so it was a lot of hard work all the way through, but I did it! And more than just that, people enjoyed my book. They fell in love with my characters. They were touched by the story. Of course that’s what I always dreamed of, but I didn’t think it’d ever actually happen! What if it wasn’t possible for me? But it was with God’s help, and I think it is for every writer, no matter how far they have to come. The finish line is attainable.

Jenelle: I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. Everything I write is better than the last thing I wrote. Every book I publish, I learn more about the craft of writing. I’ve also learned a lot about myself: I hate marketing, and I will probably never get rich from my writing. But I’ve also learned that that’s okay, because that’s not why I’m doing it. I’m doing it for the notes I get from people telling me that they loved my book, or that their kids can’t put my series down. I’ve learned that my audience is the people who love my books, and those who don’t, aren’t my audience… and that’s okay, too. I’ve learned a lot about how to take criticism and use it to make my stories the best that they can be, and that it’s okay to decide if I don’t agree with certain advice, as well.

Submitted by Madeline of Short And Snappy: What aspect of writing (dialogue, description, characters) do you struggle with most? [addition from Savannah]: and how do you deal with that specific aspect?

H.L.: My usual answer for this is rope. People think I’m joking, but I usually visualize most of my story in my brain and have a good idea of how most things will work before I start writing it, but there’s always something, usually in the middle, which is like, “And here the characters have to … set a trap for the villain … defeat a dragon … storm a castle…” and I’m like, “How will they do that?” and my brain is like, “Oh, don’t worry. They’ll do it with rope. You can do anything with rope. Rope is like the duct tape of fantasy universes. It solves all problems.” and I’m like, “You’re right, brain. Why was I worried about this at all? Rope!”

Then I get to the castle my characters are supposed to storm and they are standing there with rope and no idea HOW you use rope to storm a castle. Which means I have to stop and figure it all out. I do it pretty much every book.

Hope: Keeping everything clear. I like to not explain things and just let the readers figure it out, but sometimes that tends to confuse them. :P So I pay attention to that when I write and try to explain what needs to be explained before my readers get lost.

Heather: I tend to get a lot of subplots happening (not so much in my first book but after that…) and it can be hard to keep them straight and/or bring closure to each of them in a believable way. It’s something I deal with as I go along and the layers unfold (since I’m a panster I’m often surprised by my own plot, ya know!). But I *try* to stay ahead of what’s happening on a mental level. I’ll usually work through some of those problems as I’m driving or once I go to bed (read: I don’t fall asleep right away but lay there musing on my story).

Abigayle: Description and a cohesive plot. Characters and dialogue drive my story, so I don’t include as much description as I could I guess because I’m afraid it will halt the story. I need to get better about weaving it in as the character sees, hears, smells etc. To my own ears my writing can be a little bland and clunky, although no one else has ever told me that.

The cohesive plot problem every writer faces I think, but I hit walls all the time because I get set on a character doing something. It’s neat and it fits them. The problem is that unless it fits with and progresses the story, it has to go. I can’t just write characters … I have to write a story. This means I need a solid character arc with themes. Themes often elude me until I’m in the middle of writing.

    My only real solution is plan until I feel like I have a cast and a direction and then write. If the story is meant to happen then it will start suggesting further ideas of its own. (Yes, I’m a plantser.) And once I’ve written, get a lot of people to help me revise.

Jenelle: I struggle with middles. Even now that I’m using outlines, I still run into issues with middles of stories where I have no idea how I’m going to tie all the shiny middles and beautiful endings together. Also, I often struggle with timelines… I’ll have characters doing one thing over here that takes 4 months, and other characters doing things over there at the same time, but those other characters’ things only take 2 weeks… but they are supposed to be happening at the same time and finishing around the same time… and that can get frustrating.

I tend to solve these things by using Scrivener to rearrange my scenes after I’ve written them. Also, timelines help. And talking to my husband. Really, talking to my husband is my answer for most of my story problems. He’s very helpful. One of these days I’ll convince him to take co-writer credit on a book cover.

Submitted by Jane of Jane Maree: What are your biggest tips for marketing?

