New book launched

On Saint Valentine’s Day, very late, I self-published my latest short story ebook, through Smashwords.  Now, this one was a little different from previous releases.  It’s a tale in its own right, but it’s also linked to Thief.  I call it a prequel, but only because it starts a little before the events in Thief take place.  In fact, it overlaps that story.  It’s definitely not a sequel, that I’m sure about.  So, what is this ebook?  Well, it’s all made clear below.

 Gabrin: The Avatar is the sixth short story ebook I’ve released through Smashwords.  It is the second book in a developing series which has the provisional title of Thief, the same as the first story.  To quote:

Gabrin Parr, son of the mighty Elthan Parr, discovers the terrible fate which hangs over him, thanks to his courageous mother. Rebelling, he flees, until he learns of his mother’s cruel death. Driven by that, he determines to destroy his father – and the evil he contains. Can he triumph over an evil that has lasted for thousands of years?

The ebook is available in multiple formats from Smashwords or as an ePub from Goodreads.  If you do download it, or any of my ebooks, I would very much appreciate a review on either/both Smashwords/Goodreads.

~ Steve

Birth of a Writer: A personal tale

I wonder.  How many authors remember when they began the long, frustrating journey?  To me, it’s not a lost moment.  Maybe that’s a function of age.  I don’t know.

Like all kids, I had obediently written what was required of me in school, though it was often shorter than required because I disliked, or was bored by, the subject matter.  I was also left cold most of the time by the “set books” that we were required to read, either as a group or individually, for review.  I think I only ever wrote two reviews worthy of the name, while at school.  During this period of growth, however, I was reading significant numbers of books that I genuinely enjoyed.  Books that I chose for myself.  Nor were these books aimed at my age group.  They were “adult” books.  Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke and many others filled my head with new ideas, new visions.

Is it that the potentiality of our imagination is enhanced, focussed, by what we read?  Can it be said that reading actually elevates the daydream into something more real?  Something with solidity?  I can’t answer that, but it is how it seemed to me.  The play world of childhood, which had been fading with the passing years, to some extent, suddenly blossomed again, but with greater vibrancy.  An urgency was present, too.  I didn’t want to rôleplay like a child (well, not entirely, anyway).  There was something which drove me to need to recreate the visions in my mind using words, words put down upon paper, where they couldn’t escape from and become lost like other thoughts.  I needed to capture them.  It was then that I first picked up a pen with real, personal purpose.

I won’t pretend that what I wrote then were masterpieces.  At first, few were longer than any other essays.  My writing stamina was not yet developed.  However, I had, by now, moved into the sphere of influence of a new English teacher.  Needing an audience, I offered some of my scribblings to him for perusal.  It was a matter of pride, and astonishment, that he actually encouraged me to continue writing, and to try to expand it to longer pieces!  Made bold by this, I began to let the writing take control.  I was no longer holding back.  Before long, I had episodes where I became almost feverish in my efforts.  I discovered that writer’s limbo, where you are no longer entirely here, but have become a part of the created world.  Sadly, my handwriting suffered dreadfully, and it had never been brilliant to start with!  Still, my English teacher continued to support and encourage me, with only the gentlest of comments about my handwriting.  In two years, I produced a vast quantity of work.  At the same time, I neglected my English coursework dreadfully.  At my teacher’s suggestion, however, I included the best pieces of my fictions in my coursework binder.  The hope was to influence the grade assessors that, while routine coursework was missing, my writing showed that I had an appropriate command of the English language.  Unfortunately, at the last moment it became clear that I was going to come away with a terrible grade!  Warned by my teacher, I was very unhappy.  There seemed nothing I could do – it was far too late.  Rescue came by inspiration.  One element of the grade determination involved something that could not be written down: the Oral examination.  If I did things correctly, I might avoid a total disaster.  Happily, I succeeded, with an oral presentation that, according to my teacher, blew the examiners away!  I leapt from verging on a “fail” to a second, which was a pass – enough for my purposes.

I owe that teacher, whose name is John Oliver, a great debt.  I didn’t know until very late on, but apparently he was a published poet and had a great love of words.  Without him, I doubt that I would be writing anything today.

I can still feel the bulbous form of the biro in my hand, and smell the ink that was so fond of either stuttering or depositing unsightly blots on the paper.  I remember how, early on, when an idea was fresh and new, and so powerful I couldn’t ignore the drive to write, I faced blank paper without fear.  It was later that the “blank page” syndrome reared its ugly head.  In the earliest years, the sensations and fire involved in writing somehow became inextricably linked in my mind with the smell of old paperbacks, and the feel of their browning pages.  I couldn’t know, then, but I had gained my first addiction – the written word.

~ Steve

Hell’s Gift Release by K. S. Haigwood

About the Author:

Kristie Haigwood (a.k.a. K.S. Haigwood) is currently writing her 8th novel. She lives in Arkansas, US. She is the mother of 2 awesome kids and 2 great dogs. She is happily married to her soulmate who thinks reading is a solid waste of time. Opposites attract. Kristie’s works include ‘Save My Soul’, ‘Forbidden Touch’, ‘Eternal Island’ and ‘Hell’s Gift’ (available on Amazon in ebook and print). ‘Eternal Immortality’, ‘Eternal Inception’, ‘The Last Assignment’ and ‘Good Side of Sin’ are all releasing soon.

 

About the book!

‘Hell’s Gift‘ is Book 2 in the ‘Save My Soul‘ series. IT CAN BE READ AS A STAND-ALONE.

Depression consumes the guardian angel, Rhyan, after his human charge chooses her soulmate over him. Filled with anger and despair, he lashes out. And when his hate-filled words land him neck-deep in Hell, he realizes he’s gone too far. He expects trouble, but not to discover his own soulmate in the fiery depths. Abigail is there with good reason, but she’s done her time, and in order to save them both, Rhyan must strike a deal with the Devil. The stakes are higher than ever before, with his soul, his friends and even the fate of Heaven and Earth in jeopardy. If he fails, Rhyan stands to lose more than he ever feared. Will true love be denied? It will take everything he’s got to break down the traps Lucifer puts in his way. New lines are drawn and old scores are settled, and Rhyan is in for the fight of his life. With Abigail as the prize, and humanity in the balance, he will stop at nothing to claim… Hell’s Gift.

Hell’s Gift US: http://www.amazon.com/Hells-Gift-Save-novel-ebook/dp/B00BF0VBKM
Hell’s Gift UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hells-Gift-Save-novel-ebook/dp/B00BF0VBKM

 

Find the Author:

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/author/kshaigwood
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/kshaigwoo
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/kshaigwood
BLOG: http://kshaigwood.blogspot.com
Hell’s Gift US: http://www.amazon.com/Hells-Gift-Save-novel-ebook/dp/B00BF0VBKM
Hell’s Gift UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hells-Gift-Save-novel-ebook/dp/B00BF0VBKM

 

ReadWave: A New Marketing Platform for Authors

ReadWave have just launched the beta version of their new platform for readers and writers. The ReadWave platform enables authors to build up a fanbase and market their work online. Readers can access thousands of stories and read them for free on mobile devices. The site, which has been in development since October 2012, functions as an alternative to Twitter for writers, and allows writers to build an online following by giving away free content.

ReadWave Founder, Raoul Tawadey, said, “We’ve found that short stories are 300 times more popular than novels among online readers, so we’re focusing on short content. The idea is that writers give away free short stories in order to build up a following and then they can leverage that following to sell their novels.”

“We’re looking at all the tools that writers need to build up a following online and sell their stories. Over the next few months we’re going to be rolling out some exciting new features for writers, including the ability to embed your writing onto your blog, as well as the ability to send newsletters to your fans.”

ReadWave will also be publishing an annual Short Story Anthology of all the best stories posted up to the site. Writers can submit their stories by posting up their stories to ReadWave.com and then emailing a link to their story to submissions@readwave.com

For more information contact:

Robert Tucker
submissions@readwave.com
www.readwave.com
facebook.com/readwave
twitter.com/readwave

“The King of America”: Epic Edition by Rod Glenn

FROM THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF SINEMA: THE NORTHUMBERLAND MASSACRE

King Paul Frelon…ruthless dictator or flawed leader?

President Grant Lexus…idealistic reformer or jealous traitor?

Two men…one nation divided…pick a side.