 

HL: Be yourself. Be shiny. Share things you love because you’re most likely your intended audience. Do one marketing post for every 9 “interesting” posts you do, and be EXCITED about your book. If you, the author, don’t seem to care about it, then why should I as a reader? You don’t see a lot of bakers who approach you with, “Oh, this is the cake I baked and want you to buy, but it’s probably not very good. I mean, if you want to try it, go ahead, but I’m not sure it’s a good enough cake. I’m just starting …” but a lot of authors feel that if they don’t do that sort of apologetic “humility” with their books they are being arrogant. Definitely take the time to make sure your cake/book is edible/readable, but that’s what beta readers and editors are for. If you published, you’re now at the “this is ready for consumption” stage.

Hope: Start an email list. It’s going to be your greatest asset as you publish, so start it as soon as possible. Also, giveaways are a good way to grow them.

Abigayle: Start as early as possible. For books, that’s before publication. While you’re writing and editing and drowning in feedback or rejections. People want to know what’s going on and be there for you!

When it comes to having a finished project to market, don’t be afraid to ask. Marketing can feel fake, but if you’re honest and upfront, most people won’t mind being asked to write a review, vote for you, or subscribe to enter a giveaway! Like Heidi said, don’t apologize, but do be yourself and be transparent. If you started early and engage people other than when marketing, you’ve built that trust and interest.

Some more practical resources I’ve found for marketing books have been blog tours, beta readers, launch teams … a group of friends who are getting perks to be their excited selves and spread the word! Word of mouth will always be the best thing, and that requires other people reaching out to their circles. You’d be surprised at the number of people willing to do things in exchange for a free advanced readers copy PDF at no cost to you! Have fun with it.

Jenelle: I’m still learning this, myself. Mostly, I watch what Heidi does and copy her. LOL Seriously, though, she has excellent advice. That “1 in 9” rule is a good one. Be real. Be yourself. And interact with people… comment on other people’s posts and blogs, and reply to comments on your social media sites. Build relationships. It may be “the long way around,” but I’d personally rather build my platform one reader at a time and spend the time and effort building a relationship than just acquiring masses of people trying to figure out if they can get something from me for free.

Submitted by Allison Riera: What is your advice for aspiring indie authors?

HL: Never ask permission to create art. Too many early writers try to workshop their ideas before they even start to write. They’re like, “Has anyone ever written …” (spoiler alert, someone has) or “Would anyone read …” (some will, some won’t.)

You just have to get started. My advice is to not get any advice until your first draft is done. Then get ALL the advice … but only take like 30% of it because the rest of the advice probably won’t be good for what you are trying to do.

Abigayle: Surround yourself with supportive, like-minded people. I wouldn’t have made it to publication without my blog followers who cheered me on and my online friends who agreed to be beta readers. Without the feedback, encouragement, and fangirling before publication  … I’m not sure I would have believed any of that was possible after publication. (Spoiler: it is.) They were real and honest about what needed work but oh so excited for the release and that helped me strengthen my book and make it to publication.

Jenelle: The same advice that was given to me when I started, “If you want to be a writer, you should be writing.”

Submitted by Hanna of Taking My Time: When you decided to publish a book, what was the first step you took towards making that happen?

H. L.: I joined a good online critique group. I knew I had some raw talent and originality based on people reacting to school assignments and things I did as a teenager, but there’s a really hard line to breakthrough between “talented kid” and “adult with a marketable skill.” The battering ram that will put you through that wall is hard but honest critiques. 

Hope: Learning what on earth I was doing. :P I learned a lot the first time, mainly step by step. Oh, I need to format this. Let’s learn how. I need a cover; here are the requirements. Let’s research keywords. You can read a lot about it, but nothing beats actually publishing something. But currently, my first step after the book is finished but before I publish is to get it edited. Because I’m horrible at grammar. 

Heather: I had a wonderful writing mentor who was a multi-published author. I don’t know how to tell you to find such a person as the Lord pretty much dropped her in my lap (I reviewed her book and she contacted me). But through her I learned the craft, then joined critique groups which helped even more. Getting published in our online/social media world also has to do with who you know. Not exactly like politics--because no one will do you any favors if you can’t write well--but when you have writing friends you get to meet their writing friends and things can develop. I was introduced to my publisher through my mentor.