Set in an America where the future merges with the past, The king is betrayed by his closest friend, plunging the nation into a bloody civil war, spiralling to rival even the Great War itself…the war that ended the civilizations of the 21st Century.

As the two sides collide, the king is cast into a desperate chase across America as Lexus dedicates every resource to the hunt. In the ensuing revolution friends and families are torn apart. And yet, amidst the devastation and bloodshed, old flames are rekindled.

With a selfish, drug-addicted smuggler caught in the middle and a mysterious stranger with a hidden agenda lurking in the shadows, a divided nation must choose a side as the fate of America hangs in the balance.

From the Publisher

The King of America: Epic Edition is a reworked and extended special edition of the original 2006 release. This epic edition is blood and guts realism of an America gripped by a violent revolution.

About the author

Rod Glenn is an author and actor from the North East of England.  His published works also include Sinema: The Northumberland Massacre, Sinema 2: Sympathy for the Devil, The Killing Moon and contributions to the Holiday of the Dead and Radgepacket Volume 1 anthologies.

Publisher: Wild Wolf Publishing – Facebook page.

Buy from:
Amazon UK
Amazon US

“Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo: An Example

I promise this will be my last mention of “quality versus content”!  This is not a book review.

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, especially in its unabridged form, has to be one of the most tedious works of fiction ever written.  It is weighed down by so much dead wood that it is astonishing that it ever became known, let alone becoming a Classic.  I have read an abridged copy,though not as abridged as some editions, and I can honestly say that it was, in many respects, one of the hardest reads of my life!  There were several times when I very nearly conceded defeat.  Did I read it because it was a Classic?  No.  For a dare?  No.  I read it because I had fallen in love with the movie starring Frederic March as Jean Valjean and the hit musical, thanks to the video of the Dream Cast performance.  In other words, I wanted to know more, and understand the story better.  I can honestly say, for once, that I’m glad that I could only find it as an abridged edition!

Remarkably, given what the full book must be like, the story transcended the faults and several movies have been made of the story.  Personally, I believe that the 1935 movie, with Frederic March, Charles Laughton, Cedric Hardwicke, Rochelle Hudson, John Beal, Marilyn Knowlden, Frances Drake and directed by Richard Boleslawski, is the finest of all, and sets the benchmark by which all others must be judged.  If you haven’t seen this movie, I strongly recommend that you do so, if you can find it.  I know that it’s available on DVD from Amazon UK, in a double pack which includes the 1952 movie as well.

In addition to the fascination of film makers with Les Misérables, there is the world famous, blockbuster hit of a stage musical, by Claude-Michel Schönberg, original French lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, and an English-language libretto by Herbert Kretzmer, and produced by the inimitable Cameron Mackintosh.  My meeting with this came about through an excerpt included in a variety show on television.  That brief piece had me hooked and I was quick to get the video of the Dream Cast performance (October 1985, 10th Anniversary Concert).  I watched the video to destruction!  In the process, I managed to hook my family on it too, despite some early resistance from some.  My daughter, Emma, became such an addict that she produced a tribute excerpt of the musical while with a local amateur stage group, for their annual variety show – the excerpt being a huge success.  I may be a touch biased but Emma sings I Dreamed a Dream (Fantine) superbly.  But I digress!  The fact remains that an immensely tedious novel became an unforgettable musical with millions of fans around the world.  Sadly, Emma’s wonderful section is the only stage performance I have seen, or will ever see.

Now, Les Misérables has again made it to the Silver Screen.  At the end of 2012, the film version of the stage musical was released following a long period of anticipatory excitement amongst fans, and some trepidation.  The movie stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway, directed by Tom Hooper, and again produced by Cameron Mackintosh.  This production is, my honest opinion, magnificent!  It is true to its stage origins in quality and content but enhances that with stunning sets and acting performances that are far beyond expectations.  This film must surely join the stage show, the 1935 movie and the book as a Classic.  If you haven’t seen the movie – I cannot recommend it to you highly enough.

The conclusion?  Despite the indigestibility of the full original novel, the story lives on.  Some brave person saw the fundamental worth of what is an epic tale with powerful characters, and elevated the perception of the novel’s worth for others.  How this came about, I have no idea.  I have personally had spectacular successes and dismal failures in books I have recommended to friends and family.  The Classic status of Les Misérables is a spectacular success for somebody who saw beyond the weight of words.  The story and the characters are immortal.

~ Steve

Related articles

• Les Misérables (2012) (canadiancinephile.com)

Updates and Appreciation

Well, I’m slowly getting back into writing my novel – one or two paragraphs at a time.  Not exactly astounding progress but better than the standstill I’d reached.  Hopefully it will improve.  A recent visit to my doctor has resulted in a change in dosage of one of the medications I’m on.  It means much lower pain levels – bliss!  Unfortunately, they do tend to knock me out, too, so less time for writing.  Over all, though, I’m feeling more inclined to write.  I think that comes out as a gain.

I’ve been amazed at the success of my last ebook, Thief, and it’s really good news as I had other stories featuring some of the same characters/places in mind.  In fact, I’ve almost completed a kind of prequel story.  More news on that will follow when I publish the ebook.  All I’ll say about it for now is that I hope that it pleases those readers who enjoyed Thief.

Visitor map

I’m staggered by the increase in the number of kind folk who have shown an interest in what I’m getting up to.  The numbers of Twitter “followers” and Facebook page “likers” have increased enormously since the beginning of this year.  As to this blog, the number of visitors from launch in February to 31st December 2012 was 651.  At the last count, since 1st January 2013, the number of visitors was at 645!  That’s a huge increase!  Visitors have come from all over the world.  I thank you all for your kind attention.  I am trying very hard to interact more with many of you, through Twitter, Facebook and blog follows.  Naturally, like many of you, there are often times when I become engrossed in writing, or Life gets rather complicated, and I neglect my online activities.  I’m sure you all understand.  If I seem less than attentive, you have my apologies.

If there is anything lacking in the progress of the last two months, it’s a dearth of reviews and comments.  Obviously, I would love to receive reviews of my ebooks, through either Smashwords or Goodreads.  Such things make a big difference not only to how successful a book is, but also to the motivation to continue writing.  As to comments, I would be very pleased to hear from readers of this blog, on any post made.  Such interaction is heartening, to say the least.

Be well and safe, all.

~ Steve

“Thief” – New Release

Thief is Steve’s latest short story ebook, released 8th February, 2013.

Thief is a fantasy centred around the young thief, Tirnam.  It takes place in a city that is under the heel of an evil conqueror, its people all enslaved by the occupiers.  Tirnam lives with the old thief who saved his life, who dreams of escaping the city.  But the old man is crippled and there’s no realistic way out.  So Tirnam must face the dilemma of allowing his adoptive father to sudden terribly in a dreadful gamble at escape or to live on in perpetual danger from the conquerors.  But there’s another course, and it’s the old man who points the way:  Tirnam can try to raise the people in rebellion.  In the end, he will discover that there are many forms of theft, and some are just indescribably evil.

The ebook can be downloaded in various formats, from Smashwords, or as an ePub from Goodreads,

---

Reader review:

Review by: David H. Keith on Feb. 07, 2013 :
Now, this is what a story should be: intelligent, well-written and formatted, compelling, and with an ending that left me nodding in agreement. Well done, Mr. Smy. Well done.

The story line itself has been used for millennia, I’m sure, but it never grows old when told right. Mr. Smy told it just spot on. I highly recommend this.

David H. Keith
http://www.davidkeith1.blogspot.com
www.novemberfirstpublications.weebly.com

Quality Issues Versus Mechanical Errors

Is the quality of writing the most important thing for any book?  I’ve touched on this subject before, but I think it worth revisiting.  There has been considerable chatter on the subject, on blogs and Facebook.  There seems to be moves to push for better grammar and spelling, which might seem fair enough.  I have read books where the quality of the writing most definitely left much to be desired.  In reality, however, I’ve often found that a story is so intriguing, or a concept behind a story so worthwhile, that I’ve not only persevered in reading to the end, I actually read some of the books time and again.

I don’t claim to be perfect in my own writing.  I’m pretty much self-taught, as in most things I’ve ever done.  I could, of course, take courses to improve my writing quality, but would it really help to bring stories to light?  I have this terrible suspicion that I would spend so much time worrying about maintaining the proper quality that I would actually never complete anything.  Worse, the pleasure I derive from writing would be lost, forever.  Is it worth it?  Am I better off simply doing what I’ve always done?  I suspect the answers to these questions are “no” and “yes” respectively.