Abigayle: I connected with a more seasoned writer who became my go-to person and I started a blog. That plugged me into a group of like-minded, welcoming people and gave me a home base of encouragement and support. I wouldn’t have had a starting point for any exposure or resources otherwise.

Jenelle: The first step was hiring an editor and finding a cover artist. I had technically published my first two novels already, but realized I had jumped the gun a bit, so I decided to completely re-work and re-cover both of them before I published books 3 and 4.

Submitted by Grace of Time Traveler’s Daughter: Is there a specific sort of character that you seem to do in more than one of your stories (almost your trademark character)? If so, what type?

H. L.: Does snarky count? I do snarky a LOT. I love a character who can respond to any situation with humor. I think humor is my defense mechanism, so it’s my natural reaction to stress so I give it to my characters, usually with their own flair. I also really like tall guys which I have been called out on a few times. Tall, snarky guys.

Abigayle: I’ve finished three stories, but since I have infinite ideas … I think a lost young woman comes up multiple times … possibly every time. Each with her own struggles, but they all hit that point of hopelessness, despair, and self-loathing. Then I usually have the male “villain” who’s really just a despicable person and a steady, solid guy who’s there for the lost girl.

Jenelle: Hmm. That’s a tough one, as I’ve only published the one series so far. I’m thinking about my new series and comparing the characters in it to those in The Minstrel’s Song… I’ve been working very hard to make these characters different and unique from my previous characters. But does “enigmatic” count? I would say the one character trait that seems to come up more often than not is some sort of mysterious background or shady past that my characters would prefer to keep hidden.

Submitted by Deborah of Black Coats And Blank Paper: Do you have any advice as to knowing if you're mature enough of a writer to attempt a certain story/subject matter?

H. L.: You probably aren’t. Do it anyway.

Heather: LOL, Heidi :-) But, yeah, that’s good advice. Jump in. You’ll at least learn some new things.

Abigayle: YES to Heidi and Heather! You’re mature enough if you feel called to write that story because you’re the only one who can write it. Seriously. That’s what research, prayer, and feedback are for. Your own life experiences and viewpoints will find their ways into your story, so in that way you’ll always be “writing what you know.” It’s always worth a shot going for what you don’t know. Recruit people who do know to help you. I’ve written about pregnant teens, medieval aristocrats, and actresses as my main characters … I have zero experience there. When it comes to something like romance (still zero experience), I do fine according to my readers because I can visualize it and put it on the page in a believable way. Write with confidence.

Jenelle: You won’t know until you try!

Submitted by Jane of Jane Maree: Do you have a street team? (If so, what's your advice for when and how to set one up?)

H.L.: I have a loosely banded group of people who liked me enough to join my groups and want to read my early releases. I’m not big on the hard sale. I rarely to never invite people to my groups. I want people to follow me because they are interested in me, not because I asked/begged/bribed. So I just make myself available … I think you can set one up at any time. Even if you only have one Fan (like the “Fan” in That Thing You Do #90sreference), make a special place for them to interact and feel special for being one of your ‘inner circle.’ Give them sneak peeks and chances at ARCs and “the inside scoop.”

Hope: I do have a street team, though I’ve not done as much with it as I’d have liked. I would recommend setting up a street team a little before publishing your first book. They mainly promote you and your work, so you need to give them something to promote. You can offer them first looks, prizes, etc. They’re generally going to be there because they are your biggest fans, want to tell others about you, and want to have a chance to find out about your stuff before other people.

Heather: Yes I do because my publisher made me :) But I’m glad they did (because I was such a novice). Since I don’t have a book launch in looming right now, we only talk within our group occasionally. Most of them also belong to my author group and so we are loosely in each other’s lives there. I don’t like to ask for favors or beg for people to talk about my books so it’s more that we’re friends who found each other because of my books. I know if I had a book to promote (magically, all of a sudden) they would overall jump on it because they’re loyal friends. But I always stress to them that it needs to be something they have time for, I don’t ever want them to feel obligated. Therefore, with each book, there’s a few who can’t at the time and some new ones that jump in. They’re all my heroes!

Abigayle: I agree with Heather! I don’t officially have a street team or launch group, but by doing beta reader sign ups, I have kind of an inner circle of friends who have privileges just by being awesome. And all newsletter subscribers get an extra inside scoop. I usually have a sign up Google Form. Those who are free and willing will commit to helping with a single book. I do that for blog tours and helpful promotional stuff. People do what they can with the incentive of rewards (from a thank you note to a free signed copy) and a fun fellowship. Keep it low key, make it fun, and provide them with as much prefab graphics and wording as possible!