Having reached this conclusion, what right have I to judge and condemn other authors for their failings?  Of course I would prefer it if everything I read was easy to read.  Being comfortable is part of the pleasure of reading.  Despite that, I’m finding myself less concerned with quality than with ideas, though poor spelling still tends to aggravate me.  In truth, I find typographical errors and editorial mistakes far more annoying, together with gross mistakes in “facts”.  I have been content to accept poor quality writing only to be utterly infuriated when a continuity error in the manuscript occurs, whereby a paragraph is somehow confused with text from later or earlier in the tale.  Also, I’m finding occasions in ebooks where the editing can only be described as abysmal!  Punctuation is missing, replaced with incorrect characters (such as “ being somehow translated to /), and the flow of the story is very effectively sabotaged.  Page breaks appear in strange places, even in the midst of words.  These things, the mechanics of printing, if you like, are doing more to make books unpleasant to read than any difficulty with quality.

I have no desire to become a snob about the things I read.  I am not a book critic!  If I review a book, I do so based purely on the merits of the story.  I have no interest in anything beyond that.  Some things are, after all, beyond the control of the author, however much proofreading they may become embroiled in.  Receiving the galley proofs, making the appropriate corrections, and returning them promptly clearly has little influence on the final product.  There’s obviously something breaking down between publisher and printer.  When ebooks suffer similar problems, then I can only assume that either they are simply direct copies of the printed version (complete with errors) or the product of third party involvement intruding between author and final copy.

If we have so little control over the problems caused by others involved in the publishing process, I think that we really need to reconsider our attitude towards any failings of the author.  Let’s stop bullying writers, lecturing them on their errors.  If anybody is deserving of criticism, it is the people who can cause such atrocious disruption to the finished product.  If you must complain, complain to the ones who are responsible for the mechanical errors.

~ Steve

The Child and Books

It’s inescapable.  There is nothing quite like the moment a child opens a book for the first time.  They discover with eyes and mind a magic that is fresh and new.  If they’re lucky, they make the discovery at home, with a book gifted to them.  And it should be a real book, specially produced for children.  I’m inclined to say that it should also be  something more than just any book.  I still remember some of the books I encountered as a child, and believe me when I say that that was a very long time ago.  I won’t list titles.  They’re not important to this discussion.  It’s the sensations that they gave rise to.

A book, with a hard cover, a brightly illustrated jacket protecting a surprisingly plain cover.  The jacket entices, hints at wonders to be discovered within.  The plain cover, in time, will give rise to a sense of immensity, with its blocked typeface so stylishly perfect on front and spine, with maybe a box around the title on the front and lines dividing the printing on the spine.  And opening the book, there’s an aroma that will become so important.  The scent of paper and ink, but much more than just those – the distinctive smell that says “book”.  Within, the text is clear and crisp, with some pages adorned with line drawings, maybe even some colour plates illustrating parts of the contents.  Some books may even have text on pages alive with colourful images, almost like subtitles.

Plunging into the words, the child is immersed in a magical ocean.  It may be a fairy tale or an adventure story, tales of lands of wonder and mystery, stories of ancient times, or more mundane things that any child can relate to.  It really doesn’t matter.  For now, the child loves to enter the enchanted world of books.

The author clearly bears a great responsibility.  These young minds are wide open, thirsty for knowledge.  It is the author’s duty to not bring harm to those minds, not to repel the child.  The author must entertain, first and foremost.  Any other purpose must be subtle, an almost subliminal message.  But, the author isn’t the only person who bears a grave responsibility here.  Parents and teachers must shoulder the burden too.  They must be prepared to provide the books, and to accept that the child may not like some of them.  The worst thing adults do to children is forcing them to read books they dislike!  That single act can stop a child from ever becoming a reader.  It’s a kind of deprival that is inexcusable.

There are far too many children in this world who have no access to books, by the circumstance of where they live or the poverty they exist in.  It is unforgivable for us to deprive our children of the magic world of books and reading.  Even if you aren’t a reader, I beg you to give your children every chance of becoming one.

~ Steve