Jenelle: Not officially. Have I mentioned that I am terrible at self-promotion and marketing? The people who have become my “street team” have made their way there by the grace of God and nothing less. They are mostly a small group of blogging/author friends with whom I interact on a more consistent basis, and they are usually the ones willing to sign up to beta-read, help out with cover reveals, or grab ARCs of my books (and actually leave the promised review!) Not all of them have even read my books yet, but they are enthusiastic supporters and great encouragers nonetheless, and I love them dearly.

   Whew! What a load of epic information - I'm overwhelmed in the best of ways! Thank you all for the awesome questions you submitted, and thank you Abigayle, Hope, Heather, Jenelle, and Heidi for helping out and offering your amazing advice! You're all incredible, and this was a ton of fun.

   Keep rocking your writing, oh scribbling scribes <3.

~ Savannah Grace

is there a specific type of character that you write a lot?

what aspect of writing do you struggle with the most?

(p.s. sorry for the lack of visuals in the post - my computer is being very problematic. I promise the next post will be better!) 

a million dreams

"every night I lie in bed, the brightest colors fill my head -

a million dreams, they're keeping me awake"

~ A Million Dreams, The Greatest Showman

   And that is one of the most accurate quotes for any creative from a movie that is very inspiring. I've had nights where I can't sleep for hours, just because of all the ideas turning somersaults in my head. BUT ... now I'm off track.

   Last Saturday was the announcement of the winners of the Rooglewood contest - and if you can't tell by my lack of incoherence, I wasn't one of the five winners (but our own SKYE HOFFERT was, and I. Am. So. Excited. For. Her! <3). I wasn't even a finalist or an honorable mention, and while I am a tad disappointed, in the end I am okay with it. Because this means that Forgotten - my poor 43k almost-novel that I had to cut down to 20k - is back in my hands, and I can start dreaming a million dreams of where it could go from here.

   (now you guys are going to have to put up with my sappiness because I CAN'T HELP IT) I'm actually 100% more sad that the Rooglewood contests are over than I am about not winning. The Five Magic Spindles contest and the Five Poisoned Apples contest were a HUGE part of shaping me into the writer that I am, and I am so thankful for them. And for Anne Elisabeth, who is one of the sweetest women alive and such an inspiration, for putting them together and spending SO MUCH TIME on them. I wouldn't have met so many epic people (looking at you, Heather and Melaine - and everyone on the Rooglewood group page! <3) or become better friends with some of the contestants that I previously knew (*whispers* hi Faith) without the Five Poisoned Apples contest.

   Anyways. I has a smol list of thank yous that need to be said: To everyone who helped me write Forgotten, THANK YOU for the time you put into my story (especially Soleil, for helping me brainstorm out of the holes I dug myself into) <3. To ALL OF YOU who were active and epic on the Rooglewood Facebook page - THANK YOU ALL for being inspirations. I appreciate you each so much and I wish I could list you all by name...except this post would then be a mile long ;). To everyone who submitted a story, or started one and didn't finish - just because we didn't get in doesn't mean we're not epic writing superheroes <3. To all the judges who made this contest happen - thank you all for volunteering to read our words, and for doing so much for this contest. To the five who did win - YOU ARE INCREDIBLE and I can't wait to read your stories! They all look gorgeous and you absolutely deserved the win <3. And last but not least - thank you,  Anne Elisabeth...I can honestly say that I wouldn't be the writer that I am without you. Thank you for encouraging all of us to dream a million dreams! <3.

   I am very sad that the contest is finished, but my head is already spinning with all that could happen from here. The doors are wide open! I could do anything! ;D 

  And that's my brain dump for y'all today. I am thankful for all of you, and I've got a million dreams twirling in my head of what could be coming next. I'll keep you updated ;). You guys are amazing!

"a million dreams, that's all its gonna take!

a million dreams for the world we're gonna make."

~ A Million Dreams, The Greatest Showman

~ Savannah Grace 

have you entered a Rooglewood contest?

what is one of your million dreams?